Coppers and Sunflower Brollys

Ah, my friends, the weekend is in sight. Today was a busy day and a long day, and I need to put my feet up. 

 This skirt was perfect to lift my spirits. How can you not love a sunflower brolly (umbrella) print?

• Cardigan - Wolford, thrifted; last worn here in September 2018 with a ginormous flowered skirt
• Sleeveless cashmere sweater - J. Crew, consignment; last seen here in October 2018 with bright springy colours
• Skirt - SP, Lazy Susan's; last worn here in August 2018 with this same cardigan
• Shoes - Big Presence Desmond, Fluevog; last seen here in March with green and gold
• Leather coat (below) - Danier Leather; last worn here in February

I do find this skirt a challenge to style - it's very long and very full, so it needs a slim top and heels.

 I am not always in the mood for those things! It also really only works with black and yellow, and believe it or not, it's not white. Really! It's more of a very light yellow. White looks weird with it.

This black sweater is amazing quality - I still can't believe I thrifted it for only $19.95 last summer.

 It ties in the back and has nice long sleeves for temperature control.

The yellow top is a sleeveless cashmere sweater - nice and warm and such a sunny colour.

 The skirt has pockets - yessssss.

Outerwear - of course, I had to wear my yellow leather jacket. I've had this since 2010 - my cost-per-wear must be down around $1 now.

 Yellow is the colour that cheers me up the most.

Zipped up.

 I enjoy "leather weather" because I get to wear all my fun and bright coats!

The stuff:

 Shiny shoes! Comfy, but my feet are tired now.

Copper bling:

 I really liked how well this necklace worked with the outfit. Wearing any of my copper collection makes me feel good.

• Necklace/earrings - Matisse by Renoir, vintage 60s, vintage expo
• Cuff - vintage 70s, vintage expo

I went looking for Vizzini before I left for work this morning. There he was, snuggled on my robe, snoozing on the bed.

"Come get some kitty love."

I could hear him purring. We had a nice snuggle - best way to start my day! I never begrudge being a little late due to giving my kitty some attention.

I will be back in a few days with tales of adventure and shenanigans - have a wonderful weekend, my friends! Thank you for stopping by!

Chartreuse and Checkers

I'm home late following a company event - I planned a fun outfit as I knew I'd be seeing most of my coworkers there. 

 They ran the event as a game-show, and I was thrilled to be the answer to one of the trivia questions.

• Blouse - Miu Miu, thrifted; first worn here in October 2018 with copper
• Skirt - Banana Republic, consignment; purchased here for $28.00
• Shoes - Eject; last worn here at the end of September 2018
• Coat (below) - Auckie Sanft, vintage 50s, vintage fair; last seen here a couple of weeks ago

The question was "Who do you need to invite to all meetings with guests?" Everyone shouted "SHEILA!" Hilarious! As I am the office front desk, I have to sign in all guests - I have trained everyone to add me to their meeting invitations. I've trained them well, apparently!

Anyway, outfit stuff! Loved wearing this silk top again - it's real Miu Miu!

I did spill something on the front of it at the event, so I'll be carefully handwashing it, but I'm not too worried about it. It's good quality.

I loved this skirt - it was very comfy to wear all day, although it did bag out a bit after my long day.

 It reminds me of a checkered picnic cloth.

Still not Friday?

 Aw! At least I got lunch out - my coworker and I were treated by our bosses for Administrative Professionals' Day. I ate an entire pizza!

Outerwear - sneaking in a wearing of the Fuzzy Flamingo. I knew I'd have to wear my chartreuse and pink amoeba scarf with her.

 So much chartreuse! It's one of my favourite colours, especially with pink.

• Scarf - Smoking Lily, thrifted

I was buttoned up walking to and from work.

 And I have my wee "S" pin on - I've been wearing it almost every day.

The stuff:

 Your eyes deceive you: these are 1" heels, and are very comfortable.

Black and white bling:

I loved how the cuff went with the skirt, even though the skirt is actually navy and white.

• Cuff - vintage fair
• Earrings - vintage fair

Maxi Skirt Solidarity (History Bonus!) and an Angry Cat

My engine is slowing revving up - as an introvert who needs to be extroverted for her job, it takes me a while to get into the social groove, especially following a quiet weekend and semi-holiday Monday. 

 I'm good once I get going, but sometimes that going is tough! Coffee just won't do!

• Sweater - Tatyana, thrifted; last seen here in December 2018 with a whole lot of sparkles
• Skirt - Alex Colman, vintage 70s, consignment; last seen here in July 2018 with a long black tunic and this same necklace
• Shoes - Half Truth Veda, Fluevog; last worn here (2nd outfit) a couple of weeks ago for some shopping
• Coat (below) - Lord & Taylor, thrifted; last seen here on the weekend

My much-younger coworker Leah was telling me yesterday about a maxi skirt she was feeling a little nervous about wearing in the office. "If you wear yours, I will wear a maxi too!" I said.

I did laugh when I saw her dress today - it was really only a  midi sleeveless shirtdress, but I guess for some people that feels like a maxi! Anyway, she was really happy that I was wearing mine. I was in skirt solidarity with her!

I adore this skirt, but the colours in it are challenging - it's more of a teal green, plus the bright pink is nearly neon, so I almost always wear black with it and let it shine.

The style is gorgeous, perfectly cut over the hips, with two slits up either side for walking.

I've been learning about vintage prints from reading Vix's blog (here, and if you aren't already reading her, you should be!), so I took a really good look at this fabric this time 'round.

It's lined in black (I'm guessing acetate or nylon), and white is the original fabric colour; it feels like cotton to me.

This is the backside of the fabric. There is no content tag.

 Hand-printed? Probably.

This is the "tile" of repeated pattern, although as you might notice, the bottom hem has an extra layer of the border pattern.

 The bronzy colour is actually metallic and you can feel the slight paint-like texture of it, but the fabric is not stiff at all - it's very soft. The deeper pink swirled parts have black accents in them, so it's a very detailed pattern.

Here's the label (it's been a while since I took a picture of it):

 As you can see, I am a size G (for Great, obviously). It says "professional dry clean only."

I never noticed that it has hanging loops on either side. I bought it in 2015 (here) for $40.00

 The waistband is a silk velvet, and the zipper is a Talon (plastic zip).

Oh, cool, check it out, here is an interview with Robert Colman of the Alex Colman label - all of their prints were designed by Blanche Lefton, Robert's aunt and their main designer, and they were one of the first companies to work directly with Japanese mills to custom-make their fabrics. By the mid-60s, most of their clothing was manufactured in Mexicali, Mexico.

Well, that was fun. On to outerwear!

 Looking at this, I wish I had worn a jacket that went better with the outfit, but I was still in cocoon mode this morning when I got dressed. Pfft. Next time.

The stuff:

I didn't make a lot of effort with my shoes, other than picking ones that are very, very comfy. These are starting to wear out (I touched up the tips with felt pen at work, for the umpteenth time), but I love them dearly.

Gold bling:

 A mix of vintage pieces with some good stuff.

• Necklace - vintage, thrifted
• Cuff - vintage 70s, Mom's
• Bracelet - Lia Sophia, thrifted
• Gold hoops - 5th anniversary gift from L
• Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes

While I was uploading my photos, Vizzini was yowling at me (his food bowl was soaking in the sink).

"I am so furious, I must lick my toes!"

I love his funny white paws with their black spots.

Look at that face, though. That is one angry cat, his tail lashing.

"Feed me or I will bite you, Woman!"

That red tip in the bottom of the picture is my foot, keeping Mr. Bitey away from me. Yes, he's now been fed!

Dress for a Holiday

Ugh, I did not want to go to work today! For those of you who had Easter Monday off, I envy you!

 I didn't feel much like effort, so I wore one of my easy dresses, this lovely navy patterned one.

• Cardigan - no label, thrifted; purchased here for $22.95
• Dress - Birds of North America, consignment; last worn here (2nd outfit) in September 2018 to see Frank Turner in Vancouver
• Shoes - Super Fine Cardinal, Fluevog; first worn here the weekend in March they were purchased
• Leather coat (below) - Danier Leather; last seen here in March

Although I didn't wear the dress at all without the cardigan, here it is.

 I often wear a floofy underskirt with it to add extra length - it's a short dress.

It's handy having dresses like this that you can just throw on. Holiday that's not a holiday? A dress!

Very few people saw me today - it was practically a snow day, it was so dead!

Red cardi, ready for duty.

 It was a serviceable cardigan. I do love a bright red. It'll get worn a bunch before I either get tired of it or wear it out, but I won't be tracking it (lack of label).

Outerwear - it threatened to rain on the way to work, but I managed to miss it. It rained all day!

 And then it was clear on the way home. I felt like it stayed dry just for me.

The stuff:

 Love these shoes - so comfy!

Gold bling:

Nothing terribly exciting, but then neither was my day.

• Cuff - vintage, vintage fair
• Bracelet - Butler, Fifth Avenue Collection, vintage, consignment
• Earrings - thrifted
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes

Bigass Long Weekend Wrap-Up: Baby Blues; Flamingo and Odd Pants; Tie-Dye and Animals; Theatre Snakeskin; Green Lace and Chartreuse

What a lovely weekend it has been - where has it gone? These long weekends go so fast! I hope you've all had a happy Easter (if you celebrate such things) and have eaten lots of chocolate. Anyway, that "bigass" title is no lie, so let's get to 'er! 

Here's Thursday's outfit, worn all day at work plus my evening WW meeting. 

 Baby blue all over the place! And to think, I used to hate pastels. Never say never!

This is my entry for "Visible Monday" over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style. Go!

• Jacket - Dolce & Gabbana, vintage, thrifted; last seen here in September 2018 with one of my favourite skirts
• Dress - Donna Morgan, thrifted; purchased here for $8.62
• Shoes - Effortless Vivian, Fluevog; last worn here in August 2018 with dots and pajamas

This was an easy, comfy outfit for a long day.

Part of gradually collecting "sets" of the same colour is looking for patterns that incorporate some of your other "set" colours.

This dress has orange, baby blue, cobalt blue and white. Guess what I might wear with it next!

So for this outfit, I went with all the baby blues.

I wore the jacket for most of the day in my chilly office, but I did take it off once or twice.

 I love the cut of this fit-and-flare dress - it's even better without the jacket, but far too cold right now.

I don't mind that the pattern doesn't line up on the back. This has a deliberate "patchwork" look - it reminds me of a bunch of scarves sewn together.

 The dress is fully lined - really nice quality woven polyester (washable).

And it has pockets!

 That really is a deal-breaker for me. These are extra-deep pockets too!

Bundled up - it was a rainy day off and on.

 All I needed was a soft scarf - leopard, of course! - and my orange leather gloves.

• Gloves - thrifted
• Scarf - thrifted
• Umbrella - Cheeky

My umbrella matches! It says "I sizzle in the drizzle" inside.

The stuff:

 I adore these shoes - I've now worn every one of the 3 pairs of shoes/boot with this same shape of toe and heel. I should check and see if Fluevog has other styles in this family. I think they do. Uh-oh...danger...

Blue and silver bling:

 I've had this belt for ages - note my klassy elastic band for the extra length.

• Belt - Lady Footlocker, thrifted
• Steel cuff - thrifted
• Bangle - Lazy Susan's
• Earrings - vintage fair
• Lapis lazuli/Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes

Vizzini has been enjoying the periods of sun over the last few days. I may have taken a few pictures of him...

"Do you mind? I'm busy napping here."

After a quiet Thursday night, we had a sleep-in and a big breakfast, followed by our usual long weekend meet-up of all of our best friends.

 I like creating more "out there" outfits on the weekends, stuff that might not be quite right for my office job. These odd pants needed to be worn again.

• Blouse - Scotch & Soda by Maison Scotch, thrifted, Vancouver; last worn here in June 2018 with plaid pants
• Pants - See By Chloe, thrifted; first worn here in October 2018 with a familiar top
• Shoes - Sam Edelman, thrifted; purchased here for $9.95
• Jacket (below) - Smoking Lily; last seen here (2nd outfit) in late September 2018 with leather pants (very shiny outfit)

It was a lovely day, weather-wise. L and I strolled to town in the sun.

 I love this pale pink blouse - the background pattern on it is tiny black stars. The front pattern has a flamingo, two fish and big waterlilies.

The trousers are very strangely shaped. They have two wide box pleats on each hip, which makes for voluminous legs.

 I've rolled the cuffs to reassure viewers that I do have legs under there.

They were super-comfy for an afternoon of hanging out at the Garrick's Head Pub and laughing and chilling with our awesome friends.

 My real face is a happy one!

Jacketed up - I have been very good at pulling out blazers and jackets and using them as outerwear.

Smoking Lily only made four of these jackets - the fabric is a stretch denim with metallic finish.

All ready to go!

 Scarf again, plus studded gloves to match the shoes.

• Scarf - thrifted
• Leather studded gloves - Danier Leather

The stuff:

First wearing of these shoes and they were pretty good - walking to and from town (about 20 minutes each way) was fine. They aren't shopping shoes (due to having to buckle them), but they will be good for work.

Silver bling: 

 I like geometric jewelry - this is the first time I've worn the silver/gold dangly earrings.

• Silver/gold cuff - JPL, vintage fair
• Bracelet - POLY, thrifted
• Ring - POLY, vintage fair
• Earrings - antique mall; purchased here for $2.00 - first wearing
• Fulvia Ring - Wendy Brandes

L and I chilled out and played boardgames on Friday night, then did our usual brunch on Saturday. We went to Cactus Club downtown, as we had some errands to do.

I have to remind myself to wear the warm-weight clothes in my wardrobe NOW, while the weather is still slightly chilly.

• Sweater - Judith & Charles, consignment; last worn here in March with this same skirt!
• Skirt - Silvian Heach, consignment; first worn here in March with coppers
• Shoes - Hispanitas; last seen here in February with lemon and leopard
• Jacket (below) - Forever 21, thrifted; last worn here twice (1st and 2nd outfit) for the VFF Disco Gala in February

This is a useful cream sweater - it's 100% wool, and I like the cropped cut of it.

 This skirt is bossy, and demands that it be the star of the show. I had fun swooshing around town in it.

I had to wear walking shoes, and liked how my leopard-spotted shoes looked. Why not wear another pattern?

 Except for sitting in the restaurant, no one saw me like this, however.

Impish face.

 I enjoy seeing how people react to my goofier outfits. What if we ran with the animal theme?

And wore a leopard jacket over everything?

 Sure! Why not?

I went for a shop at the Patch after lunch.

I fit right in - lots of eclectic clothing there! The staff are always fun to chat with - they enjoy my eccentric look.

The stuff:

These shoes are a favourite pair. Very comfy.

Animal bling:

 The belt and buckle were barely visible in my outfit, but I knew they were there! Claws for that extra animal touch. Rar!

• Belt (not shown) - Leather World
• Buckle - Zara, thrifted
• Cuff/necklace - Ambush, consignment, Vancouver
• Gold hoops - 5th anniversary gift from L

I had a quick browse in the Patch, and found a couple of things. This lovely dress's pattern and colours called to me.

 It also fits really well, and it has pockets! Pockets!

It's by Trina Turk, and was $24.95.

 I like the laces up the front - that's a very 70s detail to me - and dig that groovy vintage-inspired fabric.

The dress is mostly cotton and it's really well-made - look at this detail on the bottom hem. Seam edging!

 The lining is dark navy, with lace trim that looks just like my vintage slips. Classy!

Made in California, nice.

 I looked up the style number and found it (sold out) on Nordstrom Rack (here) - note the original price of $328.00 (on sale for $109.97). Score!

I also really liked this silk blouse's pattern. I am a sucker for a paint-y print.

 The background is sheer greys, with dollops of colour and then dalmatian-like spots.

It has voluminous sleeves with nice small closures.

 The sleeves, like the neckline, are lined with bright pink silk.

I always look at buttons.

 Catherine Malandrino. She must be fancy, since she has her own buttons!

She's a French fashion designer, so very classy.

 This blouse was $16.95 - and it originally retailed for $325.00. So, two good scores.

I found Mr. Kitty once again taking advantage of the sun on the deck.

"Haven't you got anything better to do, Woman?"

Well, actually, yes! Mom and I went to the last show of the Belfry Theatre's 2019 season, "4000 Miles" on Saturday afternoon. We both enjoyed it. Local review here.

I was tired by then, and not feeling like exerting myself overly in the wardrobe department, so you know what that means: wear a dress!

• Dress - T. Babaton, yard sale; first worn here in October 2018 as a tunic over a skirt for work
• Boots - BCBG Max Azria; last seen here (2nd outfit) in March for a weekend shop
• Coat (below) - Club Monaco, thrifted; last worn here a week ago

 I have nylons on, plus a short half-slip, and a black camisole - this dress is short, so I had to fully "armour up"!

 Tall boots too, for leg coverage.

This was plenty comfy for sitting in the theatre and walking to and from Fernwood (4 blocks each way).

 The dress is silk and I do love some snakeskin print.

"I need a nap" face.

 No nap was had.

Ready to go! I forgot to put my S pin on for the picture, but I did wear it.

 Mom and I had dinner at the Fernwood Inn afterwards and chatted about the play over white chocolate cheesecake.

The stuff:

 Good walking boots. Simple bling.

• Silver/wood earrings - thrifted, Powell River
• Ring - Nine West

Mom just got back from 3 weeks in New Zealand and Australia. She brought me this lovely paua shell pin.

 I like the atom shape of it - it goes with my other space-y jewelry!

Vizzini has mostly been sleeping this weekend, and he finds hiding spots in the afternoon. I always forget to check his house.

"Really? This never occurred to you?"

He wakes me up at 5:20am every morning, so I consider a little payback poke-and-patting is fair.

"You'l pay for this. Just sayin'."

I better keep an eye on my shoes!

Today, my mom had us over to her house for the annual Easter brunch. I have to dress up for my family!

 Lots of brightness!

• Jacket - faux Gucci (Gookey!), thrifted; last seen here in September 2018 in a Christmassy outfit
• T-shirt - Banana Republic, thrifted; last worn here in October 2018 with leopard and dragons
• Leather skirt - Firenze Santa Barbara, vintage 80s, thrifted; last seen here in August 2018
• Shoes - Aldo, thrifted; last worn here in August 2018 with a crazy-ass Wonder Woman look
• Jacket (below) - Lord & Taylor, thrifted; last seen here a couple of weeks ago

I stood in my closet with my mug of coffee and just kept throwing things together until something worked.

 I love this fake Gucci lace bomber top/jacket - it's been a favourite piece for a couple of years now.

I liked how the teal green shirt underneath accentuated the green lace.

 The skirt is a really bright pearlized chartreuse yellow - and it's leather. So soft!

Ready for the cab!

 My neon green bag nearly matches the skirt perfectly.

The stuff:

 Red shoes for the red stripe in the jacket.

Green bling:

 I liked how my soft silicone bracelet went with the neon and chartreuse.

• Leather purse - Club Monaco, thrifted
• Cuff - Materia Design
• Snake cuff - Whiting and Davis, vintage 80s, vintage fair
• Earrings - Betsey Johnson, gift from L - first wearing

It's taken me a while to wear these earrings - they are gold with two shades of green.

 I was excited when I realized that I could wear them with this outfit.

The top half of the snake hangs down at the front.

 The tail dangles from the earring back.

And now, my friends, I must finally follow Vizzini's example and chill out in the sun for what's left of this sunny afternoon.

"Damned straight."

He is maximizing the warmth on his fur (freshly brushed by me).

"Must get every inch covered in sun."

I hope you've all had a fun weekend! Thank you for stopping by!