Pretty in pink...and red! Mom and I went for a short stroll around the paths behind local mall, Tillicum Centre, exploring the changes to Colquitz River Park. Mom and I went a different route at the same park here in June 2022 - it was a lot greener in June!
I dressed for warmth, and to do a little shopping afterwards.
Mom had to be home early for an appointment.
- Jacket - Michael Kors, consignment; first seen here in February with green and leopard
- Turtleneck - Wanko, thrifted; last worn here in December 2022 with leopard and suede
- Skirt - Talbots, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in December 2022 for Christmas shopping
- Shoes - Marquess Swordfish, Fluevog; last worn here (3rd outfit) in February for Family Day with our friends
- Poncho (below) - Bodybag by Jude, consignment, gift from L; last seen here in October 2022
I am rather fond of black, red and white together.
Most of the time, people saw me thusly.
Both owners of the Velvet Crease (hi, Jacquie!) and MONA (hi, Deanna!) loved my look.
I only looked like this while we had lunch at Montana's after our walk.
Hat included.
The trick to purses and ponchos is to wear the purse underneath.
Ta-dah!
Having forgotten to photograph the Accoutrements, they are...
- Silk scarf - Elaine Gold, consignment
- Hat - Delux, Saanich Fair, c. early 2000s
- Gloves - Echo, consignment
- Purse - Rebecca Minkoff, consignment
The stuff:
Love these shoes.
Minimal bling:
And a lobster!
- Leather/steel cuff - Rimanchik
- Leather cuff - Guess, thrifted
- Earrings - thrifted
- Lobster brooch - Barbados, Mom's
- Anneke & Lars ring - vintage mall
- Silver/onyx ring - Tocara, vintage fair
We had a windy and rather gloomy day, but we made the best of it and explored some of Cuthbert Holmes & Tillicum Park. BTW, Colquitz is "CALL-quits" and Tillicum is "TILL-uh-come."
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Looking to one side...
Straight ahead is a residential neighbourhood, to our right is the big mall, and to the left is the Island Highway - we could hear traffic roaring nearly the entire time we were out.
Let's take this path!
We haven't gone this way before - so why not?
The trees were festooned with moss and lichens.
This is known as old man's beard.
We didn't get too far...
That's too muddy for my shoes, and for Mom's walking poles.
Back this way we go, towards the movie theatre.
The mall is on our left here.
Big bare trees.
Wait, I see something in the branches!
Do you see it?
It's a big loop of branches with a flower - someone made this and hung it up in the tree.
I've never seen this area before!
Must explore!
Ooh, salmon enhancement.
Salmon spawn in Colquitz River.
There's been a lot of work in the park to restore some of the natural habitat to bring the salmon back.
I remember learning all about salmon as a kid in school.
I've seen tons of dead spawners at Goldstream Park - it's a mass of salmon all decomposing, all eyeballs, jaws and bones. Smells pretty fishy!
There weren't any here - not much happens in early March.
We wandered around until we found another dead end.
But apparently salmon are returning!
Coho, Chinook, steel head and cutthroat trout! Cool.
There were small glimpses of sun.
I see it!
More big trees.
The river gurgled along.
Let's try that path!
It's rather narrow...
We had to backtrack again, but did spot another decoration in this tree.
It looks like a sliced egg.
We took another path, and got closer to SilverCity.
Big mall parking lot to the left here.
Some changes are afoot in this area!
They've removed the old asphalt path to let the riverbanks fill up with more growth, to protect the salmon and other beasties.
Speaking of beasties, aside from a few birds, this is the only wildlife we saw.
She was not scared of us at all - she's probably been scavenging popcorn from the theatre for years.
A couple of rowdy dogs came by.
No, I don't like them either.
The old path was blocked off.
Okay, then we'll take this nice new path.
This hill is new (to me - I grew up in this area).
It blocks noise from the highway.
A nice viewing platform has been installed.
This area has all been planted with local flora.
Lots of big rocks, old stumps and features like this little inlet have been added.
Imagine how lush this will be in summer.
Mom, we need to come back here in a few months to see how it's grown.
I see my shadow - another rare moment of sun.
Ooh, look at that little path...
So enticing! But I don't want my shoes to get muddy.
Time to turn around.
Mall and some apartment buildings in the distance.
There's our little squirrel friend, waiting for us to return.
Thanks for letting us walk in your park!
Thank you for another wonderful outing, Mom!
I love you!
I bussed to town after lunch, and walked up Fort Street, where I spent a few leisurely hours browsing through the Velvet Crease and MONA consignment shops.
Here's what I found at the Velvet Crease - they had 20% off everything, with a ton marked at 50% off.
The gloves haven't photographed well - they are a rich dark purple.
The earrings are light, and a nice shape.
They are Israeli silver.
They were $32.00.
Button detail on the gloves.
All leather.
They are by Bijenkorf Accessories and were $28.00.
I believe that's a swanky department store in Amsterdam? I love the long cut and all those buttons.
This dress is such a gorgeous orange colour.
It's rather shapeless, but it's a full maxi length. It will look good with a belt and a tee or cardi in summer.
It's an older Linda Lundstrom design.
No fabric content, but I think it's a linen/viscose blend. It was $34.00.
This is a red top/tunic thing. It was in with the dresses, but it's not a dress.
That lower front section is open! I have all kinds of visions for what I'll wear under there.
It's by Miting and was new with tags. I suspect it's a Chinese brand.
A lovely linen blend - this was $44.00.
These are completely ridiculous fake leather culottes.
They have big pockets.
I like the draw-string detail.
They're by Zara and were $22.50.
I'd eyed this skirt before, but this time it was marked down half price. I was willing to pay $24.00, but not $48.00.
It's a knit.
See?
A warm grey with a coppery thread and lots of gold.
It's by M Missoni (a slightly cheaper line by Missoni).
Made in Italy - so classy! It's a merino wool blend too.
I'll try to sneak a wearing in of it soon.
Same with this dark purple silk blouse. Most of the stuff I bought will be spring/summer but a few will still work for winter.
Sigh, I know, it looks blue/navy, but please believe it's a very dark purple.
It's J. Crew Collection. I didn't notice it was a size 16 until I got home!
I just liked the really oversized louche rockstar feel of it!
100% silk, lovely.
And as you can see, it's from Holiday 2012, just over 10 years old. It was $20.00, such a bargain!
Flush with my victorious shopping at the Velvet Crease, I had a quick run-through MONA next door. Deanna texted Jacquie to tell her I'd forgotten my hat in the fitting room (have to go get it on the weekend).
I fell hard for this amazing purse.
It's puffy! And woven!
The straps are adjustable.
Nice gold dome stud hardware.
A flap front with magnetic close.
Not a ton of room inside, no pockets or anything.
And no tags or labels aside from this one. No hits for Isadora either.
Deanna said it looked very much like Bottega Veneta's "Candy" bags (link here 'cause I love), so it's probably a rip-off of their purse. However, for $20 I'm not going to quibble.
I also found this lovely emerald green cocoon dress.
It's a light, breezy dress - good for showing off shoes and jewelry!
It's by Cos.
It was $62.00.
And here you have it! I'm now tired of typing and need some couch time with my guys. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend, full of good things.
I'll be back on Sunday with Tales of Adventure! Thank you so much for visiting!
The proportions, pattern and colors of your outfit are perfect, they do you justice! I’m looking forward to seeing the green dress and the orange not-a-dress styled.
ReplyDeleteIt’s nice when commercial areas are abutted by natural areas. The park provides an antidote and balance to the mall.
Hooray for another Mom Day Adventure. I like how your glasses and your Mom’s jacket match. :) Hello Helen!I hope you both have a delightful weekend!
Cheers, Laurie
Thanks so much, Laurie - Mom and I were talking about you (she sends her best to Fred), so it's like you were there!
DeleteWhat a lovely walk with your fabulous mum!
ReplyDeleteI think Salmon Enhancement would be an excellent name for a band.
Your outfit is fabulous, that lobster brooch is something else.
I'm loving the Israeli silver earrings. Those Zara culottes were in their Alicante store when we visited last February - they also did a male version in olive green!
Have a fabulous weekend, my friend. xxx
It is always so good to spend time together outdoors, Vix. Lol, I agree - solid band name.
DeleteGreat minds think alike--I posted a picture of a Bottega bag today, too! I enjoyed seeing the walk with your mother--definitely a few signs of spring, but they're subtle. Oh well; living up north builds character--at least that's what I tell myself. As for the shopping, I am DEAD over those gloves. I love gloves so much, and those are amazing!
ReplyDeleteOh, must check that out, Poppy, thank you. Aren't the gloves gorgeous? They are so soft too!
DeleteOn this most dismal of days (we've had rain, sleet, hail and strong gusts of icy wind) it was an absolute joy to tag along with you and your Mom on your walk. Hearing you on having to backtrack on promising paths because of the mud ...
ReplyDeleteI'm loving your red plaid outfit - that cape is divine, and I've been eyeing that amazing lobster brooch - and how gorgeous is your Mom's pink leather coat!
And oh my, didn't you do well on your "wee" shop. Can't wait to see you style those crazy Zara culottes, and Bijenkorf (which translates as beehive) is indeed a chain of high-end Dutch department stores. There's a huge one in Amsterdam!
Have a most wonderful weekend Sheila! xxx
Yeah, I wasn't ready for the cold (brr) and I definitely wasn't going to go through the mud! Thanks so much, Ann!
DeleteWhen I looked up the glove brand, I was tickled to think you might have been in that store! Thank you, my dear!
The Bijenkorf was a bit more exclusive department store. They had several stores in the Netherlands, I think they have 3 now. When I was in puberty I bought blue nail polish there as it was the first store that sold different colours then red and pink. It's now more shop in shop concept. Love the orange bag@
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info, Nancy!
DeleteIt's interesting seeing the wooden decorations in the trees! I like the outfit you wore and I can't wait to see how you wear the high-low top! Looks like a successful shopping trip, even if you did forget your hat!
ReplyDeleteAren't they cool, Mica? I wonder who made them? I was so annoyed at myself for forgetting my hat, but I got it back!
DeleteSalmon sighting sounds like fun (more fun than birds, but that's me). Those faux leather culottes are incredible. They look like they'll be fun to wear.
ReplyDeleteIt's very smelly and not as fun as it seems. Thanks!
DeleteYay to the walk! I wish I could do one with my dad. Great shoes, too.
ReplyDeleteAw, hugs to you, Ally. Thanks!
DeleteLove the outfit - the red plaid is so cheery! Shame about the mud hampering your explorations.
ReplyDeleteThose earrings are a gorgeous shape and the puffy orange purse is very cool! x
Red, black and white is one of my favourite combos - thank you!
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