Monday Crinkles and a Bad Blouse

I had to be in the office 30 minutes sooner due to a very early meeting, so I had to skip my morning coffee at home. My brain took a while to catch up.

I do not like this blouse. It does not work. Bye, blouse! 

• Blouse - Religion, thrifted; purchased here for $7.00
• Skirt - Oska, consignment; last worn here in April with copper and orange
• Shoes - Sol Sana; last seen here in September 2025 with Adidas and Dries

It's just all the wrong shape and doing all the wrong things. Ugh. 

So let's focus on the skirt, which is the most crinkly of all. This may be the piece that started me down this pleated and crinkled path I've been on lately. 

Incognito.

It was cloudy and windy...but still roasting hot. It hit 30 today - okay, I was grateful for the office AC! 

The stuff: 

These shoes are still going strong. I was surprise that I hadn't worn them yet this season - clearly an oversight! 

• Round crystal brooch - the Bay, c. 1999
• Star brooch - consignment

I wore the brooches at the neck of the blouse and down the front button placket. 

Silvery bling: 

I was going for a romantic-goth vibe, and it worked for the jewelry! 

• Lace cuff - handmade in Nashville
• Filigree bracelet - St. Paul's Cathedral gift shop, London
• Silver/obsidian ring - consignment
• Silver snake ring - BC Museum gift shop, c. 1986
• Silver loopy ring - consignment, Sidney
• Silver pinky ring - consignment, Sidney
• Earrings - Chan Luu, consignment

Barnabas really wanted to play but was also feeling rather warm. 

"I want to chase the ball..."

He batted it up in the air.

"Evil ball! Die!"

The ball hid behind the footstool. 

"I will pounce...later."

Contemplating the ball. 

"Did you say something?"

And he's off! 

"You'll rue the day you messed with Barnabas!"

Stay chill, my friends! 

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Funky Friday Pirate; Goth Mermaid Brunch; Casual Dinner with the In-Laws

Welcome back, my friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend. A big thank you to all the commenters, readers and fellow bloggers. I really do appreciate you. 

Let's get to it - we have outfits to look at! 

I had a different outfit set for Friday, but then it felt off, so I put this one together quickly the night before. 

I had a session of trying things on in my closet recently, seeing what still works, what doesn't and what no longer suits me. I've let go of a few good things - at this point in my closet it's ALL good things! - but nothing I can't take back if I regret it. 

• Mesh top - Soya Concepts; last seen here (2nd outfit) in March with this same cropped top
• Nylon wired cropped top - Sun Kim, thrifted; last worn here over a teal crinkle dress in April
• Silk/cotton skirt - Dries Van Noten, Fall 2005 RTW, thrifted; last seen here in September 2025 with Weird Adidas
• Sandals - Lucky Brand; last worn here in September 2025 with a toga top

Pointing out my snakes.  

I wanted a silver necklace, but nothing quite worked, so I threaded my brooch onto this wire, and then pinned the brooch to the collar of the crop-top. 

I also wore my black sparkly snake brooch to hold the long pirate-y sash in place on the skirt. 

I liked this look - how have I never tried that before? 

Incognito. 

I rode the bus home like this (plus that rubber spiky backpack I've taken to wearing). 

The stuff: 

I'm happy to have these sandals back in rotation - I've worn them 17 times since I bought them for $25.21 in 2021 at the now-gone Bay department store. I miss the Bay! 

• Silk scarf - Vera, vintage, thrifted
• Snake brooch - thrifted

Snaky bling: 

S-shapes and loopy things. 

• Lucite/silver cuff - Alexis Bittar, consignment, Vancouver
• Silver S cuff - Mexican, consignment, Sidney
• Carved stone bangle - consignment
• Silver loopy ring - consignment, Sidney
• Silver snake ring - BC Museum Gift Shop, 1986
• Silver pinkie ring - consignment, Sidney
• Steel earrings - gift from Lise
• Snake brooch - gift from Mom & Dad, c. 1985

The boys were anxious for L to get home so we could start our weekend. 

Or maybe they're watching for crows. 

There have been a cacophony of crows in the Garry Oaks lately. 

We had our windows washed recently, and we're all amazed at how much brighter it is! 

L and I had a raucous evening of music and board games, then he was up early for Ultimate Frisbee, while I read in bed with my coffee (heaven). 

I love this beautiful 100% linen dress - it's lined with 100% cotton! Perfect for hot days. 

• Mesh tee - Culture, consignment; last worn here in July 2025 with a regret-me-not Helmut Lang jacket
• Linen/cotton dress - J. Crew, thrifted; last seen here in August 2025 with lavender/purple layers
• Sandals - Doc Martens, consignment; last worn here (4th outfit) when I wore them with socks 

I played around with my ginormous silk pirate/merfolk scarf, and ended up looping it like a sari around myself. 

Showing off the pirate ship and the merfolks (they don't have any nipples, which I find hilarious)..

As usual, Barnabas came barreling in and threw himself at my feet, to loll around. 

I love this gorgeous dress, and really need to wear it more - it's great for layering and so lovely on (big side slits). 

I pinned a fish brooch at the top of one of the slits. 

See? 

Incognito and back in cape mode. 

Added my little pink plastic purse, ready to grocery shop after brunch. 

I pulled the scarf up and looped it around my head while we drove around with the top down on Vlad the convertible. 

A perfect summer outfit, and it felt very me. 

The stuff: 

I do believe it's time to get all my sandals out. 

• Plastic purse - thrifted
• Silk scarf - Valentino, vintage collective
• Shell brooch - JJ, consignment, Powell River
• Fish brooch - vintage fair

Mermaid bling: 

Pearls, gems, sparkle, and finally getting to this articulated cloisonné fish necklace. 

• Gold-tone/pink stone bracelet - D'Orlans, vintage mall, gift from L
• Sparkly bracelet - thrifted
• Silver/amethyst ring - vintage mall
• Gold/amethyst ring - Francis Jewellers, c. 1965, Dad's
• Real pearl ring - The Pearl Factory, 1985, Honolulu, Hawaii, gift from Mom
• Fish necklace - thrifted; purchased here for $6.95
• Pearl necklace - thrifted
• Pearl spiral earrings - Martha Sturdy, vintage fair

You can see two knots I made in the pearl necklace's chain to pull it up to a good "stacking" length. Easy to customize a necklace this way, and easy to remove. 

I took a selfie on my walk down to the Ulti field so you could see my jewelry close-up. 

The fish necklace kept sneaking inside the dress. 

Nick's back! Welcome home, honey, we missed you! 

He'd been on the east coast visiting his mum. 

L and I in our booth. 

We did a quick grocery shop after lunch, then spent the afternoon chilling out and napping, followed by a rousing game of Arkham Horror in the evening. 

Whateley, how are you doing with this heat?

Uh-oh, he's got his "alien face" on - that usually means he's about to get up to no good. 

We found a roll of TP destroyed this morning. 

"Wasn't me."

Chief Tub Inspector Whateley has a job to do. This tub won't inspect itself. 

Sunday was a leisurely day spent doing not much of anything. L's mum Louise was coming to town for an appointment with her boyfriend Dave, so I got dressed at the end of the day. 

It was sweltering hot by the time L and I walked to town to meet them. I didn't want to wear much more than this! 

• T-shirt - Marimekko, consignment; last worn here in September 2025 with many pleats
• Denim skirt - Talbots, thrifted; last seen here in September 2025 for a Mom-Day at Cadboro Bay
• Shoes - Homers; last worn here in April for a Mom-Day in white jeans

I had just the tee and skirt on but felt I needed something else.

This giant scarf  works! 

I tied it around my waist - it's purely decorative.

Add a purse and a blurry Barnabas coming in for a tummy rub...

And my sunnies, and we're good to go! 

I was drenched in sweat by the time we got to town - it was 29 degrees! 

The stuff: 

Just grabbed a couple of things. 

• Purse - Aldo
• Silk scarf - Alexander McQueen, consignment, gift from L

Minimal bling: 

Too hot to wear more! 

• Yellow bangle - thrifted
• Carved faux cinnabar bangle - consignment
• Brooch - thrifted
• Gold hoop earrings - gift from L, 2002
• Fulvia Ring/Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes

Louise and Dave.

So good to see them both. 

And of course, me and L:

We had a lovely dinner, then Ubered home. 

Louise got to meet the kittens. 

So good to see you! 

We got out the "fishing for kitties" toy. 

Let's see what you can catch. I spy a Barnabas peeking out from behind the gold chair. 

Whateley all splayed under the chair, while Barnabas rests. 

They were hot and floppy, not a ton of zip. 

Barnabas going for a reach.

Whateley chills on the floor. 

So cute! 

Louise had a blast playing with them. There's nothing much better than a couple of kittens. 

And now, it's late and I want to squeeze out a couple more hours before the workweek rears its head. 

I think I'll spend it with these guys. 

Whateley, that cool with you. 

"Whatever."

Uh-oh, they must be getting into their "teen" phase! 

Thanks so much for visiting - I'm reading and laughing and nodding along with your lovely comments. 

Mom-Day at Home in Tropical Red and White

Welcome back to Mom-Day, Gentle Readers! I had a feeling when I planned this outfit today that Mom and I would be in synch. 

Somehow I knew she'd be wearing this awesome blue and white tropical blouse! The mind-meld is scary sometimes! We had a lovely day hanging out, checking out Mom's new computer (so fast!), having lunch on the back deck and working on a new puzzle. I had a great day, thank you, Mom! I love you! 

Now, to the clothes, and then some pictures of my journey there and back again. Settle in! 

This red and white embroidered top is just amazing and was a real pleasure to wear. 

• Cotton shirt - Talbots, thrifted, Sidney; purchased here for $10.00
• Jeans - Ralph Lauren, thrifted; last seen here in April with a water buffalo and yellow shoes
• Sandals - Via Spiga, consignment; last worn here (2nd outfit) in August 2025 with that Hawaiian dress I wore last week

But while I love it, it's really not my style - it is Zero Badass. I have put it in the Limbo pile for now, and I can always change my mind.

I had company - hello, Barnabas! 

I'm on the fence with these white jeans now that I've found a wide-legged pair. 

However, white jeans are very much a spring/summer staple for me, and styles change. They're a keeper for now. 

Incognito. 

And now I'm just laughing at this silly kitty. 

Accoutrements: 

I take my stuff pictures when I get home, and it's Whateley's time to "help." 

• Purse - Le SportSac, thrifted, Sidney
• Silk scarf - fake Louis (Lewis!) Vuitton, thrifted

The stuff: 

I wore these sandals around the house, added one preventive bandaid wrap on a toe, and took them out on their first all-day wearing. They were great! 

• Black and white cuff - vintage fair
• Black and white bangle set - consignment
• Silver/crystal ring - Soul Flower
• Silver pinkie ring - consignment, Sidney
• Silver/obsidian ring - c. 1986, gift from Mom & Dad
• Loopy silver ring - Mexican, consignment, Sidney
• Clip-on earrings - vintage fair

Barnabas greeted me with his ball when I got out of the shower in the morning. 

We played fetch when I got home, while I wrote this post. 

Whateley was in the bathroom right away, looking to see if the toilet paper had been left down. 

The sign says, "Put TP back here. The grey one is a TP bandit." And there's a little cartoon of him that I drew. 

I took the slowest bus ever to town (construction). I could have gotten there faster walking but I was worried about the sandals rubbing. 

As I waited for the bus out to Mom's, I noticed this Old Dutch Potato Chips delivery truck. This is my personal favourite chip brand - I remember it from when I was a kid (about them here, link 'cause I love).

I was thrilled to spot a Northern Flicker on top of this tree when I got off the bus.

How exciting! 

This lovely dog was hanging out in the shade.

Her owner was in a training session with an athlete on the track nearby. 

This butterfly landed on the path in front of me. 

So pretty! I also saw dragonflies and yellow swallowtails. 

A gorgeous warm day, with a slightly chilly wind.

I take out my ear-buds and listen to the birds all through this stretch. 

Hello, stick tree! 

The clouds looked fake all day. Weird whispies. Fat puffs.

Little sparse blobs. 

This field was so pretty, full of buttercups and daisies and tall grasses, with insects buzzing. 

I arrived at Mom's and checked out her garden. 

This is the same mock orange bush that we had in our house that I grew up in (Mom took it with her when she and Dad moved). It smells outrageously good. 

A gorgeous peony. 

SWOON. 

Mom showed me the pen-and-ink and watercolour paintings she's doing of her neighbours' houses. 

They're gifts to thank all of her caring people on the street for helping her after her fall. 

When you make friends with an artist, you get art! 

See what I mean about the top? We laughed when we saw each other. "You got the memo!"

Mom's been stealthily taking pictures of the houses to use as reference. 

She's even adding little details like a cat ladder, and her furry buddy Rodney peeking out of one window. 

I found this Sears Portrait Studio picture of me and my brother Dave on the table. 

Oh, gosh. I look the same, ha ha! I'm around 7 years old there - I remember that shirt/overdress combo from my Grade 2 first day of school in 1974.

While we waited for our lunch to melt (bagels with turkey and cheese), we munched veggies on the back deck and enjoyed the birds and the warmth. Check out this suspicious giant cloud. 

Do you see the bald eagle in the bottom? Right? That's a big cloud! 

After lunch, we started a new puzzle. It's one of those murder mystery ones, set on the Orient Express, and there's no picture to go by.

It was a pretty easy puzzle, and the time FLEW. Before we knew it, two hours had gone by. 

Time to head home! 

Thankful for all of it. 

I spotted this young lady. 

There are fauns around, and she eyed me warily. 

Our little boys have been enjoying the slightly warmer weather. 

It's supposed to get up to the mid-20s this weekend! 

Barnabas all cozy between two pillows.

Such a sweet boy. They both purred loudly while I took these pictures. 

And now, my friends, I'm off for the weekend. I'll be back on Sunday, so do pop back in for tales of adventure (or at least brunch). Thanks so much for being here.