Sunday, April 12, 2020

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Spring Visit; L's Closet Swap; Easter Flashbacks (and More Dots)

Hello, my friends! I hope you all had a fabulous long weekend. Instead of Weekend Silliness, I have a regular ol' Bigaass Weekend Wrap-Up for you. It hasn't been a silly kind of weekend. 
Dressed up for a walk over to Nick and Karen's - I chose a classic yellow with black and white accents.


  • Jacket - Stella McCartney for Adidas, consignment, Vancouver; last worn here in July 2019 with hot pink
  • Dress - Sam Edelman, consignment; purchased here for $53.99
  • Shoes - Lola Ramona; last worn here in July 2019, the same outfit as the Stella jacket!


As you can tell, I dyed my hair on Friday - it's Feria's smoky pink from the drug store. My white/grey roots were grown out to the point where my pink "wash" stain colour wasn't sticking, so time to give my hair a boost. This will fade out to a pale pink over the next week or so. I did my hair in twists while I did my make-up, so it's got some weird curls going on. Eh, it was windy - didn't care.
I loved wearing this dress, and am looking forward to wearing it again. I've had many yellow dresses over the years.

It has a lace layer over the yellow lining, with rows of fringe, which are quite fun to play with. I'm a fidgety person - I like clothing that gives me things to fidget with.
It's a great fit, very comfortable.

As it was windy and it's still a bit chilly, I layered this black and white daisy nylon bomber jacket over it. The daisies have yellow centers.
I'm showing off the striped rubber soles of my shoes.

Zipped and hands in pockets.
Yellow can be a bit much on its own, so I like black and white accessories to pop off it.

The stuff:
I love these shoes! They are very comfy to wear - did you notice the leather bows on the heels?


  • Cuff - vintage fair
  • Onyx/silver ring - Tocarra, vintage fair
  • Pearl/gold ring - Erth, consignment
  • Earrings - vintage, vintage fair


I missed the "bling" picture because someone was being really distracting.
"What about MEEEEEE??"

Gee, Vizzini, do you want some attention?
"This tum isn't going to rub itself, Woman!"

L and I both dressed up in our spring looks - while I was getting ready and doing my pictures, he chilled out on the couch.
"The Man loves me more than you."

L is wearing a very spiffy pair of black and white shoes, floral socks, steel blue pants, a thrifted Desigual shirt, and a lovely pale blue blazer.
"I am always dressed up."

Yes, you look very fine in your "tuxedo," Vizzini.

We went for a short stroll through out neighbourhood to visit Nick and Karen.
Still some blossoms on these trees.

L in his finery - the rhododendrons are starting to bloom now.
Looking so fine, L!

In the far distance, you can see the mountains of Washington State, to the south of Vancouver Island.
So much greenery in our 'hood.

I've always loved this house.
I want a tower like that!

Nick and Karen. They are up on their balcony two floors from the ground, so we were maintaining social distancing, don't worry!
Please send your good vibes Karen's way - she is very sick (not COVID), and it's been unbearable not to see her. Hugs to you, my dear Kare-bear.

We spent a little while talking, and then L and I strolled home.
These rockery plants remind me so much of the garden we had when I was a kid.

And I love seeing these bluebells grape hyacinth (thank you, anonymous commenter!)growing wild in this yard.
I'm a fan of overgrown gardens.

Many of the houses we passed had these "heart" Canada flags in the windows, showing support and togetherness while we weather the pandemic together.
The local newspaper includes them in its print copies - it's touching to see how many of them are up.

When we got home, Vizzini had barely moved.
"Like I was going to waste the warm spot the Man left?"

What a lump!

Saturday afternoon was the perfect time to do L's closet swap for his spring/summer clothes. This is the "Before" picture.
It was much, MUCH faster this time than the huge closet clear-out we did last September, as L keeps most of his clothes out year-round. We tidied up, pulled out about two dozen items that were strictly winter (darker colours, thicker fabrics - those double-knit 70s shirts he owns are too hot to wear in the summer, for example), and stored them away, then hung up all of his short-sleeved shirts and summery things.

Here's the "After" shot:
"Tah-dah!"

All nicely folded, and hung up. Good job, L!

We dusted and cleaned out L's belt buckle collection.
And we cleaned out his jewelry box, adding another golden glass dish for L's bolo ties, necklaces and bracelets (he is a dressy guy - he wears all that stuff!).

Here's his jewelry box closed - we have to store the key inside it, as "someone" likes to chew on tassels...
It's a Bombay Company jewelry box - we got his and mine at the same time, well over a decade ago.

This is the inside tray - it holds L's pins on either side, and his rings in the middle.
I love that L all these fun accessories. He actually wears them, too!

In the bottom of the box, under the tray, is his collection of vintage cufflinks (some with matching tie-tacks).
They don't get worn much, as he only has a few shirts that need cufflinks. I have borrowed a few of these over the years, as cuffed shirts have rotated in and out of my wardrobe.

Easter Sunday is traditionally when L and I would head over to Mom's house to see my brother and all of his four kids, plus assorted exes, friends and partners. Not this year, unfortunately, so here's What I Would Have Worn.
I realized after I took these pictures, that I did black and white dotted accessories again! I do like a good dot pattern, though.


  • Cardigan - Gap, thrifted; purchased here for $14.95
  • Cami - not tracked
  • Dress - Alfred Sung, vintage early 00s, thrifted; purchased here for $22.95
  • Shoes - Sol Sana; last worn here in September 2019 with pixels and polka dots


First wearings for both this new-to-me polka-dotted cardigan and this totally-used-to-be-a-bridesmaid's dress.
Sunday was beautiful and sunny. L and would have cabbed over to Mom's place to see my family and hang out for a few hours, but instead, we're going to read and listen to music.

Flashback time! 

Just for fun, here are some previous years' outfits that I wore for Easter at Mom's - I don't seem to have worn anything specifically for Easter from 2008 to 2010, and it looks like we missed 2013 and 2017.

2011: sucking back my coffee. Back in the red hair days.
I still have the boots and the leather vest. It must have been cold - I'm wearing dark tights!

2012: Aw, there's my old kitty, Inigo - this is not long before he died. This was a very casual look - I still have the t-shirt, although it's strictly for sleeping in winter.
I miss those lavender Camper shoes - I wore them to death, then gave them to Cat.

2014: I just gave this vintage strapless dress up last year (it might still be in the giveaway pile, I can't remember), but I have the orange shoes still, as well as the belt. Not the cardi, which went to one of my coworkers, who wears it to work, so I get to visit it.
The shoes are in the "to be repaired" pile - they're rather battered after all these years.

2015: Ah, my blonde streak has appeared in my hair.
I still have this dress, although it didn't get worn this past fall/winter (it's a keeper, however). I also have the shoes - and the tights! I'm amazed that they are over 5 years old.

2016: I have most of the jewelry and the funky sandals still from this outfit - looking forward to wearing those again.
And I am in full-on purple hair mode!

2018: Growing my hair out and going lighter.
I don't have a single one of these pieces in my wardrobe anymore - no regrets.

2019: There, that looks more like me, doesn't it?
I still have everything in this outfit, accessories included!

Back to this year's look.
The dress creased like mad, just from sitting and eating my breakfast - it was lovely after I steamed it, really!

I would wear this entire look to work, although not with the hat.
I might have to do that later this summer.

Here's the dress without the cardigan - it's very low-cut, so I layered a black camisole under it to cover up my bra.
I love a classic fit-and-flare dress.

That's a very low back.
Dresses that require specialty underwear annoy me - thank goodness for layers.

The stuff:
I adore these shoes and am happy to have them back in circulation - they are amazingly comfy.

Black and white bling:
Once I had the shoes and cardi picked out, the accessories practically chose themselves!


  • Hat - Catawampus 
  • Cuff - Swarovski, consignment, gift from L
  • Silver/amethyst ring - vintage mall
  • Crystal ring - Uffizi Gallery gift shop, Florence, Italy
  • Bracelet - Coro, vintage, Mom's
  • Jet/rhinestone necklace - Grandma J's, vintage 60s
  • Earrings - thrifted


And here's a close-up of the straw/feather hat - it's held on with an elastic (which I didn't even bother to hide, ha ha). My hair is getting longer - I can clip it up at the back again.
My bangs/fringe are also growing out, so I swooped them over to one side for this look.

I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend - I don't have Easter Monday off, so back to work for me! Thank you so much for stopping by!

36 comments:

  1. I love that you still managed to go see your friends even if you had to keep your distance! It's so hard. We haven't seen many people in person because how can you explain to your kids that even though they can see them they can't hug them? Too tricky for them. We have been doing lots of video calls though!

    I'm glad you still had a nice Easter (and got all dressed up!) even if you didn't get to spend it with family. I decided to dress up too and wore one of my maxi dresses. We talked with everyone on video calls but it wasn't the same, without the big shared meal around the table. Still, we do what we can so this passes quicker and we can get back to normal life!

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    1. I know, it's been killing us not to see them, so we thought this was a good option without violating any social distancing rules or getting the stink-eye from people. I miss people so much - I can't even fathom how hard it must be with kids.

      Thanks, Mica - I missed seeing my family, but of course I had to dress up. I'm happy to hear you wore a maxi! You have such a great collection. I hope this time next year will be all "normal" again!

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  2. You look lovely in that yellow dress. The polka dot heels you paired this dress with are so wonderful. I did notice the leather bow detail- absolutely perfect. The daisy bomber jacket you paired this yellow dress with is so lovely. This outfit pretty much embodies spring.

    Kudos to L. for his closet swap. I like that he has so many cool accessories, most of them in rock style (if I saw them well). It is great you both have a great style and appreciated for clothes, it gives you something you can enjoy together.

    The outfit that you would have worn for an Easter lunch at your mom's place is fabulous. It is a shame you had to wear it just at home- but at least you took some photos. It was fun to see what you wore for previous Easter day celebrations. I might do a similar recap some time.

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    1. Thank you so much, Ivana! I love the shoes - they are actually fully leather and just lovely to wear. Thanks!

      Yes, he wasn't too enthused, but it was really fast (less than an hour!). You are right: his style is predominantly "rock" so he has a lot of accessories that go with that style. I'm so glad I have a partner who loves to dress up too!

      Aw, thank you again. It was fun digging up all those old pictures.

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  3. Lovely neighbourhood and you and L both look so stylish!

    What a difference the swapover of L's closet made. I loved his fab accessories! My OH has lots and lots of cuff links that sadly get very little wear now. It's the one thing we have in abundance in the charity shop is men's shirts we have so many donated as men wear them less now to the 'office'.

    I enjoyed seeing your previous Easter outfits - and seeing your hair change!
    xxxx

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    1. It's a lovely place to live, Vronni - it'll be even nicer once all the flowers are out! Cufflinks are a funny thing - they come in and out of fashion, but there are so many of them in the thrifts! I can't resist a snazzy pair.

      I know, isn't it funny? I change my hair a lot! We missed 2013, which is when I had short blonde hair for a while!

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    1. Sorry, I've removed your comment. I can't translate it, your profile doesn't link back to anything, and I prefer not to have comments when I don't know what they say.

      Delete
  5. The polka dots are so fun and ... well ... dotty and your Easter bonnet is stunning.

    I am amazed at how much you have in bloom there. What a treat to walk in such an abundance of spring. Our grass is finally greening up and I have some tiny blue flowers growing in my yard, but our trees are not in leaf yet, nor are the tulips or other flowers blooming.

    Isn't it strange to see and not yet be with other people? My daughter, son-in-law and grandson had a visit with us through the window the other day. I was overjoyed to see them, but was so sad I could not squeeze that baby. I hope that your friend feels better soon.

    Great job on the closet organization. Now you are both ready for the season.

    Keep well.

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    1. Thanks, Nana! They are such a classic pattern! They go with everything. And even better when they are in such a cute hat as this one!

      Oh, this is nothing - truly, Victoria is covered in flowers, and they are just starting to come out. Daffodils are in bloom, and tulips and lilacs will be out soon.

      It is SO strange! I really wanted to hug Karen. I hope she gets better, but we shall see - she has beaten cancer once, and I hope she can beat it again...

      Thanks, my dear! We are ready! Bring on summer!

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  6. The "bluebells" in the overgrown garden are called Grape Hyacinth.

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  7. How lovely to dress up in your finery and see Nick and Karen - get well soon, Karen!! - you both looked fabulously Springlike and must have raised your friends' spirits.
    Such a lovely walk, those flags, the house with the fairytale turret and a gorgeous overgrown garden (love them, too!)
    What a great outfit you would have worn for Easter, that hat is great on you. Love the Easter's past too, especially lovely Inigo.
    L's wardobe is magnificent, I remember drooling over his buckle collection last time you shared it.
    The temperature's dropped by 10 degrees overnight, I'm going to have to put a coat on toy go shopping shortly.
    Big love to you, L and Vizzini! xxx

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    1. I hope our outfits raised their spirits, Vix - getting dressed can feel very meaningless in the face of a life-threatening illness.

      It was good to get out and have a walk, that's for sure, and seeing all the greenery and houses (lots of people out and about too). Isn't it wild, all those past Easters? Aw, my old kitty.

      Yes, L has a great collection - we even weeded one belt buckle out for donation! We're supposed to get up to 14 here, which feels decadent!

      Hugs to you, my dear!

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  8. Kind wishes to your friend Karen, I bet your visit cheered her. Your yellow is sweet and I totally agree, black and white accents are just right with it. I also admire your Easter visiting outfit. That polka dot hat is jaunty and I love a rescued bridesmaid dress. Too often they're unfairly discarded after the big day when a lot of thought and design has been invested in them. What a pretty colour that dress is! I love it. Your neighbourhood looks so springlike over the weekend. We've had beautiful sunshine here in Ireland for Easter too. It's helped us all to get up and get going each day.... That and the chocolate eggs! Happy Easter, Sheila.

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    1. Thank you, Juliana! I hope so - she's in a rough place.

      It felt good to get dressed up, even if I didn't keep the outfits on for very long. I love a classic bridesmaid dress - I've had a few pretty ones over the years - the colour of this one is so very 1999!

      It's a lovely place here where we live. I'm glad you're getting some sunshine too! Happy Easter to you!

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  9. Your look has changed, but you've always had an enviable way with colour and accessories. I've been growing my roots out while on lockdown; I'm vaguely tempted to change my hair colour. you've had some fabulous ones over the years.

    And yeah, I'd love a house with a turret! They're really not a thing over here but I love them.

    I hope Karen feels better soon!

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    1. I know, I never stay with any single hairstyle for long, but I would still wear most of my outfits! Go for it - it's just hair. If you mess it up, it will grow back. :)

      Wouldn't it be cool? I'd do all my reading in my tower.

      Thank you - we're hoping, but it's not looking that positive. Hugs.

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  10. Your outfit for walking over to Nick and Karen's is so cheerfully Springlike and perfect for Easter. That dress is such a delight and pairing it with black and white is just genius. Swooning over those polka dot shoes! Of course, I am loving L.'s outfit too. Floral socks! How fabulous is that! So, so sorry to hear about Karen, and sending as many good vibes as I possibly can. I loved seeing L.'s closet swap. He's really got the most amazing wardrobe. We too had a quiet Easter, but then we always do. Just us and chocolate ;-) It was fun seeing a round-up of your Easter outfits over the years, and the one you'd planned for this year was another gorgeous one. Hurray for more polka dots! xxx

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    1. Thanks so much, Ann! I love yellow with black and white. L loves fun socks, and has quite a collection! Thank you for the good vibes, my dear.

      L has a stellar wardrobe, thanks to yours truly (hee!), but I'm always grateful and appreciative that he likes dressing up and loves colour and isn't afraid to stick out in a crowd (when we had crowds).

      I was good and didn't have too much chocolate! I had fun digging through my old posts for Easter flash-backs! Thanks so much, Ann!

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  11. Oh that Stella jacket is gorgeous! That would look good on so many outfits! The shoes are fabulous with it too! This is now my fifth week of isolation and I am getting a bit frustrated! I want to see my family and friends! Well, we just have to hang in there don t we! Stay safe my friend!

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    1. Isn't it cool, Nancy? It was a great find last year in Vancouver (boo, I miss our trip there!). I love these pink shoes - I think I have a "thing" for pink shoes now!

      I hear you - I'm also starting to get starved for people! I am going to risk a trip to see my mom today, wish me luck.

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  12. What a great idea to walk and see your friends even if just from the balcony.
    I did that last week, well sort of. I drove to my grandmother's house and talked to her from her balcony for a few minutes.
    Here women and men cannot go out on the same days...
    I really enjoyed those early posts from Easter, it's about that time that I began to follow you :) and I have to say I am loving your hair these days.

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    1. We don't know if we will see Karen too many more times, sadly. I'm so glad we went. I'm going to see my mom today - social distancing will be practiced!

      That's bizarre, men and women on different days? Aw, I feel like I've known you forever - thanks, hon! I'm so glad I had a drastic cut just before this happened - I've got lots of room for growing it out.

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  13. What a fun post, full of everything. Your new hair-color is pretty. And yellow/black always looks good in clothing.

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    1. Thanks, Ally! As you can tell, the brighter pink has faded out already! I love yellow/black together, but the challenge is to NOT look like a bee!

      Delete
  14. It's so nice that you can walk to your friends' place and have a "distance visit" with them. My bestie lives too far away for me to do that, and I am missing our Saturday coffee get-togethers terribly. I enjoyed the outfit flashbacks, and as I've followed your blog for several years, I remembered some of them. L has a fab belt buckle collection.

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    1. I know, we are really fortunate that we're in walking distance of many of our friends. I had fun digging up the old outfits - I'll have to do it again soon! L does - he's a very stylin' guy!

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  15. Having not been off our property in over a month now (and having not caught wind of this heart-touching idea online), I wasn't aware that people were putting modified designs of the Canadian flag in their windows. I really adore that and am going to whip up one to place in our front window.

    Wishing you guys an extremely safe, positive second half of April.

    Autumn Zenith 🎃 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. Isn't it nice? So many of the houses and apartments and condos here have them up.

      Thank you, Autumn! Great to see you.

      Delete
  16. Lovely that you went to visit your friends and have a chat and send them some hugs from a safe distance!. And looking so fabulous!, love your yellow dress and the daisies jacket, which totally enhances the yellowness!, and fab shoes!
    Love to have a look at L's wardrobe and accessories, so cool!
    And you look adorable in your Easter attire, I love particularly those shoes. And I totally agree that dresses that require specialty undewear are annoying (argh!)
    Thanks for the recap on last Easter outfits too, so amazing to see how your hair has been changing!
    besos

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    1. It was awesome to see them - I have missed my friends so much! Thank you - I have been really trying to get dressed up every day. It's been really good for my moods.

      L is a stylin' guy! I am happy to get his closet turned over.

      Thank you - I love those shoes so much. Isn't it fun to see all those old looks - and my hairdos!?

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  17. A great round up post this one, thanks. I love the yellow dress with black and white as contrast. Those spotty shoes are ace, especially with those soles! Well done you guys that you're still managing to keep in touch with friends - it's so important now isn't it?

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    1. Thanks, Anna! I love the black and white with a bright solid colour. It really is so important - good golly, I miss my friends.

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