Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Snuggly Plaid, Leather and the Halston Coat

I'm on a mini-vacation as of Thursday, woo hoo! As longtime readers may recall, it's our annual football US Thanksgiving Day long weekend, and I've got chili to make (and eat) and other fun stuff to do, including relaxing! So off we go.
Just playing around in my wardrobe and came up with this sweater/skirt/boot combo. I like it! 

  • Mohair sweater - Ralph Lauren Sport, consignment; last worn here (2nd outfit) in December 2024 with a different leather skirt
  • Mesh top (layered) - Suzy Shier, thrifted; first seen here on the day we got our kittens in September!
  • Leather skirt - Jez of Montreal, vintage 80s, thrifted; last worn here in December 2024 in a secretary-ish outfit
  • Boots - 7th Heaven Mega-Racer, Fluevog; first seen here in October with my Snake Jacket
  • Ultrasuede coat (below) - Halston, vintage 70s, consignment, Sidney; last worn here in March

This sweater is very snuggly, but does require a long-sleeved top under it - I wore my pink mesh one.
The skirt is such thick leather - my coworker Emily touched it. "Oooh!"

I was pleased to find another green piece in my wardrobe to match my green Fluevog boots. 
Today was another "break in" day for them - I walked both to and from work in them, and while my heels hurt, I had no blisters. 

Someone was lurking around while I took pictures. 
Such a cutie! 

You can get a pretty good idea of my Ultrasuede coat from that picture, but as a reminder, this is the interior. 
Faux fur lining! It was a chilly day, can you tell? 

The stuff: 
The perfect scarf for the green and plummy-wine colours. 

  • Wool beret - Parkhurst, thrifted; purchased here for $9.95
  • Silk scarf - Pierre Balmain, vintage 80s, thrifted
  • Leather gloves - Coach, consignment

Brassy bling: 
I wore the tree pin on my beret, of course. 

  • Bone/stone/brass cuff - consignment
  • Eelskin hinged birds bracelet - vintage 80s, consignment
  • Eelskin bangle - fake Gucci, Italy, gift from Mom & Dad, c. 80s
  • Earrings - vintage mall
  • Stone ring - thrifted
  • Brass rings - vintage 70s, vintage mall
  • Bronze ring - P. Sarpaneva, Finland, vintage 70s, vintage expo
  • Tree pin - Avon

My friends, I'll be back on Sunday with tales of adventure, but I'll leave you with a couple of adorable kitten pictures.
They were racing around while I got ready to go to work. I was lucky to catch them sitting still.

I'm sure - like all cats - they sleep while we're gone, but they sure look like they're going to get up to no good, don't they? 
"It's like she knows us, Whateley."          "Don't give it away, Barnabas!"


Thanks for being here! 

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Sparkly and Weird Adidas

I dressed for dinner after work with my bestie Janet - she gets only the high quality outfits! 
I discovered that this new jacket - just purchased! - was covered in snags when I went to put it on in the morning. What the heck? 

  • Jacket - FDJ; purchased here at Dots on the weekend for $31.99
  • Paillette vest - Nygard, thrifted; last worn here in December 2024 with my Tweed cover skirt
  • Blouse - COS, thrifted; last seen here in June with lace-print jeans
  • Tulle skirt - Adidas, consignment; last worn here (2nd outfit) in May on Halston Ultrasuede Dress Day 6
  • Floofy underskirt - Luc Fontaine, thrifted; last seen here under my houndstooth Kate Spade skirt earlier this month
  • Sandals - Aerosoles, consignment; first worn here in July with white jeans for a trip to the periodontist
  • Coat (below) - L'Atiste, consignment, Vancouver; last seen here a couple of weeks ago

Turns out, the kittens have discovered "climbing" my clothes. Nothing was unsalvageable, so I just snipped all the loops off and pulled it back into shape. Sigh. I can't leave things out!
I knew that I'd be wearing this blazer with my Weird Adidas tulle skirt. Easy choice. 

You'll notice that my tights have something down the back. 
Not just a seam, Calvin Klein! The tights are black with light grey inside - they look very grey here, but they are black. 

Back to the outfit - I wore the jacket off and on throughout the day. The back of this sparkly disco pailletted knit top is plain black, so I don't like it exposed that much. 
I layered this peplum top under it - I liked how the longer back hung down below the jacket's hem in the rear view. 

Outerwear. L had to put my coat away last night as he found two little kittens CLIMBING it.
Oh, my boys, you are very naughty! 

The stuff: 
As Janet and I were leaving Zambri's, one of the staff admired my matching blues. Even my Colquitz Blue Devils pin! 

  • Scarf - Vera, vintage, Mom's
  • Hat - thrifted
  • Gloves - thrifted

I liked wearing my silver sandals - I felt very fashion-y!

Sparkly bling: 
You know I'll be wearing more and more as we get into the Silly Season. 

  • Lucite/crystal bangle - Alexis Bittar, consignment, Sidney
  • Silver S bracelet - Mexican, consignment, Sidney
  • Silver/crystal ring - Soul Flower
  • Silver loopy ring - Mexican, Sidney
  • Brooch - Eaton's, c. 1999
  • Jet/crystal necklace - Grandma J's, vintage 50s
  • Earrings - thrifted

Whateley going full flop last night. You can see that one back leg is a blur - he was dreaming and it was twitching away. Probably dreaming of climbing my clothes...
You can just see Barnabas sleeping on the left.

Monday, November 24, 2025

Spring in Winter, and Black Mock Croc

This is a short week for me - if you've been here a while, you probably recall that L and I take US Thanksgiving off and watch football all day. I'm so excited to have a long weekend in my future. Only three days to go! 
I loved the spring-y colours in this outfit - they really cheered me. It's beginning to feel like winter out there.

  • Blazer - InWear; last seen here (2nd outfit) in September with a pink skirt for brunch
  • T-shirt - Ted Baker, thrifted; purchased here for $9.95
  • Trousers - FRNCH, thrifted; last worn here in October with spooky critters
  • Creeper shoes - Call It Spring, consignment; last seen here in September with popular velvet
  • Tabard - COS, consignment; last worn here in October

This thin tee slipped between two purses - I nearly forgot about it! I picked out the colours - the orange blazer was a perfect match. 
I liked the pop of the pink belt and the soft purple of the shoes. 

The black trousers are fun to wear. 
They have giant pockets! 

Outerwear - I was cold, but I wanted to get a wearing in of my tabard.
I might not wear it again until spring! 

Accoutrements: 
All the purples! 

  • Leather purse - Sonia Rykiel, thrifted
  • Leather gloves - Danier Leather
  • Beret - consignment
  • Tree pin - Avon

The stuff: 
Proudly showing my Klassy elastic on the belt! 

  • Reversible belt - Ralph Lauren, thrifted
  • Hinged eelskin bangle - vintage 80s, thrifted
  • Tree brooch - Keyes, gift from Ev
  • Gold-tone bangle - thrifted
  • Square thumb ring - found on sidewalk
  • Gold/amethyst ring - Frances Jewelers, c. 1965, Dad's
  • Amber ring - c. 1995
  • Chain necklace - Monet, thrifted
  • Earrings (not shown) - Kate Spade, consignment

I forgot to take my earrings off. 

Kitten pictures! 

L and I played a couple of board games on Sunday afternoon. 
Whateley decided to sleep next to me. Barnabas was on L's side, but I couldn't see him as well. 

He moved up onto the sofa arm. 
He's getting bigger! 

Then he moved over to spoon with Barnabas. 
Aw, so cute. 

This morning, I found them playing around my tabard. 
"I don't thinks she's seen me..."         "Oh, we're in trouble."


Silly boys! 

Sunday, November 23, 2025

Bigass Weekend Wrap-Up: Brocade and Big Shoulders; Grape Ape and Denim; Weird Adidas for Winesday

Hello, my friends, and welcome back! I hope you had a lovely weekend with much cozy times.

We have much to cover, so let's get right to it, shall we? Here's Friday's work outfit. 
I was thrilled when I realized that this teal jacket worked with my brocade boots. 

  • Blazer (part of a pant-suit) - Soaked in Luxury; last worn solo here in July; last seen here (3rd outfit) with the pants in September for Rifflandia
  • Top - April Cornell, vintage 90s, thrifted; last worn here in October with the matching skirt 
  • Silk velvet skirt - Rachel Roy, thrifted; last seen here in January with leopard and pink
  • Boots - L'Artiste; last worn here for a short February work day
  • Leather coat (below) - Tibor, vintage 80s, consignment; purchased here for $98.00 during the Day of Indolence

I felt very classy in this - lace and velvet and a blazer? Who is this? 
I built the outfit backwards, starting with a red coat, matching it to the red in the brocade boots, and then piecing it all together one at a time. 

The black velvet skirt is so lovely.
Adjustable back golden zipper. 

Someone was lurking around for some cuddles, and of course, I obliged. 
"I love you!"

Barnabas is a such sweet little boy.

Boom! The folks on the bus got an eyeful! 
I loved this outerwear mix and put the hat, scarf and coat on for my colleagues and amused them with tales of me squishing onto the morning bus. 

Such a glorious red! 
I was fine with it just worn open and bused home as well. The sooner to start the weekend! 

The stuff: 
The boots are so lovely, but the weather has to be PERFECT, as they are both really warm (plush-lined) and delicate (satin brocade). 

  • Velvet/fur scarf - thrifted; purchased here for $6.95 and pom-pom sewn back on by me
  • Wool/faux fur hat - M'Sieu Leon, vintage 80s, thrifted
  • Leather gloves - Roeckl, consignment

Poky bling: 
So many favourites. 

  • Shark jaw gold cuff - Tom Binns, 2012, consignment
  • Hinged Lucite/gold "tooth" bracelet and earrings - Alexis Bittar, consignment, gift from L
  • Brass/glass ring - Rafael of Canada, vintage 70s, consignment
  • Brass ring - vintage mall
  • Necklace - J. Crew, consignment
  • Limp leopard brooch - Parklane, thrifted

While I wrote on my blog and Substack, the kittens kept me company. 
"I'm growing fond of you."


Whateley's the boss, so he gets the new scratching post for napping. 

Barnabas hangs out on the extra chair.
"I LOVE you!"


They love hanging out wherever we are. 

When I got out of the shower on Saturday morning, Whateley was waiting for me. 
"You take a long time."


I take a long as I take, thank you. 

We headed off to John's Place for brunch, and then ran a few errands downtown. 
I've been meaning to style up this dark denim bustier/vest thing. 

  • Mesh top - Calvin Klein, thrifted; first seen here in August with now-gone yellow pants and wine fringed kimono
  • Denim bustier - Poster Grl, thrifted; purchased here for $24.95 but $19.95 after cashing in points
  • Denim patchwork skirt - Free the People, consignment; last worn here in July with Cavalli and cowboy boots
  • Boots - Prepare Map, Fluevog; last seen here in March with white jeans and the peacock duster
  • Grape Ape jacket (below) - Forever 21, thrifted; last worn here in October 2024! 

A quick pic with whatever natural light I can grab.
The straps are adjustable. I liked it - will keep it! 

The folks at John's enjoyed my ensemble - it's always nice to show off my outfits to an appreciative audience. 
I only had my jacket off while we ate.

I felt fabulous. 
Double denim, the Canadian Tuxedo! Do you double-denim? 

Incognito - and the Return of the Grape Ape! I tend to forget I have this lovely thick fake fur.
Not sure what Whateley is up to but I bet it's No Good. Anyway, I walked around town like this.

The stuff: 
The golden velvet/fur scarf obviously fills a hole for me - I've worn it twice in two days.

  • Leather purse - Steve Madden, thrifted
  • Wool gloves - Parkhurst
  • Velvet/fur scarf - thrifted

Golden bling: 
No real gold was worn. 

  • Belt - thrifted
  • Bracelet with pink stones - D'Orlan, vintage, vintage mall, gift from L
  • Leaf bracelet - thrifted, Sidney
  • Brass rings - vintage 70s, vintage mall
  • Necklace - Givenchy, vintage 80s, vintage fair
  • Ear-balls - Dior, consignment

The Beacon Ave Thrift Store had all stock half off - I still won't go crazy for stuff that's mostly crap, but for nice things...yes! 
I don't have grey leather gloves, so these were a nice discovery. The beret is good quality angora, no moth damage.

I would have been happy with $3.00 but these were $1.50! 
The CA number look-up gives me...Foot Locker! Well, that's old - I did note that they were made in Korea, last seen the 90s, around the time Foot Locker went out of business. 

The beret was $2.50 - a great deal. 
Parkhurst is a Canadian company, and you can tell by the very low CA number that they've been in existence for a long time. 

From there, I walked over to Dots and had a browse, seeing if any of the new samples were interesting and if there was anything in the clearance section. 
I know it's all synthetic, but I still really liked this brown blazer with fake leather sleeves. The sporty striped cuff and collar give an excellent Weird Adidas vibe.

Pretty buttons. 
The pockets were real - I've unstitched them. 

It's by FDJ (French Dressing Jeans) and all new stock was an extra 20% off, so it was $31.99.
I am excited to wear it. 

Dots had an excellent selection of...gloves! How weird! 
I tried on a bunch and ended up with the short grey ones (love the studs!) and the orange suede. Each pair was $19.99. Now that I have two pairs of grey leather gloves, I might give one pair away. 

On the way back to the car, we cut through the downtown Public Library, and I took a picture of this sculpture.
When I was a teen, it was kinetic - you pushed a button and it would revolve. They shut that off pretty quickly. 

I spent Saturday afternoon catching up on my writing, and figuring out what to wear to Winesday at Caro's that night. 
I decided to create my outfit around the bag Rosanna had given me a few weeks ago. 

  • Cardigan - Kenzo, consignment; last worn here in January with pink tulle to visit Mom (same sneakers!)
  • Sparkly turtleneck - Jacob, thrifted; last seen here under my Kenzo sweatshirt a couple of weeks ago
  • Jeans - MAC Jeans; last worn here (2nd outfit) in July for a hike at John Dean Park with Steve and Bev
  • Sneakers - Converse; last seen here (3rd outfit) in September for Rifflandia with my teal suit

Comfy things for sitting around eating, drinking and being VERY merry! 
A glimpse of pink ruffled socks. 

I don't wear this cardigan very often, but it's handy to have for chill times.
The jeans are a Dot purchase from over a year ago - I pick up interesting things there. 

Ready to go! I matched my outfit to the L.A.M.B. bag that Rosanna gave me (pictures here). 
I carried a cereal box full of homemade popcorn, 6 cans of fizzy drinks, 3 bars of chocolate, and three bags of nuts, my contribution to the food. I bring the things I want to eat! 

The stuff: 
This LAMB bag was the perfect size for carrying all of my supplies. 

  • Rainbow bag - LAMB, c. 2008, thrifted, gift from Rosanna
  • Adidas hat - thrifted
  • Leather gloves - consignment

Bold bling: 
Some black to ground all that colour. 

  • Leather belt - Madewell, consignment
  • Studded leather cuff - c. 2006
  • Leather cuff - Guess, thrifted
  • Swear Rings - Wendy Brandes
  • Silver/onyx necklace - Mexican, consignment, Powell River
  • Silver earrings - Israeli, consignment

Whateley was sitting near my bag, which is all loaded and ready for me to jump in the cab.
Such a little cutie! He and Barnabas enjoyed hanging out with the MANday crew (it was at our house, L hosting). 

I don't usually take pictures at Winesday, preferring to be in the moment, but I had to snap a shot of Cat's gorgeous charcuterie board, and the funny napkins (a hostess gift from Marian to Caro). 
"We solemnly swear we are up to no good." Yeah, that sounds about right! I got home just before 2am and rolled into bed at 3am! 

And finally, a few more pictures of the kittens. 
Whateley looks like a nautilus shell, all curled up. He slept beside me like this on Friday night while we played board games. 

Paw over face.
I'm dying from the cuteness! 

Saturday morning "Kitty TV" - watching the world from the bedroom window. 
Whateley is almost always higher than Barnabas. 

Barnabas establishing his dominance over the living room post.
"This post is MINE!"


And there you go, my friends! I hope you enjoyed my weekend adventures. Thanks so much for being here.