Sunday, March 15, 2020

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Keep Calm Edition: Friday Greens; Brunch and Winesday Leather, and a Napping Cat

Welcome back, my friends! I hope you've been weathering this worldwide storm, and staying safe. This post will not be as bigass as usual, due to most people self-isolating and events and things being cancelled, but we will make do. 
This was my Friday work outfit - comfy, funky and incorporating two new-to-me things, as well as some favourites.


  • Jacket - Pink Tartan, consignment; last worn here in February with psychedelic silk
  • Blouse, Nygard Black Label, consignment; purchased here for $15.00
  • Trousers - Talbots, thrifted; last seen here in January with roses
  • Shoes - Tudor Prysten, Fluevog; last worn here in February with a favourite outfit
  • Coat (below) - L'Atiste, consignment, Vancouver; last seen here in February


I'll be packing away both this jacket and the trousers for spring/summer, even though they could easily work in the "shoulder" weeks - I have just too many clothes, and only so many hangers!
My office was very dead, as most of my 250 onsite coworkers are being told to work from home. I can't exactly do my job remotely (I am the office manager), so I'll be "self-isolating" in my soon-to-be-empty office.

Anyway, not many folks saw my outfit, but I liked all the patterns and the greens.
This new-to-me blouse was excellent. It's a good basic.
I didn't take the jacket off much - only when I overheated a few times from the ol' menopause internal furnace.

The blouse is in the laundry because...yup, I sweated in it.
The tartan of the trousers has a stripe of this dark green. Matchy!

Because of my boobtastic-ness, only the bottom two buttons can get done up.
I only buttoned them when I put my coat on.

Outerwear - on the way home, it was hugely windy (we've had winds over 50km/hour for a couple of days), so I had to carry my hat.
 I do like the extra plaid of this jacket added to all this pattern.


  • Hat - vintage, thrifted, Vancouver
  • Gloves - Parkhurst


The stuff:
The key to these shoes, I've decided, is to pattern-mix them, which makes sense, since they are a mixed pattern already.

Crocodile bling:
In addition to the blouse, my little articulated croc brooch is the other new-to-me thing in my outfit.


  • Brooch - vintage mall; purchased here for $39.00
  • Earrings - thrifted
  • Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes


I pinned the brooch just above my pocket on the jacket and let his tail hang down.
Tip: pin it before you put the jacket on - this brooch has a pin near the head and one near the back legs.

L and I set out the candles (in case of power failure from the high winds) and played board games on Friday night. No flickerings, but better to be ready than to have to look for candles or a lighter! A lot of people in Victoria did lose power.

We were up early on Saturday morning for brunch. The health authority is assuring people that we can still go to restaurants and shop, just be safe and wash your hands, don't touch your face and stay home if you're sick.
We had most of Pluto's Diner to ourselves, then walked down to the record store for L to pick up some CDs he'd ordered, and then stopped in at the drugstore to pick up more chocolate for Winesday/MANday on Saturday night.


  • Sweater - RW and Co., consignment; last worn here in December 2019 over a leather dress
  • Tee (below) - Plum, thrifted; last worn here, way back in May 2018 (6th outfit), under a denim vest/dress 
  • Skirt - Danier Leather, thrifted; last seen here (3rd outfit), also way back in December 2018, for theatre with Mom
  • Shoes - Down to Earth Hadfield, Fluevog; last seen here with pink and red in December 2019
  • Coat (below) - Topshop, consignment; last worn here in February


I'd been hearing stories of people buying oodles of toilet paper, but there was lots in the store. It was fairly quiet out on the streets and in stores, though. People are definitely staying in.
I dressed warmly (for the wind) and comfortably. It's Leather Weather, so I hauled out this older leather skirt that I hadn't yet worn this season.

It flaps loudly, like sails, when I walk.
 The red sweater is comfy and warm.

I layered this black oily-textured tee under it - I'm able to easily shuck the sweater if I have a hot flash.
I'm all slippered up for Winesday on Saturday evening, which was a small affair (just four of us compared to the usual 8-11). We all maintained our "social distancing" - no hugs, no kisses, all separate bits of food, and lots of hand-washing. A lot of hip and elbow bumps, though!

With scarf and shoes.
The colours and floral patterns are nearly identical, so I tend to wear these together.

Outerwear - finally, a sweater/outfit that doesn't ride up with this fuzzy coat!
 Although it's not real leather, this coat was so snuggly warm.

  • Scarf - Ralph Lauren, consignment
  • Gloves - Danier Leather

Done up - I actually folded the collars in and zipped it to the top.
 It was really windy! Brrr!

The stuff:
Very comfy shoes, and minimal bling. I walked to Yvonne's and Cat and I cabbed home at 2am.


  • Earrings - gift from Mom

Here's to my wonderful women!
Yvonne, Cat, me and Caro - not how we are all holding our hands to ourselves! I really needed to be around my gals, soaking in the bath of calm that my friends provide for me. I feel so much better.

On Sunday, I walked to the grocery store to do my weekly shop, only to find that they had stopped doing deliveries. I cabbed home and plan to just chill for the rest of the day, just like Mr. Vizzini here.
"I'm guarding the Man's shirts by sleeping on them."

He's been wonderful comfort - Purr Therapy is excellent.
"So is chewing on buttons."

We'll have to see how this plays out over the next few weeks, but you readers may be the only audience for my outfits for a while! Be assured, that I will not be taking a blog hiatus - as long as I'm going to work, I'll be posting, and if I'm forced to be at home, I'll go out into my neighbourhood for some adventure photo-shoots.

I hope everyone had a safe and healthy weekend! Thank you so much for dropping by, and for your comments, especially, as we all become a bit more isolated in real life. Virtual hugs to you all!

34 comments:

  1. I love that maxi skirt with the red jumper - such a great outfit Sheila! I hope you are able to stay safe and it sounds like your office is a lot like mine - we are working from home this week and who knows what will happen next week!

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    1. Thank you, Mica! My office is dead today, that's for sure.

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  2. Boobtastic! Snigger! I love the greens- you wonderful foliage-inspired outfit you! Nice to see Mr V keeping the shirts safe!!! Hope you are ok. xxx

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    1. I know, I'm ready for spring with all this green, Kezzie! Vizzini is very vigilant when it comes to L's stuff.

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  3. Always elegant - even when the world has gone seemingly mad.

    The stores here have been mobbed and the shelves were pretty bare on Friday. I've been putting a few extras aside for the last three weeks so we are pretty prepared for closures, lock downs or quarantine (god forbid). I got to babysit my 4 month old grandson on Friday and that helped reduce any anxiety I was feeling. Nothing like snuggling with a baby or a pet.

    I hope you and L (and everyone actually) remain healthy and I look forward to your blogs!

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    1. I'm trying, Nana! :)

      There's some of that here too, Nana, but we still have our supply chains open, and stores are not running out of essentials. I'm trying to stick to my normal routine and patronize small stores who are going to feel this the most. Purr therapy has been excellent, as has Nature herself.

      Thank you!

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  4. I am still going to work too; I am not really able to work from home due to the nature of my job, but we'll see what happens. Unfortunately, I have to take public transit to get there, but now that classes have been cancelled, the buses are not as full.

    I love your pink hair! I agree about the shoes - they do work well paired with other patterns. I've been enjoying lots of purr therapy when I've been home. I don't know what I would do without him.

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    1. Yup, if it gets worse, I'm sure our office will just close. I've been told I'll be sent home and will just get paid (lucky me!). Yes, I noticed that last week when I took a bus.

      Thank you! I love the pastel pink look. The shoes are so fun. Same here - I'm so grateful for my little furry guy. Give Sylvester a snuggle for me.

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  5. Loving the green outfits with the tartan trousers! And those shoes...oh my. They are all kinds of wonderful. The crocodile is so cute. The leather skirt is fab and it looked so cool with the jacket. More fab shoes of course.

    Vizzini is a great guard cat is he not?

    Stay safe and warm.
    xxxx

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    1. Thank you, Vronni! Vizzini is both an excellent guard cat and also a Chicken Cat who is scared of all kinds of things. Thank you! Back to you - stay safe!

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  6. I'm loving both of your outfits but my favourite by far is Friday's. Your new-to-you green blouse and those tartan trousers are a match made in heaven, and that delightful velvet jacket makes it even better, if such a thing is possible. All those greens are gorgeous with your pink hair as well. I won't be taking a blogging hiatus either. Now is the time to find solace in each other's blogs, a welcome distraction from all the madness. As are our blissfully unaware cats, of course! Stay safe, my friend! xxx

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    1. Thanks, Ann! Same here - my weekend outfits are often much lower key than my work looks. I loved that look.

      I so agree! It's a great time to catch up and read others' blogs and leave nice juicy comments. They are a terrific distraction, as are our kitties, who comfort us so much. Hang in there, my dear!

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  7. Good on you Sheila for vowing to carry on blogging come what may; seeing your outfits will cheer me up no end (there has been much craziness here in the UK with toilet roll and pasta hoarding). Just don't let your guard down with Vizzini or you'll find that all those shirt buttons have been munched clean off!

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    1. Thank you! I shall carry on, and try to keep some normalcy around here.

      Ha! We don't leave shirts around very long for that exact reason! Little monster!

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  8. What fantastic outfits, particularly Fridays tartan confection. Yes, keep sharing your clothes, they need to be seen! I think we'll all be blogging more than usual, our government have just introduced social isolation measures, I shall still be getting dressed even if I can only walk to the end of the street and back!
    Purr therapy is the best - even at 4am! xxx

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    1. Thanks so much, Vix! There was not even a thought of not blogging for me, but one of the commenters last week mentioned it so I thought I`d better address it.

      Getting outside is the one thing we can all still do! It's so important to reconnect with the outside world and nature, and our purr-buddies are also very important to us for comfort. 4am? Not so much!

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  9. All the restaurants and pubs are closed down now here. So it will be very boring weeks. But necessary. Love that green jacket, why stuff it away. Love to see it with orange!

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    1. I'm sure that will happen here eventually, Nancy. I will pack the jacket away - like most of my heavier fabrics (velvet). I have too many other things that I'll want to wear that are more seasonally appropriate. I'll wear it again next September.

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  10. I love your Friday outfits. Those tartan pants are so gorgeous and I love the shoes and the top you wore them with. I can understand why you're packing them away. Closet space is always limited. I haven't brought half of my stuff when I moved from my home a few months ago and I doubt I will have the chance being that we cannot travel anywhere at the moment. I don't worry, I know my clothes are waiting for me and I'm pretty good at shopping my closet.

    I can see how as office manager you may not be able to work from home, at least not as easily as others. As teachers we are requested to be at our work places (in schools) and we're supposed to organize the classes online only our program doesn't work (they don't allow us to use anything without going through them and a million of verification points that none of us has managed to get through yet) and our internet connection in schools is crashing constantly. It's been a very stressful start of the week for both us and the kiddos. I hope it all works out.

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    1. Yeah, I have a LOT of clothes! It's challenging and sometimes sad when I want to wear something and realize that it's packed away for 6 months, but this way, I get to wear things I love on a more frequent rotation every 6 months. I am also really good at shopping my closet.

      No, it's not really an option! Nearly everything I do is physically-related. Your work sounds very stressful. Hang in there, and thanks for taking the time to drop by! Take care, Ivana.

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  11. P.S. I also love your outfit with the maxi and the red sweater!

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  12. The shoes are so beautiful. And a jacket like that should be a size smaller than normal and worn open (so I was told by a sales lady... who did have all sizes of the jacket I might add haha).
    We are a bit further in the Netherlands on this "how to flatten the curve of this virus" journey. It is nearly lock-down here. Restaurants and bars and such, gyms, muses and all sorts of public places are closed. No flights will be next on the agenda. I am voluntarily housebound for 14 days. Back to "photo shoots" in the garden shot by Ron who swore he would never do it again. Severe times, severe measurements haha.
    Like you I will continue blogging.
    Stay safe.
    Greetje

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    1. Thank you so much, Greetje! Ha, that saleperson knows her stuff. I often tell people that when I'm out thrifting. I almost never wear jackets done up as I find them too restricting that way.

      We are very close to lock-down here: many restaurants and businesses have closed. L and I have cancelled our holiday plans. I know, I am planning on roping L in to do some photoshoots since we won't be having much in the way of adventures in the near future!

      Glad to hear you'll still be around - we are light in the gloom! Take care of Ron and your furry fam, my dear.

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  13. You have the best shoes. Thanks for introducing me to the brand.

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    1. These were a men's style too - L has them! Thank you, Ally, I'm so glad you found them and loved them like I do. :)

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  14. Hello Sheila! I only post when reading your blog via my laptop b/c my iPad, which is what I use 99% of the time, never lets me comment. Flukey system but I live with it b/c of the ease of playing word games. ;-)
    ANYWAY, I have continued to enjoy the artistry of your outfits and am surprised you don't hear me across the continent as I sometimes let out positive words of support and admiration of an outfit!
    My school closed down a week ago Monday, one week ahead of our annual two week Spring break. Basically everything is shut down here and restaurants are only allowed to offer take out and delivery. Schools are closed. Banks and stores are open, grocery stores are restocking like mad to keep up with demand.
    All that to come to saying that your daily and weekend postings definitely help maintain the needed sense of community. And your commentary gets me smiling. So, THANK YOU :-)

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    1. Laurie! So nice to hear from you, my dear! Hey, do what works for you - it's okay if you don't comment, but I do love to see you!

      Thank you so much! Aw, I wondered what that long-distance noise was, lol! Yes, I think the schools here did that too (not sure, I don't really keep track of it, due to zero kidlets). The business closures are starting to happen here - it's so bizarre!

      I am so glad that my little corner of sunshine is here for you - I'll be striving to stay positive and upbeat and to keep posting, for sure. Hugs to you - you are not alone!

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    2. If I knew how to do emoji hearts, that's what you'd be looking at now. :-)

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  15. Love your plaid trousers with green color!, they totally rock and love how you style your shoes with more patterns, I think this makes a difference, so brilliant!. And lovely croc brooch too!
    Also fabulous leather skirt and fabulous shoes!, I love the addition of Red color and the snuggly jacket!. You totally rock!
    besos

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    1. Thanks, Monica! Colour mashing, all the way. I so appreciate your comments!

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  16. I see you are wearing your new blouse already - looks really good with the trousers and omg the shoes!!!!
    Currently catching up, i see this post is from March 15, where you could still go outside.

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    1. Thanks so much - aren't the shoes amazing? Yeah, it's weird to look back at that - I miss eating out, and I miss my friends so much!

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