Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Neon Orange and Floral Brunch; Theatre and Vista in Black, White and Blue; Pink Tentacles at the Retirement Party in the Park

Welcome back, my friends! It's truly been a wonderful weekend, full of friends and good times. Fortify yourselves, I've got a lot to share! 

Kicking us off is Saturday's brunch outfit. We met up with Nick and pal Zeb at the Ruby. You could certainly see me coming.

This jumpsuit is not just orange, but neon, highlighter orange. Bright! 

• Jumpsuit - Kensie, consignment; last worn here in May 2022 with a gone pair of shoes and a Dries kimono
• Shoes - Blaise Poser, Fluevog; first seen here in January with a white shirt and yellow tie

I can hardly believe that the last time I wore this jumpsuit (a year ago) it was so cold I had to wear a leather coat and scarf/gloves! 

It's a happy colour - I had fans at the grocery store after (thank you, Donna and Eric at the deli!) and my fashion friend at Rich Rags, who all adored all my colour. 

I do love a jumpsuit, although it's a pain in the arse to pee in. 

This bright orange never fails to cheer me up, though. 

Incognito. 

Who is that? Do you know her? 

I put my scarf in my hair - not quite the Movie Star Wrap (which is for bigger scarves). 

More of a 70s bohemian wrap. 

I am all the rainbow of colours! 

The white zipper still irks me, even though I went over the white with an orange highlighter pen (it helped). 

Accoutrements:

My Rich Rags friend was in ecstasies over my purse - a "Chinese take-out" style of padded brocade and real bamboo handle. He was agog that I bought it in the mall - some shoe store I used to shop at back in the 90s. 

• Purse - c. 1996
• Silk scarf - Kenzo, vintage 80s, thrifted

The stuff:

These shoes are incredibly hard to style! I decided to just throw all the colours at them and see what worked. 

Floral bling: 

Flowers on the shoes? Wear floral jewelry! 

• Silicone cuff - Materia Design, thrifted
• Necklace - thrifted
• Earrings - vintage 60s, consignment - purchased here as part of a set with a brooch for $25.00
• Flower ring - Sidney
• Olivine/coral ring - Hawaii, 1977, Mom's
• Glass bangle - thrifted

I didn't wear the matching brooch - just the earrings.

After our brunch and grocery shop, I sat out on the deck with Vizzini. 

"Oh, lucky me."

I knew he'd been snoozing out here because the bench was covered in cat hair, but this is the first time I'd caught him. 

"You're just a little Nancy Drew, aren't you?"

I laughed at his back leg just hanging in mid-air. He was following the sun. 

"More of this, Woman."

I read a book while he slept on my legs, and then I redid my make-up and got dressed for the evening's adventure, the Broadway In Victoria production of "Come From Away", the musical based on the true story of the town of Gander, Newfoundland taking in thousands of "plane people" whose flights were re-routed in the aftermath of the 9-11 tragedy. The documentary (Wiki link here, 'cause I love, as always) is well worth watching - it gets me all choked up and teary. 

I'd bought tickets half a year ago, and had planned to take Mom, but with a late evening performance it was just too late, too much, and too exhausting to contemplate. That's okay, Mom, we have seen so many other musicals and plays together that I will always treasure (*smile*). 

Mom generously gave up her ticket and I invited an astounded and very excited Yvonne to join me - and we made a dinner reservation at Vista 18 with our men. 

As I mentioned when I bought it, I styled up this 3.1 Phillip Lim top right away - and here it is! 

• Shirt - Eddie Bauer, consignment; last worn here under layers for a Mom-Day adventure in March
• Black top - 3.1 Phillip Lim, consignment; purchased here for $45.00
• Skirt - LS, consignment; last seen here in June 2022 (a funny pic of me doing my dead-bugs exercises there)
• Shoes - Sol Sana; last worn here in September 2022 with a wild 80s blazer

I was quite pleased with my styling. 

Both Yvonne and L thought I looked very Diane-Keanton-esque in this outfit. 

The skirt is a long-time favourite - I've had it for 4 years and this is its 6th wearing. 

I only ever wear black and white with it. I often refer to it as my Mondrian skirt.

I got classy and pulled out an old purse. 

And I know how hot the Royal Theatre can get - all of the runs of the musical have been sold out. 

So I brought my wee fan.

A scarf too. 

I tied it to my purse until I needed it for the walk home. 

L and I strolled down to Vista 18 to meet up with Yvonne and Randall for dinner. 

After the musical, Yvonne and I walked back to her and Randall's where L and Nick and Randall had been partying for a few hours. 

I'd brought my gloves and bundled up in my scarf for the stagger home just before midnight. 

Accoutrements:

Necessary things. 

• Purse - BCBG Paris, vintage 90s, thrifted
• Silk scarf - fake Louis (Lewis!) Vuitton, thrifted
• Gloves - Danier Leather

 The stuff: 

These shoes are my defaults with the Mondrian skirt - they've been paired together 4 times! These are excellent for walking - and I did lots of it in them. 

Sparkly bling: 

I was futzing around with my tie while pre-planning this outfit, and trying different options - a bow, traditional knot - when one end popped out and I ended up with an asymmetrical bow. I liked it, so I left it! 

• Silk tie - Escada by Margaretha Ley, vintage 80s, thrifted
• Sparkly crystal cuff - Swarovski, consignment, gift from L
• Heart bracelet - Juicy Couture, vintage 90s, consignment
• Kyanite/silver ring - consignment
• Fulvia Ring/Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes
• Earrings - vintage fair

I took a few pictures during the evening. 

One of the main roads near our house is undergoing "improvements" - L and I walked down the middle of this busy one-way road on the way to town. We did not do this on the way home when it was dark! I had visions of some drunk driving plowing through us. 

L had done his closet swap-over and is grooving on his summer clothes. 

A straw hat, a vintage shirt from Bali, a vintage blazer, consignment trousers, and a one-off pair of Fluevogs. Very dapper! 

Vista 18 has spectacular views! This is was our view, looking towards Victoria's downtown and Inner Harbour. 

Pacific Ocean right there, and the Sooke hills in the distance to the west. 

Looking north. 

The geometric roof is the downtown public library, and those white dots are seagulls. 

Looking south - I see a float plane taking off, and a cruise ship on the water. 

The treed section is James Bay, a residential neighbourhood. Those are the Olympic Mountains in Washington State (USA) in the distance. 

I took a picture of the west, but it was boring - this is southwest. 

Seattle is that way. This treed area is Fairfield - Yvonne and Randall live over there (*waves vaguely*). 

And here they are, our elegant friends!

Randall's in his new bespoke green suit, and Yvonne's wearing a Diane Von Furstenberg dress of mine (I let it go this past year). 

Our lovely server Emma took a pic of us. 

We had a yummy dinner, then Yvonne and I dashed off. 

Wait, one more picture as the sun is lower and everything looks dramatic. 

Gorgeous clouds! That's the Empress Hotel in the mid-view with the pointy roof/eaves. 

Zooming in to catch three harbour ferries buzzing tourists around. 

The tower is the Tourist Info centre. 

And here we are, at the Royal Theatre. L and I were last here for the Jason Isbell concert (here). 

Yvonne and I had great seats in the lower balcony. 

I'd stashed tissues in my boob-pockets! 

I thought y'all would appreciate seeing the book pockets in action, hee hee! 

Theatre selfie! Thanks so much for joining me, Yvonne! 

We enjoyed the show, but had a hard time hearing the lyrics, which were fast-paced and often sung in a thick Newfoundland accent, which didn't help. I'm going to watch the documentary again! 

L and I had our usual leisurely Sunday morning in which I make Big Breakfast, we shower and lounge around with Vizzini, and then we got ready to spend the afternoon at Ye Olde Pandemic Park with our Chosen Family to celebrate dear friend Casey's retirement next Friday. 

I dressed for the occasion, with comfort and practicality in mind (really!). 

• Fringed suede coat - Prosper & Devine, vintage mall; last worn here (2nd outfit) in November 2022 for brunch
• Sweater - Tatyana, thrifted; last seen here in March with a tweedy bell
• Denim skirt - Zara, thrifted; last worn here in June 2022 for a Mental Health Shop
• Boots - Slacker Vagabond, Fluevog; last seen here (2nd outfit) in March with my Kenzo skater dress

L and I walked to the park (a good 30 minute hoof), and I knew I'd be standing around, maybe sitting on the ground. I planned for a walk home too, but Cat and Ross drove us, aw!

And most definitely eating, tossing a Frisbee and playing cornhole. This is how I looked all afternoon.

I started with the boots and then the Tentacle coat. 

And worked from there - just a plain (but warm) black sweater with a black camisole under it. 

The white distressed denim skirt is another neutral. 

Tights for warmth and modesty. 

This is mostly how I looked for the day. 

"What do you mean, I'm not getting fed before you leave?"

It was a sunny and warm day but very breezy, so I left my silk scarf on and only had the jacket off briefly. 

My Bug Bag was a great source of amusement to my friends. Of course, I wore it for that purpose! What good are fun things if you can't share them? 

Accoutrements: 

I stuffed my Bug Bag with a flat Tupperware full of deli-purchased sausage rolls (turkey, veggie and pork) cut into short rounds to share in the potluck; plus my "computer poncho" for sitting on, and a variety of beverages for myself. 

• Bug Bag - Craig Morrison, c. 1993, consignment
• Hat - Delux, Saanich Fair, c. 1999
• Silk scarf - Yves Saint Laurent, vintage 80s, thrifted
• Leather gloves - consignment

I was glad of the scarf and enjoyed showing off the classy YSL label. 

The stuff: 

Great boots for hanging out on the grass! 

• Leather belt (not shown) - vintage 80s, thrifted
• Earrings - consignment
• Olivine/coral ring - Hawaii, 1977, Mom's
• Gold/amethyst ring - Frances Jewelers, c. 1965, Dad's

I took my camera and have a bunch of pics to share - Caro and Randall also sent some along, so I've included those too. 

L and I arriving, and Cat and Carolyn spotting us. "HELLO, WE'RE OVER HERE!" Yes, we see you! 

Just like in Pandemic Times, everyone brought their portable chairs, hats, beer cozies, and a dish to share. 

Caro and Ron set up their tent and tied balloons to the corners. Yvonne, Cat and Ross enjoying the sun. 

Ross chatting with Nick. 

Casey's two daughters, Jacquie and Maddy. We've known them their whole lives - good to see you, honeys! 

L, Rosanna, and Greg. I checked out her awesome linen co-ords, thrifted from the Salvation Army. They're linen, from Finland and have a very Marimekko-like chrysanthemum pattern. 

The red arrow is pointing to her amazing wooden bead bag, which was made in Japan - I think it's vintage 1950s. 

Greg, Ali (Chris was away for work), Randall and Ron. Ron was impressed that I could date his second-hand shirt to the early 90s.

So good to see you all! Cheers! 

Randall, Ron and Caro, who coordinated the whole shebang. Thank you, my love. 

We even had a table set up for all the food - so much good stuff. My favourites were the homemade crepes spread with Nutella and fresh raspberries, rolled and sliced into pinwheels. Decadent and magnificent! 

I went out into the field and tossed the Frisbee around for a bit. 

There's a cornhole game (about it here) going on in the back left, and I see Rosanna catching the disc. 

Zoom in! 

Maddy and I played a game when I was done getting bonked with the disc. One-handed catching is tricky (my other hand held my drink). 

Pic from Randall - Yvonne and Caro are spectators.

Cat and Jacquie are teamed up. 

...against Ross and Maddy. 

I don't know who won! But I beat Maddy in a match (heh heh).

Look at those awesome people! 

As we did during the Pandemic, we used Yvonne and Randall's washroom. No sneaking in with masks and keys in alcohol now, though! 

Linda's here! 

Brad showed up a little while later, but Joanne was working.

Folks were starting to pack up after a few hours, when we remembered, "THE CAKE!" Ah, there's Brad, waiting for a slice of deliciousness. 

We sang, "Happy Retirement" (to the tune of "Happy Birthday") and "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" during which Cat and I descended into theatrical Ethel-Merman-esque shenanigans. Hee hee, I love my Chosen Family! 

"Who needs a slice?" Caro made the cake, which was a cornmeal, almond flour gluten-free creation, with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. 

It was so good...yum! I could have eaten the entire thing. 

Caro's pics are a bit blurry due to low-res, sorry.

Her and Ali!

The five OG Winesday Women. 

Caro, me, Vero, Cat and Yvonne. 

Randall caught us behind the scenes. 

Caro wrangled that selfie-stick like a boss! 

Trying to get everyone in...

I see me in the back, chatting with Brad (that's L in the aqua pants). This is Caro, Maddy, Jacquie, Casey and Nick. 

All of us!! Vero and Justin were there briefly. 

This was so much hilarity. 

Another group of people volunteered to come over and take our picture instead of trying to get us all in a selfie. 

Thank you! Much love to all of the Family We Choose! You are the best! 

Jacquie, Casey and Maddy. 

Congrats on the retirement, Casey! 

And thank you so much for the amazing party in the park, Caro! 

We wrapped up around 7pm, and it was still beautiful, although the wind was trying to blow our tent over. 

One last round of bubbles. Freedom bubbles! 

Freedom from work for Casey, and soon to be freedom from pain for Ross, as he's getting knee surgery this week. 

And finally, me and my chosen person. 

Rock on, my love!

L and I spent the evening chilling with Vizzini and playing Arkham Horror, and a relaxing Monday stat holiday doing not much of anything. I hope you all had stellar weekends! Thanks so much for dropping by!