Bigass Long Weekend Wrap-Up: V-Day Velvet; Sweetheart Party; Brunch With Betty; Theatrical Florals; Movies in Tartan; Turnabout Shop

Hello, my friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! We've been enjoying some sunshine all weekend, and it's been so uplifting.

It's also been really busy and many outfits have been worn, so let's get to it! Here's my V-Day outfit for work on Friday.

I liked how this very pale pink sweater worked with the olive silk velvet skirt.

• Sweater - J. Crew Collection, thrifted; last worn here with pink satin Big Lady Boss pants in November 2019
• Skirt - Banana Republic, vintage 00s, thrifted; last worn here in November 2019 with rescued chartreuse
• Shoes - Truths Makena, Fluevog; last seen here (2nd outfit) in December 2019 with a purple velvet dress
• Coat (below) - Forever 21, thrifted; last worn here a couple of weekends ago

I refer to this sweater as my Thousand Dollar Sweater, as it honest-to-gawd retailed for over $1400 new!

It is wool and is completely hand-embroidered, beaded and covered in decorations.

Front and back!

It weighs a ton, but it's a nice weight on. I wore a beige cami under it for extra warmth.

I liked the long look of this outfit, and it was very comfy for a busy day.

I exchanged "affectionate fist-bumps" with many of my colleagues, and even a few Awkward Coworkers Hugs (I am not a huggy person, so I always ask and appreciate consent!).

Outerwear: Bundled up for warmth and fabulousness.

This was just right - I'm always happy when we get into above zero temperatures and I can vary up my coats more, since I have so many.

Done up.

Ready for the weekend! Bring it on!

• Gloves - Parkhurst

The stuff:

Comfy shoes - I have light inserts in these just for a little extra cushioning.

Silver bling:

Some favourites.

• Silver cuff - vintage, thrifted, Powell River
• Studded silver/resin cuff - Alexis Bittar, consignment, Vancouver
• Earrings - Brenda Schoenfeld, 1992, vintage mall
• Silver/crystal ring - Soul Flower
• Silver ring - Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

Work was sparsely populated on Friday due to the long weekend, so only a few of my colleagues saw my hair. I took the opportunity that evening to make my new 'do a little more me. PINK!

Glammed up for our friend Ronnie's 50th birthday - he and Caro have a Sweetheart Party around this time of year for Ron's b-day. Dress code is pink or red. I do love a good theme.

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

• Dress/jacket - Sue Wong, vintage early 00s, thrifted; purchased here in Powell River for $9.95 (for both pieces!)
• Shoes - Arnold Churgin, thrifted; last worn here in December with a 60s summer top

This would have been my Gala outfit last weekend, if Yvonne had not convinced me to wear my grey gown.

I love this wonderful dress.

Such a great fit!

There's the matching jacket. 

I flashed the lining thusly, as I wore it draped around my shoulders most of the night.

Check out my maribou cuffs, darling.

All done up - I will have to wear the jacket on its own at some point.

Pink lining here too!

Even though we only staggered to and from the cab, I still wore extra pink.

Even more pink!

I had some party stuff in my purse - normally, I would have a pair of walking shoes just in case we needed to hoof it home (it's a doable distance), but we taxi-shared both ways with Cat and Ross.

• Cashmere beret - Club Monaco, thrifted
• Fur boa - thrifted
• Leather gloves - consignment
• Bag - vintage mall

The stuff:

My comfy Barbie pink shoes were perfect for a late party.

Sparkly bling:

Hearts for V-Day.

• Bracelet - Mom's, c. 1974?, Birks
• Ring - Soul Flower
• Earrings - vintage fair

I remember my brother and I picking this bracelet out at Birks to give to Mom for Christmas when we were quite young. I "liberated" this from its unworn tyranny in Mom's jewelry box back in the 80s. "Oh, I wondered where that went," Mom is saying right now.

Here's a better look at my hair. I used a temporary pink, which will fade out to a more ice-pink (you'll notice it fading as the weekend progresses). It's a truer pink and kinder to my hair than dyeing it.

I bought a flat-iron/curler on my way home, as mine were both a few decades old. I played with the texture a bit, just to see what it would do.

Here's me and my wonderful guy! Happy Valentine's Day, my love!

His shirt is a vintage 70s one with train tunnels and tracks on it.

Rock on with your bad self.

The blazer is Guess, retail a few years ago. I think I thrifted the trousers. The shoes are L's new Fluevogs - they're copper, black and have red dots in the black section.

Silly pose.

But a great outfit!

Even though it was not Kitty Treat Time, Vizzini knew we were going out.

"I expect my treats NOW."

He was rather vociferous about it.

"Look, they are RIGHT THERE. Just get them down." 

We did give them to him early - and he tried to fool us when we got home at 1:30am into giving him another round.

"Well, you are both clearly very stupid."

I would have liked a longer sleep-in on Saturday morning! Friday night parties are exhausting after a full work day!

"Tell me about it."

But I had a brunch date with my former WW colleague, Betty.

I dressed in my version of casual.

• Blazer - InWear; last worn here in January to show off my amber
• Top - M by Missoni, thrifted; first worn here in November 2019 to chase away grays
• Silver jeans - H&M, consignment; last worn here in January for our trip to Powell River
• Boots - Prepare Map, Fluevog; last seen here in December with psychedelic sequins

I loved how this orange blazer looked with the striped top and silver pants, and how fun it was with my pink hair.

It felt very fresh and modern to me.

We had a lovely brunch at the Windsor Cafe in Oak Bay, catching up on each other's lives, the books we've read, and the people we know.

It was sunny and bright.

But by the time we finished, it was raining.

It didn't last, though.

I didn't bother with a coat. So liberating!

But I did change my purse. Classy!

The stuff:

I can only wear these boots when I know I will not be taking them off - they are a production to get on. They are rather fabulous, though, aren't they? I've worn them 16 times since I got them in March 2014 (here). Who knew how versatile a purple ankle boot would be? It helps that they have a huge internal hidden platform - they are only an inch heel.

Matchy bling:

A rare wearing of the brooch and earrings. I tend to forget about them.

• Purse - Arcadia, consignment
• Earrings - Plum, c. 2009
• Brooch - Eaton's, c. 2002
• Amethyst/gold ring - Francis Jewelers, c. 1965, Dad's
• Onyx/silver ring - Tocarra, vintage fair

I had about half an hour after lunch before Mom came over and we headed down to the Belfry Theatre for their play, "Ministry of Grace" - review here.

I always dress for warmth and comfort for sitting in a theatre for an extended time (stretch at intermission!), followed by the always-chilly pub afterwards for dinner.

• Dress - Nanette Lepore, thrifted; last worn here in December 2019 with de-oiled boots
• Boots - Clarks; last seen here in January with a jammy dress
• Leather trenchcoat (below) - vintage 70s, thrifted; last worn here a couple of weeks ago

I love this dark floral dress - it would be perfect if it had pockets.

I like a pattern that lends itself to different accessorizing.

It has enough colours in it to play with as well - I like how my pink hair brought out the peachy colours.

It was bright when I took the pictures, but I prepared for rain.

And may as well wear that same bag again, right?

I definitely needed a scarf and gloves.

I wrapped my hands in the fur scarf to keep them warm during the play. Brrr!

• Hat - consignment
• Scarf - thrifted
• Gloves - Parkhurst
• Purse - Arcadia, consignment

The stuff:

These are a perfect brown boot.

Bird bling:

Going with the branch pattern of my dress, I wore my Shi Studios bird belt buckle.

• Belt - Leather World
• Buckle - Shi Studios, thrifted
• Earrings - LA Express, c. 1994
• Jade/brass ring - Mom's, 1970s
• Peacock ring - c. 1890s Victorian, Mom's

I wore Mom's ring - this is the oldest thing I own, at over 100 years old.

It's sterling (marked inside) and those are probably emeralds and sapphires. And yes, Mom did say, "Oh, I wondered where that went." I'm pretty sure she gave it to me at some point!

After all that social activity in 24 hours, I needed a break, so L and I spent a quiet night playing boardgames on Saturday. On Sunday, we decided to catch up on a couple of missed movies.

We went to see "1917" and "Jojo Rabbit" at the matinee, one right after the other - we both really loved the latter, while admiring the technical achievement of the former.

• Sweater - Pringle, vintage 60s, thrifted, Powell River - first worn here in January with lots of colour
• Trousers - Cartonnier, thrifted; last worn here in May 2019 with teal silk
• Shoes - Matisse; last seen here in January with orange and houndstooth
• Coat (below) - Vassali, consignment; last worn here in January

So...I actually gave these trousers away, and here they are, back with me.

Caro took them during a giveaway, and had a pile of things in her own giveaway when we were over on Friday night...and I took them back.

They're just too cool! I love the tartan and the cropped length.

Plus, pockets!

They were meant to be. I liked how well they went with this wool sweater too.

Outerwear - I wore my coat like a blanket in the theatres.

And I wrapped my hands up in the scarf again.

We spent Sunday night hanging out and playing more boardgames - I love a long weekend!

• Scarf - thrifted
• Gloves - Cejon, thrifted

The stuff:

I adore these shoes - they are one of my most comfy pairs.

Tortoiseshell bling:

Nothing too crazy.

• Bracelet - J. Crew, thrifted
• Earrings - Hamilton, ON

On Monday, L and I walked to Christie's Pub for lunch, and then strolled down to Turnabout to check out their final winter clearance.

 I am ready to try some clothes on.

• Vest - ChiqQle, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in September 2019 with flowy Chloe
• Turtleneck - M&S Collection, consignment; last seen here in January for the Year of the Rat
• Skirt - Mackage, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in March 2019 with a patchwork sweater
• Boots - Matisse, consignment; last seen here in January with some of my own sunshine
• Coat (below) - Gianfranco Ferre, Spring 2003, consignment; last worn here (2nd outfit) for brunch in November 2019

I experimented with styling my hair different ways all weekend, and as you can see the pink has faded out to a more reasonable tone (it's lighter on top, darker underneath).

Fun with hair!

But, onto the outfit - I liked the acid wash jean vest with this look.

As we near the end of my 6-month Fall/Winter clothing season, I'm down to the last not-yet-worn items in my closet - this skirt is one of them.

I usually wear it on weekends, as the snaps tend to pop open with I sit down (I had to superglue the lower snaps when I got it or it would fall right off me!).

Layered up - I like the layering of the vest under the jacket.

 And then with the collar peeking out when the zipper has been fully engaged.

 Showing off this magnificent beast of a jacket.

It's held together and covered in hundreds of custom bronze safety pins. It's a runway piece - so cool!

I changed to a lighter bag for shopping.

 And of course, pink gloves to go with the pink of my sweater.

• Bag - Roots, thrifted
• Gloves - consignment

The stuff:

 Comfy boots for our stroll down Oak Bay Ave and back home.

• Earrings - thrifted
• Ring - Soul Flower

Vizzini plunked himself down where I stand for my pictures.

"You shall cuddle me at once, Woman."

There may have been some tummy-rubs.

No luck for L - it's really hard to find interesting men's fashion here, especially second-hand. Good thing he brought a book to read while I went through every item in the store. Here's what I found.

 A perfect little metallic kitten heel. The colour is a pale purple.

I don't normally like mules - I loathe that slapslap of the heel - but the extra vamp strap holds these in place well.

 The brand is Leith, and these are from Nordstrom department store.

 Likely never worn, as they still have the clearance tag on them - they started out at $104.95, marked down to $62.94 by Nordie's. Turnabout was on their last day of an extra 10% off, so these were $26.95.

I also found these lovely and funky booties.

I love the bone colour with the grey ankle wraps. One of the laces is missing the red leather square.

 But I think the red squares are weird-looking so I'll probably remove all of them.

That is a most excellent heel height, and these are very comfy.

They're by Dkode, which I know is an expensive brand.

These were marked at $69.99 originally, then reduced due to the small mark near the heel in the second picture (I know, barely anything!) to $18.90. That's SUCH a good price! Their boots are around $200+ retail.

Barely worn, maybe a few times.

I am excited to wear these!

"I'm going to eat those laces."

I also really liked this sequined skirt.

 I love the neutral taupe-y metallic.

 And what's this? These are those two-way sequins. Hi!

I will probably only wear it worn deliberately "camo'd" like this.

Trying to keep it smooth is a losing battle, so better to just play with it and have fun. I'm sure that this "feature" is why someone consigned it.

It's by Banana Republic.

 And it's from their Holiday 2015 collection.

I paid $35.99 for it, but it would have easily been over $200 new.

I am always on the lookout for fun sweaters. I really liked the colour of this one. And how about those Major Sleeves??

 Hard to tell due to erratic lighting (sunny, cloudy, sunny, cloudy), but it's a dark red.

It's by Karl Lagerfeld.

 It was marked way down to $13.50. Score! I'm sure it was more than that originally.

I can't resist a pretty yellow dress!

I'll do more close-ups of the texture when I eventually wear this in the summer, but it's all openwork lace and rows of short fringe. The V at the top is unlined, and very nice on.

It's by Sam Edelman...I did not know that company had branched out from shoes. They haven't figured out sizing, as that 12 is not very accurate. I'm about a size 8 usually, and this is only slightly large on me (for a garment with no stretch, I'm good with that).

 At $53.99 it was the splurge of the day.

Oh, and one last thing - a nice pair of Kate Spade purple crystal studs.

 Marked all the way down to $13.50 with the extra 10% off. I'll wear these a ton, I'm sure.

Phew, I'm exhausted. Time for a nap, eh, Vizzini?

"I've got just the spot."

On my way!

Thank you all so much for stopping by!