Bigass Long Weekend Wrap-Up: Friday Teal Suit; All Day Saturday Brunch, a Wee Shop, and Vero's Bigass Birthday Bash

Welcome back, my friends! I hope you had a great long weekend (if your country grants one) - I definitely did, and I'm eager to get back to the waning hours, so let's get to it. 

We have my Friday work outfit, and then our Saturday brunch (including a 10-minute shop), followed by Vero's 50th birthday celebrations. It was a weekend full of happy times, and I'm so grateful. 

Here's the office ensemble for Friday, featuring the final "to be styled" vest. 

I pulled out the purples in the vest with my long-sleeved mesh top (worn with a beige cami) and my purple creeper shoes. 

• Mesh top - Noisy May, consignment; last seen here for the Day of Indolence in June
• Embroidered vest - vintage 90s, Mexican, gift from Mom; acquired here in August
• Teal suit - Soaked in Luxury, Dots; last worn here in July with pink accessories
• Creeper shoes - Call It Spring, consignment; last worn here in July with velvet trousers

Without the jacket, which I took off after arriving at the office all sweaty. 

I am glad I styled this vest up, but sorry, Mom - again, I'm not keeping it. It's not a good fit, I don't like the front ties (covered by a brooch here), and it's just not me. 

Incognito. 

I walked to and from work like this - an "as seen in the wild" look! 

The stuff: 

Yay! A new camera battery! I prefer the camera shots purely for the more accurate colours. 

Close-up: 

I didn't really need the scarf - cool in the morning, hot in the afternoon, the usual late summer temps - but I loved it looped around this "paper bag" style purse. A win! I'll do this again! 

• Leather purse - Sonia Rykiel, thrifted
• Silk fringed scarf - Laurel Burch, thrifted
• Gold-tone brooch - Monet, vintage, thrifted
• Moth pin - vintage fair
• Bee pin - consignment
• Small bee pin - gift from Megan Mae
• Chain belt - thrifted

Golden bling: 

I had lots of bugs going on in the brooch department, so I had to add a pair of snakes (the earrings). 

• Gold-tone leafy brooch - thrifted, Sidney
• Hinged eelskin bangle - vintage 80s, thrifted
• Turquoise ring - consignment
• Silver/amethyst ring - vintage mall
• Crystal snake earrings - Betsey Johnson, gift from L
• Gold-tone necklace - Givenchy, vintage 80s, vintage fair

I spotted these two on the way to work.

Mum and a spotted fawn. 

To my great amusement, my work buddy Trisha also had a teal blazer on! Hers is a Nygard, recently thrifted. 

I call this, "Teal Death Do Us Part." Hee! 

On Friday night, L and I hung out and played board games, and laughed at the boys and their box. 

Barnabas, where is Whateley? 

Oh, I see him. 

He's got his spooky eyes on! 

We had a full day on Saturday, starting with brunch, a wee shop and groceries. 

Followed by our dear pal Vero's 50th birthday, which was a series of three separate parties/venues, lasting from 3:30 till 10pm. It was a very long day! 

• L7 tee - concert merch, not tracked
• Wool top - Diesel, vintage 90s, consignment; last seen here in July with a floral tulle skirt
• Skirt - Cleo, thrifted; first worn here in May with olive and studded boots
• Boots - Original Sabado, Fluevog; last seen here in March with flocked tulle
• Velvet bomber jacket (below) - Escada, vintage 90s. thrifted; last worn here in March to vintage fair with Rosanna

The weather forecast had been dire, including thundershowers, but it ended up being a beautiful day. 

I looked like this at many points. I had layered to enable shucking off the tee, and deploying a Movie Star Wrap if needed with the scarf. 

But I ended up like this for 90% of the day. 

The cotton velvet jacket around my waist, where I could access the pockets (handy for my phone and my glasses/sunnies). 

Only late in the evening did I need to put my jacket on. 

This was a solid outfit for the day. I had a very sweet comment from someone on the bus midway through the afternoon: "You're so cool!" 

The stuff: 

I tied the scarf to the belt and let it waft around behind me. The boots were excellent for a long day of walking. 

• Leather knapsack - vintage, thrifted
• Belt - Fluevog
• Silk scarf - Fluevog

Turquoise bling: 

The pendant was Karen's, and was shown to my friends. Our toast is "To those who are here, and those who are not." 

• Semi-precious stone/silver bracelet - Salt Spring Island, c. 2000, gift from L
• Turquoise stone stretch cuff - thrifted, Sidney
• Carved faux cinnabar bangle - consignment
• Bug brooch - Le Chateau, c. 2000
• F-This/F-That pin - freebie from Fluevog
• Star pin - consignment
• LOVE pin - birthday pin from years ago
• Silver/turquoise bangle - consignment
• Silver earrings - thrifted, gift from Petra
• Silver/turquoise pendant - Karen's
• Silver/oval turquoise ring - Glee (local)
• Big silver/turquoise ring - consignment
• Silver/turquoise thumb ring - consignment

L at brunch. 

We had a yummy meal, then he went to Ditch to pick up an order, and I had a 10-minute shop at the big WIN store. 

A shout-out to sisters Sam and Megan that I chatted with while we all shopped. Hello!  

I carried this mohair maxi mermaid skirt around for a while, but ultimately put it back. It was $24.95, not lined, no label, and I didn't really LOVE IT. Catch...and release! 

But I did buy this awesome black and white knit plaid skirt! 

It's all stretchy, with an elastic waist, and godets around the hem, giving it very flippy skirt movement. 

The base is boucle (boo-CLAY!) knit, and the white lines are woven through. 

It's a very high-end textile! 

Let's do some detective work - all links 'cause I love. Dry clean only tags appeared starting in the 1970s. 

"All Wool" - full fabric content labels were required in the 1960s, including care instructions. 

The tag matches 1970s-80s tags of the era. 

I love seeing a Union label. 

I recognized the name - Adolfo is famous! A Cuban-born designer, he apprenticed with Balenciaga, and created his own line in the mid-60s (Nancy Reagan wore an Adolfo dress to Ron's inauguration). In the 80s, he was known for "ladylike, Chanel-inspired cardigan suits," (about him here, link 'cause I love) and that's what I think this skirt is part of! 

As I was digging around, I found this great slideshow looking back on his career: note this picture in slide 22 is two socialites at the Spring 1985 runway show. 

And there we are! Although my skirt is not a pencil, this is clearly the same knit! That places it as probably Fall 1984.

I'll have to check back at WIN and see if the cardigan/jacket appears! 

There is very little Adolfo out there on the secondhand market - a few of the knit suits are listed for $250-375. My $14.95 looks pretty good! 

Okay, now on to...

Vero's 50th Birthday Bash!

We started at 3:30pm at Ye Olde Pandemic Parke: 

Hey, birthday girl! Welcome to the 50s! Ooh, look at all those snacks! That's Caro in the hat. 

My lovely women:

From left: me, Vero, Yvonne, Rosanna and Cat. 

Rosanna's outfit was stunning - she was a living picnic! 

Including ants on her shirt and a beaded watermelon bag! 

Her partner Greg was wearing all the watery animals. 

Fish on top and whales on his shorts! 

We sat for a bit. 

Randall and Justin. 

And then we gathered in a circle, and we all shared what we were curious for...

Vero wanted to hear from most of us, for us to share our own hopes and dreams for the future. 

L printed a copy of Tennyson's "Ulysses" and donned his crown (and a funky Danier Leather top to read it). 

I was all teary by the end. 

It's a great poem, link here, again 'cause I love. 

"I am a part of all that I have met" - I got all teary! Well done, L! 

And then it was time to go to the next venue! 

We headed off through Beacon Hill Park, to the beach below Mile Zero of the Trans-Canada Highway. That's Caro, Vero, Justin and Randall. 

I got pictures from Carolyn, Cat and Yvonne - thank you all! 

I'm the legs behind the balloon, beside Yvonne. I see Ross and Cat in the back. 

Vero carried her balloons around all day. 

It was handy for spotting her! 

Me, L, Ross and Cat.

The day was full of laughter. 

We passed a lake.

That log has two turtles on it! 

A shot as we walked over the bridge. 

The quality of the light was amazing. 

It was permanently the "golden hour."

Giant cedars. 

The Moss Lady. 

So peaceful. 

This is Fountain Lake. 

I know because of the sign. 

We crossed a giant gravel lot (full of Canada goose poop). 

Me, Yvonne, L and Caro! 

Me and L. 

Such a badass! 

We're at Mile 0. 

Beyond that is a cliff. 

Yvonne, Caro, L and me. I don't know those other people.

That's the Terry Fox statue behind L. 

We headed for the path down the cliff. 

Long shadows! 

Oh, this doesn't seem so steep. 

A lovely view of the water but you can't see the Olympic Mountains in Washington to the south. 

Um, okay, now this seems VERY steep. 

That was murder on my toes (a long sloping ramp with horizontal boards). 

Looking down the steep suitcase. 

A family hung out in this cove - that's our crew clambering over the rocks on the left, heading for the beach setting for the DJs. 

Vero and me. 

I was not prepared mentally or physically (my skirt didn't allow big strides) for clambering over driftwood logs, rocks and seaweed. 

I stopped on those rocks in the above left. 

"Nope, this is far enough for me." Looking to the west. 

I sat here for a while, and waited for L to be done.

I got peopled out. Nope, not ready to stand toe-to-toe with folks on a beach. 

My view of our folks. 

The party was a couple of coves over. 

I'm perfectly fine right here. 

I enjoyed just taking in the day, the smells, the sound of the surf. 

I zoomed in.

Looks like there is some post-wedding photography going on at the far point. 

Pics from the folks who made it. 

Petra was there! And Caro, of course. 

Three folks in Cons. 

That's...Caro in the red...and I know Petra's white on the right. I don't know who the black pair is. 

Caro, Ross, Cat and L. 

I'm on the rocks in the background just above L's hat brim. 

This is what I missed. 

No regrets at all! 

Vero packing up.

We had a dinner reservation to get to next! 

Yvonne and Randall. 

Peace out! See you at the pub! 

Vero and Caro on the way up. 

A very steep hike! 

Oh, hey, Michael and Jean! 

Sorry I missed you both! 

Most of the group Ubered to the Fernwood Inn. 

Party girl! 

L and Ross came to get me.

I was chilling out at Mile Zero, sitting on the grass. 

We three hopped a bus a block away that took us straight home. 

Me and L. May our shadows always be long! 

We fed the hungry kittens, then headed down to the pub.

A gorgeous orange sunset. 

Vic High in the waning light. 

Such an elegant building. 

Speaking of...this is not elegant, but it is cozy! 

It's the Winchester (a "Shaun of the Dead" reference). 

L, Caro, Ross and Cat. 

Aw, love you all so much. 

L and Caro being goofy. 

I love my people! 

Randall, me and Yvonne. 

Linda and Brad showed up later - sorry I missed you! 

Justin and Vero.

We had drinks, yummy food and I shared a flourless chocolate cake with Vero. 

And then L and I walked home in the dimming evening light. 

What a stylin' guy! 

Boys, we're home, ready to spend the whole weekend with you! 

"What?"    "You're staying home?"

Hey, why don't you come and hang with us?

"Deer!"

And there you have it! A whole long weekend crammed into only two days. L and I spent the rest of the weekend playing board games and chilling with some much-needed down-time. 

Thanks for being here!