Wonderuffles and Paisley Blouse Flashback; Plus the Big Tree - Random Sparkly

I couldn't resist: I had to wear this baby blue leather blazer right away! I was humming "Walking in a Wonderuffle-land" all day (Christmas carols can be such "earworms"). I'm also showing off one of my seasonal specialty items - a silver lame (lah-MAY!) ruffled skirt, but today's Flashback is actually the ruffled blouse. 

I'll also have more Christmas decorations off the Big Tree to share with you - the Random Sparkly ones! Ooh, we're getting into the good stuff! 

No stair picture today, because it was too dark out! Not even the flash saved it. 

• Leather blazer - ID Collection, thrifted; purchased here for $9.95
• Blouse - CABi, consignment; last seen here in March under a suede slip dress
• Skirt - Mondi, vintage 80s, vintage fair; last seen here on Christmas Eve, December 2019
• Shoes - Big Presence Desmond, Fluevog, consignment; last worn here in November with the yeti and pleats
• Coat (below) - L'Atiste, consignment, Vancouver; last seen here in November

I saw a few coworkers today, and everyone LOVED this outfit (it really made me miss my full office, aw). So many ruffles! 

I'm wearing a mask from Mangos. 

I won't be keeping this awesome blazer out for this season, though - it's way more of a spring/summer colour. I do love this colour with the skirt, though! 

The skirt is magnificent. It's SO 80s! I have to steam out every ruffle - I'm so happy that I have a steamer (highly recommended - treat yourself).

Outerwear - we had a wind warning today, so it was a brisk and breezy walk both ways. 

Despite the wind, we still haven't gotten much below 8-9 degrees this week, so I'm getting in another wearing of this thin coat while I can. 

• Cashmere beret - Club Monaco, thrifted
• Fur scarf - thrifted
• Leather gloves - consignment

The stuff: 

I liked how these went with the pattern of the blouse. 

Sparkly bling: 

I wore the pin over the top button of the blouse. 

• Brooch - Sarah Coventry, vintage fair
• Earrings - thrifted
• Silver/aventurine ring - Scotland, 1996
• Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes

Flashback: CABi Paisley Ruffled Blouse

I picked up this blouse here in February 2014 at My Sister's Closet (RIP) for $19.98. 

It's all the adjectives: sheer, floral, paisley, ruffled AND pleated! I adore the pleated and ruffled cuffs and front placket. The print itself is black on white, so it works with nearly everything in my closet. It's also washable - bonus! 

I wore it a week later, in March 2014, with my lovely spotted trousers. 

I still have those, but they are still tight and didn't get worn this past spring/summer. 

I wore it again in April 2014 with a turquoise skirt, part of a suit that Elaine gave me - sadly, it was in the final stages of disintegrating, so this is the only time I wore it. 

See Vizzini skulking by there? He's looking at these lace-up Fluevogs, and he's got chompin' on his mind! 

This skirt is one of my Best Thrift Deals Ever - I didn't unpack it this fall/winter as, well...2020. Need I say more? It will fit next year! 

This July 2014 outfit does show off the front ruffle really well. Those shoes are atrocious.

Despite me wearing it on its own for the first 3 outfits, I have nearly always layered it under something else, like I did here in August 2014. 

I sent this denim bustier to fellow blogger Shelley (aka Forest City Fashionista) years ago. Skirt Flashback here. 

One of my many yellow dresses over the years, this one from September 2014. 

I'd forgotten about these shoes - they were so high! - but they appear twice in this Flashback. 

The blouse is excellent layered under a party dress. 

That outfit is from December 2014 - doing my sparkly thing for the season! This is where I point out that the shoes here are the same lace-up ones above - Vizzini ate the laces! That cat! 

I love this outfit from March 2015. 

There's those shoes again. All these tones of grey are so pretty. I passed that suede dress along many years ago. 

This was a wild dress - all of that white stitching is just stitching, there are no pockets, no actual beltloops, etc... and it was backless! 

This was in May 2015. I still haven't worn those boots this season! 

My Wonders Ayers converted to a single strap and painted pink, following a chompin' session by Vizzini. He's a very naughty cat. 

This was in July 2015. I loved that velvet skirt, but just got tired of it (it's 5 years old in that picture). 

I still have this all-sequined black dress, seen in September 2015. 

Shoes Flashbacked here. 

This was a nod to the picture behind my head - same dress and obi - in January 2016.

The dress finally moved along a few years ago, but I still have those shoes - they are one of the older pairs in my closet that are not Fluevogs. Vizzini is on the lookout for more shoes to eat! 

I wore the blouse all day at work in this outfit from October 2016.

I'm showing how the big black blob on the bottom is actually culottes. I'll be doing a Flashback on those shoes at some point. 

Later that same day, I wore the blouse to go see Alice Cooper in concert. 

Shoe Flashback here. 

I can't resist adding this picture. 

Elaine, L and me! Rock on! 

This is a pretty classy outfit from March 2017.

Shoes Flashbacked here. 

I still have everything from this February 2018 outfit. 

Boots Flashback here. 

We have Flashbacked three items from this January 2019 outfit! 

Pants here, shoes here. And you're reading the blouse one. 

This October 2019 look is such a professional outfit - so unlike me (hee!). 

Blazer Flashbacked here. I haven't done those shoes yet, but I know I've worn them a lot. 

And finally, here's the last time I wore it, layered under this fabulous suede slip dress in March 2020.

Those t-strap sandals will be worn very soon! 

Mathy stuff: I've worn this blouse 19 times, so at $1.05 per wear, it's been an excellent investment. 

The Big Tree: Random Sparkly

As I uploaded, cropped and resized my ornament photos, I created folders to group the various themes of ornaments. These next ones didn't fit most of the basic categories, so I created a "Random Sparkly" folder. Yep, that's what they are. 

Note: my hand is in most of these for scale. Also, we're done with the boring basics (I know, it was a lot of spirals), and everything gets really "Whoa!" from here on. Oh, and the prices are by memory, so are about 90% accurate - I'm listing them in case my house burns down, so I can claim insurance on them. Yes, I really do have that many decorations. 

I love giant ornaments on a tree. They can add focus areas if placed in the middle-ish body of the tree, or they can balance out the bottom of it, which is what I do. 

These three are all hollow plastic and were $7.95 each. They are all about 8-9 inches in diameter. 

Pink/purple, blue and green. 

I don't believe in "too much glitter."

I have two of these balls, which were $5.95 each. 

Nothing really special, but nice detail. 

You could make these with some beads, cord, plain ball ornaments and a hot glue gun. Crafternoon! 

I have four sparkly butterflies and dragonflies that clip onto the tree branches. 

They attach with claws, like hair clips. 

Yes, I have thought about clipping one in my hair, but I'd be covered in glitter instantly. 

They were $3.95 each. 

GLITTER!

Spikey AND glittery! These were $6.95 each.

My inner crow is in overdrive - CAW!

So sparkly!!

I need some velvet to calm down. 

Oh, so soothing. These were from a Victorian theme - lots of lace and pearl swags that I made by hand. Speaking of those swags, I made all of the ones used on the Christmas tree in the 1987 TV movie version of The Little Match Girl (IMDB link here). Terrible movie, watch at your own risk. 

Check it out, I snagged a screenshot of the Christmas tree from the movie, which features in many of the interior shots. See those swags of pearls? All me, baby. The lacy blobs are Louis Nicole dolls, and the tips of the branches have sprays of pearls made from seed beads and wire (they looked like baby's breath). 

They filmed some scenes at a local restaurant (Hy's Steakhouse, I believe, long-gone), but I'm not sure where the interiors were shot - IMDB says Vancouver, but the city is often mixed up with Vancouver Island, which is where my city is. 

*ahem*

Star ball! $5.95!

Gold. Plastic. Shiny! 

I have a bunch of plastic purple disco balls of varying sizes (small, medium and large) that hang from the bottom of the tree. They were $1.25 to $1.95 each. 

Cat-tested, Sheila-approved. 

I also have one real disco ball. It was $5.95.

With real glass mirrors! I used to have motorized spinner plug-ins (they plugged into an empty mini-light socket), and this was one of the ornaments I always had spinning on the tree. I forwent the spinners this year as I thought moving decorations + Vizzini = recipe for trouble. They are also quite loud: rrrr-rrRR-RRR. 

I have two blown glass candies. They were $6.95 each. 

They are both over-foiled with gold leaf. 

Very pretty! 

I always liked this glitter wire tree. It was $5.95.

I like the line-drawing-ish look of it. It's a three-dimensional tree, though. 

I have huge Bird and Animal categories of ornaments, but this cardinal is just so glittery, I put it in with the Random Sparkly. It was $11.95.

He's quite heavy, and sculpted so beautifully. 

He's looking at you! 

This probably should have been with yesterday's ornaments, but eh, don't care. $5.95?

A connected chain of three spiky purple glitter-stars? Sign me up! 

I have always loved this little Department 56 wire tree with jingle bells. 

These were $8.95 each. I remember a dozen of them all lined up together on a glass shelf. I would sweep them all off into a basket, spray the shelf with Windex, wipe it off with a paper towel, then another wipe with a drier paper towel, then place them all back carefully. I dusted the entire store every few days - it took an entire day to do it. I used a soft paintbrush on a lot of the ornaments. 

I love the beads hanging from this ball. It was $11.95.

Another good Crafternoon project! 

A pretty ornament from the jewel colours trend. This was $5.95.

I like the chain tassel on the bottom. 

This pear is everything. The wired leaf, the size and heft. The beads glued all over it. The soft glowy gold tones. 

It was $10.95.

I love a good strong shape. This brass star was made in India, and was $5.95. 

It's nice and heavy - this is an early purchase, likely late 80s. 

This is one of my very favourite ornaments: it's a big heavy cluster of crystal grapes. It's acrylic and metal and was $14.95.

I'm holding it out from the tree for photographing, but it goes next to a deep blue light for maximum rainbow-osity. 

A line of iridescent glitter stars. This was $4.95.

Pointy! 

This was a "take it if you want it" ornament. 

A stoopid customer unraveled the big red tassel that hung from a hook on the bottom. I popped it open with a screwdriver (it's the same on the other side) and removed the hook, then glued it shut. Voila, gem heart ornament. 

And last, a random sparkle, but also one of my heirloom decorations. My mom will remember this, because it's my First Christmas ornament, from 1967. It's a mylar butterfly with a pipe-cleaner to wire it to the tree. 

It's always the first decoration I put on the tree, and it's always right at the top. I guess I've been a glitter gal from the very start!

I've been telling tales on Vizzini this post, and he's having none of it. 

"All lies. Mostly. Well, some were true. Okay, all of them were true." 

Thanks for stopping by! Be merry and bright.