Long Weekend Update: I Need Another Long Weekend!

Hey! Is it still the weekend? Man, I am exhausted! I've been through one day of Weight Watchers' leader training and I am already set for another weekend.

So...it snowed again on Thursday, so I figured I'd get some exercise and shovel our condo's driveway and sidewalk:
It was snowing as I did it, which is why it's still a bit white. I was getting such a good workout, I did the neighbouring apartment building's sidewalk as well, right to the road in the distance.

Then I hoofed it to the grocery store, in my extremely fashionable (not really) snow gear:

Yes, that's very attractive.

I then changed into my football-watching gear:This what I typically wear around the house. Jeans, long-sleeved tee and some large layered piece over top.

On Friday, Ruth and I went for lunch and some shopping:

My second wear of the red velvet blazer (first seen here) and the stripey ribbon skirt (first seen here). The snow had all melted by then, so I walked to town and back. What a lovely time!

Jacket (Zara, consignment), sweater (Expression, consignment), skirt (MNG, consignment), boots (Aldo, consignment), choker (60s vintage, Mom's).


Friday night, my mom, my ex sister-in-law and my two oldest nieces went to see a local production of "The Wizard of Oz". Of course, Crazy Auntie Sheila had to get dressed to the nines!

I love that dress so much. This is the second time I've worn it (first here).

I broke out the long black velvet gloves to keep myself warm in the theatre and for walking to and from the car. Gloves are awesome for that! These gloves are about 10 years old.

I love the unevenness of the neckline:

One "sleeve" is narrower than the other, so it naturally dips off one shoulder.

I was pleased that the shoes (my awesome Fluevogs last seen here) matched the dress so well! Matchy-matchy! Yay!

Here's a close-up of the upper body stuff going on:

The earrings are new - no label, but I loved the shape and needed some big silver earrings. They were $16.99 in a local boutique. I'm also wearing my cuff from St. Paul's Cathedral.

My outerwear:

Furry jacket, faux fur scarf and my silver clutch.

Everything together:

Jacket (Mac & Jac), dress (Club Monaco, consignment), scarf (The Bay), clutch (Accessorize), shoes ("Memories, Madly", Fluevog), cuff (St. Paul's Cathedral gift shop), earrings (boutique).

Friday Hallowe'en Madness

Well now. I am a fan of Hallowe'en and dressing up in general (check out my Alice Cooper concert-wearing outfit here, and last year's non-costume outfit for Hallowe'en here).

My Book Club meeting was last night (check out Sherylyn's Severed Foot Cheeseball recipe over at Yummyland!) and we decided to do a theme night in honour of Hallowe'en: come as a literary character. I chose the Mad Hatter from "Alice in Wonderland":
I also decided that, despite the lack of morale in my department at work lately, I would dress up for work today in the same costume. Some of these pictures I took last night and some are from this morning.

The full costume:

The coat is the only thing I've never worn on the blog. It is Noa Noa and I got in the spring (it's been too warm to wear it up to now). It was regular $375, marked down to $79.99, with an extra 30% off, so $56.00. Not bad!

Last night, I used my shiny black purse to carry my book to the meeting:

All done up. I got some strange looks on the bus on the way there!

The thing I like about my costume is that I didn't buy a single new thing for it - I had all this stuff in my wardrobe or in the house. For me, that makes it more creative and special than going out and buying a costume. Here's how I built it ('cause I know you guys like to see how it's all put together).

First, I did my stripey tights (previously seen here) and my red vintage slip (seen here):

Then I added the blouse I wore to the interview a couple of weeks ago, and my flouncy Noa Noa skirt (seen here):

I gathered the black skirt up and pinned to the red slip to show off the red more. I also scrunched my hair up with a glob of volumizing mousse.

Then I added my plaid bustier (last worn here) for a nice smooth look:

Lastly, I put on my coat, tied a long scarf-belt (from an old skirt) around my neck as a floppy bow-tie, and put my hat on. And I added the boots (last seen here with the same black skirt):

I tied a long length of ribbon across my body, and draped a measuring tape around my neck.

Here's a close-up of the upper body details:

I copied Johnny Depp's makeup from the recent movie (it's not very good, by the way, but pretty to look at). Those are my lace cuffs from my "Never Seen" series (here). I raided my knitting box for various pins with fancy heads, my seam ripper and scissors (in the breast pocket). I also had a big needle threaded through the measuring tape, which was wrapped around the brown ribbon.

Some coat details are needed! The back is embroidered in cross-stitch: As is the breast pocket:

So amazing. I love details like that. I looked at this coat for weeks before I finally bought it - when I had that "what if it's sold?" panicky feeling, I knew I had to bite the bullet and buy it.

Here's how I decorated my vintage 80s top hat:

I tied my Smoking Lily obi around it, then started pinning things. I cut out a sticky note and wrote 10/6 on it (it's the one feature I made). I've had the feathered eidelweiss pin and the bug pin for ages. You can also see that I hung needle threaders on my hoop earrings. The starburst pin is the one on my skirt.

I also pinned one of my butterflies that I got at the Victoria & Albert Museum gift shop in London on the hat (seen on another hat here), along with a couple of straight pins:

I like how the ends of the obi looked:

Mom's old kilt pin (noted in the "Never Seen" accessories post linked above).

Here's a shot of the lace cuffs and my red fingerless gloves (it's a little chilly today). The gloves looked great with this.

And the tape measure...for good measure.

I hope you have a safe and spooky Hallowe'en! Let me know if any of you posted costume pictures - I'll link to them if you like.

By the way, I won my company's Best Costume contest today! I got a $35 Visa gift card.

Coat (Noa Noa), bustier (Le Chateau, consignment), blouse (Esprit, consignment), black skirt (Noa Noa), red slip (vintage, Suzette Lingerie, consignment), tights (Hue), boots (LaTianna, consignment), top hat (vintage 80s, Le Chateau, L's boss' wife).

Go Big or Go Home

Today's red is a tomato-y red, with deep orange tones. I like all shades of red, however. I wanted to wear this dress again:
The Pouffiest Dress Ever returns! I took Steph's advice from last time I wore it and safety-pinned the top of it to my bra. The things we do for fashion.

And as per the title, this outfit is all about The Big. Big dress, big necklace, big belt, big shoes.

I think I could stash about 16 bags of marshmallows in the skirt alone!

The stuff:

Ah, sweet giant shoes. Maybe you won't believe me, but these do not hurt my feet at all. Still, I'm very careful when I walk in them.

Dress (Vita Boutique Couture, thrifted), cardigan (Kersh), belt (Gap), shoes (Carvela), necklace (Club Monaco).

Casual Friday: Big Black Bling

Okay, try saying that three times fast: Big black bling!

I made you say "blig"! Hee!

This outfit came together because it was all stuff I hadn't worn for a while (or ever):
That grey coat is mine from about 4 years ago. I had given it to Vero last year, and she brought a bag of clothes to Winesday...and there it was! Well, I admit, I'd missed it. I wore it a couple of times in 2009 and 2008 on the blog.

I also wanted to wear my sailor pants again. Whoosh!

And the sparkly tank is just so darned...sparkly!

This is my last Wonder Woman pose for August. It's been a blast! Don't forget to check out In Professorial Fashion for their WW Conference!
I also wanted to wear these shoes again before I store them away for fall/winter/early spring. They just don't work with tights, and besides, only wearing them a few times a year means they'll last that much longer, right?

The stuff:

There's the big black bling! The plastic bangle tends to fly off my wrist, so kept it on with my rocker cuff. But really, look at those black chains! Sweet Mr. T goodness!

Check it out:

So...much...shiny....Heart...exploding...

Here's a better shot of the necklace:

From the grossgrain ribbon (adjustable length!) to the bigass black links (they are a solid, smooth hard plastic with a matte finish), I love this. I got a few strange looks and some silly comments from my co-workers, but pshaw!

This, however, is outrageous:

Do you see that? That is the original price. Yes. $89.00. That's just insane. I think the $9 I paid is much more reasonable - that's why I always dig through the sale bins on the counters at Club Monaco.

Have a great weekend!

Jacket (Ricki's), tank (Costa Blanca, consignment), pants (Noa Noa), shoes (Qupid), necklace (Club Monaco), plastic cuff (Le Chateau), rocker cuff (80s).

Bride of Dress Week - Pink and Roses

Yes! Finally! It's a new dress, presented to you in full-on Wonder Woman pose:

Okay, you can probably see why I was drawn to this - my cheapie camera does not do the colours justice. It's peach and pink and dark greeny teal and yellow and brown, all smooshed together in a lovely watercolour mess.

I actually took a little yellow cardi to work to wear over it, but this dress has a super high waist and the cardigan looked all wrong with it, so I just trucked it to work and home again in my trusty backpack.

I'm used to waists being at my...waist, as opposed to being at my underboob. My hands in the top picture are at my real waist.

The dress is probably a half size too big, but eh, I'm never going to get it tailored. "Good enough for government work!" as my dad would say.

I thought the bigass rose went perfectly with it and added a little somethin' somethin'. And as soon as I started holding the dress up to my shoes in my closet, these Fluevogs leapt out at me. I know, dark shoes, light dress, but the colour went so well!

The stuff:

The colour of these shoes never quite comes out right - they are a dark green. Click here for pictures of them when I got them before the writing on the sole wore off, as I knew it would (caution: there are pictures of me dressed for an Alice Cooper concert - don't say you weren't warned!).

But doesn't the rose look amazing?

A close-up of the sparkly stuff:

I really liked the way this green bracelet looked with all the pinks and oranges. The bracelet is one of Mom's from the early 60s, I believe. The earrings are clip-on vintage, probably late 50s. Neither item is stamped or marked. The ring is a $5 cheapie I got in a costume shop years ago.

Whenever I buy a new-to-me article of clothing, I always search inside for the tags. For one, I am not spending my hard-earned $22 (yes, that's how much this dress was) on something I'll have to dry-clean. For another, it often yields valuable clues as to the origins of the item.

In this case, a) it's machine washable - woo! and b) it sold in Target in Q3 (Fall/Autumn) of 2009. Nice. We don't have Target in Canada.

Dress (Merona, thrifted), shoes (Fluevog, "Memories" family, "Madly" model), rose pin (Roberta's Hats), bracelet (Mom's, vintage 60s), earrings (vintage 50s).

Simple and Comfy

Seeing as it's one of those weeks, I aimed for comfort today: dress and shoes, with a few accessories:
I swear there were shoes there a second ago! Inigo, you darned ham.

I love this stretchy dress. It's washable, flattering and easy. I've had it for a couple of years.

Okay, here's the shoes:

I think I've only worn these once since I got them (yup, ooh, not since March! Shameful!). Inigo just flopped right down as soon as he'd blocked one shot, little devil.

The stuff:

I was happy that nothing was overly matchy.The shoes are brown, forest green and grey, the bracelet is jade green, the cami is actually a teal, and the brooch is brown, orange and teal (with a big of emerald green and blue in there). And of course, all the good gold stuff.

A close-up:

Yup, that's stuff, all right.

Dress (Suzy Shier, consignment), cami (Smart Set), shoes (Firetrap, consignment), belt (vintage 60s, Mom's), bracelet (handmade gift from Cathy), brooch (The Bay), earrings (Foxy).

Casual Friday - Quick Plaid

Happy Friday!

Being tired this morning, I fell back on my casual uniform:
Graphic tee, denim bottoms, groovy accessories. Ta-dah!

Second wearing of my plaid t-shirt (last seen here) - wow, I haven't worn this since April! Actually, I have, but I wear it around the house and then toss it into my own laundry pile, which then sits there for several weeks. L does the laundry, but because I require special delicate washing on some things, I do my own wash for those.

Have a great weekend! I'll be posting a special occasion outfit on Sunday (it's my niece's 1st birthday and I've gotta represent, yo), along with another book blurb.

T-shirt (TMT), vest (Oxmo), jeans (Seven7, gift from Caro), shoes (don't recall, maybe Rinaldi), belt (gift from Ruth), necklace (The Bay), rings (80s vintage).

Cheating in Leopard

For the very first time since I started this blog, I'm posting the pictures of me in the clothes BEFORE I wore them: L needed the camera today and wasn't sure if I'd be able to do my pictures when I got home. So, I played with the outfit last night and took the pictures then. This is exactly what I wore today:
Right down to which finger I wore the ring on!

I love the bright blue with the leopard, don't you? I used to think this skirt was too dressy for work, but I've worn it about 3 or 4 times. How adventurous I've become!

I like how this cardigan shows off my toned shoulders and arms. I have been doing my pee pushups* since last fall and it's paid off!
Woo! Check out the pipes!

The stuff:

My awesome blue suede shoes and my usual rocker accoutrements. I doubled the single strand neckace around my neck (the top one), and the other one has two three built-in tiers.

A close-up:

My groovy zipper rose from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the fab "black hole" ring.

Cardigan (Jessica, consignment), top (Ellen Tracy, gift from Caro), skirt (Le Chateau, consignment), shoes (Feet First), belt (Jacob), multi-necklace (Plum), single necklace (Jacob), ring (Le Chateau), brooch (Victoria & Albert Museum).

*WTF? "Pee push-ups"? Yes!

I started these when I noticed that my buh-byes were getting flabby, and that I had the arms of a T-Rex (no upper body strength). Push-ups are the king of the upper body strengthening exercises and are great for your core too...but who who really does them anyway? Not me. Lots of good intentions, but not much doing.

Then it occured to me (because I am supremely lazy...I mean, "efficient"), why not try to figure out a way to do an easy push-up, and work it into my day, AND also have it not feel like I'm working out? That would be great!

So what I started doing is, every time I go to the bathroom, I do 10 push-ups off the counter before I wash my hands. Place hands shoulder width apart on the edge of the counter and aim your boobs at that edge (don't touch it with them, but get as close as you can). Keep your butt in tight, keep your head in alignment with your spine, and hold your core so that your back is nice and straight (this gets easier as you get stronger). You can do this off your kitchen counter or a stable low bookcase, or the back of a park bench.

I mostly do them at work (in my heels and fancy-schmancy clothes), and because I drink so much water, I do about 60 push-ups a day! And it only takes about 15 seconds each time. Sometimes I get strange looks, but I don't really care, and I explain if anyone asks (and then I flash some biceps and they're impressed).

I was really stiff across the front of my chest after the first day, but after a week or so, I really started to notice it. No need to do more than 10 (don't overdo it), just remember to do them. I've noticed that my posture is way better, my shoulders, biceps and triceps and the front of my chest are stronger, and that when I sit, I hold my shoulders and back in better alignment.

Give it a shot! Try it for a week and see how you do!

Maybe My Favourite Outfit?

Mom and I went for lunch today, plus I thought I was going for drinks after work (didn't happen), so I took the bus to give my feet (and knees) a rest. They feel much better!

Anyway, I spent a little time last night actually trying on today's outfit and deciding how to throw it all together, and I feel it paid off: This is the dress I wore last month here. Once again, it was deliciously floaty and cool, considering it was so hot today!

I found this amazing vintage slip in my favourite consignment shop last weekend, and knew it would look fabulous under the sheer dress. The flounded hem of the skirt needed to be shown off properly so I thought of pinning up a bit of the dress on the side with a brooch. I felt so clever.

I don't usually show my underthings, but this slip fits so perfectly (and covers everything). Check it out:

Isn't that beautiful in the waist? It was priced at $39 but it had a couple of wee holes in it, so Annie gave it to me for $24. The label says "Suzette Lingerie" - the only Suzette Lingerie I could find online was a costume place in Yonkers, NY.That looks like a vintage label to me, though, plus it has a metal zipper on the side. Definitely not new.

Now, normally, I would chuck on the red belt and that's that, but I didn't like the way it looked with the silver modern buckle at the waist with the rhinestone pin so close. I did like how the brown belt blended in with the dress, while still giving it waist definition, and also had rhinestones. So I moved the buckle off to the side to draw the eye to the pin on the skirt.

Then I felt really clever. I still wanted a bit more red with the outfit, so I wrapped the red belt around my wrist and made it into a cuff:
Then I put on my new shoes - Fergalicious by Fergie (ha!) - that I got last week for $45 on sale at the Bay (score).

I wasn't sure about them when I saw them, but Ruth convinced me. The style is a little "out there", but they are growing on me. I figured the best way to get used to them was not to have them as the main focus in the outfit. Next time!

The stuff:

Oh, sweet pythony goodness! These were super comfortable all day.

A close-up of the other bits:

The big belt buckle on the brown belt, the red belt/cuff, the pin (I pinned it on the diagonal on the skirt to give it a nice gather), and my mom's rhinestone clip-on earrings (liberated from her jewelry box in the 80s).

Dress (no label, consignment), slip (Suzette Lingerie, vintage, consignment), shoes (Fergalicious), belts (both Plum), pin (The Bay), earrings (Mom's, vintage 70s).