Feb 29th - Outfit #26 - Last Day Crazy, Cats and a Very Awesome Ring

I am so - may I date myself with an 80s expression? - STOKED to start a new month with a new capsule wardrobe! Woo! 

I'll be doing an analysis of my February wardrobe (I kept a spreadsheet), but I'm pretty busy this week (I am currently on a webinar training session as I type this...shhhh), so I'll be doing that on the weekend. You'll be able to vote on your favourite outfit of the month! 

But let's not get ahead of ourselves - here is the last outfit of February:

Yeah, I pulled out all the crazy for this, hee hee. I've had it in the back of my mind all month how fun it would be to wear these tights with these fringed suede booties (only worn once, here). I don't know if this totally works, but I enjoyed wearing it!

This is the Burberry shirt (last worn here), with the leather vest (last seen here) worn open.

And that's my lovely grey velvet skirt, last seen here. I'm also wearing a black cami under the shirt, and my chainmail necklace.

I know, I can't stop looking at the tights either!

While I love the concept of these boots (fringe!), they kill my feet. Ah well, two wears when I paid $12.50 for them is fine by me.

Shirt (Burberry London, thrifted), vest (Cabi, thrifted), skirt (Club Monaco), tights (Traparenze), boots (Predictions, thrifted), cami (Esprit), necklace (locally made).

Last night, the cats were just so cute, I had to take some pictures.

Vizzini surveys from the top of the scratching post while Inigo sits in a box lid.

Vizzini sleeps up there a lot.

Inigo has such a pretty face.

He has good taste in boxes too; that's a Fluevog lid.

He was purring away at me while I got in close.

Vizzini's always suspicious of the camera.

I got in closer and he gave me his "I want to rip your face off" look.

"I swallow your soul!"

 Then he climbed down.

I can't resist disturbing them when they're so cute.

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So! This year is a big one for me: L and I are celebrating our 15th anniversary in March, and I am going to be turning 45 in October (that sound you hear is my mom choking, "I can't believe I'm the mother of a 45 year old!"). L and I will also finish paying off our mortgage in September! Yeah!

I like to treat myself to things to commemorate events, to remind me of where I've been and how far I've come. The last 5 years have seen a lot of change for me: a new job, my 50 pound weight loss, losing Othello, getting Vizzini, this blog. This blog really represents so much of who I have become, and so it was only appropriate that I buy myself a gift from someone I met from blogging.

That's right, Ms. Wendy Brandes herself!

Wendy, it has been a pleasure getting to know you over these past four years - I feel like we could sit down and have a few drinks and be old friends by the end of the night (and next time I'm in NYC, we will have to do that!). It is with great pride that I wear this beautiful lapis lazuli and silver ring that you designed - it's even made in New York City, a city that I love.

As you can see from the above picture, she sent it in this lovely grey velvet box, with a handwritten postcard. Someday (when I win the lottery), that Marie Antoinette ring will be mine!

The ring fit perfectly on my finger and I wore it all day at work, garnering many compliments. The colour of the stone is deep and rich blue.

My ring is the exact one shown on Wendy's site - I can tell by the position of the gold flecks of pyrite that run through the lapis.

The brushed silver (stamped .925 inside, along with the Wendy Brandes mark) is the perfect complement and really makes the stone's colour pop.

I will be wearing this often. I don't believe in saving items you love "for special" - you should wear them, wear the hell out of them! I've had my gold, emerald and diamond ring repaired, re-polished and re-shaped a couple of times in the 5 years I've had it. It's part of me, part of my life. And so is this new ring.

Thank you, Wendy! I treasure this.

[Note: As always, I "link because I love" - Wendy had a sale, I paid for my ring like a regular customer. She did treat me on the postage which was $12.95. No special kick-backs.]