Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Funky Friday in Ice, Purple and Neon Lime; Brunch Black and White (and a Wee Shop); Dance at the Royal in Silk

Welcome back, my friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend, full of good times - I know I did! Allow me to share some pictures of what I wore and where I went. 

Funky Friday, and of course I had to wear my Ice Cube t-shirt from Tuesday's show. 

Add in this cotton eyelet lace skirt for some eye-searing colour.

• Jean jacket - Ricochetjackets, consignment; last seen here (4th outfit) in February for a grocery shop
• Ice Cube concert tee - bought for me by L here
• Skirt - J. Crew, consignment; first worn here in September 2023 with loads of green
• Boots - Original Samedi, Fluevog; last seen here for a wee shop in March

Following my own formula of band tee + cool skirt + rockin' jacket + a pair of Fluevogs. 

I'd forgotten that I'd only worn this neon lime skirt once, just after I bought it for only $20 on sale at Turnabout last summer. 

I'd rashly put it in Limbo last fall, and rescued it when I did my spring closet swap-over and was sorting through my bags (I keep my Limbo clothes bagged by category, i.e. skirts, dresses). It's a regret-me-not! 

My rockin' jacket is this reworked denim, done by local artist Ricochetjackets, and bought by L for me at Rich Rags last year - what a good buy it's been. They have many other jackets by her - but I think I got the best one. 

It has three permanent brooches now - one that belonged to Caro's mum, my S from a vintage fair with Cat and Elaine and Yvonne, and the little jade fly that I thrifted with L. 

I matched it to the skirt first, then rolled with purple boots and accessories to match the fringed trim. 

Without the jean jacket, which I never took off . 

The office was surprisingly full for a Friday, but my colleagues loved all my colour, and I had several gasps over the purple boots. I forget many of my coworkers haven't seen much of my wardrobe! 

This is how I looked on the way home, in the glaring sunlight. 

I hopped the bus to my 'hood, feeling exhausted from the past week. I had a nap after feeding Vizzini. 

But in the morning, it was raining and gloomy. I am prepared!

I also treated myself to a bus ride to work - such luxury! 

Accoutrements: 

I noticed for the first time in the couple of years since I thrifted this purse, that the long strap hooks have metal loops INSIDE the purse to attach to - they've been clipped to the visible loops on the side this whole time. It hangs much better now! 

• Purse - Sonia Rykiel, thrifted
• Scarf - Bill Blass, vintage 80s, consignment
• Beret - consignment
• Gloves - Parkhurst

The stuff: 

Such kick-ass boots, speaking of good buys. 

Purple and gold bling:

Ice Cube would approve of all my gold bling. 

• Gold bangle - thrifted
• Earrings - Kate Spade
• Gold/amethyst ring - Frances Jewelers, c. 1965, Dad's
• Scarab Ring - Heidi Daus, vintage mall, gift from L
• Gold bracelet - vintage 70s, Mom's
• Necklace - strung by me, purple beads from Great-Grandma Brooks (I think)

L was out with friends on Friday night, so I binge-watched some Netflix and enjoyed a sleep-in on Saturday morning before we me up with Nick for brunch at John's Place. 

Time to bust out some new-to-me Adidas, in the form of this fleece-lined graphic jacket. 

• Jacket - Adidas, thrifted, Vancouver; purchased here for $25.00
• Top - Grey by Jason Wu, thrifted; last seen here in July 2023 for a Mom-Day at Swan Lake
• Skirt - GP & J Baker X H&M, consignment; last worn here in January with a sparkly blazer
• Boots - United Nude, consignment; last seen here in October 2023 with warm layers

After brunch, L and I ran a few separate errands, then met back at the car. 

As I was coming out of a store, some dude said, "I just have to say - you look FANTASTIC." 

Aw, thanks, Rando! I admired his Cypress Hill hat. 

I did love this outfit, regardless of compliments (although they are always nice!). The jacket was snuggly warm in the spitty rain. 

I took it off briefly while we ate to show off this silk top - can you see the grosgrain ribbon woven through the hem at the front? 

It's a beautiful cut and so fun to thrift a swanky designer - and so much better than a boring plain black tee. 

Zipped up. 

I liked how the jacket's graphic pattern went with the boots. 

The stuff: 

This purse is pain in the arse to undo/do up - but the Cool Factor is worth it! The boots are always a pleasure to wear. 

Black and white bling: 

The earrings are the oldest - they're from West Germany, and I picked them up years ago at a vintage fair for around $10.00. 

• Purse - fake Hermes, vintage 1990s, thrifted, Vancouver
• Silver/crystal ring - Soul Flower
• Silver/onyx ring - Tocara, vintage fair
• Silver/obsidian ring - consignment
• Striped bangles - consignment 
• Black and white cuff - vintage, vintage fair
• Earrings - West Germany, vintage 80s, vintage fair

Speaking of black and white, look what my 5-minute shop in the Beacon Ave Thrift Shop yielded! 

It's a caftan! 

I love the graphic pattern. 

And it has pockets!

I know this brand - Ayrtight - I used to have a tunic by them (also thrifted). Go here and scroll down, to see my colleague Carol wearing it better than me! 

100% viscose. Sometimes I think these things get donated because people don't want to deal with the wrinkles. 

Someone went to a lot of work to have this professionally hand-hemmed. 

That's better stitching than I do! 

But it's all for naught, as I picked out all that thread. 

Sorry, I need this caftan to reach the ground! 

I found this same caftan in a different pattern on Ayrtight's site for $350.00 (honest - here, all links 'cause I love). This is a Canadian designer, based in Vancouver. 

I paid only $10.00! What a score! 

I couldn't wait till summer heat to show it off - I steamed it and modeled for you. 

I felt very Mrs. Roper in this! I might need to wear this for our annual Pool Party this summer! 

Back to my wee shop - I also spotted this very soft leather belt in the bin with the junky cracked PVC belts.

I know the era of this - these pass-through non-buckle belts were big in the early 1980s. I had a gold stamped snakeskin one (wish I'd kept it!). 

No label or stamp on it, but the buckle's hardware is made by Astor in West Germany. I was surprised to find out that Astor - they are now called Astor-Berning - is still in business, making fittings for belts for over 100 years! Link here 'cause I love.

I love that rich purple and for a belt that's close to 30 years old, it's in very good shape. It was $2.00. 

We spent a quiet afternoon - I had a nap, such luxury! - then got ready to meet up with our friends from the local Turnabout store. David had called me a few nights ago - Turnabout is a sponsor for local organization Dance Victoria, which presented Ballets Jazz Montreal at the historic Royal Theatre. About it here - enjoy the videos there.

I finally had an event to wear this thin silk dress to! I bought it months ago, and have been impatiently waiting for warmer weather. 

• Dress - Camilla, consignment; purchased here for $195.00
• Shoes - Prepare Guide, Fluevog; last worn here in September 2023 with red and purple
• Leather coat (below) - Maison Rabih Kayrouz, thrifted, Vancouver; first seen here a couple of weeks ago with chartreuse for Mom-Day

I layered a camisole underneath, and wore nylons. 

Love that big walking slit in the front, and the voluminous sleeves. 

Such a great print too. 

I have been going to shows at the Royal Theatre since I was a child - I know how warm it can get in there. 

I went prepared! 

I fanned myself a few times - it was the last night of the production tour and a full, sold-out house. 

Layered up. We bussed to town and walked to the theatre from there. 

The lovely staff at Turnabout had two spare tickets and thought of L and I - we happily accepted their offer, and enjoyed a wonderful evening of dance, and attended the after-reception with drinks, appies and mingling with the dancers, organizers and other sponsors. Thank you to David, Jaime, Brad, and assorted other lovely folks, including Wayne, Doug and Raj. So nice to meet/hang out with all of you! 

Accoutrements: 

After the reception, we grabbed a cab home and hung out and played games till the wee hours. 

• Fan - Chinatown
• Take out-purse - vintage 1996-ish, mall store
• Silk scarf - Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier, vintage 90s, consignment

I used to store my flask full of scotch in this purse back in the day. 

It still holds a lot! The handle is real bamboo.

The stuff: 

Good shoes - I've had them for ages and ages - but after standing for a couple of hours and the episodes of walking, my feet were tired by the time we got home. 

Turquoise and purple bling: 

David admired how all of my colours went together in the outfit - it's so nice hang with people who love clothes! 

• Belt - vintage 80s, thrifted
• Silver/gem bracelet - Salt Spring, gift from L, c. 1998
• Purple stone/steel cuff - Malta, vintage mall
• Silver/turquoise earrings - Mexican, consignment
• Silver/amethyst ring - vintage mall
• Silver/turquoise ring - Mexican, Karen's

There was no photography permitted during the show (hooray!), but I took a pic of our view. 

We were under the balcony overhang, with a superb view of the stage. 

Hey, love, give us a pose! 

Glary lights! 

A timed selfie of me and L and me at  home.

He's wearing a Zara blazer (gift from me), a thrifted short-sleeved shirt with a square pattern, and these awesome dotted navy trousers. The shoes are Fluevog, of course. 

We ran into a few people at the theatre that we knew - Emilie from House of Savoy, although I missed connecting with colleague Jessica. A special shout-out to Faithful Reader Dominique (of course I remember you!!), who I have met a couple of times "in the wild." Thank you so much for reading - I so appreciate you! 

And now, my friends, L and I are off to enjoy a very quiet Sunday after our busy week. A grateful thank you to all of the people in our lives who give it such wonderful colour. 

Mom-Day Adventure at Finnerty Gardens in More Blues, Plus a Wee Shop

Welcome to another Mom-Day, Gentle Readers! We went back to Finnerty Gardens to see the rhododendrons - we always seem to miss them - and to hide from the rain. Oh, spring. 

We last visited the gardens here in December 2023, another rainy day.

I seem to have a blue theme going on this week, so why not lean into it and give this new-to-me vintage skirt a trial run?

Spoiler alert: it's not staying in my closet - it's too overwhelming for my frame and the length is dowdy on me. Off to Limbo you go! 

• Sweater - LL Bean, thrifted; first worn here (2nd outfit) in February for brunch
• Skirt - Arola, Finland, vintage 80s, thrifted; purchased here for $22.99
• Boots - 1883 Luchesse, thrifted; last seen here in January with a different Arola skirt
• Leather coat (below) - Jeno de Paris, vintage 70s, consignment, Powell River; first worn here in March for a cancelled Mom-Day shop

It felt good to wear, though - it has two ginormous pockets, and it's very flowy. 

I like the pattern, which is all woven. 

I spent a bit of time tidying up all the snags on it (you can snip them off with weaves, never with knits).

Yeah, that's too much fabric on my bottom half. 

This is the second wearing of this lovely cotton sweater, which will be a year-round piece in my closet.

It bags out slightly when I look at it sideways, but I love the colour. 

This is how most people saw me, though. All done up for our walk. 

I have a full vintage slip on, plus tights underneath for extra warmth. It's still chilly out! 

Accoutrements:

Now that I've rediscovered this leopard scarf, get used to seeing it! 

• Purse - Danier, thrifted
• Scarf - thrifted
• Gloves - Parkhurst
• Beret - consignment

The stuff: 

I love these steel blue boots - they are good in the rain. 

• Necklace - thrifted
• Silver/turquoise ring - Karen's
• Turquoise oval ring - Glee
• Silver/turquoise earrings - thrifted

We arrived at the gardens, and immediately spotted colourful rhodos through the burgeoning greenery. 

Such a lovely serene place. We only saw a few other people the entire time we were here, which was about an hour. 

I hope y'all like pictures of trees and flowers! 

A luscious pink rhodo. 

Our favourite pond, with the rusting fish sculptures. 

You can see ripples from the rain on the water. 

Ferns unfurling. 

Ginormous lily leaves. 

This fir is wearing a rhodo like a ballet skirt. 

I hope it swooshes in the wind! 

An astonishing carpet of green. 

Twisty arbutus branches. 

We took it all in with deep breaths.

Mom thinks of her dad (my Grandad) when she sees red rhodos. 

"Thanks, Dad."

The rhododendrons were massive, towering over us. 

A fork in the road. 

Of course, we took the less traveled. 

This flower looks like it's made of tissue. 

So delicate. 

Azaleas, rhodos and grrr...that other plant that I like. 

Can't be bothered to look it up. Mom will tell me next time I talk to her. 

Shall we go through the tunnel? 

Duh, of course. 

I've never seen blossoms like these. 

What are they? Mom didn't know. 

Hello, twisty tree! How are you today?

"Oh, good, thanks for asking."

A wall of flowers. 

Tiny birds hopped around and twittered at each other. 

These blooms are so fluffy! 

Our eyes darted here and there, seeing colours through the trees. 

A crossroads. 

I don't remember which way we went. 

But this twisty tree was there.

I like the arching plants on the left - they were not quite in bloom. 

Mom said this is a chocolate lily. 

I was enchanted that they are checkerboard-patterned. Nature has such good taste. 

I think I've taken this picture every time we come here. 

It's just so picturesque.

These rhodos appeal to me. 

Such good colours. 

A purple rhodo towering over me. 

While even taller trees tower over it. 

This way beckoned. 

What a gorgeous place. 

Mom, take my picture! 

This one matches my hair! 

Another twisted tree, but more cerebral. 

My brain feels like that sometimes. 

The bamboo pond came into view. 

It will be thick and dense in a few months. 

But now we can see through it to the other side. 

The rain had faded to just a few drops falling from branches overhead. 

Birds hopped around in the branches. 

They were too blurry for me. 

These blooms are as big as my hand! 

I have large hands/long fingers. 

Mom complained that the "obvious" plants had nameplates. 

"What about the ones I don't know?" 

I laughed. 

I am standing inside a rhodo tree! 

And here we are, back where we started. 

Such a rich purple. 

We had yummy salmon burgers and salad at Christie's Carriage House Pub afterwards. 

I see you got the Blue Memo, Mom. 

I popped into House of Savoy on the way home to see how my things were selling, and had a wee browse around, finding an early birthday present for someone I know (and it was free with my credit!).

I also had a peek at the jewelry case at Good Things Consignment, and found this vintage 90s copper set.

It definitely has that late 90s vibe. Better dig out my butterfly clips! I kid, I never wore those. 

There are "gems" and clusters soldered to a flat copper S chain. 

The "stones" are all moulded plastic and set in copper, but the "leaves" are enameled on copper.

I thought the name on the tag was ZniZa. 

Kind of sounds like a 90s name, ha ha. 

When I rotated my picture I realized it's "DZinz" (designs, get it?), which is even MORE 90s. 

It's not high-end, but I like it and it will fit in with some of green, blue and copper jewelry. It was $25.00. 

And now, my friends, I'm signing off for the weekend. 

Thank you so much for such a lovely day, Mom! I really needed that. I love you!

Have a fab weekend!