Monday, July 2, 2018

Bigass Long Weekend Wrap-Up: Picador Friday, Wet Copper, Marimekko Afternoon, Canada Day and Cat Pictures

A very Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canucks! We are looking good for 151 years old, eh?
Pic by Yvonne
For those of you in other countries, we're enjoying a day off today/Monday for Canada's July 1st birthday. That's my gang up there on Saturday afternoon, enjoying some beverages on the patio of the Fernwood Inn.

But let's cast our minds back to Friday, shall we? It was a quiet day at work, so I spent the day swooshing about in this vintage skirt.

In contrast to the rest of the world, "June-uary" continued to give us cloudy, windy and rainy days (pick your combination of any or all). Yes, I'm wearing a sweater and boots!


  • Sweater - Contemporaine, thrifted; first worn here in June during my last vacation
  • Skirt - no label, vintage 50s, thrifted; last seen here (3rd outfit) on my birthday weekend in October 2017
  • Boots - 1883 Lucchesse, consignment; last worn here (3rd outfit) for brunch with Ally when she was here in April
  • Jacket (below) - Comrags, thrifted; last seen here (2nd outfit) in May with my glam afternoon tea look


I also wore a full vintage slip under this. Crazy weather!
 I love any opportunity to show off this 1950s hand-painted cotton circle skirt. Pretty colours, very weighty and a spectacular twirl.

I always pick out one of the colours in the skirt to go with it.
 Most people saw the cowboy boots and the horse in the pattern and assumed it was a cowboy scene on the skirt.

But no, it is much gorier than that!
 It's a picador, stabbing a bull to get it ready for the matador in the bullfighting ring! It's actually showing a bleeding bull. It's very Hemingway, very "of its time". Can you imagine the outrage if this image was on a modern piece? It would be a scandal!

It was so chilly out that I wore a jacket too.
 Sending out cool breezes to the places that need it! I understand it's summer in the rest of the Northern Hemisphere.

The stuff:
 I bought these boots years ago already broken in perfectly. I can wear these barefoot with not a single blister.

Copper bling:
Era-appropriate jewelry, mostly from the early 60s.


  • Cuff - Renoir by Matisse, vintage 60s, vintage fair
  • Necklace/earrings - Matisse, vintage 60s, vintage fair
  • Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes


We had enough people for a game of Ultimate Frisbee on Saturday morning - but the weather did not cooperate at all, and it POURED rain for the entire game.
 Anticipating a wet game, I wore minimal make-up and just scraped my hair back. Easy clothes for getting changed into my gear at the field. I protected everything with my open umbrella.


  • Leather top - Topshop, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in September 2017 with pattern
  • Skirt - Tribal, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in April with olive and metallic leather
  • Shoes - Half Truth Veda, Fluevog; last worn here in May with a bird dress


We went for lunch at Floyd's after our long, 2+ hours game - my hair was dripping wet and I was soaked to the skin.
 It was still warm even though it rained all day. I felt like a drowned rat! Not a fun feeling.

I love this leather copper top.
 And this faux-leather skirt is super-comfy. Both zipped off and on easily - it was hard getting dressed in these again once I was wet!

The stuff:
 These are my go-to "good" shoes in the rain. They are awesome.


  • Earrings - thrifted


L and I had hoped for a nap afterwards, but with no time to spare, we quickly showered and then met our awesome best friends for beverages and food at the Fernwood Inn (aka "The Winchester") to celebrate the long weekend!

This my entry for "Visible Monday" over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style. Get your kit and kaboodle over there!
 Of course, by the late afternoon, it had cleared up and was somewhat sunny. Still windy, though, as you can tell by my hair swooshing back.


  • Sweater - Tatyana, thrifted; last seen here in May with a cartoon skirt
  • Skirt - H&M Tribute to Marimekko, thrifted; purchased here for $19.99
  • Sandals - Dr. Scholls, consignment; last worn here (3rd outfit) in May with a vintage floral gown


Speaking of swoosh, wow, I am so in love with this skirt. We walked to the pub and it billowed and swooshed in a very wonderful way.
"I'm more interested in who this jacket belongs to."
 Isn't that a beautiful pattern? Although I know that bold stuff like this can be a "love it or hate it" thing for people. I'm in the love it camp, in case you were wondering!

The waistband on it is REALLY small (it's a size 4), and I didn't want the buttons to fly off and put someone's eye out, so I left them undone and also undid the zip a smidge, and then tucked all that business underneath at the back.
"This certainly doesn't belong in my house."
 Pockets, extra flounce on the bottom - and with a quick steam, the silk-cotton fabric became airy as a feather.

Vizzini spent the whole time I was taking pictures investigating the jacket that fellow Ulti player Brad left at the field. We were all in a rush to get out of the rain and get home.
"I'm merely ensuring the security of the home, Woman."
 Beware, I took a lot of pictures of Vizzini over the weekend! He loves us being home.

He did his usual inspection of under the skirt, then wandered off.
"I'm done with you for now."
 The stuff:
 My feet were pretty tired after walking to the Ulti field, playing the game, walking to Floyd's, and then walking home, but more walking was still in order. These are a lot more comfy than they look, but I did take it slow both ways!

Colourful bling:
I like getting a wear out of my vintage copper. 

  • Copper set - vintage 70s, vintage fair
  • Amethyst/gold ring - Dad's, c. 1965, Frances Jewelers
  • Earrings - gift from Sherri


Continuing my effort to use my purses. 
I love this piece - it holds a lot, and I like the funky design. It's a handmade (in Vancouver) limited edition. 

  • Purse - FiveLeft


L and I played a lot of boardgames, listened to music and generally just laid low this weekend and avoided the Canada Day crowds. On Sunday (the actual Canada Day), we strolled to town and saw "Solo: A Star Wars Story".  
 I wore my patriotic red and white!


  • Cardigan - Kenzo, consignment; first worn here (2nd outfit) when Ally was in town in April
  • Sleeveless sweater - Gap, thrifted; last seen here in April under a big blue blazer
  • Silk pants - J. Crew, thrifted; first worn here in May with another pair of funky sneakers
  • Shoes - BCBGeneration, consignment; first worn here (3rd outfit) in May with gingham


It was windy (shocker) but warm for our walk to town, both of us feeling creaky after all of the previous day's activity.
 I love that the movie theatres downtown now have reservable recliner lounge seating. So soft and the perfect way to enjoy the movie (which we did, but it was nothing special).

We saw lots of other people in their red and white.
 I was all about staying warm and being comfy in the theatre.

Ready to chill out!
 We strolled home afterwards, against the tide of people heading downtown for the celebrations and fireworks. No thanks!

The stuff:
I need to wear these soft leather sneakers more!


  • Earrings - vintage 80s, Mom's


We found Vizzini chilling in the sun on the deck, soaking up the heat from the tiles.
"Oh, were you gone? I didn't notice."
 It's so nice to be greeted with enthusiasm.
"...kitty treats...zzzz...nom..."
 Fine, I'll leave you to it, buddy.
"You're still here?"
 I like how only his paws are getting the direct sun.

He makes his presence known when he wants attention.
"The bros are cuddling, Woman, leave us alone."
 Aw, my two favourite guys.
"Is that a spider?"
 He's never in one place for long, though.

Later, he climbed onto L's lap while we played Arkham Horror.
"Right, I am not allowed to whack at the game tokens."
 We have to watch him carefully - many of the tokens bear tooth-marks. He also steals elastic bands.

L's in his Team Canada jersey.
"I'm in my Team Vizzini tuxedo."
 He startled me later on, when I noticed him watching me from a distance (I'm the one who feeds him).
"You should feed me now."
 And yes, that is proof of my bad stewardship of my last houseplant in the background. I should probably get rid of it.

Meanwhile, Vizzini levels the "Stare of Death" at me.
"FEED ME. Also, Happy Canada Day to all my fans."
I hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

32 comments:

  1. I love a Vizzini-rich post! He is a handsome beast. I had a cat that insisted on playing board games with us - by sitting on the board : > I'm crazy for your 50's circle skirt too, and the red leather sneakers, and all the goodies. xox

    -Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

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    1. He's so pretty, isn't he? We never let him get that close to the games, but he tends to scoop pieces off the table when we're not looking (we can't ever leave them unattended!). Thanks, Patti!

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  2. Oh, those silk pants! And those gorgeous skirts! And all that copper!!!!

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  3. Happy (belated) Canada Day, Sheila! I absolutely love your first outfit! That skirt is fabulous and I love the sweater and boots you've paired it with. I love the gorgeous bright orange and pink skirt and the copper set is so pretty. Vizzini's looking cute as ever! XXX

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    1. Thank you, Sasha! I was all about bright colours this weekend. Vizzini's being a monster as usual. ;-P

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  4. Lovely Vizzini, such a character!

    That H&M dress really looks like Marimekko. I myself don't wear Marimekko's pieces (too colorful for my all-black-everything-style :D ) but it's really popular brand here in Finland (labels home country) as well as abroad. They do seems very comfortable and quite androgynous. That's how we Finns like our clothes ;)

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    1. He definitely is, Mujeril!

      That IS Marimekko - H&M licenced it (hence the "a tribute to Marimekko"). It's a pretty well-known brand here and it's really bold and bright. Definitely not to everyone's taste!

      Delete
  5. Happy Canada Day to all three of you!
    I love your H&M skirt - send it my way when you're finished with that beaut!
    The bullfighting skirt is a thing of beauty. I detest bullfighting but have quite a collection of 1950s art and tacky Spanish tourist souvenirs depicting the gruesome activity.xxx

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thanks, Vix - ha, I may just do that, if I tire of it any time soon.

      The picador skirt is so unusual - it's gruesome, but where are you ever going to see another like it??

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  6. I love your skirts - especially the first one. We could have done with some of your rain in my garden as it hasn't rained for about 4 weeks in my part of the UK!

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    1. I'll send you some rain, Rebecca! I'm so sick of cold weather!

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  7. Love the Marimekko tribute skirt and the silk pants. Also the copper jewellery and red sneakers. You really have some stunning pieces. Many years ago I had a cat who looked just like Vizzini, he also gave the same disdainful looks at times (but could also be very loving when he felt like it) :) Lise

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    1. Thanks so much, Lise. Ha, tuxedo cats are very expressive, I've found.

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  8. What a show-stopper of a skirt! The imagery is so strange, I wonder where the fabric was printed. I had a circular skirt as a child and remember doing a lot of twirling about to make it stand out. (Young enough for a display of knickers to be of no importance!)
    Belated wishes for your Happy Canada Day, may it remain happy all year.
    Miss Cellany.

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    1. Hello, Miss Celany! I think the fabric might be from Spain or Mexico - it's definitely old. Thanks so much!

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  9. Happy Canada Day to you, L and the fabulous Vizzini!

    I loved your Matador skirt and the cowboy boots go so well with it! The Marimekko type print skirt is lovely. I loved all your fabulous vintage jewellery and I absolutely loved your red pants, Kenzo and sneakers outfit so casual yet so smart...

    Hope you're having a good week.

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    1. Thank you, Vronni! I try to have as much fun as possible with my outfits, even on weekends! Happy week to you!

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  10. A bit late, I know, but Happy Canada Day to you, L and Vizzini! I always loving seeing pictures of him wearing his tux ;-) That last picture is quite scary, though, that really is the Stare of Death! What a bore about the weather. I'd send you some of ours, as it's a bit too hot for me. I love the colours of that bullfighting skirt, although it is a bit gory. But my favourite by far is that amazing hot pink and orange maxi skirt. Have a great week! xxx

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    1. No worries, thank you, Ann! Vizzini is such a ham for pictures, silly guy. Yes, he has his Death Stare down well - I swear I felt him staring.

      Sending you some cooler weather! Thanks - colourful skirts for all!

      Delete
  11. Happy Canada day! You look fabulous in this vibrant printed skirt, even though the theme is gory, I love the boots and I almost envy your cooler weather. I also adore that copper top. Looks like you had a wonderful time. Now please tell your feline companion not to stare at you like that!
    ❤️❤️❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com/

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    1. Thank you so much, Elle! I know, how do you deal with a skirt with such a gory subject matter?? I'll send you some cooler weather, if you send us some hot weather, deal? :)

      Vizzini always looks like that!

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  12. I am holiday envious. We won't have one until November-
    The Marimekko is amazing !! what a cool skirt and it has pockets ! You can always add a rubber band to the button in order to extend the waist size.

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    1. Oh, that's a long time to wait! I know, I was really thrilled with how awesome the skirt was. Right, thanks for the reminder on the rubber band trick!

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  13. It's so cool that I can recognize your friends. Glad you had fun.

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  14. What a lovely way to celebrate a long weekend, it's a shame the rain made some of your plans less fun, but still you managed to look stylish! And of course, I love that maxi skirt on you so much - what a beautiful piece! :)

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    1. Oh, drinks on the patio are the best! Eh, it's just rain, I'm not going to melt. :) You'll be seeing the skirt again very soon!

      Delete
  15. Happy Canada Day Sheila!

    I'm lovin' the J Crew trousers and Kenzo cardi! And. The red shoes too!

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    1. Thank you, Sue! Sorry, I missed this comment - I hope you had a wonderful Canada Day!

      Delete
  16. I love 50's circle skirts, especially when they have a particular theme to the pattern like this one. I've never found a nice one that fits me yet.
    It's so sweet to see Vizzini on L's lap - my boy has never wanted to be "on me", only "next to me", which is fine, but I wish he would allow an occasional lap snuggle.

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    1. It's one of my best thrift finds ever, both for the crazy design and that it actually fits me. I've seen really cool circle skirts at vintage fairs, but the waists are FAR too small for me.

      Vizz seems to be finally settling out of "kittenhood". He's a good cuddler now, but it took a long time to socialize him to us. I hope your boy gets more cuddly as he gets older.

      Delete

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