Return of the Lady Garden of Delight

I'm at that point of my seasonal wardrobe where there are only a few backwards hangers* and I can go through and cherry-pick favourite pieces to wear again. This outfit features both a "not yet worn" and a favourite. 

Because I have a lot of black jackets/blazers, sometimes one or two get left out - I was happy to pick this cropped jacket, which went perfectly with this amazing skirt.

• Jacket - Danier Couture, consignment; last seen here in September 2016 with sick pants
• Sleeveless shell - Spense, I don't track this anymore
• Lady Garden of Delight Skirt - no label, vintage 80s, thrifted; first worn here in October 2016 with much red
• Boots - Adrian Agnes, Fluevog; last worn here (2nd outfit) in November 2016 to see The Pack A.D.
• Coat (below) - Samuel Dong, thrifted

The skirt is - in a word - stupendous. Many of my coworkers hadn't seen it the first time, so I enjoyed regaling them with descriptions of the matching very 80s vest that I did not buy. I was a bit stumped as to what to wear with it this time, and ended up with red again. The skirt's colours are more suited to my spring colours (I'll be wearing it with these, you can bet!), so I'll keep it out in my spring/summer wardrobe.

I thought I did pretty good by putting this cropped "buttah-soft" jacket with it, and getting two wears out of it with winter clothes!

Outerwear:

"I'd like to be outta here. Let me in the hall, Woman."

Vizzini is not allowed in the hall. I wore my Le Chateau thrifted cap, wool Parkhurst gloves and no scarf! I wish I'd worn one, though - my neck was cold.

The stuff:

Those are stiff boots. They leave horrid marks on my legs when I take them off. I love them, though, and they are quite comfortable. I walked to and from our other office in them.

Turquoise bling:

At the last minute I swapped a turquoise necklace for these earrings.

• Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes
• Earrings - vintage furniture store

Rockin' the Vest, and All the Non-Matchy Colours

This week is a short one for me - yay! I took a few minutes last night and pulled some ideas for outfits together. This one's a bit of a hodge-podge of colours and textures, but I kind of like how it turned out.

And yes, I wore my new-to-me vest right away! "I knew you would," said L this morning.

• Blouse - Tori Burch, consignment; last worn here in September with pink and yellow
• Vest - 2b Bebe, consignment; purchased here on the weekend for $39.00
• Skirt - Talbots, consignment; last seen here in November with royal blue and floral
• Shoes - Room 502 Entrance, Fluevog; last worn here (2nd outfit) a week or so ago with blue metallic leopard
• Coat (below) - Bourgeoiis, vintage 80s, thrifted 

Black vest, cream and navy silk print blouse, mauve skirt, grey tights and purple shoes. I don't think a single thing matches...but it all goes!

First wearing of my faux leather vest (and yes, the studs do go all the way around to the back on one side), and I think the key for me is wearing it done up. I don't like it undone at all - too flappy and I felt like it added visual weight.

It was also amazingly good with temperature control. Yup, warm here in the body section, nice and cool in the arm areas.

Outerwear:

A little warmer out, so this nice wooly overcoat is perfect. Added my consignment beret, thrifted fur boa and my purple Danier gloves.

I did my nails last night:

That's 2 coats of  Rimmel 60 Seconds polish in "Green With Envy" - no idea when I bought it, but the bottle had a good coating of dust on it, which probably means a few years ago, heh. Maybe 10, maybe 2. I have put one coat of my favourite glitter topcoat on here again, Sally Hansen's "Grape Shifter". This looks more teal than green to me - I like the bits of pink and silver glitter on top of it.

The stuff:

These are quickly becoming one of my favourite pairs of shoes.

Glitter and leather bling:

And throw some sort-of matching blingy purple things with it, sure, why not.

• Necklace - thrifted
• Wrist-wrap - Kipling, thrifted
• Ring - c. 1984, gift from Dad
• Earrings - local

Weekend Wrap-Up: Brunch Cowgirl, Cat Pictures, Org Fail in Mint, and More Cat Pictures

It's been a mellow weekend full of chilling with my best guys, seeing my Mom, and watching football. I'm also simmering two pots of homemade chili on the stove while I write this (one pot with mushrooms, my fave, L's most-loathed). A perfect weekend. Well, almost. Nothing major, though.

L and I hung out on Friday night and played boardgames - that face is a wee bit hungover, heh heh.

• Shirt - Dept, consignment; last seen here in November 2016 with red pants and blue cowgirl fringe
• Skirt - Danier, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) almost exactly a year ago in January 2016 to go see Corb Lund in concert
• Boots - 1883 Lucchesse, consignment; last worn here in December 2016 for a vacay brunch
• Coat (below) - Danier Leather 

I actually took a bunch of pictures of Vizzini on Friday night, but I can't lead the post with those (he's pretty full of himself as it is), so things are chronologically mixed up. It was that kind of weekend.

This shirt has been a favourite for several years. I go in an out of a "cowgirl" style - I've always liked a Western look.

I think I'm done with this brown leather skirt, though. In addition to the above "last worn" link, I also wore it here in November 2015 with leopard. I thrifted it for $10.00 so at $3.33 per wear, I'm all right with it. It's less than 3 coffees at Starbucks!

Outerwear:

"I am helping the Man tie his shoes."

Coffee for me, and a cat for L. I'm wearing my studded leather Danier gloves. No scarf or hat - it was a lovely sunny day for a walk to town and back.

The stuff:

It must have been wet out the last time I wore these boots - they were all covered with water marks. I Woly-ed them up and they're good as new again.

Flashback bling:

I've had these earrings for 10 years; the "S" is closer to 25 years old.

• Earrings - Frances Jewelers, 10th anniversary gift from L
• Cord - Shi Studios
• Pendant - gift from Mom & Dad around 1992

Okay, these are the Friday night cat pictures. L and I settled in for a game of Arkham Horror. Vizzini likes to bother chill near us.

"What? Can't I just sit here in peace?"

He rarely stays in one place for long. I took the opportunity.

"No, tell me she is not in my face with a camera."

And then L got into the act.

"This is so embarrassing. I bet the Man has a silly face."

Hee! He's so funny. I love that picture of my guys.

Back to Saturday - after brunch, I grocery shopped and then wandered through a few shops on the way home. I actually bought something (we'll get to that in a bit), then realized I'd lost track of time. I don't wear a watch or use a cell phone/iPhone, so it's easy to do. I raced home...and Mom was there!

We had our regular date to go to the theatre. This time it was "Gracie" on at the Belfry. I barely had 10 minutes to get dressed. Good thing I already knew what I was wearing!

Of course, I saved this lovely vintage mint dress for a special occasion: a date with Mom! This is my outfit for "Visible Monday" over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style. Go, go go!

• Dress - Doncaster, vintage 80s, thrifted; purchased here for $26.95
• Shoes - Big Presence Desmond, Fluevog; last worn here in December 2016 with texural sparkle
• Blazer (below) - Jacob, thrifted; first worn here in December 2016 with many colours

"Ah, the Woman. I must rub her."

I had help taking my pictures, also done in a rush.

Swoosh factor 10!!

"What's going on here?"

 This dress looks so amazing in motion. The skirt swirls and billows.

I wore a full cream-coloured vintage slip under it, and took advantage of the little snap-loops to lock the straps of it and my bra so that they wouldn't slide off. I love that feature!

Outerwear:

I really could have used a warmer coat for walking to/from the theatre, but I was in such a hurry, I didn't have time. I barely remembered to grab the tickets.

The stuff:

At least I remembered to grab a purse that went with the outfit. The shoes are shockingly comfortable. There's a reason why I have 3 pairs in this exact style.

Copper bling:

I wore the belt with the chain in front this time (here's how I wore it last time).

• Purse - Spencer & Rutherford, gift from L
• Belt - Renoir, vintage 60s, vintage fair
• Enamel/copper cuff - Matisse, vintage 60s, thrifted
• Copper cuff - Renoir, vintage 60s, Grandma J's
• Earrings - Matisse, vintage 60s, Grandma J's

Unfortunately, Mom and I arrived to the theatre...and it was empty! There was no show! I'd booked the whole season for the first Saturday matinee of each run, but they skipped this one, so our tickets are for next weekend instead. D'oh! I have to sort out a new date, since I have plans next weekend, but Mom and I still went for dinner at the pub...just way earlier!

Funny, I do SO much organizing, both in my job and my real life, and I rarely screw up. But oh well, it happens. Org fail!

I treated myself to some new make-up brushes and some lipsticks during my pre-non-theatre date with Mom. I found this lovely badass moto vest at Rich Rags consignment.

Sorry, blurry, but I think you get the idea. Studs, faux leather, zippers. L started laughing when he saw it - he thinks it's very 80s. Don't worry, love, I won't wear a white glove with this.

It's by "2b Bebe" which is a budget version of the real Bebe. Whatever - this was $39.00.

I'm looking forward to styling this.

These pictures are also from Friday night, although L and I also played on Saturday night when I got home from dinner. This is Vizzini playing in his "pillow fort" which is one of his usual games.

"No one can see me. I am completely hidden."

He jumps under the pillows and turtles in there.

"I'll bite the Man's leg off!"

He's in waiting to attack L. He'll do this two or three times in a row, then get tired of it.

Back to the benches, where he can keep an eye on us.

"You should feed me kitty treats."

Once it hits 8pm, he sits waiting for me to get up. He watches me in the reflection of the glass.

"I'm watching you, Woman."

Very unnerving. I hope everyone had a good weekend!

Funky Friday: Darth Sheila

Happy Friday! Deep breath, everyone, the weekend is here.

Me? I'm swooshing and flapping and striding about majestically in this freakin' awesome duster.

• Duster - Emporio Armani, thrifted; purchased here for $7.00
• Dress - Danier Leather, vintage 90s, thrifted; last worn here (2nd outfit) on my birthday weekend in October 2016
• Boots - BCBG Max Azria; last seen here in a "Merry Everything!" outfit in December 2016
• Coat (below) - Vassali, consignment 

You know how Darth Vader's cape billows around him in the Star Wars movies? That's what this duster does. It's magnificent!

I went with simple lines and blending colours to show it off - I'm wearing a purple suede dress under it, with a navy faux leather obi.

The had a few issues, but they were somewhat expected: I had to be careful not to wheel my desk chair over it (not healthy for long things), had to remember to gather it up so that it didn't get dunked in the toilet.

I also noticed that it's too big for me - the shoulder seams are about an inch and a half past the ends of my shoulders. However, none of these issues are enough for me to give this up. Hands off!

Outerwear:

A velvet coat over a velvet/silk duster over a suede dress, then adding my cross-body purse was a very bad combination. The duster and the coat were practically balled up at my waist after walking a couple of blocks. Mental note for next time I wear this.

My outerwear accessories are my studded Danier Leather gloves and my thrifted fur boa.

The stuff:

OTK boots, as the cool kids say. As I wore fishnet tights (a bit too sexy for work), tall boots cut the view down to just a few inches and mitigated the shortness of the dress.

Dark Side bling:

The obi is a dark navy blue - I needed it to hang my keys from during work.

• Obi - Benetton, thrifted
• Cuff - Guess, thrifted
• Bangle - Glee
• Earrings - local
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes

I'll be back on Sunday (between football games) with my weekend wrap-up! Have an awesome weekend!

A Hug From Canada

Two things I will never discuss on this blog: religion and politics. However, having said that, I come from UK and US stock, although I'm 3rd generation Canadian. And...both the UK and the US have made some interesting decisions this year and now things are a little...weird.

So this outfit is a hug from me/Canada (represented by my bracketing bits of red with white in the middle), to my US friends (represented by the stars bomber jacket) and my UK friends (represented by the plaid).

• Bomber jacket - Forever 21, thrifted; purchased here last week for $16.95
• Sleeveless blouse - Violet & Claire, thrifted; purchased way back here in October 2016 for $9.95
• Skirt - Nygard, thrifted; last seen here in October 2015 with these same shoes and yesterday's blouse
• Shoes - Marc; last worn here in December 2016 with teal, red, purple and snow
• Coat (below) - Danier Leather

Our countries are made up of individuals, and we all make our own choices. I support my friends, my fellow bloggers and my readers, no matter what your choices are. All the warm fuzzies to you, from your polite neighbour to the north/across the pond.

But this is a fashion blog! I don't talk politics, but I do talk clothes. This is the first wearing of this very-patriotic-if-I-were-American bomber jacket. I liked it, but didn't love it. I wish the stars were a little smaller, and I struggled with what to put with it; although I tried a lot of solid skirts (yellow looked good, so did pink), I wasn't feeling it.

I'd nearly forgotten about this white blouse, but hauled it out and gave it a good steaming last night (I also steamed the jacket which spiffed it right up). Of course, I immediately got black printer waste toner right on the front of it. Fingers crossed it comes out in the wash.

I love this plaid skirt - it fits really nicely and I like the pleated detail that swooshes when I walk.

Outerwear:

Rain gear! My lovely red leather coat, worn with my Andre bowler, thrifted fur Danier scarf and Parkhurst gloves.

The stuff:

I almost did my red pointy-toe patent pumps, but my feet said, NO. So the comfy suede ones it is!

Red and blue bling:

Red bits for Canada!

• Earrings - Tania Gleave
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes

Red and Black and Spotty

I spent a few minutes fussing in my closet last night before bed, frustrated with my clothes. It's me, of course, not the clothes. I have all these lovely new things, and I just couldn't get them to go with anything else. 

So I went with the outfit I had planned on wearing here last week. Nothing new, everything ready to go. No thinking involved. Ah...

• Blouse - Levante, vintage 80s, thrifted; last seen here in October 2016 with black velvet pants
• Skirt - Gianfranco Ferre, via Giorgio Beverly Hills, vintage 80s, vintage shop in Vancouver; last seen here (2nd outfit) a year ago in January 2016 with a lavender kimono top
• Shoes - Chie Mihara; last worn here in August 2016 with pink and denim
• Coat (below) - Samuel Dong, thrifted 

Adoring this VERY red blouse - silk is so nice to wear, and I love that it's washable. And a bigass bow? Yes!

Unlike my culottes - which I always must demonstrate are not a skirt (example here) - this bottom is NOT pants of any kind. It's a double front/back slit skirt. The last time this slit style was "in" was in the early 80s (I remember, because I had a cream skirt just like this in high school).

This skirt is one of my treasured, "never let go" items, despite it being, you know, a black skirt.

It's wool, so soft, so thick, lined with the most lovely satin. It's high-waisted, and it just feels wonderful to wear.

Outerwear:

It is about 10 degrees warmer today than it was this time last week, and it's raining, so back to my rainy gear, including this Jones New York (thrifted) hat that looks dorky on me, but keeps my head and shoulders dry. My other grey items are my fur boa (thrifted) and my Parkhurst wool gloves.

The stuff:

I thought for sure that I'd worn these shoes since August, but apparently not! Shocking! They are very comfy, but not for more than an 8-hour day.

Spotty bling:

Leopard spots on the leather belt, and more spots on the shoes.

• Belt - Danier Leather, thrifted
• Earrings - thrifted