Ephemera

Last Day of Wardrobe Freedom!

2012-01-31T23:49:00.000-08:00

Well, this is it: the last time I'll wear something that isn't in a one-month capsule wardrobe for quite a while. I'm trying to think of it in just 1-month chunks instead of the overwhelming thought of a full year. I know I have enough clothes to do this without overlapping - my current wardrobe of shoes and clothing items just in my closet is over 200 items, and come March 31st, I'll be digging out those big plastic containers that I stored all my Spring/Summer clothes and shoes in last October and packing away all my Fall/Winter clothes and boots.

But enough of my jibber-jabber! The last outfit is...

I see a kitty in the background

Not terribly exciting. That's my semi-sheer kimono top, last seen in August (3rd outfit down), with my olive skirt (also last worn in August).

I really wanted to wear my Miz Mooz boots one more time.

Maybe they will be in March's 30 items?

The stuff:

Inigo goes in for a sniff

I adore those boots. I get so many compliments every time I wear them.

The jewelry:

Inigo guards my necklace from Vizzini (out of frame)

Tomorrow is my company's big 2nd quarter meeting and luncheon, which I'm helping organize. Some bigwigs will be out here. I hope they like my colourful outfit!

Top (Mexx, thrifted), cami (InWear), skirt (Club Monaco, consignment), boots (Miz Mooz), necklace (vintage 60s, Mom's), cuff (SkinzNHydz, local).

Crazy Monday With Cranes

2012-01-30T18:42:00.000-08:00

Well, only 1 outfit left after today that I can just randomly pull out from my wardrobe! I am so excited about my 30 For 30 For 12 Challenge - it's just unseemly how excited I am. Ha, but ask me again in 7 months (or 2 months, who knows?), and I'm sure I'll have a different attitude.

I wasn't all that happy with today's outfit. But it features this new-to-me thrifted skirt, so what the heck:

This is SO close to how I've worn this top/cami/shoe combo before - check it out. It made me realize that, despite how much I love the shiny (shiny!!) and swingy (swingy!!) houndstooth skirt, I already have a houndstooth pencil skirt. Do I really need another one? No, not really. I'm going to wash this and give it to a co-worker. It was only $4.00, anyway. And she loves swingy skirts.

This is my crane cardigan that I love.

I had planned to do this red/white polka-dotted shirt under it, but the skirt sat too low on my hips to tuck it in, and there was too much shirt hanging out to leave it untucked. This cami's not much better, but at least I knew it would be adequate.

The stuff:

These shoes have been on the chopping block for a while. Do I keep them? Do I get rid of them? I already have many, many pairs of red shoes...but after wearing them today, I've decided to hang onto them because they are so incredibly comfortable. I never thought I'd say it, but comfort is quickly becoming the number one quality I look for in shoes.

A close-up of the lovely embroidery on the sweater:

Such a pretty design.

Cardigan (Lucky Brand, consignment), cami (Ricki's), skirt (Yedina, thrifted), shoes (Feet First, thrifted), bracelet & belt (Plum).

30 For 30 For 12 Challenge

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Some years back, I noticed a lot of fashion bloggers doing a "30 For 30 Challenge." It was started by Kendi of Kendi Everyday (her rules here). It was really interesting to see how bloggers came up with new outfits and flexed their creative muscle to stretch their wardrobes.

Lately, I feel like I've missed out on some outfits by not wanting to wear things too frequently, and I've been wanting to do another long-term challenge, like the one I did in 2009 where I only bought second-hand/thrift/non-brand-new clothes and had a "one-in, one-out" rule in effect (rules here, summary and recap here). I've done lots of little fashion challenges (links here), but I want to really push myself to rely on what's already in my closet. Because, let's face it: I have an awesome wardrobe!

Sooooo...here's my spin: I'm going to see how long I can do 30 For 30, month after month after month. The goal is to do it for a full year, so till the end of next January.

My loosey-goosey-there-are-loopholes rules for 30 For 30 For 12 are:

Pick 30 items of clothing, including shoes. Wear those only those for one calendar month.
Accessories (belts, tights, jewelry), outerwear, and any layering pieces that I wouldn't wear solo (things like my underskirts, long-sleeved layering tees, camisoles) don't count.
I can repeat any number of items the following month if I feel like it.
Newly purchased items (of clothing or shoes) will have to wait until the month is up; no swapping in new items.
Damaged, stained or otherwise ruined clothes may be substituted for a like item (i.e. a stained shirt can be traded for another shirt).
One "Wild Card" outfit may be selected out of the rest of the closet in case of a party, wedding or other special event.
My hang-around-the house clothes don't count (I don't photograph those anyway).

I've already built myself a nice little spreadsheet to track my outfits and see what I'm really getting mileage out of. At the end of each month, I'll post a summary of the outfits and my analysis, and you'll get a chance to vote on your favourite outfit!

I'm actually pretty excited to get this started - Wednesday, February 1st will be my start day. And without further ado, here is my February wardrobe:

Pants, skirts, tops, jackets. I wasn't in the mood for dresses, so there aren't any. There are 5 new-to-me items that I'm incorporating into February's wardrobe.

And here are the shoes:

One new-to-me pair of shoes, and a mix of flats and heels.

Exciting!

If you're interested in participating, please feel free! Let me know in the comments along the way if you do a 30 For 30, and I'll include a link to your blog in the month-end summary.

What a Weekend! Casual Friday, An Art Event, A Blogger Meet-Up and Winesday

2012-01-29T17:29:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a Very Busy Weekend. As I want to hang out with L and play Arkham Horror, I haven't got a lot of chit-chat.

Casual Friday:

The cream layering long-sleeved tee is new-to-me. It was $16 on consignment, but free with my credit trade-in. It's Noa Noa, and it's much nicer than my old cream layering tee, so that one has gone to the charity pile.

My silver and gold tee, my purple velvet skirt (and tights), jazzed up with a few rocker-ish accessories.

Of course, I wore my purple coat:

Stripey scarves rule! As do my wonderfully comfy black boots.

Black tee (BCBGMaxAzria, consignment), cream tee (Noa Noa, consignment), skirt (Cappopera), boots (Gabor), belt (swap from Ruth).

Later on Friday night, we headed down to G++/Limbic Gallery for the launch of Atagamaton, an interactive media installation. I was pretty tired, so I went for a comfortable but quirky mix:

A grey layering tee, with my olive corduroy vest, and my Smoking Lily Periodic Table of Awesome skirt.

I layered my black Noa Noa underskirt, wore heathered grey tights and my Victorian walking booties:

And my "teeth" necklace! Rar! Shout out to artist Gregory Ball, with whom I had an excellent chat. He's currently featured in the LAB at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. I can't wait to go check it out!

Tee (Mexx, consignment), vest (RW & Co., consignment), skirt (Smoking Lily, consignment), boots (Marc Soft Walk), necklace (The Bay).

On Saturday morning, I strolled down to my local diner to meet up with with fellow Victoria blogger Lorinda! Go say hi to her!

I wanted to be comfy for shopping (easy on and off clothes), but also look nice. Lorinda is a friend of a friend, so the pressure was on!

And the weather was nice, so I got a staircase shot in there!

My Upper Playground tee from London, same grey layering tee from Friday, my Desigual skirt, same grey tights as Friday and my comfiest boots.

I kept the outerwear simple:

Tee (Upper Playground), tee (Mexx, consignment), skirt (Desigual, thrifted), boots (Aldo, consignment).

Lorinda and I hit it off well - we have similar shopping methods, which was great. I would pull out stuff for her, she'd pull out stuff for me. We had very good karma! We went to two thrift stores and one consignment shop.

Self-portrait in the fitting room mirror at the consignment store:

The fake redhead (me) and the natural redhead (Lorinda). I love her hair!

Check out this awesome 100% cashmere sweater she found for $32.00:

Talbots! So nice!

She made me promise never to wear these fabulous pearlized flats with tights.

Yeah, that's just not good. I'm putting those away until summer. Lorinda's wearing pink and purple plaid sneakers - so chic!

I barely had time to have a nap after shopping before I had to run for a bus to go to Winesday. It was very chilly out, so I wore this new puffer coat that Lorinda had spotted for me:

Now I know it's not to everyone's taste - but a red satin puffer coat with bigass bell sleeves and a ruffled collar? Oh, I am all over that!

Check out the back:

It has a bow! I might belt this to give it more shape if I were out shopping or something, but I really loved it just on its own.

It was brand new, tags still on:

Marked down from $129 to $77, I got it on consignment for $65. For a warm winter coat, that was a good deal.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

I have some exciting news coming in the next couple of days: I'm doing a long-term fashion challenge starting February 1st! Details to follow soon.

An Unfortunate Cropping Incident

2012-01-27T10:31:00.000-08:00

Entirely my own fault, although I could blame the wine! No one made me drink it, though. When I upload my camera pictures, I crop and resize my photos before uploading them. This involves a "Select All" (for the resize), but tragically, last night, I applied it to the crop function instead.

So, you get a rather odd series of pictures of my outfit from Thursday. Hopefully you can figure out what the overall outfit looked like from these!

This is a new-to-me leather jacket that I got with my clothes trade-in on Sunday:

Vizzini was rubbing my legs in the uncropped version.

It's a Le Chateau, and was marked down to $20 - of course, I got it for free with my trade-in credit! It still had the "Real leather" tag and extra buttons attached to it, so I'm sure it's never been worn. I've had my eye on it for a few months, knowing it would be marked down due to the colouration, which some would say is ugly or weird.

That's my cream velvet "jean" skirt, which is in the giveaway pile now. I didn't like how it rode up all day.

Giving Vizzini a cuddle:

Inigo was watching from the background, sadly, a victim of the cropping.

Vizzini is such a splayed-leg kitty. He lounges about with his back legs open. It's a little disconcerting. He is becoming much more affectionate with us, and submits to cuddle attacks. It's nice.

You can see the odd colour on the jacket there - it's a cream leather that's been soaked in green dye, that looks like it's been set out in the rain. The green is very streaky. It appeals to me, although I can see why it didn't sell. The jacket has a gorgeous brown satin lining, which I showed off with the turned-up cuffs.

The stuff:

I's nearly impossible to tell that I was wearing this sequined top underneath. I pinned one side to my bra so that I wouldn't have any slippage during the day (it's a one-shoulder top - picture here).

My shoes were highly uncomfortable and I'm going to give them to my friend, Cat. They were too tight in the toes, and that elasticated heel made big dents on my feet. It was odd, because last time I wore them (last outfit down), they were fine! But anyway, I already have a zebra-print low heeled shoe.

My lovely Shi Studio belt:

I was going to just a plain brown belt when I remembered this fab buckle. Look how nice the green goes with the jacket!

Another pair of earrings from around 1994, when I worked in a trendy little mall shop for a year (my fellow Canucks might remember LA Express, former sister store of Suzy Shier).

These are so light to wear. I love a big earring that doesn't stretch my earlobes!

Jacket (Le Chateau, consignment), top (Express, thrifted), skirt (B.U.M. Equipment, consignment), belt/buckle (Shi Studio), shoes (Aerosoles, consignment), earrings (LA Express, 1994).

A Pop of Yellow

2012-01-25T19:29:00.000-08:00

I don't think I could pick a favourite colour, but this yellow is darned close.

I always think of this as my Megan skirt. After I found it cheapy at a consignment store, I bought her one at the store it was originally sold at (they had a bunch of small sizes on the clearance rack). Now we're twins!

That's my olive sweater, last seen here (last outfit).

The cream cowl-neck sweater is new-to-me. It was marked at $20 but I got it free with my trade-in credit (I still have over $150 credit with Annie). It's a 50/50 wool and poly blend, which I like because it's not as itchy as 100% wool, and it will hold its shape when I wash it. There was also a very pale pinky-beige one and a black one, but I needed a cream layering piece for the cold weather. I loathe the choking feeling of turtlenecks, so this is a good compromise. I also really like the slight bell to the sleeve. Club Monaco, again. Such nice quality.

The shoes were actually an afterthought. I was going to go with black and then thought, "Why not?"

They're pretty freakin' fabulous. They were actually pretty good all day - I ran up and down the stairs between floors at least 10-12 times today and the rubber grip was very sturdy. I did use the handrails, though.

The stuff:

You know I love to do the bigass accessories. That's another Club Monaco piece, the giant black chain necklace.

A close-up:

I like that cuff. It's nice and heavy.

Cardigan (Kersh, consignment), sweater (Club Monaco, consignment), skirt (BB Dakota, consignment), belt (Gap), shoes (Guess), necklace (Club Monaco), cuff (Aldo Accessories).

In other news, I got tagged by Ki by one of those "spread the love" thingies. And Megan tagged "everyone." It's like the flu: everyone's gotten it! So, what the heck...

Here are the rules:
1. Post these rules
2. Post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you by the tagger
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you have tagged to answer
5. Tag 11 'peeps'

1. Check.
2. Okey-doke, here you go:

I have really strong fingernails. Like Wolverine, only not adamantium. In high school, I wore them long and planned all my week's outfits around what colour nail polish I did on Sunday. I did very elaborate manicures and my nails looked great. Now, I wear them short and never polish them.
I was a metal chick in the early 90s. I met and hung out with Alice in Chains in the band loft at a local bar in '91 or '92.
I don't call my friends, or text them (I don't have a cell phone). I organize things, like Book Club and Winesday and Art Gallery openings and parties, so that I can see them and catch up in person.
I'm naturally introverted and shy. My extroverted manner was learned during my 14-year stint working in retail. My motto is "fake it till you feel it!" I've become very good at being social over the years, but I still have times when I need to be by myself.
I can do mirror-writing easily. It's nicer than my real writing.
I believe in ghosts and aliens. I have never had any kind of encounter.
My hair is probably more than 50% white. I haven't seen it in its natural state or colour since 1994.
I have freckles on my nose. My Grandpa J called them "fairy kisses." That's one of the best memories I have of him.
I am very good at mechanical things. I can fix any jammed photocopier. Bring it on, mechanical beast!
I cry over anything. I'll cry during the Super Bowl. I cry at commercials. I cry when I read books. Don't even get me started on the Rainbow Bridge (I warned you). It kills me.
I like to sprint through crosswalks just when the "walky man" has turned to "the hand" and arrive at the other side not out of breath. I imagine that the people in the cars see me and admire how fit I am. I feel like Wonder Woman. (Yes, I'm careful and watch the traffic).

3.a. Ki's questions:
1. Paperback or e book reader? Paperback (and hardcover).
2. Skirts or pants? Skirts!
3. Coke or Pepsi? Gross, neither. Tea, please.
4. Summer or winter? Autumn, preferably a warm and sunny October.
5. If you had to learn a foreign language which one would it be? I can already speak enough French to get by. I'd like to learn an endangered language like Votic or Walloon.
6. What is your comfort food? Popcorn and tea. I'm having some tonight!
7. Which fashion trend would you never wear? Not a fan of anything with a dropped crotch, tube tops, or ultra-huge shoulder pads. However, never say never!
8. What is your dream job? To not have to work! I only work to support my hobbies.
9. Which is the next place you would like to travel to? I'd like to take the train to Montreal, then fly to Halifax. I'd also like to go to Italy.
10. What are your wardrobe staples? All my leather, my Fluevogs, dresses, skirts.
11. Who is your most favourite person in the whole world? My best friend, Logan.

3.b. Megan's questions:
1. How do you take your tea? (Coffee?) I drink herbal tea, mostly licorice, fruit or mint, with nothing in them. I also drink green tea. I take my coffee black with one Splenda packet.
2. Describe your winter coat or jacket. (Pick your favorite if you have it). My favourite right now is my purple wool one.
3. Give me an adjective! Snazzy.
4. Favorite guilty pleasure tv show (or movie). Buffy the Vampire Slayer (series).
5. Favorite blog. Cake Wrecks and Maru. I visit them every day. They make me smile.
6. If you found a $100 bill on the ground, what would you do with it? (assuming it belonged to no one, but the finder - you.). I'd keep it and take my husband out for dinner.
7. Would rather receive snail mail or an email? Email - snail mail is usually a bill or something bad. However, packages are wonderful!
8. Do you like patterns or solid colored clothing? Both!
9. Stripes or Polka Dots?! Both!
10. Have you ever been on a plane? Where were you going? Many times. Last time was in a seaplane to Vancouver in March. The last big plane was when we went to Miami in December 2010.
11. Favorite accessory? My three gold rings and my diamond earrings. I wear them all every day.

4. 11 New Questions From Me:
1. The Hokey-Pokey or the Chicken Dance?
2. What colour streak would you put in your hair (assuming you would)?
3. What movie did you passionately love when you were younger?
4. Are you allergic to anything?
5. People who stand in the middle of the sidewalk: should they be drawn and quartered or put in pillories and have fruit thrown at them?
6. Tell me the last thing you saw that was live at a theatre, on a stage.
7. What's your favourite piece of art?
8. Do you eat in front of the TV or at a dining table? Is the TV still on?
9. What item that you own would you take to "Antiques Roadshow" for evaluation? How much do you think it's worth?
10. What's on your nightstand/bedside table?
11. You're meeting someone who doesn't know what you look like. Describe yourself in 10 words or less.

5. No, I don't do that. You can play if you feel like it.

A Gothic Snowflake

2012-01-24T23:41:00.000-08:00

I've become such a huge fan of second-hand leather and suede! And here's another one for the collection:

I know! I spotted this in a consignment store and prayed it would fit me. It was $42.00. I felt very Gothic in it, kind of like a dark drum majorette. Trystan, this one's for you! I can totally see it being part of a party/costume outfit, or doing it up in a Victorian steampunk style. Ooh, the possibilities!

Check out the nice lines of the back:

Don't you just love how the hem swoops down? So sweet.

That's my snowflake skirt (aka the blue cheese skirt) - today it reminded me of snow. I wanted NOT to wear black with this jacket (just too predictable), and I am happy with how this skirt looks. I think the A-line of the skirt helps offset the V-shape of the jacket.

Because, yes, those are some major shoulder pads!

*Poke, poke*

Actually, I've seen much bigger shoulder pads on leather/suede jackets from the late 80s, so I'd guess that this jacket is a little bit later, probably early to mid-90s (don't kid yourself, we were still doing shoulder pads then...just not on every layer of clothing!).

Here's a look at the jacket:

Inigo eyes the frog closures.

Because of the shoulder pads, and the way the front slightly overlaps when closed, this jacket doesn't hang right when it's undone. I am probably only going to wear it fully done up.

The label is not a modern Danier label:

Everything but the sleeve cuffs are trimmed in this lovely shiny black cord. And don't you love the frogs? One of my male coworkers did not know that these type of closures are called frogs - did you?

I love that my Fluevog Listen Up Audreys are the same dark blood red as the jacket:

A good look at the wonderful texture of the skirt too.

I wore a pair of black stone earrings, and black fishnet tights - with so much else going on visually, I didn't need much in the way of accessories!

Because I had to take my detail shots on the floor, the clothes were fair game for the cats.

"My skirt!"

He was unceremoniously dumped off it. Naughty boy.

Jacket (vintage 90s Danier Leather, consignment), skirt (J.J.F., consignment), shoes (Listen Up Audrey, Fluevog).

I Couldn't Possibly Guess

2012-01-23T18:00:00.001-08:00

One of my favourite things to do when I've had a bonanza of thrifting/consignment shopping is to spend some time in my closet, putting together outfits. I find it very soothing and relaxing.

This jacket is new-to-me:

More detail pictures are below, but look at that shape! I love when a jacket does the work for you. I will buy nearly any colour or pattern of a jacket if the shape is right.

This was all of $7.50 in a thrift store. I may have gasped when I saw it.

The skirt is my burgundy suede one (last seen in March of last year!):

And of course the shoes are my Fluevog Coffee Sumatras. I really haven't worn them since July? Wow.

The stupid tights blew a hole midway through the day.

The stuff:

The shoes are heavenly, aren't they?

Okay, let's have a better look at the jacket:

Seriously, $7.50. Score!

It's a grey plaid with a thread of red in it. The piping is stiff gold material, and the edging is either a very dark blue or black with a blue tint. I love the shiny creamy-gold lining. Look at all those Gs...

Gold buttons! Gold buttons! Big shiny gold buttons!

Caw! Did I mention gold buttons? They have big Gs on them.

Nice back detail:

Did you figure out what brand this is? I'm still trying to guess. (hee hee)

Check out Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style!

Jacket (Guess, thrifted), sweater (Jacob, consignment), skirt (Danier, thrifted), shoes (Coffee Sumatra, Fluevog).

Layer Up Week! Dress Over Pants

2012-01-22T22:51:00.000-08:00

What? The weekend's over already? But what about Friday?

Yes, Friday had a theme: Dress or skirt over pants.

The return of the stairs!

This is my plaid dress that I've worn several times, with my skinny cropped jeans with my black walking boots. Pretty simple outfit.

I went to a couple of my usual thrift haunts that I hadn't been to in a while, on Saturday. I had some good shopping karma! Today, I finally went into my favourite consignment shop and took in my Manolo Blahniks - I got $100 for them in trade-in! Sweet!

L was off to Vancouver to hang with friends and watch football playoffs, so I enjoyed a weekend to myself.

Cat and Karen came over on Saturday night and we ate yummy food and drank wine and had a lovely girly time. I wore this same outfit, only with black socks (and my leopard slippers).

It's been very stormy - windy and rainy - all weekend. The snow is all gone.

It's pretty chilly out there, though! Bundle up!

Dress (Kensie), jeans (Jackpot, swap from Caro), boots (Aldo, consignment).

Layer Up Week! Jacket Over Cardigan

2012-01-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

Woo! Happy Friday! We're nearly at the end of We Thought This Week Was Layer Up Week! I'm looking forward to checking out the real participants.

Today's theme was "Jacket Over Cardigan." I've done lots of jacket looks, but I don't think I've ever worn a jacket over a cardigan. More uncharted ground - so fun!

I know it's a bit hard to see there, but that's my black/very dark blue velvet pinstripe jacket (also last worn with the same tights). I've always liked longer lengths on blazers.

This is the second wear of my VV Boutique cardi.

For the bottom half, I'm wearing another vintage full slip (yay for slips!) with my Noa Noa black floofy underskirt layered underneath my fab chartreuse Noa Noa painted skirt.

Inigo is settled on his knapsack to see me off.

On the legs, my pinstripe tights and my lace-up boots.

The stuff:

I really loved how all he patterns and textures went together.

Those boots were so comfortable all day - I even walked home in them!

A close-up:

The pinstripe in the jacket is much more noticeable in daylight. *sigh* When will spring get here? I'm pining for tulips.

Have a great weekend!

Jacket (Ann Taylor, thrifted), cardigan (Attitude, thrifted), skirts (both Noa Noa), boots (Marc Soft Walk).

Layer Up Week! Vest Over Jacket

2012-01-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

Today's theme was either jacket over vest, or vest over jacket. Well, jacket over vest is just too easy! I had to go with the difficult option.

I couldn't wait for non-snow weather to wear this new skirt I bought either:

Okay, first the vest over jacket - I would never have even thought of trying this if not for the Challenge! What a fab idea - now, I want to see if I can do this with other vests/jackets I own. This is my "riding" jacket and my leather vest. I added a belt over top of it to ground it, if that makes any sense (or maybe I just wanted to be all matchy with my boots, hee hee).

A shot of the way the jacket goes at the back:

You can also see the wonderful drape of the skirt here. It reminds me of Grecian gowns.

Ah, the skirt. I spotted this at the downtown Club Monaco in the after-Christmas sale, but it was $99.00 on sale. Yikes! That's why I thrift most of my Club Monaco clothing! However, when L suggested we go to another mall to buy him some work clothes last weekend, I remembered that I still had the gift card from Mom that I got for my birthday - and that mall also has a Club Monaco! Yay!

Although the skirt was still $99.00 on sale (regular price $149.00 - gulp), it was an extra 30% off on top of that...and I like spending birthday money on stuff I wouldn't normally buy for myself. The skirt is called the "Ella" skirt and the colour is "mushroom." (I love mushrooms). It's going to get a lot of wear in the warmer months, but it was nice to be able to wear it during a snowy day. It's even polyester, so I'll be able to wash it (a good thing with that light colour!).

As there was still lots of snow on the ground this morning, and it was rather chilly out, I really layered up:

Vizzini checks things out

On the bottom: tights, knee socks, a full-length vintage slip, and then my skirt. In addition to the slip on the top half, I'm also wearing a yellow woven cami top with the jacket and vest.

The skirt is floor length on me, even with the 2" heel on the cowboy boots, so I had to take drastic measures:

Ha! Workout pants! Oh, I am so stylin'! (I know I'm not).

I twisted and rolled up the skirt into a ball to shove in my bag with the boots:

And here I was just mentioning the broomstick skirts of the early 90s just the other day! They must be coming back!

The stuff:

I liked the toughness of the cowboy boots with the delicate texture of the skirt.

I went with pseudo-vintage with this necklace:

The earrings are actually vintage.

I had enough money left on my Club Monaco gift card to get this embossed leather belt as well:

Made in Italy, it was $39 plus 30% off (regular price $49.50). It's a width and style I've been trying to thrift with little success.

Jacket (Armor Jeans, thrifted), vest (Cabi, thrifted), cami (Reitman's, consignment), skirt (Club Monaco), boots (Two Roads, consignment), belt (Club Monaco), necklace (Plum), earrings (vintage).

For those of you wondering about the kitties, here they are!

They are very snuggly with us and are total lap-cats in the cold weather, but they took some time out to play with the empty shredder box last night. Inigo has collapsed it with his hugeness. Just before I took this picture, Vizzini was actually inside the box, with Inigo sitting on it. By the time I'd grabbed the camera, he'd flopped on the carpet.

More snow is supposed to come tonight - the sky has that orange-y cast to it that makes me think it might happen...

Layer Up Week! Long Over Long - and A Snow Day!

2012-01-18T17:44:00.000-08:00

This is a fun challenge! Make sure you sign up at Megan's or Keely's blogs to participate when it starts the week of January 30th.

Today's theme was "long over long" and it ended up being awesome because it snowed last night and most of this morning. I was supremely warm and cosy in this.

My fabulous Noa Noa jacket, worn over my funky patterned blouse. I left the top out due to the very low-slung skirt (it just rests on the top of my hips).

I had a lot of fun swooshing about in this.

The skirt is my machine wash/dry thrifted suede one. I love wearing it, but wow, it's been a year since I did! That's just wrong.

The stuff:

Those are Fluevog Mini Qtees. I thought they went well with all the colours in this outfit.

My necklace and earrings.

I do like a red statement necklace.

Jacket (Noa Noa), blouse (Marcona, thrifted), belt (Gap), skirt (Danier Leather, thrifted), shoes (Fluevog Minis Q-Tee, consignment), necklace (Plum), earrings (Aldo Accessories).

I took some pictures on the way to work of all the snow!

I like how that one poor hydrangea blossom has a snow hat.

This was at 8 am, and the snow was coming down steadily. Victoria doesn't get much snow - maybe once a year - so this is really unusual and a novelty for us.

I loved how all these trees looked:

I passed that guy. I walk fast.

This intersection is usually very busy. Not so much today!

Schools were closed, and the city's lone snow-plow worked on the major roads. Only a couple of dozen people showed up at work today - so we ordered pizza! Yay for pizza! I had to call 4 places before I found one that was open and delivering.

This is the view from my work, looking south:

Normally, you can see a lot farther.

Looking directly down at the buses.

By noon, the snow had stopped and people got busy clearing the sidewalks, and the roads were mostly clear coming home. I hope we don't have any more snow! I'm good for the year, thanks!

Layer Up Week! Cropped Over Long

2012-01-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

And Layer Up Week continues!

And I realized TODAY that it doesn't actually start until the week of January 30th. Way to go, Sheila! Use that reading comprehension! Ha!

Oh well, I enjoy these challenges anyway, and I did all the outfits so whatever. Maybe this will inspire you to go over to Megan's blog and wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! and sign up to take part in the challenge, only, you know, when it's supposed to happen.

Moving on! Today's outfit is based on "cropped over long." I don't have a lot of cropped things in my wardrobe, as it's generally not a good look for me (I'm short - 5'4" - and I'm plenty stumpified already). However, I do have this awesome jacket that is sort of cropped.

This is the second wear of it, and I do love it. Having the belt at the waist helped tremendously, just to give it some focus. This midi-length skirt (last outfit) is so fabulous - and can you tell that I'm wearing purple tights? There's a bit of purple in the pattern on the jacket and I wanted to have that extra bit of punch.

The stuff:

I adore these shoes - the teal trim really rings my bell.

I dug into the "living vintage" accessories for these earrings:

I bought these when I worked in a little trendy mall store in 1993. They're brass with wood beads. I didn't keep much from that era (it was the time of crocheted tunics, palazzo pants and broomstick skirts), but I like the Bohemian feel of these.

They went well with this new Club Monaco bracelet that I picked up with my mall gift card (along with a few other things):

It's also brass, but very heavy - it's got good weight. It was on sale for $19 plus an additional 30% off (marked down from $29, which was marked down from $45).

Jacket (Nylon by Dex, consignment), long-sleeved tee (Banana Republic, thrifted), skirt (Precis Petite, thrifted), belt (Le Chateau), shoes (Pink), earrings (LA Express, 90s), bracelet (Club Monaco).

Sorry about messing up the week, Megan! A very happy birthday to both you and Sal over at Already Pretty! How cool that two of my blog-friends have the same birthday!

Layer Up Week! Tones of Reds and Oranges

2012-01-16T17:58:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Layer Up Week! This is going to be a fun one! I spent about an hour yesterday putting together outfits for the week.

Unfortunately, it's supposed to snow all week, but we'll see how that goes. I might be wearing snow pants to work and changing there! I'm also still in the midst of destruction/construction (today, they sawed a hole through the drywall in my office supply room), so I might have to do a mid-week adjustment.

Anyway, enough of my blathering, let's get on with the layers! Here's today's outfit:

My inspiration is the 70s! I remember that in the early to mid 70s, wearing a short-sleeved sweater over a blouse was a big trend. I actually quite like how this turned out.

I usually wear this little red sweater as a layering piece under jackets or on its own. That's my favourite paramecium blouse underneath (ha! I wore it in the last challenge!).

This is the second wear of my orange suede skirt. I really liked all the tones of orange and red together - apparently orange is a big "in" colour right now. Ooh, look at me, hanging with the cool kids...

My outerwear:

All ready for a blizzard, should one appear. This coat is my lifesaver when it's really chilly out.

The stuff:

I do love a heeled loafer! And check out the micro-square cutouts on the centre panel of the skirt.

I did all vintage jewelry:

The touches of blue popped really nicely off the orange and red.

Oops, forgot to take a picture of the ring:

That's one of Grandma J's.

Don't forget to pop over to Patti's for Visible Monday!

Sweater (Reitman's, thrifted), blouse (Liz Claiborne), skirt (Co & Eddy, thrifted), shoes (Hilary Radley, thrifted), jewelry (vintage 50s/60s, earrings: Renoir, pin: no name, ring: Grandma J's).

Vizzini is almost all better - right back at leaping up onto counters, and climbing to the very top of the scratching post. I caught him settled inside my bag on the weekend:

"I'm a cat in a bag."

He always has that slightly pyscho look to him. He never blinks.

Dress by Patti (and Some Weekend Stuff)

2012-01-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

The gorgeous and generous Patti of Not Dead Yet Style sent me a package in the mail! I love getting packages! Woo! To my utter surprise, it was this lovely dress that she'd worn and not been entirely satisfied with. I wore it for my WW weigh-in (and it brought me good karma, as I've lost my Christmas gain!).

I do love the style and pattern, but I agree that it's not quite right. I wish the pattern on the front went all the way around (especially on the hem), and I wish the quality were a little better (it's a pretty thin jersey). It's also not really "me" (I don't do empire waists too well, as I'm fairly gifted in the boobular region and they tend to make me look pregnant).

I'm not going to keep it in my closet, but I have a friend who will look amazing in this dress, so it will be very much appreciated and loved by her. Thank you so much, Patti! You are a doll for thinking of me!

Here's my outerwear look:

They were calling for snow on Saturday, and we did see a few flurries, but it's mostly melted now.

Dress (XXI, gift from Patti), cami (gift from Ruth), boots (Miz Mooz), jacket (Le Chateau, consignment).

Today, I walked down to get groceries and check out a couple of consignment stores for sales (I found a great jacket for me and a fab leather jacket for Megan Mae!).

I wore this cool tee:

I got this on consignment for $12. I've been needing new graphic tees to replace some of my old ones that I've worn to death.

Tee (I AM, consignment), long-sleeved tee (Esprit, thrifted), jeans (Plum), boots (Miz Mooz).

I really liked the Buddha on this one:

At least, I think he's Buddha. Please correct me if I'm wrong! The grey background is more little Buddhas.

The brand is "I AM" (which I recognize as a brand Dots carries).

I recall that most of their clothes had "I AM" plus some other blurb on them. I love the soft feel of this tee.

My outerwear:

I gave these jeans one more go before they go in the toss pile. They've faded funny along the legs and give me a raging case of muffin-top, so buh-bye bad black jeans.

Hope you had a great weekend!

I Heart Samurai!

2012-01-13T18:16:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, I was big into Barbie dolls (as well as non-Barbie brand dolls). I had two "regular" Barbies, one shorter one and two really small scale ones. The middle one was my favourite; she was part of a set that was a band, and she had a black afro (she was Afro-American) and flat feet. Her outfit was a turquoise long-sleeved t-shirt, tie-dye pants, and orange go-go boots. I remember my mom buying her for me at K-Mart. I sold all of my Barbies in a garage sale with all of their clothes for $10 in the early 80s.

Why the reminiscing over my Barbies? Because today's outfit reminded me of one of the outfits I had. Mom made a lot of their outfits (I myself crochet a killer dress!), but a very few were store-bought. The one that popped into my head was an orange and purple ensemble of a top and short-shorts with big orange feet on the front.

And today, orange and purple:

The t-shirt is new-to-me, picked up at a thrift store for $5.00, and it's layered over one of my many long-sleeved tees. The skirt is also new-to-me.

Insert extremely awkward pose here:

I'm attempting to show both the back of the skirt and my combat boots. Pose fail! I just wore those boots last Friday, but today they are worn with the top and tongue up. There's a better picture further down, don't worry.

The skirt is a straight cut, as opposed to the wider A-line of my other denim maxi skirt. I think I am pretty much maxed out on denim skirts now, though - this makes 5!

My outerwear:

It was pretty frigid out this morning, but I wanted to wear my leather jacket. I've totally gotten my money's worth out of this jacket - I bought it in a corporate online auction at my last job, about 4 years ago, for $75. I'm pretty sure I've worn it over 50 times. And you can barely see the stamped corporate logo on the arm!

As promised, a better picture.

Vizzini is doing well, thank you for asking. He's limping a bit, but otherwise chipper. I love those boots.

I was so excited to find this t-shirt:

My Clockwork Orange shirt is the same brand - Threadless makes cool shirts! This one is called "No More Bento!" and is by Mikael Leger. Apparently, this design was released in 2006 and no one liked the orange! Crazy! Orange is the best.

Here's a shot of the awesomeness of the samurai!

According to Kendo experts in Threadless' forums, this image should be flipped so that the hands are positioned properly. Either way, I like it and I like samurai. "Ghost Dog, the Way of the Samurai" is one of my favourite movies.

Here's a look at my skirt's waistband:

The waist is deliberately frayed. The skirt was around $17.00 and is by Mavi (a jeans brand I've actually heard of). It's super soft and was awesome to wear!

I did silver accessories:

I heart all of this!

T-shirt (Threadless, thrifted), long-sleeved tee (Press), skirt (Mavi, consignment), boots (Penny Loves Kenny), necklace (consignment), cuff (St. Paul's Cathedral gift shop).

For the anonymous commenter who asked if I still paint figures, yes, I do! For those of you who think my only artistic outlet is fashion, this is another hobby of mine. My output has slowed down quite a lot over the past few years - I used to paint about a figure every two weeks or even more frequently. I've been working on a large diorama piece for over a year, and it definitely bogged me down. I also have two smaller pieces that are half-painted right now that I should really finish. I'm hoping to get back into it once football season is over. For now, here are some of my painted figures that I've showcased on Ephemera (warning, my Christmas village is the first post - skip it if you're offended by hookers, vampires and battle nuns).

Somewhat Festive (and A Vizzini Update)

2012-01-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

Today, I sorted through all the office supplies and crap that people left in their desks, so I wanted to be warm, comfortable and have low-heeled shoes on. It called for Fluevogs!

I also wanted to wear this new skirt I thrifted:

I was told I looked "festive" today - since when is olive green and burgundy festive?

This is the second wear of my fuzzy sweater (worn with a grassier green top underneath).

I fell in love with this skirt:

It's a bit of a mullet skirt, it's wool, it's lined, it has gorgeous seams that are piped in olive green, it has a cute little kick-pleat in the back, and it has that groovy sewn decoration on the front.

It also has NO LABEL, which frustrates me. It seems like it's handmade, but I know it's not Smoking Lily. I bet it's another local designer, but I have no real clue. It's a mystery!

Vizinni was sitting on the post about 2 feet from me, staring while I took my pictures.

"I swallow your soul!"

A few minutes later, he got his leg caught on the arm of the computer chair and hurt himself. I was so panicked! He was howling and hissing and not putting any weight on it. I pulled him out from under the bed and sat him on my robe, and gently touched all along his leg. He didn't bite me and didn't react to any area in particular. L took him to the vet mid-day and they said it was just a deep bruise. He has some kitty aspirin and is snoozing in the living room. I'm sure he'll be fine, but what a scare!

In other news, he has:
- eaten two oven mitts
- stolen my access card (still not found)
- destroyed a phone cord
- destroyed a pair of headphones
- knocked my glass of milk over, flooding the keyboard, necessitating a replacement.

I really hope he grows out of this phase soon.

*ahem* Back to clothes. My outerwear:

My faux fur, my thrifted hat and my suede jacket.

Here's a close-up of the skirt's decoration:

That's pretty detailed sewing and looks like it's all by hand.

Oh, I paid this much for the skirt:

I was happy with that!

The stuff:

My cherry red Fluevog Senscha Teapots. I am jonesing for new Fluevogs. This March will be our 15th wedding anniversary, so L and I will be making our annual Fluevog pilgrimage to the flagship store in Vancouver (this is last year's trip).

The jewelry:

The ring is new, gotten on sale at Club Monaco for $15 - the stone is real, and I like the detail on the setting and all around the band.

Sweater (Kersh), top (Harve Bernard, thrifted), skirt (mystery, thrifted), shoes (Senscha Teapots, Fluevog), necklace (Foxy), earrings (Plum), ring (Club Monaco).

Shoes by Megan

2012-01-11T18:34:00.000-08:00

When the fabulous Megan of Megan Mae Daily mentioned that she'd been out thrifting back in December and saw a pair of Tsubos in a size 9, I emailed her - sure enough, that sweetheart went back to the thrift store and snagged them for $6.00 and mailed them to me. Isn't that the most generous thing ever? I was so touched.

I had to build an outfit around them right away:

Vizzini's coming in for a rub!

This velvet jacket is also new-to-me - picked it up for $18.00 last weekend. I think the sizing is wrong: it says it's a size 2. Uh, no. I am many things, but a size 2 is not one of them. Ah well, it fit and that's the most important thing. I love the pirate-y cuffs and the shape of the collar. However, the velvet made it really hard to put my coat on over it - I felt very bulky.

That's my crackly "Indiana Jones" leather skirt (no link as it has no label), and sadly, this will be the last wear of the pumpkin tights as they blew a hole today.

Here's a look at the jacket open (I untucked the sweater underneath once I got to work):

See Inigo snoozing on my old backpack?

Sadly, as I did yesterday, I ended up taking these shoes off after an hour and changing back into my Ugg runners. I was running up and down stairs, lugging around boxes and computer peripherals and doing a lot of physical work today. The shoes are a little "toe-y" and my foot kept wanting to slide out the front, especially with the tights making them even more slippy.

I do love them, though, and they fit perfectly! I can't wait to wear them more with bare legs come summer! Thank you, Megan, for such a wonderful gift! I am always on the lookout for things for you!

The stuff:

Yeah, I know! Get a load of that heel! It's three stripes: chocolate, a mid-brown and then the bone colour for the rest of the shoe. These are called the "Shala" and the colour palette is called pebble and tan. These join my other two pairs of Tsubos: these yellow ones, and my Acreas.

The earrings are ones I rarely wear because they're a bit heavy.

I love leaf shapes.

Check out the bottom of the shoes:

Seriously, they've never been worn - there was not a single mark on the the soles or the heel.

Jacket (Jackpot, consignment), sweater (Ellen Tracy, swap from Caro), skirt (no label, thrifted), tights (Esprit), shoes (Tsubo Shala, thrifted gift from Megan), earrings (Plum).

Copper, Red and Orange

2012-01-10T20:30:00.000-08:00

Gotta be quick - the guys are here for D&D!

New-to-me orange top is featured:

Note the devil kitty in the background, plotting!

It was $14.99 on consignment - not bad for Liz Claiborne. I love this skirt - it has such a retro vibe.

Kept the shoes sensible, which was a good idea, as I was hauling around boxes most of the day.

My outerwear:

It was so cold today! I was glad for my furry accessories!

The stuff:

Love those shoes, even if they are cheap quality. Maybe Fluevog will make a similar pair...

My Grandma J's copper cuff:

And a pair of copper earrings I bought at the Vintage Fair months ago.

Top (Liz Claiborne, consignment), skirt (Tulle, consignment), shoes (Predictions, consignment), cuff (Renoir, vintage 50s, Grandma J), earrings (Renoir, vintage 50s).

Shopping Outfits and Ugg-ly Monday

2012-01-09T18:37:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all the kind words about my new hairdo! I am enjoying it.

I spent a lot of my weekend out and about. On Saturday, I had to venture down to the post office to pick up a package from Megan Mae! How exciting! I had to stop in at one of my favourite consignment shops while I was there.

My shopping outfit was not as well-thought-out as usual:

What worked: tights, layers. What didn't: this dress has three really tight buttons at the back of the collar that were a pain to undo when I had to try stuff on. Also, these boots chafed my ankles after walking for about 6K (I should probably break them in a bit more slowly). They also destroyed my tights.

Ah well. They look nice!

I was actually just flicking off some lint. This dress is woven wool and tends to pick up cat hair.

My outerwear:

It didn't end up raining, so I carried the brolly for naught. It got in the way.

Dress (Club Monaco, consignment), tee (Plum), boots (Skagway, 70s vintage, thrifted).

Yesterday I met up with Elaine for lunch and a bit of a shop. I had to take a dress back to another thrift store because they forgot to remove the security tag. Grrr...I hate that! You can see the bundled dress hanging from the hook on my closet door in the above pictures (yes, it's pink) - have to keep it away from kitties who like to chew on bags.

I picked a better trying-on dress this time:

Much better! I was a little chilled, but this was definitely easier for pulling over my head.

I had to do my yellow and turquoise combo:

Bright!

Dress (Oh-Lala, thrifted), cami (Mexx), boots (Miz Mooz).

Today, I wore one of the new dresses I got (I also shopped after work on Friday night).

Winterizing it until I can wear it sleeveless. This is the second wear of this zig-zag sweater.

I admit, I ended up looking like this for most of the day:

I was running up and down stairs between floors, rolling dollies around, moving boxes...my heels were not practical.

I thought it was going to rain again, so I wore my Burberry trench.

Nope, didn't rain.

The stuff:

Megan sent me this lovely black necklace (along with something else that I'll be showing later on this week). Thank you so much, hon!

The dress was such a nice colour and looked so nice on. It was also a good deal:

I actually paid less than $24.95 because it was on a "buy 2 get 1 free" deal. Since all 3 dresses I bought were $24.95, they ended up being around $18.00 each. I like Ann Taylor Loft - I wish we had that store in Canada.

Sweater (Le Chateau, thrifted), dress (Ann Taylor Loft, thrifted), shoes (Camper), necklace (gift from Megan), earrings (The Cobbler).

One of my favourite things I found while I was out this weekend were these fab sneakers:

I am not a fan of the classic Ugg boots - I think they're hideous and ugly and shouldn't be worn in public - but how cool are these? The silver fabric actually says "Ugg" all over (not really noticeable unless you take a good look at them), and those are my two little certificates of authenticity.

And how much did I pay for these babies?

Nope, not $69.99 - The Bay had an extra 40% off on them. They were only $41.00 on sale! I think over $100 off is a pretty good score. They were also sized really big - I am usually a 9 or 9 1/2.

I double-checked to see if I had the "authentic hologram":

Yes, there it is.

And do you not just love the faux fur lining?

Incredibly comfy! And styling too!

Don't forget about Visible Mondays at Not Dead Yet Style!

New Hair, Purple Combat Boots and The Cutest Kitty Ever

2012-01-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

Happy weekend, Style Nation! It's rainy and blustery here on the Wet West Coast, and I'm delaying going out in it by doing my Friday post. (Hey, that rhymed).

Yesterday was a crazy moving day at work, so I dressed down appropriately:

My black boyfriend blazer, over my black velvet vest worn open (third outfit), with my Calvin Klein thrifted tee (second outfit) underneath. Those are my dark wash skinny cropped jeans, with my thigh-high socks scrunched down to provide coverage of my bare ankles and transition from the largeness of the combat boots worn with the tongue and sides down.

I also wore a swack of necklaces: my chainmail necklace, my silver chain with an amethyst, an "S" charm, and a key threaded on it, and a Gothic cross. Nothing exceeds like excess!

I got my hair cut on Thursday after work, and it's really short! I give my hairdresser full leeway to do whatever she wants with it. After all, as Megan Mae so succinctly says, "It'll grow back!"

I love being creative with my hair and playing with the style. Megan is such a wise woman; this is what she just said to me via email: "You only live once, so do what you love." So true! Thank you for the reminder.

Vizinni was creeping around, getting underfoot, so I snagged him for a portrait.

He's a little squirmy.

A good shot of the boots there (here's a better picture of them). I had a wee shopping expedition after work yesterday and bought 3 dresses; two of them are fairly summery, though, so I likely won't be wearing them until the weather is warmer.

My outerwear:

I love my cashmere stripey scarf.

Blazer (Banana Republic, thrifted), vest (Surrey Classics, consignment), tee (Calvin Klein, thrifted), jeans (Jackpot, swap from Caro), socks (Steve Madden), boots (Penny Loves Kenny).

I couldn't resist the lovey eyes Inigo was giving me last night:

Is he not The Cutest Kitty Ever?

The cats were cuddling this morning on my robe:

Aw, I just want to hug them!

Long Stripes, Tall Boots

2012-01-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

The company I work for is doing some renovations to our offices: we're moving all of our staff to one floor while the floor above is being renovated. As I'm an Admin, I do a lot of the organizing and the grunt work (like moving all the plates and dishes to another kitchen, that sort of thing). Yesterday, I moved a dozen large chairs - in heels - with help from our IT guy. However, doing that - in heels! - destroyed my nylons and those aren't cheap, so until all the moving part of it is done, I'm going to be wearing slightly less dressy clothes for a few weeks. I don't want to ruin any of my really good stuff.

So...today I wore pants:

These are my skinny black trousers, and I'm wearing my olive thigh-high boots with them. That's my stripey cardigan (it reminds me of those draped headdresses that the Egyptian pharoahs wore). The blue top is a favourite, and there's a grey cami layered underneath.

Vizzini was being so cute this morning:

Do not be fooled! He is a devil cat! He stole my access card for work and chewed through a pair of $60 headphones. But he is cute...

My outerwear:

Continued the blue and grey theme.

I walked to work in my boots this morning, then bussed to my hair appointment after (new hairdo debuting soon!), then grocery-shopped, then walked home. Dinner is cooking (burgers and roasted potatoes, mmmmm), and the wine is decanting.

Vizzini snatched one of my earrings just after I took this picture:

Naughty boy!

Cardigan (Express, thrifted), top (Oxmo), cami (RW & Co.), pants (Kensie), boots (Pegabo), earrings/bracelet (Fossil, gift from L).

Shoulder Pads

2012-01-04T19:23:00.000-08:00

I got a lot of compliments on the colours in today's outfit; there is just something about pink and brown that I love. They look so good together!

This outfit was built around my new-to-me thrifted cardigan:

That's my pink sweater layered under it (see the sleeves peeking out?), and my brown lace skirt that I've had since 2007.

The cardigan was $15.00 in the same store where I got my kickass Skagway boots. I was drawn to the thickly-embroidered wooly flowers on it.

What I was NOT drawn to about this: the shoulder pads! Yikes! They weren't even nice shoulder pads, and they weren't placed very well. When I cut them out of the sweater this morning, I noticed that the thread was different than in the rest of the sweater. I think this sweater is from the early 80s and someone added her own shoulder pads when they got trendy.

I'm not totally against shoulder pads, especially in garments like coats and blazers - they're needed to help the fabric hang properly and can give much-needed structure. But when they're there because "that's the fashion" and they add nothing to the item, that's when we get into scary territory.

Full confession: when shoulder pads were at the peak of fashion (around 1988), I wore a camisole (with shoulder pads), under a blouse (with shoulder pads), under a blazer (with shoulder pads) and then wore a coat over it that had even more massive shoulder pads! It was madness!

Anyway, this cardigan looks much better without the shoulder pads. Check out the groovy design:

I thought it was quite nice. A little granny-ish, but I've never been one to shy away from Granny Chic!

The label seems to support my early 80s theory:

It's a figure of a young lady in a hat with a sash across her chest (she reminds me of a suffragette), and the brand is "Jeune Jeunesse," which means "young lady." I couldn't find anything else about this brand online, but I think it might have been one of The Bay's or Eaton's in-house brands back in the day. That rings a bell.

Great details on it - look at the cool buttons:

I like that the buttons look like little glitter-trimmed moons set in a clear pink background. You don't see those kind of buttons on clothing anymore! You can also see the nice pink satin knit edging and the nice marled knit in the body of it.

The stuff:

My fab nude shoes.

And a load of necklaces.

Of course, any time I wear pink, I almost always want to wear my Audrey Hepburn Scrabble tile necklace.

Cardigan (Jeune Jeunesse, thrifted), sweater (Reitman's, consignment), skirt (Planet), shoes (Seychelles, consignment), pearl necklace (vintage 80s, The Bay), earrings (Aldo Accessories), Audrey tile (from trip to Powell River, locally made), chain necklace (Plum).

Polka Dot Shoes and Cuddly Cats

2012-01-03T23:59:00.000-08:00

I've been saving one of my new pairs of shoes for this week - they were too dressy for my casual week last week:

That's my teal cardigan, and my old trusty orange tweed skirt that I've had for at least 4 years now. The belt is new-to-me - it's by Olsen and is leather. I think it was around $16.00 on consignment - I don't think it has ever been worn.

A lady at my WW meeting tonight thought I had tattooed legs.

Nope, just funky fishnets!

Cool heel on the shoes - not quite a wedge, but not a regular heel. I got these for 40% off - they were still $90.00 which is a little high in my book, but they are pretty fabulous and I don't have anything like them. I adore Poetic Licence shoes. I have these ones, these ones, these ones, and I used to have these ones (they were too big) and these ones (they made my feet look bad).

My outerwear:

Should have taken my brolly today - it rained.

The stuff:

The shoes are fabric, like a fuzzy velvet. I found myself thinking of Kermit the Frog all day. I love the polka dots on them (the dots are raised form the darker background), and the olive green ruched satin ribbon, and of course, the crow in me loves the sparkly turquoise crystals! Caw!

A close-up:

I love the shiny purple insides of the shoes. That's my Grandma J's Lisner necklace.

Check out the purple bottoms on these:

The size on the bottom of the shoe says 39 1/2.

The inside of the shoe (it's called "Charm School" by the way) says the size is 8 1/2. Those are not the same size.

They were pretty comfy all day, although by the time I was home for good at 8pm, I was happy to have them off.

Cardigan (Kersh), cami (Smart Set), skirt (Talbot's, consignment), shoes (Poetic Licence), necklace (Lisner, vintage 50s, Grandma J's), belt (Olsen, consignment).

While I was working on the Major Awards post yesterday, Inigo crashed on my lap (both cats love to sleep on our laps when we're on the computer). He was joined by his buddy, who settled down on his back:

Inigo tries to ignore him.

But he cracks an eye open when L starts taking pictures.

Aw, sweet kitties!

It's a Major Award! 2011 Edition

2012-01-02T11:22:00.000-08:00

Wow, another year has gone by already! And here we are, the first Major Awards of the season - for blogs! Please feel free to visit the 2008, 2009 and 2010 editions. Here's my annual intro:

Since I started this blog in March 2008, I've been presented with a few of those blogging awards that tend to circulate around (rather incestuously, it seems at times). I'm always honoured that these amazing people want to recognize my little corner of the blogoverse, but I never pass the awards on. But hey, I also never pass on those "send this to 7 amazing women" emails. Call it lazy, if you wish, I don't mind. I think of it as Economy of Time.

So to everyone who's ever given me one, thank you, from the bottom of my silly ol' heart. You're all wonderful and I'd nominate you right back, but then there's that whole laziness thing.

Instead, here are my Major Awards to all of my favourite bloggers, in no particular order. These are big and small blogs; some get a kazillion comments, some get none. I've embedded links if you care to visit - I recommend it!

This year (just like last year and the year before that), there have been a lot of changes in the blogoverse. Some bloggers that I loved last year have stopped posting, some I just stopped viewing (one only has so much time!). And some new bloggers came along. Things change.

How do I choose blogs? People leave me comments (if you have a blog and you've left me a comment, I've probably visited your blog), I hear about them from friends, or find a link through one of my regular websites.

Anyway, let's get started!

"It's a Major Award!"

Holy smokes, there were a lot of awesome bloggers in 2011! It was really tough to narrow this down - don't be hurt if you're not on this list (I don't duplicate from previous years, for one thing).

Favourite Non-Fashion Blogs: Creative Maelstrom, Epbot, Hostess of the Humble Bungalow

Creative Maelstrom: You've never heard of this blog before, ever. The reason: it's my husband's music review blog! Yes, L = Logan, and he's a huge music fan. He's reviewed well over 300 CDs, and until very recently, his blog has been non-Google-able. He's finally ready to share...well, honey, you got your wish!

Epbot: I've been addicted to Cake Wrecks forever, and so when Jen started Epbot, I was all over it. Well, not literally, that would be unseemly. But it's geeky fun and I love it.

Hostess of the Humble Bungalow: Leslie lives in my city, Victoria, and she's the very first blogger I ever met! We went shopping together and had such fun. I find her blog very soothing.

Favourite 40+ Chicks: Not Dead Yet Style, Over 50 Feeling 40, Rags Against the Machine, Reva's Rags 2 Roses, Style Crone
It's been an awesome year for the over-40 blogger! I love seeing these amazing women putting themselves out there and saying "screw you!" to those who would say that women should start looking frumpy once they get "old."

Not Dead Yet Style: Patti's Visible Mondays have been a revelation and a revolution! I've met some amazing stylish women from the links. Be visible! Be loud! Be proud!

Over 50 Feeling 40: Pam has created a fashion niche for herself in Texas - I'm sure she'll be globally famous before we know it!

Rags Against the Machine: Terri spent all of last year thrifting her entire wardrobe (and you know I love the thrifters!), and finding some amazing things. She's also a wonderful, introspective writer.

Reva's Rags 2 Roses: Reva is such a free spirit; she channels a hippie vibe, but is anything but a cliché. Can I be Reva when I grow up?

Style Crone: Judith has one of the most amazing hat and vintage clothing collections that I've ever seen. She lost her beloved husband, Nelson, this year. I cried for her, but I'm so proud of her strength.

My Canadian Style Twin: The Fashionable Bureaucrat
Megan is the only person I know with more Fluevogs than me! And she has the very same Desigual dress as me! Wonder Twin powers, activate! Form of...funky style!

Gothery and Geekery, and a Greek: Still Dark @ Heart, My Closet Should Not Be Scary, and Little Witches-Tiny Wizards

Still Dark @ Heart: Sal Kaye's style is awesome and I love that she is rocking the Goth vibe!

My Closet Should Not Be Scary: Erin wears costumes, likes football and geeky movies. Why don't you live closer??

Little Witches-Tiny Wizards: Dimi's blog is full of gorgeous pictures of Greece - if I ever make it there, she is going to be my personal escort (she doesn't know this). Love her creative home-made jewelry!

It's Always Summer: Lesa's a Floridian who celebrates her family and her shopping trips. I've been reading her for years, and I've been horribly remiss in not giving her a Major Award before now!

She's So Minnchic: Rebecca's always got some fabulous outfits going on - I love her quirkiness and simple, yet stunning style!

She's No Misfit: Sarah takes fashion very seriously; actually, she treats it with irreverence and wears frocks that most people would be afraid to try on! I love her fearlessness when it comes to fashion.

And...this is something I've never done: a Major Award shout-out to my favourite readers (in no particular order):

Lorinda
Debbi
Ki
Anne
Deja pseu
Kitty
Anne
Rebekah
Ana
Victoria
Marie
Paula
Karena
Fashion Flirt
Christie P
Eurasian
Charlotte
Lynne
Jude
Cathy
Reader Rita
Peg (up-Island)
Lady Harriet
Tessa
Lisa
Northmoon
Alison
Sarah B
Secret Squirrel

Thank you to everyone who reads, comments, and lurks! Here's to a fabulous 2012! Have fun and stay real.

Cheers,
Sheila

PS - I've done some blog updates! Please check out the tabs at the top of the page for links to Stuff About Me, Fabulous Fashion Blogs, and Fun Websites. All Sheila-approved, with lots of updates.

Happy New Year - 2012!

2012-01-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are - 2012. What will this year bring, I wonder?

L and I started the year off with a bang. We went for dinner with a group of friends, then we partied in the art studio of our friend till the wee hours. Fun!

I wore this fabulous new-to-me dress that I got when I went shopping with reader Marie a few weeks ago.

Isn't it amazing? I discovered that the label - Tangerine Jill - is actually designed in Victoria, so another local item of clothing joins my faves from Bonspiel, Smoking Lily and Shi Studio. How cool! Their website is currently unavailable, but when I researched the dress a couple of weeks ago, I found that this dress is about 3-4 years old and I think I sold for around $200.

However, I paid only $42.00 at a consignment store! It's 100% silk and every single one of those squares and rectangles is a separate piece of fabric sewn onto a sheer back backing. It was wonderful on - I felt like a stained glass window.

But I know you're all distracted by the hair, right?

Hee, I crimped it! One has to go over-the-top on New Year's Eve! It felt like an afro: lots of movement and pouf. My girlfriends got such a kick out of it.

I had to dig my old 1986 crimping iron out of storage:

Pretty scary, eh? That was about $39.99 back then, and it was one of the very first crimping irons I had ever seen (I bought it at Eaton's, a department store that no longer exists). It doesn't have an on/off switch, and don't you love the pink colour? The cord is way too short; I usually use an extension cord with it, but it works great! The brand is Windermere "The Crimper."

I woke up with the same hair. Hee!

Of course, my partner in crime also likes to push the fashion envelope:

Alice Cooper eyes, a red satin shirt, purple skinny jeans, red Fluevogs and a grey vest. He also wore a black top hat.

I had originally planned on wearing my big black architectural platforms, but since we walked to the restaurant, then walked to the studio, then danced for hours, then walked home, I decided to keep the shoes simple and with a more practical 2.5" heel. By the end of the night, I was really glad I'd made that decision.

This picture makes me smile:

I love you, L! Happy New Year!

Despite the relatively low-key shoes, everything else about my outfit (including the dress and hair) was loud and in charge.

My gorgeous yellow leather jacket, my turquoise gloves and that new-to-me fuzzy green purse.

But first, check out the front and back of the dress:

Click to embiggen

Some of the pieces of fabric are irridescent, some are raw silk, but all of them are incredibly lovely.

Vizzini helped me photograph the purse this morning.

This was way overpriced for the thrift store I bought it in, but I'd walked past it every day for 2 weeks and it kept calling to me! It was $35.00 (ouch), but it's Aldo and like I said, I love it.

Dress (Tangerine Jill, consignment), shoes (Guess), earrings (gift from Megan), ring (Aldo Accessories), jacket (Danier Leather), purse (Aldo, thrifted).

On Saturday morning, I went to my WW meeting.

This is a fun casual look - I don't think I've ever worn this t-shirt on the blog before. 10 points if you get the joke regarding the design (it's one of my favourite books and movies, all time). The tee has a name: "Korova Orange Special" and it's designed by Ole Ivar Rudi.

Edit: It's "A Clockwork Orange" (movie by Stanley Kubrick, book by Anthony Burgess). I recommend both for viewing/reading, but beware of graphic violence. The Korova Milk Bar is a location that the main character visits.

The t-shirt was under $20 on consignment about 8 months ago, and that's my old mustard tee that has seen better days. My cord skirt kept the colour going, but I kept the legs to a dull roar.

L and I went for lunch afterwards:

I love wearing this jacket - can you tell??

T-shirt (Threadless, consignment), long-sleeved tee (Mexx), skirt (Jacob Annexe, consignment), boots (Two Roads, consignment), jacket (Danier Leather), scarf/gloves (Plum), bag (Danier Leather, consignment).

Hope you all had a great New Year's Eve!

Last Post of the Year!

2011-12-30T17:43:00.000-08:00

And another year is almost over! How...expected.

This will be my last outfit post of 2011, but I'll be posting my New Year's Eve outfit sometime this weekend. I'll also be doing my annual Major Awards (check out the sidebar for the past 3 years of them).

Today I went for comfort:

Someone's lurking down the hallway...

It appears to be Flower O'Clock! That's my awesome denim skirt (3rd outfit down), a layered long-sleeved tee (seriously, I have long-sleeved tees in about a dozen colours) with my bird t-shirt, and my tweed jacket.

I'm wearing my Skagway boots again.

Vizzini came in for a rub

I can't get enough of these boots! They are so comfy and they just rock my world. Love!

I haven't worn my faux fur vest in ages:

I think this is the last year for it. I haven't worn it much and it adds a lot of bulk to the boobular region.

The stuff:

Mom bought me this lovely necklace and earrings set for Christmas! She knows me so well - I do love the leopard and now I have it in my jewelry! It'll be perfect for the next Leopard Week.

Vest (Esprit), scarf/gloves (Parkhurst), jacket (Jacob Connexion, consignment), long-sleeved tee (Press), bird tee (Truly, Madly, Deeply, consignment), skirt (InWear, consignment), boots (Skagway, vintage 70s, thrifted), belt (Shi Studio), buckle (She She Shoes), necklace/earrings (gift from Mom), leather rose cuff (consignment).

To all my dear friends, have a very Happy New Year!

Be safe, have fun and see you next year!

Pretty Fly

2011-12-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

Today's outfit is pretty much a straight copy of this outfit.

Now with 100% more feline approval!

I swapped out L's red tie for his green tie (he has an amazing collection of ties, actually, but on me I like the more plain ones), but it's the same shirt and jeans as before.

The point was to wear these new Fly London shoes!

Vizzini is very lovey, but does get in the way.

The ruched ankle strap doesn't show too well in these pictures, but it looked very cool all day.

These shoes were bought at the same store as yesterday's, and were similarly expensive. They were regular price $220.00 and on sale for $132.00. They are by Fly London and are called Jackie Jell. I adored the green colour! They were crazy comfortable all day - that thick rubber sole was heaven on my feet.

My outerwear:

Not so rainy today, so I could get away with just a fuzzy beret, although I did get a bit wet on the way home.

The stuff:

I love the diamond cut-outs (black leather behind them) and I can't resist an ankle strap. The two little bronze studs on the ankle strap are actually snaps - that's how the shoe does up. The funky lining is awesome! I love secret details like that!

I like the fly on the bottom of the heel:

I can't wait to wear these with some of my spring and summer dresses!

Shirt (Esprit, consignment), tie (L's), jeans (Jackpot, swap from Caro), shoes (Fly London "Jackie Jell").

Sizzle in the Drizzle

2011-12-28T22:56:00.000-08:00

Back to work today! I have unofficially decreed my workplace to be Casual this week (since there were about 12 people in an office of usually around 65), and will be wearing a piece of denim every day. I'm such a rebel!

This outfit was also an excuse to wear my new boots:

This is my nice fitted denim blazer, and my fun floofy patchwork skirt.

Add some textured tights to show off the awesomeness that is these Victorian-look lace-up boots...

They're black, they zip up the outside and they have a bit of a covered platform. I am a sucker for Victorian granny shoes - I had red granny boots in the 80s (I dyed them purple at one point). I wish I still had those. They're Marc Soft Walk and were regular price over $350. I got them for $153.00 - thank you, mother-in-law! These are called the Elba (this is a better look at them - it's some German shopping website).

They were super comfortable - I think I could probably do some major walking in these.

My outerwear:

Two new items: my beige knit beret (it has a gold sparkle thread in it) and my navy "hobo" gloves from Club Monaco. Both are wool and are so soft. They were each $29 plus an extra 40% off. Yay for sales!

The stuff:

A bit better look at the boots.

This is a charm that L gave me for Christmas:

A lady with a blue bird on her shoulder and a red rose: "Shop"

It is locally made and quite heavy. I like that it's also got a design on the other side.

"Women spend more than 8 years of their lives SHOPPING"

I'm sure that my average is higher than 8 years. Ah well, I do enjoy shopping at least.

This is probably my favourite Christmas present that I got this year:

Is that not a FABULOUS umbrella? They have been displayed at my local grocery store for over a month, and every week I stand in line and admire them - they are made by Cheeky and they have all kinds of colours. Finally, I said to L, "I would really like it if Santa brought me one of those."

He picked this awesome pink, orange and red patterned paisley one, and I love it! It has double fabric (black on the outside, orange on the inside), and it's built to last. And how do you not love seeing this on the inside?

"I sizzle in the drizzle."

Yeah, baby!

I also got a kick out of the "lost tag":

"If you found this umbrella, then I am probably getting soaked without it. Please contact me at:"

So cool. I am now properly accessorized for the wet West coast.

Blazer (Bisou Bisou, consignment), sweater (Planet), skirt (Dolcezza), tights (Esprit), boots ("Elba" by Marc Soft Walk), necklace (The Papery), umbrella (Cheeky).

Days Off, Christmas, and Travel (and a Few Outfits)

2011-12-28T01:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've been off from blogging for several days and I'm back with a vengeance! This is a very picture-heavy post, so I've stacked the outfit stuff near the top and my travel pictures at the bottom.

On Friday, I got all the presents wrapped.

Vizzini helped. Mostly, he just crawled inside all the bags.

He also looked very pretty sitting on the bathroom sink.

This year, L and I spent Christmas with his family. They live in Powell River, which is a little fishing and logging town (they have a very stinky paper mill there) on BC's West coast. Click here for a map.

As it takes nearly 6 hours to get there (drive up-Island, wait for the ferry, take the ferry), my travel clothes are strictly for comfort.

My favourite black dress, some funky tights.

Check out the boots!

Are they not the sweetest things? More on them in a bit.

My outerwear:

Hi, everyone!

My purple coat does up with snaps, so it's easy to sit in for the 3-hour drive. I didn't wear the hat or gloves in the car, but the cashmere scarf was awesome for varying my temperature.

Okay, the boots.

In the condition I bought them. Note the heavy green on the brass and the white wax build-up on the leather.

I bought these in a vintage/thrift store for $20. I had intended to get them for L for a Christmas present (I have big feet and can check out shoe size for him). However, they fit me so perfectly, I had to have them.

And please note that they had never been worn. I was told by the guy in the shop that they were dropped off by a man who had closed his store.

Only one of the boots is marked with a brand name inside:

It says "Skagway" - I couldn't find anything about that brand, but based on the style of the boots and the thickness of the leather, I think these are from the 70s. They are OLD.

I cleaned them up with an old towel and my Woly.

Woly was recommended to me by the folks at Fluevog. The white stuff is good for any colour leather, and it softens it, protects it and waterproofs it. Look how nice it cleaned up my boots! I had been considering forking out a large chunk of change for Frye boots (at $400+), but I'm much happier with my vintage Skagways for $20!

Dress (Max Studio), tights (Firenze), boots (vintage 70s, Skagway, thrifted).

We arrived safe and sound just in time for dinner on Christmas Eve. The tree looked lovely.

Actually, I think that picture is of Christmas morning - yup, there are our stockings.

For Christmas, I did this simple red sweater with the red ribbon-y skirt:

Sweater (Ricki's, consignment), skirt (MNG by Mango, consignment).

I got spoiled by L in my stocking:

New Stephen King, "American Vampire" graphic novel, a book by Ian McEwan, another Kim Harrison book, lots of chocolate (consumed), my Forgotten English calendar for my desk, a bunch of mini vodkas (consumed), a magnet, "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans" DVD, some Violette candie, and IRN BRU, and a couple of CDs (new Florence + the Machine and Adele).

I also got a new umbrella:

I'll take a better picture of it another time - it's very cool. I'm standing in front of our car and my brother-in-law's truck.

With my mother-in-law:

She's pretty awesome.

On Boxing Day, we came back home. I wore the same black dress, and different tights, but it's basically what I wore for the trip up.

I'm tired and I haven't had a shower.

Today, we met up with Nick and Karen for lunch and a bit of post-Christmas sales with the money I got (from my awesome mother-in-law).

My usual shopping uniform: layered tees, jean skirt, tights, easy walkin' shoes.

My outerwear:

Note the lack of hat. Bad idea. I got rained on badly, but I did get some awesome footwear in the sales!

I had a WW meeting tonight:

I'm getting rid of this dress. It was itchy and I hate how it looks. I've only worn it once.

My hair went all wonky from the rain. It also got smushed when I had a nap.

Dress (Kenar, thrifted), cardigan (Kensie Girl), boots (Gabor).

Inigo was happy to have us home.

Aw! Such a cute kitty!

All right, that's the end of the fashion-y pictures. If you're interested in seeing our drive up and down-Island, please feel free to continue. Or not. It's totally up to you! Click on any of the pictures to embiggen them.

The bridge to nowhere:

This is just outside of town, on the highway up-Island. Did you know I live on an island? It's a very big island - click here for a map. I live on the southern tip, in Victoria. Most of Vancouver Island is not populated; most of the towns and cities (Victoria and Nanaimo are the two biggest cities) are on the East coast. It's full of forests, mountains, rivers and lakes. I have never been to the Northern tip of it; in fact, I have never been north of Courtenay/Comox.

There is a treacherous stretch between Victoria and Duncan - the road is called the Malahat. When it's raining, it can be pretty scary. On the right side of this picture, it drops away with cliffs. There is an inlet to the sea at the bottom.

It was very rainy and foggy on the Malahat. This is at about 11am. Not exactly bright out!

The road is cut into the cliffs. The left side of this picture is also cliffs, stretching up higher than you can see.

Trees and scrub have grown up on the sides of the road:

When I was a kid, you could see right across the inlet - in this picture, you can only see the fog bank that's settled in there, through the trees.

It's a long, narrow road:

And you go nearly 100 km/h on it! Woo! Crazy drivers!

Here's a better look across the inlet.

I'm getting good at taking pictures through the car window.

The trees along the road are all covered in green moss and lichens.

It smells beautiful: very fresh and clean.

Spooky fog bank!

We could barely see the cars coming towards us! Some of those logging trucks are zooming along very fast.

Traffic was heavy, as it was Christmas Eve.

The highway goes up the East side of the island. There are a lot of farms and homes along it; lots of little towns too.

Check out the heavy clouds as we passed Duncan:

I liked this shot:

That's one of the island's dairy farms. My milk comes from there. Moo!

We get glimpses of the small islands that cluster between Vancouver Island and the mainland:

I think that's Denman Island. People live on there - they get to and fro by ferry.

L and I always sing, "Jingle Pot, Jingle Pot, Jingle Pot Road" when we see the signs:

Just outside of Nanaimo now...

And the big stretch of the new highway starts!

You get to go up to 120 km/h on this stretch.

But watch out:

There are all kinds of elk warning signs! I've never seen a deer or elk on this stretch of the highway.

We got to the ferry docks just outside of Courtenay/Comox in plenty of time. Whew! Missing the ferry would have sucked. They only run 4 times a day.

The mighty Queen of Burnaby! That's a pretty small ferry, actually.

I went for a walk along the beach to kill some time.

I could tell it had been stormy by how far the driftwood and logs had been pushed up the beach.

Some seaweeds and kelp:

The waves were pretty choppy (our ferry ride was quite rocky, but that's something you get used to).

I saw this awesome hunk of driftwood.

Looks like the stump of a Douglas fir.

Some houses in the distance, along the cove:

I found a couple of sand-dollars:

They are weird inside, like an alien spaceship:

I liked the contrast of this bit of sea lichen on this one:

A cool shell:

A starfish probably made the hole in it - they suck out the guts that way.

I walked along a cedar log in my awesome boots.

Finally, you can see how nice and purple my coat is!

Looking back:

The ferry buildings, the docks and all the cars. That family said hello to me.

I liked how the water puddled around this big log:

I love the sound it makes - a lovely shushing noise as all the pebbles are dragged back and forth in the waves.

This is a piece of bull kelp:

Looks like a bull-whip, doesn't it?

Check it out - this is the inside of a ferry when you drive on:

Three lanes on either side of the centre (where the staircases and elevators are). When traffic is really heavy, cars can drive up on the ramp above us. That usually only happens in the summer.

Where L and I always hang out and read - the Forward Lounge!

There are multiple lounges on the ferries, and a gift shop and a cafeteria (we usually hit the cafeteria on the way home, because we catch the 7 am ferry - Sunshine Breakfast, yum!).

Now, driving back down-island, you see a few other things. Like this deer fence.

It stretches along about 20 km of highway. At the top of the hill in this picture, you can see a sort of gate - that has curved metal bars that steer the deer to go through it (kind of like a subway stile) so that they don't leap out onto the highway.

More road shots. It's a long, lonely highway at times.

It didn't rain as much coming home, thank goodness!

To the East, you can see some of the interior mountains - they ever have a bit of snow on them! I hear skiing is good this year.

No travelogue is complete without the gnome!

He's humongous - see how small the picnic tables are?

Once we see the gnome, we know we're getting close to home again.

Only 103 km to go!

Ladysmith is a tiny town. I keep expecting to see a statue of Pamela Anderson.

She's from Ladysmith.

The last town before we hit the Malahat is Duncan. It's known for totem poles and this gigantic hockey stick.

Um, yeah.

Are we there yet?

50 km to go! So close!

But we still have the Malahat:

This is near the summit - you can turn off to look at the scenery (I haven't done that in decades - we usually just want to get where we're going).

Lots of traffic on Boxing Day:

Another look at the cliffs:

Many of the cliffs have steel netting attached to them, as bits of rock falls off them.

Near Goldstream, a lovely park area:

I hope you enjoyed the trip! Check out here for our other trips up-Island:

- Summer 2011

- January 2011

- Christmas 2009

Hope you had a great Christmas! From my (rather squirmy) family to yours!

Happy Holidays!

Cowboy Beech Leopard, Shopping in Suede

2011-12-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

This is it! I'm off today and tomorrow, then we're both off for Christmas plus the stat on Monday and the extra day for Boxing Day on Tuesday. As this is my last post before Christmas, I would like to extend you all a very

Merry Christmas!

Happy Hanukkah!

and

Festive Festivus!

Or your celebration (or not) of your choosing.

Yesterday at work was busy, but I kept my spirits bright with some rockin' mustard yellow:

I haven't worn this sweater since last February, a serious oversight.

My groovy Smoking Lily cape-worn-as-skirt - and check out my new-to-me cowboy boots:

And spotted legs!

As always, this cape calls for Drama!

See my feather earrings above? I had a lot of comments about how they matched my hair.

The stuff:

Those boots are by Two Roads, they're real leather, made in Spain, and I couldn't find anything about them online. The heels and soles are not leather, but they are super comfortable, and I think I'm going to wear these a lot.

Accessories:

I liked the fluffiness of the earrings, although they stuck to my lipgloss whenever I bent over.

Someone was helping me take pictures.

Silly ol' bub.

I love the lining of the boots:

Cacti, a pony, a horseshoe and a steer head! Awesome!

I also got a kick out of the price:

This was written on each boot, on the inside of the strap. It says "$74.99" and "$47.99" (crossed out). I got them for $32.99 on consignment.

Sweater (Pria), cape/skirt (Smoking Lily, thrifted), tights (Le Chateau), boots (Two Roads, consignment), earrings (consignment), belt (Plum), cuff (SkinzNHydz, local).

My mission for today: finish my Christmas shopping! I dressed for walking and for warmth. It's pretty cold out, but the upside is it's sunny!

Woo, that's bright!

My Skott's washable suede skirt (last outfit), my Max Studio sweater (last outfit), with layered shirt and cami, and of course, my Miz Mooz boots.

I've had that necklace for over 5 years.

My outerwear:

Rock on for Christmas!

I took my camera with me, but I was quickly bogged down with bags. I did see these amazing chalk art drawings:

Maybe I had to be on the X, but this was still cool, if not quite 3D.

There was a series of these copies of famous paintings.

That one is "The Penitent Mary Magdalene" by Titian, 1560.

I wish the artist had been around.

I would have given him/her some money.

When I got home, the kitties helped me sort everything out:

Vizzini crawled into all the bags, while Inigo settled on the mounds of tissue.

Happy Holidays, from my fam to yours!

I'll be back on Monday or Tuesday.

The Perfect Black Pencil Skirt (It's Leather)

2011-12-20T23:08:00.000-08:00

I've been on the lookout for a black skirt for a while...a black leather skirt, that is. As I've mentioned before, I have a lot of thrifted and consignment (and new) leather and suede pieces, but the classic black skirt has eluded me.

Until now!

I found this beauty in a consignment store for $32.99. As far as I'm concerned, that's a score. This is thick, soft leather, and the front and back are made of only two full panels, stitched down the front, not multiple panels of scrap leather. It's also a great length (perfectly at the knee) and it hasn't gone stiff or cracked from age.

I'm wearing it with my favourite patterned blouse and my olive corduroy vest:

And my shiny red patent leather boots which someone is blocking.

Aw, cuddly boy!

The boots are actually blood red, quite dramatic - I can't believe it's been over a year since I last wore them!

My outerwear:

Purple coat and my green walking boots. A meowy kitty.

The stuff:

Ah, a better look at the colour of the boots.

My Shi Studio necklace:

I like those patterns mixed.

Back to the skirt for a minute. I mentioned that for its age, it's very soft. One guess as to how old it is, based purely on the colours in the label.

Yup, pure 80s. Can't you just picture this with an oversized Bill Cosby sweater?

Blouse (Marcona, thrifted), vest (RW & Co., consignment), skirt (Hemingway Collection, vintage 80s, consignment), boots (Aldo), necklace (Shi Studio).

A Meet-Up and More Fringe

2011-12-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

I got an email the other day from Marie, a reader of Ephemera from way back - she was going to be in Victoria to see her mom and wanted to get together!

Of course, I wanted to meet her!

We're at my favourite lunch diner where we chatted and ate. We went to a consignment store after that, then we trekked up to the thrift boutique. We didn't have too much luck at the thrift store, but I got a few things at the consignment store, and Marie found a lovely Danier jacket!

I wore this awesome wool/cotton sweater along with this fab denim skirt, both gifts that Christie sent.

It was a great shopping outfit; nice layers and not too warm or too cold.

I wore my Shi Studio belt and buckle, and my comfy walking boots.

I bundled up in my python jacket.

That's a new-to-me Danier Leather bag that I picked up on Saturday. I've been looking for a real leather brown bag for years - and that one was only $39.99! I thought that was good.

Jacket (Bebe, thrifted), bag (Danier Leather, consignment), scarf (Danier Leather, thrifted), gloves (Parkhurt), sweater (Merona, swap from Christie), skirt (Jones New York, swap from Christie), boots (Miz Mooz).

Today, I wore two of the new items I bought this weekend: the skirt and the shoes:

Yes, another fringed suede skirt! Joining my fringe skirt family, this one is a very orange-y red and is quite a lot shorter than the other two. It was overpriced at $32.99 on consignment, as it's not sewn very well. After wearing it all day, I noticed it has some marks on it, and the stitching is not done very well. It's not lined either. I'll probably consign it after I've worn it another time or two.

But it fit well and it was fun to wear!

Blurry kitty

My thrifted wrap top (2nd outfit) was a change from my usual "I want to be a cowgirl" look that I've done with fringe before.

My outerwear:

That bag is going to get used a lot.

The stuff:

Aren't the shoes crazy? I've been stalking them for about 6 months, waiting for them to go down in price. They were regular $368.00 and I finally managed to snag them at 50% off. Yup, still pretty pricey, but they are Cydwoq (mine is the Rho) and those don't come cheap. There is another pair at the same store that are flatter that I also have my eye on. Maybe after Christmas?

I first saw Cydwoq (pronounced "sidewalk") on Audi and they seemed really odd to me. Maybe my eye has adjusted, because I think they are amazing now. I am in deep lust with their Victorian-style boots.

They are fully handmade and although they don't have any padding in them, they are one of the most comfortable shoes I own.

I liked the pops of blue in this outfit - the cami and that wrist-wrap are the same cerulean shade. I stacked all the bracelets on one arm.

Top (Talbot's, thrifted), cami (InWear), skirt (no label, consignment), tights (Esprit), shoes (Cydwoq), coral bracelet (Plum), blue wrist-wrap (Club Monaco), black bracelet (Le Chateau), earrings (The Cobbler).

Invasion of Dress Week! Casual Friday and Weekend Wear!

2011-12-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

Woo, what a week! I'm glad it's over, but now I'm feeling the crunch of Christmas right around the corner. Thank goodness I've been distracted by....

Invasion of Dress Week!

I saved a new dress for last - I got this dress at Winners last Friday for $59.99:

Seeing as it was Casual Friday, I had to wear some denim, so I hauled out my old faithful jean jacket that I got in NYC a few years ago.

Here's a better look at the dress:

It's Calvin Klein, just like yesterday's dress. It's actually a true red (it's looking pretty pink in this lighting, thanks, winter) and is a nice poly weave. It's got pleats up near the waist that give the skirt a lot of fullness and swing.

I added some tough details, like the grommet belt and my studded leather wrist cuff.

It has a gold zipper up the back:

I also layered my floofy Noa Noa skirt under it, and did a chunkier shoe. These are my Tsubo Acreas. I liked the lacy tights - they remind me of ants climbing up my legs, hee hee.

My outerwear:

The colours looked much different in daylight, with the chartreuse and deep red making a sort of Christmassy look. It was actually too warm for the hat, I took it off.

Dress (Calvin Klein), skirt (Noa Noa), tights (Esprit), belt (gift from Ruth), cuff (vintage 80s), shoes (Tsubo Acrea), coat (Planet, consignment), hat (Roberta's Hats), gloves (Club Monaco, consignment), scarf (Danier Leather, thrifted), bag (fake Tod's, thrifted).

Right after work, I had to rush home and feed the cats. I changed up my outfit a bit before I caught the bus back downtown to join L at his work Christmas party.

I swapped out the grommet belt for this thrifted vintage 80s one, changed my shoes and changed my jewelry to dangly rhinestone earrings and my mom's 70s rhinestone bracelet.

You're not going out again, are you?

I carried my sparkly silver clutch.

And I changed into more festive outerwear:

My leather jacket and turquoise suede gloves.

Dress (Calvin Klein), tights (Esprit), belt (vintage 80s, thrifted), shoes (Guess), earrings (Jacob), bracelet (Birks, vintage 70s, Mom's), jacket (Le Chateau, consignment), clutch and gloves (Accessorize), scarf (Danier Leather, thrifted).

Today was spent on very pleasant things: shopping for myself, shopping for L, my mom and my nieces and having lunch with my wonderful Winesday Women!

Today, L dropped me off at the post office to pick up a package - it was from reader Christie! She'd won a prize in my October Wardrobe Challenge, and I sent her this skirt. Today, she sent me a cardigan and a denim skirt, along with a lovely card. I'll be wearing the items this week! Thanks so much, Christie!

Did you notice the crazyass tights up there? They have silver threads that make the pattern, so they're quite sparkly! I got them at Winners for $7.99.

That's my 40th birthday dress (2nd outfit) that I've had for ages (coincidently, another Winners purchase back then). I don't know if I'll ever give it up; it's so comfortable.

Of course, if I had yellow legs, I had to wear my yellow jacket!

I liked the burgundy gloves with this. I got a lot of compliments on this look from salespeople.

Dress (Max Studio), tights (Emilio Cavallini), boots (Aldo, consignment), jacket (Danier Leather), scarf (Danier Leather, thrifted), gloves (Parkhurst), bag (Licence), jewelry set (Shi Studio)

Hope your weekend is going great!

Invasion of Dress Week! Mellow Yellow

2011-12-15T18:22:00.000-08:00

The Invasion continues!

When I pulled all my spring/summer wear out of my closet a couple of months ago and stored it away, I saved this dress:

I love the colour so much that I was hoping I'd figure out some other way to wear it, aside from just on its own, as I last did here and first did here on my last Dress Week.

I've layered my Club Monaco striped shirt under it for warmth. Can it really be over a year since I've worn this shirt?

Added the grey belt, and grey shoes and a bit of sparklies (I'm showing off L's cufflinks), and I'm all set.

Ah, my little devil, Vizzini. This morning, I discovered that not only had he been up on the kitchen counter some time last night (BAD KITTY), but he had absconded with my access card for work. I searched around the house with a flashlight (under the bed, under bookcases) for 20 minutes before I finally had to leave for work. I had to stand around in the lobby of my building, waiting for the elevator to unlock my floor at 8:30. Arg. VERY bad kitty.

Doubly arg-worthy: he had also chewed the heck out of my $60 headphones for my mp3 player! Right down to the wires! EXTREMELY bad kitty. I had no music (I've been stuck with "All I Want For Christmas Is You" - thank you, Glee - in my head all freakin' day!) and I had to go buy new headphones at the mall after work.

On the plus side, I was able to finally get a bit of a jump on my Christmas shopping for L. I found everything I had on my Super Secret List.

The stuff:

Kitten heels were so good to my feet! I wore the smaller vintage rhinestone necklace against my skin, and the larger crystal necklace under the shirt collar.

Dress (Calvin Klein), shirt (Club Monaco, consignment), belt (Plum), shoes (Enzo Angiolini, thrifted), crystal necklaces (50s, vintage, crystal one was a gift from my MIL), earrings (Jacob), cufflinks (Le Chateau Men).

Invasion of Dress Week! Inadvertently Seasonal

2011-12-14T17:47:00.000-08:00

The Invasion rages on!

I realized after the third or fourth comment today (it was a crazy day), that I dressed in Christmas colours:

I didn't know Vizzini was there - he's so fast!

I also realized I've been doing a theme all week (and I plan to continue it): I'm winterizing my summer dresses. I get a lot of traffic on hits for that phrase, so here's another one for you folks.

This is my Desigual dress that I got back here and wore with autumnal layers. I still haven't worn it for warm weather yet! I'm excited to see how it will look...although that'll be a few months, I'm sure.

I've layered my vintage red slip under the dress, have tights on, and have a thick jacket over it.

I tend to pass over this jacket in my closet due to it being a bit big on me, but I love the shape and the nice brocade fabric of it.

The red boots really seal the deal:

I love those, and they were so easy to work in all day.

I really like how the dress' colours worked against all that red. The white background and bold colours/pattern actually help to offset a lot of the red.

Gotta have the major hardware too. Necklace from Tina, and earrings from Megan.

Jacket (Nine and Company by Nine West, thrifted), dress (Desigual), slip (Suzette Lingerie, vintage, consignment), boots (Miz Mooz), necklace (gift from Tina), earrings (gift from Megan).

I took these pictures last night while I was doing my blog entry.

Vizzini eyes the looming Inigo...he ducks under the table from the scratching post.

Inigo gives him a whack.

Silly boys.

Invasion of Dress Week! Bye-Bye Blahniks

2011-12-13T23:04:00.000-08:00

The Invasion continues!

I've been wanting to wear this dress again since I got it - so comfortable! However, winterizing it was not as easy as I thought.

I loved it with the teal cardigan, to pick out the colour in the pattern. I kept with a brown cardi and belt to tame down the pattern a bit. I forgot to wear a slip under this and ended up with thigh-cling. Ugh.

I also loved how the shoes went with this:

It's blurry because I'm tippy - those are 4.5" heels! And yes, those are Manolo Blahniks! I last wore them in July 2010 and regretted it then, as they are so high. I can almost hear the bones in the tops of my feet cracking. I've only worn them once before that: here, when I first got home from London, where I bought them for $111.00. They're called the "Cecilia Chancellor" (I took a picture of the box, even though I didn't bring it home).

And much as I love having a pair of Manolos, these are going to go to the consignment store. I just can't justify keeping a pair of shoes in my closet that hurt my feet so much. I'm sure I can easily get $100 in trade-in credit for them, and I can always look back at the pictures if I miss them.

It was a relief to wear my boots:

Plugging my music in for the chilly walk to work today. There's frost on the ground now!

By the time I got home, my poor feet were throbbing. There was no way I could wear them for my WW meeting tonight.

Ah, sweet relief! Teal kitten heels to the rescue! I also added a half-slip.

Bye-bye, torture devices.

I won't miss you...much.

The stuff:

Vizzini helped with pictures.

Dress (O-Lala, thrifted), cami (Esprit), cardigan (Kersh), belt and necklace (Plum), shoes (Manolo Blahnik, and Le Chateau).

Invasion of Dress Week! Blue Hipster (and Some Good News)

2011-12-12T18:13:00.000-08:00

It's Dressember! And that calls for a Dress Week!

Check out my other Dress Weeks in the sidebar, if you're interested. Don't forget to check out Patti's Visible Mondays too!

First, some exciting news! The marvellous Wendy Brandes has another fab fashion article on the Huffington Post, and I'm in one of the pictures! Thank you, Wendy!

Okay, are we all calm? Let the Invasion begin!

After all the neutrals of the last week, I needed some colour - stat! This is my blue dress that I picked up a few months ago.

I liked how it looked with the purple drapey cardi:

I found these micro-fishnet and lace tights at Winners last Friday. Awesome pattern, excellent quality, but EXTREMELY annoying...because they are hipster tights! They sit at my hip instead of going to my natural waist. By the end of the day, I wanted to cut them off with scissors. I was constantly adjusting!

My outerwear:

Prince is coming to town this weekend (I wish I were going!) - I think his Purple Highness would approve.

The stuff:

See? I like neutrals! These boots and this belt were perfect to complement the bright colours.

The sparkly bits:

My good ol' 3-strand necklace. This belt is getting quite stretched out.

Cardigan (Bobeau), dress (Just...Taylor, consignment), tights (Winners), boots (Libby Edelmann), belt (Gap), necklace (Plum), earrings (gift from Mom).

I mentioned the exciting news, but I have really good news: L started a new job today! He's been out of work since May, so this is a big relief right in time for Christmas! 2012 is going to be an awesome year!

Neutrals Week! A Pop of Colour

2011-12-11T15:03:00.001-08:00

And...Neutrals Week is over!

Last night we went to a friend's house party. I was going to wear a really bright dress, but I have other plans for that next week...

So, I dyed my hair and that's my pop of colour, because oddly enough, my outfit is all neutrals!

It's hard to tell due to the poor lighting (arg, winter!), but the dress and shoes are both khaki green. I got the dress, tights and shoes at Winners during my Friday shopping expedition with Elaine.

I love the shoulders/arms of this dress!

It was one of those items that just looks like a puddle of blah on the hanger, but that I knew had the potential to look really interesting on.

The tights are actually a micro-fishnet with black swirls. They were $7.99.

I added a couple of bold accessories - it didn't need much else.

Another thing I really loved about the dress is that it has those little bra strap securers: a small string with a snap fastener at the shoulders. You snap it around your bra strap and voilà! No slippage! With a neck this wide, that was a major plus.

The dress itself was a score!

Gotta like that! $25.00! It's a couple of sizes big on me, but I liked the roominess.

The stuff:

I took these pictures this morning, in daylight. What a difference!

Aren't the shoes amazing? I gasped when I saw them (one of my surefire signs of a good pair).

They are olive green suede with black leather accents - check out that massive platform! They were $77.00 on sale (which is kind of high, but I really liked them!).

You can also see the nice beaded embellishment around the neckline there.

The jewelry:

I nearly forgot I owned these!

Dress (Adrianna Papell), tights (Silks), shoes (Guess), jewelry (Aldo Accessories).

Did you know that it's Dressember? Of course, I will be doing a Dress Week - this will be my 10th one since starting Ephemera! Check out the links on the sidebar for previous Dress Weeks!

Neutrals Week! A Day Behind, and Then Caught Up! - Cognac and Navy

2011-12-10T16:37:00.001-08:00

This week has been a struggle for me. I am certainly not an "all neutrals" gal, for one. For two, having a cold all week has really sapped my energy right when I've needed it the most. For three, it's hard to fake it to you feel it when I'm not wearing much colour.

I was stumped by cognac as a neutral theme - I hear all the cool kids are wearing it, but I have only one cognac item in my wardrobe. These pants:

The last time I wore these to work was also on a Casual Friday, so I figured I'd be good (I last wore them here, 2nd outfit). They did provoke quite a reaction! I also felt a lot better wearing one main neutral rather than head-to-toe, as I've been trying to do for most of the week. The pop of yellow from the top really raised my spirits.

I went out for lunch on Friday with a bunch of people from work. I walked a few blocks in my Fluevogs:

I haven't worn this plaid jacket in ages (with these same booties!). I'd forgotten how nice it fits in the body, although the small shoulder pad always feels a little weird to me. Down to just over $7 a wear now.

L and I went to a party after work at a coworker's house - we stayed an hour, then L dropped me off to have dinner with Elaine. After that, we did a little shopping at Winners (I don't go very often!).

It was chilly out, so I was glad I'd bundled up with lots of layers.

Hurray for chartreuse! We had a blast at Winners, and I had to beg to be let into the fitting rooms before they closed. But I got some cool stuff.

Speaking of stuff:

A good shot of the colour of the pants, a nice deep reddy-brown. The jacket's plaid has a couple of threads of cognac in it, and the dark amber in Mom's vintage 60s choker was a nice touch of warmth.

Jacket (Zara, consignment), top (Reitman's, consignment), pants (Gap, 2000, thrifted), booties (Coffee Kope Tiam, Fluevogs), belt (Plum), choker (Mom's, vintage 60s).

Today, I finally caught up with some navy, another difficult neutral for me. I find navy not a great colour on me on its own; I much prefer it as an accent to other colours.

I only own a couple of pieces in navy, and one of them is this cardigan:

The stairs return! But it's freezing out and I could see frost on the neighbour's roof.

I'm wearing it with other toning blues: my corduroy Smoking Lily dress, a vintage blue slip, and my blue lacy tights.

Vinizzi Cat Bomb!

The boots are black but they were warm.

I bought a new coat at Winners last night:

I wanted a mid-length coat for fall/winter/spring. Hard to tell here, sorry, but it's a deep purple. It does up with hidden snaps (genius for when one is wearing gloves! and an extra collar that has flat ruffles down the front. Who doesn't love a coloured winter coat? Not me!

I thought it was a good deal:

List price of $398.00, marked down to $96.00. The quality is excellent. I have two other pieces of Tahari: this blazer and this blouse. I love the name of the coat: "Daphne" - and notice the colour name: "Hendrix." I guess that's more of a Purple Haze than a Deep Purple, heh.

Cardigan (Xara Woman, thrifted), dress (Smoking Lily, consignment), boots (Gabor), coat (Tahari), leather gloves (InWear).

I'm going to a party tonight, so I will be doing my "Pop of Colour" post tomorrow, but I'd like to thank Megan and Keely now for hosting this challenge! Some challenges are easier than others, but I always learn a lot about myself and my style when I do them.

Neutrals Week! A Day Behind - Brown

2011-12-08T17:31:00.001-08:00

I'm still feeling so dazed - there's such a trade-off with cold medication. On the one hand, my sinuses are clear! Hurray! On the other, what were we talking about? Huh? Oh, right, Neutrals Week!

Today's neutral is brown. I have a lot of brown in my wardrobe. When I was a kid, my mom liked to dress me in brown, I think partly because she never wore it (I'm sure I will get a phone call about this). I vividly recall this really groovy polyester pantsuit in a dark chocolate brown. It was trimmed with bright orange cuffs and had a big yellow and orange flower on it.

Today's outfit:

I had actually planned to wear these pants today, but the thought of having to pin up the hems so that I could walk to work made me change into this ultra-suede skirt. That's my plaid jacket and not really much else all that exciting about this.

My outerwear:

I do love a long coat at this time of year. I wish I'd worn a hat, though, as the temperatures are near freezing. Brrr! I got that scarf in a thrift store this past summer - it's from Jacob and it still had the tags on it. I got it for $4.00.

The stuff:

I love these Miz Mooz boots. They are one of my wardrobe staples. I re-heeled them this year, and they need a bit of a polish on the toes, but they are wearing well in their second year.

I liked the necklace with my ensemble.

It's like pirate booty!

Off to our Strata AGM, then I plan to crash on the couch. I am so behind on blogs, my bad (does anyone still say that?). I plan to catch up on Sunday.

Jacket (Armour Jeans, thrifted), cami (Esprit), skirt (Jones New York, thrifted), boots (Miz Mooz), necklace/earrings (Aldo Accessories).

Neutrals Week! A Day Behind - Grey

2011-12-07T22:00:00.001-08:00

Well, this week is just truckin' along, isn't it? Here I am behind again. Thanks for all your good wishes - I was feeling pretty good today, but then I went and overextended myself. Ah well, I would have wasted that time anyway. But as soon as I'm done this blog entry, I am going to bed. Just me and my Neo Citran. Ahhhhh...

But enough of my whining! Today is grey day! I couldn't entirely forgo colour, but I did mostly grey.

This outfit was hugely comfortable, as it's made almost entirely of t-shirt material. That's one of my long-sleeved layering tees, with my olive green tee (2nd outfit) over top, then my groovy stripey cardi over that.

I had our annual WW Christmas dinner tonight and just got home - I am so exhausted. I was told that this outfit is very bland for me. Frankly, I felt bland. Although I like the outfit, I couldn't dress in neutrals all the time. I think the real challenge for Neutrals Week for me is not putting together the outfits - you know I have the clothes for it! - but in maintaining my usual sunny demeanour when not wearing bright colours. Huh.

The skirt is new-to-me - it's another Smoking Lily one! This was $38.00, which is still in my range for Smoking Lily, and I got it at a consignment shop. It's a wool/poly knit blend, and it is lovely and warm and stretchy. Check out the back.

Aw, look at Inigo! He's so cute.

The back of the skirt actually dips down (it's nearly a mullet, Wendy!), and does a nice swooshy thing when I walk. I like the leaf outlines that are sewn on. Someone tell me what kind of leaf that is - the cold medication has addled my brain.

My outerwear was also all grey, except for the coat, of course.

I have patterned grey tights on too.

This is a close-up of the skirt back. The pale green leaf on the left is silk, one shape is just embroidered directly on the fabric (see it?), the top olive leaf is cotton, and I think the bottom olive leaf is hemp or some other more coarse cloth.

That's why I went with the olive tee. I was quite proud of my matching abilities.

The stuff:

My Camper concrete shoes (last outfit), my chainmail necklace and my steel ball earrings.

Tomorrow is brown! Totally in my wheelhouse.

Cardigan (Express, thrifted), olive tee (RW & Co., consignment), grey tee (Jacob, consignment), skirt (Smoking Lily, consignment), tights (Miss Sixty), shoes (Camper).

Neutrals Week! A Day Behind - Black

2011-12-06T17:18:00.001-08:00

Well, here we are at Neutrals Week! Thanks to Megan and Keely for organizing this! As you may have noticed, I'm a day off - I was off work sick yesterday, so I will be a day behind for all my outfits this week.

For those of you who have been reading Ephemera for a while, you've probably noticed that, although I have lots of black in my wardrobe, I tend to veer towards colours more. Colour! And lots of it! Bring it on, wooo! (Erm, sorry, the cold medication is making me loopy).

So today's outfit, while it predominantly features black, does indeed have some colour in it.

My head is as blurry as I feel...

That's my lovely embroidered black velvet jacket. I can't get enough of it.

I couldn't stomach wearing more black on my feet, so I cheated and wore purple tights and caramel boots.

That's my cotton slitted skirt (2nd outfit), and I last wore those boots here.

On to grey tomorrow!

Jacket (Le Chateau, consignment), top (Ricki's, swap from Ruth), skirt (Nygard, thrifted), boots (Outline, consignment), bracelet (Jacob), earrings (Plum), belt (Gap).

Red Hat - Christmas Party!

2011-12-04T15:30:00.001-08:00

Last night was my company's staff Christmas party. It was at a swanky hotel, and it was pretty fun. I like when events like that are semi-formal, so you get to see everyone dressed up.

I debuted my other new hat by Tierre Joline:

This is also the debut of my long black satin skirt, which I picked up on my Value Village shopping trip for $9.99. The brand is Tadashi Shoji for Saks Fifth Avenue - he specializes in formal wear. Compared to the dresses on the Saks website, I'd guess this skirt was at least $200 new. Score!

The top is a vintage one I've had for a few years. I like that the back scoops low.

I haven't worn this for a while (it's been moved out of my main closet into the archive closet). I wore it previously here in October 2010, here in August 2009 and here in April 2009.

Although the top has gold lame woven into it, I mixed my metals with big gold earrings and silver shoes:

Vizzini watches

The top has red, orange, yellow and pink in it, so I did the yellow bangle and hot pink tights. Fun!

The hat has the coolest details - I love the orange feathers!

My outerwear:

We walked to the party and back. I actually stowed my shoes and purse in another bag, rolled up the waist of my skirt and wore runners and socks. Comfort! Unfortunately, I lost my gloves somewhere during the night.

The shoes and purse:

I love getting to wear those shoes for parties. They're just not work-appropriate.

Here's a better look at the hat:

Isn't it fabulous?

Tierre's label:

Top (Style Rite, vintage), skirt (Tadeshi Shoji for Saks Fifth Avenue, thrifted), shoes (Jessica Simpson), coat (vintage, thrifted), hat (Tierre Joline), gloves (Parkhurst), scarf (Danier, thrifted), purse (Accessorize).

Vizzini watched me take pictures.

He looks very intense.

On Saturday morning, I went to my WW meeting:

It was beautiful and sunny, so I got a shot on the stairs.

I haven't worn this dress for a while.

Instead of showing the wrap ties, I put a stretchy wide belt over them.

My outerwear:

All coordinated!

Dress (BCBG Max Azria, thrifted), belt (Plum), boots (Roberto Vianni), leather jacket (Le Chateau, consignment), scarf (Danier, thrifted), gloves (Parkhurst), bag (Mat & Nat, consignment).

Are you ready for Neutrals Week? I've got my Black outfit planned for tomorrow!

Casual Friday - Pink, Cat in the Sink, and My Office

2011-12-02T18:07:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday! I woke up feeling quite sick this morning, but managed to get through my workday. I hope this doesn't develop into a full-blown cold, because I have a big party to go to tomorrow night!

Today, my usual Casual Friday:

Vizzini looks so surprised

I love this jacket - it just sucks everything in so nicely. I haven't worn this skirt in far too long, and I was reminded how much I love it, and how nice it looks on.

It makes my butt look good, too. Heh.

I also haven't worn these shoes (last outfit) in ages. One of my colleagues loves purple, and she squealed when she saw them.

Yvonne at Book Club (hi, hon!) requested that I show my outerwear, because frequently and especially at this time of year, that's all people see. I try to coordinate my outerwear to what I'm wearing or at least create a cohesive look.

The blue coat really popped off the skirt. The little pink fuzzy toque was not quite right, but oh well. It was warm!

The stuff:

I love those shoes, but they don't stay on my feet very well. I should get some heel grips for them.

That's my pink sweater that I wore here (2nd outfit).

A close-up of my necklace:

My usual chain, with a feather charm on it.

Coat (Mario Serrani), jacket (Bisou Bisou, consignment), sweater (Reitman's, consignment), skirt (Vivienne Tam, consignment), shoes (Friis & Co.), hat (Redux, consignment), gloves (InWear).

Vizzini was being so cute this morning, I couldn't resist taking a picture of him.

He likes to sit in the sink while I do my make-up. I usually let the tap drip for him. He plays with the water and licks it.

As I'm not doing any Christmas decorating at home this year, I thought I'd show you what I did at work. This is my desk:

I've blurred out my company's name and logo. I'm the first thing people see when they get off the elevator.

I set up this little table with a lit tree.

I decorated it with blues, greens and silver.

I also did a tree on the top of my desk:

It's all red and gold.

And here's our main tree:

Our company's name is on the star, so that's blurred out as well. Our colours are red with white accents, so the lights are white and red, and most of the ornaments are red. I was quite pleased with it (it looks better in person).

Have a great weekend!

Variation on a Theme

2011-12-01T17:51:00.000-08:00

I'm headed off to Book Club shortly, so this will be quick! Edit for those who have inquired: We read Pete Sheridan's "44: A Dublin Memoir" - it was well-liked overall.

I've done variations on this outfit before, because I love this sweater so much.

This time, I'm wearing this skirt - I had planned on wearing a different skirt, but it actually needed to be washed, so this was a last-minute substitution.

I actually built this outfit around these fab new shoes that I got.

I found them at She She Shoes - they were the last pair and they were only $37.00 on sale. I love the rich olive colour and the red flowers.

A better look:

And red lining! They are leather and they were very comfortable all day, while I finished decorating the Christmas tree at work. I'm taking the camera to work tomorrow and will take some pictures of my decorating.

I'm actually not putting up my tree this year - it's a Festivus year (please feel free to view this lovely picture of our pole). If you're interested in what my tree looked like last year, check out the pictures of assembling it here, the detail shot of my tree here (it's a Star Wars/Star Trek tree). And please, enjoy a ramble through our village (if vampires, hookers, pimps and battle nuns offend you, you may want to skip it - you've been warned!).

A close-up of the accessories:

You can see the red/brown faint plaid in the skirt there too.

Sweater (Lucky Brand, consignment), cami (Smart Set), skirt (Tulle, consignment), shoes (I Heart Billy), earrings (Lavishy), bracelet (Plum).

Plush Leopard

2011-11-30T21:19:00.001-08:00

Megan Mae's Neutrals Week starts next Monday! I'm so not a neutrals-only gal, so I needed to practice. Today's outfit is pretty simple for me - lots of brown!

I'm sure there are shoes there somewhere.

This is one of my winter wool sweaters - I haven't worn this since...well, I don't know, since I can't find it more recently than the very first time I wore it here. But I only paid $12 for it in 2010, so I don't feel too bad!

I spent today hauling up boxes from my office's storage room in the basement of our building, going through all the Christmas decorations, and then having to trek out to get lights (seriously, who has only 2 strings of 35 lights for a 6' tree? That's just silly), and then having to exchange a set that didn't work. I then lit the tree - it was a lot of physical work! And I did in heels!

An attempt at a goofy pose - success! I do look goofy.

That's my plush leopard skirt, last seen during Leopard Week. I just wore plain brown tights - I had planned on lacy ones, but they didn't look right once I had them on (and I was worried about them snagging on the tree).

My entire outfit (except for the jewelry) is thrifted! Go, me!

The stuff:

I love those shoes, but my feet were killing me after basically standing and walking and running around doing errands all day.

For a little bit of colour, I did my amber and copper necklace and amber crystal earrings.

Look how furry my skirt is! I love wearing it - I really need to wear it more.

Is anyone else doing Neutrals Week?

Sweater (Banana Republic, thrifted), skirt (S&D, thrifted), shoes (Nine West, thrifted), necklace and earrings (Plum).

Red Legs and Rejects

2011-11-29T23:03:00.001-08:00

Ah, it's late - by the time I get home from work (5:15ish), then do my WW meeting and get home (around 8pm), then play D&D (until about 11pm or later), I'm bagged. But I must blog!

And here it is! After wearing this all day, I've decided that I don't love the jacket or the skirt.

Someone's coming in for a rub!

So into the consignment pile they go. I'll have a good credit built up when I go down there next.

This jacket is so cool, but it is a smidge too small, and I feel like a hobo in it. This is only the second wear so my cost per wear is sitting at $30. Ouch. I still make purchasing mistakes.

Mr. Snugglypants meows for attention.

I liked the red legs, though.

Vizzini cuddles for about 10 seconds, then he launches himself out of my arms.

The skirt is just...a skirt. It's a nice quality wool, and the pinstripes are good, but eh, I have so many other cooler black skirts. However, this skirt balances out the jacket, because this is my 6th wear of it and it cost $7.00 originally, so I'm just over $1 per wear.

The stuff:

Inigo (top), Vizzini (bottom right) and red mousie (bottom left) investigate.

I took this picture when I got home tonight - my boys had missed me (the mousie, not so much).

Jacket (Dolcezza), sweater (Reitman's, thrifted), skirt (Linda Allard for Ellen Tracy, thrifted), shoes (Enzo Angiolini, thrifted), necklace (Melanie Lynne).

Dotty Monday

2011-11-28T18:56:00.001-08:00

Mondays are so hard when you've had a full (and extra long) weekend! I went with an old tried and true outfit: button-down shirt under my wool strapless dress:

This is my micro-polka dot shirt, and this dress has had a lot of wear over the couple years that I've had it.

I liked the polka-dot tights with it:

So did Vizzini!

The light is so non-existent in the mornings now - plus it's freezing outside! I might have to cut back on the stair shots until winter is over.

I look very cold there. I think my eyes are closed from shivering.

The stuff:

My heavenly Fluevogs - the Listen Up Mansfield. One of our clients today said I looked like I was ready to do the Lindy!

I've worn nearly all the same accessories - shoes, belt and earrings - together previously.

Don't forget to check out Visible Monday!

Blouse (Jacob), dress (Club Monaco, consignment), belt (Smoking Lily, consignment), wrist wrap (Club Monaco), ring (Aldo), earrings (Foxy), tights (Esprit).

An Adventurous Weekend!

2011-11-27T17:58:00.001-08:00

I hope all you US folks had a good long weekend! I had a very busy one - primarily, because we went to our friends' wedding on Saturday evening.

This is what I wore:

The amazing Tierre came over on Friday and brought the two hats she'd made for me to choose. I thought this teal one was incredible and would perfectly suit the occasion.

I built the outfit around the hat. That's my Smoking Lily jacket with a teal camisole underneath. I added my blue lacy tights to help tie in the blue and teal mix.

The skirt is new - I got it at Dots several weeks ago. It's another Naughty brand item (same as this dress and this jacket). It was $23.99 (that's with 30% off). I love the burnout velvet floral design and the random rhinestones (easiest to see in the first picture) - it also has lots of sequins along the waistline, but they're hidden by the jacket in these photos.

The skirt has a really uneven hemline (on purpose), including a very long piece on the left side that drips down to nearly the ankle.

The dark sections underneath are actually a navy blue full slip and my Noa Noa sheer netting blue underskirt - that very high section is the back of the skirt! Way too high for me to feel comfortable - I was scared I'd be showing my butt!

I thought this was the funniest label - this is the skirt's content tag:

Really? 100% unknown fiber? You couldn't guess? I am pretty sure the skirt is silk.

There is something so forbidden about wearing denim to a wedding! But this lovely jacket is the exception, I'm sure.

A good shot of all the blues and teals. I was quite pleased with the colour combination.

The jewelry is a mix of vintage (the necklace), locally made (the ring) and cheap stuff (the earrings):

I got many compliments on the necklace (and actually the entire outfit).

Here's a better look at the hat:

Isn't it stunning? It's held onto my head with an elastic that's hidden in my hair.

Of course, Tierre's label is inside.

Tierre, you did an amazing job! Thank you so much!

My good ol' teal shoes:

Jacket (Smoking Lily, consignment), cami (Smart Set), slip (vintage), skirt (Naughty), tights (Silks), shoes (Me Too), necklace (vintage), ring (Oscar & Libby's), earrings (Jacob).

L also dressed up in a mix of navy, grey and purple.

Finger guns!

His blazer is navy blue velvet, the vest is a navy blue pinstripe, the shirt is purple/grey floral, the tie is purple and blue striped, and his pants are a dark grey. Oh, and he's wearing navy Fluevogs. Very stylin'!

Backing things up (I knew you'd want to see the wedding outfit first, see how considerate I am?), this was my Friday hanging out with L, going for lunch and going to Winesday outfit:

I liked how the two black and white patterns went together.

This sweater drove me nuts over the day, though. It totally bagged out and stretched. Looks like it'll be a home-only sweater.

I love this skirt.

My outerwear picture:

I have been getting a lot of wear out of my leather jackets!

Jacket (Le Chateau, consignment), sweater (Banana Republic, thrifted), skirt (J.J.F, consignment), boots (Gabor), watch necklace (Plum).

During the day on Saturday, I wore my "jammy dress" - I was slightly hungover from Winesday (a lot of wine, hot-tubbing, lots of food, and a very late night!).

Whenever I wear this dress, I'm either sick or hungover. Hee. Be warned.

Dress (I.N.C.), boots (Aldo, consignment).

Part of my Friday was spent driving to Sidney and back to recharge our car's battery after some crackhead rooted through it and then left the door open overnight.

I took the camera - check out the lovely waterfront as we head back into town:

It was a lovely day!

Driving by Elk Lake:

I always say hi to my dad here - he died 14 years ago and we scattered his ashes in the lake.

I used to go swimming and canoeing here as a kid.

Still some yellow leaves on the beech trees.

The hills in the distance across the lake.

There is a path all the way around Elk Lake that takes you to Beaver Lake (they join). It's 7 miles all the way around. I have walked it many times.

This is the other end, where the boathouse for the rower is. Canada's Olympic rowers train here.

I am so lucky to live in such a beautiful place.

I am also very thankful for my lovely kitties:

Sleeping on L's legs. Vizzini has his eyes open, but Inigo is conked out.

Inigo surveyed the room from atop the scratching post.

And then watched us from the top of the bookcase.

He also gave his little brother a bath.

Happy weekend!

Lacy Legs and Green Tweed

2011-11-23T19:28:00.001-08:00

...And my work week is over! Although I am Canadian to the bone, every year I take US Thanksgiving off (and usually the following Friday) and watch football with my guys. Tonight, I am cooking up a big pot of chilli (with spicy turkey sausage and bison and lots of beans, yum!).

This cardigan was the most expensive item from my VV boutique shopping trip on the weekend:

It was all of $14.99. It's wool, poly and cashmere, but is nice and thin (I don't like bulky sweaters). I really liked the design down the front and the nice neckline. Why are so many sweaters turtlenecks? I'd rather wear a scarf.

This is my green tweed skirt (2nd outfit) that I've had for years (I can't believe I haven't worn it since February!):

It has such nice shape. I'm not as big on the shape of the sweater (I'm just wearing a slip under it); I think I might wear a button-down shirt under it next time for more structure. It's a Sears brand.

The stuff:

A better look at the detail down the front of the sweater. It has 24 hook and eye closures (I counted), and the pattern is all embroidered, with a bit of black beads on the bigger areas.

The shoes are my heeled loafers. Very comfy!

The jewelry:

I had a cuff on (it's in the top two pictures), but I took it off halfway through the day because it kept snagging on the sweater. That's my Grandma J's jet necklace, and some cheapy sparkly earrings.

Cardigan (Attitude, thrifted), skirt (Precis Petite), shoes (Kate & Mel), necklace (50s vintage, Grandma J), earrings (Jacob).

Happy Thanksgiving to my US friends! I'm taking tomorrow and Friday off, but I'll be back on Saturday - I have a wedding to go to. I'm meeting with Tierre, my milliner, on Friday to choose a hat - so exciting!

Desigual Bargain

2011-11-22T23:12:00.001-08:00

Woo, it was windy (and still dark out) when I took my picture this morning. I feared for my poor little camera - one gust and kerplooie!

And yes, this is a Desigual skirt (I have a jacket, this dress and this dress as well), and as I said on Sunday, yes, this was $9.99 at the VV boutique! Score! Thanks to Leslie for pointing it out!

Because it's chilly out (and it rained all day, and it is supposed to rain all weekend, arg), I layered my Noa Noa pouffy skirt underneath. The skirt also has an uneven hem, so that helped make it look a little less cuckoo for the office.

That's my grey Camden Town jacket that I got in London in 2010.

Showing the hemline:

I did fishnets and my pretty metallic bow shoes.

The design on the skirt is printed buildings on the background, with a spill of white flowers, leading to the "ransom note" design that says "We [heart] colour."

The large greenish flower is hand-sewn fabric cording, and the big flowers near the border are sort of iron-on images (rubbery). The letters in "We [heart] colour" are individually sewn on; the "e" and the second "o" are black sequins on white background. The fabric is a viscose - very thin t-shirt-y material. It had nice flow and movement.

The back of the skirt is, unfortunately, not patterned. It just has the "Desigual" name and a stylized nib pen. I think this skirt probably sold for around $80 new, so I'm very happy with $9.99!

I could only take one picture before Vizzini tried to take off with the earrings. Bad kitty!

Jacket (unreadable label), top (Planet), underskirt (Noa Noa), patterned skirt (Desigual, thrifted), tights (Esprit), shoes (Jeffrey Campbell), earrings (swap from Tina).

Leopard and a Devil Kitty

2011-11-21T19:49:00.001-08:00

First, some exciting news! I've been featured on Imogen Lamport's blog: Inside Out Style! Check it out here - thanks so much, Imogen! And don't forget to visit Patti's Visible Monday!

Today I wore the leopard-print dress that I picked up at the VV boutique. Ever since I was a teen, I've never called it "Value Village". It's either "the VV boutique" or "Val-oo Vill-ahj" (like "Tar-jay"). Hee!

This dress was $9.99 - it's a nice bouncy jersey polyester/spandex blend (it washed beautifully). It's a total basic for all year 'round - it even has short sleeves!

It's layered with a rust-coloured cami underneath, blue tights, and a plain black suit jacket with a belt over top.

The boots are actually a very dark brown, so all the shades of browns blended nicely. I had to do the pop of blue legs to go with my Megan Mae buttonflower wrist corsage!

I dearly love those boots, but man, my feet are so happy once they're off! The striped heels rock my world, as do the zippers that go all the way from the top of the foot right up the shin.

The stuff:

A good shot of the button flower - thanks to Megan for sending this to me, and thanks to Ally for donating the ties! The ring is new; it was $2.00 on clearance. The bendy necklace was a gift.

Dress (Majora, thrifted), cami (InWear), jacket (Max Studio), boots (Rebecca Blind Faith Hi, Fluevog), cuff (Megan Mae, gift), necklace (gift from Elaine), ring (Lavishy).

Vizzini has been terribly misbehaving lately. Today, he's been jumping onto the kitchen counter (he gets the squirt gun and many loud "NO!"s).

On the weekend, he decided to go after this man's glasses.

Fortunately for that man, he is on TV and not in front of a mischievous kitten.

Vizzini seemed puzzled by the weather report:

He looks very quizzical.

After all the squirting and yelling, he retreated to his paper bag:

And now he is drying off on my lap.

My First Blogger Meet-Up!

2011-11-20T17:15:00.001-08:00

Over the last couple of months, I've encountered a few local and west coast bloggers in the blogosphere. One of the coolest is the Hostess of the Humble Bungalow - it took us a little while, but then we figured it out: we're both from Victoria!

Today, we planned a meet-up! My very first meet-up of another blogger. What to wear?

Well, we met at Value Village, and it was cold out, so I did layers for walking to town:

The tights are new, but otherwise I've worn all this stuff lots.

My burgundy sweater dress:

And all the exterior accoutrements:

Dress (Eric Alexandre), belt (Gap), tights (Voila), shoes (Kenneth Cole Reaction, swap from Cat), scarf (Fairweather), bag (Licence), gloves (Parkhurst).

But who is this?

Such cool boots! And she wore a sweater dress too!

Here she is:

The hat was a great find!

We definitely had good shopping karma together:

All kinds of good stuff!

I'll be wearing most of my purchases this week, but here's a little taste...

(Yes, that says "Desigual" - $9.99! Score!)

Thanks for meeting me, Leslie! You rock!

Thigh-High Boots and Minis

2011-11-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

The last time I wore my thigh-high boots with a mini, I went through some major self-examination on whether I was too old to do this.

I've worn these boots with pants every other time since then, but on Friday I thought I would be bold. Be bold, or go home, I say!

The keys to making this office-appropriate:

dark tights
dressy fabrics
formal cut shirt and vest
the boots are neither hooker boots nor pirate boots.

I quite liked the look, which is basically the same: shirt and vest with some funky/jangly accessory:

That's my lovely and versatile blouse, my denim button-up vest, and the cool metal belt Mom bought me in London a few years ago.

The mini is a nice tweed - it's been in the "shall I keep it?" area for a while, but since it's my only mini skirt, I think I'll keep it.

No stuff picture as I was in a hurry after work.

Blouse (Marcona, thrifted), vest (Bisou Bisou, consignment), skirt (Jacob, consignment), belt (gift from Mom), boots (Pegabo).

We met up with a bunch of friends for dinner and drinks, then headed up to the Art Gallery for another Urbanite event. The theme was Asian-inspired so I dressed appropriately:

It turned out to be more India-inspired, but whatever - I still love this top. At least I wasn't surrounded by cheongsam-wearing women.

That's my brown suede skirt. Unfortunately, I spilled a vodka martini all over it at the end of the evening, but it's one of my machine-washable suedes, so no biggie!

I loved how the lacy tights highlighted the fabulous Fluevog Mini Qtees:

Those were the most comfortable shoes ever!

I wore my leather cuffs doubled up.

A lovely start to the weekend!

Blouse (Le Chateau, consignment), skirt (Danier Leather, consignment), tights (Esprit), shoes (Mini Qtees, Fluevog), leather rose (consignment), cuff (SkinzNHydz).