Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Shiny Paisley and Brown Velvet Flashbacks; Small Tree Ornaments: Spikes, Spirals, Balls, Garlands and Minis

 Hello, my friends! I have a plethora of pictures to share with you in addition to today's seasonally shiny outfit. We have not one but two Flashbacks, plus I'll be showing half of my decorations on my small 4.5' Christmas tree. Grab yourself a cup of whatever beverage makes you happy, and settle in!

Yes, it's still dark at 7:40am. Solstice, please get here.  


  • Blazer - Talbots, thrifted; last worn here in January with a long blanket skirtSweater - Tatyana, thrifted; last seen here (2nd outfit) in November 2019 with leopard
  • Skirt - Club Monaco, consignment; last seen here in December 2019 with mustard and black
  • Shoes - Cardinal Super Fine, Fluevog; last worn here in November with all the greens
  • Leather trenchcoat - 1970s vintage, thrifted; last seen here on Monday

I put in a bit more effort with today's outfit.
Amp up that shine, Sheila! 

The star is this super shiny paisley skirt in its annual outfit. 
We'll have a little Flashback on it in a bit, along with the velvet blazer. 
My temperature varied in the office today. Jacket off! 
I have a couple of simple black sweaters that are great for letting "bossy" things like this skirt shine (literally and figuratively!).
Everything else that could be fancy...was!

Masked up - this is a caramel one with stars on it, from Lazy Susan's.
I stopped at Cat's on the way home to get my Book Club's next pick from her (we were distanced and masked - she basically tossed it at me). It's all wrapped up for the Zoom reveal this weekend! 

Anyway, I looked like this and flipped my coat open to waggle my shiny skirt at her. 
It was supposed to rain today, but not a drop! 

  • Hat - Edward Mann, vintage 60s, thrifted
  • Gloves - Roeckl, consignment
  • Silk scarf - Lanvin, vintage 70s, consignment

The stuff: 
Shiny gold shoes, just begging to be worn! These are insanely comfortable. 

Gold and black bling: 
You know me, I've got to be matchy. 

  • Necklace - Givenchy, vintage 80s, vintage fair
  • Bracelet - thrifted, Sidney
  • Metal flower brooch - vintage 60s, Mom's
  • Fang cuff - Alexis Bittar, consignment, Sidney
  • Earrings - thrifted
  • Amber ring - c. 1996
  • Silver/onyx ring - Toccara, vintage fair


For those of you who think I have little elves assisting me in these massive posts, I don't. 
"It's all me, folks."


Oh, shush, Vizzini, it is not. I'm actually just really organized! I've taken most of the Christmas photos well in advance, and have them edited/cropped/resized and sorted into folders. I work on the posts late at night, loading the photos ahead of my outfits. I often do the Flashbacks this way too - it's easier than trying to slam out a massive post before dinner! 

Anyhoo, here's the Flashbacks! 


Flashback #1: Copper and Gold Paisley Pleated Club Monaco Skir
t

Back in 2013, local consignment shop Rich Rags had a smaller store near my downtown office - I popped out on a lunch break looking for an ugly Christmas sweater and found this beauty instead, scored for $20.00 here in December 2013.
It's a woven design (all my favourite prints are woven) of black-trimmed paisley shapes on a copper background, and oh, so much gold! Shiny shiny shiny! 

I first wore it right away (shocker) in December 2013, belting a brown tweed jacket with a copper leather obi. That's a solid outfit. 
I'd forgotten all about those shoes - they (along with the jacket and obi, which Vizzini chewed on, naughty thing) are long gone. 

I wore this skirt again in January 2014, pairing it with this fuzzy chocolate brown angora sweater. 
Angora and I do not get along very well (I hate the wafting hairs it sheds), so this is one of the only times I wore that sweater. The shoes were 80s vintage and felt a little too vintage. 

I nearly wore a mustard sweater for today's outfit, and am pleased to see that I had the same idea here in December 2014. 
This version of mustard sweater was too drapey - the layered black blouse under it didn't help. I wore those shoes to death - they were such a classic shape. 

I found a mustard blazer for my October 2015 outfit. 
It, along with the shoes, were victims of a rash closet clear-out of everything that didn't go with my purple hair. Silly me.

I also nearly wore this sparkly sleeveless top and burgundy cardigan today! My creativity is all a sham - as you can see, I tend to do the same things over and over. 
This outfit is from November 2016. The Sperry loafers were great...until one day, they weren't. 

This is a fairly simple outfit (note that this is the 3rd time wearing that same copper brooch) due to it being a shopping look, and mostly covered by a black leather coat. 
This was in December 2017. We saw those shoes in Flashback here

It's rather sad that this skirt really only gets an outing once a year - and almost always in December! 
This is December 2018, and I nearly duplicated this today (different shoes), as that's the same sweater and flower brooch. 

And here's the last time I wore the skirt, in December 2019. 
We saw that black leather cropped jacket in Flashback here


Mathy stuff: I've now worn this skirt 9 times, which is a respectable $2.22 per wear, but I want to wear it more! 


I've found it's quite difficult to style - it really only works with a limited palette of cream/white, black, copper, gold, brown and mustard. It looks horrendous with brights, like red or blue, although I should try some dark green. What would you wear with it? 


Flashback #2: Brown Velvet Talbots Blazer


One of the problems (ha ha) with a big wardrobe is that I forget how long I've had some of my items. I was sure that this velvet blazer was one of my very old items, however, I bought it here in September 2018, not all that long ago!
I guess I thought I'd had it longer because a brown velvet blazer is SUCH a staple garment. It's not the first one I've owned, by a long shot. 

I did not pay $16.96 for it - it was 75% off. 
So, I paid $4.25. Sometimes, when I'm cleaning out my closets and I remember that I paid less than a large coffee for a garment, it makes it easier to let go of it. Other times, I know that I'll never find another brown velvet blazer (always be upgrading!) for such a good price. 

I wore it within a week or two, here in October 2018. The blazer is a petite cut (I'm 5'4", so right on the verge), and it fits great through the body, but feels a bit short overall. The sleeves also feel short on me, so I often scrunch them up. 
I let go of that skirt when I upgraded to a better one. We saw those shoes in Flashback here

This was a loose and comfy look from January 2019. I'm off on a shopping expedition. 
You may remember the skirt and the shoes from Flashbacks here (skirt) and here (shoes). 

Clearly, this February 2019 look is the best outfit with the blazer - don't you agree? Hey, there's that copper brooch again! The skirt and blouse have been given away since.
The proportions are just right - the blazer looks fab belted, the colours are all balanced evenly and the boots make my legs look nice and long. I still need to do a Flashback on those boots! 

I wore the blazer as outerwear here in September 2019, and it's...just a big block of brown. Blerg.
I don't count this as a very successful outfit, but hey, at least I'm trying! We saw those shoes in Flashback here

The brown velvet is strictly a fall/winter thing for me, as seen in November 2019 with my dragonscale skirt (Flashback here). 
I feel good about letting go of those bootie things. Ug-ly. 

I love this outfit from January 2020 - I wore this for a trip to the periodontist (Clothing as Armour). 
The boots were Flashbacked here, and we also saw the belt in Flashback here


Mathy stuff: Here I thought there would be dozens of outfits, but today's look is only the 7th wearing of the velvet blazer. That's a whopping 61 cents per wear, and I expect that number will go way down over the next several years. 

Do you own a brown blazer? Is a blazer a wardrobe staple for you?


Christmas Decorations: The Small Tree - Spikes, Spirals, Balls, Garland and Minis

Okay, are you ready for some Christmas tree decorations? Today's show and tell features the "filler" on this smaller tree, and there are loads of pictures. You might want a refill on your cup of cheer! You might also want to put a warm pet on your lap...
"No moving, please."


As a professional Christmas decorator (I've done well over 500 trees and display windows, along with trees for hotels...and a yacht!), I know how to do a theme tree with all matching ornaments a la Martha Stewart, but that's not my jam with my personal trees. This small tree evolved from the large tree (i.e. all these ornaments were once all on one tree), when I decided to "branch out" (pun intended) and created a more themed display to show off my Hallmark ornaments that I started to collect in the 90s (I was/am a big Star Trek: Next Generation fan). 
I refer to this as my Star Wars/Star Trek tree, as I have oodles of those decorations, but it also has a bunch of other ornaments that go with those thematically. Remember how "it doesn't have to match; it just has to go" works for outfits? It works for trees too! 

I decided to pull out blue, gold, silver, white and clear/crystal as my colour story, so most of those ornaments were sectioned out from the rest of the collection and I store them together now. I really like strong shapes and bold colours, starting with....
My spiky star! I have three of these - one, as a tree-topper here, and the other two on the big tree. 

They came as a set of hollow spikes, that fit onto the nubs on the central hub. 
So you don't have to store them with all those dangerous pokey bits ready for little kitties to gnaw on. These were $12.95 each and I wish I'd bought more! They also came in a larger size, I recall, but they were harder to put together and the spikes kept falling off. 

When I decorate, I put the biggest ornaments on the trees first, to ensure that they get a good focal spot, and also so that they are balanced with each other and not all clumped around the bottom of the tree. It's totally okay to have big ornaments up high. 
This is a giant sun - easily about 8" across. I shove the big ornaments right into the branches, and let bits of branch stick out around them to hang smaller ornaments on. It helps create visual layers.

I have a few sun/moon/stars in my collection - the "Celestial" theme was huge around 1994 (didn't we all have that gold on blue fabric in something?? I had placemats and a vase).
This is a solid metal sun - it's very heavy - made in India. 
I like that the back is nicely finished with a piece of gold lame (lah-MAY!) velvet. This was $5.95.

Acrylics were also a really big trend in the mid-90s. They had the look of crystal/glass but without the worry about breakage. 
I like how they make the lights glow. This sun was around $5.95.

Is it bigass? Is it covered in glitter? Does it have a tassel or other gewgaw? Then I need it! 
This big blue sparkly ball is about 9" long, but is very light. I think it was around $8.95.

I'm very fond of star/spiky shapes, and the more intricate the better. 
This is a heavy-wire spiky star covered with gold paint and iridescent glitter. $6.95-ish.

I remember doing a tree covered in these cardboard geometric stars - they only came in one size, and were $5.95.
This is big (about 6" across) and was made in India. It's like a geometry lesson!

This has been one of my favourite ornaments from very early on - it's one of the first ones I bought from my store. They were $2.99. 
So GLITTERY! 

Another very spiky star, also covered in glitter. 
I'm a sucker for shiny, glitter...I must have crow in my DNA somewhere. 

This is a hand-blown glass spiky star. 
It gets its own box for storage, as do most of my glass decorations. It was $7.95.

An acrylic multi-pointed star. This was around $3.95. 
The nice thing about a vague theme is that a lot of different things can go with it, and you often see random pieces like this in thrift shops or after-holiday sales and can pick them up inexpensively, knowing they'll go with the rest of the ornaments. 

I love this big blown glass icicle; I have 3 more of them on the big tree. They were around $15 (each!), so much as I wanted more, I just bought one in each colour. 
Isn't the colour lovely? I am a big fan of this cobalt blue (you probably didn't notice, tee hee).

I have three of these beaded clear/silver spirals, and they are the most recent things I've bought. 
I picked them up at a local fair trade shop about 10 years ago for $5.95 each - a good price, so more is better! 

I fell in love with these glass spiral ornaments when we got them in and bought one (at least) of every colour. I think I have 12? They were $5.95 each. 
Cobalt blue! But wait till you see the others on the big tree...more colours! 

I also put the gold glass spiral on this tree. 
Some of the glass spirals are clear/shiny and some are matte. 

Like this blue one. 
Oooh, pretty! 

This is a plastic star - I like the shape. 
Well, the fact that it's covered in gold glitter helps immensely (and yes, I was bespeckled with glitter when I was done!). 

This is a pretty acrylic snowflake. 
I like that it has the correct six sides, as all snowflakes do - it's Science! 

This is just one random plastic glitter icicle. 
Sure, why not? I do not know why I only bought one...

You might have noticed all the twisted silver icicles in front of/near/around the ornaments in the pictures. 
They are real TIN icicles and came in this nice metal tube with cork lid. This company is still in business - and you can still buy these icicles for $15.95 (I think that's around what I paid 20 years ago, so that's a good deal) here, link 'cause I love. 

They are great for folks who like tinsel on the tree but don't want to have to pay for a vet visit because their dog/cat ate it. 
There are 50 of them in the tin and, of course, now on the tree. I noticed one that looked suspiciously gnawed-on...

I also have about six of these big blue glass balls on this tree, stuffed deep in the innards, close to the trunk. This gives the tree visual depth. I also have balls in red and purple on the big tree. 
Note the icicle in front of it - I put the icicles on the tips of the branches. 

I have a collection of plastic disco balls, specifically bought for our old kitty Othello, who liked to bat at the balls on the bottom of the tree. I have all the gold and blue ones on the small tree. 
There are three different sizes - these were all $1.95-$1.25 each. 

We used to find the disco balls under the couch or hear them being batted down the hallway. 
Othello was good at getting them off the tree. 

This is a German iridescent glass "trumpet" ball, so-called because the glass surface has been pushed into the center of the ball part, and looks like trumpets coming outwards. 
It was $7.95 and it's so delicate. I was relieved when I unpacked my glass that none of it had broken over the years. Phew! 

This ginormous handblown blue/purple glass ball was on a Christmas present from...Mom? I really can't remember!
It's tucked under the bottom of the tree, as it's heavy - it hangs with some wired star garland, like what's around my picture frames. 

This is a Polish glass iridescent "onion" ball. 
It was $5.95. I love that shape. It's clear with an iridescent finish - it's next to a green light here. 

Here's that celestial theme again. 
I love the rich sheen of matte glass balls. 
They were $5.95 each.

And I bought one in each design. 
The top sun one is the best. 

Garland! I don't like fuzzy, tinsel-style garland, so most of what I have on my trees is unique and not what you migh
This is a long gold string, with gold glass balls spaced every 6" or so. I like the look of it. I have a few more of this style garland on the big tree. 

And these next two are what we called "swags" in the business. 
Basically, two ends connected by bead garland - you anchor them by bending the tips of the branches over the beads. This is a deep blue acrylic crystal set (it was around $6.95). There's a red and purple one on the big tree. 

And this is a gold spiky star set. 
I've drawn arrows so you can see where I've anchored them on the branches. I only have one of these. 

The last ornaments (along with the tinsel icicles) to go on this tree are the minis. These are all about 1-2" wide at the most.
Glitter snowflake! Yes, please! 

Little blue cage ball. 
I know it's there, even though it's small. 

A blue acrylic star. 
Pretty! I think I have a red one, and maybe purple too?

I have 6 of these blown glass stars.
The acrylic ornaments were all around $1.95-2.95, but the glass ones were $4.95 each or more. 

I remember just coating trees in the store with these acrylics - it was a rainbow on the tree. They sold like crazy for about two years. Very trendy for 1993-5.
This one is blue - I have more of these on the big tree. 

This is a solid blown glass heart. 
It has an iridescent finish. 

Did I mention I have a bunch of these stars? 
Oh, I did? 
Are you sure? 

This is actually a lead crystal ornament that refracts light and makes rainbows.
The snowflake was $7.95. 

A bigger acrylic drop. These were $3.95 each. 
Again, I have more colours of these. 

Say, what about those glass stars? 
You have to admit, they are shiny! And iridescent! 

I also have one little hollow glass bird. 
And a glass star. 
Spiky!

And a teardrop. 
And finally, an acrylic bunch of...
Grapes. Yes, just what the tree needed. Totally on theme. 

Here's the small tree again from a few angles so you can spy the positioning of some of these ornaments on it.
You can click on any of the pictures to make them bigger. 

You might notice that the side closest to Vizzini's scratching post doesn't have very many ornaments on it. That is not by accident! 


In the next post, we'll have a look at the fancy ornaments on the small tree. I am still working on photographing the decorations on the big tree before I lose daylight (they are much harder to capture in dim light). 
"We should definitely open this door, Woman!"

Vizzini "helped" me. I won't miss any - I used to have to do inventory on my entire store, including the decorated trees, and I'm able to zero in and visually remember them all. There's a skill for the resume!


Well, that was a lot - I hope you enjoyed this look at some of my pretty things! Do you have a favourite? Do you do any kind of colour theme in your decorating? 

32 comments:

  1. Although I don't have any colour suggestions to try with the skirt I do think it's a lovely piece on you! :)

    Your tree is so beautiful Sheila and I love the range of ornaments but how well they all go! The first Christmas we had together I was a bit sad as we only had the standard ornaments we bought on the tree - I prefer a mix and ones with stories behind them! Of course now 11 years on it's a lot more varied and interesting to look at! :)

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    1. Thanks so much, Mica!

      Aw, I appreciate that, thanks! I also started out with a bunch of boring ornaments, and have gradually replaced them with ones that I really love. That's how to build a collection!

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  2. Great post Sheila.
    We have a real tree which white and navy baubles and a fake tree with all our sentimental keepsakes.
    Both make me feel happy. X

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    1. Thanks, Jane! Oh, how lovely - the smell of real trees can't be beat. They do make one feel happy, don't they?

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  3. Can't wait for the Winter Solstice to arrive, although it will take a bit longer until we see any significant improvement. Not having enough daylight hours is the thing that gets to me the most. The only thing we can do is wear our brightest and most sparkling outfits, and your skirt and shoes are doing the job perfectly! Scrolling through the skirt's flashback, your current outfit is definitely my favourite. I love the patterned tights and the brown velvet blazer looks super soft and luxurious. I had a brown cord blazer once. Perhaps it's still lurking somewhere in the depths of my coats wardrobe, but even so I haven't worn it in years. Will have to check it out.
    I can't believe you've got yet more Christmas stuff, and that this is only covering the small tree. Your house must look like Santa's grotto! I'm loving the stars, especially that delicate glass one. All the glass and acrylic ornaments are gorgeous too. And yes, I remember that Celestial craze, which happened around the time Jos and I got together. I had a couple of Christmas decorations, a tablecloth, cushions and a tin. In fact, I still have most of it!
    Your big tree looks incredible. I'll be donning my sunglasses when you'll post about it, though. It is very bright! xxx

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    1. I hate all this darkness in the morning, Ann. I'm craving sunlight, even though I know it'll be months before the days give me more sun. Wearing bright and sparkly things definitely helps! Thank you so much - I adore the velvet blazer.

      I know, there's more! So much more! It does look very much like Santa's grotto in my house! Funny how many of us were into celestial!

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  4. Love all your pretties I love seeing how eveyone does their trees up. Your style shines through!

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    1. Thank you so much! It was fun putting up all my decorations this year.

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  5. Another fabulous sweetie wrapper skirt and I agree with Ann, your most recent combination is my favourite as it features those incredible Cardinal shoes, i love 'em!
    More decorations! I am in awe of your collection.
    I remember that celestial craze, too. I had a throw and a box of those sun, moon and star decorations which I used to use back in the day when I did Xmas.
    Vizzini's face cracks me up, you are very wise to keep the area by his scratching post decoration free, he can't get his paws on those precious things! xxx

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    1. It does look like a candy wrapper, doesn't it, Vix? Thank you! The shoes are so fab.

      It's a huge collection - and oh, wasn't celestial HUGE?

      Vizzini is such a little monkey. The post has been distracting him well.

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  6. Very enjoyable post to read, browse and see. So much to say:
    - I'm falling more and more in love with Vizzini, he's such a gorgeous cat.
    - I always admire how you organize your posts together so brilliantly and manage to link everything! It is great you were organized right from the start of blogging. I'm sure it helps you do it regularly, I think when we follow a blogging routine, assembling posts together can become easier but it is still a lot of work, isn't it? One mistake I used to do was not to name my photos. Now they are named, it makes things easier to find in my computer folders and on blog. I wish I was so organized from the start but well we sometimes learn as we go.
    - I just gasped when I saw that shiny parsley skirt. It's definitely a beauty. I love the pattern dark tights, the shiny shoes, the necklace and the brooch you paired with it. The jacket is beautiful---and the coat you wore over it is fantastic. The caramel face mask matches the outfit beautifully.
    - Wonderful flashbacks. You look great with the red and orange pixie...but also with longer hair. You really had a lot of cool hairstyles over the years and I like your current one as well.
    - Flashback to 2013 is particular inspiring! To quote you: "December 2013, belting a brown tweed jacket with a copper leather obi. That's a solid outfit. " I have to add- more than a solid outfit. It's a gorgeous outfit. The copper leather obi just gives it extra jazz. You know how sometimes an accessory completely transforms an outfit, that jacket is fabulous but with the belt, it's just perfection.
    -December 2018- That was another gorgeous outfit. The skirt looks great paired with black. It makes it stand out more.
    - February 2019- the best look with the blazer? Yes, I think I agree. It's a beautiful and elegant look for sure.
    - I'm not surprised to learn you used to decorate Christmas windows and trees professionally for stores. Not just because I remember you worked in a Christmas store but because you are so creative. I also understand that too matchy isn't your personal preference. It isn't mine either. I like Christmas decor and outfits that tell stories, like yours do. I like to create memories with items I own, be they clothing items, decor or whatever. I wouldn't want my home too look like a store, like some people decorate their homes, where would be the personal touch in that?
    - Your Christmas decor is gorgeous. Your trees are so beautiful! I love the lights on them.

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    1. This has to be one of the biggest comments I've ever gotten, Ivana! Thank you!

      - Vizzini is a lovely boy, so full of personality. :)
      - I'm a very organized person, right down to the links. I have a routine and it works for me, most of the time (right now, it's challenging with Flashbacks and the decorations together). I don't name my photos - I just search on the blog and re-download them.
      - Glad you love the skirt! The leather vintage trenchcoat is also a fave. I love matching my masks!
      - Thanks! I like changing my hair up.
      - I like that one too, and I miss the copper obi (Vizzini chewed it up). Yes, accessories make a huge difference in an outfit!
      - I like the skirt with black too, and the belted blazer.
      - Yup, it was one of my first creative outlets on a larger scale, before I really got into clothes. I got my fill of "theme" trees working in the store, but have always loved my own tree to reflect my personality more.

      Thank you, my dear!

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  7. Ha, I still have a couple of blue wine glasses with gold suns and moons on them. From, very likely, 1994.

    That's such a great skirt. I liked the one bit of burgundy with it a lot. What about navy?

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    1. Nice, join the Celestial Club here, Rachel! :-P

      Thank you! Eh, I don't like putting navy and black together, plus I don't own very much navy (it reads black on the blog).

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  8. good evening Sheila, there you go again - classy yet funky. That skirt sure is a stunner and I loved all the outfits in the flashback esp. with the blazers. I also am in awe of your christmas collections. You know over the years I have changed what I like but this year it is very traditional and cozy (a sign of the times that's what I thought was called for this year). Your skills of cataloging your clothes and collections is amazing. I forgot to say I loved your mantra it doesn't have to match it just has to go. Your trees are lovely and "full" looking. Shazxx

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    1. Shaz, thank you so much! I love the skirt and it was fun to look back on it.

      I know, it's a huge collection, isn't it? I have done a smaller display in years past, but this year called for the full deal. It makes me feel very comforted to see it all again.

      Thank you - being an organized person can be a bit of a curse, but I'm glad it's useful for blogging!

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  9. The skirt is gorgeous! I love it. Your outfit looks amazing, as always, and it suits you perfectly.

    I love that huge star on top of the tree. It's such a statement. Just fab!

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    1. Thank you, Anca! I appreciate your kind words.

      Isn't it cool? I have two more of those spiky stars on my big tree too.

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  10. That outfit is just fabulous. I think what really makes it special are the patterned tights. Looking at the flashback you nearly always wore it with plain tights and I think patterned ones work better. I also love the blazer and the shoes so much! Enjoyed the flashbacks immensely.

    Your Christmas tree is wonderful - oh that star looks lethal! What a simply amazing collection of baubles.

    Take care and stay safe, Sheila!
    xxx

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    1. Thanks so much, Vronni! Funny how patterned tights have come around again! I like them too.

      Thank you! I love that big star and all the little ones too.

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  11. woww, this is a fabulous outfit, love your golden-on-copper skirt, so magnificent that its paisley motives are woven!, quality!. And you look so elegant in your velvet blazer and patterned tights and matchy shoes and bling!. Gorgeous!
    And so lovely flashback, I'm loving that first leather obi and the copper brooch!. So delightful matchiness!. Your velvet jacket looks really luxurious and soft, and I totally agree that the Feb2019 outfit is particularly fabulous!, and cool!
    I'm enjoying all these photos of your christmas decoration, so entertaining. And I remember the 'celestial' trend back in the 90's (I loved it so much) and your suns and shiny stars are amazing!, love all those spiky stars and icicles!
    besos

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    1. Thanks, Monica! Woven patterns are always better to me than printed ones. I like the matchy outfits the best too!

      Glad you are enjoying my decorations! Another person who had celestial - too funny! The spiky stars are my favourites.

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  12. Vizzini is such a beautiful boy - excellent close-ups of that furry face. I remember that Celestial trend too with all the home decor items available in blue and gold with crescent moons and suns. I quite like the sun ornament collection.

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    1. Isn't he a lovely boy? He so seldom holds still for these pictures!

      Ha ha, another celestial person! I love the suns too - I remember doing entire trees with them.

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  13. That paisley skirt has me swooning! And Vizzini looks just like my Dave! Black cats are the best cats!

    Shelbee
    www.shelbeeontheedge.com

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  14. I just die over any shiny fabric. Aw, yes, black cats rule!

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  15. Autumnal browns and golds? Colour me officially smitten!

    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

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  16. I love most of your Christmas ornaments but the spikes take the cake for me. We have to put something lightweight at the top of our artificial tree and so far the only thing we found is a boring red paper bow. The spikes are so much nicer.
    Greetje

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    1. I love the spikes - I really wish I had more of them! Thanks, Greetje!

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  17. Those ornaments are lovely - it's great seeing treasures collected over the years coming out again.

    I honestly don't know what I'd pair with the skirt - being a fairly tame dresser, I'd probably opt for a simple black top and then goldtone jewellery with brown diamante. As you say, let the skirt shine.

    I *do* own a brown velvet blazer! Poor thing hasn't been out of the wardrobe in this hellyear as I'd usually wear it on warm-but-not-hot days and I've been housebound since March. I don't have anything as good as the dragonscale skirt to go with it tho...

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    1. Thanks so much, Mim! I really enjoyed seeing them all again, myself.

      It's a tricky skirt, and that's why I only wear it around the holidays. Yeah, it hasn't exactly been a year for blazers!

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