It's All a Big Blur

I meant to do a push-ups update, but forgot to take my pictures. You must take my word for it that my pipes are large. I feel strong! I can open jars!

Here's a picture of me looking like a bouncer:
"You're not going to come in here wearing THAT, are you?"

Heh heh.

I was mostly displeased with this outfit, especially the top half. This jacket, while a great colour and made of the Best Fabric Ever (velvet, duh), just doesn't fit very well. It's also a bit long for my torso. Add to the list of things I must replace.

I do love the skirt though: Twirl, twirl! I look like an impressionist painting. Or not.

The stuff: The glory that are my Fluevog boots! The great bigass yellow bangle! The awesome necklace from Cat! And of course, the painty skirt.

Gotta go...day off tomorrow - thank you, BC, for making Remembrance Day a stat holiday! And of course, a deep and heartfelt thank you for all of the Canadian war veterans. Peace.

Jacket (RW & Co), cami (InWear), skirt (Nine West), boots (Fluevog), bangle (thrifted), necklace (gift from Cat), earrings (gift from L).

Little Ms. Plaid

After yesterday's crazitude, my coworkers spared me narry a glance today, despite my efforts at mixing patterns. I try to look awake in the mornings:
Can you tell I'm forcing my eyes open? I got this skirt last weekend - I have been keeping an eye out for plaid lately. I've always loved plaid (I have owned many plaid dresses over the years), and I agree with fellow bloggers who think it's going to have a major resurgence. But then, when is plaid NOT in style?

The stuff:

You can see the stripes in the jacket better here. I had to wear a flat shoe as I had (yet another) dentist appointment today and had to walk to and from the bus stop several times.

Yay, it's almost the weekend!

Jacket (Vero Moda), top (Planet), skirt (Le Chateau, consignment), shoes (Predictions, consignment), necklace (Plum), earrings (gift from L).

Bugging Me - Somewhat Sombre

I felt a little dark today, but it's a nice change from all the brights and colour I normally do. I feel like this is subdued for me.
But it does have bugs! (Although, yes, I know spiders are not insects, but they're both arthropods).

The bluey top is new - it has a rounded square neckline and little seams of ruffles and satin on the bodice (very Ren Faire). It was $7 in a thrift store.

Othello is being Yowly McCrankypants tonight, so he gets a bit of cat weight-lifting.

My feet are blistered from my new runners (damn, I hate that breaking in period), and my knee is all puffy and turning pretty colours from curling. Kari, curling is very slippery - if you are clumsy like me, you are going to fall down. Personally, I don't like falling; it makes me feel brittle, so I am probably not going back to curling. I need to find a sport that has a lesser incidence of accidental injury.

Anyway, the skirt is also new - it's dark grey wool with a fine pinstripe. The high waist gives it a nice 40s look, I think.

The stuff:

My dark green Fluevogs! I love them but they are a snug fit (and a size 10, how hilarious is that after yesterday's size 8s?).

I wore the bug brooch on my skirt waistband.

He's coming to get you!

Cardigan (Vero Moda), top (Ricki's, thrifted), skirt (Gap, consignment), shoes (Fluevog), bracelet (The Cobbler), earrings (Plum?), brooch (Le Chateau), ring (gift from Mom and Dad, c. 1985).

Green Extravaganza (and a Bumped Knee)

I am exhausted. I went to a curling workshop tonight - curling the sport, it's one of those obligatory Canadian things - if you're Canadian, you have to try curling at least once. Anyway, it is now 9:25pm and I am tired and want to lay on the couch. See? There's the time on the Dolphins clock:
I went shopping this weekend and hit all my favourite consignment stores, so there will a parade of new-to-me items all week. Today: this gorgeous skirt, these fab shoes and one of the necklaces.

The skirt is Alfred Sung and is likely early 80s (it's a size 12, which is a dead giveaway, since I'm usually in the 4 to 8 range - amazing how sizing has changed!). It was a steal at $40.

I've been keeping my eye out for a neutral "nude" shoe that had some funk to it - this pair fit the bill perfectly...and would you believe, they are never worn! Never worn! I'm flabbergasted! But I know exactly why: they are labeled size 8, but they would be huge on a real size 8. I'm anywhere from a large 8.5 to a 10 in shoes and my feet have plenty of room in these. I bet someone bought them and discovered they were way too big. They even still had the box and the shoe bag! They were $45.

Oh, here I am examining the goose egg on my knee from whacking it on the ice:
You can see the shape of the heel of the shoe well there.

The stuff:

The necklace with the green stones is Mom's, from the early 60s, I think. The other double-strand necklace is new - it has a key, a lock and a heart on it. It also had that big silver locket, but it made such a racket, I took it off.

A close-up:

I'll probably still use the locket on a chain, but not with other pendants.

By the way, I am still going to do the "what I eat" post, but maybe not till later in the week. I am just swamped right now with work...

Vest (Le Chateau, gift from Ruth), blouse (Esprit), skirt (Alfred Sung, vintage, consignment), nude fishnets (don't remember, Hue?), shoes (Seychelles, consignment), necklace (Mom's, vintage), necklace (Plum), earrings (don't remember).

Twirly in Grey and Turquoise

When I picked out this outfit last night, I thought it would end up being kind of boring, but it wasn't at all.
It's a twirly skirt! Actually, what kept it from being boring was all the glittery stuff I piled on. I also truly love these shoes - I will miss them when the cold weather rolls back around. They are just too open to do coloured tights with.

The stuff (edit: the sandals are black, not bronze, and the accessories are gunmetal - sorry about the lighting, cheap camera!):

Sparkly! Caw! I'm a crow!

Bonus picture: this is the new rug we got for our dining room (which does not have a dining room table anymore because we didn't use it and gave it away years ago):

It's totally kitty camo! Can you spot Othello, Inigo, a fur mousie and a stick with feathers?

Oh, and if you haven't visited Jane's blog, you must! She is doing another Capsule Wardrobe Challenge this year, starting September 28th, and I am so excited to do it again. Click here for a link to past Wardrobe Challenges from her (the Capsule Wardrobe Challenge, the Dress Like a Song challenge, and the 1 Skirt 3 Ways challenge, which I extended out to 5 days because I'm crazy like that!). She will be posting the full rules soon! I'm already planning what I'm going to wear for it.

Cardigan (I.N.C.), skirt (Tobias), shoes (Joneswear, consignment), earrings, necklace, brooch (Plum), belt (Plum).

Brown and Purple Top-Heavy

I felt very top-heavy in this outfit all day, probably because I only really saw myself from the waist up (bathroom mirror) and all could see was boobs.
Imagine my surprise when I saw myself before I took the photos and my legs actually look really long! I guess that's what you get when you wear a wide belt with more focus on the neckline - go figure, haha.

Yup, those are legs. This is my second wearing of my $4 Ann Taylor skirt from the Salvation Army. Man, I love a bargain!

The stuff:

Likely the last wear of these fab shoes until spring. *sigh* This belt is seriously getting thrashed and I think I've only worn it a couple of times - I wish it were leather or at least a little better made.

My lovely Myka jewelry:

So pretty. I love purple.

Jacket (Final Touch, thrifted), blouse (Esprit), skirt (Ann Taylor, thrifted), belt (gift from Mom), shoes (Franco Sarto), jewelry (Myka, gift from L).

Weekend Casual - Vero's Birthday and a Soggy Trip to the Fair

I had a couple of reasons to dress semi-decently this weekend, as opposed to my normal habit of slouching around in baggy-ass jeans and t-shirts.

Vero's birthday! Happy Birthday to my fabulous friend!

My outfit was built around the fact that I would have to probably take my shoes off for her party. Hence, I had to wear my only pair of cool socks, the brown and red ones. So...outfit must have brown and red. And black and blue and denim!

My long black silk skirt goes lovely with my high dark brown boots, a brown cami and blue top and the accessories (Mom's choker and the belt Mom got me in London) have little bits of red.

Oooh, yeah, love those buckles.

And check out the awesome socks!

I liked this outfit so much, I wore it the next day to the Fair:

But with my denim skirt instead (but the tops of my socks still peek out!). See how nice my hair looked? That didn't last. As soon as we arrived at the Fair, it started pouring. I looked like a drowned rat all day.

Top (RW & Co, swap/Ruth's), cami (Esprit), black skirt (Club Monaco, consignment), denim skirt (Club Monaco, consignment), boots (Miz Mooz), necklace (vintage), belt (gift from Mom), socks (some store downtown), denim jacket (Ann Taylor Loft).

Casual Friday - Dragon!

I've been waiting for a casual day to wear my new $7 denim pencil skirt.
Unfortunately, with it belted, it hiked it up just a titch too far...I was uncomfortably close to flashing my hoo-hoo at all and sundry all day. I think next time I will ditch the belt and wear it lower on my hips. The quest for the perfect denim pencil skirt continues!

The sweater is also new. It's a silk and cashmere blend and I love that it's a super-thin sweater. I also really like the neckline. I'm not so bothered by the dragon, but the pailettes are only glued on and occasionally one falls off. If they all fall off, I'll still be left with a nice sweater. I did end up untucking it partway through the day.

The stuff:
My lovely patent red Fluevog Listen "Audrey" shoes, detail of the dragon, and my funky ring.

Have a lovely long weekend!

Sweater (Romeo and Juliet Couture, consignment), skirt (David Bitten Buffalo, consignment), belt (Plum), shoes (Fluevog Listen "Audrey"), gold hoop earrings, gold ring (Retro Wear).

Spongebob Boots!

I spotted these babies when I got yesterday's shoes...I thought about them...I consulted Ruth...I thought about what I would wear with...YELLOW boots.

Of course, I had to have them.
Inigo always has to be in the shot.

My coworkers teased me: Big Bird, chicken legs, but I don't care. I love these! I had a hilarious cartoon that my coworker drew of me, but I forgot to email it to home. Ah well. Edit: here it is.

I actually had this outfit planned out since Monday (with these shoes instead) but had to fix a broken button right at the boobular region, which I didn't do until last night. The shirt is new-to-me - I am not a fan of button-downs in general, because I loathe ironing, but this one has a good cotton to polyester ratio so I figure it will wash well and not need to be ironed. Well, that's the plan...we'll see how it pans out.

The stuff:
Ah, the glory that is the yellow boot. They are real leather, faux croc (there is a bit of orangey-yellow on them), Aldo, from last season - I remember seeing them in the store. I went with blue accessories to pop off the dark grey pinstripe and the black skirt.

A close-up of the brooch and the cufflinks:

I wore the brooch at the centre of the skirt's waistband. The cufflinks are L's - I think I may have bought them for him for Christmas a few years back. They are vintage.

Shirt (Club Monaco, consignment), skirt (Kenzie), boots (Aldo, consignment), necklace (Jacob), brooch (Plum), crystal stud earrings, cufflinks (L's, vintage 1970s).

And In Her Mouth An Amethyst - A Purple Flashback

I need more purple in my wardrobe. I felt totally "Sheila" in today's outfit, great all day. So many parts of it reminded me of good things.
For one, the black boyfriend cardi. I bought a long black boyfriend cardigan in 1986; I was with my friend Lynette (I miss you!) and it was at Smart Set at the mall. I wore that cardigan to death - and I only finally gave it up about 3 years ago when it was a shadow of its former self. It was the exact same fit and cut as this one, although this one is better quality and thinner in weight.

For two, the skirt. I'm sorry it's hard to see but it's a deep amethyst purple. It's silk satin, bias cut, with a ruffle on the bottom and oh, my goodness, I can't believe I almost didn't buy it. It's a Smoking Lily piece; they have very, very small collections, and they don't have many stores. There were probably no more than a dozen or two of these skirts made. Their designs are hand-made and hand-silk screened. They rarely repeat a design and discontinue styles annually.

This was $27 in a consignment shop. Yes, I scored.
For three and four and five, the stuff:

Three, the shoes. They are sexy, classy and out there.

Four, the belt. This is my vintage Le Chateau from 1986. Major flashbacks to my club days, long sleeveless dresses with this big belt. It's one of the few things I kept.

Five, the jewelry. My mom will be happy to see this - I bet she forgot about it. She and Dad gave me the ring and earrings and the chunk of amethyst on the chain when I was in high school. The heart is my baby locket (it's empty, but I used to keep my birth control pill in there 20 years ago). I don't know where the key came from.

All the amethysts reminded me of that Wang Chung song, "Dance Hall Days" (see title).

Amethysts were believed to keep you from getting drunk in ancient Greece - the word actually means "not intoxicated" in Greek.

Did you notice the pattern on the skirt? Silver chairs. I count at least a dozen different ones in this photo. I am a sucker for that kind of detail. Wow, just wow.

Cardigan (Express, consignment), cami (RW & Co.), skirt (Smoking Lily, consignment), shoes (Ralph Lauren, consignment), belt (Le Chateau, vintage), earrings, necklace & amethyst (gift from Mom and Dad), baby locket (mine!), key (unknown).

Girly Blouse

Today's new thing is this pretty blouse. I am not so much into the foo-foo girly stuff, but I have been known to wear ruffles, lace, pearls and such on occasion.
I had to keep my edge with the gladiators! This will likely be my last opportunity to wear this blouse without a sweater or jacket over it, and even today I was freezing when the A/C came on.

A close-up of the neckline, which I love.

This was I think $9.00 on clearance at one of my regular consignment stores. It's 100% silk. It isn't a brand I've ever heard of (Kaliko) but the sizing is UK/Euro. They carry a lot of girly stuff. Pretty!

The stuff:

I absolutely love these shoes - of course, they are Fluevogs! They are so comfortable and I feel so badass in them, haha!

Blouse (Kaliko, consignment), cami (Mexx), skirt (gift from Heather), belt (Plum), shoes ("Listen" Ivanna, Fluevog), jewelry (Plum).

Monday Already? Swooshy Skirt

After an exhausting weekend of the Dragon Boat Festival (we sucked, but we weren't last!), I feel like I haven't had any weekend at all. And as of today, my house has no carpet in the living room, dining room, library and hallway - and even though I tried to hold onto my "no stuff in this path" zone for taking my photos, we have run out of room.
Behold, I stand on my hall closet doors! I look strained. I hate chaos.

However, I did feel very pretty in this outfit today, and a swooshy skirt always lifts my mood. I played with this lovely silk skirt all day.

The stuff:
I love these shoes. My jewelry boxes are now blocked, because the giant TV is on the dresser, so goodness knows how this will impact my outfits this week. I keep telling myself, "It's an adventure!" and in 2 days, I will have lovely laminate wood floors instead of the disgusting 20+ year old carpet.

Now, excuse me while I go sit on the bed to eat my dinner.

Blouse (Esprit), cami (InWear), skirt (Nine West), shoes (Jessica Simpson), belt (don't recall - bought it at The Bay), necklace (Caracol, gift from L), ring (Guess), white gold hoop earrings.

Simple Outfit - Up to My Eyeballs in Home Renos

I feel slightly guilty for having such simple outfits lately (dresses, tops and skirts) and haven't really put much thought into accessorizing overmuch. My excuse is that L and I have been doing renos on our condo for the last month. First, it was the bathroom, and having no shower for a week. Then we decided to paint the living room, dining room, library and hallway...which led to us having to paint all the crown moulding, all the hall doors and trim AND the baseboards. And on Monday, we are having laminate wood flooring installed - it arrives tomorrow to "acclimatize" to our place.

So if I seem a little frazzled lately, that is why. This area in the den where I take my photos is one of the only clear areas in the entire house.
Anyway! Enough about that. This is my "zillions of ways to wear it" skirt - this is only the 2nd time I've worn it, and I haven't done anything different with it at all. Well, the stuff is different, so I guess that counts, right?

Stuff:

The noisiest bracelet ever - seriously, I sound like I am carrying around a bag of cutlery when I wear it. These shoes are almost ready to go - they are getting worn out and nicked.

Sweater (Jacob, consignment), skirt (Kariza, consignment), bracelet (Plum), earrings (holiday last year), shoes (Wild Diva).

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).

It's All About the Shoes

I am so tired. How can I be this tired when it's only Wednesday? L and I painted our place every day of the long weekend. Many coats of paint. And we just got home from dragon boat practice - the first big race is on Saturday!

All that whining aside, I have just been waiting for the right moment to unveil my new shoes:
Erm, please ignore the salt water on my legs (Monsieur Splashy-Pants was behind me today) and the hat-head.

This is the t-shirt I got in the Swap-O-Rama (it's actually one of Ruth's, how 'bout that?), and I didn't know what to wear with it, because it's a weird colour. Sort of bluey-greeny-grey-y? Anyway, I got these shoes a couple of weeks ago (Hilary Radley, new to me, $33, yessiree) and when I put them in the closet, I noticed, "Hey, these sort of match that t-shirt! Sweet!"

Note: the colours in the above picture are more acurate than in the picture below.

The stuff:
Nice details on the shoes - I love the little sparkly buckle and all the nice folds (real leather...ooooh). Added just the plain black suit skirt (it has shadow polka dots), the cami with black sequins and my old Fairweather circa 2001 choker. I felt very polished and elegant all day.

Top (RW & Co., swapped, Ruth's), cami (Esprit), skirt (Jacob, consignment), shoes (Hilary Radley, consignment), choker (Fairweather), crystal stud earrings.

Pink and Green - Better Late Than Never!

Many months ago, Audi posted this contest on her blog. I didn't enter it. But I have loved pink and green together since I was little, when I had an embroidery kit that had pink flowers with green leaves (it also was of a koala, which I really loved).

When I bought my obi, I wanted to build an outfit around that pink and green.
I had to make both pink and green the accent colours, since I have very little of that kelly/mossy green in my wardrobe - this is a serious lack, which I will aim to remedy! I love green! But I generally loathe pink, so accent it stays.

I am wearing a green camisole under the (very see-through) white blouse. And my toenails are pink.

The stuff:
Another wonderful Smoking Lily obi. The print on the pink silk is in green and silver ink, of colour-by-number flowers. The back of it is silk shantung in olive green.

The necklace makes me think of bubbles...or olives in a martini!

By the way, yesterday was a stat holiday, so no Monday outfit! Yay! I avoided Monday!

Blouse (French Connection), cami (Esprit), skirt (Le Chateau), obi (Smoking Lily, consignment), necklace (gift shop on holiday), shoes (Qutie). Forgot earrings! D'oh!

Toasty in Turquoise

Another day of sweltering weather - up to 34 degrees, with humidity making it feel like 38. My deck thermometer shows 35 right now and it's 8:16pm. Yikes.

I went for cooler clothes today:
New-to-me shoes are the featured item. I just did a simple embellished tank (I do like my sparkly), with my old favourite skirt that I've worn a million times.

Please ignore the hair as I am fresh out of the shower after an exhausting dragon boating practice of two hours. I'm wiped.

The stuff:
The shoes are so cute - they were under $20 - and I love that they are leather and have that adorable kitten heel.

Speaking of kitties...

Digging for carpet mice - it's Inigo! Cutest kitty ever!

Extra special bonus: this is what I wear around the house (although I will be barefoot), and will shortly be getting groceries in:

That is Inigo I'm holding - he's giving me "I love you" bumps on the side of my head. Yes, he is a massive cat.

Top: Tank (Reitman's), skirt (Mexx), shoes (Ann Marino, consignment), bracelets (gift shop, vacation), earrings (gift from L). Bottom: t-shirt (Kensie), skirt (Gap).