Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Odette with Green and Grey

What a crazy day! I don't feel like I got anything done. 
But at least I looked good doing what I did do!

  • Sweater - Dalkeith, vintage 60s, thrifted; last seen here (3rd outfit) in February with plaid
  • Skirt - Bianca, vintage 80s, thrifted; last seen here in July 2013 with leopard
  • Shoes - Esoteric Temptations Odette, Fluevog; purchased here a couple of weeks ago

I am hugely in love with this sweater. Such a great shape!

I'm shocked that I haven't worn this skirt in a year and a half. I think I might have been labeling it incorrectly, which messes up my searches. I'm sure I wore it last summer...but then again, I might not have.
Anyway, I like it, and I'm keeping it now.

The stuff:
There was much foot-waggling and "Look at my shooooooes!" today. Heh.

Teeth stuff:
I also pretended my necklace was teeth, as I often do.

  • Necklace - The Bay, several years ago
  • Earrings - local
  • Death Star ring - Stone Roses
  • Snake ring - homegrown vintage 1985ish; Royal BC Museum gift shop


I don't know why pictures that people take on phones won't post right side up on the blog. I know how to rotate them, I cropped them, resized them and saved them as upright. I have posted nearly 2,000 times and yet this elludes me. They refuse to post vertically.

Anyway, crank your head sideways. This is my friend Liz, and everything she's wearing was mine.
Liz works at a non-profit that provides riding therapy. Here, she is judging in the field.

And in her office.
Recognize the jacket? The shoes? The hat? The skirt is an old one that I barely remember! Thanks for giving my old stuff a good home, Liz!

Monday, March 30, 2015

I'm a Snappy Dresser

According to the street people outside my dentist's office, I am a snappy dresser.
I think so too! Thank you, sort-of drunk people!

  • Blouse - Banana Republic, consignment; last seen here (3rd outfit) in December 2014 for the Johnny Marr concert that didn't happen
  • Skirt - Cici; purchased here in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago
  • Shoes - Queen of Prussia Louise, Fluevog; worn and purchased here in Vancouver on the same trip

I liked how the severe cut of the shirt went with the floral skirt. Instead of being soft and girly (which I guess it still is), it still had a nice rock n' roll edge.
The killer shoes didn't hurt! They were super comfy for walking to and from lunch - I was training my new counterpart in our Vancouver office, so my boss and I treated us to lunch.

The debut of the green GREEN jacket.
This is what I was wearing when the street people gave me the thumbs up
I might turn up the cuffs to shorten the arms slightly. Also, return of the pink metallic sneakers!

The stuff:
Dear god, I love these shoes. I was waving my legs at everyone in my office.

Glass bling:
I loved how this necklace went under the collar of the shirt - the colours were perfect with the skirt.

  • Necklace/earrings - Venice, birthday gift from L


I've been good and gone to the gym tonight, so now it's dinner time!

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Artners in Crime, Fringed Brunch, Last Stripes, and the Spring/Summer Closet Swap-Out

I wouldn't call this past weekend relaxing per se, but it sure was fun! Thank goodness for a long weekend next week (although I do not get Easter Monday off, boo).

Let's get started - here's my outfit for the Art Gallery event on Friday night!
Linking up to Judith's "Hat Attack!" over at Style Crone. Killer hats! It'll be up soon!

  • Dress - Stop Staring!; purchased here last weekend
  • Hat - custom-made, Tierre Joline; last seen here for the September 2013 Vintage Expo
  • Shoes - Big Presence Desmond, Fluevog; last worn here in February with Lacroix

"I pose like the woman."
I loved wearing this dress! So comfortable and flattering. I had tons of compliments and one lady even recognized the brand. I don't shop online much, but I could be tempted by Stop Staring!

The hat blended into my hair - did you see it?
"I'll meow until she looks."
Vizzini was being a little monster. He doesn't like it when we go out.
"Ignoring you!"
Butt bow! And I always like a chance to show a bit of ink.

It was lightly raining when Elaine and I walked down, so I only wore a thin wool vintage coat.
Tierre, who has made 3 of my hats, was recently featured on Humans of New York here. Isn't that cool? The local paper did an article on her after that, here. I'm so happy for her - she's a lovely person and her hats are amazing!
I've had this vintage 50s swing coat for a couple of decades; it's one of the few things I have from before I met L (which is nearly 20 years ago).

The stuff:
I love mixing yellow and red!

Silver bling:
Instead of going full-on retro, I went a little rock and roll with the accessories, and loaded up with rings and my side-eye-don't-say-anything ear cuff.

  • Purse - Accessorize
  • Ear cuff - Claire's
  • Earrings - local
  • Death Star ring - Stone Roses
  • Crystal ring - Uffizi Gallery gift shop
  • Spinner rings - local
  • Bitty ring - local


Vizzini was furious that I wouldn't give him his kitty treats early.
"I am a seething ball of fury!"
I held off until just before Elaine and I left. He was still furious.

The event was tied into the local opera, so they had some performances of opera pieces. I'm not a major fan of opera, but I love the Art Gallery, and I like people-watching.
I'm also rather fond of my "artner in crime", Elaine, who is the most fun person to go to art-related events with!

Three of the leads singing with gusto.
The gentleman on the piano was very entertaining.

Later on, a whole bunch of singers performed on the staircase.
It might have been something from "Madama Butterfly" but I'm really clueless.

There was a demonstration of Kabuki face-painting. While the singers were performing, I saw the make-up artist working through the window of the house.
The Art Gallery is an old mansion that's had a new-ish extension built onto it that houses all the main exhibits.

After that woman's make-up was done, I spotted her posing in front of this large painting.
I liked how the rain blew on the glass.

These two ladies were so fun!
Their face-paint matches their dresses and even the painting!

After a nice sleep-in on Saturday morning, L and I went for brunch.
This is the outfit I saved in case of the leather pants not fitting. I have worn this outfit (jacket and skirt) together before, but I love them so much.


  • Jacket - Le Chateau, consignment; last seen here in December 2014, with - you guessed it - this skirt and these boots!
  • Skirt - vintage 80s, Pioneer, vintage fair; last worn here in that same outfit as the jacket
  • Boots - Indigo by Clark's; last seen here in February with equestrian stuff

I love this skirt - I wanted to see if I needed to keep two vintage aqua suede skirts.
Such great fringe!

And so swooshy!
Yes, of course, I kept it. However, it did get packed away for the spring/summer.

The stuff:
My boots were packed away too - bye, boots!

  • Necklace - vintage fair


It's been a little on the rainy side this weekend, but it's warm enough to let Officer Vizzini on the deck.
"The neighbourhood's a shambles! I must patrol!"
He's very agitated by the leaves coming in on the maple trees.
"Wait, is that a bug? Must investigate."
He became very interested in a bug.
"I will eat you, bug!"
The bug looked like it had a stinger, so I killed it. I don't want my kitty to get stung in the mouth.

We had a late night on Saturday - our friends Liz and Nigel came over to play Arkham Horror (their first time). We ended around 1:30am!

Today, L dropped me off in town to get groceries. One last fall/winter outfit for me.
I've resolved to keep the skirt - it's so cool.

  • Sweater - Expression, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in December 2014 with red plaid
  • Skirt - MNG, consignment; last worn here (2nd outfit) in October 2014 with lots of red
  • Boots - Aldo, consignment; last seen here last weekend for our annual trip to Vancouver

Sadly, this cashmere sweater has a hole in one of the sleeves, so I'm downgrading it to "wear around the house" clothes - no more blog for you, sweater.
This is also the last wear of the boots - they have given me several years of good wear, and it's time to replace them.

Everything is better with orange.
I have resolved to stop using the same bag over and over again, and to make more of an effort to change up my purses. I only use about 4 different ones at any given time, but I tend to default to the same 1 or 2.

I might have stopped in at Rich Rags after I got groceries. They might have had a 50% off sale on.
I can't reasonably be expected to NOT buy lime green leather, can I?

This awesome jacket was $65.00.
It's by the Leather Ranch, which was a mall institution all the way through the 80s, 90s and up into the aughts. I loved the smell of the stores, but could never afford anything in them.

Pretty button!
I'll be wearing this as an outerwear piece - it's still going to be rainy all week, so it will be debuted!

All afternoon, I've been cleaning out my closet.
"Hola!"
The "before" picture. I've let it get a little messy, knowing I was going to be cleaning it out soon.

Vizzini always helps.
"Is that food?"
He skedaddles once I get the vacuum out.

These are all the shoes I packed away for the spring and summer. Oh, there are a few missing - they got put into shoe boxes and tucked away in the closet before I took this picture.
These shoes/boots all work best with tights/nylons. Usually my fall/winter shoes and boots are in darker colours too.

Piles of belts, blouses, skirts, jackets and more skirts and jackets.
I did weed out a lot of things that don't "sing" for me anymore. I'm happy to see things got to a good home with my friends.

The winter purses that I barely used, dresses, and the shoes and boots that are going back into the closet. This is before I unpacked all the stuff under the bed; those shoes are ones I've purchased and haven't worn yet (at least 5-6 pairs!), and my yellow and aqua Fluevogs that were in shoeboxes.
I always have a huge tangle of hangers as well. And then I run out of them again!

And time passes...
The finished closet! I'm happy to see lots more colour and bright patterns.

All the shoes! I barely had enough room.
So many fun things that I'd forgotten about! I will be spending some time tonight putting outfits together for the coming week.

I got very ambitious and cleaned my chandelier in the closet.
It was shamefully dusty.

I even ironed a few dresses, blouses and pieces that got very wrinkled in storage.
Don't worry, it will be years before I do ironing again!

Happy Spring!