Director from the Ankles Up

Oh, we're so close to the weekend! Today is the first day in nearly two weeks that I've felt like myself - I finally got my mojo back. That was really sucking there for a while!

Maybe it's the tights

Not sucking? This outfit! I was so thrilled with how nice these pieces worked with each other. I was told by a coworker that I looked "Directorial" - when I relayed this to someone else, they said, "Yeah...from the ankles up." What? Directors don't wear flowers and big bows on their shoes? I call BS.

I just love this beautiful rich red jacket. It's half of my $18.00 vintage 60s suit, last seen here in December 2013.

I just love this tulip skirt. It was a gift from Megan, and was last worn here (3rd outfit, after my Hallowe'en costume) in October 2013 for a casual lunch out.

The stuff:

Wonderful red-pink shoes of flowery awesomeness! I last wore them here earlier this month for brunch out.

Solid bling:

Vizzini likes to bite that zipper rose.

Jacket (vintage 60s, Hetteman's, W&J Wilson, thrifted), skirt (Etcetera, gift from Megan Mae), tights (Look of London), shoes (Neosens), belt (Plum), zipper rose (Victoria & Albert Museum gift shop), earrings (vintage 80s, Joyce's).

As I was going out to do the stair picture, I found someone digging at the baseboards.

"Must get it!"

That heavy crystal vase on the right is there to keep Vizzini from popping the closet doors open.

I got a slip of paper and ran it under the baseboard to see if there was actually a bug or a paperclip or something.

"I protect the people!"

Nothing. I wonder what caught his eye? I hope you caught it, bud!

Spotted Cerulean and a Rare Mansfield Sighting

I've never been one to try to define my style. I think I could use a lot of adjectives and quirky titles, but ultimately, I'm just me. I wear what I like, and I know what I like. 

Hurray! Nearly light out!

I love skirts. Pencil skirts are awesome, particularly lovely vintage ones (bring on that high waist!), especially ones in nice colours. Example: this fabulous cerulean blue vintage skirt. It's wool crepe, and it's handmade, and would you believe I only paid $6.50 for it at the thrift store? Yes! I've worn it twice before (most recently in late December 2013 for Ugly Sweater Day here), so I am down to just over $2 a wear.

It's a bit hard to see, but the jacket has little bitty Ws in white all over. Like spots but Ws. Incidentally, I've done the collar up wrong - discovered this much later in the day and felt a little silly. I was very tired this morning! It's supposed to sit like this.

I loved the fit of this jacket and was really glad I'd worn it - it had kind of gotten lost in the black jacket section (what? you don't have one?) of my closet. I last wore it here with giant green culottes, back in April 2013 when I was blonde.

I loved how the holey tights looked with the jacket. They really elevated this, I think.

The stuff:

A very rare sighting of the Listen Up Mansfield! I adore these shoes, but they no longer adore me...well, at least not my feet. They are a good 4" high, which is really pushing my foot limits. However, I knew I would have a somewhat quieter day (a brief reprieve), and I changed into my runners both times I had to run some errands.

I last wore them in the December 2012 capsule (recap here), where I wore them twice (here, a truly hideous outfit, and here, a much better one). It was an "on the fence" item at the end of that month, but I of course kept them.

Bling:

I like nice shapes and clean lines.

Jacket (Precis, consignment), skirt (handmade, thrifted), shoes (Listen Up Mansfield, Fluevogs), belt (Danier Leather), rings (Wendy Brandes), earrings (The Cobbler).

Blurry Florals - with Leather!

I had a meeting early this morning, so I had to get up even earlier! I hate that! Both meetings (grudgingly necessary) and getting up early. I also hate that it was too dark to do a stair shot at 7:30am. What is the world coming to?

Anyway, that's why I'm blurry.

The jacket is the wonderful Danier Couture black leather, last seen here in my post-tattoo Unlimited Woman photo-shoot outfit in November 2013. Ha, same necklace - so original.

The blouse was last worn with a denim vest on casual Friday here in November 2013. It has oodles of ruffles. I like ruffles.

My slip hem is showing a bit - eep! I adjusted once I saw this picture.

The lovely bright and sunny skirt is always popped by bits of black. I last wore it here in November 2013 with classic blacks.

The stuff:

I adore these Cydwoq shoes - I've had them for a few years now. They have no padding but they are just works of art in how they are sculpted to my foot. I would love another pair, but I don't want to order online (I like to see things in person). I last wore them here in December 2013 with the Glitter Skirt of Awesome!

Big colourful bling.

A Wendy Brandes ring goes with everything.

Jacket (Danier Couture, consignment), blouse (Uno Due, thrifted), skirt (Attention, thrifted), shoes (Cydwoq), necklace (vintage fair), ring (Wendy Brandes).

Sleepy Weekend and Green Grape Monday

Where did the weekend go? I know what I did: I napped all weekend! Boy, that went fast.

After sleeping in to 12:30 on Saturday morning...er, afternoon, L and I went for brunch. The lovely pinky-purpley wool pashmina was a gift from a co-worker. I think it might be Pantone's Radiant Orchid!

Edit: I nearly forgot! Get on over to "Visible Monday" at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style!

Being lazy, I wore the same skirt as Friday (here).

My chunky knit sweaters like being worn on the weekend. So nice to snuggle up in! This one was last seen here just before Christmas 2013.

After brunch, I came home and napped some more...then I wore this same outfit to Winesday.

I'm wearing my Aerosole ankle boots which I last wore on Boxing Day 2013 (here, scroll down past the gnome).

Sweater (Dex, thrifted), skirt (Danier Leather, thrifted), boots (Aerosoles, consignment), pashmina (gift from Carol-Anne).

We had fog all weekend! It was very spooky and still.

My view of the Castle from the stairs outside.

Um, and this is what happens when you forget to take the zoom off the camera:

Well, at least you can see the nice textures!

Today was rough. Still not feeling the best, coughing and generally feeling achy and wanting to sleep and/or lie on the couch all day.

This outfit is a variation on my purple/green ensemble from the last time I wore this Ron Leal jacket, at the end of December 2013, here. That's also the last time I wore these shoes.

Don't I look sad and pathetic?

I'm wearing my purple mock-neck cashmere sweater under the jacket. I last wore it here in the December 2012 capsule (recap here), where I said I was getting rid of it and not keeping it just because it was cashmere.

*guilty look*

I totally kept it because it was cashmere! And I didn't wear it for a whole year. Sheila, pass it along!

This green skirt always makes the cut in my closet. It's gorgeous and a pleasure to wear. I last wore it here in October 2013 with my oversized peach shirt. Huh, I was sick last time I wore it.

I'm starting to look at my fall/winter clothes and think about what's going to leave my closet at the end of March. I'm trying to look at things with a critical eye, thinking, "Do I really LOVE this item, or do I have it because it was a good deal/good quality/some other reason?" I took a big bag of clothes in to work on Friday, and will try to pass along all the best stuff to my friends and coworkers. The rest will get donated.

The stuff:

I am probably not going to keep these shoes. They pinched my toes today and generally bothered me.

Big gold bling:

I discovered while monkeying around with this belt last night, that it works really well as a necklace. I wasn't feeling that adventurous this morning (I wore my belt...as a belt), but I think it has potential.

Jacket (Ron Leal, thrifted), sweater (Daniel Bishop, consignment), skirt (Precis Petites), shoes (Gold Button), belt (thrifted), blingy ring (consignment), jade ring (vintage 70s, Mom's), earrings (gift from L).

Casual Friday - Long Black Leather

Weekend! Woo! I am so tired, and so very much looking forward to some serious chillin' with both L and my Winesday gals. 

Never fear! Leather's here! Yeah, I saved the best for last: this absolutely gorgeous black "buttah-soft" leather skirt that I thrifted last weekend here.

I do like clothing with presence and this skirt is one of those pieces that announces itself; it flaps and crackles like wind in sails. I walk very fast around my office (and I walk a lot), so everyone heard me coming. Make way, I'm comin' to the printer!

I was a little blurry this morning

The top is one I always forget about. Most of my tops are either sweaters/cardigans, blouses or jackets, which all get hung up (well, not the sweaters - never hang sweaters!) in my closet, so I tend to be all, "Oh,yeah" about the few jersey tops I own that live in my cami/layering top drawer of the dresser in my bedroom. My walk-in closet? Not in my bedroom. L gets the closet in the bedroom all to himself; a full 8' wide and 2' deep crammed with all of his cool clothes.

I thrifted this top for cheap ($8.00) about a year and a half ago - I last wore it here in May 2013 with a pink skull skirt. I have a rust-coloured cami on under it, barely visible.

Sulky Sheila in outerwear:

"I want to go back to bed"

Love that blue coat, but it drives me nuts when I don't have any pockets. A girl needs pockets!

The stuff:

 My plain ol' taupe boots don't worn too much, but I do love them. They are pretty comfy for a 3" heel (that's about my max these days, especially for a full day at work). I last wore them here with a barnyard in November 2013.

Toothy bling:

I made "rar!" noises and waggled my necklace at my coworkers today, pretending the spikes on it were teeth. Because I am silly like that.

I hope your weekend is full of fun and silliness!

Top (Talbot's, thrifted), cami (InWear), skirt (Danier Leather, thrifted), boots (Coffee Kope Tiam, Fluevog), necklace (The Bay), cuff (Guess, thrifted), ring (Stone Roses), snake ring (homegrown vintage 80s), earrings (don't remember).

Mod Florals and Turquoise Balls

Hey, groovy cats! It's nearly the weekend - can't wait!

Starey-eye

Feeling a bit better today, so put in my full day, but then extra to get caught up on all the work I missed getting done while I was off. How does that freakin' happen?

Anyway, power through! And wear a dress. This is my new-to-me red wool dress (with pockets as you can see in the pictures), and my floral blouse, both thrifted on the weekend here.

This dress was awesome to wear all day - nice and warm, bright colour. But woo! Short hem! I had to watch when I bent over.

The blouse was just sleeves in this outfit so yeah, go, blouse!

The stuff:

Smurf shoes, last seen here way back in September 2013 with black and white. I usually pack them away for spring/summer, but kept them out this year, thinking I could wear them with tights. And here we are in January. Yeah.

Big blue balls:

Funny story: Back when I worked in the year-round Christmas store, we would get phone calls all the time, people looking for very specific items, like teapot ornaments, that sort of thing. So one night, I get a call from a man and he says, "Do you have any blue balls?" I said, "Oh, yes, we have all kinds of ball ornaments, in lots of colours." His voice gets all low and raspy, and he says, "I have blue balls right now." I was 19 years old, I had no idea what blue balls meant! When my boyfriend explained it to me, I thought it was pretty funny. It's the only crank call I ever got working there.

PS - don't Google "blue balls" - seriously, don't. Take my word for it.

*ahem* Isn't that a nice turquoise necklace?? Hee hee!

Dress (The Limited, thrifted), blouse (no label, thrifted), shoes (Prepare Guide, Fluevogs), necklace (vintage fair), earrings (Aldo Accessories).

Half Sick, Stripes and Leather

What a difference half an hour makes. Check it out:

So dark! I was early on my normal routine this morning, so we get crappy morning light instead of bright morning light.

I dragged myself out of bed and went to work - yes, I'm the person who tells people to "GO HOME" when they're sick, but I don't take my own advice. I worked for 5 hours and cleared the decks somewhat; dealt with a lot of things that would have forced me to work late had I shunted them aside for another day. I've been sleeping all afternoon, and have only just come up for air (and food) now.

I felt I needed to distract everyone from the sorryass look on my face with Stripes! and Red Shoes!

This cardigan was last worn here in September 2013, and you can see how I fall back on the same patterns when I'm not putting a lot of effort into my outfits. Same cuff, same belt, mostly same colours. However, when you have a black, red, orange and tan striped cardi, there is only so much you can do with it. At some point when I was feeling useful, I did indeed sew the front button placket shut, so no "hello, here are my boobs!" moments today.

I'm down to $3.00 per wear on the cardigan, since I only paid $6.00 for it. Not bad. I didn't even realize my top and bottom combined were only $13.50 total. Cheapest outfit ever? It just may be.

I liked how the stripey tights went with this ensemble

The skirt was purchased on the weekend here, as mentioned, thrifted for $7.50. I didn't 100% love it, but I like the putty/concrete colour (I matched our office building's stairwells). The snap at the waist popped open every time I bent over (thus providing incentive not to eat the catered sausage rolls!), but at least it was hidden by the belt and the zipper didn't burst open. Thank goodness for that!

The stuff:

Gasps of admiration always greet these wondrously red shoes. I was leery of wearing heels while messed up on cold medication, but these were awesome. I last wore them here in early December 2013 with bright green (rather Christmassy).

When I'm feeling weak, I go for tough accessories:

My Wonder Woman cuffs (blam! pow!) and my super-secret red decoder ring (it also has a laser).*
*possibly not true

Sweater (Papell, thrifted), concrete skirt (no label, thrifted), shoes (Marc), belt (Plum), studded cuff (homegrown vintage 80s), leather cuff (Guess, thrifted), ring (Oscar & Libby's), earrings (gift from L).

Lace Dress, Sick Day

Well, as suspected yesterday, I am sick. I woke up feeling even crappier, took some cold medication and went to work. Stuff doesn't get done unless I'm there, unfortunately. However, I was able to get all the important things done in an hour, and then home I staggered.

Almost a shame to waste this good outfit on a 1-hour day, but I'll also be wearing it to my WW meeting tonight (I can never find someone to cover at the last minute, so it's very entertaining for my members when I'm hooped up on medication. Fun times).

Of course, this is my Banana Republic dress that I thrifted for $38.98 (plus extra discount) here on the weekend. Although I'd planned to wear some colour with it (blue, actually) when I put this outfit together on Sunday night, the thought of wearing heels today at all just exhausted me.

So, black belt and black kitten heels.

Speaking of kittens, someone gnawed off one side of the suede bow on my right shoe this morning. At least it's leather and I caught him before he could do more damage.

I last wore these here in December 2013 with my red dress and pirate shirt.

The stuff:

Simple belt, easy earrings and just a touch of bling. I remember my dad buying this bracelet for Mom (a gift from my brother and I) at Birk's at Hillside Mall when we were very small kids. Homegrown vintage!

Dress (Banana Republic, thrifted), shoes (Town Shoes, thrifted), belt (Bianca Nygard), bracelet (vintage 70s, Mom's), earrings (The Cobbler).

I've been sleeping all day, and now I'm going to try to get another hour before I have to redo my make-up and get dressed again. Must not sleep too long.

Vizzini has been sleeping with me (on me, beside me, under the covers with me) and generally looking out for me.

I scared him off my lap (and from under the blanket) with a fit of coughing, and now he's looking at me reproachfully (and also trying to get at my shoelaces from under my closet door.

"Maybe it's a hairball?"

Thanks, little bun.

Sheer Copper and a Circle Skirt

Monday...and I woke up feeling unwell. Made it through the day, but I'm going to go have a nap soon.

How many new things can I fit in one outfit? Just two in this one, but I did wear the new-to-me leather coat and gloves - no picture, as I was in a hurry. Another time, I promise.

My newly-thrifted copper lame (lah-may!) sweater, purchased here on the weekend for $6.50. If I'd known the Senior VP for Western Canada was going to be in the office today, I might not have worn a sheer-shouldered sweater...but maybe I would have. It's not like he's not used to me by now.

This sweater is not very long, so I needed a high-waisted skirt to wear with it. I ended up tucking it in (one of those unspoken 'rules', right? Never tuck in a sweater? I say "pshaw!" to that), and it stayed put quite nicely all day.

The skirt is vintage 80s, last worn here (2nd outfit) in September 2013 to day 2 of the big Vintage Expo.

"Where are you going, and is there food?"

I wanted an echo of the scarf's pattern in my tights, so that they both have this nice herringbone texture.

The stuff:

My caramel shoes are piped with a bit of teal. I last wore them here in October 2013 with burgundy and mismatched shades of green and teal.

I pulled out the teal in the shoes with a bit of contrasting turquoise in my vintage copper pieces.

The big cuff, earrings and ring are from Grandma J.

Sweater (Main Fung, thrifted), skirt (Jones New York, vintage 80s, thrifted), shoes (Pink Studio), belt (Club Monaco), big cuff/earrings (Renoir, vintage 60s, Grandma J), smaller cuff (vintage 70s), floral ring (Sarah Coventry, vintage), little ring (Grandma J).