Wednesday, December 31, 2025

The Last Daze: Shopping With Emma; Vet Visit for the Snip

Hello, my friends! I'm back with a few more outfits and fun adventures to share! 

After a quiet Sunday, Monday brought a fun adventure - shopping with Emma (we first shopped together here in June). 
We did a walk down Oak Bay Avenue, stopping in at Good Things and Turnabout. House of Savoy was closed for their annual break, so I'll have to pop back down there soon - I have had a gift card since my birthday, and need to spend it! 

  • Cotton sweater - J. Crew, thrifted; last worn here with Mom earlier this month
  • Tulle skirt - Adidas, consignment; last seen here in November with sparkly paillettes
  • Sneakers - L'intervalle, consignment; last worn here in September, when we first met our kittens
  • Coat - L'Atiste, consignment, Vancouver; last seen here in December

It was a cold, brisk day but dry, so I layered up. I have a t-shirt under this cotton sweater. 
I had a different skirt planned, but it didn't appeal to me in the moment, so I swapped for my Adidas tulle (you can barely see the white stripes on the side, above). 

The coat is thin but has big pockets...and we walked fast! 
This is how I looked while we shopped: coat open, scarf tied to my purse.

Remembering to put a pin on my woven puffy purse. 
I originally had my black bucket hat picked out, but changed it to this vintage 90s rabbit-fur headband. 

Accoutrements: 
Puffy things! 

  • Purse - no label, consignment
  • Scarf - Marimekko X Uniqlo, consignment
  • Leather gloves - Roeckl, consignment
  • Fur scarf/headband - Danier Leather, vintage, thrifted

The stuff: 
I went for comfort - Emma has the same stamina as me and we shopped for over 4 hours! 

Silver/amber bling:
I debuted the thin studded bracelet (consignment) and the twisty crystal earrings - they were both Xmas gifts from L. 

  • Leather studded cuff - vintage 90s
  • Thin studded band - consignment, gift from L
  • Silver Anneke & Lars ring - vintage mall
  • Silver/amber ring - consignment
  • Silver/amber thumb ring - consignment
  • Amber drop - thrifted
  • Crystal earrings - Justine Clenquet, consignment, gift from L

Here's a close-up of the earrings: 
I checked their website (these are not the Shanon earrings, just the box for those) and their jewelry is brass dipped in palladium. The crystals are real (I should hope so). 

And here's what I found at Good Things. 
A bracelet and a ring! 

The ring is "very Scandi" said Emma (i.e. Scandinavian design). I agree! 
It's marked silver and looks like wings in flight! 

The closure of the bracelet caught my eye - very unusual! It's a slide that is held in place by a bent piece of metal in the inner tube. 
It's marked 925 for silver (probably gold-plated for the colour), so it's likely that the fixings like the small beads are also silver/gold-plated. You can see that even a simple jump-ring has been squished/melted to keep it from opening. This has some age on it! 

On me: 
The ring was $65.00 and the bracelet was on sale for $24.00. 

From there, we headed to Turnabout, which was much less busy than when I last visited.
They had a huge sale on, and I finally bit on this gorgeous red skirt. It has a raw-edged hem and is bias-cut and draped around the body. One edge of the hem is longer. I had fun playing with this in front of the mirror, changing where the "train" would go. 

It's by Marni - the tag is sewn so that the front would have the train. 
And that's reason #456 why you should turn skirts around and see how they look backwards! 

Made in Italy. 
The original Turnabout price was $249.99 - it was $112.50 after the big discounts! 

I also spotted this giant amber ring in their case. 
Marked 925, so silver. I like the pebbled back of the amber, which gives it a wavy look on the front. 

Now that's a big ring! 
It was originally $129.99, marked all the way down to $58.50. Thanks so much for the wonderful gifts, L! I paid only a small bit of my own money on top of my gift card. 

Emma tried on this AMAZING Diane Von Furstenberg wrap gown. 
Wowsers! It was under $100, which is a STEAL. It's 100% silk jersey. 

We grabbed mushroom paninis and drinks at Ottavio Bakery after our shop, and sat outside enjoying the bit of sun still left. 
Turnabout is the building right next to it (you can see the tilted T at the entrance on the left). 

Thanks so much, Emma! 
What a gift to spend the day with you! 

The kittens were very excited to have me home, especially Whateley. 
"I love this skirt."


I had to take it away from him, and blot the damp spots. Naughty boy! 

I spotted a new bird, right from our window, pecking at the maple tree outside. 
I tried looking through the Merlin app, but couldn't find it - it's not a woodpecker, although she was furiously ripping piece of moss off the tree and flicking them onto the ground far below. 

Finally, I uploaded a picture to identify it. 
"Well? Have you figured me out?"


It's a Red-breasted Sapsucker! So cool! 

Our little guys were off to be neutered on Tuesday! Very exciting! 
"I love food!"        "I don't think that's what she said..."


L and I had booked their neutering appointment for early morning on the 30th (Tuesday), with an early afternoon pick-up. 

"I love balls!"     "Wait...OUR balls?"


I wore this new-to-me thrifted chambray dress, figuring it would be easy for clambering in and out of the car, and sitting with a heavy carrying case on my lap (both kittens get crammed into one case). 

  • Dress - Nevada Jeanswear, vintage 90s, thrifted; purchased here for $7.00
  • Turtleneck sweater - Bellissima, thrifted; last seen here in November with Westwood and leather
  • Leather boots - Clarks; last worn here (3rd outfit) in February for an orange and fringed brunch
  • Ultrasuede coat (below) - Halston, vintage 70s, consignment, Sidney; last seen here in November

That's coffee I dripped down the front of my dress, right on the first wearing, fresh out of the wash too! 
"I'm hiding under here."


A few squirts of Folex and it was fine, no fear! 

The boys traveled well (they strolled right into the case), with no yowling, and were perfect gentlemen for the vet. 
L and I had a nice breakfast at the shopping centre and picked up our beverages for New Year's Eve while we were in a quiet lull. There were not many folks around at the mall at 9am in that "Betwixtmas" period. 

It felt rather early for me too, as you can tell by my very tired face in these pictures. 
I liked the dress layered with the turtleneck; it's a good Jammy Dress for playing with accessories. 

I armoured up in my snuggly Halston Ultrasuede shearling coat.
I had a bit of "Shearling Rage" so ended up wearing it open while we were out. 

Accoutrements: 
Horses! 

  • Purse - Ted Lapidus, vintage 90s, vintage fair
  • Leather gloves - Ralph Lauren, thrifted
  • Silk scarf - France, vintage fair

The stuff: 
I'm watching for a lower-heeled version of these boots - these are still lovely and getting a very good patina on them, but that's a high-ish heel for me these days. 

Amber and turquoise bling: 
First wearing of my ginormous amber ring - I loved it! 

  • Belt - Brave Belts, thrifted
  • Nu-wite bracelet - R&G Co., vintage 1920s, vintage mall
  • Silver/turquoise bangle - Mexican, consignment
  • Big amber/silver ring - purchased above for $58.50
  • Silver/amber thumb ring - consignment
  • Silver/amber ring - consignment
  • Silver/amber necklace - c. 1930s, vintage mall, gift from L 
  • Ear-balls - thrifted

We picked up our groggy boys in the afternoon, and took them home. We attempted cones, but they took them off each other, and we feared for damage to the house if we pushed the issue. Instead, we hung out and played games and constantly stopped them from licking their wee injuries. 
"I didn't love this! I don't want to talk about it!"


Poor buddies! It will be okay soon! 
"I'm going to chew up your lights."


And he did - I found two destroyed light bulbs (he crunched one!) in the morning, and now one of my strings of lights has to be replaced. Sigh. 
"I'm still deciding how to punish you."


Uh-oh...

But for now, they are being SUPER cute and very sweet.
"Happy New Year."


My friends, I'll be off again for a few days, enjoying our celebrations tonight (of course we have a party to go to!) and relaxing this weekend. I'll be back on Sunday with tales of adventure and my list of Books Read in 2025 (not as many as previous years, I fear). 

Thank you all for being here, and wishing you the best for 2026! 

Sunday, December 28, 2025

Christmas Day Copper and Tiger; Boxing Day Blues; Brunch Pink and Green; Many Presents and Kittens!

Hello, my friends, and welcome back! I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and/or all the good vibes! We've had a busy few days and it's time to catch up, so grab a cup of something yummy and settle in.

"Grab one!" L and I with our rambunctious boys on Christmas Day, ready to head over to my ex-sister-in-law's place to see Mom, my three nieces and Cynthia. 
The kittens have not learned the art of posing for the camera just yet...

A little blurry, but you get the idea. L and I always dress up for the day.
He's in blue velvet blazer, a blue/grey floral shirt, grey dress pants, and shiny blue Fluevogs. 

As for me...
Mustard and copper and black velvet! 

  • Silk blazer - Alfred Sung, vintage 80s, thrifted; last worn here in November with dragon scales
  • Cashmere sweater - Prada, consignment; last seen here layered with olive tweed in November
  • Eames chairs T-shirt - SPRZNY, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in October for my pop-up sale at Botched
  • Skirt - no label, vintage 70s, thrifted; first seen here (2nd outfit) in January 2021 for a pandemic Zoom call!
  • Boots - Mamzelle, thrifted; last worn here in November with swooshy olives
  • Coat (below) - Marciano for Guess, consignment, Powell River; last seen here in February


I like dressing up for my nieces, plus DUH, it's Christmas! 
I'd preplanned this outfit during my try-on session last week and had it all ready to go after L and I did our stocking gifts and had a lovely breakfast. 

I'd intended doing a Fashion Thing and tying the sweater around my neck to show off the tee, but it was not warm enough.
We had a rainy and cold Christmas Day. *shrug* This is typical. It rarely snows here. 

My full outfit, and how I looked for our visit. 
I liked the mix of the caramel cashmere and mustard - the bit of white from the t-shirt helped keep it slightly casual. 

But then I threw on the Unsafe Tiger! 
I knew my nieces would love it! 

The stuff: 
Although we drove over, it really started raining just as we left, so I grabbed the hat and glove at the last minute - we were rushing with our Cat Selfies, etc. 

  • Leather purse - Arcadia, consignment
  • Hat - Babaton, consignment
  • Leather gloves - Danier Leather

Copper bling: 
Stacks of bracelets, and just a few rings, hee hee. 

  • Eternity copper bracelet - Renoir, vintage 50s, Seattle, gift from L
  • Beans copper bracelet - Renoir, vintage 50s, vintage fair
  • Copper/brass necklace - vintage 50s, Grandma J's
  • Copper earrings - vintage expo
  • Stone ring - thrifted
  • Wooden ring - Dots
  • Copper ring - vintage 60s, consignment
  • Bronze ring - P. Sarpaneva, vintage 70s, vintage expo
  • Copper cuff - Renoir, vintage 50s, Grandma J's
  • Copper bracelet - thrifted, Sidney

Happy First Christmas, Barnabas and Whateley! That's your very own stocking, boys! 
"What's this?"        "A dead foot, most likely."


But it was NOT a dead foot! It was cat toys and tissue paper. There was much bouncing around, and most of the balls of tissue were carried off to their secret lair (under the bed).
"I love Christmas!"

Barnabas amid the carnage. 

And here are my presents (sorry, again a bit blurry - I was in a hurry to protect them from being stolen). 
I am spoiled! Thank you, L, for all of the amazing goodies ((I'll show the fashiony things properly when I wear them),

  • An Alexander McQueen silk scarf (consignment) 
  • Much chocolate and candy and a can of fizzy pop
  • A word-a-day desk calendar
  • A pair of twisty earrings by Justine Clenquet (consignment)
  • A leather studded bracelet (thrifted)
  • A Star Wars belt made from a seat-belt (consigment)
  • Books
  • A magnet
  • Captain Kirk Star Trek socks
  • Bleu Foret sparkly socks
  • Fluevog socks (and a gift card for $200)
  • A $150 Turnabout gift card
  • Silk Bonspiel knight scarf (consignment)

Whateley was exhausted from the excitement.
"You can leave now."


We had a grand time at Cynthia's. 
Mom and Bear. They've been buddies for a long time! 

My awesome nieces.
Sydney, Hannah and Zoe, over from Vancouver! 

Lola the kitty came to visit. 
"Don't judge me..."


Okay, but that is a CHONKY cat! 

Syd went full RAR with my Unsafe Tiger coat. 
I love her punk vibe! She's still in high school, a fun time to play with clothes. 

Me and Mom. 
It's tipped in this picture, but she's wearing a crystal crown pin I gave her. Merry Christmas, Mom! I love you all, fam! 

Presents from Mom. 
Soup starters, a ginormous Crazy Cat Lady mug, some cute socks and a bag of chocolate. Mom also gave me a Fluevog gift card, at the store for me to pick up. Not shown: A delicious bunch of homemade treats and some kitty toys from Cynthia. Thank you! 

L showing off his snuggly sweater from Mom. 
The verdict? He loves it! 

As always, Cynthia outdoes herself on the tree. 
I see the usual headless Barbie and Ken dolls, heh heh. 

We left after a few hours - we had to get home to prepare dinner. 
"Where did these come from?"


My gift to the kittens: I fished all of their toys out from under the bookcase. 

My dear friend/neighbour Emma gave us this dish full of Lindt chocolate balls (all eaten).
I'm using it to store my large buttons. 

She made this! 
It's a black clay with layers of glazes. Amazing. 

And useful.
Whateley has been whacking my buttons on to the floor and carrying them off. 

We had a lovely Christmas dinner and watched football with pal Nick, then watched "A Christmas Story
 in the evening.

We realized on Boxing Day/Friday that we'd run out of kitty kibble! Oh no! We're going to have to venture out! 
No rain in the morning...

  • Popcorn top - Zara, consignment; last seen here in December 2024 with a bell skirt
  • Skirt - Lord & Taylor, consignment; last worn here in February under my CdG dress
  • Boots - Original Samedi, Fluevog; last seen here (2nd outfit) a couple of weeks ago for my holiday shopping
  • Cocoon (below) - B. Young; last worn here earlier this month

I love this purple popcorn top, but it's very bulky and takes up a lot of space. It's also very warm - and I have a t-shirt layered under here. 
The blue skirt felt nice and comfy, and we decided to walk down to the store and have lunch nearby at Bin 4 afterwards. 

The cocoon coat was snuggly warm. 
I love all these colours! 

I decided to use my Bug Bag. 
It held the kitty kibble plus a few bottles of fizzy water for the evening, as I was getting low. 

The stuff: 
That's the bag full of purchases. 

  • Latex "Bug Bag" - Craig Morrison, c. 1993, consignment
  • Angora beret - Parkhurst, thrifted
  • Star pin - consignment
  • Gloves - thrifted

Brutalist bling: 
I like wearing a full set of jewelry, even if it's just me, L and the server who saw it. 

  • Bracelets - both Robert Larin, vintage 70s, vintage mall, gifts from L
  • Necklace - Robert Larin, vintage 70s, thrifted, Sidney
  • Volcano ring - vintage 70s, Mom's
  • Hematite ring - thrifted (I used this to keep Mom's ring on)
  • Square ring - thrifted
  • Earrings - marked but not legible, vintage 70s, vintage mall

We made it home just as the skies opened up.
You're not goin out there, boys. 

We hung out in the evening, stuffing ourselves with leftovers and chocolate, playing boardgames and listening to music. 
"You should totally come up here, Barnabas."          "I love new hiding spots!"


We try hard not to overreact when they get up to mischief so that they don't learn how to get a rise out of us! 
"Dreaming of hidey-holes..."


So cute when they're sleeping...

On Saturday, we were up to our usual shenanigans - brunch with our pals at John's Place!
And I, for one, am getting dressed up! 

  • Viscose vest - Phool, vintage 90s, consignment; last worn here in November 2024 for a Mom-Day at Ross Bay Cemetery
  • Velvet duster - April Cornell, vintage 90s, thrifted; first seen here (2nd outfit) in February with ORANGE LEATHER SHORTS
  • Shirt - Denver Hayes, consignment; last worn here (3rd outfit) earlier this month with pink tulle to go see "White Christmas"
  • Plaid trousers - FRNCH, consignment; last seen here in May with a maxi-bomber
  • Shoes - Wonders Ayers, Fluevog, c. 2011; last worn here in October with grape

Again, the weather was cooperating, so I wore two items that both have to be worn on dry-ish days.
This amazing quilted Phool vest (made in India) is an incredible piece. 

It's snuggly warm, a glorious colour and has two giant pockets. 
It functioned as my coat. 

I took it off while we ate, to show off my black velvet duster jacket/dress. 
It buttons nearly to the hem - I could wear it as a dress, but it's more dramatic like this! 

I loved the pink layers underneath.
The pink plaid has stripes of olive green and grey. 

There's the grey! 
Server Shayne was agog as I added all these bits back on after our yummy lunch. 

Accoutrements: 
I wore the purse cross-body under the Phool vest. 

  • Hat - M&S, consignment, Powell River
  • Fur scarf - thrifted
  • Leather purse - Zara, consignment
  • Leather gloves - Dots

The stuff: 
I wore my new gift of sparkly Bleu Foret sheer socks with these shoes. Sparkly! 

Green and grey bling: 
Pal Casey loved seeing all the different pieces. "They all go together!"

  • Belt - B-Lo the Belt, thrifted
  • Cuff - consignment, Sidney
  • Green stone bracelet - vintage mall
  • Earrings - thrifted
  • Necklace - Stella & Dot, thrifted
  • Silver/amethyst ring - vintage mall
  • Silver/smoky topaz ring - Anneli Neumann, Sweden, vintage mall
  • Sparkly pin - Eaton's, c. 1999
  • Star pin - consignment

Merry Christmas, my guys! 
From left: Me, Nick, Zeb, L and Casey.

I had over $500 in Fluevog gift cards practically burning a hole in my pocket! And I had to pick up the card from Mom at the store, AND they just started a sale...so I pretty much HAD to go there.
Socks for $14.99 a pair! I got a lot of socks for Christmas - time to weed out some of my shabbier pairs! 

The store had a lot of great deals, and I tried a few pairs on, but I'm very fussy. 
These neon strappy low heels came home with me. 

They are called the Classy Bach, and they have the Swordfish to that I love. They are here (link 'cause I love!), on sale for $179.99 (regular over $400!), if you want to be twins.
I have a few pairs of shoes with that heel - it's very easy to walk in. 

These fit small - I'm usually a 9 or 9.5 and I have narrow feet. The 10 fit perfectly, and the straps across the vamp make them adjustable.
"Classy: Elevate your world"


I will! I still have $400 in gift cards, but I'm going to save them for a bit and wait and see the new styles for spring.

We spent Saturday night playing games and hanging out. I pulled out the old Doodle Art "Aquarium" poster that I bought over 10 years ago. 
"But I can't eat it!"

I used to take it up to Powell River with us so that we could spread it out on the kitchen table. Louise, Lawrence, L and Virgil and I would sit and colour on it. 

Although I coloured a lot of these fish...
Some were done by others. Lawrence died in June 2013 (here).

I find colouring very soothing. 
I worked on it a bit here and there. 

And now, back to my favourite vacation pastime: hanging out with my fam, made larger this year. 
"We love you!"       "Merry Christmas!"

These two creatures were the best gifts ever! 

I'll be back in a few days with more tales of adventure - I'm not replying to comments for a while (it takes a long time) but thank you so much for all of your kind words. I truly am grateful for all of you.