Purplicious Weekend Round-Up: Tangerine and Trout, Plaidness, Lace and Purple, and Yet More Purple

Happy weekend, my friends! It has been a weekend full o' surprises on this side of things. 

Friday was a good start.

I had a haircut after work, and I like to wear fun things for my 20-something hairdresser, Sophia. This is my version of Casual Friday, ha!

• Cardigan - Gap, thrifted; first worn here in April for Whitehorse
• Dress - A.J. Bari, vintage 80s, thrifted; last worn here (5th outfit) in April 2014 (outrageous!)
• Shoes - Miista; last worn here in early March with matchy

I loved all this colour! The tangerine cardi went really well with the bright orange in the dress' pattern. I did end up pinning my dress to my bra, because it (the dress) kept slipping down. Whoops!

I love running in the office when I wear these shiny shoes!

The stuff:

Sweet trout shoes!

Simple bling:

The usual stuff.

• Belt - Nygard
• Cuff - thrifted
• Lapis lazuli ring and Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes

We had Ultimate Frisbee on Saturday, so time to wear another dress!

It's so easy to change in and out of it at the field.

• Dress - Artistic Taste, flea market; last worn here (3rd outfit) in September 2014 
• Shoes - Enzo Angiolini, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) on the same weekend in September 2014 (but a different outfit)
• Cardigan (below) - Bellisima, thrifted; last worn here (3rd outfit) in July 2014 over acid yellow

We went for brunch afterward, then L and I did a couple of errands. This skirt billowed most satisfactorily in the wind.

I'd nearly forgotten about these shoes!

I needed a cardi for sunblock.

Our game was tough - my team lost - but lots of good running around.

The stuff:

I love that aluminum belt.

• Belt - vintage fair

One of the errands L and I did was to check out the vintage section at the Patch. We have his birthday party coming up next weekend and the theme is "Rock Star". I got this old squaredance crinoline for my outfit.

It was a bit pricey at $44.00, but I love the very minty green of it. Based on this, can you guess how I'll be dressing for the party?

Maybe this will help.

Yes, that is purple hair.

Our good friend Chris had open-heart surgery recently, so threw himself an "I'm Alive!" party.

• Dress - Walk In Clozet; last seen here (3rd outfit) in April 2014 with a fur hat
• Shoes - Modern Vintage; last worn here (3rd outfit) in October 2014 
• Jacket (below) - Smoking Lily; last seen here (2nd outfit) in June 2014 with a straw fedora

I'm not feeling this dress - I love it, but it doesn't fit me well. Time to go to a new home!

Some of us guests at the party were shocked when Chris proposed to his girlfriend Allison last night. Aw! Not ashamed to say that I cried! I am such a mushy-hearted sop.

Shiny jacket for the evening chill.

I had a nap, but was still tired after Ulty. No way I was wearing heels!

I also spent about 3 hours doing my hair.

Bathroom selfie - matchy lips and specs!

I bleached my hair then coloured it with "Lusty Lavender" by Splat, leaving my blonde streak at the front. Apparently, as this is stain (not dye), it will fade out over time. I am totally cool with that - in fact, I hope it goes to pale lavender. Visible? Moi? Ha!

The stuff:

Lots of accessories!

Multi-bling:

A mix of new and vintage.

• Necklace - Nygard, consignment
• Cuff - Mom's, vintage 60s
• Bracelet - Trifari, vintage 60s, vintage fair
• Earrings - Weiss, vintage 60s, vintage fair
• Spinner rings - Twang & Pearl
• Crystal ring - late 90s

Today, I went grocery shopping and to get some birthday prezzies for L!

Purple overload? Messier hair today - it was very windy out!

• Cardi - Express, thrifted; last seen here (2nd outfit) in September 2014
• Top - Costa Blanca, consignment; last seen here (2nd outfit) in June 2014
• Skirt - Le Chateau, consignment; last seen here (3rd outfit) in September 2014, where I contemplated allover grey/purple hair
• Shoes - La Canadienne, consignment; last worn here at the same time as the skirt

I'm not being very original; here's a repeat of this entire outfit here (2nd outfit) in June 2014. What can I say? I like how the pieces all work together.

I got a few looks about the hair - many people commented on it.

I am interested to see how it will go over at WW and at my regular work.

The stuff:

Still in need of easy shoes.

• Necklace - Shi Studio
• Earrings - gift from L; local 

I bought a couple of more things for my party outfit while shopping for L. This is a junky little black dress. 

The lady in the thrift store was very surprised that I was buying black. This was $17.99.

I fell hard for this sweet little pink cardi-top.

It was $8.50 and is vintage 80s. Any ideas about my outfit? Hee hee!

I also spotted this sweet bag at the thrift store.

It's a pale yellow faux snakeskin leather.

It's by Banana Republic and was $23.50.

Of course, I checked the tags to see how old it is.

Summer 2011, looks like. Someone enjoyed it for 4 years.

A "Hello!" to the nice lady in the red denim jacket who recognized me from my blog! It's been so long since I've been spotted by a reader - my apologies for being glazed!

Vizzini has missed us while we've been out and about, having our busy weekend. He's been lounging on the deck a lot.

"What did you do to your hair this time?"

His fur is so nice and warm.

"Your mother is going to flip."

Oh, I think a few people will.

And how was your weekend? Any crazy dye jobs?

Un-Mellow Yellow

Hola, my friends! How about some colour?

That enough colour for ya?

• Blouse - Hale Bob, thrifted; last seen here (2nd outfit) in July 2014 with clam-diggers
• Skirt - Mister Leonard, vintage 80s, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) in September 2014 for the Vintage Expo
• Shoes - Presence Guide, Fluevog; last worn here (2nd outfit) with vintage greens a couple of weeks ago

I found out why our office has been so hot - it's not the weather! Our HVAC system has a broken part! And here I thought I was being peri-menopausal.

This was a nice cool outfit for inside and out today, including my WW meeting after work.

The stuff:

The people at my Thursday group are not quite used to me yet - they are all agog at my colours and shoes! I knew they would love these ones, just like I do.

Bright bling:

Oops, a bit blurry.

• Necklace - vintage fair
• Cuff - thrifted
• Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes

And now...dinner! I'm so hungry...

2,001 Posts - Forever Colourful

Yes, you read that right: two THOUSAND (and one) posts! I can't believe I have been blogging for more than 7 years (I don't do most things for longer than 7 months).

This is just as good an outfit as any, I suppose. I can't pick a favourite.

• Jacket - Holt Renfrew, thrifted; last seen here in August 2014 with yesterday's blouse
• Skirt - CiCi; last worn here in March with killer shoes
• Shoes - Wonders Ayers, Fluevog (converted by Vizzini, dyed by me); last worn here in September 2014 with pink plaid

So much colour! I think if I had to pick something that makes me stand out, it would be my playfulness with colour. I'm never afraid to mix colours or play with as many colours as possible. My style has changed a lot in 7 years, but my love for colour has never waned, despite flirtations with neutrals at times.

I have no desire to stop blogging, but as always, I take it one post at a time. I have tomorrow's outfit picked out and will select my accessories tonight before bed (a very relaxing habit). And that will be 2,002.

The stuff:

No bling for you! I just wore mismatched stud earrings.

Thank you, thank YOU, all my dear readers. Some of you have become friends, some visit for a while and then go away, some lurk. Knowing that somewhere out there in this great wide world, people are listening, looking and smiling...well, that's the best. Thank you.

Literary Stylings: Pink and Dotted

Back to work! Aw, these long weekends are never long enough. 

Do I look literary? My books are not so conducive to dressing like the characters, but I'm linking up with Gracey's "Literary Stylings" because she's helping me make books a priority! I love to read, and it's just far to easy to get sucked into the morass of mind-numbing garbage on TV.

• Jacket - Le Chateau, consignment; last seen here with oranges in April
• Polka dot blouse - handmade, vintage fair; last worn here (2nd outfit) in September 2014 for the big Vintage Expo
• Skirt - Conrad C, thrifted; last seen here in April 2014 while trying not to puke
• Shoes - Franco Sarto, thrifted; first worn here (4th outfit) a couple of weeks ago

It was a hot day today, so I mostly wore this outfit like this, with no jacket.

Cat not included

I liked the soft but bright colours of this outfit, however, it's been over a year since I wore this pink skirt, so I'm going to have to seriously consider whether it stays in my wardrobe or not.

"I like the skirt - you should keep it and let me sleep on it"

The blouse is a keeper. I love it, despite its crappy sewing, mismatched buttons and buttonholes. It looks better under a jacket, though.

"Bored now. Let me in the hallway."

The stuff:

First time wearing these shoes for a full day - I knew I'd have to do some walking in them, and they were great.

Swirly bling:

I have to pop my jacket back on for my WW meeting tonight.

• Pin - Sarah Coventry, vintage fair
• Ring - vintage fair
• Bracelet - Coro, vintage 60s, Mom's
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes

Here's what I read since the last "Literary Stylings" here:

Two graphic novels: "The Last Temptation" by Neil Gaiman, Michael Zulli and Alice Cooper. Unless you are a Neil Gaiman completionist or a major Alice Cooper fan, skip it (I'm both, and I was a bit "meh" about it.

The other is "Ten Grand" by J. Michael Straczynski, Ben Templesmith and CP Smith. I'm a fan of J. Michael Straczynski as the writer of the TV show "Babylon Five" (an excellent show, at least for 4 seasons). I wasn't much of a fan of the art in this, but the story was intriguing. I will probably get the next volume.

I also read some other books.

From left:

• "Heart-Shaped Box" by Joe Hill - Solid horror novel, which actually scared me in parts! Great characters and the story just charges along. Recommended if you're not easily scared. Heh.
• Vice Magazine's "Dos & Don'ts" - Ugh, this was just terrible. Never buy books that are sealed. Thanks to L for buying it for me, but I want this out of my house. It made me feel dirty, wasn't funny and just ugh. Avoid.
• "I am Legend" by Richard Matheson - This is a collection of Matheson's short stories, including the classic novella "I am Legend" which was made into that awful Will Smith movie. The story felt a little stale, but then you have to remember that it's an early pioneer in the vampire field; all this modern vampire fiction comes from this! 
• "Feersum Endjinn" by Iain M. Banks - More working through Iain (M. means "sci-fi"; no M. means it's straight up fiction) Banks. I bought a horde of his paperbacks several months ago, and still have many to go. This novel is not one of his "Culture" world books; this one is set far into Earth's future. One of the characters, Bascule, writes phonetically (the title is "Fearsome Engine" for example), so big sections of the book were challenging for that (I ended up whispering them out loud to figure out all of it), but overall another strong book! Recommended. 

Thanks, Gracey! What are you reading, my friends? 

Bigass Long Weekend Wrap-Up: Fluevog Day, Soft Denim, White and Yellow, Visible Maxi Drama and Shoe Shone

Well, it has been a weekend! This is a long weekend in Canada (Victoria Day, named after Queen Victoria), so no work today. 

But what about that weekend? It has been very busy! Today's my "down" day, so I'm lounging about, drinking coffee and petting Vizzini. 

We started off with Friday.

It was Fluevog Day! I built my outfit around these shoes.

• Sweater - Dalkeith, vintage 60s, thrifted; last seen here with Odette in March
• Skirt - Precis Petites, thrifted; last seen here in July 2014 with blue polka dots
• Shoes - Faith Hi Lo Reumah, Fluevog; last worn here in July 2014 for Shoes My Husband Hates
• Shoes (below) - Predictions, thrifted; last worn here earlier this month with a hi-lo dress

I'm a bit surprised that neither the skirt nor the shoes have been worn in close to a year (they are both packed away over the fall/winter), but I love both of them.

I also really liked the silhouette of this outfit on me. It's a great little sweater!

Did you spot the scarf in my hair?

 The shoes are not super-comfortable (that is a wooden sole), but they are fine for a day at work.

I had after-work plans so I brought another pair of shoes to work too!

The stuff;

The shoes are tricky to wear mostly due to the wild colours in the floral leather and the stripey wood of the heels.

Stuff Part Two:

I took my coworker Simona shopping at Value Village - I did the work, finding all the good stuff on the racks, then we did a pre-try-on in the aisle, then headed to the fitting rooms for the final go-through of all the stuff. We did really well! She got a cotton trench coat, about 6 skirts, 2 cardigans, 5 or 6 blouses and tops - all for about $150! She was thrilled - she got a giant bag of stuff.

Dragon bling:

I love this set.

• Dragon necklace and bracelet - vintage fair, gift from L
• Earrings - local
• Scarf - Ralph Lauren, consignment

We went for dinner and drinks afterwards - we were mighty parched after our 2 hours of shopping.

On Saturday, we had our Ultimate Frisbee game.

Easy clothes for my creaky old bod.

• Shirt - Mexx, consignment; last seen here in June 2014 with floral lame (lah-MAY)
• Skirt - Club Monaco; last worn here (4th outfit) in March
• Shoes - Anne Klein, thrifted; last seen here in March with a crazy dress

I need another denim shirt - this one is a wee bit too tight in the boobular region.

I love how this skirt billows in the breeze!

The stuff:

These shoe felt too snug after 2 hard hours of running in cleats! I really wanted loose sandals after the game.

• Necklace - local

We did lunch after the game, but by the time we got seated, it was too late for me to order food, so I had to run home to get ready for my afternoon outing with Mom.

We went to see "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" at the Belfry Theatre, which was excellent (review here).

It was a lovely and sunny afternoon, although a bit windy. My hair actually stayed put!

• Dress - Lord & Taylor, thrifted; purchased here for $23.50
• Cardigan (below) - no label, thrifted; last seen here in June 2014 with tropical leaves
• Shoes - Camper; last worn here in April with chrysanthemums

We strolled down to the theatre, which is in an old church (hence the name "Belfry"). Unfortunately, I realized that I'd forgotten my wallet and I had to run all the way home and back to get it! Yikes!

 Thank goodness for these ultra-comfy shoes and for a cotton dress.

 I love the shape of this dress - it was wonderful to wear all evening.

For warmth, I did this little lemon cardigan over it. Add the fruit bag (and scarf) and we're all summery!

The stuff:

I must preserve these shoes forever - I adore them.

Glass bling:

My pretty set from Venice.

• Necklace/earrings - gift from L; purchased in Venice
• Ring - junk store, late 90s

Mom and I went out for dinner afterwards, then L and I hung out and played board games for the evening.

On Sunday, L and I went for brunch (I missed my usual lunch on Saturday, after all!), followed by my grocery shopping for the week.

Doesn't everyone grocery shop in a shiny 70s maxi dress?

I'm linking up to the last "Visible Monday" at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style - she's taking a hiatus over the summer from it. I shall continue to be visible, however.

• Dress - handmade, vintage 70s; thrifted here in January for $17.50
• Shoes - Coach; last worn here in August 2014 with peplum and chairs
• Cardigan (below) - Kenar, thrifted; last seen here (3rd outfit) in August 2014 with the same skirt as above
• Sandals (below) - Born, consignment; last worn here (3rd outfit) last September 2014

I wore the belt in my hair.

The long ends hanging down my back were Dramatic, but got stuck in the chair in the diner and in the car. Annoying.

I wore a purple cardi to ward off the wee chill.

After grocery shopping in these shoes, I concluded that they would not be suitable for walking to the pub and having drinks (every-wary of wiping out, I am).

Which is what we did for the afternoon: meeting up with our couples friends and hanging out at the local pub on the patio in the sun.

Change-up for this shiny metal belt and flat comfy sandals. I was still pretty stiff from Ulty and my unexpected jog to/from the theatre to get my wallet.

The stuff, part 1:

I love these sandals, but they're getting near the end of their life with me. They are high, and I'm fearful of falling.

• Belt - Mom's, vintage 60s

 The stuff, part 2:

My go-to sandals of last summer, and I expect I'll wear them a lot this summer too.

Primary bling:

I wore the same ring, earrings and cuff all day.

• Belt - thrifted
• Cuff - thrifted
• Ring - Tammy's store
• Earrings - 5th anniversary gift from L

Vizzini has been lolling about like a lazy kitty.

"Who are you calling lazy?"

And after a year of doing Shoe Shine, I am done. I enjoyed doing it, but it's a bit of work, and whenever something that I enjoy doing (like blogging) starts to feel like work, it's time to back off. I love doing my blog and want to keep doing it as long as I continue to enjoy it - so I'm losing this less enjoyable part.

So, Shoe Shine has shone! Thanks for the shoes and the memories!