Wednesday, June 24, 2015

A Sweater? What Was I Thinking?

It is getting hotter out - it's supposed to get up to 30 degrees this weekend (that's around 92F). But L said it was supposed to rain today, so I went with a sweater.
It sprinkled. I was rather warm walking home (and I had my jean jacket on as well!). I have a cami on under this as well. I was glowing!


  • Sweater - Kenneth Cole, consignment; last seen here (3rd outfit) in January for chillin' at home
  • Skirt - Chloe, consignment; first worn here in April with more cream
  • Shoes - Modern Vintage, thrifted; last seen here on Monday!

I know, what a lazy sot I am, wearing the same shoes twice in one week. I had actually planned a pair of ankle boots with this outfit, so I stand by my decision.
This skirt has the most wonderful movement. A bunch of our HR people were in the office today, and they all wanted to know where my colour was! I had to promise them to wear pink tomorrow. I will, but it won't be a sweater, that's for sure!

The stuff:
I honestly had forgotten that I just wore these on Monday. Whoops. It's not like I don't have other pairs of gold shoes, either.

Blingety-bling:
First, I forgot to photograph the ring; then I put the belt away. Ah, well, you get it, right?


  • Belt - thrifted
  • Necklace - Nygard
  • Cuff - consignment
  • Ring - Twang & Pearl


And now for dinner - burgers and fresh corn on the cob!

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

V is for Violet

Playing the '80s card today - I'm fully vintage, aside from my shoes and jewelry. 
Although it kills me to refer to the '80s as vintage. Dang, that means I'm vintage!


  • Crochet top - vintage 80s, thrifted, no label; last seen here a year ago in June 2014 with polka dots
  • Skirt - Chia, vintage 80s, thrifted; last worn here in January with stripes and squares
  • Shoes - Guess; last worn here in April for the Battle of the Yellow Dresses

I'm not feeling this top too much today. I think the novelty of it has worn off (it's leather diamonds that have been crocheted together). I paid $12.50 for it last year and I've worn it three times. I think that's good for a funky yet dated top. I can let it go.
I adore this skirt, though. Such a rich, saturated violet. I would like my hair to be that colour without all the hassle of dyeing it, please and thank you.

The stuff:
The shoes aren't vintage, but they have that strong '80s vibe about them.

Round thing bling:
One of our clients today exclaimed over my cuffs, "You're just like Wonder Woman!"

Got that right! Yeah!


  • Cage cuff - Bauxo
  • Cuff - thrifted
  • Earrings - 10th anniversary gift from L


I'm off - this is my last Tuesday WW meeting. Aw, I'm going to be so sad to leave this group, but I'm excited about my Thursday meeting (and some of my Tuesday people are coming to Thursday, yay!), and I'll still be filling in for the Tuesday leader here and there.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Chair-ished Pearls

I find I rely on using new or new-to-me items to build my outfits for the week - but I haven't been shopping too much lately, so I'm making do with my "old" stuff.
Like this skirt, which I've had in my wardrobe for over 6 years now (that's a long time for me).


  • Top - Jones New York, vintage 90s, thrifted; first worn here in April with aqua
  • Skirt - Smoking Lily, consignment; last seen here in August 2014 with a peppy peplum
  • Shoes - Modern Vintage, thrifted; last worn here earlier this month with dots
It's a bit hard to see, but the skirt is a deep purple silk with silver chairs silkscreened on it. I cherish it...get it? Chairs? Yeah, I'm here all week. 

I much prefer this top without a jacket covering it all up. It is fully beaded, by hand, over the entire thing (back too!). It's incredibly gorgeous in person - a few of my coworkers were coveting it.

Vizzini didn't want us to go to work today.
"Noooo...must stay home and cuddle..."
 The stuff:
Simple shoes, but loads of bling.

Round bling:
A few sentimental things. I liked the mix of gold, grey and cream of the pearls.


  • Necklace - Anne Klein, Grandma J's, vintage 80s
  • Pearl necklaces - Eaton's, 1986
  • Steel ring - Poly, vintage fair
  • Crystal ring - Uffizi Gallery gift shop
  • Earrings - Aldo Accessories


I was feeling very sentimental about these two pearl necklaces. I bought them in 1986 to wear as bracelets (exactly as I'm wearing them here) with an outfit I wore to my friend Sarah's wedding. I wore a white linen short-sleeved jacket (with big shoulder pads) and a beautiful full mid-length skirt (with pockets) with a red, pink and soft green cabbage rose print, and my white grad shoes. It was a very 80s outfit, but I wish I still had the skirt.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Weekend Wrap-Up: Purple Leopard Two Ways; Flowers and Doir; and Tangling in the Park with Mom

This afternoon, as I sit in front of the computer while L watches TV and does the laundry and my lazy cat lolls in the sun, I look at my life and I'm grateful. Things are good. I'm lucky.
But enough of this mushy stuff, what about purple leopard?


  • Cardigan - Conrad C, thrifted; last seen here in February while defeating a Monday
  • Dress - Zac Posen for Lord & Taylor, thrifted; purchased here for $15.99
  • Shoes - Half Truth Veda, Fluevog; last worn here for my Punk Princess party outfit

"Open the door, woman!"
I love the funny details in the backgrounds of my pictures.

L and I cross paths briefly in the morning. We almost always have matching or complementary outfits on - we don't plan it, but we both love to wear colour. L was in a lavender shirt with navy pants and purple and lavender tie. Doesn't he look dashing with his cap and his pointy Fluevogs? He dresses like that every day - I'm so proud that he does that. I love seeing men dressed up!
"Just turn this shiny knob and let me out!"
My dress was a hit with my coworkers, especially the women. I twirled a few times (I have a slim back slip on underneath), and the skirt billowed quite a bit in the wind.

The stuff:
The most comfy shoes ever.

Spiky bling:
It's hard not to go overboard on the accessories sometimes, but I do love all my spiky things.

  • Grommet belt - gift from Ruth
  • Leather cuff - Guess, thrifted
  • Studded cuff - homegrown vintage 80s
  • Earrings - local


The purple leopard in its natural environment:
At my desk at work - my coworker sent this picture to her young daughter who also wore leopard that day. We were twins! Thanks for the picture, Zeudy!

I have a roving wireless headset that I wear at work now, so that I don't miss the intercom when I'm somewhere else in the office (I move around a lot at work. I was told a couple of times that I looked like someone from "The Jetsons" with my weekend hair, ha!

I had Weekend Hair going because - of course - I was going out on Friday night!
I redid my makeup, changed the accessories and shoes, and voila! Ready for Urbanite at the Art Gallery.


  • Dress - as above
  • Shoes - Diesel, consignment; last worn here in April with a high-low skirt 

I ended up working an hour late on Friday night, so I had to rush to get ready in time. This Urbanite was for Jock Macdonald's exhibit "Evolving Form" (AG link). 

"I love you, don't go!"
Someone has been feeling very neglected by L and I not being home all week. He even allowed Elaine to give him a cuddle!

He was also on high alert to bite my fascinator.
"Just...out...of...reach..."
 This was a fun and comfy outfit to wear. I had many artsy people cooing over my purple hair.
It was a smaller crowd than normal, but it was a gorgeous evening, and I got to hang out with Elaine and meet fun people. Plus, amazing art!

I put on the same cardi to walk there, and carried my little round purse.
"Wait, are those more hats? With feathers?"
The stuff, part 2:
I adore that these shoes are so funky, but have a 2-inch heel! Yes! Why aren't more shoes made like this? Why do they all have to be 4-inch spikes? I'll settle for a 2-inch spike or even a one-inch kitten heel, thank you. My feet are happy!

Cat-bait bling:
I had to move the fascinator to the right side, because Vizzini kept pulling it off the table.


  • Belt - BCBG Max Azria, consignment
  • Fascinator - Heart's Content
  • Ring - Stone Roses
  • Cuffs and earrings - as above


I was a little headache-y in the morning, but there's nothing like two cups of coffee and running around in the hot sun for two hours to cure what ails ya.
Ulty was back! It was a beautiful sunny morning, and the neighbourhood where we play was swamped with some sort of bike ride, Fern Fest - there were hordes of people. It's usually very quiet. We were invited to play "dodgeball, but with bows and [padded] arrows". Um,  no thanks, I'll stick to Frisbee!


  • Dress - H&M, consignment; last worn here (4th outfit) for Ulty again
  • Shoes - Chie Mihara; last seen here in April with lock & key pants


I love the loose cut of this dress. It's minimal effort with maximum results.
Our bags of Ulty gear: traffic cones to delineate the field, practice discs, cleats, hats, shirts and water
Life is in the background.
After Ulty, we had brunch, then I headed to the Vic Theatre to meet up with Cat and Elaine for "Dior and I" (movie website link here), a fascinating look at Raf Simon's first collection as the director of the iconic fashion house. It was amazing to watch how these incredible dresses come to be, through the vision of the designer and the team of sewers - you see how very much the people who physically MAKE the dresses are so much a part of the creative process. Recommended!

The movie features a house where the walls have been covered with real flowers - my dress totally reminded me of it. What a happy coincidence.

The stuff:
No stuff except for the most comfy shoes. I was sweaty and maybe a bit stinky by the time we finished the movie, grabbed a drink and headed our separate ways.

After a shower and dinner, L and I finally got to hang out together - it's been ages!

This morning, I was up early - Mom and I had a date!
Since I bought her a bunch of Zentangling stuff for her birthday, we've had a day planned where we head outdoors to a park, and sit and draw and just hang out. It's my favourite kind of day.


  • Dress - Hale Bob; last seen here back in August 2014 for a trip to the Ulty field (I'm sensing a theme)
  • Cami - not tracked
  • Cropped jeans - Contrast; last worn here in September 2014 with zigzags 
  • Clogs - Born, consignment; last seen here (3rd outfit) in April for a stroll to town

I love this dress, but it's extremely see-through and kind of shapeless. However, it's all 100% silk, and is very thin and drapey. Why not belt it and make it into a tunic? I'm a freakin' genius!

I also forget that I own a few pairs of these things they call "pants".
Oh yeah! I have white clamdiggers/pedal pushers, etc.

The stuff:
Shoes L hates, but I not-so-secretly love.

Cat-bait bling:
Vizzini was mawing all over these. No cuddling for him until I took them off.


  • Earrings - consignment, local
  • Ring - late 90s


We were going to 'tangle downtown, but it was Car Free day, so we ended up at Beacon Hill Park.
Park selfie!

We sat in the shade of the Gary Oak meadow, with other picnickers and kids playing on the swings.
It was perfect.

I'm starting a new fan for my friend Cat - she loves tulips, so I searched for some inspiring images online. I thought this photo of real tulips was proportioned well for a fan.
I've done more than just an outline, but I'll save those pictures until I'm done, so you can the progress. Plus, I don't want to spoil it for Cat!

Mom added shading to her first tile - that's the trickiest part.
Then she created the multi-coloured one on the right. We sat and drew for 2 hours - what a fabulous way to spend the morning. Afterwards, we went for lunch. Thanks, Mom!

When I got home, Vizzini was rolling around in the sun.
"Rub my tummy!"
Of course, I did!
"Now sit down so I can sleep on you."
Very soon, buddy!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Murple and Morange

Woo, one more day to the weekend! I can make it! 
My hair is morphing from purple to magenta to pink. I say we call it murple: morphed purple.


  • Dress - A Dress Town Original, vintage 70s, thrifted; purchased here last weekend on a buy one get one 40% off deal for average $15.99
  • Shoes - Big Presence Desmond, Fluevog; last worn here in April with blue and gingham

Isn't the dress fabulous? I had a few coworkers do double-takes; is it or isn't it vintage? Yup, it is! I like looking for vintage fabric that is pretty timeless. These colours are a little on the 70s wacky side, but I love the pops of orange, turquoise and magenta in it.
Bonus: it matched my hair again!

The stuff:
What's better than orange shoes?

Vintage-y bling:
More orange! Orange earrings!


  • Ring - late 90s
  • Earrings - vintage 70s, vintage fair


Even my lipstick was orange! MAC's "Morange" - that's none more orange. It's orange to 11!

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Magenta Matchy

It's official: my hair exactly matched this magenta shirt today.
People loved it - I never had that reaction when I matched my red hair. As you can see below, the back of my head has retained the full deep violet purple, while the front has faded out to magenta with blonde streaks (from the sun, most likely). I'll have to re-dye it for the Blogger Meet-Up!


  • Shirt - Banana Republic, consignment; last seen here in March as a snappy dresser
  • Bustier - Mondi, consignment; last worn way back here in December 2013 with grey plaid
  • Skirt - Hemingway, vintage 80s, consignment; last worn here in July 2014 with frozen leopard
  • Shoes - Camper; last worn here in February for Pink Shirt Day

Yesterday was really chilly and windy - today was so hot! I was not dressed for hot weather in this leather skirt, wool bustier and long-sleeved buttoned-all-the-way-up shirt! Thank goodness our building is air conditioned.
I'm shocked that I haven't worn this bustier in a year and a half, but it's a pretty specialized article of clothing. I won't get rid of it, because when will I ever find another like it? I am more surprised that it's been close to a year since I wore this black leather skirt. I thought for sure I'd worn it in the fall or winter (since it stays in my closet all year), but nope.

The stuff:
Gawd, I just love these shoes.

Bling-ish:
Eee, I love sparkly!


  • Belt - Nygard
  • Necklace - Allain, vintage 50s or 60s, vintage fair, I think
  • Crystal ring - Uffizi Gallery gift shop
  • Death Star ring - Stone Roses


Time to ride the couch...