Summer Boots and a Florence Dress

We're nearly at the weekend, and it will be a long one here as we celebrate July 1st Canada Day! Woo!

 I woke up to rain and cool temps this morning, so I swapped out the shoes I'd intended on wearing for...boots!

• Dress - I'M by Isola Marras, Florence, Italy; last worn here with shorter boots in April 2018
• Boots - Matisse, consignment; last seen here (3rd outfit) on our last rainy day in May
• Coat (below) - Lord & Taylor, thrifted; last worn here earlier this month

It was so chilly (13 degrees!) that I nearly wore pants under this dress. Fortunately it warmed up over the day. 

 But I was still glad I'd worn boots, as I had a stoopid busy day. Much running about in the office!

I am fond of this dress - I bought it in Florence, Italy, at a small boutique. If you click back to the previous wearing, I link to a video of models doing a runway show - and my dress is in there!

 Like many of my dresses, it gets worn once or twice a year. So many dresses, so little time.

I'm wearing a short half-slip under it for coverage (and I have nylons on).

 It's still a stunner of a dress - very eye-catching with all that pattern.

Outerwear! Here I thought I was done with coats. Bah.

 I met L after my WW meeting for dinner, and then we strolled home as it started trying to rain again.

The stuff:

 Comfy boots, but I'd rather be in sandals!

Gold and green bling:

I doubled up the necklace so that the pendant sat right under the collar. I felt very clever.

• Necklace - Kiam Family, thrifted
• Bangle - thrifted
• Earrings - thrifted
• Bracelet - Butler Fifth Avenue Collection, consignment

Wishing you all a very happy weekend, and to my Canadian friends, happy Canada Day! I'll be back on Monday with tales of adventure. Thank you again for stopping by!

Birds, Dots and Adopt-a-versary

I'm still working through my as-yet-unworn spring/summer clothes, plus a few odds and ends of new-to-me things. 

 The blouse is finally getting an airing this year, and the blue belt is a newly-thrifted piece.

• Blouse - Tory Burch, consignment; last worn here in July 2018 with Space Pants
• Skirt - Compania Fantasico, consignment, Vancouver; first worn here in April with the jelly-deer
• Shoes - Zoomies Ishshoes, Fluevog; last worn here in May with a giant tropical jumpsuit

The blouse is silk, and I love the pattern, which reminds me of feathers - the navy blue shapes are abstract birds - it's very cool. 

 

I usually wear a slim bottom with a full top, but instead I emphasized my waist and wore full over full. 

I love the creamsicle orange colour of this skirt. 

 And being pleated, it's very swooshy.

Looking serious. It was a busy day.

 And I'm glad it's over.

The stuff:

 I never thought white shoes would be so versatile! These are fabulously comfy.

Blue and white bling:

 With all that pattern, I kept my accessories simple.

• Leather belt - Karen Millen, thrifted; purchased here for $8.00
• Earrings - vintage, vintage fair
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes

Vizzini came for a visit while I was taking my pictures.

"Woman, don't you know what day it is?"

I totally did not, until my photo editor reminded me that today is the anniversary of Vizzini's adoption: June 26th, 2011.

DAT FACE

He's so tiny! Look at those big ears and paws.

Aw, and there is our dear Inigo, who got inflammation around his lungs, and died a year later. We still miss him a lot.

"That tail was meant for grabbing!"
"Where did that little guy go?"

Vizzini has always been a little monkey - very mischievous.

Always with his big white whiskers too.

"Who are you?"

He's about to climb up my leg and grab the dangling camera cord.

"I shall climb Mount Woman and get that tasty treat!"

Inigo and Vizzini were fast friends.

"Does she always do this?"
"Yes, you'll get used to it."

How the time has flown! And look at this big, happy kitty!

"Your displays of affection are tedious, Woman."

Happy Adopt-a-versary, Vizzini!

Two-Fer: Glass Tiger/Corey Hart Concert; Fangirl and Marc Jacobs

Hello, my friends! Sorry for the unexpected absence - I totally spaced that I had a concert to go to on Monday night! 

Here's me and Alli ready for a rockin' good time at the show. We went to see Corey Hart, with Glass Tiger opening (local review here).

Yes, we bought the same concert tee!

But first, let's get to the outfit. We (including L and Alli's hubby Chris) went for dinner right after work, and then Alli and I walked over to the arena.

 I had to be dressed for work...but also a concert. Challenging!

• Blouse - Guess, consignment; last worn here in August 2018 for a trip to the periodontist
• Cami (not tracked)
• Skirt - Danier Leather, vintage, thrifted, Powell River; last worn here in October 2018 for my Hallowe'en costume (I'm a Star Trek alien babe)
• Shoes - Miista; last seen here in April with a secret sash
• Acid wash denim vest (below) - ChicQle, thrifted; first worn here in May with sheer lace and floral

This is fine outfit for a Monday.

 A nice colourful blouse - those are purple tigers on it, by the way. Because we saw Glass Tiger, get it?

A leather short skirt? Sure, why not?

Scandalous! I have bare legs!

I knew I'd be standing at the concert and doing lots of walking all day, including hoofing it home late afterwards.

 Add a denim vest for warmth...

And badassery!

 Yeah, baby, I am ready for a concert!

I switched to a nice small bag instead of my normal big one.

 I love my little blue Danier Leather purse (thrifted).

The stuff:

 Trusty shoes for comfort and style.

Silver bling:

 Go bigass or go home! I like my jewelry bold.

• Bangle - Alexis Bittar, consignment, Vancouver; purchased here for $39.79 - first wearing
• Steel cuff - thrifted
• Crystal/silver ring - Soul Flower
• Silver/onyx ring - Tocara, vintage fair
• Silver earrings - Brenda Schoenfeld, 1992, vintage mall

I saw Corey Hart in 1985 on his "Boy in the Box" tour - I probably still have my ticket stub somewhere. He was huge in Canada for a few years, videos in high rotation. You might remember "Sunglasses at Night", which was a worldwide hit (YouTube link here*).

*all links 'cause I love

When I heard he was coming back to town after 34 years, I knew I had to go! 

I dug through my collection of buttons and pins - including my vintage (thrifted) Corey Hart pin from the 80s!

Glass Tiger was the opener - I remember their songs from back in the day as well (you might remember "Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone," link here).

 They were awesome! I remembered so many of these songs from my youth.

Corey's show was fantastic - he really interacted with the audience a lot. He hasn't been on tour in 22 years, and his gratitude for the love shown on this tour was evident. He's still got a lot of diehard fans!

 He had people from the audience up on stage, hugged them and played songs for them. Aw!

He's a really dynamic performer, although not up to the leaps off speakers that I remember from all those years ago!

The entire audience was on their feet when he sang "Sunglasses at Night" during the encore (bottom pic above).

Pathetically, I have broken my promise not to buy retail already (just 4 days in, shame!), by buying a concert t-shirt. I have no excuse - and I'm going to more bands later this year, and intend to get tees then too.

I like the mirror images in this one. Good lookin' guy!

This is what's on the back.

 I like my concert tees subtle.

I fell into bed exhausted but exhilarated when I got home. Of course I had to be a fangirl and wear my tee to work!

I had this jacket and skirt already hanging together, waiting for me to pick the top, so how fortuitous that I had found one that went so well.

• Jacket - Brooks Brothers, thrifted; last seen here in April with florals and two-tone boots
• Tee - Cory Hart tour shirt - $40.00 
• Skirt - Marc Jacobs, vintage, thrifted; last worn here in March with pink suede frills
• Shoes - Sol Sana; last seen here in April with colour blocks

Here's the tee with just the skirt - this would be cute with a pair of sneakers or a more casual shoe.

However, it'll now move to an around-the-house/sleeping tee.

Back view.

 I didn't take the jacket off all day, though.

I rolled the sleeves higher, and added a monster bigass brooch.

 The very formal jacket and classic pleated skirt help keep this work-appropriate.

I didn't have to worry, though - the HR lady was at the show too!

 So classy from the back, heh heh.

The stuff:

 Totally comfy shoes.

Silver bling:

 The brooch reminded one of my coworkers of the Iron Throne in Game of Thrones.

• Brooch - vintage, thrifted; purchased here for $12.95 - first wearing
• Bangle - Lazy Susan's
• Cuff - St. Paul's Cathedral gift shop, London
• Shield ring - Nine West
• Silver/onyx ring - gift from Mom & Dad, c. 1986
• Earrings - thrifted

So, I'm wearing non-mass-produced vintage designer - the Marc Jacobs skirt above - and as promised, I'm taking some pictures of the entries in my book from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)'s article about Mr. Jacobs.

 At the top are the two pieces I've found through thrifting: my amazing Italian-made vintage shoes (worn here a couple of weeks ago), and this silk skirt I wore today. I suspect both are around the same era (early 00s) as when that red dress on the left was made. The evening gown on the right is gorgeous. You don't find that kind of piece in thrift stores!

Interestingly, my fake Louis Vuitton scarf (this one) riffs off the Vuitton/Stephen Sprouse collaboration...and guess who was designing for Louis Vuitton then?? Marc Jacobs!

Also bizarre, I bought both that scarf and this skirt on the same weekend in March 2018 (here). I only paid $19.99 for this amazing skirt.

 Like the bark skirt (here) it stands on its own.

And yes, it's silk, and made in the USA.

It's beautiful quality.

Vizzini has missed me terribly, so I'd better go pay him some attention.

"Zzzz...did you say something, Woman?"

Or maybe I just need a nap!

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Friday Denim and Silk; Non-Outfit; Shiny Shopper; Comfy Movie

Hello, my friends! We have a few mostly casual outfits from this past weekend (plus one very shiny one), so let's get right to it so that I can enjoy some more chill-out time before I have to think of work again. 

Friday actually saw me in denim - my coworkers were shocked. 

 A denim top!

This is my entry for "Visible Monday" over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style.

• Top - Cecil McGee, thrifted; purchased here for $6.99
• Skirt - Maeve, thrifted; purchased here for $18.75
• Shoes - Zara, consignment, Vancouver; last worn here earlier this month with Monday pajamas

My colleagues considered this a very casual outfit for me.

 Must be the "slipper" style of the shoes.

I have actually had this skirt-top combo waiting in the wings to wear together since I did my spring/summer closet changeover at the end of March. I've just been waiting for the weather to be warm enough!

 I loved both pieces. The top - although cropped - didn't ride up (I wore a camisole under it, just in case).

The skirt is a lovely silk - and don't you dig that pattern?

 The wrap is very well-secured - there was zero gaping.

The stuff:

 I'm slowing coming around to mules and slides - they aren't my favourite style of shoe, but I do love satin and this pretty blue.

Gold bling:

 I went with more blue and the bits of soft green to go with the skirt.

• Bangle - thrifted
• Gold cuff - vintage fair
• Gold hoops - 5th anniversary gift from L
• Necklace - Kiam Family, thrifted
• Lapis lazuli ring/Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes

We had enough people for an Ulti game - I wasn't going out for lunch or being seen in public, so I did not dress up and change at the field. Unusual for me, but here's a non-outfit.

 L in the background checking his cleats. This is what I play in - we had a fun game. My team won!

After Ulti, I rushed home to shower and change, and then headed downtown to meet up with 15-year-old Izabella, a daughter of my coworker Zeudy. Izabella's doing some work experience at a law firm and wanted me to show her where to shop for second-hand clothes.

I love this gorgeous vintage dress - it's in the "once a year" category of vintage dresses in my closet. So many dresses, so little time to wear them all!

• Dress - no label, vintage, thrifted; last worn here a year ago in June 2018 to meet with reader Laurie! 
• Shoes - Born, consignment; last seen here (5th outfit) in May for an Ulti pre-/post-outfit

It's been really windy all weekend, so no hat or jacket (it's sunny off and on), but I'm fully sunblocked.

Izabella and I went to the Patch and Flavour Upstairs (both of which she LOVED), and then finished up at WIN.

We spent 3 hours shopping, and she ended up with a maxi skirt, and a ton of enthusiasm for shopping second hand! Her mom was thrilled that she was in a skirt, and I was thrilled to introduce to the joys of thrifting.

 I had tons of comments on my dress. So, shiny!

Such an easy piece to wear for a summer day.

 I do have to gather up most of the skirt up over my knees in order to take my usual ginormous strides when I'm walking.

But it was fine for standing and shopping.

 I've got my coordinated bag (Roots, thrifted) and I'm ready for action!

The stuff:

My feet were pretty tired after playing 2 hours of Ulti and then walking to and from town. Comfy shoes to the rescue!

Circular bling:

The dress came with a self-tie fabric belt, but I opted for Mom's vintage one from the 70s.

• Belt - vintage 70s, Mom's
• Cuff - Butler Fifth Avenue Collection, consignment
• Amber ring - c. 1996
• Gold/amethyst ring - Frances Jewelers, c. 1965, Dad's
• Earrings - thrifted

As I was getting ready to head out, Vizzini was flopping in my way.

"Come on, you have time to rub my tum, Woman."

Yes, I always have time to give my cat attention. We spoil him with love.

"I don't approve of you going out again."

I barely had time to get changed after our shopping before I had to walk back to town to meet up with Alison. We went to see "Rocketman", which was pretty solid. I love Elton John's music, and I'm so glad I got to see him in concert in 2017, as he's now retired from touring.

I was looking forward to relaxing in the big lounger chairs in the theatre, and dressed very comfy.

• Sweater - Banana Republic, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in March 
• Cords - Banana Republic, thrifted; last seen here in April with daisies and stripes
• Shoes - Down to Earth Hadfield, Fluevog; last worn here (2nd outfit) earlier this month for a weekend brunch

L and Casey were supposed to fly to Vancouver to see Josh Ritter in concert, but the show was cancelled at the last minute.

 I kept my plans, and he stayed home and played board games with Casey.

I joined them when I got home.

 I grabbed a slice of pizza for dinner, and L is on the way out to get his own damned dinner.

Me? I've got my keys, headphones on, a scarf for extra warmth.

 It's chilly here at night, even in summer!

The stuff:

So much walking on Saturday, so more comfy shoes.

• Scarf - Ralph Lauren, consignment
• Gold hoop earrings - gifts from L (mismatched, as I've lost both mates)

I always wear that scarf with these shoes - they go so well together!

Vizzini has been enjoying the nice weather - as our deck is enclosed, he doesn't experience any of the wind.

"Go away, Woman."

I can't resist giving him a pat.

"You're still here?"

He's so soft, plus I'm getting him back for the 5am wake-up calls.

"This isn't going to make me stop those, you know."

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Thank you for swinging by!