Blind-Sided: Vizzini - Long Weekend Wrap-Up: Fancy Friday Jammy Dress; Brunch in Black; Vero's Birthday Party

Hello, my friends! Although this is a big post full of outfit pics, I have some bad news. 

"I am trying to nap, Woman, get that camera out of my face."

Vizzini is blind. 

If you look at the last pic in the Powell River post (this pic here), you'll see that his eyes are very dilated and huge. 

"I'm still the most handsome cat in this house."

He'd been acting oddly since we got home, but after I sat with him for a bit and tried to get him excited by a toy (his favourite stick), I realized he couldn't see. 

We checked in with Cat and Ross; they'd found him normal in the morning: active, happy to see them, but by the time we got home hours later...he had completely lost his sight. It was nothing that they'd done (obviously! they are major cat-people!), and Vizz seems to be feeling fine otherwise (purrs, is still a ball of energy), although he's understandably distressed by not being able to see anything. 

We got him to the vet hospital on Friday - L waited there all afternoon (it's triage-based, and although losing his sight is bad, he wasn't an emergency case) and then I joined him after work. None of the results are good: he is blind from detached retinas due to hypertension, and he also has stage 2-3 kidney disease (right on the edge). He may have a few months, and he may have a few years. 

Understandably, we are devastated, but Vizzini is pretty chipper as he learns to navigate without his sight. He is on medication to lower his blood pressure and anticoagulants to help ease his heart, which has been stressed due to the hypertension. He's also on a special kidney food diet. 

However, life goes on. We can't sit and mope and cry (although there has been some of that), and we can definitely ensure that he has quality of life for as long as we have him. We all come with expiry dates...and now we know that his is nearing, we'll give him as much love and comfort as we can. 

Please send your best good vibes for us, as we take care of our dear little guy. My apologies for spilling this here on my blog, but some of you have known him since he was a wee kitten (introduced back here in June 2011), and I know many will shed some tears for him. Thank you for your big hearts. 

And now...back to outfits.

My clothes feel completely irrelevant, but I record the ups and downs here regardless. This is not the first bad news I've had in my life, and it won't be the last.

Not surprisingly, I reached for my best feel-good Jammy Dress for Friday's work-day. It's fancy with very little effort.

• Dress - Just Cavalli, consignment; first worn here (3rd outfit) for L's birthday party in June
• Boots - Rockport, thrifted; last seen here in April with my regret-me-not palm skirt

I paid enough for this dress, I should wear it lots! Plus, it's beautiful, and covered with desert creatures and flora.

Love the big pockets.

I told a few people at work about Vizzini, just so they'd know if I started to bawl at my desk.

He's been in the company newsletter, so they "know" him. 

I layered a beige camisole underneath, and have my little shorts on, plus wee socklets for the boots.

This was comfy enough for several hours in the waiting room - we didn't get home until nearly 8pm.

Masked up. 

There were a few people around in the office, and I wore my mask at the vet hospital too.

Incognito.

Glasses big enough to hide my anxious and often teary eyes.

Accoutrements:

Silk is comforting.

• Scarf - vintage, thrifted
• Mask - by Mom

The stuff: 

The weather's quite a bit cooler over the past few days, enough that boots were comfortable and not sticky. 

I didn't realize until I uploaded the photos that I'd missed taking the bling pic (it was very late and we were starving). 

• Silver/amber ring - antique shop, Sidney; purchased here for $40.00
• Silver/red enamel ring - antique shop, Sidney
• Silver balls ring - Sidney
• Brown bangles - vintage, Lazy Susan's
• Pink bangle - vintage, vintage fair; purchased here for $5.00
• Earrings - Betsey Johnson, swap from Cat

First wearing of the thumb ring and the pink bangle. 

After a quiet Friday evening, we were up to go for brunch (not enough folks for Ulti on the Labour Day long weekend).

I'd completely forgotten about these pants - they've been in my "delicate things" laundry basket. Time to do a wash, Sheila! 

• Silk tunic - Sympli, thrifted; last worn here (3rd outfit) in March for Book Club
• Pants - Morris & Co x H&M, consignment, Sidney; purchased here for $19.98
• Shoes - Summertime Moonbeams, Fluevog, consignment; last seen here (3rd outfit) for Petra's 50th birthday party in July

I gave them a quick steam and wore them with this lovely silk tunic.

"Where does one find silks these days?" mused reader Zida (I'm reading, I just can't deal with responding to comments right now, so sorry, hope y'all will forgive me). 

One finds silks in thrift stores, and consignment stores, Zida. 

I loved these pants - I adore William Morris designs, and although they are H&M, they are much nicer quality (cotton/poly/stretch) than the dress I used to have from this collaboration. 

It was windy out (as you can tell from the stair pic), but still sunny, and I felt like being covered head to toe.

Clothing as Armour! 

Masked up. 

We got groceries after brunch - we had a long wait at the Ruby, due to the holiday weekend. Downtown was insane with groups of roving tourists and all the university kids coming back into town for term start next week. 

Incognito.

It felt weird acting normally - my brain kept shouting, "My cat is blind!" but we (humans and cats) are adaptable creatures. 

Accoutrements: 

Getting near the end of my summer wardrobe season - I'll be putting that straw bag away. 

• Purse - Street Society, thrifted
• Scarf - Forele, vintage, thrifted
• Mask - by Mom

The stuff: 

More armour - poky bits and clompy shoes. 

Comfort bling: 

Favourite things to ward off negativity. 

• Necklace - vintage 1920s, vintage mall, gift from L
• Gold-tipped bangle/earrings - Alexis Bittar, consignment, gift from L
• Black bangle - Alexis Bittar, consignment, Sidney
• Gold-plated sterling ear-cuffs - consignment
• Crystal ring - Uffizi Gallery gift shop, Florence, Italy
• Amber/silver thumb ring - antique shop, Sidney
• Jade/brass ring - vintage 70s, Mom's
• Silver/amber ring - Past Times, c. 1996, gift from L

The crystal ring was a Winesday Women gift (they gave me the money and I bought it on holiday in Italy) - nearly everything else was Mom's or from L. Holding my people close. 

We chilled out on Saturday night and played boardgames (so normal! like real people!), and hung out with Vizzini, giving him lots of attention. 

"Yes, always bothering me."

He's slowly getting used to his lack of sight and has been ruthlessly angling for food at every opportunity. He's also sleeping a fair bit, but then he is a cat. 

On Sunday, we had a quiet day but as we still have Monday off, it's not a "school night" - we had a party to go to! It's Vero's birthday! 

I had so many choices - I could have worn 10 different outfits! 

• Top - Peter Pilotto for Target, 2014, consignment, Sidney; purchased here for $24.98
• Skirt - Lida Baday, thrifted; purchased here for $12.95
• Shoes - Big Presence Desmond, Fluevog; last seen here in July with a dotty redo
• Leather jacket (below) - Banana Republic, consignment; purchased here for $230.99

Since I just "rediscovered" this top in the laundry bag, I've washed it and was excited to debut it. 

My original plan was to wear my funk new sporty boots with this, but they didn't look right. Another time, another outfit. 

Instead, I let the top be the focus-puller, and stuck to solids for the rest of the outfit.

I bought this skirt over a year ago, and have been waiting for an occasion to wear it ever since - I got it in July 2021! 

I liked how the elastic belt gave a corset-ish effect.

I also hides that the hook-and-eye and top inch of the skirt are unzipped, heh heh. Vero asked everyone to bring a dessert for her party, so I planned to enjoy my self (I brought an assortment of my favourite dessert, Lindt balls). I ate many macarons! 

I felt very Angelina Jolie in this skirt - it's meant for leg action. 

I have nylons on - my legs are very veiny. 

Outerwear - continuing new items in this outfit, time to debut this new-to-me leather jacket.

We walked downtown to Justin's studio/workspace, and walked home afterwards in the wee hours. 

All done up - just in case it got cold. It was very windy, and the balsa wood earrings flipped and flapped.

Those pockets are not really adequate for hands.

Ready for walkin'! 

My feet were happy to go back into these at the end of the evening. 

Accoutrements: 

Didn't need gloves, didn't need a mask. 

• Silk scarf - fake Louis (Lewis!) Vuitton, thrifted

The stuff: 

I had a few comments that I looked like a superhero. 

Superhero bling:

May as well go with the theme, right?

• Belt - vintage, thrifted
• Black and white cuff - vintage, vintage fair
• Black and red Bakelite cuff - vintage, vintage mall, gift from L
• Earrings - consignment, Sidney; purchased here for $13.50 
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes
• Silver/enamel ring - antique shop, Sidney

It was amazing to see our friends again - I really needed to fill my cup with their company, and get their love and support. And it was awesome to dance and enjoy celebrating Vero! 

And now, my friends, I'm off to chill with my fam, including this little guy.

"That's right, bring this back to me, as you should."

Again, my apologies for not visiting/commenting on y'all's blogs, and for sporadically responding to comments here. I'm around, but am taking care of my emotional and mental health right now. I just need to get a handle on our "new normal."

Thank you so much for stopping by!