Thursday, March 31, 2016

Origamically Floral and Yellow

Are we there yet? Friday, I mean. I'd also like to be my ol' bubbly self again. 
If I can't feel it right now, at least I can fake it - in yellow!


  • Blouse - Cartise, consignment; last worn here with lilac and sparkles
  • Skirt - BB Dakota, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in January with embroidered floral
  • Shoes - Elegant Conversations Kendra, Fluevog; purchased here in Vancouver a few weeks ago

For a top I wasn't really sure of, I am now a firm fan of this origami-like piece.

I always have to correct people about this shirt - it's not a jacket! It's a stretchy nylon with seamed fabric sewn on it. Shirt, blouse, top, whatever you want to call it. Not a jacket.

I love this marigold yellow fuzzy wool skirt. This brings my fuzzy skirt count to a kajillion 4 or 5.
I have a yellow skirt in my spring/summer wardrobe, but I'm worried it will be too big - it was slightly big last year, and now that I'm slightly smaller...well, there's some math in there somewhere. I'm good at math, so I'm pretty sure this means I have to go shopping.

The stuff:
It's very sunny right now! 
The first wearing of my lovely new 'Vogs! They are a little higher in the heel than I remembered from trying them on, but they were good for both my full day at work and a couple of hours at my WW meeting. Most people didn't notice them right away, but when they did, they were all, "Ooh, what are those?"

Silver bling:
Bold and in-your-face. Just like me, heh.


  • Ring - Nine West
  • Earrings - gift from Megan Mae


I have a haircut tomorrow night and a retirement send-off for one of my beloved coworkers after, so I'll be back on Sunday with my weekend outfits and my Great Closet Seasonal Swap-Over! See you then!

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Stained Glass Dress, the Cat and the Spider, and an Ecru Gown

It's been difficult to summon the energy to put together interesting outfits this week. Although I'm over the major symptoms of the flu, my get-up-and-go has got up and went. 
When in doubt, wear a dress!


  • Dress - Tangerine Jill, consignment; last seen here in February for the first day of this wardrobe challenge
  • Shoes - Miista; last worn here last week for a barely-there 3-hour day at work

The dress will do the talkin'. I love this beautiful dress!
All the colours!

The stuff:
Stained glass dress, meet the trout shoes. You can really see their iridescence here.


  • Leather obi - thrifted
  • Fulvia Ring/lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes
  • Earrings - local


As I was getting ready to leave this morning, I heard a chittering coming from the deck.
"Call the authorities, woman, we have a spider intruder!"
I don't want Vizzini to get bit in the mouth going after a spider, so I swatted it. I hope that doesn't mean it'll rain - as you can see from the early morning sun, it's been glorious weather here for the past few days. Vizzini was very mad at me. I'm sure he wanted to go after the spider.

I tried this dress on at Rich Rags (consignment) last Friday, but didn't buy it. And I've been thinking about it all week - so today I went back after work and bought it. I think if an item calls to you that long you should just buy the danged thing.

It's by Zara, and was $29.00 (that's a total steal for an evening gown!). After a bit of searching online, I see it's called the "Angel Dress Maxi" from 2013 and there's one on Ebay for $119 US. Score!
It doesn't look like much on the hanger, but it's a lovely fully-lined chiffon polyester in the "goddess gown" style. I'd originally hesitated because that flounce top part makes me look pregnant (a straight drop off the boobs will do that); however, the flounce is long enough that I can put one of my glitzy disco belts at my waist and create a peplum flare. Bonus! Also, because it is cream (ecru, my searching tells me, is what they called it), the fact that it's polyester means I can wash it when I spill something down the front or drag my hem through something.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

The Last of the 90s Leather

A late night tonight, as I hosted a "Women of X" (where X is the tech company I work for) meet & greet. There are so few women in IT - it's nice for us to gather and get to know each other.
Yes, I wore a leather dress.


  • Blouse - Max & Co., thrifted; first worn here with the blues
  • Dress - Danier Leather, vintage 90s, thrifted; last seen here under a cardi
  • Boots - Prepare Guide, Fluevog; last worn here with matching arms and legs

I hear the 90s are now retro and having "a moment" in fashion. Check out my "vintage" 90s leather slip dress. I often refer to this as my "Buffy dress" (I'm a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan). Slip dresses (especially in leather) are awesome for layering things under an over them. No one says you have to wear them like a slip, all bare! Yikes!

I haven't decided if the dress will be packed away for winter or if I'll keep it out for another season. Either way, it's had a few wears this season, so I'm good with that. Time to give some other stuff in my closet some love.
Tights for coverage, and boots because this is the last week of boots! I'll be packing away my fall/winter wardrobe this weekend, and hauling out my spring/summer collection. There is some overlap, but I like the rest from some of my favourites. It only makes me appreciate them all the more.

Anyway, if you want to get a glimpse of my closet (I have a small custom-built walk-in closet) and my process of the swap-over, you will want to swing on by on Sunday evening. I always post lots of pictures.

The stuff:
One of the guys at work was making fun of my fuzzy wool boots. "What, you mean my Demented Elf Boots?" said I (that's what L calls them). No one can make fun of my clothes better than me!

Bold bling:
I'm not sure how I feel about the cuff. It dug into my wrist a bit.


  • Cuff - vintage fair, first wear, $3.00
  • Earrings - local
  • Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes


And now...time to chill.

Monday, March 28, 2016

Bigass Sick Long Weekend: Brunching and Cat Pictures

I'm back again, back to my regular work schedule, and so, back to my regular life schedule. But here are some outfits from the past several days when I was able to drag my sad butt out of bed/off the couch and be in public.

Oh, and there are a lot of cat pictures. You have been warned. 

On Friday, I met up with my bestie Janet for brunch. 
It was a gorgeous sunny day, so I walked (slowly) to town.


  • Jacket - Vero Moda in Blue, thrifted; last seen here (2nd outfit) in February for the Vintage Fair
  • Top - Abercrombie & Fitch, thrifted; last worn here layered under a leather slip dress
  • Skirt - Oui Set, thrifted; last seen here with matchy arms and legs
  • Boots - BCBG Max Azria; last worn here with my Kenzo tiger dress


I layered a turquoise cami under the lace top.
This jacket sufficed as outerwear - how nice!

The stuff:
I don't make a lot of effort on accessories when I'm sick. Bleh.


  • Turquoise ring/earrings - local
  • Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes


 I wandered down to The Patch to see if they had anything interesting. What a shocker! They did!
I am a fan of the colour of this skirt,the high-low hemline, the pleats and the sheerness of it - it has a little fitted stretchy skirt under it to cover all that business (waves airily). It was $12.95 and is by Lauren Conrad, which is a Kohl's brand. We don't have a Kohl's here that I'm aware of, so goodness knows where it came from. It's washable, so I'm happy.

Yes, another white lace top! But this one has longer sleeves, and no pocket and a stripey sporty neckline. It's totally different!
It's by La Vie 89 and was $12.95 also.

I saw this awesome shirt at The Patch months ago, but it was too tight.
I couldn't believe it was still there - and now it fits me! My lucky day!

Also, it's by Ben Sherman, which I know is rather pricey new.
$14.95 for a very gorgeously-made fitted shirt? A teal and purple striped shirt? Yes, please!

Flush with my shopping treasures, I arrived home to find Vizzini anxiously awaiting me.
"La la la...I'm rolling around on the deck."
Not so anxious, but all warm and louche from the sun.
"I'm...Super-Kitty!"
And back to resting pose.
"Is this about the hole in the couch? I don't know anything about that."
My roots were atrocious so no styling for me on Saturday morning.
Brunch, then dyeing. Easy clothes for a brief sojourn to town.


  • Top - Lord & Taylor; last seen here with red leather pants
  • Trousers - Banana Republic, thrifted; first worn here (2nd outfit) for my WW meeting  
  • Shoes - Hispanitas; last worn here with that black leather slip dress again

Not much to it.
Of course, I spilled some oily vegetables on my pants. Gah. I covered it with corn starch when I got home (to draw out the oil). All fine now!

Outerwear!
I like this coat at this time of year. It's warm without being heavy.

The stuff:
These shoes are breaking in nicely.


  • Earrings - local


Vizzini was dozing on his post when we got home.
"Are you going to poke at me?"
The post is on the deck permanently now.
"As it should be. Get that camera out of my face, woman!"
Dosed up on medication, I decided to start working on Fiona's fan. I set up my area on the deck table.
My plan is all mapped out - I'll show the full process of the fan once it's done. Here, the blank fan is going to get some layers of watercolour before I start Zentangling on it.

Vizzini likes to hang out with me while I work.
"Lies. I just like to be where the sun is."
He rolls around a lot, looking for attention. He also meows, but I have my mp3 player on and can't hear him.
"I've got all this soft tum, just waiting for you to rub it."
Seconds later, he's spotted the saucer I'm using as my paint palette, and settles into "loaf position."
"I'm getting tuna, I know it!"
When we have tuna, he gets a tiny amount, served on that saucer.

He insisted on investigating further.
"Am I in your way? Not that I care."
He was very purry for about 5 minutes, then hopped down and started harassing me for his dinner.
"You have 4 more minutes, woman. Use them well."
L and I took it easy and played "Arkham Horror" all night. Vizzini assists.
"I sit here now. Games later."
 He chills for a few minutes, then moves along.
"What? Says who?"
He's spotted the camera cord.
"That looks tasty."
Later in the evening, I noticed him out on the deck ledge.
"Intruder alert!"
Probably a moth, not that he catches them. I'd save a lot of my cashmere if he did!
"I'm going to kill that moth----Is that a bird?"
Cats. So easily distracted.

My mom had us and my family over to her place for Easter brunch on Sunday. I made an effort.
And I have purple hair again! Really purple!

  • Top - Hommage, consignment; last seen here (3rd outfit) in February for a theatre outing with Mom
  • Skirt - Lauren Conrad, thrifted; purchase right up there for $12.95
  • Shoes - Eject; purchased here in Vancouver for $149.00

I went to town on the accessories (like I said, I made an effort!). I really liked all the vintage pins clustered along the neckline and the combination of the aqua with the chartreuse shoes. I did my make-up to match - all aqua eyeshadow, oh yeah.
The skirt is quite sheer, although it's not too much so in these pictures. I am grooving on this sheer thing lately; it's a nice way to have coverage, but still show a little somethin', you know?

The stuff:
I did very little walking in these at Mom's, but after we hung out with my brother and his family, L and I went to the pub to meet up with some friends for a long weekend connect. I did walk to and from the pub and these were great shoes. They are actually not that high - subtract the platform from the rather low heel (that piece that comes up at the back makes them look much higher), and you're left with less than a 2" rise. I can totally handle that. Also, because they are leather, all those straps were very comfy (they have elastic hidden on the insides too).

A whole lotta bling goin' on.
A mix of old, new, thrifted and family stuff.


  • Bug brooch - Le Chateau, about 12 years ago
  • Circle lemon-lime brooch and single earring - Grandma J's, vintage 60s
  • Blue brooch and single earring - vintage fair, vintage 60s
  • Gold sparkly ring - consignment
  • Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes
  • Blue bracelet - Coro, vintage fair, vintage 60s
  • Green bracelet - vintage 60s, Mom's


We got home as the light was starting to fade.
"Yes, yes, you're home, rah rah."
Vizzini was busy patrolling on the deck.

I crashed early last night, which was a good thing. 6:30am came along awfully fast.
An easy outfit for a quiet Easter Monday (only Friday is a stat here) in the office.


  • Shirt - Ben Sherman, thrifted; purchased above for $14.95
  • Skirt - Mario Serrano, thrifted; last seen here with Visible blues
  • Shoes - Aldo, thrifted; last worn here with leopard and leather

The shirt has a stiff collar that stands up well. Although it has wonderful fitting (and a nice long hem), of course, it pops open at the boobs.
The colours don't really match, but I think they go together sufficiently. I didn't really care too much. Gimme more cold medication!

The stuff:
Nice low shoes. Very low.

No-thinking bling:
I will aim for more effort for tomorrow. 

  • Cuff - Guess, thrifted
  • Earrings - 10th anniversary gift from L


I'm linking up with:
On another note, I'm taking a leaf out of some of my blogging friends' books and am working to connect more with y'all through the comments. I've changed the format of the comment view so that you (and I) can reply to a specific comment that will then appear right after that comment in a thread. You can also select to be notified of a response (via email) on any of your comments by ticking the "Notify me" box directly under the comment field. I hope you enjoy these changes!

And...you know you want it - another Vizzini picture! 

"I'll bask in the sun and the adoration of my fans."
A very Happy Easter to you all!