Rainy Foray in Florals; Gold Wing Dress, Part II

My Thursdays off are to be treasured - Mom and I didn't meet up today as she got over-enthusiastic with putting up her Hallowe'en decorations (I want pictures!) and needed to rest. I treated myself to a quiet day of catching up on comments, working on my Gold Wing Dress for my mental health, and then meeting up with my colleague/mentor/friend/budding fashionista Simona for coffee. 

I had to dress for the weather, first and foremost, as we are experiencing an "atmospheric river" pattern of 30+ cm of rain. Good times! However, practical doesn't have to be boring! 

• Tuxedo blouse - thrifted; last worn here in November 2020 under pink mohair
• Dress - InWear; last seen here (and Flashbacked) in February with paisley
• Boots - Doc Martens, consignment; last worn here (3rd outfit) in February 2020 to meet up with an old friend
• Coat (below) - Avoca; last seen here in April

I had a lovely view of the Castle this afternoon.

The Garry oak leaves are all rusty-coloured. 

I had to match everything to my floral Doc Martens - aside from my white floral Docs, these are the best shoes I own for Major Weather. I also like to travel in these - they've been to Italy!

I alternate my Docs walking to and from work in the fall/winter/early spring, so these get worn 2-3 times a week, even though you never see them. I last wear wore them on the blog in March 2020, but I actually last wore them on Monday. 

The dress is actually leather - you can enjoy a Flashback of it at the link above. 

The stretch silk blouse was just right as it doesn't cling to the lining of my coat. I also have a camisole on underneath. 

Outerwear and masked up briefly. My coat of choice was this waterproof raincoat that I've had for several years. 

I don't wear it that often, but when I want a cool raincoat I have it. The pattern is rainy pansies! 

I love that shape, and the elastic high up on the back. 

It gives me movement without completely concealing my shape. 

Hood up! 

And a hands-free bag. 

I didn't deploy the hood, though. 

I have a fantastic new umbrella! If there had been wind, I would have had to skip the brolly. Phew!

Accoutrements: 

I am not really a bag person - I tend to use one bag over and over and over - but I do have a small collection. 

• Purse - Roots, thrifted
• Silk/cashmere scarf - gift from Mom, Italy
• Gloves - Parkhurst
• Mask - by Mom

The stuff: 

No boots in the picture - Vizzini is a monster about the laces, so I have to stash them in a closet immediately. 

• Belt - thrifted; purchased here for $6.95
• Poe cuffs - Jezebel Charms, gifts from L
• Anatomical heart locket - Defy, gift from L
• Amber ring - c. 1996
• Feather ring - Fossil, thrifted
• Earrings - thrifted

First wearing of this new-to-me belt - loved it. 

Simona and I chatted and caught up on the past 20 months for two hours. So lovely to see her! 

Art Project: Gold Wings Dress, Part II

Before I met up with her, I sat on the couch with Hallowe'en baking shows on (great background) and Vizzini sleeping on my lap under a blanket, while I worked some more on my dress. 

I started adding some detail to the feathers, using a fine-tip liquid gold pen. I am working on the same layers straight across, although I learned to work left to right so that my fingers wouldn't pick up the still-sticky gold ink as much. 

Drawing on a dark background with a "light" colour forced me to look at the negative space. I'm drawing everything that isn't a feather. Tricky! 

This looks better from a distance - I got better and more consistent as I went along and worked out a pattern. It's not about being perfect, she reminded herself. 

See? It looks much lacier and delicate. I'm excited and happy with how it's progressing. 

I can only do a couple of rows at a time before I start smudging the gold ink. This is about two hours of work. 

How's your week going?