Mom-Day Adventure: Storyworth Book Published in Bird Blouse and Duck Skirt, and a Wee Shop

Phew, what a day! Mom and I have had this one on the calendar for several months - it's time to finish her Storyworth book! 

Mom and I worked for close to five hours today, previewing each of the 70 (yes, SEVENTY) chapters she'd written over the last three years. I'm so very proud of Mom - this was out of her comfort zone, but so worth it. 

But wait, what was I wearing? So glad you asked! This! 

This lovely silk bird blouse is getting its annual wearing, and I quite liked how it went with this skirt. 

• Silk blouse - Tory Burch, thrifted; last seen here (2nd outfit) in August 2022 for a thrifting day in Sidney with Cat
• Skirt - Hunkon, consignment; first worn here in April with stripes and orange
• Sandals - Geox, thrifted; last seen here (4th outfit) a couple of weeks ago

Another hot day, but it's finally cooling off a bit. If I look tired it's because I've been putting in 2-4 hours of editing on her book all week. 

I was craving loose flowy clothes. 

And besides wearing this blouse again, I also wanted to get another wearing in of this long pleated skirt. 

I'm wearing it backwards because it has ducks on the front. The belt is red/white/navy striped elastic.

I also have a dragonfly. 

After visiting Mom, I popped into the big WIN store downtown for a quick shop, and a woman there recognized it from when it was for sale at Turnabout, where I bought it. 

"You put it back because you couldn't walk in it, right? I asked. 

"Yes!" she said and I showed her how I'd opened up the side seams on the lining. 

Incognito. 

I did a good amount of walking today. 

And I rode four buses - it's a two-bus 1-hour trip, plus a 15-minute walk to/from Mom's house. 

Good exercise! I'm going to sleep well tonight. 

The stuff: 

These sandals are my go-to this summer - I love them! 

Minimal bling: 

I knew I'd be typing/mousing all day on Mom's computer - bracelets not welcome. 

• Steel/Lucite ring - Calvin Klein, thrifted
• Silver/red enamel ring - antique shop, Sidney
• Silver earrings - Israeli, consignment

The start of the walk from the bus stop. 

How awful - how will I stand it? 

Blackberries were lush along the sides of the path. 

Only a few walkers and cyclists use this path. 

I didn't pick any at dog level. 

I gobbled these up - they were so sweet. 

Squirrel! 

Looks like a teenager. 

As I got closer to Mom's house, I gathered up my skirt and picked a bunch for her. 

We had them with our fancy dessert later on. 

We worked for an hour at the computer, reviewing the stories for formatting, picture size and where they would break on the printed page, and then made adjustments. We talked about the stuff in each story and in the pictures. 

We took a break for a stretch and lunch, which Mom picked up for us earlier. Chicken cordon blue and assorted veggies and dip - delicious!  We'd planned to sit outside in the sun, but a bunch of wasps were buzzing around, so we went back in. 

But not before we were visited by Constable Rodney of the Neighbourhood Patrol. 

"Just watching for any suspicious activity, ma'am."

I tried to lure him in for a nose boop. Come on, Rodney! 

"I'm on duty."

After lunch, we put in another hour before we got to Mom's chapter on "Chocolate" which is onscreen - this is the picture here.

Of course, we had to have some chocolate! Only the best from Mom's stash - Lindt caramel sea salt and Ghirardelli sea salt caramel dark - YUM. I had anticipated that we might get snippy with each other while putting the finishing touches on the book, but this was a wonderful experience with Mom. 

Another hour of work, and we were ready to preview the book, all 434 pages of it! It's been ordered and should arrive on Mom's doorstep within the next few weeks. 

We celebrated with a mini cheesecake, half a brownie each and a handful of blackberries. I love you so much, Mom...and I am SO freakin' glad that book is done! It was a lot of work! I can't wait to see it! 

Mom was dubious that I'd have the energy to have a wee shop after our day, but that's the kind of quality Zen time and mental focus that recharges me after being social all day. 

Did I find anything? Do you know me? 

"This scarf is delectable. Please put it on the ground for me to chew on."

Vizzini, you are not helping. 

"But I want to."

This is a very finely woven viscose (feels like - very soft), and the scarf is ginormous - in the first picture, it's been folded in half lengthwise and widthwise. 

Not bad for $3.95. 

I think you know how I feel about this plaid. Like I wouldn't buy it! 

I'm always on the lookout for cheaper nylons than in the drugstore (I was shocked to see them at $10.99-14.99 a pair). I've never heard of "La Dama" but they are a Macedonian company. I'm sure they sold for more than $1.95.

Is it just me, or are those women's legs really photoshopped? 

I found these dark overstitched pedal pusher cuffed jeans in the menswear section, where I also found L a light green dress shirt for $14.95. 

I love the vintage 50s vibe of them. 

Great pockets. 

I appreciate all the rivets. 

Quality hardware. 

The inside of the waistband and pockets is a lovely paisley cotton. 

They are by Santana Jeans, a brand I remember from back in the day - according to the CA number, they were a subsidiary of Parasuco Jeans - and that led me to this history of Parasuco Jeans (here, all links 'cause I love). Santana Jeans existed between 1975 and 1998 when it was rebranded as Parasuco.

So we know these are pre-1998, and I'm pretty sure they would have sold for more than the $7.95 I paid. Parasuco skinny jeans are in the $85+ range. These fit me really well - that's a very stretchy denim and a really flattering cut/colour/length. 

I'd eyed this flamenco dress the last time I was at WIN as it stood out head and shoulders (and moulded boob cups!) above the other cheap crap on the rails. 

"I would have snapped up this tasty morsel."

My first instinct to call this a flamenco dress...may not be far off! Barcelona, that's in Spain! 

Marfil Barcelona is a store that specializes in cocktail dresses and mother-of-the bride dresses. 

This falls into the former category - it's a dress for no bra! I am going to wear this, but I need to fix the hook and eye at the top of the very low-back zipper.

Good fortune shone upon me, as it was marked down half price from the already cheap $28.95. I think we can all agree that $14.49 is a good price for this amazing gown, which fits me perfectly!

I waffled over this dress, but ultimately went for it because it's just so...weird. 

I am getting very distinct Star Trek-ish vibes, right? 

Look at the back! 

The hidden zipper is to the right of the black bar. 

This notch in the front melted my heart. 

The fabric is a woven lightweight wool. 

Ooh, a swanky orange label. 

Made in Toronto, Canada! A quick search on the CA number tells me this company is from 2009 (CA number database here - free for your use from the Government of Canada). Manufacturers that want to be sold in the US and Canada require an RN number for the US (link here, you're welcome), and a CA number for Canada. It's a quick and easy and safe way to learn a little bit more about who made your clothes, especially ones from the last 25 years.

Look at those fancy buttons! I noticed one is missing on the other side. I think they are on the tacky side and might move them to one per sleeve cuff instead of at the shoulder. 

New with tags! Nice! 

BI stands for Bruno Ierullo the Italian-Canadian fashion designer, and Bruno really likes his logo and colours. 

I see from his site (here) that his first collection was in 2009, so this is either a very early piece for him or he's been making the same design since then. This is called the Heels Dress (here) and it sells for $440.00. It also comes in purple, lime, and burgundy - this colour is rust. 

It was marked down half price - ha, which I cut off in the picture - from the original $79.95 WIN had tagged it at, so $39.98.

It's a rather odd dress and fits kind of funny on both me and the models on the website. We shall see! 

I hesitated for about two seconds over this faux fur leopard vest. 

Mine! 

It's a slim fit. 

And it has pockets! 

You can see the nice quality plush there. 

The CA number just tells us that this company has been around a long time, registered in 1991.

But the date of the design is on the label at the bottom - March 2019 - it was likely sold in stores in the fall of 2019. 

What stores? Why, Talbots! 

$19.95 is a good price for Talbots - it would have retailed for around $79.99. 

My friends, I'm signing off for a fun-filled weekend ahead, but I'll leave you with a blast from the past - my past, of 1985.

Mom, me, Dad and my brother David at my high school graduation - that's the best picture I have of my grad dress. I'm 17 there - love Mom's groovy 80s vest and leather belt! 

Have a great weekend, my friends, and please do check back on Sunday for my tales of adventure! Thank you so much for stopping by.