Weekend Wrap-Up: Pink Armour, Un-Marred, and a Giant Skirt

Ah, that's more like it! The weekend has worked its magic and I'm all unwound. I'm not even sick, as I'd feared! 

My pink armour on Friday worked perfectly.

After hating pink for many years, I've been embracing it for the past 2 or 3.

• Jacket - Aldo, thrifted; last worn here in May with even more pink
• Blouse - Tangerine Jill, thrifted; last worn here (waaaay down at the bottom) last month with green velvet
• Skirt - InWear, consignment; last seen here in September when we went to see Wooden Sky
• Boots - 1883 Lucchesse, consignment; last seen here (4th outfit) in November to see The Smalls

The jacket is even cooler in person - I love flapping around in it.

Speaking of flapping, my skirt make noises like sails when I walk.

The stuff:

The most comfy shoes I own!

Wire bling:

Such cool shapes.

• Earrings - vintage fair

I did a little Christmas shopping after work, then crashed when I got home.

L and I went for brunch at Floyd's with Chris and Ali. I felt like dressing up.

All leather! From my boots, to my skirt, to my shirt. This calls for Weekend Hair!

• Shirt - True Character, thrifted; last seen here in February, being mock Scottish
• Skirt - Edging, thrifted; last worn here in September with a long blue jacket
• Boots - Aerosoles, consignment; last seen here in February during Dress Week From Outer Space!

I've been grooving on black a bit more lately.

This skirt is getting nicely beat-up. I love the look of distressed leather.

I can't ignore the outerwear! It has to coordinate and complement my outfit.

It was rainy, and I hate carrying a brolly, so on goes the bowler (it protects Weekend Hair beautifully). This coat is a wool Betsey Johnson that I thrifted a year or two ago - I last wore it here in March for another brunch - it's my brunch coat!

The stuff:

Pretty comfy boots for that heel - I like the way they look like they're folded down.

Hippy bling:

My mom's hippy choker from the 60s.

• Choker - Mom's, vintage 60s
• Cuff - SkinZnHydez
• Copper ring - vintage fair
• Spinner ring - Twang & Pearl
• Bronze ring - P. Sarpaneva, vintage 1970

L and I got nearly all of our Christmas shopping done! We felt very proud of ourselves. I rewarded myself with a nap.

We'd been planning for months to go see Johnny Marr (ex-member of The Smiths) at a local club, and found out less than 6 hours before the show that he'd cancelled. Quelle drag! Our tickets will be refunded, but I was looking forward to dinner, a good show, and hanging with friends. We all decided to get together anyway.

We went to Smith's Pub (of course) and hung out for the evening. I wanted to be shiny!

• Dress - Esprit; last seen here (last outfit) way back in April 2013 
• Shirt - Banana Republic, consignment; last seen here with a tie in November
• Boots - Ash; last worn here (2nd outfit) in a leaf-kicking mood a couple of weeks ago

We walked to town past the truck parade, a very loud and bright local tradition.

I think I would do this outfit for work with different tights and shoes, but this was very practical for walking to and from town.

Some outerwear:

My furry Muppet scarf kept Karen warm all evening - it's such a warm, snuggly piece.

I'm just too cool for school.

The stuff:

Great galloping boots of studdedness!

Pointy bling:

I did the brooch at the top button, with the necklace over it all - that was "a look" that was big in the summer of 1986, worn with long strands of cheap pearls over a shiny satin shirt.

• Teeth necklace - The Bay
• Pin - thrifted
• Shield ring - Nine West
• Death Star ring - Stone Roses
• Cuff/earring - Claire's
• Stud - local

Up bright and early today - it's sunny again! - to go get groceries and make a dent in some of my Santa shopping for L.

Nothing too fancy - I didn't feel like even wearing much make-up today.

• Sweater - Ricki's, thrifted - last worn here in July with plaid
• Skirt - Danier, thrifted - last seen here in December 2013 over last Christmas (I have to get out that pink sweater again!)
• Boots - 1883 Lucchesse, consignment - last seen right up there on Friday

I didn't wear the outfit like this at any point - it was all outerwear over it, but these are easy pieces for trying things on.

This is a ginormous skirt! It weighs about 5 pounds, I'm sure. And it has pockets!

I only needed a silk scarf today, and my red coat was still out from last night, so...

More red!

The stuff:

I love red and turquoise together - it's only of my favourite colour combinations.

Simple bling:

Both of these rings stay on well when my hands are cold (some of my rings go flying off!). Good for shopping!

• Scarf - vintage, consignment
• Cuff - Rimanchik
• Silver ring - Oscar & Libby's
• Spinner ring - consignment
• Earrings - local

I popped over to the WIN Thrift Boutique after getting groceries. Not much luck, but I did fall for this lovely red sweater.

It's quite soft and thick.

I suspect that this is quite old Le Chateau - probably from the 90s. I like that it was made in Canada!

And only $5.50? For a Lurex Christmas sweater? Of course!

Did I mention my lasted obsession of pink?

Lambswool and angora gloves and matching scarf for $8.50 each? Why, thank you, Santa, I accept!

And how was your weekend? Are you feeling in the holiday spirit?

Shoe Shine #16

Shoe Shine is on!

Get your kicks by showing your kicks!

Black shoe time!

These are my one pair of Cydwoqs (prounounced "sidewalks", get it? get it?) that I own and I love them. I am always checking their website and looking around town for more (I prefer to shop locally, not online, to support my downtown) since I got these.

I first heard about Cydwoqs on Audi's now defunt/permanently hiatus-ed blog, Fashion for Nerds. They looked so interesting - I liked the heel shape and that they were made in the US. Local store Footloose used to carry a very few styles by them and I haunted the sale section for several months waiting for some to go on clearance. I can't afford $368 shoes, but $184 is okay. Which is what these beauties cost when I bought them here in 2011.

I used to find them odd, but now I adore the wonderful little heel. It is perfectly balanced under my heel, making them really easy to walk in. When I first got them, I found it disconcerting that there was no padding in them, but they suit my feet so well that they are nearly like wearing no shoes at all.

I dream of finding a pair of Cydwoq heeled boots second-hand...

Have you ever changed your mind about a shoe? Show us your favourite black 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.

An InLinkz Link-up

Fuzzy Peach and Ruffles

I am hanging in there - I feel like I'm getting sick and am trying not to think about it (more coffee!). I haven't been sick in nearly a year! 

But let us not think of such things! Instead let us dwell upon the magnificence of this superhero swing coat.

• Coat - vintage 60s, vintage fair; last worn here as outerwear in November
• Blouse - Uno Due, thrifted; last seen here in July with a suspiciously seasonal skirt
• Skirt - Eddy & Co., thrifted; last seen here in August with full cowgirl gear
• Boots - Indigo by Clark's; last worn here in November with lavender ultrasuede

The coat is quite thin, so I wore it as a jacket all day. I love the drama of how it swings out behind me (hence the "superhero" moniker). Swoosh! It did transfer some of its black velvet flocking onto my white shirt, so in the wash that went.

The skirt is such a great colour - when do you ever see orange suede?

Someone is up to no good...

Do you like long jackets? I'm a sucker for them.

The stuff:

Boots of happiness!

Bauble bling:

I was digging in my bag of necklaces (they are all neatly in their own fabric bags) and found this mixed bead one. It's one long strand, so I doubled it up. I've also worn it as a bracelet.

• Necklace - Aldo Accessories
• Earrings - local
• Copper rings - vintage fair
• Bronze ring - P. Sarpaneva, vintage 70s, vintage fair

I need something really glitzy/wacky to wear tomorrow - I must fake it till I feel it and defeat whatever bugs are trying to infect me. I hope that my "armour" (clothes) will help deflect any illness - clothes can do that, right?

Shoe Shine is on for tomorrow night! See you there!

Elf Costume - Major Repeat

What is it about wearing red in December that everyone assumes you are somehow in costume?

Seriously, do I look like an elf? One of my coworkers asked if this was my elf costume. Har har, golly, that's a good one.

• Blouse - Liz Claiborne; last seen here in February 
• Dress - The Limited, thrifted; last seen here (last outfit) in October
• Shoes - Hilary Radley, thrifted; last worn here in February

Ha, aside form the belt, this is nearly an identical outfit to this one in February! No one called me an elf then!

 I don't usually do repeat outfits, but I do like all the orange-y and red tones in this.

It warmed up slightly today - our snow is nearly melted (all half an inch of it).

The stuff:

These shoes survived another season - I always look at them and think about getting rid of them, but every time I wear them, I still like 'em.

Simple bling:

It's a groovy belt, isn't it?

• Belt - gift from Mom
• Choker - Mom's, vintage 60s
• Earrings - gift from L

I'm off to my staff dinner for WW. When I tell people that, they imagine us eating salads and sipping water. Nah, we love our wine and good food!

Fifties Hausfrau - Fuzzy Redux

Tuesday Bluesday! Okay, so after yesterday's fail, I'm trying again.

Another fuzzy sweater, another long full skirt. One of my coworkers raved about how '50s (like the 1950s, not that I'm in my 50s...3 more years, let's not push it) I looked today. It's the pearls.

• Sweater - Simply Cashmere, thrifted here this past weekend for $21.50
• Skirt - EDC, consignment; last seen here (waaaay down past the 60s-themed Film Festival grand opening) in February
• Boots - Marc; last seen here in September with plaid and leather

So...why does this outfit work and yesterday's not?

Fuzzy sweater - not belted, long sleeves, different neckline, more prominent colour than dark brown. Looks less blocky, has more flow into the shape of the skirt.

Skirt - A-line versus full from the waist out, not as long, pattern for visual interest (I wish it had pockets!).

Boots vs. flats - the heel gives me a longer leg look, neutral colour instead of contrast.

The stuff:

Love these boots. They are so comfy, although by the time I get home from my WW meeting tonight (around 8pm), I'll have been wearing them for a full 12.5 hours today. Sorry, feet.

Vintage-y bling:

The necklace belonged to my Grandma J - it's not real pearls or anything, but I love the clasp.

• Necklace - vintage 80s, Grandma J
• Fulvia ring - Wendy Brandes
• Crystal ring - Uffizzi Gallery gift shop
• Earrings - don't remember

I need a tried and true easy outfit for tomorrow! Something I don't have to think about. What do you wear when you don't need to think too hard? I know what I do...I wear a dress!

Fuzzy and Snuggy Fail

Ack, back to work! I nearly choked when I saw 367 emails to deal with this morning...

And I will also admit that I didn't like today's outfit. I love the pieces, but not how it worked as a whole. Let's break it down.

• Sweater - The Limited, consignment; last seen here in February with yellow and leopard
• Skirt - Hourihan's of Ireland, thrifted; last worn in October here with a button-down and tie
• Shoes - Presence Impel, Fluevogs; last seen here in August with casual rocker stuff

The sweater - ultra-fuzzy angora. Adds visual bulk due to extra fuzz. Needs a slim skirt or a shorter skirt to balance it, especially if worn long over the skirt and belted.

The skirt - snuggy and warm with pocketsssss. Full and long. Needs a slim-fitting top and a bit of a heel to keep it in proportion or it looks like I am drowning in it.

The shoes - probably my least favourite Fluevogs. Getting a little battered and work better with more casual outfits.

The result: outfit fail.

But I'm all right with that! I tried it, it didn't work, I'm moving on. I don't have it all figured out, but I keep trying, and I keep on learning. Maybe my eye just isn't liking the proportions when I see it in pictures (it sure was nice and soft and cozy to wear all day!), or maybe it's just the sum of all the pieces not jibing the way I wanted them to.

The stuff:

I actually chose all of the main pieces deliberately so that I could...put up the Christmas tree at work! I needed clothes that wouldn't snag on the tree and that I could move around in. Meh, better luck next time.

Shiny crystal bling:

I make an extra effort to wear a lot of my vintage and sparkly jewelry this time of year. I love all the ambers in these pieces.

• Pin/earrings - Lisner, vintage 60s, both vintage fairs
• Floral ring - Sarah Coventry, vintage 70s
• Big crystal ring - some junky store in the 90s
• Belt - Plum

Hey! You know what's coming this weekend? Shoe Shine! 

Start planning your outfit!