Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Pop-Artners at the AG in a Soup Can; Burgundy Leather Brunch and Spending My Fluevog Cards; Turnabout Shop With Yvonne in Neon

Welcome back, Gentle Readers! I hope you're all chilling out and gorging on chocolate, and sleeping in, reading under a blanket (cat optional) and are otherwise taking care of yourselves.

I'm back with an update on What I've Been Up To - and apparently this is a weekend (don't you love losing track of time?), so here's an update for you! Grab a beverage and settle in, my friends. 

Rosanna and I met up at the AGGV (aka the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria) to check out the newest exhibit, From Warhol to Banksy, link here (all links 'cause I love), as well as the other presentations going on. 

We met up on Friday morning at the AG, both swathed in colour for the Pop Art theme. 

I did my Andy Warhol "Soup Can" t-shirt. 

Which led me to my fancy Calvin Klein satin pants and sneakers. No Adidas in this outfit, but it fits my Weird Adidas aesthetic. 

• T-shirt - Andy Warhol by SPRZ NY, consignment, Sidney; first seen here in June with acid wash and pink
• Trousers - Calvin Klein 205W39NYC by Raf Simmons, c. 2019, consignment; first worn here (3rd outfit) in September for Winesday with these same sneakers
• Sneakers - Converse; last seen here (3rd outfit) for Winesday in September
• Fuzzy Flamingo coat (below) - Auckie Sanft, vintage 60s, vintage fair; last seen here earlier this month

In addition to my AG adventure with Rosanna, L and I also went to see the new "Nosferatu" movie (it was excellent!) at the theatre with our neighbours Emma and Daylan, followed by dinner at Tacofino in the afternoon/evening. 

It was a comfy, double-duty outfit, suitable for walking, strolling, and splayed out in a giant adjustable chair at the theatre. 

I love these trousers - I need to experiment with more of my shoes with them. 

They need a chunky shoe to keep them from dragging on the ground. 

Of course, I wore my aviator frames. 

Showing off the ultra-big pockets! 

I added leather driving gloves and A Clockwork Orange milk carton purse for extra Pop Art-edness. 

I added my pink toque and switched to pink leather gloves for the afternoon/evening adventures, but did not take a picture of myself in them. 

Use your imagination! 

I liked the bright pink Fuzzy Flamingo with this outfit. 

All bundled up for lots of walking.

The driving gloves are fun, but stain my hands. 

Accoutrements: 

"The Korova" refers to the Milk Bar in the movie. 

• Purse - gift from Jenn
• Wool scarf - Vera, vintage 80s, Mom's
• Leather gloves - Heart's Content

The stuff: 

Oops, should probably clean all the dirt off my shoes, ha! 

Bold bling: 

Hearts and flowers. 

• Belt - vintage 90s, consignment
• Crystal cuff - Loren Hope, consignment
• Silver/gold bracelet - JPL, vintage fair
• Lapis lazuli/Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes
• Earrings - vintage mall

I arrived a few minutes before Rosanna. This is our current AG - it's a modern piece, built in the 1950s/60s onto the side of the Mansion. 

This is where we used to go for all those fun Urbanite parties. Bring those back, AG! 

The welcome/explanation. 

We were both thrilled at all the pieces. 

I couldn't take pictures of every single thing, but it was tempting.

We're so cool! 

The Tomato Soup can! 

Rosanna, take my picture! 

She chose one this Warhol cow print for her picture. 

Such a good vibe-y match for her outfit (velvet Converse, printed/bedazzled pants, velvet blazer, marigold scarf). She's a master of colour! 

I loved seeing real Roy Lichtensteins!

I was tempted to wear my sequined "mouth" cardigan (this one), but was happy with my soup can. 

Cow evolution.

There are bits of blue, and mint in there too. 

Classic Warhols. 

John Wayne! My birthday twin, John Lennon! 

Have you seen the documentary "Brillo Box (3 cents off)"? It's about one of the yellow Brillo boxes and its history.

Well worth seeking out - the AG was streaming it on loop, but I've seen it before. 

A wall of Marilyns. 

They also had the classic "real colours" Marilyn separately. 

I've forgotten who did this (Warhol?).

But I liked our shadows. 

I'd never heard of Mr. Brainwash. 

Very Banksy-esque. 

A whole bunch of Mr. Brainwash's prints (they also had actual spraycans). 

I don't know that I'd have these hanging on my walls. 

But I would have a Murakami print! I love these. 

I missed out on the big exhibit in Vancouver in 2018, but now that I have an "art-ner" we can do stuff like that together! 

We looked at the Banksy stuff last. 

I am a fan! 

I remember the hubbub when one of these sold...

...and then shredded! Link here about the saga.

I like the pranks, like this piece being snuck into the British Museum. 

Hee hee! 

A Stone Age shopping cart! 

This one made Rosanna and I chuckle. 

"Punk's Not Dead" and "Thug For Life" - rock on! 

The satire here is on full display. 

Shopping, yay! 

I love these actual signs that are now in a gallery. 

If you saw something like this, would you take it? Or take a picture? 

Sated with Pop Art, we had a peek in the other exhibits, From Balzar to Hunt (link here), and Beauty of Mending (link here), which really resonated with me, especially as it relates to clothes and aging.

Yes, yes, yes! 

These pottery pieces had shards of white crystals, tentacles and crab claws coming out of them. 

"Reminds me of my Hallowe'en costume," quipped Rosanna (right??).

I really liked the little frog, and the "splashes" coming up from the lip of the jug. 

The blue piece behind is decorated with blackberry thorns. 

Did you know lacquer comes from the lacquer tree? Me neither! This reminds me of the "Visible Mending" movement for clothing repair (inspiration here). 

It also reminds me of the line by Leonard Cohen, from the song "Anthem" (link here):

There is a crack

a crack

in everything. 

That's how 

the light gets in.

Kind of makes you want to smash some dishes, right? 

But maybe I'll be a little kinder to objects I love that get broken or "ruined."

Ostrich eggs lined in gold and blackberry thorns. 

Blown glass turquoise egg with blackberry thorns. Amazing! 

We had a peek around in the mansion (they sell small works of art by local artists) and the gift shop.

This is the courtyard, where the only authentic Japanese Shinto Shrine in North America lives (link here).

Thanks so much for being my "art-ner", Rosanna!

Much love to you, my dear friend. 

L and I hung out and played board games after we got home from the movie and dinner with our pals that evening, then on Saturday, we met up for brunch with Nick and Casey at John's Place. 

This pre-made outfit has been waiting for a good day to be worn - the sweater is mohair, so it has to be a COLD day. As you can see, it was rather windy! 

So windy, my little camera fell over...

...and took my picture before I could stop the timer! A good look a the knit and my new-to-me Lalique necklace! 

• Wool sweater - Ralph Lauren, consignment; last worn here (2nd outfit) in January with my PANK Muppet skirt
• Leather skirt - Tory Burch, consignment; purchased here for $231.99
• Boots - Clarks; last seen here (4th outfit) last weekend to Mom's for my family Christmas
• Ultrasuede coat (below) - Halston, vintage 70s, consignment, Sidney; last worn here in November

I felt great in this. 

Now I need to match the skirt up with something else, and wear it again! 

The pockets were hard to get my hands into.

They're a good size for my phone, though. 

The stiff leather was a bit crackly, but it softened up as I wore it. 

This is the kind of leather you want to get beaten up and really worn in. 

I layered my Halston coat over it. 

We had a surprisingly sunny day, although it did stay very windy. 

Bundled up. 

After brunch, L went to spend his Ditch Records gift card (from me), and I headed to the Fluevog store! 

Accoutrements: 

So many favourites. 

• Purse - Ted Lapidus, vintage 90s, vintage fair
• Silk scarf - Pierre Balmain, vintage 80s, thrifted
• Wool gloves - Parkhurst

The stuff: 

These boots are nearly 10 years old, and getting more patina every time I wear them. 

Gold bling: 

Casey went to a Lalique exhibition when he was in Japan recently and gasped when I told him my necklace was by them. 

• Vermeil/glass necklace - Lalique, vintage 00s, vintage fair, gift from L
• Eelskin/bird bracelet - vintage 80s, consignment
• Eelskin black bracelet - vintage 80s, thrifted
• Eelskin GG bracelet - fake Gucci, Italy, vintage 80s, gift from Mom & Dad
• Brass leopard ring - thrifted
• Amber ring - c. 1996
• Earrings - thrifted

I did my usual "5 minute shop" before we were seated for brunch, and found this brown and black shirt for L. 

It felt like nice quality - the black stripes are woven in. 

It's by Leo Chevalier - and it's a very full cut, so vintage 00s. 

His shirts sell for $119.00 new, so $7.00 is a great deal. 

I also spotted this leather belt, which was very tangled up.

The three strips have brass studs on them - it's a very late-00s look that I've always liked. Rock & roll! 

I can still faintly see the block "GAP" logo on the left, and showed Nick and Casey how you can tell how old Gap/Banana Republic/J. Crew things are by the labels. 

This is from Spring 2010 (shipped in September 2009). And only $6.00! Their belts sell from $40-60.00 new...and I bet they're not real leather anymore.

After brunch, I walked down to the Fluevog store, and picked up my gift card from Mom and checked the balance on the one from the VPs - you were both very generous, thank you so much! Fluevog just started a sale, so here's what I got. 

I've had my eyes on these since they first came out - a ballet flat with Mary Jane buckles and studs - these will replace these plastic studded flats (or I'll just wear those when I don't care about thrashing them). 

These are called the Vogettes Pina (link here), and were $199.99 - Mom, these are from you! 

I have narrow feet (and long toes) and bought a 9.5, my true size. 

Nice rubber soles. 

I predict I'll wear these frequently. 

I wanted a pair of orange boots, and these are the same lasts (the soles/heels) as my Original Sabado (tall blue and tall black lace-ups) and Original Sabado (tall purple) boots. 

These are called the Official Mittwoch (link here) and were $249.99 (from the VPs, plus a bit from me/Louise's Christmas money). 

These are a unisex style, which tend to fit a bit bigger overall, so I got the M7/W9. 

I absolutely love them...but they don't have an inside zipper, so I will NOT be wearing these on any big shopping trips. 

And last - but not least! - these neon yellow/green rainboots came home with me. "Those are awful," said L when I showed him. Sorry, honey, you paid for these!

They are called the Soul Speed Fury (link here) and were $199.99. 

That's the same sole as my red sneakers, and like those, I sized up a half size to a 10. 

These will be getting sport inserts, and I intend to wear them to walk to and from work and in the rain. I just love that bright, happy colour! 

L and I enjoyed some relaxing board game time on Saturday night, listening to all the new CDs he'd bought. On Sunday, I met up with Yvonne to spend our gift cards at Turnabout. Cat was not able to join us (we missed you!) due to illness and a delayed Christmas with her mom. 

It was a rainy day, so I built my shopping outfit to include my new neon rainboots! 

• Silk/cotton sweater - Nygard, thrifted; last seen here in a secretary look earlier this month
• Wool skirt - Miu Miu, consignment; last worn here in January with half-tucked velvet
• Rain boots - Soul Speed Fury, Fluevogs; purchased the day before/above with gift cards for $199.99. 
• Down-filled coat (below) - Stormtech, thrifted; last seen here earlier this month

I walked down Oak Bay Avenue, shopped for four hours (a marathon!), walked back to Christie's Pub where Yvonne and I joined L, Randall and dear pal Nick for dinner and drinks and general carousing, before strolling home. 

I dressed for comfort and for trying on lots of clothes! I have a black tank under my thin silk/cotton mock-neck sweater, and have a pair of wee sporty shorts over my tights. 

I popped in and out of the changeroom like that - Yvonne and I traded around things we were trying on, as we both have "rock & roll" as part of our personal styles. 

The skirt is a thick wooly tweed, with rows of pointy studs all the way around. It's by Miu Miu, a Turnabout purchase from 2022 - I've worn it four times (paid $59.00 for it). 

My outerwear had to be this bright down-filled puffer.

I ended up being very warm shopping in this! 

Yvonne took a quick pic of my soloution.

I tied it around my waist! It fell off every 30 minutes or so. 

I wore a toque and gloves but didn't need them until later, after dinner. 

And the rain held off until we got home! 

• Toque - gift from Virgil
• Leather studded gloves - Danier Leather
• Leather purse - Lodis, thrifted

The stuff: 

I wore socks under my tights, and did a lot of walking in these boots, and am thrilled to report that they were wonderful to wear! I had a tiny bit of rubbing on one ankle, easily resolved by pulling up the socks higher. They repelled the water - I did not avoid puddles.

Bold bling: 

I tend to wear pieces that I can pop off quickly (the snap-up cuffs) or that don't catch on things. 

• Studded leather cuff - c. 1995
• Leather cuff - Guess, thrifted
• Silver/onyx ring - Tocara, vintage fair
• Silver chain ring - Mexican, consignment
• Silver earrings - Israeli, consignment

I had $200 in gift money from Louise, and another $200 in Turnabout gift card from L, so I was ready to buy my Christmas presents. 

I stopped in at Pocket on the way to see if this carved amethyst bracelet was still there - it was! I'd hinted at this to L, but he forgot...so his mom bought it for me instead. I love it! As you can see, it was $63.00. 

As noted, Yvonne and I spent four hours going through every single thing in Turnabout. They had a massive sale on, up to 70%, with a minimum of 20% off (depending on how long items have been with them on consignment). 

This leather and chain bracelet caught my eye. It's by Jenny Bird, who is a Canadian designer (about her here) and is called the Talitha. 

Jenny uses silver and gold in her jewelry, so some of the details might be silver or gold-plated. The straps are leather, and the little studs to do them up were very tight (likely why it was being consigned). 

I did wee cuts in the leather with an X-acto blade and now it's perfect. I like how the chains lay on the arm - this piece will be worn a lot!

 From what I can tell online, this is an earlier piece by Jenny Bird, likely early 2010s, and retailed for around $95.00 at the time. The original Turnabout price was $94.99 but I paid $68.40 for it. 

This faux leather bucket hat looks great on me - I actually wore it around the store and on our walk to Christie's and home. 

That black sparkly toque is up for grabs - Mom? It's yours if you want it! 

This is by Babaton, one of Aritzia's lines. It was priced at $29.99 (original retail was $35.00), and reduced to $23.99.

With both this hat and the bracelet, Yvonne was ready to snatch them away if I changed my mind. Sorry, honey! 

I really loved this perforated leather cropped and draped jacket. 

I try on anything that catches my eye - I look for unusual construction and pieces that fit my rocker/artsy/sporty vibe. 

It's by Alberto Makali of New York. I noted the custom "AM" zipper pull. 

I spotted this marked as "vintage" online - this is a NYC boutique - there's one on the RealReal for $95.00. 

When I got home, I realized...I'd been fooled! This isn't real leather!! 

Ugh, the peeling on the back of the neck and upper back (likely from a purse strap). 

And there it is, right on the tag. Oh, Sheila! Why did I not LOOK? It was tagged at $149.00, and reduced to $60.00. I'm rather annoyed at myself.

But...I did LOVE the look of this, and it make me think of my Weird Adidas ensembles...and I'm not going to get rid of it so hastily - maybe I can cover that with some ribbon or fabric? Make it more me? I can also hide that with my hair. I'm not going to give up on this so easily! 

This gorgeous leopard print blouse caught my eye. 

I'm "off" blouses right now, but this doesn't get any more rock & roll than a rich orange-y leopard fitted shirt with silver buttons. 

I mean, look at these! 

Some sort of swirly dragon? Five buttons are the best! 

It's by Guess and NWT (new with tags). Looks like it was sold at Winners or Marshalls, for $62.30. 

It was $57.99 originally at Turnabout, marked down to $37.12. 

This silvery-grey top looked great on. 

I like the neckline and the bracelet-length sleeves. 

And the long "tails" in the back. 

It's sure to be a great basic top in my wardrobe. 

"You can't go wrong with Club Monaco," I said to Yvonne. I miss their stores - the quality of their clothes was always fantastic. 

This was also $57.99 marked down to $37.12.

The staff at the changeroom area loved seeing me trying on all the odd things I'd picked out, including this metallic bustier. 

I love the asymmetrical crumpled look of it. 

It's copper coated over a thick stretch cotton, almost a denim. 

I'm excited to layer this over a shirt or dress! 

It's by Zara, and although there are no tags on it, this looks new to me with that big tag loop still there. 

This was originally $29.99, and reduced to $23.99.

This brown wool-blend dress caught my eye due to the construction. 

The front is only two pieces of fabric, side by side. There is a folded detail along the V-neck.

And a slit with folded detail in the front middle. 

The back is longer than the front, and the sleeves hit just above the elbow. 

The construction is deceptively simple. The longer hem in back, the darting around the waist - this fits me perfectly. 

It's by MNG (aka Mango) "Committed Collection," and still has all its tags! 

This is from the 2018 Capsule (link here), and here's a picture of the dress on a model:

It will not look like that on me! 

Yes, you're very committed, Mango. Good job. 

I saw a few of these around the internet for up to $89.99 - this was originally $69.99, marked down to $44.79. I ended up paying nothing for everything that I got, and I'm overall happy with my purchases. 

But best of all was spending time with Yvonne. 

Mwah! Love you, honey! 

We walked home up Oak Bay Avenue, all lit up (those striped tree limbs are very Dr. Seussian!).

Spending time with my friends is never a chore! It was a wonderful weekend, and I am truly thankful for this kind of busy.

And now, some cat pictures! I snuck some reading in there over the weekend and someone came to "help."

"Hey, what are you doing? Maybe you should feed me."

It's not food time, go away, you little monster. 

He settled in to stare at me. 

"Really? 'Cause it feels like time to eat."

Looking up at him, peering over the top of the couch.

Come on, buddy, just let me get into my book. I want to sneak one more book into 2024 before I tally them up for the year.

"Hey, I'm over here."

Shortly after, I realized that I'd already read this book and started a new one...but it's been such a full weekend, I will not finish it before the clock strikes midnight on December 31, 2024.

And now, signing off until 2025, my friends. 

"Many purry cuddles to all my fans."

May you all have lives full of joy, loved ones and good times. I'll be back in the New Year with my and L's NYE outfits, plus my annual list of What I Read This Year. Will I meet - or beat - last year's 44 books? Pop in again soon to find out! 

As always, thank you to every one of you for reading, commenting and for just being there. You rock!