Birthday Week Long Weekend Wrap-Up: Fluffy Friday, Monster Bash, Thrift Shopping and Happy Birthday, Hannah!

I still have one more day of my weekend - Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends! - but I'm about to have a PVR recording conflict, and L is out for the evening, so here we go! I won't be leaving the house tomorrow anyway, so no outfit. Heh.

Friday! It felt so long in coming, and what a crazy, hectic day it was. Good thing I had ruffles.

Lots of them! And lace, and bows!

I think I last wore this ruffly floral blouse as part of my New Year's Eve outfit last year (here) - it has no label, although I'm pretty sure it's Bianca Nygard. It was packed away with the autumn/winter stuff.

I have a couple of denim vests - this one has been in storage too - it was featured in the January capsule (recap here), but was last worn in this outfit (3rd down) a couple of days after the challenge ended.

I adore the skirt - it's got such a fun steampunk-y vibe without being too costumey. Maybe I should be a Soft Steampunk Goth? I last wore the skirt here in July with thrifted Betsey Johnson.

The stuff:

Oh, how I missed these shoes! Aren't they wonderful? Bows and metallic, oh my! I last wore them here in March with leopard and leather.

'Eavy metal bling:

The usual suspects.

Blouse (no label/Bianca Nygard?, consignment), vest (Bisou Bisou, consignment), skirt (Orwell, thrifted), shoes (Jeffrey Campbell), cuff (About Tine), key ring (local), spinner ring (Twang & Pearl), earrings (Plum).

Birthday Week winds down, but look at all my cards and flowers:

The roses are just gorgeous.

After work, L and I rushed home to get ready for this year's Monster Bash (remember last year's? no, neither do I!).

Well, hello

This year, I reprised a favourite costume from 2010: the Mad Hatter. No one that I know now ever saw that costume, so what the heck!

Due to packing things away and changes in my wardrobe in 3 years, I made a few changes. For one, I wanted to look a little more mad.

Mad, you say?

This is my most awesome striped Noa Noa frock coat, last seen here in March, and I am wearing a double corset! It's my grey bustier top (picture here, from this long post), with my black velvet stomacher (picture here, from this long post) over top of that. A sash from an old skirt is tied in a bow around my neck.

The skirt is my floofy summery skirt (last seen here after the Monochromania round-up), worn over my Noa Noa black fluffy underskirt (last seen here in May). I have little brass curtain pulls tied with caramel ribbon, and working to pull up various parts of my skirt to expose the black fluffy one. I also have a couple of brooches pulling up the hem.

I have striped tights on, and my Marc boots (last seen here in September with stripes) for walking, although we cabbed both ways tonight.

All the clothing and accessories were things I had already - I didn't buy anything for this costume.

Quite mad

I had more fun with my make-up this time, going a little more for the horror look (it was a Monster Bash after all!). I used paler base, and a green stick to erase my lips (I loved having little bitty creepy doll lips). I also shaded around my eyes and in my cheekbones with grey eyeshadow for a spooky look.

I drew swirls coming off one eye on this side. I'm also wearing the same false eyelashes as I did for the 70s party.

I didn't have time to do my eyebrows! I meant to do little arched ones, and I will, when I wear this to work for Hallowe'en. Heh, coworkers, get ready!

L and I made quite the couple. As always...

You better watch out

L and I are both literary sorts. Me, a character from "Alice in Wonderland" and he was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from the R. L. Stevenson novel of the same name.

Cover one half, then cover the other

Here's his Mr. Hyde side.

I love a man who can leer

Vizzini was not at all disconcerted by our costumes. We made L's costume by destroying an old dress shirt. I shredded half of it, splashed fake blood on it, then took it outside and rubbed it in the dirt. The walking stick has fake blood and hair on it. Yeah, we go there - for Hallowe'en, I love pushing the limits.

The cool and collected Dr. Jekyll:

All very normal, including lovey cat

Half of a vest, a black lace ascot and a vintage pocket watch, plus a cufflink and pinky ring. It was fun to see people's reactions! There was no costume contest this year, but people loved our outfits.

My accessories and props:

It's all about the props

I bought the bone china cup and saucer on a break at work, for $5 at the WIN store. I put the saucer in my coat pocket and the cup under my top hat. I perfected a deep curtsy, removed my hat, pulled out the cup, then slipped the saucer out of the pocket, and then held them up together. It was quite an entrance!

The fluffs of lace are my cuffs; I put needle threaders on my white gold hoops, and wore my black leather biker gloves.

My hat:

In case you wondered, that green tube on the left is my green make-up stick - it negates redness, and is how I wiped out my lips

The hat is vintage 80s Le Chateau; L rescued it out of a donation pile from his former boss's wife about 13 years ago. I claimed it and he had to go buy a real one for himself. Ha!

I clipped my black fascinator to the back knot, and attached a butterfly clip to my Smoking Lily obi.

I made a hat size sign out of a sticky note, and pinned a key and my scarab pin to it, along with a bunch of straight pins.

My seam ripper is over 30 years old.

I stuck more pins to the front of my frock coat, pinned a strip or two of ribbon to the front, and had the measuring tape hung around my neck.

The curtain tassel was found in the bottom of a drawer, so I safety-pinned it on as well.

There was a booth of vintage goodies at the show. I bought these 60s-70s silver shoe clips for $2.00.

They appealed to me.

The show was amazing: burlesque, grotesqueries, humour, music, and just an incredible spectacle. I can't wait for next year!

I was in pretty good shape on Saturday morning - hurray for exercising restraint (moi?). A big bunch of our friends met up for breakfast at our favourite diner.

Yes, I might have blue socks on

The thick sweater and tulip skirt silhouette I've been looking forward to trying. I quite liked how it turned out. Not too bulky.

This is my new-to-me thrifted Dex sweater (purchased here on consignment for $26.00). The colour is a deep indigo - it looks purple in bright sunlight.

I had a camisole on under it - it was nice and soft, and I liked the shape of it. It didn't bag out, which is a major issue I have with sweaters.

The skirt is the fabulous one gifted to me by Megan Mae (mwah!).

I last wore it here for Valentine's Day.

It was a lovely balmy day, so I just did gloves (ourple leather, cashmere lined) and a fabulous silk scarf, from the lovely Lynne.

The boots are my grey wool Fluevogs, last seen here (scroll down to the striped shirt) for the Vintage Expo last month.

Sweater (Dex, thrifted), skirt (Etcetera, gift from Megan), boots (Prepare Guide, Fluevog).

I moseyed on over to the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store after breakfast, and found this great classic pencil skirt.

It's a deep teal-green, and is by Selma K. It's likely from the 80s - it's a wool/polyester blend, and is a gorgeous cut. It was only $2.00! Score!

I meandered up to the Hospice Thrift store, but despite them having oodles of new winter stock in, I didn't find anything that worked for me. I ran into my friend Karen there, though, and we continued our thrifting adventure up at the WIN Boutique.

I had much better luck there, and we ran into our girl Cat! It was a thrifting triad of awesome, I tell ya.

I found this fab 90s Talbot's corduroy skirt.

It's a perfect fit on me, and I love the colour. It was $10.50.

I am a sucker for these long swooshy maxi skirts:

This one is by Planet and was only $16.50 - it would have been well over $100 new. The fit is fantastic on it. I can't wait to wear it!

And having tried the thick sweater/fitted skirt look once and liked it, of course I needed another sweater:

Why this one works for me: the collar is wider, it's fitted to the body, and it has 3/4 sleeves. It's wonderfully thick, 100% Merino wool, too - it's by Wilfred, a brand sold at Aritzia (an upscale mall store). Their sweaters cost upwards of $100+. It was also $16.50, so score! The colour is a pale olive green.

L and I hung out and played board games last night, and I was up bright and early for "Day with Auntie Sheila" for my now-11-year-old niece Hannah! Her birthday is the day after mine - happy birthday, hon!

Another sunny and warm day today, so I pulled out the sweater look yet again. Hey, I have a lot of sweaters, and I like to try new looks.

I quite liked this, and I'm sure I will do it again with a different top and skirt with this caramel sweater. This is the first wear of it; it was thrifted here back in August for $13.50.

I wore one of my many long-sleeved layering t-shirts under it (a burgundy one).

The skirt is my other Smoking Lily cape - this one has a birch tree pattern up the side. This piece didn't make it into a capsule; shamefully, I haven't worn it since December 2011! Eeek!

Belting the sweater was a good idea - it was quite baggy.

The boots are a favourite pair. I last wore them in March here (scroll down), with a fluffy patchwork skirt.

The stuff:

Thrifted, gifted and locally-made. Love.

Sweater (Coldwater Creek, thrifted), top (don't recall), skirt/cape (Smoking Lily, thrifted), boots (Miz Mooz), belt (Shi Studio), buckle (Shi Studio, thrifted), cuff (SkinZnHydez), key ring (local), spinner ring (Twang & Pearl), copper earrings (gift from Mom, Angelique Cjeka).

Hannah and I had a good time shopping. It's cool to get to know my niece better, and to have our ritual day together every year. In two weeks, I have her big sis, Zoe!

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend! I'll be back on Tuesday.