Monday, May 21, 2018

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Wedding All-Nighter; Ulti Birds and Shopping; Whale of a Winesday; Birthday Lilies; Floral Brunch

Hello, my friends! The long weekend is dwindling, and I have so much fun stuff to share, so let's get right to it. 

First up: the Royal Wedding! I'm not going to go heavy into all the fashion or spectacle - I enjoyed it and liked the fashion. For a excellent round-up of the fashion, I recommend Go Fug Yourself's coverage (link here, because I love - I have been a fan of them for close to 10 years).

I stayed up all night for Charles' and Diana's wedding, and I watched Kate and Wills get married, so of course, I stayed up with two of my besties for it!
 Cheers to Cat and Yvonne, for pulling an all-nighter with me! We had an awesome time. There is something to be said for watching an event live. The wedding itself didn't start until 4am here on the West Coast, so we had a full night to get through.

I stocked up on my British sodas. IRN BRU has been a favourite of mine since L and I went to Scotland in 1996. The Barr limeade and the Royalty Ginger Beer were delicious (I watered them down half and half with fizzy water to help cut the sweetness).
 I made whole wheat cheddar baking powder biscuits with chicken and apple salad filler. I made the biscuits ahead of time and chilled them until they were ready to go in the oven. They were dee-lish!

I made L move the microwave so I could get at my small colletion of good china and pieces from my childhood. I put out glasses for all of our beverages: crystal sherry glasses, vintage 70s green glass (used for the IRN BRU), champagne flutes for the prosecco, and china tea cups and saucers for the tea.
 We had sherry during the pre-wedding, prosecco for the wedding, and tea for afterwards.

The violet set is one I used as a little girl at my Grandma J's house. I had another iridescent-finished tea cup set prior to this one, also with violets, but the cup broke (I still have the saucer, though). I think the other pieces are also Grandma J's.
 Sipping tea from these, we realized how small teacups are! They don't hold very much.

I put out a bunch of fruit: fresh organic strawberries, green grapes, cubed watermelon.
 The local grocery store carries a big selection of British candy. I ate a lot of it.

Cat bought tiny tea cakes from Murchies, caramels, and Yvonne made crustless cucumber sandwiches.
 I loved the tea cakes. Yum!

Yvonne also brought an assortment of Walkers crisps.
 These did not ring my bell. Yuck.

Vizzini was very confused by us being up all night.
"When is breakfast?"
 Cat bought each of us a souvenir spoon of the event - so cheesy, but so sweet.
 A huge thank you to my dear friends - what a fun evening!

I managed to nap for an hour and a half in the early evening on Friday, but I never actually sleep when I nap - I just lie there and let my brain wander. I went to bed at 6:30am and got a whopping two hours of sleep before I got up and got ready for a game of Ultimate Frisbee. Woo, let's run around in the hot sun on two hours of sleep!
 Great idea! Easy dress for slipping off and changing into my workout gear.


  • Dress - Rachel Roy, thrifted; last seen here in August 2017 in the exact same outfit, right down to the accessories
  • Shoes - Half Truth Veda, Fluevog; last worn here (4th outfit) for a shopping expedition in January


The pattern on the dress is little horned larks.
 Such a low-effort outfit. I love easy looks like this.

Got my contact in so that I can wear sunglasses to play.
 After Ulti, I came home and washed up, then went to town for a wee thrift expedition.

Hands in pockets!
 I have a short black vintage half-slip on under this for errant breeze coverage.

The stuff:
 These shoes have taken a beating since I've had them. They're awesome for being on your feet for a while.


  • Earrings - vintage furniture store
  • Ring - local


I went to both the downtown WIN store and the WIN Boutique, looking for presents for L for his upcoming birthday, but didn't find much. I did find a few things for myself, though. Shocking!
 This skirt is grey and feels like silk, although it's polyester (and washable!). It has a very high Swoosh Factor.

Only $6.95.
 The brand is We Are So Good Together, S.Oliver Casual Women, a European online store. Looks like their maxi skirts are around 49.99 Euros, which is about $75.00 Canadian. Wow, I guess that's good deal!

I found another hematite necklace for my collection - this one is a shorter style, and was $3.95.
 The turquoise necklace is actual turquoise, not plastic (hurray!) and it was only $5.95.

At the WIN Boutique, I found this cool double-wrap leather belt. I like the "hypno-buckle".
 It's a dark browny-black.
 Real leather, made in Italy, by Sisley.

Sisley belts run up to $100+ for fancier designs.
 This was only $4.95 - I love shopping second-hand!

I also found a really nice quality 100% merino wool sweater in a rich burgundy shade of red.
"Colour me not impressed."
 It's by Contemporaine by la Maison Simons, and it was $15.95.
 Digging around, it probably retailed for around $69.00 Canadian.

Shopping out of season right now with this lovely jacket!
 It's a gorgeously soft leather - it's so soft, I had to turn it inside out and inspect it really carefully to make sure it WAS leather.

I think this is probably from the late 90s/early 00s.
"I think I'm softer.You should give me a cuddle."
 It's by Boutique of Leathers, a longtime Canadian mall store - I used to walk into the store and just inhale the smell of the leather. I couldn't afford anything in there, though.
 I couldn't believe this was only marked at $34.95! This would have been around $400.00 new.

I've had my eyes peeled for a sun hat for summer. All this hair I have now - I have to cover it up or it fades like crazy.
 I lucked out with this neutral wide straw hat. It was only $2.95! I wore it home so that it wouldn't get squished.

I was enamoured with this lovely blue sun hat too. It's malleable, so you can play with the shape and the brim.
 I couldn't decide between them, then realized I'd spent more on IRN BRU than these two hats cost together. I'll get both!

This one's by Bianca Nygard, and was only $7.95.
 I'm sure it cost more than that new.

Especially since it has an added bonus feature!
 It folds up! I love being able to do that with a hat!

I came home and napped (lay there with my brain humming away still, thinking about my new-to-me purchases) for two hours, then I dressed for Winesday!
 I felt like being colourful.


  • Sweater - C. Wonder, thrifted; last seen here in April with whites
  • Skirt - VanessaVirginia, thrifted; first worn here fully winterized in December 2017
  • Shoes - Tsubo, thrifted; first seen here (3rd outfit, past all the closet swap-over stuff) in April with JPG sailor jeans
  • Jacket - Dolce & Gabbana, thrifted; last worn here in April over Helmut Lang for The Beaches concert


Yup, that's a tired face!
 Yvonne, Cat and I were the last to leave - such party troopers! - at 1am from Karen's place.
 It was a fun evening, full of laughs, and Royal Wedding talk.
 I love blues and oranges together, don't you?

The stuff:
 Comfort things.


  • Dragon bangle - Lazy Susan's
  • Earrings - local
  • Lapis lazuli ring/Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes


On Sunday, L was a dear and let me sleep until I naturally woke up - it was 2pm by the time I blinked awake (Vizzini was snuggled up with me). We lolled around the house for a few hours, then strolled to town to join friends for Andrew's 50th birthday celebration.
 I have a fun flashback for you: Andrew's 40th birthday! Here is one of my very first party outfits ever featured on the blog, from May 2008. I don't have anything left in my wardrobe from that outfit.


  • Berries and lilies dress - no label, vintage 70s, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in March 2016 to Urbanite at the Art Gallery
  • Sandals - Dr. Scholls, thrifted; last seen here in April with black and red leather
  • Fur jacket (below) - Bebe, vintage store; last worn here (3rd outfit) in December 2017 for my company Christmas party


This is my entry for "Visible Monday" over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style. I was slightly visible in this outfit, as we walked to town and back. 
 I love the full long pattern of this dress. As I say every time I wear this, they do not make them like this anymore.

The cut is impeccable. I feel like million bucks when I wear this dress.
 Feelin' it?

Oh, yeah, I am.
 The slit makes it easy to walk in.

Such gorgeous and unexpected colours.
 I had compliments at the bar all night.

It was windy out, and I was really glad I'd decided to wear both long sleeves and this little furry jacket.
 It is real rabbit fur, by the way. I bought it second-hand ages ago.

We walked to town and back and I was snuggly warm.
 Yes, I walked in those shoes - they are far more comfortable than they look.

And L dressed up too, of course. We arrived early, so grabbed a quick drink - the bartender commented on how we were dressed. Why not dress up?
Look at that handsome guy!

The stuff:
 I love my Dr. Scholl's! So comfy!

Blue bling:
 A few familiar pieces.


  • Earrings - vintage furniture store
  • Turquoise ring - local
  • Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes


Oops, forgot my purse.
 It's by FiveLeft and is a numbered limited edition.

We got home at a respectable hour, so stayed up and played boardgames. This morning, we were up early for a walk to town for breakfast at Floyd's, followed by a quick grocery shop.
 Dress = pajamas. No heavy lifting here, of the outfit variety.


  • Dress - H&M, thrifted; last worn here (3rd outfit) in September 2017 with these same boots
  • Boots - Matisse, consignment; last seen here (2nd) outfit with a vintage circle skirt in April


It's slightly overcast but warm enough not to need a jacket.
 I have a full-length vintage slip on under this, both for warmth and because the slits on the sides are ridonkulously high.
 It was a lovely stroll both ways.

The stuff:
 These boots are destined to be worn with this belt forever now. They match so well!

Sparkly bling:
One of the earrings fell off on the way, but I caught it as it fell - lost the back, though, so had to scavenge a new one when I got home.


  • Belt - thrifted
  • Green crystal ring - consignment
  • Amber ring - c. 1996
  • Earrings - vintage fair

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I need another one to recover!

34 comments:

  1. Oh you women know how to celebrate a royal wedding! (I adored the bride's dress and the groom's uniform, and the Big Kiss). And you look splendid, natch, and wow! to that leather jacket. xox

    -Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

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  2. Ahhhhhhhh, there is just TOO. MUCH. TO. COMMENT. ON! I love that you had a royal party. Excellent choice of edibles there! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, Walkers crisps are NICE though you did seem to have those weird Lamb flavoured ones and Worcester Sauce ones- I prefer Prawn and Cocktail, Smoky Bacon etc!
    An excellent series of outfits- i particularly love the maxi skirt and the lovely floral maxi dress with the slits!
    The charity shop items you got were excellent- that jacket loooks like one Martha wore in Dr Who too!x

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    1. Ha, welcome to my Bigass posts, Kezzie! I pack a lot in. :)

      Thanks - I think Yvonne picked weird flavours of crisps on purpose. Thank you so much! I love that leather jacket.

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  3. Absolutely love how beautifully you rocked this weekend She!!!!!

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    1. Hey, hon! I missed you at Winesday! Thank you. Mwah!!

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  4. Love your wedding party! I wish I could pull an all nighter. I start feeling sick if I stay up too late. I have also been a fan of Go Fug Yourself, but I don't always have time to keep up. I did read their book The Royal We and really loved it.

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    1. Thank you, Charlotte! I haven't done an all-nighter in YEARS and by Sat night I was a wreck. Ooh, I haven't read their book, must check it out.

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  5. Oh my, wonderful post, I'm going to need a few revisits here to absorb it all! I love the berries and lilies dress. You look spectacular! I love that feeling of confidence a great dress can give.
    I enjoyed the Royal wedding immensely, even shed a few tears. We were away from home visiting my in laws who live in a very rural area and their TV service was not connected, my cell phone and iPad service was not covered their internet is sketchy but that was working at 6am just in time for the wedding coverage on Utube. Whew, that was close. So I brewed a cup of coffee and sat at their computer and watched by my self.

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    1. Thank you, Amie! Yup, the berries and lilies dress always gets a lot of love - it's a stunning piece. We also shed tears at the wedding - happy tears!

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  6. Wow! There is so much to love in this post, Sheila! I really like all of your outfits in this post! If I had to choose a fave though, it would have to be the berries and lilies dress! It's fab and you look absolutely amazing in it! Also, the food you had at your wedding party looks delicious! ;) XXX

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  7. Oh woooww it seems like you had an event out of the wedding ! The glimpses I've gotten of it was off social media. I ran errands all Saturday long!
    You are rocking those floral print beauties... the long dark floral gown is GRANDIOSE ! you look like a queen in it.

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    1. We really made it special! It was a lot of fun, though, and worth staying up so late. Thank you - I love that dress. It's one of my number one favourites.

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  8. I didn't watch the wedding, just snippets on social media, as I had a flea market to go to that day. Priorities ;-) Maybe I would have watched it if it were at night. I love it that you stocked up on British nibbles and drinks for the occasion. The vintage maxi dress you wore for the birthday party is glorious, and you and L. certainly make a fabulously stylish couple. No wonder you were complimented! Isn't it wonderful to dress up? xxx

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    1. Hee, totally - I also had priorities and shopped and did other stuff this weekend. It IS wonderful to dress up!

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  9. The Berries and Lillies dress looks like it was made just for you. Fit perfectly and is my all time favorite so far. The rabbit fur on your shoulders finished it so nicely. You and L look like a power couple. You are blessed that your man values looking good too. So many prefer tee shirts and jeans for every occasion. I taped the wedding and watched it later when I woke up. My husband questioned why I would even want to watch, but then he proceeded to watch the whole thing with me. haha! I can't wait to see your new gray swooshy skirt. Glad you enjoyed your long weekend!

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    1. Thank you so much, Robyn! That's one of my all-time favourite dresses. Yes, L is awesome for getting dressed up - I've trained him well. ;-P

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  10. You are a trooper to stay up all might to watch the wedding. I still haven't seen it...I love your china so much. The dark floral cups and saucers are exquisite. I love a cup of tea in a fancy cup and saucer; it seems to taste so much better! I also loved your banquet - what a lovely array of snacks with a strong British theme..

    As for the clothes - brilliant. Wonderful florals and I've fallen in love with your floral maxi dress; you looked gorgeous and so did L. Your finds were excellent; that leather jacket looks lovely and I love the shape. I bought a hat, too, at a car boot sale this weekend for 1.00!

    Hope you're having a good week.

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    1. There's something special about watching it live, to me. Using the old china did make it really fun.

      Thanks so much, Vronni! The floral dress is gasp-worthy! Happy week to you!

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  11. What a remarkable array a beautiful dresses. The prints that you are wearing are just fabulous. I am so glad that you enjoyed watching the wedding with your friends. That sounds very special and I know that many people really enjoy the romance and fairytale quality to it. I have not followed it much but think that it is healthy to see something good and hopeful for a change.
    What a remarkable array of beautiful dresses. The prints that you are wearing are just fabulous. The Maxi with that fur capelet is just stunning. I am so glad that you enjoyed watching the wedding with your friends. That sounds very special and I know that many people really enjoy the romance and fairytale quality to it. I have not followed it much but think that it is healthy to see something good and hopeful for a change.
    I adore your beautiful assortment of bone china. That’s a lovely tribute to the British tradition. I have a thing for dishes and beautiful porcelain makes me very happy.
    Your finds are excellent and I especially love your floppy hat and textured bag,
    ❤️❤️❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com/

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    1. Thanks, Elle! I love the romance, the fashion, the pageantry of it all. And getting to do that with my besties really was awesome.

      Yes, that's a Sheila Hall of Fame dress, for sure. I love using my special pieces too.

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  12. I so wish I could have attended your wedding party! You and your friends are such fun people.

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  13. That's so funny that you and your mates get together for Royal Wedding parties. I think the last one I watched was Princess Anne's (best dress ever!) I've never heard of Royalty Ginger Beer but how very apt!
    I've sold a dress almost identical to your berries and lilies maxi recently - if it had been my size I'd have kept it, it looks fab on you!
    Love that H&M dress on you, if you hadn't mentioned the make I'd have assumed it was vintage. xxx

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    1. This is the first time, actually, Vix! The local grocery store here carries all kinds of UK brands of food and drinks - I quite liked that ginger beer!

      Oh, how cool! I love this dress. I know, every so often H&M surprises me.

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  14. Such a busy weekend - but also such a colourful one! I'm loving the colour combos with that stunning dress at the end, and the knit and maxi skirt together. I am not really interested int eh royal wedding, but watching it with friends does sound like it would be fun - especially as you went to the effort of getting such appropriate snacks and drinks!

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    1. Thanks, Mica! It was more about the company and the event than the actual wedding, but so fun!

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  15. Love this mega post sweetie! You really know how to party don't you - you did the Royals proud! I had to work all day so only saw the highlights on the news, but she did look ever so regal I thought. Dressing up together is what you guys excel at - you both look fab!

    Anna x

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    1. Thanks, Anna! It was such a fun time! I like to celebrate at every opportunity.

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  16. As a Brit I love that you stayed up with your friends for a Royal wedding viewing party; it was British pageantry at its best, and very refreshing to see the public in Windsor so involved so that it wasn't just the elite on show as usual. I also had to giggle at your selection of wedding party nibbles (I agree that the Walkers crisps flavours are pretty awful and often leave a horrible aftertaste).
    I have to also say that that 70s dress is outstanding and you look amazing in it - please don't ever part with it!

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    1. We're very British over here, ha ha, thanks, Helen! I will never give up this gorgeous dress, no fear!

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  17. First off, that maxi dress fits you like a dream - NEVER get rid of that dress!! I love how L's blue jacket coordinates with the blue in the dress.

    I didn't watch the wedding, but if I would have had a "watching party" like yours to go to, I would have been happy to!

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    1. I won't! I love it too - I've never seen anything like it.

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