Good News!

Firstly, I'm fine - we got a 1 meter surge from the tsunami that hit Japan, but no one is hurt, no damage. Thank you everyone for your concern. I live on the West coast, so there is always a risk of an earthquake or a tsunami here, but you can't live your life in fear. If it happens, it happens.

Secondly, much better news! I called the company this morning (and thank you everyone for your encouragement and good vibes) and they sent me an offer this morning. It's a great offer and I'm accepting. I start next Wednesday!

I'm off shortly to drop off my accepted offer and other various forms, and then I am going shopping! I am going to reward myself with one of these gorgeous Desigual jackets (there's a shop in town that carries them).

I'm so glad to have an excuse to wear one of my new items - this lovely skirt:
This was one of the most expensive "thrift" items I bought yesterday at $22.00. But...it's real suede, and it's washable, just like my other suede skirt. I also love the colour - it's a nice sand shade - and the midi length, which I hear is all the rage among the cool kids these days.

I look so happy. I feel happy!

Second wearing of my thrifted Mexx top:
I wore it last here, also with a suede skirt (I'm getting quite a collection!). Also my second wearing of my gorgeous red boots (last seen here).

It's warm enough now to just wear a blazer as a jacket:

Such a nice dark burgundy! Last seen here.

I realized after I took these pictures that I forgot to put my jewelry on! D'oh! Here it is:

Gold hoops and my tree necklace.

Jacket (Zara, consignment), top (Mexx, thrifted), cami (Mexx, thrifted), skirt (Skotts Suede, thrifted), boots (Miz Mooz), necklace (Foxy), earrings (gift from L).

Lazy Monday - Striped Legs

Gah, I'm still sick, but I am refusing to let this stupid thing beat me! I went for an hour walk this morning, then walked to the grocery store (I love delivery!), and poked around in a thrift store (no shopping for me, says Santa L).

And this is what I wore: I tend to wear this sweater around the house more than as an "official" blog outfit. These are the last two times I wore it.

I love these stripey tights, but when I put them on today, they had a gigantic hole in the bum! It feels weird, but I can still wear them, haha!

I also dyed my hair this morning! It's much redder.

Sweater (Jana), skirt (Armour Jeans, consignment), tights (Hue), boots (Aldo, consignment).

A Second and Third Try at Combat Boots!

Okay! After last night's half-assed outfit (in my defence, I was in the dark walking there and back and spent most of the night shivering in the arena's air conditioning, so really, it's like no one saw me anyway, right?), I wanted to give the boots another shot but with a skirt:
I dunno. They are awesomely awesome, but maybe not with this outfit, which seems kind of dressy on the top half (or above the ankles, basically).

And having tried them with skinny pants (I don't own skinny jeans, so that's out too), I do think they look better with skirts. Maybe I could do this look with more of my usual casual uniform.
I think it's the jacket - not quite right. Too formal for the very informal boots.

See how cool they are?
Mmmm...rocker studs. Me love...

The necklace (nice blurry shot, way to go, Sheila):

You can see the good purple of the sweater much better there, at least (yes, this is the same sweater I wore last night).

As soon as I got home, I had to change to go out for dinner (Indian food with another couple):Basically, I just chucked the jacket and then flipped up the cuffs of the boots and laced them to the top. Nothing else changed.

Threw on my leather jacket and hoped that the restaurant would be warm:

It was! Yay!

Cuffs up:I love these boots! Why are they so difficult to wear?

Jacket (RW & Co.), sweater (Daniel Bishop, consignment), skirt (Armour Jeans, consignment), tights (Miss Sixty), boots (Penny Loves Kenny), necklace (Nine West, gift from Cindy), leather jacket (corporate swag).

Casual Friday: Floofy Layers

Ah, Friday! How long you have taken to arrive this week! However, I forgive you now that you're here, aside from that trip to the dentist this morning. Thank goodness I have a nice boozy dinner planned for this evening with my old boss from Fairweather, Tammy. Yee haw!

I'd planned to wear my new combat boots with today's outfit (the ones in my concert-going outfit here), but they just didn't look right. I'll take some time this weekend and build an outfit around them. Perhaps I'll document how I build an outfit - would anyone be interested in that?

Anyway, this is the outfit, and shoes I ended up wearing:
Someone (I've forgotten who) in Style Nation wore a denim dress recently and I gushed over it and I said, "I need to wear my denim dress again!" so here it is. Sorry, I have a terrible memory - thank you for the inspiration, Inspiring Blogger!

I've worn this dress a billion times* as seen here, here, here, here, here and here, and probably a few times before that. I'm wearing a grey cami underneath the dress, and my black velvet vest (as seen multiple times here) over top.

*numbers may be estimated
The underskirt is my black floofy Noa Noa one (last seen in my Hallowe'en costume, but last worn normally here).

The shoes are going to go sit in the "take these to the cobbler" bag for approximately a year (i.e. until I remember to take them in) to get them re-heeled as the stupid plastic heel caps are down to the nails after only one previous wear. I hope I don't have to walk on any hardwood floors!

Jewelry:

Got sort of a burnished silver thing going on.

My tights are new - the colour is called "cobblestone":

Leg on table pose! You can see the nice herringbone texture here.

******

So, I keep forgetting to mention, I am training to become a leader at Weight Watchers! As you may or may not know, I lost a lot of weight about five years ago, starting in 2006 (I did a post on it here). I have maintained my weight for 3.5 years (I hit goal in early 2007 and became a Lifetime member in May 2007), and I continue to go to my Saturday morning Weight Watchers meetings every week I can for the support, and to give and get inspiration from my fellow women and men who are on their own weight loss journeys.

A couple of weeks ago, one of the receptionists (of course, I know everyone at my meeting) asked if I had thought about becoming a leader. I considered it, interviewed on Monday with the Territory Manager (it was very informal) and did a webinar on Tuesday. Tomorrow, I shadow my mentor leader, and then next weekend, I do two days of intense training. I am pretty excited about this - it's not a full-time job (heck, it's not even part-time), but it's something I think I can do to give back. And it's something I can do while I look for work.

Note: I don't intend to push WW through this blog, but I've always been up-front about being a member. It's just a program that works for me, and I like it. I'm not getting any compensation for talking about WW, and I don't want any. You won't see any WW ads on my blog, or any other ads (I am not a personal fan of blogs loaded with ads - that's not how I roll, baby - but I don't judge what other people do with their blogs. We're all one big Style Nation family, right?).

Anyway, I'm looking forward to this new adventure (think of the outfits!) and wanted to share it.

Dress (Ricki's), vest (Surrey Classics, consignment), skirt (Noa Noa), belt (Plum), tights (Hue), shoes (Miss Sasa, consignment), earrings (Aldo Accessories), ring (can't remember, maybe Nine West?), cuff (St. Paul's Cathedral gift shop), necklace (handmade).

Because I Can Can Can!

Okay, another quick post! I've been out shopping (not for me, for Bo, who needed a dress...although I did buy a dress too), and I had a glass of wine. And now I'm really tired, and I have The Big Interview tomorrow.

I got this skirt on the weekend with birthday money from L:
I reminded me of can-can dancers at the Moulin Rouge. Of course, I had to go all in tones of red to go with it. It was $29.99 on consignment. It has big sections that are folded and stitched down, to give the hem an uneven edge. I love that detail.

The brand is MNG, which I'd never heard of, but apparently it's by Mango.

Looking somewhat normal:

I love these boots - I recall when I got them that I didn't think I'd ever wear them for "everyday". Heh. That was a few years ago.

The stuff:

I had blurring issues, and light issues (it's dark out), sorry. The colour are all wonky. Think blood red for the boots.

A close-up:

You can see that the skirt has this nice ribbon-y texture with stripes of red, burgundy, black and orange.

The necklace L bought me last year, Mom's vintage choker and my silver ring.

And look who was watching me while I did all this:

It's Inigo! That is classic Inigo posing.

Long-sleeved tee (Press), velvet vest (Surrey Classics, consignment), skirt (MNG, consignment), boots (Aldo outlet), choker (vintage 60s, Mom's), domino necklace (gift from L), ring (gift from Cindy).

A Little Whine

I'm really good at whining, you know, that really annoying whine that kids can do when they reaaaaalllly want something? Oh yeah, I'm the master.

However, I'm not going to whine. I just wanted to pun off "wine":
Yes, I know, I have a serious Velvet Addiction. I even weeded out my closet in the spring and eliminated 4 or 5 of my old velvet blazers. I can't resist them! They call to me. This one actually fits me well (shorter length, nicely nipped in at the waist) and I love the colour. It's a Zara jacket and was $10 in the thrift store. Score!

It was a little too warm to wear it for most of the day, though, so this is what I really looked like:

I got a few "fancy-schmancy" comments from my co-workers.

The stuff:

You can see the nice rich wine colour of the jacket better there.

The gold bits:

Grandma W's brooch again.

Blazer (Zara Basics, thrifted), top (Lady Dutch), skirt (BB Dakota), shoes (Steve Madden), brooch (Grandma W), earrings (Foxy).

Casual Friday: Wood Sprite

Whoa, what happened to the weekend? I had full intention (no, I didn't) of posting this on Friday (lies!), and then possibly on Saturday (more lies!), but didn't even think of posting it yesterday (true). I took a sick day today to hang out with my dear L, so for me, it's still the weekend. And that means casual:
My first wearing of tights so far this season! I wanted to wear boots but couldn't face my pasty white legs (sunblock works).

Inigo looks remarkably tolerant of me forcing a hug on him:

It's been a little cool and rainy in the mornings, so I added the outdoor pieces of hat and jacket:

Didn't need them, as it got sunny out later on.

The stuff:

I forgot to take my necklace off for the picture. I've only worn these boots a couple of times, last February (here and here).

This is how I layered my tights:

I wore solid brown, then put a mossy green fishnet overtop. Yes, I'm taking a picture of my leg on a table.

Unfortunately, the fishnets have a bigass hole right on the front of the leg. I tried to ignore it, but I don't think I can wear these much more.

Oh, and you all must check out In Professorial Fashion's "Wonder Woman Pose Conference" - I'm in it!

Jacket (Alison Wonderland, consignment), t-shirt (Truly Madly Deeply, consignment), green tee (Plum), skirt (Bebe, swap from Caro), boots (Hispanitas, consignment), hat (Shelley West), cuff (Catalyst Reaction Leather), earrings (Plum, gift from L).

Floofy and Poofy

Gotta be quick today - I haven't eaten dinner yet, and I have to get up really early tomorrow morning to travel to go to L's grandma's memorial.

I wasn't pleased with this outfit - both pieces are too floofy and poofy. I should have had a slim bottom (like here) or a more fitted top (like here). Ah well, live and learn.
I got my hair cut after work - pow!

Sorry about the weird light - it's later on than I usually take my pictures.

The hair:

My ultra super-power cuff!

The stuff:

Colour for my blah mood today.

Close-up:

Yellow is my happy colour.

Be back on Wednesday night!

Blouse (Nine West), skirt (Club Monaco), shoes (Tsubos), cuff (thrifted), earrings (Le Chateau).

Double Velvet - and Downgraded to a Silver

First, I have to apologize for incorrect information in yesterday's post: I did not win a gold (I won a silver) and I did not come in 3rd overall (I came in 6th overall). My source was not quite correct (*ahem*Mom*ahem*). But I was only beaten by 1 minute for the gold! Ah well, next year.

Damn. I wanted that gold.

Anyway, moving on! I got this vest a couple of weekends ago:
It's a classic late 80s/early 90s vest - I had a couple like this back in the day (I love vests - they are just so flattering on and they suck everything in nicely). I love the black velvet, so what better to pair with it than more velvet?

The skirt is sort of new - I've worn it once, here. Today, I had fun with texture. Velvet with lace, with the tough rocker chick accessories:Inigo helped with the pictures.

Second wear for these shoes, too - I last wore them for the Wardrobe Challenge in March. Man, they are comfortable.

I love the way the snakeskin looks with the lace and velvet.

A close-up:

I was cleaning out some of my old stuff and found that scrolly cross necklace in a drawer. I bought it for a party many years ago and totally forgot about it.

I'm actually wearing tights:

They're sort of a pebble-y fishnet. Great at hiding varicose veins, haha!

Inigo also got involved in the leg pictures:

Hee, look at his pink belly.

Caught Othello this morning in his favourite chair:

I can see he's watching me.

Vest (Surrey Classics, consignment), lace top (Noa Noa), cami (Plum), skirt (Club Monaco), shoes (Aerosoles), cross (Claire's), necklace (Plum), cuff (old).

She Wore Blue...and Velvet

Today's outfit features my new grey velvet skirt. It's pretty shiny, so I decided to tone it down a bit (my VP is still in town) to make it work appropriate:
That's a pinstriped button-down - which I usually loathe - but this one is so beautifully cut. Everyone raves about the white button-downs, but they always turn yellow in the armpits on me, and you have to iron them (the horror!), and they're nearly always see-through. And frankly, for me, way too boring.

I deliberately bought the skirt one size too big, so that it would sit on my hips, rather than at my waist (it would have been too short for work otherwise). Check it out: pockets!

I had to do some copying in another department today - I think about 6 people went past me and said, "Great shoes!"

The stuff:

I love those shoes. They are just such a perfect pump...and the heel is not that high (just under 3", I believe).

A close-up:

That's my ring from Scotland (story here). I don't wear it enough.

And that's the price tag from the skirt! Club Monaco had "extra 50% off last ticketed price" on sale items this past weekend. Seriously, that skirt for $34.50? That's a steal! I think it would have been more than that on consignment.

Shirt (Esprit, consignment), skirt (Club Monaco), shoes (Feet First), ring (handmade, trip to Scotland), necklace (Jacob).

Not So Sure - Skinny Pants

I'm not a leggings gal, never have been. However, I'm not averse to skinny pants. Mostly they are not cut to fit my curvy figure and strong thighs, but when I tried these ones on a few weeks ago, they stuck in my mind. I went back and got them last weekend (they were $39.99).
I don't think this is quite the right outfit for them. Maybe flats and a top that comes down lower (like this one?) would work better. I really should have tried stuff on before I packed this outfit.

I like that picture because I'm actually laughing at the cats (sorry it's blurry).

Anyway, I felt pretty good in the pants, even if I didn't quite style them right this time around. Thoughts? Suggestions?

The stuff:

I also had a pair of knee-highs on for part of the day, but I didn't like how they looked and they were kind of snagged so I tossed them.

A close-up of the jewelry:

I love that ring.

Jacket (Jacob), pants (Kensie), shoes (Steve Madden), ring (Fossil), earrings (Plum).