Monday, December 22, 2014

Olive Green Glitter

Oy, weekday already?
I always had a fondness for Olive, the other reindeer (bad pun and all). Who doesn't like olive?

  • Top - handmade, vintage 60s, thrifted; last seen here in September 2013 for Monochromania! week 
  • Skirt - Club Monaco, consignment; last seen here in October while looking like Carol Burnett
  • Shoes - Ralph Lauren, thrifted; last worn here in November with bits of bronze

 
This will sadly be the last airing of this lovely and amazing olive silk blouse. I have destroyed it with my pitsy-ness - the fabric is starting to dissolve under the arms. Aw, let us all have a moment of silence...I'm going to donate the rest of the usable fabric to a coworker who sews, so at least it will not all go to waste.
I loved the second wearing of this skirt - it has pockets! And - shiny!

The stuff:
Standard metallic pumps. Classic.

Vintage bling:
And a few new-ish things too.

  • Green bracelet - Mom's, vintage 60s
  • Gold bracelet - Lisner, vintage 60s, vintage fair
  • Pin/earrings - Grandma J's, vintage 60s
  • Gold/green ring - consignment
  • Amber stone ring - some junky store in the late 90s
  • Crystal ring - Uffizi Gallery gift shop

I went for drinks after work with a coworker - wee, wine is fun! I hope you are all having a good time this week! Two more days of work for me!

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Party Weekend Wrap-Up: Frilly Friday, Plaidurday, and Black Party Dress, Plus Nice Vizzini

Ah, such a lovely weekend! No stress, just chillin' with friends and getting into the holiday spirit. 

I didn't even realize until mid-day on Friday that I'd completely forgotten to take my stairs picture.
Because it's been so dark in the mornings, I've been doing it at the very last second, to catch the natural light.

  • Shirt - Dept., consignment; last seen here in August (more cowgirl!)
  • Skirt - Quillarree, consignment; last seen here in June with Chinoiserie
  • Floofy underskirt - H&M, thrifted; purchased here (way down) for $5.00 in October
  • Shoes - Big Presence, Desmond, Fluevog; last seen here in October with my other Dept item, a dress
This shirt is very blingy, being trimmed in crystal studs all over. 

I liked the fitted masculine top with the ultra-poufy skirt on the bottom. This skirt has little crystal buttons on the back, and pockets!

I finally found the perfect use for this cheap little elastic underskirt: it's cover-up for my bum! I'm self-conscious about bending over in skirts this short, and this hugged and protected.
Plus - wee! Ruffles!

The stuff:
I love the unexpected bam of orange from the shoes.

Bling bling!
First wear of these earrings - picked them up a few months ago from a second-hand stall. I pinned the star brooch in the centre of my waist.

  • Earrings - thrifted
  • Pin - The Bay, mid-00s
  • Lapis lazuli ring/Fulvia ring - Wendy Brandes

After work, I went for drinks with some of the guys, then home to hang out with L, whom I'd barely seen all week. We played games, and gave Vizzini some much-needed attention.

On Saturday morning, we went for brunch while our door guy made an adjustment to our secret door bookcase.
The door's been sticking a bit, probably due to wood's expansion and contraction, so John made some adjustments. All good!

  • Dress - Plum; last seen here (2nd outfit) in September with killer leather
  • Sweater - Expression, consignment; last worn here (2nd outfit) on a casual weekend
  • Boots - Marc; last seen here a few weeks ago 

This dress is getting a little bally on the inside - it's not lined, but I love the cut and the plaid - and pockets! - so much. I'm wearing a black half-slip underneath.
Sweater, tights and boots and I'm good to go. I was told that I looked very "seasonal" in this.

The stuff:
I have 3 belts that can interchange buckles, so I have a small collection.

  • Belt - Leather World
  • Buckle - She She Shoes
  • Cuff - Guess, thrifted
  • Ear cuff - Claire's
  • Long earring - from a coworker

We couldn't find Vizzini when we got home. He's a big chicken when it comes to strangers in the house. We finally noticed a lump under the covers of our bed.
"I wasn't scared!"
He was all warm and purry and happy to see me.
"It's warm and safe under here."
He came out once John left.

On Saturday night, we went to a party at Nick and Karen's.
Party dress! Hat! Bling!

  • Dress - Lorraine Beauchamp, vintage 80s, vintage fair; purchased at a vintage fair here in June for $35.00
  • Shoes - Poetic Licence; last seen here in July with mustard and navy
  • Hat - Tierre Joline; last worn here (2nd outfit) in December 2012


Can you see how cool the skirt of this dress is? The front is like a pencil skirt, then it has this full pleated back.
I much prefer this styling of my hat vs. the other times I've worn it.

The dress has a surprise back - or lack thereof!
I'd intended to wear the boots featured in this week's Shoe Shine, but they didn't look right with the length of the skirt. Good thing I did a "test drive" of this outfit on Friday night!

Some of my bling and a close-up of my hair.
You can also see the detail on the upper bodice of the dress.

I hauled out the curling iron to give my hair some spring at the front. Unfortunately, L and I were caught in a rainstorm while walking to the party, and all the curl fell out.

The stuff:
I did a mix of blue, teal and green for my accessories.

Sparkle bling:
I pinned the sparkly blue vintage brooch over the knot of the silk obi. I also wore two different earrings (one of the blue ones disappeared a year ago at an event).

  • Obi - thrifted
  • Gem bracelet - Mom's, vintage 60s
  • Glass bangle - thrifted
  • Blue brooch/earring - vintage 60s, vintage fair
  • Green earring - Grandma J's, vintage 60s
  • Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes
  • Gold/green ring - consignment
  • Spinner ring - local
  • Crystal ring - Melanie Lyne


We were in a rush, so only managed not to cut off L's head in one shot...and it's blurry.
L's wearing blue and green plaid pants, a green silk shirt, and a navy striped vest, with shiny cobalt Fluevogs. My perfect match.

When we staggered home much later, I discovered that the blue earring was gone! I assumed it was either at Karen's, or lost along the way. I sadly resigned myself to another lost earring.

But what was sitting outside the bedroom door this morning? My earring! The kindly Officer Vizzini had recovered it for me.
"Did I do something nice? Will Santa bring me kitty treats?"
He is definitely getting a treat in his stocking!

I hope your weekend was merry and bright! I'm working over the holidays, so I'll still be doing my regularly scheduled program, with breaks for Christmas and New Year's.

Friday, December 19, 2014

Shoe Shine #17

Shoe Shine is on!
Get your kicks by showing your kicks!
I'm featuring the most awesome boots in the world.
Told you.

These are the LA Malibu boots by John Fluevog. I've had them for a couple of years; they were a purchase from L on our annual anniversary Pilgrimage to Fluevog in Vancouver in 2013.
I'm 5'10" in these. That's a real 6" heel. But don't be fooled - these are actually walkable...for a party. And since we are in party season, and we have a party to go to this weekend, I'll be wearing these really soon. 

Will you be busting out the fancy stuff this season? Show us your party shoes!

Want to play? It's super-easy. Anyone can join.
  1. Link to a post featuring a fabulous pair of footwear!
  2. Include a link to Ephemera somewhere in your post (it's only polite). Leave a comment here if you like (note that comments continue to be moderated).
  3. Go to the bottom of this post and click on the InLinks "Add Your Link" button to open a new page.
  4. In the "Next Step," you crop the picture you want to display, and voila!
  5. Show your Shoe Shine spirit by grabbing and displaying the button in the sidebar.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Two-Fer Thursday: Work Chinese Violet and Book Club Teal

I am usually pretty fast at banging out posts - I have 30 minutes before I need to leave for Book Club, so here we go. 

Whoosh!
I got a lot of oohs and ahhs over this glorious purple dress at work today.

  • Dress - thrifted, handmade, vintage 80s; purchased here last Friday
  • Shoes - Versace, vintage 80s, vintage fair; last seen here in May, while I was a pirate

The bottom button popped off the dress early in the morning, so I safety-pinned it back on. It popped off again (and broke the safety pin!) in the afternoon. Good thing I have safety pins in my desk. 

Other than that, this was an awesome dress to wear! I love the rich pattern, the deep violet and the cut. Keeper!

A rare shot of the Sheila in her natural environment. 
You can see the reflection of my photobomber and photographer, Sue, in the glass balcony door. 
I had my walkin' shoes on because I trekked 4 blocks to our other office for their potluck lunch. Yay for ice cream cake! 
These shoes are far too delicate to walk that far!

The stuff:
My lovely Versaces! I only wear them when I know I won't have to walk much.

Badass bling:
My sparkles are studs today.

  • Leather belt - consignment
  • Black cuff - Guess, thrifted
  • Studded cuff - homegrown vintage, 80s
  • Spinner ring - local
  • Snake ring - homegrown vintage, 80s
  • Crystal ring - Uffizzi Gallery gift shop
  • Earrings - local
[Checks the clock. 15 minutes to go.]

I'm going to be lounging about, drinking wine, eating appies, and meeting Sarah's brand-new son, Charlie. I think every child needs a passel of mad aunties.


  • Dress - Kensie; last seen here on a casual Sunday in September
  • Boots - Ash; last worn here (3rd outfit) a couple of weekends ago, with sequins
This was my outwear today with both outfits.
It's the Unsafe Polar Bear! It is also the snuggliest coat ever - and look how visible I am! Since I'm walking home after dark, and walking to and from Book Club, it's prudent.

Boots and belt.
These boots are like slippers!

[And it's time to go.]

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

PINK and a Darjeeling Cat-astrophy

Salutations, my friends! Another day of drama is upon us!
Can you see my necklace up under the collar? 
That is a PINK dress. It's even brighter in person.

I love the current trend of wearing a top under a party dress or summer dress to carry it into fall/winter. However, I'm not so excited about turtlenecks suddenly being popular again (I loathe the feeling of them choking me!) but you can do it with a blouse buttoned to the top too.

  • Dress - Junior Vogue, vintage 60s, thrifted; last layered under a red cardi here in February for Valentine's Day
  • Blouse - CAbi, consignment; last seen here layered under my yellow dress in September
  • Shoes - Darjeeling Teapot, Fluevog, Fluemarket; last seen here with grass-green suede in September
I like the organic pattern of the blouse and the pleated ruffled front and cuffs.
This felt very Christmassy, even though it's PINK. People at work really responded to the shiny silk shantung fabric.

I felt like half a million bucks in this. Why only half? This little squirmy ball of Evil might have had something to do with it.
"Evil? Let me go, woman! I'll get right on the case!"
Did you notice my shoes? They are supposed to look like this.

They don't look like that any more. This is the third pair of shoes Vizzini has destroyed; the second pair of Fluevogs.

This morning, I discovered I'd left my closet door open and...he had eaten three loops and a good chunk of the laces. Nothing left on the whole side of one of the shoes. They aren't repairable (the entire shoe would have to be remade), so I cut all the laces and loops off.

My heart was heavy. I felt a little sick. I ranted about my Evil Cat at work. Then the shoes started feeling too big, and one developed a squeak.
I did a rather hasty job this morning, but the little nubs weren't visible against my fishnet tights. I trimmed them up properly with a craft knife, and I'm giving them to one of my coworkers tomorrow.

Sadly, they have lost the one thing that made them really unique to me: the laces. I don't really like plain shoes, not even with the funky Teapot heel. So...I'm letting it, and them, go. I'm not mad at Vizzini (well...), and this just makes room for more shoes in my closet, right?

Oh, and Vizzini's tummy is totally fine. The laces were leather, so at least they are biodegradable!

Vintage bling:
All white and sparkly!

  • Necklace - vintage 60s, gift from L
  • Earrings - Mom's, vintage 70s
  • Death Star ring - Stone Roses
  • Crystal ring - Melanie Lyne
My dad bought those earrings from Birk's on behalf of my brother and I, to give to my mom for Christmas, some time around 1974. 

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Purple Sequins are Cat-Approved

Sparkle on, my friends! Let us send 2014 out with all the glitter we can muster, shall we?
This is even more glitter-tastic in person. Also, a lot of purple. And sequins. Did I mention sequins?

  • Jacket - Tahari by Arthur C. Levine, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in October as a jacket with red ribbon
  • Top - Michael Kors, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in September with brown lace and a long jacket
  • Skirt - Beaded Drama, thrifted; last worn here almost exactly a year ago, in December 2013, with blues
  • Boots - Prepare Maps, Fluevog; last seen here (2nd outfit) in August for dinner and an art opening

"Who are you looking at?"
Vizzini came in for some lovey rubbin' this morning. He actually likes to go after the long leather shoelaces on the boots.
"I pose like you. What are we looking at now?"
It's a pretty awesome skirt, isn't it? I am still excited that I bought it for $19.99 over two years ago. I've worn it 5 or 6 times, so that's good cost-per-wear, even for a really memorable skirt like this!

The stuff:
I have to put my boots back on to go to my WW meeting tonight, so I photographed them with the laces all undone. Zippers would have been awesome, but the laces are not too bad if I don't have to take them off and on a lot.

Amber bling:
More sparkle!

  • Floral ring - Sarah Coventry, vintage 80s; antique shop
  • Amber ring - some junky shop in the 90s; homegrown vintage
  • Earrings - vintage 60s; vintage fair


I have to do some experimentation for my outfit tomorrow when I get home tonight. I don't always try on my outfits ahead of time, but with piece that are new or not worn often, it's a good idea (at least, for me).

Monday, December 15, 2014

Velvet Embroidery, Suede Fringe, Vintage Copper

Ooh, it was dark and a wee bit chilly this morning. Forgive me for the shivers.
Someone at work today complained, because I had bragged about wearing all glittery and shiny things for the rest of the year, that this outfit was not blingy enough. Really?

  • Velvet blazer - Le Chateau, consignment; last seen here in November when I had it goin' on
  • Skirt - Pioneer Leather, vintage 70s, thrifted; last seen here in November 2013 with more leather
  • Boots - Indigo by Clark's; last worn here a week or so ago with fuzzy peach and ruffles

I have worn this jacket and skirt together before, here when I did my 30 for 30 Capsule Wardrobe for a year.
So yeah, no sequins, no paillettes, no glitter, but velvet, embroidery, suede, FRINGE and all that copper bling? This is not enough?
I promise sequins tomorrow.

The stuff:
I went for dinner after work with Elaine and I cut through the high school's playing field (where we play Ulty) before I arrived at the pub. I actually stopped and changed into my boots. Vanity, thy name is Sheila

Copper bling!
Look at all that shiny! I wore my Grandma J's full parure of copper - I'm always reminded of her this time of year. My ex and I used to go to her apartment and put up her tree for her back in the late 80s/early 90s - she would pay us $20 and we'd buy beer with it. I don't miss those days, but I do miss my grandma.

  • Belt - Kudos, thrifted
  • Necklace, bracelet, earrings - Renoir, Grandma J's, 1960s
  • Copper rings - vintage fair
  • Bronze ring - P. Sarpeneva, vintage 1970, vintage fair
Here's to good times and awesome grandmas.