38 days and counting

This is how I feel some days...

38 days until Wayne graduates. When he comes home, I still don't know. They may release the grads immediately; they may keep them another week for light duty. All I can do is hope for the best but expect the worst.

Sometimes, it feels like he'll walk through the front door. Other times, I feel like my wedding and 2 years of marriage were but a dream. Even seeing him in Montreal for two days was surreal.

My parents recently came into ownership of my grandparents' original wedding and early marriage photo album. These black and white photos, in a used, emerald green, leather-bound book, are so precious. Most of them are dated 1945-1950 and many are in Montreal, where my dad was born. The one photo that really got to me is an image of my recently deceased grandpa (love you, Grandpa) in his Army uniform - going to or coming from battle, I'm not sure - with my uncle John as a baby on his lap, and my stylish nana (then, a real knockout, Ginger Rogers-style!) standing behind him in this incredibly well-tailored women's suit.

One thing I know: when I am standing proud, watching my husband march into the ceremony in his new uniform, gloves, weapon and all, I want to look good. Really good. The way my nana looked in that photo: hair coiffed, lips done, accessories modest but elegant and a smile on my face.

I've decided that this mission calls for:

the ultimate tweed suit.

In the next week or two, I'll be patrolling the local shops, looking for a real knock-em-dead suit that's wearable in a Montreal winter but sexy and conservative at the same time (yes, it can be done!)

So far, other than the image of my nana - and the costume design from every episode of Mad Men on AMC - the photos below are my inspiration:

A modern twist on a classic - not sure what's going on with the collar, though.

This one is straight out of the 1940s. Ugh, I was born in the wrong era. Not sure how to walk in snow with pumps, though?


Not a tweed suit, but a business casual take on femininity?



YUMMY. This, I can work with.

***If anyone has suggestions for stores I should check out for these types of styles, please enlighten me! I'm planning to visit:

Winners
Laura
Mexx
Le Chateau
RW&Co.
Dynamite and Zara in Metrotown (if all else fails)