Thursday, October 31, 2019

Hallowe'en Week: Set Phasers to Stun-ning!

Well, here we are: Happy Hallowe'en! You might remember that in the past 2 years, I've done a Star Trek-themed costume, since I'm the instigator of our Red Shirts group costume at my office. 
It's based on the "Redshirt" meme (Wiki link here), and it's an easy costume: wear a red shirt and black pants.


  • Suede suit - Holt Renfrew, vintage 90s, thrifted separately!
    • Jacket last worn here in December 2018 with pant of unusual size
    • Skirt last worn here in December 2018 with an armoured sweater
  • Sleeveless sweater - Twik, thrifted; last seen here (3rd outfit) with a vintage maxi vest in July
  • Boots - Maleika Conquer, Fluevog; last worn here in December 2018 with McQueen checkered trousers
  • Sleeveless coat (below) - Only, thrifted; last seen here on Monday


The first year, I was attacked by Tribbles, here (and there are links at the bottom of that post to every Hallowe'en outfit I've done since I started Ephemera in 2008), and last year I was a Starfleet alien space babe (here).

Today, you can call me Commander Sheila. Set phasers to stun-ning!
My coworker David (who started this whole thing with me two years ago) said I looked "very Janeway" (StarTrek.com link here). A captain who took no guff? Oh yeah!

Not as costume-y as previous years, but that's okay. I've coordinated 4 major all-office events in the past 7 weeks, and dagnabbit, I am tired, physically and emotionally. I'm event-ed out.
This is a gorgeous suede suit - your eyes do not deceive you: the skirt has angled horizontal seams in it.

My badass pose. No one messes with me.
The jacket has long suede ties which are wrapped around me and tied in the back, and covered by the belt.

See? I'm really very nice (but also badass).
I'm still boggled that I thrifted the jacket and skirt separately, two weeks apart in the same store. They have identical labels and perfectly match. They must have been donated in separate bags.

Outerwear - it's hard to wear a jacket over a suede jacket, but this was just right.
We had another gorgeous sunny, but cold, day today.


  • Studded leather gloves - Danier Leather


The stuff:
I thought these boots were appropriately spacey. The studs remind me of rank pips, and the overall shape reminds me of Lt. Cmdr. Saru's feet from Star Trek Discovery (the TV show, link here, and of course, all links are 'cause I love). The boots are slightly alien, and not too high, but I did a lot of running around today in them, and my feet are rather tired. Flats tomorrow, feet, I promise!

Spacey bling:
My new-to-me belt worked great to give an otherworldly look to the suit - I also liked that the wide panels on the side are very flattering for my waist.


  • Belt - BCBG Max Azria, thrifted; purchased here for $6.95
  • Silver/gold cuff - JPL, vintage fair
  • Necklace - POLY, thrifted
  • Top ring - POLY, Hamilton Art Gallery gift shopt
  • Bottom ring - POLY, vintage expo
  • Earrings - thrifted
  • Magnetic communicator badge pin - MoPop gift shop, Seattle

Commander Sheila likes her bling.

These next pictures are worth clicking on to make them bigger.

We did a group photo in the lunchroom with all of my colleagues who were in costume (anything goes, but the Red Shirts are an easy option for playing along with). I also encouraged blue shirts (for science and medicine officers) and yellow shirts (command and security). I cut out paper comm badges with my company logo on them and gave them to anyone who wanted one. Welcome to Starfleet!
We have two poses. This is Live Long and Prosper. Yes, that's a clown on the right; the two women in front's shirts say "404: Costume Not Found" [I work in IT].

Our other pose is We're All Gonna Die! since that's what happens to Red Shirts on the show.
I love my silly colleagues - they really got into it.

And then we were attached by a Space Sloth!
I have not laughed so hard in ages.

I hope you all had an awesome Hallowe'en! I will be back on Sunday with tales of adventure. Thank you so much for coming by.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Hallowe'en Week: Copper Princess

I've come to the conclusion that nothing I wear fazes my coworkers anymore. "Oh yeah, just another Sheila outfit."
They really liked this one, though - and I twirled for several of them. How can you not twirl in a copper princess dress?


  • Dress - no label, handmade, vintage 60s, thrifted; last worn here exactly a year ago, in October 2018
  • Shoes - Big Presence Desmond, Fluevog; last seen here in April with my brolly skirt
  • Coat (below) - Stop Staring!, thrifted; last worn here earlier this month, over birthday grays


As you might be able to guess from the stair picture, I redid it after work when I still had some sun. I took a couple this morning but they were so dark! This one was me forgetting I'd zoomed in on the Castle (those pics came out blurry).
Well, it's a good shot of the orange lace, and my Dad's signature tattoo.

Looking a little fresher this morning - it was a busy day!
I felt like a princess in this dress, especially with all the copper accessories.

I wore this same belt with it last year, only with the chain in front.
The dress is a stiff and crinkly lace. For some reason, Vizzini really wants to lick it and/or chew on it.

The lace part is a full circle skirt.
The dress is lined in black with a flounce at the hem.

But I always add extras (last year I took a picture of myself in my slip, here, so klassy).
I wore the same stuff this year: the red dot is the lining, the yellow dot is my vintage slip, and the green dot is my floofy underskirt (it's by Noa Noa, and I've given up tracking it).

Outerwear - our gorgeous sunny-but-crisp weather continues, and we are getting quite spoiled by it. I could handle this weather for the rest of the winter!
 It won't happen, but I can wish!


  • Scarf - MetroWear, San Francisco, 2006
  • Leather gloves - vintage, thrifted


Back view:
I choose my outerwear to accommodate the shape of my clothes as well as the colour/style.

The stuff:
My feet are tired after a day in these shoes, but they are still a great heel for me. They're getting worn out, but are such a useful colour, sort of a rose-gold. They go well with all my...

Copper bling:
Isn't the belt amazing? It's solid copper, and came up to my body temperature quickly. I warmed my hands on it all day!


  • Belt - Matisse by Renoir, vintage 60s, vintage fair
  • Cuff - Renoir, vintage 60s, Grandma J's
  • Bracelet/earrings - Renoir, vintage 60s, vintage fair
  • Brooch - thrifted


I'll be back tomorrow with my Hallowe'en costume - I'm not going as over-the-top as in previous years (I'm feeling rather tired and worn down this year), but still dressing up.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Hallowe'en Week: Business and Spooky Bling

It is so dark out in the mornings right now! So, do not adjust your monitor, this is very orangey and blurry, sorry. 
Continuing my Hallowe'en Week theme, I'm not wearing Hallowe'en colours: I'm doing scary accessories!


  • Blazer - Vivienne Westwood Red Label, vintage, thrifted; last worn here in November with sparkle and leopard
  • Blouse - CABi, consignment; last seen here in January under green velvet
  • Skirt - J. Crew, thrifted; first worn here in May with circular shapes (one of my coworkers was wearing that blouse today!)
  • Shoes - Truths Makena, Fluevog; last worn here (2nd outfit) earlier this month for a weekend shop
  • Coat (below) Sfizio, consignment; purchased here in April for $75.00


My outfit completely confounded my coworkers - I don't usually look this "businessy". I took the jacket off a few times when I overheated/hot-flashed.
I had a very physical day, running around and counting socks (sock drive for the needy - we raised 1700+ pairs!).

Jacket on. It's a gorgeous wool piece - real Vivienne Westwood Red Label! - and is always a joy to wear.
 I like how it shows off the pleated ruffles of the blouse, both at the cuffs and down the front.

The skirt is amazing quality. I'm still boggled that I only paid $6.95 for it! These retail for close to $200!
I love these tights, but they are done.

There are holes in them right on my shin.
 I've had them for years, so I don't feel too bad - I always seem to find some fun black lacy tights.

All buttoned up, totally profesh.
 I happily pointed out all the spooky bugs and critters I was wearing.

Outerwear - first wearing of this new-to-me coat, picked up way back in April. I'm always shopping out of season.
 It was lovely to wear, although snug with my cami + blouse + blazer under it. Of course I was overheated by the end of the day! The sun was shining and it felt so good and warm, though - I'm not complaining!

The stuff:
I had planned a higher heel, and I'm so glad I swapped to these this morning. This is definitely in my comfort zone.

Spooky bling:
Most of these pieces are several years old - three of them are 35+ years old!


  • Necklace - Myka, thrifted
  • Bug pin - Le Chateau, c. 2006
  • Snake brooch - gift from Mom & Dad, c. 1984
  • Spider ring - gift from Mom & Dad, c. 1986
  • Snake ring - BC Museum Gift Shop, c. 1985
  • Spider earrings - don't remember


The snake brooch used to have a red "gem" hanging from the tip of the head. I cut it off and sanded it immediately (I remember Dad helping me cut it); I never wore it that way.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Hallowe'en Week: Orange Blazer

I'm rather a big fan of Hallowe'en, but I'm just not feeling it too much this year. I will, however, be doing thematically appropriate outfits all week. 
Today, it's this new orange blazer and my new-to-me brown boots, both picked up on the weekend.


  • Blazer - InWear; purchased here for $29.99
  • Sweater - Eileen Fisher, thrifted; last worn here in March with olive the inspiration
  • Skirt - Kateri, garage sale; last seen here in February with similar autumnal colours
  • Boots - Rockport, thrifted; purchased here for $34.95
  • Sleeveless coat (below) - Only, thrifted; last seen here a couple of weeks ago


I only wore the blazer done up when I was walking to and from work, but here it is.
 I love this colour so much! How often does one find an orange blazer? Not very often!

I can see myself keeping it out all year round. I love orange.
The skirt is a mix of wool and string that's kind of felted together.

It has an ombre effect towards the hem, and it's trimmed with green and amber crystals.
 It has zero stretch, so getting on the bus this morning was difficult, as was climbing stairs and step-ladders.

Pockets! They are also trimmed in crystals.
I had a bunch of comments from my colleagues about my Hallowe'en-themed colours. Heh, little do they know, more is in store!

It has been gorgeously sunny out, but brrrr! it's definitely getting colder.
My arms were freezing in this!


  • Skull scarf - MetroWear, San Francisco, 2006
  • Velvet gloves - Cejon, thrifted


The stuff:
 These boots were awesome - the net heel height is barely an inch. They softened up a bit - I don't think they had been worn very much by the previous owner.

Copper bling:
I liked the leaf pin on my lapel.


  • Pin/earrings - Matisse by Renoir, vintage 60s, vintage fair
  • Bracelet - Renoir, vintage 60s, thrifted
  • Spinner ring - Twang & Pearl
  • Crystal ring - Uffizi Gallery gift shop, Florence, Italy


Are you doing any theme outfits for Hallowe'en?

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Fancy Friday for Diwali; Brown Brunch; Velvet Shop

Hello! Although it was a quiet-ish weekend (no big events), I still managed to pack a lot in. 

Friday was the start of the Hindu Festival of Light - Diwali! - my office did "Fancy Friday" instead of our usual Casual Friday.
Guess whose idea that was? I went all out!

This is my entry for "Visible Monday" over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style. Go!
  • Fur bolero- Bebe, consignment; last seen here in June to see "The King and I" on a mom-daughter double-date
  • Dress - David Meister, thrifted; last worn here (3rd outfit) for my birthday party in October 2018
  • Shoes - Channi B; last seen here a few weeks ago with frilly flamenco and old velvet
  • Coat (below) - Auckie Sanft, vintage 50s, thrifted; last worn here in April

As soon as I'd gotten approval to do a Fancy Friday (dress up, wear bright colours, wear traditional Indian outfits), I knew I wanted to wear this dress.
It is a stunner. The outer fabric is a vivid orange silk, and the pattern is woven lame (lah-MAY, darlings!).

This was my over-the-top look. I mostly had the hat off, as it tends to slide around a bit.
 Shoulders covered up in the office, although no one really cared.

I could easily slip this off when I had to run around - which I did, 'twas a busy day! I also seem to be back to having hot flashes after having the summer off from them, so that was a factor too.
 Without the hat, I wore this out to do some errands on my lunch break - it was beautiful and sunny.

A woman coming towards me on the sidewalk gave me a grin and two big thumbs up.
 All the salespeople gushed. I felt like a ray of sunshine!

Bundled up in the morning and evening. I carried the hat home in a bag.
I wore the coat open at points. The orange dress gleaming against the pink was gloriously bright.

If you have not met the Fuzzy Flamingo, here she is.
This is a gorgeous wool coat, perfect for this time of year.

The stuff:
I needed comfy shoes, and I've always loved teal and orange together.

Sparkly bling:
Once I decided on the teal shoes, the rest just fell into place.


  • Necklace/bracelet/earrings - Sherman, vintage 60s, Grandma J's
  • Bracelet - Butler Fifth Avenue, consignment
  • Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes

My parure (link) still has its original box: 
It's from the Bay! The Hudson's Bay Company was founded in 1670.

More stuff:
My lovely copper leather bag and my hat.


  • Bag - Arcadia, thrifted
  • Hat - custom-made Tierre Joline


I just realized that the bag is stamped.
It's a wonderful coppery-orange.

Y'all will indulge me as I share some pictures of my wonderful and fabulous colleagues.
Sukanya and I bond over art - in an IT company, there are not that many people who are into it.

Two of my favourite gents: Avi and Ashwin.
I love Avi's velvet slippers. Ashwin's wife made his tunic.

My gorgeous colleague Gurvinder's dress wowed me...
And then she showed me the matching gold pants! What!! This dress was so swooshy!

Simar and I have worked together for close to 6 years.
All that floral is embroidered. Just stunning.

I was so excited about Monika's chartreuse outfit that I forgot to take a picture of the full thing (she's in the group photo below, though).
I went bananas for the crystal decoration on the hem. Just drooling over that magnificent detail.

A group shot of all of us in the lunchroom:
Ashwin, Avi, Gurvinder, me, Monika, Simar, Nithya and Sara. They were thrilled by my dress, and I fit right in with the rainbow of colour. I want Fancy Friday every week!

Friday was also the last day for my coworker Bryce, so I made him a Zentangle as a going-away memento.
A simple checkerboard grid with a bunch of different tangles inside.

On Friday morning when I left, Vizzini had taken over the gold chair and my blue wooly cardigan.
"I thought you were leaving."

He's starting to feel the colder nights, and is becoming very snuggly with us.
"You're just a source of heat, Woman, now sit down."

L and I played boardgames on Friday night, and Vizzini chilled with us.
"You keep me warm, that's all."

He's such a liar. I could hear him purring over the music.
"Okay, I guess I like you."

We call those "lovey eyes."

I was up early for my Mental Health Walk - all the puddles were frozen as the sun came up. After a shower, L and I headed down to Pluto's Diner for breakfast, and then ran some errands in town.
After having purple hair for so long, I'm enjoying my more "neutral" hair and grooving on my favourite autumn colours.


  • Safety pin leather jacket - Gianfranco Ferre, Spring 2003, consignment; first worn here (3rd outfit) a couple of weeks ago with leopard and leather
  • Merino wool sweater - Banana Republic, thrifted; last seen here in February with wallpaper pants
  • Skirt - Marc O'Polo, thrifted; purchased here for $29.99
  • Boots - Matisse, consignment; last worn here in September with dark florals and pigtails


Jacket off - I only wore it like this when I was eating breakfast.
I discovered moth-holes in the sweater - sigh, they finally got to it. I've had this sweater for a long time, since December 2009 (wow, 10 years!), when I thrifted it for $12.00. I first wore it here in January 2010, and this is its 20th wearing - not bad for 60 cents per wear!

I noticed as I was tracking it back that I've mislabeled it a bunch of times as Club Monaco and Lord & Taylor, but it is actually Banana Republic. I'll be on the lookout for a new brown wool sweater, as it's been a very useful base item in my wardrobe. For now, a couple of holes near one cuff, and one under the arm, are not too bad.
I was very happy with the skirt on its inaugural wearing. It's a lovely thick soft suede, and it is actually tie-dyed, not printed. There are the right markings on the backside of it (the leather side) to match it being fully dyed all the way through. That's a good marking of quality.

It's a bit of a large slit, but with tights I wasn't bothered.
 It made it much easier for walking to and from town.

It was such a nice day, I wore my wonderful safety pin jacket again.
 I felt like a badass in this. Of course, L was also dressed up - we are a couple of snappy dressers! - and got a lot of looks while out shopping.
 I only needed a pair of gloves to keep my hands warm. These ones have a thick band of faux fur on the wrist.


  • Gloves - Parkhurst

The jacket is getting softer every time I wear it. 

Bundled up and ready to face the public.
My second large coffee. One so that I'm nice to L; one so that I can deal with other people, hee hee.


  • Purse - Roots, thrifted


The stuff:
I love these tall boots. They are excellent for walking.

Tortoiseshell bling:
Not much needed on the weekend.


  • Earrings - local, Hamilton, Ontario
  • Bracelet - J. Crew, thrifted


Someone was very subtle about us leaving:
"This is me not caring."
We call that "sneetching." He refused to look at us.

While L was browsing in the record store for a vinyl record for our friend Chris' birthday, I strolled down to Dots for a poke around.
I found this cool silver-tone rock and roll necklace on the $2.99 rack.

The regular price is inked out, but I can read the $49.99 original retail price.
I've been keeping an eye out for long silver necklaces.

As I noted earlier, I'm also really grooving on fall colours, and this gorgeous blazer caught my eye.
 I love the double-breasted cut - it's fairly boxy, but looks great on (L approved).

It's by InWear and was $29.99.
The colour is called Gold Flame, and the original retail was $150.00. I am looking forward to wearing this for Hallowe'en week!

After a solid nap and dinner, we had Chris and Ali over that evening for boardgames - we were up till 2am! I slept in a little on Sunday morning and then headed to town for groceries and a we shop at the WIN store on Pandora.
As you can see, we lucked out with another bright sunny day. I love these clear, crisp autumn days!


  • Velvet dress - Betsey Johnson, vintage 90s, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in March with jeans and studded boots
  • Boots - BCBG Max Azria; last seen here with my Iron Maiden tour shirt
  • Coat (below) - Vassali, consignment; last worn here a week ago


A comfy outfit for trying stuff on: dress, tights and boots.
 I love the crushed velvet of this dress.

I'm generally a fan of Betsey Johnson's stuff - this design has scarabs on it.
 It's pretty short, so I wore thick wooly textured tights.
My over-the-knee leather boots helped protect me when I slipped and cracked my knee on the sidewalk.

I'm fine, just a little damage to my pride - I'll probably have a bruise on my knee.
When in doubt, add more velvet.


  • Velvet gloves - Cejon, thrifted


The stuff:
 I have fallen in these boots a couple of times - the heel is quite slippy.


  • Leather cuff - Guess, thrifted
  • Earrings - local


I had very good luck at WIN, starting with these awesome bangles.
 Each set was $1.95. They are each hinged so they're nice and small.

I also found two unusual belts.
The black one is all woven, with wide sides.
The tan one is marked "Olsen"...

And the black one is BCBG Maz Azria.
 Neither of them look like they've ever been worn.

$6.95 seemed like a good deal for BCBG - it originally retailed for $88.00 new.
It's faux leather, but quite soft.

The Olsen belt is a soft, slightly stretchy knit.
I think the "leather" pieces are actually leather, but there's no content tag to confirm. It was $5.95. It would have been $40+ new.

I've been watching for nice sweaters for L - he wears them around the house.
This is a nice blue, and is 100% wool.
It's by Zara Man, and was half-price (all punched tags were 50% off) at $9.50. It probably would have been about $69 new.

Since I've started my Mental Health Walks, I've realized I need more workout gear. I found this lovely pink top in the half price section.
 It's by UnderArmor and was $9.50. They retail for $59.99 new.
It's specifically "coldgear" so it should be great for those winter walks near the water.

I also don't have any weatherproof pants. I loathe the colour of these, but at least they are not black.
 The hems can be work gathered or ungathered (I did one of each to show you).

They are by Mountain Equipment Co-op, a local company that sells very expensive outdoor gear.
They were $10.00, and would have retailed for $89.00+. Score! 

I've been eyeing this lovely vintage jacket for a few months. 
The neckline is really pretty, and it's a very fitted cut. The sleeves are bracelet-length.

It's actually navy blue and the orbs are woven into the fabric.
I like the pearl buttons. It was $8.50.

I've been on the lookout for interesting blouses.
 This saturated pink is great. The on-trend bow is a nice touch.

It's by Talbots and was $7.50. I don't know what what the retail would have been - maybe around $49.99? - but Talbots isn't cheap.
There's a snakeskin texture woven into it - a nice detail.

My old dark and light grey cardigan has finally worn out - the moths got it.
 And I found another one! I plan to wear this around the house - it's thick and snuggly.

It's very good quality - look, they lined up the stripes on the pockets and down the front.
 The buttons are offset a bit, not down the centre.
They say Saint James, and have a reef knot carved into them.


 It is 100% wool.

And it's by Saint James, made in France (KLASSY).
 It was $18.95...zoiks, it would have retailed for $400-500 new!

I fell hard for this lovely dress - the silhouette is very early 2000s to me (that high neckline).
It's a classic sheath dress.

Gold zipper down the back.
I am a sucker for a black and white dress, especially when it's NOT a print, but a weave.

Here's a close-up:
 I love the added detail of the gold lame (lah-MAY, darlings).

Even closer:
Such great fabric!

When I saw the name, I was all, "Oh, of course." Chetta B makes lovely dresses.
It was $26.95, but I'm sure it would have been over $200 new.

Last, but certainly not least, I found a gorgeous pair of brown leather boots.
They have a low heel and a big platform, and are very comfortable.

They fit well in the calves, and are wide in the ankle, so I'll expect some wrinkling there over time.
 I noticed that the left one had a mark and a light scuff.

Woly to the rescue! This is the neutral shoe cream, good on any colour.
 It softens, protects, and helps provide water resistance to my leather. No product push or links, this is what I use on all my shoes. It took the scuff right out.

The boots are by Rockport, and were $34.95.
That felt like a really good deal for leather boots. They are around $160.00 new.

They have Adiprene by Adidas cushioning inside for added support and comfort.
I'm all over that!

And with that, I've got to go give Vizzini some lovin'.
"Yes, you are late for nap time, Woman."

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!