Hectic Thursday - Neutrals

In keeping with my "determined to be positive" attitude, I dressed yesterday for how I wanted to feel. Forcing my mood from the outside in, I guess you could say.

Actually, I just really wanted to wear this belt that I got a couple of weeks ago, and I haven't worn this skirt for a while (only once, here). Hee.
Distinctly less "lumberjack" this time. I also went for lunch with Mom and wanted to look nice.

I liked how the high-waisted skirt looked with this (worn once here):

Wonder Woman! Wearing my power cuff again, too.

The weather has turned here - it's in the low 70s/low teens now. Brr...this meant a jacket was required:

My cheapy boyfriend jacket that I got in a thrift store months ago.

The stuff:

One of the most comfy pairs of kitten heels I own. I've worn them so much the brand has worn off. I've had them for about 4-5 years.

I got the belt at the Gap (I never shop there, but Ruth and I went to the Mall and she wanted to go in). It was regular $42, marked down to $19.99, then marked down to $12.99, then had an extra 30% off. Score! For leather, too.

Close-up:

Black, gold, silver sparkliness!

Oops, missed putting my ring in the picture!

Blouse (Vintage DC Missy, consignment), skirt (Bedo, thrifted), shoes (don't remember), belt (Gap), cuff (Aldo Accessories), earrings (The Cobbler), ring (Club Monaco).

The Bad Bangle

I've been meaning to wear this dress again (previously worn here, and here), and today just seemed like the day.
In keeping with the Wonder Woman theme for August (don't forget!), I did a ton of bracelets to deflect the bullets of negativity!

Since I'm feeling positive, I only needed bracelets on one arm. Fewer bullets. Hee.

I also wanted to get another wear of these shoes in before I pack them away:

They just don't work with nylons or tights (or socks), so they are strictly bare-leg/toes wear. I haven't worn them a lot, so they are still in really good condition, even though I've had them for around 4-5 years now. Previous wearings here, here, here, here, here, and here. Yup, looks like I've worn them twice a year.

One risk with an armload of bracelets is the racket you make. I irritated my co-workers (sorry, guys!) until I figured out that I had a Bad Bangle in the mix. It's the one on the right:

It's hollow, so it really made a lot of noise against the other ones. Once I slipped it onto the other side of the cuff, it was fine and I was a lot less jangly.

Dress (Smoking Lily, consignment), cami (InWear), shoes (Franco Sarto), cuff (Club Monaco), brass and brown bangles (Aldo Accessories), ivory bangles (some import shop).

It's Easy Being Green

Thank you, everyone, for your kind words about my job situation. I'm going to try to stay positive (and collect my paycheque!), and take life as it comes.

For now, one of my favourite colours - GREEN!
All a bunch of remixy stuff - I won't be buying much for the next few months! I've worn this skirt a couple of times (here and here).

I actually wasn't that happy with the vest. I got a new/consignment black velvet one (this guy) to replace this! Why isn't this one gone? Why am I not wearing the velvet one? Good gravy, Sheila, time to clean out the closet!

Wonder Woman!

I did my pictures before I fed Inigo. Bad move:

Eyes of death! But he forgave me.

The stuff:

I liked the black and white pinstripe in the vest echoes in the white stitching on the shoes.

A close-up:

Mom's green bead and gold necklace. I think it's from the 70s? The ring is also hers, and I'm probably going to get a phone call and her saying, "So that's where that ring got to!" It's a real jade ring set in some gold-toned metal that turned my finger green.

And something for the nail polish people:

I love that colour. Hee, my feet are pink from my walk home (and I can see sock marks on the right foot, ha!).

Vest (Oxmo), shirt (Pink Martini, consignment), skirt (Banana Republic, consignment), shoes (Jones New York, consignment), necklace and ring (vintage, Mom's), earrings (Plum, gift from L).

Polka Dot Power

Well, I had "the talk" today - my last day will be November 12th. *sigh* It's just weird. I admit I have a lot of anxiety about finding a new job - I really like having stability.

Anyway, I wanted to wear something powerful so that I could use my favourite motto: Fake It Till You Feel It! What's more powerful than some wicked heels and polka dots?
Some vintage Grandma J accessories lent me her power as well.

That's my new spotty top from my trip - it was a whopping $3 in a thrift store.

Obligatory WW pose:
And because I am Powerful, I wore my copper cuff to ward off Corporate Evil (fortunately, there wasn't any - my corporation is actually pretty decent).

The stuff:

These shoes make a lot of noise when walking on tile. I deliberately stomped around, making my presence known. Heh.

A close-up:

That's all Grandma J's jewelry. Those earrings are ones I remember Grandma wearing - they have heavy wear patterns on the back. I think I last wore them here. Hey, they are called the "Galaxy" earrings - this site has a ton of Renoir pieces - and there's my cuff down at the bottom (with enamel). My necklace isn't stamped, nor are its earrings, but looking at all those necklaces and the chain/ball/hook closures, I am pretty sure it's Renoir as well.

Top (Majora, thrifted), cami (Esprit), skirt (Ann Taylor, thrifted), shoes (Guess), necklace and ring (vintage 40s, Grandma J), earrings (Matisse by Renoir, Grandma J), cuff (Renoir, Grandma J).

Special Occasion - Nick's 50th Birthday

So, I'm back from our brief 48 hour holiday to see L's folks. I didn't take the camera, so if you're interested what the West Coast looks like, click here to see the pictures I took two years ago (it hasn't changed). It was smokin' hot (for us) - around 30 degrees (80+ degrees) the whole time.

I got to raid my mil's garden for fresh blueberries, strawberries, peas, green beans, cherry tomatoes and carrots. Yum!

We made it back in time to have a nap before our dear friend Nick's 50th birthday party last night - I can't believe I have a friend who's 50! Ha ha! I saved this dress from our trip to Paris and London back in May for this most special occasion:
Aw yeah! It's definitely 80s. The zip is how you get it on and off, and it looks cute with a bit of it unzipped to give a V in front (which I did later on as it got warmer).

I got the dress on the Champs Elysees, at Naf Naf, about a block from the Arc de Triomphe, while we were on the way to the Louvre. Gee, I sound like I'm name-dropping.

I was in full-on Wonder Woman mode with my bracelets:

Ready to kick some butt!

A shot of the back:

Now, I feared that, as a 42-year-old, that this was maybe a titch too tight, but I was assured by all the men at the party that it was just fiiiiine. Hee. And frankly, screw it - I don't care if it's age-inappropriate. I felt great.

My hair was a little messy since I'd slept on it - I just kept mussing it up. Classic WW pose:

The boots were so freakin' hot. I kept them on for all of 20 minutes before I caved and spent the rest of the party barefoot.

The stuff:

I do love those boots, though. I've had them for about 5 years (here, here, here, and here).

A close-up:

I strung the feather necklace charm onto one of my hoops to be a little more 80s. I loved the bigass cuffs.

Dress (Naf Naf), boots (Bronx), leather cuff (old), studded cuff (Aldo Accessories), feather charm (second hand), earrings (gift from L).

Eight Questions, Eight Answers

Lesa over at Always Summer tagged me with one of those "question/answer" thingies - I'm not so much into passing those along (I also don't pass on those "send this to your 6 best girlfriends!" emails), but I like to talk about myself (let's be honest here, hee).

I'm supposed to answer her 8 questions and then ask 8, but I like the 8 she answered so I'm going to answer those as well - I'm such a rebel.

If you feel inclined to play along on your own blog, or in the comments, please consider yourself tagged! You're it!

1. Who has been the biggest influence in your fashion life?

My mom, easily! As I think I may have said before, my mom is an artist, so I get my love of colour and texture from her exposing me to art at a very young age (some day, I'll dig out some of my old art and photograph it - I have stuff all the way back to kindergarten). She was also a pretty snazzy dresser when I was a kid, and when I hit my teens, I raided her closet and jewelry box on a regular basis.

However, she is my biggest influence because of one piece of advice: "Wear whatever you want, but wear something different every time." I love changing up my look, and challenging people's expectations of who I am by wearing different things all the time. I don't think I have ever repeated an outfit exactly since I was 17 years old. To this day, I can still remember what an impact her words had on me. They changed my life. Thank you, Mom.

2. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?

I would live in the city I live in now - it's by the ocean, the weather's pretty good all year round, it's not too big, not too small, I can walk most places (or get there by bus or cab if I can't), and it's beautiful.

If I had unlimited resources, I would live in a giant rooftop condo with a huge outdoor garden (that someone else would maintain for me), that I could let my kitty roam in safely. It would also have a view of the harbour and mountains, and a garage/elevator that L could drive the car right into and bring it up to our house. It would have a huge, custom-built closet for me (and one for him), and oh...lots of other custom stuff.

3. Are you okay with alone time and quiet or do you prefer to be around people and noise?

I like a bit of both. I need quiet, alone time to re-charge my batteries, but I like being around and interacting with people on a limited basis.

4. What is your favorite piece of clothing that you own or have owned in the past?

I don't really have one favourite piece - more like dozens over the years! I am not hugely attached to any of my clothes or shoes...having gotten rid of my entire wardrobe when I lost weight, as well as doing a full year of "one in, one out", cured me of most sentimental attachments to my clothes.

My most treasured items are probably in my jewelry box, actually - my Dad's ring, my Mom's pieces, gifts and inherited pieces from both of my grandmothers. In a fire, those are what I would save.

5. What is the best gift you have ever received?

That would have to be my lingerie chest. Not because it was such a fabulous gift (it was, I needed somewhere to put my delicates), but because of how it was given. This is the chest (this is NOT my bedroom):

The bottom four drawers are actually double (so they are way deeper than the top 2).

This is what L gave me:

That is about 4 inches tall, made of balsa wood and paper. He made it out on the deck in the middle of winter, cutting, glueing, sawing and painting after work, before I got home.

Check it out: inside, there are rests for each drawer, and the front it cut out so that the drawers fit:Three of the drawers had notes in them:

"This is proof positive why I'm not a carpenter."

"Underthings go here - tee hee - "

The limerick he wrote to go inside. When I opened it up, I laughed and then I nearly cried when I realized how much work had gone into this little thing. We spent Christmas at his folks' place, and when we got home, the chest was at our neighbours' waiting for me to come and get it.

I treasure that little rough chest more than the actual functional chest.

6. What is your favorite TV show?

I have lots of favourites, can't pick just one. Fawlty Towers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Babylon 5, True Blood, Dexter, Jeopardy!, Star Trek, M*A*S*H*, to name a few.

7. If you could splurge on one piece of clothing, shoes or accessory, what would it be and why?

It would either be a pair of Fluevogs, or some beautiful, one-of-a-kind handmade thing. Could be a coat, a dress, a piece of jewelry...whatever catches my eye and calls my name. The "why" would be that I'm drawn to exquisite detail and quality workmanship.

8. Leave us with a few words of wisdom.

Here's someone else's words: Desiderata by Max Ehrmann. I try to live this way.

9. Would you rather get dressed up for a fancy party or hang out in jeans with a few friends?

Fancy party! All my friends will be there, anyway.

10.What was the last book you have read? Did you love it or hate it?

I believe I covered this yesterday.

11. Jackie O or Marilyn Monroe?

I'm not particularly bothered by either of them. I'm a big fan of Mae West, though!

12. Favorite band/singer of all time?

Favourite band of all time: Blue Rodeo, since the very beginning. I have every album by them and have seen them live a couple of times. They are awesome.

13. Do you like thrift shopping or getting great deals at the mall? (you can only choose one)

Thift shopping. Easy question!

14. What is the greatest/most interesting place you have ever been?

In Scotland, halfway between Stirling and Inverness, down a dirt track to a field in the middle of nowhere. There's a circular burial cairn, surrounded by a ring of standing stones. L and I went inside the cairn, through a short tunnel. The centre was open to the sky. It was one of the most powerful places I've ever experienced. I got the willies.

15. Would you wear vintage? Why or why not?

Would, have, and do. It's different, unique and quality. Not unlike me, heh heh.

16. What is the predominant color in your closet?

Can I count "pattern" as a colour? Hee. I don't have a dominant colour - I have ALL colours!

Book Blurbs - Catching Up

I'm off for a couple of days, so I'll catch up on some of the non-fashion stuff...today's entry will be some books that I've read.

Not that books are the focus of this blog, but in case anyone's wondered why I'm not apparently reading much (the last blurb I did was in mid-July), it's because I read multiple books at a time sometimes. Right now, I'm concurrently reading two books of non-fiction: one is a bunch of essays/newspaper columns (it's what I read when I want to fall asleep fast, hee hee), and one is my bathroom book (i.e. slow reading. Perhaps that's TMI, sorry).

At the same time as the slower reads, I am also reading my usual stuff: trashy fiction and graphic novels, and a couple of comic books.

First up: The Order of the Stick: The Origin of PCs:

(my apologies for linking to the pictures, Mr. Burlew, I had to give these back and forgot to take a picture).

I am a dedicated and loyal reader of the online comic The Order of the Stick. I highly recommend it if you are into role-playing games (it's full of in-jokes) - it's hilarious. I have finally caught up and read the entire series, and now join the legion of readers who compusively check the website every day to see if Rich Burlew has posted a new comic.

Anyway, there are a couple of supplementary tales to the series that can only be purchased in actual book form, this being one of them. It's more of the same of the comic, but this is the origin story of how the adventuring party came together. Awesomeness.

And just as entertaining as the "good guys" is the origin tale of the bad guys, The Order of the Stick: The Start of Darkness:

Freakin' geeky awesomeness! Thanks for the loan of these, Kelly! I highly recommend these. I wish there were more to buy.

This morning, I read "Incognito" by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. They also collaborated on the "Criminal" series, which I really liked (I own it).

And yesterday, I finished another Kim Harrison book. I've realized that I really, really like this series. I should never have given away the first one - I'm going to have to buy it again second-hand.
It was another solid entry in the series. I'm totally hooked on them - there are two more that I need to get!

Not sure what fiction I'll dig into next, but I'll have some solid reading time while we're up visiting L's folks (ferry ride, hopefully some slack time in the backyard in the sun).

Thank God for Waterproof Mascara

I found out this afternoon why the Boss was in the office: my entire department is being outsourced. They're sitting all seven of us down for "the talk" to discuss our future with the company, which will not be longer than 6 months. I've been with them for 5 years...and ironically, I just got a company jacket this morning as my reward for being there that long. I feel like cutting it up with scissors.

As we sat with the Boss and HR, all I could think was, "What timing! I just bought waterproof mascara!" Funny how your mind goes, isn't it?

Anyway, I'm still reeling and since I won't be there tomorrow or Friday for "the talk", I will find out on Monday what's going to happen with my life in the near future. At least I looked good today:
Yup, a bunch of remixed stuff. Nothing too special.

And I even did my WW pose:

I could use an invisible jet to whisk me away, but instead will be at my in-laws for a few days. I'll be back on Saturday - I've done a couple of delayed posts so y'all don't pine away for me, hee.

The stuff:

My "concrete" Campers, and Wonder Woman cuff!

Bug and bird:

A bit blurry, sorry. We all cut out early and went and drank vodka.

Take care - back soon.

Sheila

Cardigan (Vero Moda), top (Smart Set, consignment), skirt (Nine and Co., consignment), shoes (Camper), brooch (Le Chateau), leather cuff (Shi Studio).

Pink Zebra (With Wings)

I thought the Boss was going to be at work today, so I both toned down my colours, and turned up my shoes to 11.
This is the second wear for this skirt (last seen here). It's tricky to do a pattern with zebra, so my solid-coloured tops will get a lot of rotation with it.

She's a wonder, Wonder Woman!

I've got wings! Actually, those remind me (in a bad way) of the saggy skin I have on my upper arms. Must keep doing pee push-ups!

The stuff:

These Fluevogs have taken quite a beating - I've worn them a lot, at least a dozen times (I have a "Fluevogs" link at the bottom of the post).

The jewelry:

Ha, I last wore these earrings with this same skirt!

Sweater (Esprit, consignment), skirt (Plum), necklace and earrings (Plum), shoes ("Ivanna" Listen Up, Fluevogs).

Lazy Monday - Dress Week Leftovers

I have my spacey moments...like when I planned all five outfits for Bride of Dress Week last week, and then forgot that last Monday was a holiday. The benefit is that I didn't have to think of an outfit for today, because it was already hanging in my closet. All I had to do was pick out some jewelry and I was good to go:
(Inigo meows, "Feed me!")

So, a sheer blouse and a leather dress - for work! If you described that to someone, I bet they wouldn't picture this, ha ha! The last time I wore this dress, I went way too plain, so I wanted to jazz it up this time and play with layering it more. I've also worn it here, when I first got it.

I was a bit concerned about the weather and it being too hot, but my office was reliably frigid (it even rained today, grrrr). I wore the sheer blouse again that I got last month.

Yo, Wonder Woman!
Ka-pow!

The stuff:

My fab, fab shoes. See them in action here, here, here, here (gee, I like to wear them with this same obi!), here, here, and here. That's a lot, wow.

A close-up of the gold stuff:

My Foxy jewelry and Dad's ring. Ah....I always feel close to him when I wear it. Can't believe it's been nearly 13 years since he died.

Okay, enough of a downer! Woo! This is a short week for me, as L and I are making the trek to visit his folks on Thursday. I have done a couple of interim posts so that you don't all go into withdrawal or anything while I'm gone, and on Saturday - EEEEE - we're going to a party and I'm FINALLY wearing the new dress I got in Paris. So excited!

Dress (Danier, consignment), blouse (Express, thrifted), shoes (Poetic Licence, gift from L), jewelry (Foxy), ring (Dad's, vintage 60s), obi (Smoking Lily).

Bride of Dress Week - Casual Friday Goes Cowgirl

Ah, Sunday. I guess I should get off my lazy butt and post Friday's outfit, eh?

This is the 3rd new dress - and I think I saved the most whackadoo for last!

Those are my new boots that I got a couple of weeks ago - pushing my own envelope again by wearing them with this party-style strapless dress. As Friday calls for denim, I tied my denim shirt at the waist...but then I really went cowgirl and added my brown belt (not matching brown and black - I'm learning) and a bunch of chunks of turquoise.

The obligatory Wonder Woman pose:

This is the Pouffiest Dress Ever. It's like tent material, so whenever I sit down (i.e. on the bus, at my desk), it puffs up and I have to pat it down. It also rustles when I walk - you can hear me coming!

The short boots made this extra insane. I got a few askance looks at work, and when Ruth and I went to the mall at lunch. Ha!

This is what the dress looks like on its own (those are my bra straps):

End of the day...cooling off my sweaty feet from being in the boots all day. Someone is also happy to see me.

The back of the dress is a panel of elastic ruched fabric so it fits snugly. Despite this, it slid down constantly. Arg. I also wish it had pockets. It also has a couple of bigass belt loops on either side, which I might remove, since they are lower than the sewn waist.

The stuff:

Aren't those sweet boots? They are Miz Mooz and are leather (they have that awesome leather smell). Very comfy. They were half price: $80.

A close-up:

I adore that belt buckle. I've worn that belt several times: here, here, and I guess for a couple of casual weekend outfits that I didn't bother to photograph...huh, I thought I'd worn it more than that.

The dress was thrifted for $22, and it still had the original price tag on it!

Apparently, it was made in the E.U. (that would be the European Union), manufactured in Russia or some other country that uses the Cyrillic alphabet. It was 165 something, though, possibly dollars. I got no hits for the label or brand at all.

Dress (Vita Boutique Couture, thrifted), shirt (Mexx, consignment), boots (Miz Mooz), belt (Shi Studio), necklace and ring (Plum).

I wore the dress again yesterday for my Weight Watchers meeting:

I wanted to do it more girly this time. I also wore this outfit out for lunch, and for wandering around town shopping in the rain (yes, rain. Thank you, West coast).

I got a lot less askance looks and way more compliments. However, not having a belt on meant that the dress was much more...volatile...in its shifting. I was constantly grabbing at the top and hiking it back up, as well as having to re-align the seams frequently as it tried to rotate around my body.

Dress (as above), cardigan (Guess, consignment), shoes (Expressions, consignment).

Cat picture!

He was being very meowy.