Mom-Day Adventure: Lost at Heritage Acres, Loomed Lady with Orange, and a Wee Shop

Today, Mom and I went back to Heritage Acres, which we first visited back here on a hot day in June 2022. 

Today was not hot, not by a long shot! By the time I got home, we were in a full wind and rainstorm!

I wore lots of layers and was comfortable, although I'm usually chilled. 

This outfit was the test run of this new-to-me denim skirt, and I won't keep you in suspense - it's in the Giveaway Pile. One of my friends will love it. 

• Sweater - Nor, thrifted; last worn here (3rd outfit) in January with these same boots
• Long sleeved orange top - AWear, thrifted; last seen here in January with pink and orange
• Skirt - Escada Sport, vintage 00s, thrifted; purchased here for $29.95
• Boots - 1883 Luchesse, thrifted; last worn here in January with this sweater
• Loomed Lady coat (below) - vintage 60s, thrifted; last seen here in March

A crow was watching the neighbourhood. 

A "white" day - nothing but a mass of cloud all day. 

This is how most people saw me. 

Ta-dah! I built the outfit around my awesome coat. 

And this is what was on underneath. I indulged in a very early 00s look, and why not?

I didn't dress like this at all in the early 00s! I wore cardigans and A-line skirts, a Very Proper Lady. 

My style has changed a lot through the years. *snort* 

Anyway, the skirt. It does nothing for my butt, and therefore must go. 

This outfit was all about the coat and the bits of orange. 

At the last minute, I decided to go with orange instead of more grey-blue. 

I'm glad I did - this made me happy. 

And it gave me the opportunity to use this new-to-me puffy bag. 

We walked outside in the wind for a while, had lunch, and then I bussed home, with a wee stop at the WIN Boutique. 

I wore my fur scarf as a head wrap - it's meant to be worn like this, although I usually wear it around my neck. It kept my hair from flying around in the wind and my ears stayed warm. 

Accoutrements:

The purse is a thumbs-up - it's easy to get in and out of, although I missed having one zippered pocket for a wallet or cards. 

• Purse - consignment; purchased here for $20.00
• Fur scarf - Danier, thrifted
• Silk scarf - Pierre Cardin Jeunesse, vintage 70s, consignment
• Leather gloves - consignment

The stuff: 

I knew I'd be walking on dirt, gravel and grass and might have to deal with rain, so I chose my footwear accordingly. These boots are fantastically comfortable and easy to walk in, plus they look badass. 

Mesh bling: 

I also wore this new-to-me orange mesh belt for the first time - it was satisfactory. It's good for belting at the hips.

• Mesh belt - consignment; purchased here for $25.00
• Lobster brooch - Bermuda, Mom's
• Flat mesh bracelet - thrifted
• Folded bracelet - Fossil, gift from L
• Silver earrings - Israeli, consignment
• Steel/Lucite ring - Calvin Klein, thrifted
• Silver chain ring - Mexican, consignment

We drove north on the very busy main highway, but missed the turnoff to Heritage Acres, and ended up down a very confusing one-way bumpy road, in the Tsawout First Nations village. 

Thank you to the helpful construction worker who helped us find our way back to the highway! We made it to the entry, but by then we only had an hour before the site closed. 

Instead of the long route we'd done last summer, we walked straight down the Main Street area, did a loop of the pond and walked back to the car. 

I love this little cabin with the moss on its roof. Note the tree on the left, also covered in moss. 

The volunteers were wrapping up to go home and the buildings were all closed, so we just walked past and enjoyed the brisk air. 

Old farm machinery is my jam. 

Some cogs and parts in front of the Boathouse. 

The weeping willows are so pretty - there are a few of them on this side of the pond. 

The Japanese plum and cherry trees are still blooming here. 

The petals were snowing off in the wind. 

We had a much better view of the pond this time - the surface was clear, although there were still a lot of lily pads. 

And I wasn't surprised by the heron statue, because I could see it on the other side. 

These two mallard ducks made a circuit of the pond in front of us, then disappeared. 

Both drakes - the ducks must be nesting right now. 

We could hear the windmill squeaking over the roar of the wind in the trees. 

The willow is obscuring the waterwheel's house.

Salmon berry bushes in bloom. 

Their fruit is like soft, flat, less-sweet raspberries, and is far too delicate to be picked for selling. I've only ever had them straight off the bushes. 

I won't be startled by you this time, Heron! 

We're about 3-4 weeks away from everything bursting into full bloom - come on, warm weather. Get here!

I spotted a birdhouse up high over our heads in this pine tree. 

All that white sky. 

There's the waterwheel. 

But it wasn't running. 

Closed daisies and dandelions scattered in the grass. 

The grass was long - it hasn't been cut yet this season. 

What a magnificent willow. 

This is such a peaceful place. 

One last look. 

And back to the car we headed. 

I missed the lawn decoration the first time. 

I wonder if that would keep urban deer away? 

This church is so pretty. 

It's like a postcard! 

We went to Floyd's Diner for lunch, and I was amused by our coffee mugs, which Floyd's obviously buys in thrift stores. 

The black one is for Butchart's Gardens' 100th anniversary (in 2004), and the one on the right is some sort of contest prize from a local radio station. 

Thank you so much for the wonderful day, Mom! So good to spend the time with you.

I love you! 

I stopped at the WIN Boutique and had a quick browse. This dusty purple longline cardigan has pockets, and I really like the colour. 

It's a linen blend and will be nice in the hot weather. I rarely see cardigans in this colour. 

It's by Halogen which is a Nordstrom's brand, and it retailed for around $79.00 new. 

I thought $24.95 was a good price. 

I already have two red leather coats, but this one still made it home with me. Why? Because it's butter-soft Italian leather and it's made in Canada

It's from the late 2010s, within a year of my long Danier coat (this one), which I bought new in the Danier store, for $400.00 - and it was marked down half price from $800! 

It's the "made in Canada" that makes this something I had to grab - coats made in China were substantially cheaper (usually in the $199-399 range).

So add at least another zero to the thrift store price of $38.95...and then double it - this started out around $750.00 new. It fits exactly the same as my long coat - maybe I'll have to embellish one of them?? 

When Mom arrived to pick me up, I frantically searched for him. Of course, where did I look last? 

"This is my chill palace, Woman, buzz off."

Oh, Vizzini, you silly boy.

"Kindly leave me and Mousie alone."

They do look like they're having a nice chat, don't they? 

And now, my friends, I'm off for the weekend - I'll be back on Sunday with tales of adventure, so please be sure to stop in. Thank you for visiting!