Today's Outfit: Think Bright Thoughts

• Shabby Apple 'L'Opera' dress (c/o)
• Joe Fresh cashmere cardigan and pearl earrings
• J. Crew bangle (gift from Anya)
• Kate Spade ' Bow Bridge Kennedy' bag
• Dynamite tights
• DKNYC booties
• Zoya nail polish in 'Bevin' (c/o Spa Boutique)

Moments before these photos were taken on Sunday, the boy called me and said, "Um, it's kind of starting to hail outside. Do you still want to do this?" The hail cleared up temporarily for our 20-minute shoot (thank goodness I wore a sweater). But then it turned into wet snow while we were at brunch. Occasional flurries and an unseasonable cold snap have lingered in Vancouver ever since. Lovely.

A girl can't get too down though when she's dressed in so many bright colours. Bright colours just naturally give rise to bright, cheerful thoughts. A while ago, Shabby Apple--an online purveyor of vintage-inspired women's dresses--generously offered to send me a dress of my choice for review. My first choice was sold out. My second choice, a navy cotton frock, was a little too big in the chest and narrow around the midsection and I had to send it back and choose a third dress. That was just as well since I'm in love with the colour, ruffled accents and slim silhouette of my third choice, the L'Opera dress. It's fully lined and seems pretty well-made, although the cotton lawn material wrinkles a lot. While I'm wearing it with a sweater and tights here, I expect to wear it a lot with sandals and cat-eye shades this summer.

Despite the initial order disappointments, overall I found the website's size and product information to be quite thorough. (They even have size comparison charts so that if you're a certain size at J. Crew or Banana Republic, you have a good idea of what size you should order from Shabby Apple.) My dealings with their marketing representative were pleasant and she responded to my concerns in a timely manner. The dresses arrived when I expected them to and in good condition, and the return process was clearly laid out. Overall, I give Shabby Apple and their dresses a thumbs-up.

Another item I expect to wear often because it goes so well with neutrals and brights: this orange bangle from J. Crew that my friend Anya picked up for me while she was in New York. (Thank you!)

This winter seems to be dragging on. Does it make you feel blue? How do you counteract the glumness?