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.