Cowgirl Boots, Flamenco Flashback and Badass Bag Art Project Pt 2

I picked up my new-to-me cowgirl boots from the cobbler on the weekend, having had them re-soled with non-slip rubber, and the hard plastic heel caps swapped for high-density rubber. Of course, I had to wear them right away!

I don't have a ton of turquoise or teal in my winter wardrobe - it's more of a spring/summer colour for me - but I managed to find enough in my accessories to incorporate the boots. 

• Blazer - Le Chateau, consignment; last worn here in January with pink and bronze
• Copper lame (lah-MAY!) top - thrifted, no tags, not tracked
• Flamenco skirt - handmade, consignment; last seen here in January with my Tsarina vest
• Boots - Donald J. Pliner, c. 2000, consignment; purchased here for $128.00
• Leather trenchcoat (below) - vintage 70s, thrifted; last worn here last week

I started with this black skirt as a good neutral base. It's very much a flamenco-inspired shape, with a big rise at the front, and a mullet hem in the back. We'll have a wee Flashback on it shortly to see all the ways I've previously worn it.

The skirt also has gold fabric lining, so it toned well with the browns in the boots, and overall had a nice cowgirl vibe that I'm a fan of. 

My cream brocade blazer is a firm favourite, and it balanced the cream canvas of the boots.

I've had it for 10 years, and this is its 33rd outing. The top underneath is a black sleeveless sweater, woven with copper threads; it adds more of the brown tones, also blending it in with the boots. 

All profesh from the back. 

I belted over the blazer - this was a look I was huge into curing the early days of my blog ("it was the fashion at the time"), and have come back around to after eschewing it for the past 10-ish years.

Masked up in a caramel print. 

When I was on a Teams call, my colleague noticed my turquoise fur brooch. 

Outerwear. We are experiencing another "atmospheric river". 

Rain. Rain. Rain. Rainrainrain. Did I mention we have lots of rain? 

Accoutrements: 

I always prefer a hat over an umbrella. 

• Hat - Edward Mann, vintage 60s, thrifted
• Silk scarf - vintage fair
• Gloves - Parkhurst
• Mask - Lazy Susan's

The stuff: 

Ah, there they are, in all their glory. These boots were a pleasure to wear all day in the office - I showed them off to every person I saw, including hauling my leg up on my desk to show them on my Teams calls! They cost $75.00 to have the soles/heels replaced, but it's worth every penny. I can't wait to wear them again! 

Mismatched bling: 

Look at me, mixing all my metals. Oops, I forgot to take my pinky ring off. 

• Earrings - consignment
• Copper/turquoise cuff - Bell Trading Post, vintage 60s, consignment, Powell River
• Bronze/turquoise cuff - Myka, consignment
• Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes
• Amber ring - c. 1996
• Bronze pinky ring (not shown) - P. Sarpaneva, vintage 1970s, vintage expo
• Belt - Emmanuel, vintage 80s, vintage fair
• Fur brooch - Catawumpus
• Bar brooch - Fairweather, c. 1987

Seven out of 10 of my "bling" accessories have a shade of turquoise in them. And THAT is how you add colour to an outfit! 

Flashback: Flamenco Skirt

I bought this skirt at House of Savoy on a Saturday afternoon here back in September 2019, for $38.00. I am a bit of a black skirt collector, but I won't just settle for any ol' black skirt. It has to have a special element to it. 

It wasn't hard to see that this skirt would be swoosh-tacular, and I loved the high-low hemline. It's sewn in angled strips that coil around the body, giving it a lot of movement. 

Even the lining has a pretty little ruffle. 

I suspect that it was handmade for/by a dancer - it's such a Flamenco shape, that I'm sure someone must have danced in it. 

I wore it right away in October 2019, pairing it with more favourites. 

Both the jacket and shoes have had the Flashback treatment previously (jacket here, shoes here)

This was a shopping outfit in February 2020. 

I have a thin green sweater underneath, and that's my spectacular Rodarte for Opening Ceremony Ringmaster jacket (Flashback here). The shoes are workhorses - Flashback here - and have been worn a LOT. 

Another outerwear look from January 2021. Sometimes my outerwear is fancier than the base "real clothes" layer! 

My patent leather Burberry bronze jacket is a favourite (Flashback here). 

I debuted my Snake Jacket in October 2021, and chose this skirt (and my other cowboy boots, Flashback here) to help show it off. 

I need to wear that jacket again soon! 

And here's the last time I wore it, in January with my Tsarina coat for a Mom-Day Adventure at Swan Lake. 

I love that this skirt can skew cowgirl, frilly or tough, depending on what I wear with it. 

Mathy stuff: I have only worn this skirt 6 times so far, but I haven't owned it very long - and it does only come out to play for fall/winter. I'm at a very respectable $6.33 per wear so far, and I look forward to many more outfits! 

How do you feel about swooshy skirts? Are you a fan? 

Art Project: Badass Bag - Part 2

Part 1 of my Badass Bag is here if you missed it.

I am really enjoying working on this bag in spare moments. I like the smaller size (compared to a jacket) as I can sit on the couch with my blanket on and some music and tea and spend an hour or more comfortably. Vizzini sits on my lap - I rest the bag on his back while I'm working on it. Doesn't that sound awesome? 

My brain just melts away and I get into the details. I started from the top and worked down on the front, darkening up lines, adding shading and outlines. 

I realized quickly that "Lady" needed the extra illusion piece drawn on the flap so that the front looks like a single surface. 

Front done! It's going to look so cool once it's coloured. 

Under the flap - who's that? Boss Lady! 

As with all of my pieces, I make mistakes...and then let 'em go. I accidentally coloured in one entire S. 

I have a tiny bit left on the other side of the bag, but here's what the sides will look like. 

In case you were wondering, I am going to do something on the back of the bag...but it's a secret! I'll reveal it in due time, heh heh. 

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Brunch and Cat B-Day Poncho; Party Flapper

Ah, that was one fun weekend - I hope y'all had just as much joy, friendship and laughter as I did. 

L and I played board games on Friday night then crashed, both exhausted from our short work-weeks. I was up early on Saturday morning to sneak in my Mini-Mental Health Walk before getting ready to join L for brunch at the Ruby. 

I have been working hard at doing my daily upper body and core/stomach exercises that Vero set up for me, and have been stepping up my walking pace, and I can feel it paying off. To reward myself, I wore this slightly-tight mini skirt. 

• Top - Danier Leather, thrifted; last worn here in December 2021 with pink pattern
• Turtleneck - M&S, thrifted; last seen here in January with my brunch Adidas
• Skirt - Carven, consignment; first worn here in June 2021 with pink and neon green
• Shoes - Room 402 Entrance, Fluevog; last seen here in October 2021 with spooky purple
• Leather coat (below) - Jeno de Paris, vintage 70s, thrifted; last worn here in January
• Welsh wool poncho (below) - no label, vintage 70s, thrifted; purchased here for $15.00

I twisted and clipped my hair while I did my make-up to give myself a little curl and crazy volume. I like playing with my hair. 

I only appeared like this while we had lunch. The front of this black top is leather, as is the zipper surround on the back. 

I layered my pink turtleneck under it for extra warmth (it's still freezing and also windy, oh yay) and to pick up the pink in the skirt. 

I wanted to wear these purple shoes again, and I nearly always wear them with the matchy purple tights. 

Masked up. 

More purple. 

Outerwear - I had a vision and plan in mind for my outerwear, as we'd be standing in line for brunch (it's Victoria, that's what you do), then running some errands (picking up my resoled new-to-me cowboy boots!), then grocery shopping. 

L's checking his phone while he gets his coat on. 

I feel so clever now that I've figured out the secret to wearing wool capes and ponchos is to layer leather coats under them. 

I went with a blue/green/purple outerwear plan, including my purple leather purse, which is layered under the poncho. 

And voila! 

I am ready to be seen in public. 

Accoutrements:

My lovely vintage silk Lanvin scarf peeked out at the neckline. 

• Scarf - Lanvin, vintage 80s, vintage mall
• Leather gloves - Danier
• Mask - by Mom
• Belt (on trenchcoat) - gift from Ruth
• Purse (below) - Roots, thrifted

The stuff: 

I adore these shoes, but that heel is my limit these days. I'm kinda/sorta testing these out to see if I might go for Jimi Hendrix Fluevog boots (click here and prepare to gasp! Link 'cause I love, of course!) when L and I purchase our anniversary Fluevogs next month - I'm sitting on a chunk of gift cards and am ready to spend them. Those boots are high, but with the platform (Shoe Math), they might be doable. 

Minimal bling: 

Just a few small things. 

• Leather cuff - Guess, thrifted
• Lucite bangle - Alexis Bittar, consignment, gift from L
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes
• Gold/amethyst ring - Frances Jewelers, c. 1965, Dad's
• Earrings - Kate Spade, consignment

I wore this same outfit to St. Ann's Academy grounds later on Saturday afternoon to surprise our dear friend Cat for her 51st birthday. Of course, nothing can top that limo ride from last year (enjoy many pics here).

Although we can now gather indoors, we made an exception for Cat (whose mom is 80+ and immune-compromised) and met at the tent at St. Ann's Academy for a wee birthday bash. It was not much of a surprise, though, as Cat was the first person there! Ha! 

Dear Caro rode her bike over, covered in balloons.

She also carried the most delicious homemade almond lemon bars in her bike paniers. What a treat! I ate two of them.

Gathering to watch Justin's punk band serenade Cat with a version of "Happy Birthday" (I think - it was hard to hear off Vero's phone).

From the left, that's me (I added my purple wool beret - consignment), Cat, Vero, Yvonne's long hair, and Nick. 

Me and Caro, having a laugh and a snort.

She is my giggle partner, always. We often end up sniggering together in a corner at any gathering. 

It was freezing cold and starting to rain, so Yvonne donned a pair of ear-muffs. Recognize my old coat? (this one). I love when my friends wear my clothes!

Ross in the background. We all had mugs of hot drinks to ward off the chill. 

This was taken after L and I left. Happy Fifty-Fun, Cat! 

Caro, Cat, Yvonne, and Vero. You can just get a glimpse of Yvonne's extreme badass studded booties there (she bought them with me on a shopping expedition).

The gang.

Caro (in front) took the pic. Middle, from left to right: Cat, Vero, me, Yvonne, Randall. Rear, from left: Ron, Ross, Nick, L, Rosanna and Greg. 

After a much-needed nap and warm-up at home, L and I got ready to go to Greg and Rosanna's to celebrate Greg's 51st birthday (he and Cat are only a couple of days apart).

I had to wear my new-to-me dress! It's a party!

When I bought it, I noted that I preferred it worn backwards, so that's what I did. 

• Raggedy dress - City, thrifted; purchased here for $18.67
• Shoes - Amante, vintage, thrifted; last seen here a few weeks ago with orange boss pants
• Coat (below) - Sarmite Wearable Art, consignment; last worn here last week

I'd checked in with Rosanna earlier - how warm is your house? I need to know these things! 

It's no fun being covered up with a coat at a party because you're shivering! 

Their home was reassuringly very warm, and we had a lovely time partying up with a small group of friends until the wee hours. 

I kept my shoes on for the full party, and my poor tootsies are very tired - they are not used to standing for that long! 

Pockets! I loved the flapper-ish vibe of this dress. 

I layered up with a black tank under this, as the "stripes" in the dress are sheer. 

And I wore my little pantaloons on the bottom over my hosiery.

"Wait, you're leaving?"

Vizzini went ballistic when we got home at 2am, vocally demanding his kitty treats - however, we'd doled them out early at 8pm before we left, so it was a no-go. You can't fool us just because we've been partying, Vizzini! 

I wore my silk velvet wrap, just in case I needed some arm coverage. 

I did not. I just wore it as a scarf with my coat.

Outerwear: bundled up.

We cabbed there with Nick, and our dear friend Arnold drove us home. 

I'm glad I kept this coat out during my recent winter coat transition. The wool and cashmere are so soft and warm.

Accoutrements: 

Oh, I also had a mask for the cab, but forgot to take a picture of it. 

• Purse - Fairweather, c. 1999
• Silk velvet scarf - Fairweather, c. 1999
• Gloves - Cejon, thrifted
• Hat - M&S, consignment, Powell River

The stuff: 

These shoes have served me well over the years - I've had them since 2016 and this is their 16th wear (Flashback here, four outfits ago). Not bad for $10.00!

Bold bling:

While I napped on Saturday afternoon, I mentally planned out all my accessories for this outfit. I love getting in a wearing of these fabulous designer sets. 

• Claw cuff and necklace - Ambush, "Holy Mountain" collection, 2012, consignment, Vancouver, gift from L
• Bangle and earrings - Alexis Bittar, consignment, gift from L
• Brutalist ring - vintage 70s, vintage mall
• Brass ring - vintage mall

And now...I'm off to enjoy the rest of my weekend. 

Rock on, my friends! Woo! 

Fancy Friday: Blue Velvet and Pops of Pink

Happy Friday, my friends! Today, I'm sharing two more of my new-to-me items: this painty blouse and my bargain pink Fluevogs. I'm also saying goodbye to a few things.

I knew I wanted to pair this blouse with the wonderfully drapey silk velvet skirt - the colours are such a perfect match. 

• Sleeveless vest - Only, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in July 2021 with my ORANGE LEATHER SHORTS (sorry, it's in their contract)
• Blouse - Guess, thrifted; purchased here for $14.95
• Skirt - Linda Lundstrom, vintage 90s, thrifted; last seen here in November 2021 with blue and grey
• Shoes - Freedom Suki, Fluevog, early 00s,thrifted; purchased here for $9.95
• Coat (below) - Auckie Sanft, vintage 60s, vintage fair; last worn here earlier this month

It's far too cold out to wear the blouse on its own - I have a pink camisole on under it as well - so I layered my denim dress/vest over it. 

I was glad of the extra layer, but I wasn't really feeling the blouse. It's too floppy and not really me, so off to the giveaway pile it goes! This is how I make room for new things. 

I adore the long swooshy bias-cut skirt. 

It's always a winner. I have blue tights (which I have decided I loathe) and a vintage half-slip under it for warmth. 

I don't wear this denim vest/dress as often as I used to - you can check out the Flashback here for some of the ways I've styled it over the years. 

It can be worn done up (it has two snaps in the front) and tied, but today, I only wore it like that under my coat. 

I am also not really feeling the love for it like I used to, and at 10 wears over 5 years, I've gotten my cost-per-wear to $2.30 - and I'm totally fine with that. Off it goes to a new home! 

Masked up - I have pink bookends! 

The shoes are a little pinkier than the cerise in the blouse, but it's far enough away not to be obvious. 

Outerwear - all the pink! 

I felt very bright when I was out and about after work. 

Accoutrements: 

I wore this pashmina in case I needed to swath myself in it while at my desk. 

• Pashmina - Portolano, thrifted
• Cashmere beret - Club Monaco, thrifted
• Gloves - consignment
• Mask - by Mom

The stuff: 

And the big question: How were the shoes? 

Well, thank goodness I put gel inserts in them! These shoes are a teensy bit big on me and a bit slidey with tights on, but they were otherwise fine and I even walked a couple of blocks in them. I think they might be a good shopping shoe with bare feet, but not sure if they are keepers or not. As I noted when I bought them, I may draw on them.

Minor bling: 

I liked how this sparkly Austrian crystal vintage necklace worked with this blouse. A good combination. 

• Necklace - vintage 60s, gift from L
• Earrings - consignment
• Gold/amethyst ring - Frances Jewelers, c. 1965, Dad's
• Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes

And now I'm off for a weekend full of excitement as we ease back into socializing with live people...indoors! I'll be back on Sunday with tales of adventure, and as always, thank you so much for stopping by. Take care!