Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Friday Velvet Skulls and Leopard; Creepy Brunch, a Wee Shop, and Comedy in Green Boots; Catz

Welcome back, my friends! This weekend was a welcome mix of quiet (an evening of boardgames, a day of football-watching and writing) and busy (brunch, dinner out, a ginormous comedy show). Oh, and I went to work on Friday - what a trooper I am, hee hee.

Here's Friday's outfit. I realized that I have a collection of spooky-themed clothing with only a small window of time to wear them, so I paired up a bunch of tops and bottoms for outfits for the coming week.

I was shocked to see that I missed wearing this sheer devore (duh-VOR-ay, aka burnout) velvet top last year. The horror! 

• Silk blend top - True Religion, consignment; last seen here (3rd outfit) way back in February 2023
• Skirt - Esqualo; last worn here (2nd outfit) for brunch in April
• Sneakers - Soul Speed Duesy, Fluevog; last seen here with Adidas for a walk at Beacon Hill Park with some work colleagues in July
• Leather jacket (below) - Banana Republic, consignment; last worn here in April with this same skirt

I layered a beige undershirt to make the velvet parts pop out. 

It has ribbed cotton cuffs, hem and neckline, with sheer polyester - the silk part is the actual velvet. 

Here's a shot of the back of it (erm, because I forgot to take my "back" picture).

Skull! Skeletons! So cool! 

I fished this long bias-cut swooshy leopard skirt out of Limbo. What was I thinking?

I wore a knee-length slip under it, but it still clung to my tights a bit. I need a full-length vintage half-slip - adding this to my mental list of "Things I Could Use If I Find Them For a Good Price."

Outerwear. This leather motorcycle jacket is more of an orangey tone than red, and it matches so perfectly with the skirt.

In fact, I wore it with this skirt the last time as well. Such creativity! 

Incognito! 

A snuggly toque and all zipped up securely. The vertical pockets in this jacket are massive - love that! 

Accoutrements: 

Only one more week to wear this scarf. Do you think I should keep wearing it into the winter? I do have another black and white scarf (the Lewis Vuitton one).

• Scarf - MetroWear, San Francisco, 2006
• Toque - thrifted
• Gloves - Danier Leather

The stuff: 

I wore socks over my tights and stretched and manipulated these shoes in the arch area to soften up the leather. No blisters this time, yay! And I even walked to/from work in them! 

• Silver/Lucite cuff - Alexis Bittar, consignment, Vancouver
• Fang bangle - Alexis Bittar, consignment, Sidney
• Silver/onyx spider ring - gift from Mom & Dad, c. 1986
• Silver snake ring - BC Museum Gift Shop, c. 1986
• Silver/red stone ring - consignment, Sidney
• Earrings - Red Sky

L and I had a fun Friday night, playing Ark Nova, and eating the last of the Hallowe'en candy from the party last weekend. 

"Ah! I must have this!"

What a little monkey! He was after a ball of foil (the wrapping from some eyeball chocolates), and ended up batting it around before I took it away. I'm glad he's still feeling playful! 

L and I both slept in on Saturday morning, then got ready to head to town to run some errands and have brunch. 

This sweatshirt is one of my spooky items - the pattern is twisting snakes, with a skull at the bottom.

• Sparkly turtleneck - Jessica, thrifted; last worn here in November 2023 under a vintage wool D&G dress
• Sweatshirt - The Kooples, thrifted; last seen here in October 2023 for brunch in a silver skirt
• Skirt - Ilse Jacobsen, consignment; last worn here in February for a non-Mom-Day shop
• Boots - Slacker Vagabond, Fluevog; last seen here in September for a Mom-Day in blues and greens
• Capelet (below) - no label, consignment; last worn here in October 2023

Nothing new here - it's all been with me for over a year or more. 

The hem of the sweatshirt is uneven, so I usually tuck it in one side to exaggerate that. I layered a sparkly purple sleeveless sweater under it for extra warmth.

There's a bit of lime green and pinky-purple in the sweatshirt's pattern, so I matched my boots to that. 

The skirt is quilted and is snuggly warm. 

It's a grey-ish olive colour, so I wore olive textured tights. 

I wore the same outfit for our dinner and show that night. We went to see Jim Jefferies and Jimmy Carr on "The Charm Offensive" comedy tour at the Save-On Foods Memorial Arena in the evening. 

I didn't feel like changing, and I also wanted to be warm, comfortable and able to walk home.

Nice deep pockets (they are fleece-lined!). 

I stashed my phone in one.

Incognito and caped up. I also wore a purple beret in the evening, but didn't take a pic of it.

It was dark and windy in the evening - we met at the Commons for a quick dinner and then made our (separate) ways to the arena for the show. 

I love that this capelet has a split back so that I can wear my purse properly. 

I knew it might rain later in the evening, so was ready for walking and wet weather. We missed the rain on the way home, thank goodness! 

Accoutrements: 

Long purple leather gloves to keep my arms warm. 

• Leather purse - Roots, thrifted
• Scarf - MetroWear, San Francisco, 2007
• Leather gloves - thrifted

The stuff: 

I've worn these boots in the rain before, not worried about that. As L and I were walking downtown, a car full of women paused near us. "Are those Fluevogs?" they asked. You know it! Both L and I were in 'Vogs, as is our wont. 

Spooky bling: 

I like my (real) bug pendant - it glows in the dark! 

• Leather cuff - Guess, thrifted
• Leather/metal cuff - thrifted
• Silver/onyx spider ring - c. 1986, gift from Mom & Dad
• Silver snake ring - BC Museum Gift Shop, c. 986
• Spider earrings - can't remember
• Scarab pendant - Heart's Content

While L waited in line to get into John's Place, I had a quick browse in the Beacon Ave Thrift Shop next door, finding a few treasures. 

A vintage tie for L, a cream toque for me, and a pair of earrings. 

The toque is 100% cotton and has a fleece band around the inside hem to keep it in place. 

It's by Denver Hayes and was $4.00. This brand is sold at Mark's Work Wearhouse and it would have retailed for around $23.00.

I could tell the palm tree tie was vintage by the width - that's a "Mad Men" skinny tie, likely from the 1960s. Penguin ties retail for between $91.00 and $25.00.

L loved this and happily added it to his collection. It was $1.00 - yes, one dollar. 

I spied these unusual earring in the $2.00 section. I LOVE that these are fingerprints! 

I've bought lots of "museum gift shop" jewelry and scarves over the years - they always have nice designs and are often good quality. MoMA is the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, of course.

These are white gold-plated tin, and the design is from 2008 by Dai Sung Kim, who is/was a Korean artist. I couldn't find much about him until I realized this packaging put an extra space in his name - it's Daisung (here's his site, all links 'cause I love). MoMa's copyright is from 2010.

I found this mention here (link 'cause I love) with a picture of the cufflink version of the earrings, noting that the MoMA collection was called "Destination: Seoul" and that these retailed for $18.00. 

I bet someone bought these as a souvenir from MoMA and then never wore them. 

At first I thought that the posts had gotten bent, then realized it's deliberate.

They hang much better this way! 

I love these! I'm excited to wear them. 

I found what may be my Perfect White Pants for summer.

I risked the fit (I don't try stuff on in this shop), but phew, they are perfect! 

Nice pockets.

Could be bigger! Just sayin'! These won't even hold my phone, bah.

I was boggled to see they are FULLY-lined. 

You don't see that anymore! 

They are 53% linen, 47% viscose with polyester lining. Um, pretty sure those fabrics are all washable...

Dry clean? Please. *scoffs*

They are by Nine West, and by the style, I think they're from the early 00s. 

For only $11.50? I'm very happy - and what a great surprise these will be when they tumble out of my spring/summer stash in early April. 

I also finally bit on this two-tone cream and black pleated skirt. 

It's been there for about a month, and finally I thought, "What the heck, someone will want it." 

Well, Gentle Readers, it fits me perfectly and that uneven hem is SO COOL. That someone is me! 

It reminds me of the hair of the lead singer of the band Berlin (known for "Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun) - enjoy the YouTube video here. Terri Nunn's hair was blonde with black ends, and I thought that was the height of cool. 

The top/cream part has a beige liner. 

A nice detail. 

It's washable, yay. 

Note the hook and eye at the top of the zip, another mark of quality that seems to be disappearing.

It's 10 years old, from early 2014.

And it's by Express.

I'm happy with $9.50.

It's a very small size 12! But whatever, sizes are a load of bunkum anyway. Buy what fits. 

L and I had a quiet afternoon, then walked down to the Commons/10 Acres restaurant to meet up with my brother Dave, Shelley and their two friends Neesja and Grant, for dinner. They all drove down-Island and stayed overnight.

The urban deer are wandering our neighbourhood a lot lately - I've had to clap and shout a few off the sidewalk in the past week so that I can get to work. "I'm sorry I'm late - there was a deer" is not an excuse that would fly.

A young buck clambering around near an apartment building. 

I exclaimed over this awesome window at the Blue Fox Café. 

Love it! More coffee, please!

A group shot (oops, cut my own head off).

From left: me, Dave, Shelley, Neesja, Grant and L.

Me and my little brother.

So good to see you, Cowboy! 

We all had tickets to see comedians Jim Jefferies and Jimmy Carr (opener Amos Gill was also excellent) on the "Charm Offensive" tour. 

Many thanks to pal Casey for picking up the tickets for us oh so many months ago. 

We were only 6 rows back from the centre stage - we had a great view. The stage was set up in the middle of the arena - I have never seen it set up "in the round" before. It was close to a sold-out show, with over 6,000 people there.

As you can tell, we got there early (my anxiety needs this). Those chairs were comfy at first...but after 3 hours straight, my bum was numb! 

Me and L.

It was L's very first live comedy show ever! 

L, me and Casey (yes, he wore a suit - he's a dapper guy!).

The show was - as the name implied - charmingly funny and also rather offensive (many people walked out). I found it 70% hilarious, 10% funny, and 20% didn't really land for me. That seems about right.

However, being there with my favourite guys? Priceless! 

L, me, Nick and Casey. Love you guys! Mwah! And how nice to spend the ENTIRE show without any cellphones lighting up the arena. Seriously, it's a rare thing to have everyone focused. Would definitely go to more live comedy.

L and I walked home after the show...and what do you know? Another deer.

Girl, get off the road! Cars were zooming past her. 

And now, my fine friends, it's time for me to spend some more time with my family.

Someone's still looking at the chandelier.

Hey, buddy, you look pretty happy. 

I like L peeking through his ears. 

Thank you all so much for swinging by! How was your weekend?

Mom-Day Adventure at the HCP in Sweetums, Wine, Pink and Purple

Welcome back, Gentle Readers - it's Mom-Day Adventure time, and we returned to an old favourite, the Horticultural Centre of the Pacific (HCP), aka, Glendale Gardens. Mom and I last visited here way too long ago - here in March 2023! 

I got distracted by meeting our new downstairs neighbour when Mom picked me up, so we did our selfie when we arrived at the gardens. 

But first, what I wore. I love my Thursdays, as I usually put together my outfits on the fly, just going by what I feel like wearing. Oh, and the weather - that always factors.

A mix of colours from the wine/pink/purple side of the colour wheel. I actually planned my outfit around my outerwear.

• Sweater - Karl Lagerfeld, consignment; last worn here in October 2023 for a Mom-Day at Beacon Hill Park
• Skirt - Vero Moda, consignment, Vancouver; last seen here (4th outfit) with these same boots
• Boots - Original Samedi, Fluevog; last worn here in July for a soft-goth Mom-Day
• Sweetums cape (below) - no label, vintage 70s, consignment; last seen here in January

Tah-Dah! Sweetums the vintage wool cape has returned! 

She's a bold cape, so requires careful planning. 

It was warm enough (up to 12 degrees) to be able to wear a long sleeve/glove combination instead of a coat sleeve.

This awesomely ruffled sweater is 100% cotton. 

The vinyl skirt has pockets (I have my thumbs hooked in them above).

It rotated (annoying) as I walked around - it rubbed on the tights - exacerbated by the weight of my purse. 

Cape Lore: Your purse/bag goes UNDER the cape. 

I am ready for any temperature! 

All done up and incognito. Love these big patch pockets on the front.

I ended up not needing the toque for most of the day, and tucked it in my purse. 

See? There's my bag.

My boots match the cape lining. Everything matches up eventually in my outfits. 

A rear view - this is a beautiful cape. 

I bought it for $47.50 in April 2022, and I've worn her...[counts] 16 times! That's pretty good for a specialty coat. 

Accoutrements: 

Pinks and wines. 

• Leather purse - Michael Kors, consignment
• Toque - thrifted
• Wool blend scarf - Missoni for Target, consignment
• Wool gloves - Parkhurst

I liked how the lime green in the scarf zigzag picked up the green in Sweetums' plaid. 

The stuff: 

Some lovely people complimented my outfit as I was walking. "Are those Fluevogs?" they asked. Yup, they sure are! Hello, lovely people! So nice to meet you! 

Spooky bling: 

The back kept falling off the Cthulhu pin, so I left it at home, rather than possibly losing him. 

• Spider brooch - vintage mall, gift from L
• Cthulhu pin - gift from Cat and Ross
• Silver/onyx spider ring - c. 1986, gift from Mom & Dad
• Silver snake ring - BC Museum Gift Shop, c. 1986
• Glass snake pendant - Venice, Italy, gift from Mom
• Earrings - Baublebar

It's supposed to start raining on Saturday, with high winds, so imagine how grateful we were to have sun and blue skies, and a gentle breeze. 

Let's go in, shall we?

I loved this seasonal display outside the office. 

I realized over lunch that we're in the picture too! Still Life With Pumpkins! 

A view over the upper gardens. 

It was mostly empty in the gardens, although there was a class going on in the teaching centre, and the restaurant, Charlotte and the Quail, was hopping busy. 

We headed for the Winter Gardens.

Looking over the valley to the flats. If you squint at the green, you can see a couple of sculptures.

There were gaudy splashes of yellow, orange and red everywhere. 

Our seasons take their time on the west coast - fall ambles for its full three months. 

Here's the sculptures I mentioned - you might remember when I first discovered them here.

It's a woman and a man facing each other - he has a lawnmower, she has a rototiller. 

Mom and the face. 

We kept heaving heavy sighs as we breathed in the crisp air and took this all in. 

Flashy colours. 

Orange and red is a great combination. Very stylish, Nature! 

Look how big everything is! 

Rhododendron trees, cedars and Douglas firs towering over Mom.

I see more red peeking through the entrance. 

Look at the carpet of colour below the tree. 

Here's an inviting bridge. 

A gentle arch, not too steep. 

Looking good in her blue faux suede jacket. 

Matching sunglasses, of course. 

I spotted this bench for the first time - wait, I know that name. She was my homeroom teacher in junior high school. I found her obituary - this is from 2004, 20 years ago.

She was briefly "Madame Prohom" and then changed her name when she got married while I was in Grade 8, in 1980.

Mrs. York was my homeroom teacher and my French teacher for three years. She's 41 here, in my Grade 8 annual (of course, I still have these!). 

When she did roll call every morning, she would say, "Ah, Sheila est la!" with the accent on the LAH in my name. I wanted to be a French teacher for a while...

Oh, I know you are dying to see what I looked like when I was 12, or barely 13. 

Remnants of a perm, and that plaid shirt was blue with a sparkly thread. I don't even have my ears pierced yet! 

Ahem, back from Memory Lane...

The wee red bridge is only about 18 inches across. 

Another showing Japanese maple. 

Sigh, so beautiful. 

This is how I feel in public sometimes. 

This splash of brightness amongst the neutrals. 

Another peek at the green swath.

So much is still green - we do get a lot of rain out here - and the garden always has colour. 

There's our happy couple. 

She's hiding behind the dried stalks. 

These fruit confused me! What are they?

Thank goodness for the sign - they are persimmons! They're huge, about the size of a tennis ball. 

It's a steep walk back up the hill. 

We were getting hungry! 

Wait, I need to pause for this dahlia. 

Coral pink and butter yellow...yes, I'm taking notes. 

Rust and bright lemon yellow. 

With black or steel grey, love it. 

Hot pink and purple together, so very 70s. 

Fuchsias are the disco party of the floral world. 

Another bold tree. 

I was quite enamoured with the gumdrop bush, patting it contentedly. "I like this!"

I've learned to recognize hummingbird sounds, so I was watching for them high up in the surrounding trees.

This little one sat still for a few minutes. 

One last look back at the gardens, and the ceremonial area (I bet they do a lot of weddings). 

Time for lunch! 

 Mom's resplendent in her teal blue. 

I noticed her spider necklace right away - so fun! 

We both had hot apple cider with miso caramel.

Garnished with a fuchsia! 

The food at Charlotte and the Quail is amazing. Mom had the oatmeal pancakes with raspberry sauce, honey and a dollop of whipped cream. I've had it - it's delicious! 

I had the roasted mushroom tartine (goat cheese spread on toasted sourdough, mushrooms and greens) and the soup of the day (roasted pepper and squash - YUM). All the greens and most of the veggies and fruit are from the gardens. 

Thank you for such a wonderful day, Mom! 

I love you! 

What was your favourite part? 

"The Plant Sale!"

Ha! I hope you enjoy your new fuchsia! 

I bussed back to town, and had planned to have a wee shop at the WIN Boutique, but it was closed due to no available staff. Vizzini was happy to see me when I got home. 

"Rub my tum, Woman!"

He's not a Venus Fly-Cat - the tummy is not a Danger Zone. 

"This tum needs some rubbing, stat!"

Of course he got a bunch of attention. I love my kitty boy.

As I continued my "stuff" pics, I felt...

"Hey, how would you feel about picking me up? I'm feeling very drooly..."

Well, I can definitely accommodate that request, little bud. 

My friends, I'm signing off for the weekend - I'll be back on Sunday with tales of adventure, so please do pop in to say hello! Thank you - as always - for swinging by.