St. Patty's Day Greens

I love having a holiday that begets dressing up right when starting a new job. It's my excuse to break out a little. Today, it was colour mixing and a touch of bigass: This is a new-to-me Talbot's shirt - it's 100% cotton and wrinkles if I even look at it, but I love the slightly olive tone to it and the tux details on the front. It was $10.50 thrifted.

I just now realized that the skirt is also a Talbot's item - I've had it for about 3 years and just love it (last seen here).

A close-up of the top half:

The collar of the shirt is actually mandarin - I folded it down to make a V to show off the (doubled up) necklace).

My bigass-ery is the rose and the shoes (naturally).

The stuff: You can see a bit more of the ribbon trim on the tux front of the shirt there. This is the second wear of the shoes (last seen here).

Close-up of the bling:

I did a mix of copper, orange and green. And isn't that a realistic-looking fabric rose?

Blouse (Talbot's, thrifted), vest (Vero Moda), skirt (Talbot's, consignment), shoes (Marc Fisher), rose (Roberta's Hats), necklace and earrings (Plum), jade ring (vintage, Mom's).

I miss being able to leisurely browse all your blogs - thank you so much for continuing to read and comment! - but I am back to minimal non-work computer time. And tonight, I have to dash off to Book Club.

I changed, since I'm walking there:

Of course, green boots are required!

Sweater (Max Studio), cami (Smart Set), jeans (Jackpot, swap from Caro), boots (Pegabo), same jewelry as above.

Lazy Monday - Eyelet Lettuce and Sad News

My coworker, Ruth, teased me today: "Do you go shopping every weekend?" No! Maybe every 2-3 weeks, though. And I only buy a few pieces (mostly second-hand)!

I found this gorgeous dress for $27 - it still had the tags on it, so I don't think it's ever been worn. It's 100% cotton, lovely and light and loose, perfect for a Monday. The hem is strips of the same eyelet fabric, gathered and sewn in a boustrophedon pattern (heh, my degree in Linguistics pays off!). It reminds me of lettuce.

The stuff:

I liked how the orangey-caramel colour of these shoes went with the green - even the teal trim on them goes nicely. Then I went all matchy with Grandma J's vintage copper pieces:

Click here for a post a couple of years ago where I did research on the cuff. I have a necklace that matches the earrings too.

Dress (Taylor, consignment), shoes (Pink), cuff (vintage 1950s, Grandma J, Renoir), earrings (vintage 1950s, Grandma J).

Speaking of Grandmas, we just had some sad news: L's last grandparent, Grandma W, died today.

That's from August 2009.

She was so sharp and funny, but her body let her down. Whenever we traveled back to L's hometown, we'd go see her and her kitties (she loved cats), and hang out and chat with her. I lost all of my grandparents 13-20+ years ago, so she was my last grandma too.

I'll miss you, Grandma.

Pale Neutrals

First day doing my hair after the cut - it's a bit windblown from my three toque-less walks today (yay! it's finally sunny and warm!). Today's new item is this Noa Noa top:
The seaming under the bust is a little unfortunate - I wish it had another seam right across the ribcage under the boob seams, just to define the waist a bit more. And I probably should have given this outfit a test-drive before I packed it up for work. Ah well, live and learn.

The thin sweater underneath the lacy top is also new-to-me: a gift from Caro (I think it's her mom's). It goes well with the lace top.

Inigo was rolling around near me while I took pictures, so I grabbed him for a cuddle.
Aw, big ol' lovey kitty.

The lace top was $19.99 with 20% off. As you can see, it's "sugar" coloured.

I can also see that the delivery would have been for late spring/early summer 2008 in stores.

The stuff:

Fab shoes! Oh, the wicker bangle is also new - I grabbed that at Club Monaco about a month ago - it was $9.

A close-up:

You can see the nice trim on the lace top, which is from the "Penniless Net" line. The earrings are Grandma J's (research here).

Top (Noa Noa), cami/sweater (Ellen Tracy, gift from Caro), skirt (Kensie), shoes (Le Chateau), bangle (Club Monaco), necklace (Plum), earrings (vintage 50s, Grandma J).

Red and Orange and Patterns, Oh My!

I'm desperately trying to squeeze wear out of summery items before I get into full-on sweater mode. The weather has been cooperating, so I'm wearing as many open-toed shoes and short sleeves as I can!

I have only worn this top once before, but I love it - red and orange are awesome colours. Today, I put it with my favourite plaid pants and sandals. However, knowing that the A/C at work would blast frigid air at me all afternoon, I brought another patterned item to work to keep warm:

My lovely shawl/giant scarf that Mom got me in London! I thought the colours went well with the outfit, and it was so nice and snuggly.

The stuff:

Ooh, all that red and orange just makes me happy.

Blouse (Bianca Nygard, consignment), cami (Esprit), pants (Vero Moda), belt (Plum), shoes (Nine West), copper cuff (Renoir, Grandma J's, 1950s/60s vintage), earrings (Plum), shawl (gift from Mom).

Thursday on Monday - Tweedy

As I missed work last Thursday, but had my clothes and accessories all sorted out (even in their bags, ready to go into the backpack), I wore them for today. How's that for a lazy Monday?
My favourite tweed skirt, newish long cardi, and my good ol' red accessories. Not terribly exciting, but it's Monday after all.

The stuff:

These shoes are one of my few pre-weight-loss items that I still have. And I haven't worn this bracelet since I got it for my birthday - shameful!

Cardigan (Express, thrifted), cami (InWear), skirt (Kensie), belt (Plum), shoes (Nine West), earrings (don't recall), bracelet (gift from Mom).

Mon, May 11/09 - Black and Blue - and Happy Birthday, Mom!

Not really carrying on Son of Dress Week, but I stopped in at one of my favourite stores, Oscar & Libby's, over the weekend and L bought me 3 lovely pieces of jewelry (on sale, I do love a sale) so I'm featuring them all week.

I built this outfit around the brooch, which has blue stones and is set in copper (a nice change from silver & gold):Sorry for the fuzziness.

I also wanted to wear these shoes that I forgot I owned, so I messed about and came up with this:
Heh, Inigo's coming in for a rub.

The shoes are from 1999, from when Eaton's department store closed in my city. I just always liked the shape. And who'da thunk: platforms and chunky heels? Deja vu! Let's party like it's 1999!

The stuff:

All brown and blue and sparkly. I do love the glittery - I'm such a crow.

This past Monday was my Mom's birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom! You're the absolute best. When I grow up, I want to be just like you.

Dress (Mac & Jac), cardigan (Jacob), cami (Esprit), belt (Plum), brooch (Oscar & Libby's), shoes (Sam & Libby's - when do I get to call them vintage?).

Feeling Brown...

Some people feel blue...I am feeling brown. It's Monday, I hate Mondays, and things just didn't go well for me today. Couldn't walk due to rain at noon. People frustrated me. I feel frumpy.
I bought these cool leopard trouser socks, so I built the outfit around them (sorry it's dark...light is not good in this room in the winter), just black with brown and copper accents. It felt very Audrey in the morning, but as the day went on, it felt....un-Audrey. You know?

The legwear:

The full set of Grandma J's copper jewelry. The cuff is Renoir, and the necklace and earrings are unmarked. I love this set. It's likely from the 50s.

Shout out to the lovely Mervat who has bestowed a Major Award on me. I wish I'd worn something different to the ceremony! If you wish to participate and pass this Major Award along, by all means, please do.

So. I've been feeling fat-tastic lately.

As you may or may not know, I lost 60 pounds a couple of years ago. I've been maintaining it for nearly 2 years, but I gained a few pounds over Christmas and I just can't seem to shake them. I've been giving in to way too many temptations. Stress, listening to that little "you'll be fat again one day" voice in the back of my head and fear that yes, I will be fat again one day...those all compel me to overeat. And overdrink - let's not fool ourselves, here: wine is also a culprit, not to mention that whole "lowers your resistance" thing.

I probably have PMS, but this week, I gained 2 pounds. Now, I'm still 2 pounds under my goal weight (I still go to my WW meetings every week), but I've been maintaining at 8-10 pounds under, and I'm so scared that it's going to just keep creeping up and up and up. That feeling of inevitability.

I know I need to just calm the heck down and take it one day at a time. Stay on track, write down what I eat, eat unprocessed foods, drink lots of water and keep on exercising. And it will come off. I know it will.

It will.

But I just wanted to say...just because I don't talk about it doesn't mean that fear isn't with me every day. It isn't easy and weight loss is never "done".

Hope your Monday was more fab than mine!

Sweater (no label, consignment), suit pants (Focus 2000), hose (eh, I never remember the labels), shoes (Wild Diva), cuff (Renoir, Grandma J), necklace & clip-on earrings (no marks, Grandma J).

Special Occasion - Whisky Club Formal Dinner

I do love formal occasions - there's something about the preparation that thrills me. The long gown, the special makeup, the extra attention to the hair, all the glitz and glamour. Ah...it makes me feel happy.

I belong to a whisky afficianados club (yes, I drink scotch) - actually, this will be my last year in it, as I trim away some things from my life that I don't get the same fun out of as I used to. Every year we have a formal dinner, but I missed it last year due to a conflict with my work party.

This is a dress I got last year, off the clearance racks for around $49. Not bad! It's great because the style is timeless, the colour is neutral and you can accessorize it a lot of different ways.
It's a heavy jersey, with ruching down the front and down the back. It has great weight and movement in the fabric, and I feel like an Oscar-nominated actress in this. A shot of the back:

It's also very long, so here's a look at the shoes (I was totally in a hurry to get ready, so you get to see my shoes On My Feet, which I don't do anymore since I had a comment from someone who wanted me to send him pictures of my feet. Ew.):

The shoes are Guess, from DSW in NYC, from my trip with mom a couple of years ago. They go with everything!

The accessories:

My lovely brown beaded purse. This was $12.95 on clearance a few years ago.

The earrings and Grandma J's copper cuff.

Dress (Enchante), shoes (Guess), purse (Plum), cuff (Renoir, vintage 1960s), earrings (don't remember, but they were on sale).

Black and Brown Made Interesting

The goal for today's outfit was to wear the shoes again. These are so over-the-top; the pony hair zebra, the jewelled crest, the green trim! Ah, it makes my crow soul caw with joy. I thought I'd keep the clothes to a dull roar and pull out the interesting bits from my shoes into the other accessories.Not to sound (too) vain, but I really like that picture of me.

I'm wearing the moss-green textured tights (they're like fishnet only not fishnet, capiche?) to pull out the green trim on the shoes. The long copper and acryllic bead necklace was picked up on sale in one of my favourite shops last year. The earrings (clip-on) and bracelet are Grandma J's; she gave them too me around 1985. There is also a necklace with multiple links of the earring shape. The bracelet is marked (c) Renoir. My research tells me this is probably from the mid-50s.
Neither the necklace nor the earrings are marked, so I wasn't sure that they were also Renoir until I Googled copper Renoir vintage jewelry. Check out this ad from 1956:That bracelet has the same spring hinge as mine. And it's real copper - cool! I think the earrings and necklace, while similar, are not an exact match to the bracelet (the bracelet is a lot more polished).

Sweater (consignment, no tag), black skirt (Kenzie), shoes (Hale Bob), tights (Hue), copper/acryllic necklace (Plum), vintage copper cuff and earrings (Grandma J.).

Special Occasion - A Matinee with Mom

Rose/green velvet and silk sundress (Hale Bob, Century 21, NYC), green silk fringed scarf with embroidery (La Cache), bronze leather sandals (Naturalizer), copper beaded frame bag (Plum), gold/amethyst ring (Dad's, from Francis Jeweler), gold/crystal earrings and necklace (Plum).
I love this dress. As noted, I got it at Century 21, that huge discount department store in New York (it's right near the Ground Zero site). Mom and I hiked down Manhattan, then split up to do our own thing. We met up 2 hours later, me, frantically trying to get to every department I wanted to see, and her, avoiding salespeople but trying to sit on the grand stairs in the menswear department and waiting for me. Ah, it was great.

I actually bought 2 dresses by Hale Bob, and I tried them on right in the aisle, I was so rushed. The quality of this dress still impresses me, from the velvet bodice (the back is smocked with elastic so it's a perfect fit), to the soft colours and the sheer attention to detail on it.

With accessories:

I look in pain in this picture - and I am! I had a collision with Karen on the Ultimate field which resulted in her coming down on the inside of my left ankle and grating along it with her cleats. My ankle is pretty puffy and sore and is bruising up nicely. It's not internally sore at the ankle, so I think there's no sprain, just surface damage.

However, my calf pulled in compensation, so it's been really stiff and sore. I'm taking it easy and not doing my walk today - don't want to hurt myself.

With the accessories on: I got this scarf years ago, to go with a green dress from Jacob that I used to have (it was a size 14 - I've since given it away). It's a very vivid shade of green and the embroidery is shades of peach, so it's tricky to match with things. I think it's pretty close with this.

A close-up of the goods:

Boy, green really doesn't come out well with this camera. It's much more vivid.

Anyway. Isn't this the cutest little purse? It's soft and lined with satin. It was about $12 at Plum, about a year ago, I think.

And that's Dad's ring. It was given to me straight off his hand, as he laid in a coma after his heart attack. I feel close to him when I wear it - and since the play Mom and I saw was about family (moms, teenagers, husbands, fathers), I knew we'd be thinking about our him. Only appropriate that he should be there.

L joined us for dinner at the pub across the street after. What a lovely evening.

Party - Caro's Convocation!

Copper and black lace dress (vintage, Value Village), big black leather belt (NYC, some tourist shop in Times Square), black kitten heels (Reaction, Kenneth Cole, gift from Cat), gold-plated ring with amber-coloured stone (Retrowear), yellow/amber crystal clip-on earrings (vintage).
I've had this dress for about 7-8 years and have never worn it - it didn't ever look quite right when I was heavier (the waist sat too high). I bought it at Value Village (I always look in the Vintage section) for about $7. The lace part is very stiff and crinkly; the underskirt is a soft crepe. I think this dress is handmade - the seams aren't finished and the cut edges have frayed over time. It also has a metal zipper, so I'm pretty sure it's pre-1965 or so, when they started using plastic zippers.

A close-up of the jewelry. I got these earrings at an antique fair at the mall downtown about 8 years ago, for about $14. The ring is from a store that's closed now - it was only $5. It's one of the few older rings I have that still fits my fingers.
It was a fun party! I slept in till almost noon today!