lucky penny is back at it after a superb holiday break. ringing in the new year with cute boyfriend and all her favourites in one room, aka veuve and jägermeister, she danced the night away like it was 1999.

the following morning, however, was an entirely different scenario. no matter, nothing gets our girl out of bed like the beckoning call of retail therapy.

after grabbing a quick bite and a coffee to go, lucky penny found herself strolling the sidewalks of bloor. happy new year holt renfrew, pink tartan and anthropologie! we meet again…

with pumping beats coming out of aritzia, lucky penny could not help herself but pop in. a good thing she did, too! she scored this beauty: wilfred free wrap jacket in navajo (pictured above), but her inner plain jane bought the heather taupe instead. following fall 2010 trends, this wrap’s native-american tribal patterns echo the boho prints seen on the runways of pucci and cavalli.

and not a moment too soon right, lovelies? after a mild break, it seems that snow has returned to taunt, and remind us that spring is still a few months away. zut alors!

lucky penny loves to collect blazers… jackets… coats… and smythe les vestes.

founded by best friends andrea lenczner and christie smythe (whose sister was lucky penny’s flatmate in london, and high school pal), smythe is a line of impeccably tailored toppers since 2004. the collection has also expanded into blouses and knits.

when lucky penny started her career in editorial, she interviewed the girls for her very first article… and even bought a navy velvet blazer from their very first collection. it is still in her closet!

a few weeks ago at toronto fashion week, smythe debuted a few spring 2011 looks at the holt renfrew ready-to-wear show… styled with nothing but a floral tank, hot pants, straw hats and candy-coloured bangles… this girl cannot wait to see more.

lucky penny, after several reader requests, is pleased to introduce a *new feature* for her tall, dark and handsomes. aaaaaand… who better to kick it off than a little homegrown canadiana like red canoe national heritage brands?

even though lucky penny should probably refrain from admitting this, boyfriends past and present have secretly been test subjects… or rather quote unquote projects. her tell for not liking something he is wearing, as cute boyfriend knows all too well, is when she slightly crinkles her nose.

last christmas, lucky penny bought her boy a luxe wallet… and then, a wool peacoat for his birthday. she surprised him with a black canoe camel cardigan (see above) for le nouveau job, and a royal canadian air force canvas weekender (see above, again) for their anniversary getaway to nyc. blue cbc t-shirt is perfect for the cottage.

see? cute boyfriend never suspected a thing… until now. *cat out of bag*

founded in 2002 by dax wilkinson, the idea for red canoe came mid-flight in a bush plane over northern ontario… his love for the outdoors, and to honour our rich heritage, of course.

***psst… their new head office on dundas west will double as a shop. weekends only… opening soon in june!

lucky penny has a mean dropkick. she may be little, but sure is scrappy and not afraid to pull hair… watch out, lovelies! rawr.

at the precious metal gala last eve, she ran into her dear friend grant padley. they first met (and collaborated) during the grand re-opening of hermès on bloor street… orange hardhats and all.

she is quite proud of all his accomplishments since, including direction of the first-ever three-dimensional fashion film, featuring nada‘s new collection for fall.

two months ago (st. patty’s day to be exact), lucky penny was at the scotiabank theatre… armed with a large bag of buttered popcorn, coca-cola (lots of ice), maltesers, and her 3d nerdle glasses… she sat back and waited on *pins and needles* for the show to start.

future fashion/fashion future is a kickass, action-packed film full of fembots outfitted in… well, nada of course!

lucky penny is a master packer… she can efficiently fit 20 different outfits for a 5-day trip in a carry-on.

her secret weapon: old navy… from maxi dresses for the beach in maui to slim-fit cargos for a kilimanjaro hike, she always stocks up on basics before any jetset adventure!

this past monday, lucky penny was invited to preview their fall collection at the recently renovated telus royal conservatory of music.

over champagne and old navy mojitos, she was also treated to a manicure… featuring nicole by o.p.i‘s new colours. she choose a lovely lavender shade called fair play. even though she almost never does! *wink*

looking ahead to an october holiday to banff, lucky penny made a mental shoppy list of all the pieces she would absolutely need…  denim leggings with ankle zips, chunky knit sweaters for chilly autumn nights, and hunting jacket in a beautiful ivy colour. *please take away her credit card… or hide in a block of ice*