Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Purple Mod Squad

...and from Edwardian steampunk, we move on to the 1960s.
Happy Wednesday - here is a purple dress, which is of course, the one I thrifted for $9.50 this past weekend (here). Based on the style and cut of the dress, I would put it at around 1999-2000. I had a similarly cut (and also purple) dress back then. I really enjoyed wearing the dress - it was super comfortable, although a few times I had to pull it down towards my knees when sitting at my desk.

Which is why I wore tights today. I really didn't want to, it being spring and all, but that's a lot of pasty-white leg!
I love these Look of London tights. They are more patterned in person - in these pictures I sort of look like I have random blobs of colour on my legs instead of roses. Ooh, it's lava lamp legs!
I realize that the green of the shoes aren't quite right with the tights, but I really wanted to wear these! I last wore them back here in February (again with lace!).

The stuff.
Every time I wear these shoes, they get softer. So comfy!

Shiny bits:
The earrings were a perfect match. I love the cool cuff.

Dress (Jacob, thrifted), tights (Look of London), shoes (Fly London), cuff (Lakeland Art Metal Work, thrifted), earrings (Le Chateau), ring (Oscar & Libby).

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Edwardian Waistcoat

Ack! I'm caught off guard by it being Tuesday - already! 

I had to get the new-to-me Betsey Johnson top into an outfit right away.
I thrifted it on the weekend here for $2.50 (two-fifty!). I had fun making people at my work guess how much I paid for it. Hee!

I wore it over top of my ruffled white shirt (last seen here, being an office punk). I was happy that both pieces stayed in place well. The stiffness and slim cut of the shirt worked well with this waistcoat layered over it.
And I sat up really straight too. Bonus!

I love the way the collar stands up on this blouse. It felt very Edwardian (as in the era of King Edward).
The funky skirt was last seen way, way back in the February 2012 capsule (recap here), where I wore it 6 times.

The stuff:
Love these shoes - I last wore them here in February with flies and turquoise (and a leather skirt that went buh-bye). I went with brown to pull in the rusty-burgundy colours of the top.

I wanted all the accessories to have a rich brocade type of feel, like the leaves and flowers in the Betsey top. To me, that means more leaves.
The necklace is so cool. It was my grandmother's.

Top (Betsey Johnson, thrifted), blouse (Uno Due, thrifted), skirt (Morena, consignment), shoes (Nine West, thrifted), necklace (Lisner, vintage, Grandma J's), spoon bracelet (About Tine), spinner ring (Twang & Pearl), ring (Poly, thrifted), earrings (Plum).

Monday, May 20, 2013

Long Casual Weekend Wrap Up (and Only a Little Shopping)

Wow, it feels like it's been ages! It's a long weekend up here in Canada: Victoria Day long weekend, where we celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday by um...celebrating. In my city (being named Victoria after the long-ago queen), we have a parade, a rodeo and the Highland Games. Not all related, and I don't go to any of them. I did when I was a kid, but now I prefer to chill and relax and avoid the crowds.

It's been a very quiet weekend, and quite casual, dressing-wise. Here's my Casual Friday outfit for the office.
Oh, yeah, I got my hair cut! It's nice and short again - all that dead, fried previously-blonde stuff trimmed off. Linking up to Patti's "Visible Monday" at Not Dead Yet Style!

This is my new Smoking Lily Tessroc dress, first seen here last weekend. Today, it's layered, with a cardigan over it and a floofy underskirt er...under it.
The cardigan is a nice teal colour - it was worn twice in the September 2012 capsule (recap here). The floofy underskirt was purchased in 2010 for about $29.99 when I bought a ton of Noa Noa samples from Dots (local clearance outlet).

I added my black leather obi over top of the cardigan to pull everything in.
And there are my lovely Fluevog Darjeeling Teapots again - last worn here with my "office punk" look. These are quickly becoming indispensable in my wardrobe - I love them!

The stuff:
I had another pair of shoes picked to go with this outfit but swapped out for these ones in the morning, recalling that I was going shopping with Mom after work for her birthday. Sometimes our shopping expeditions are marathons, so I needed to be prepared.

We had a good shop, although, wow, I am so spoiled by shopping second-hand! I had major sticker-shock with new clothes. I blew my budget on Mom with only 3 items - I could have bought bags and bags of stuff on consignment. Ah well, she really liked all the things we found, so I don't have any issues with it. Our local Danier Leather store was having a major clearance, and Mom found herself a gorgeous white leather jacket for only $149.00. I might have bought myself a little something too...more on my shopping shortly.

I wore some more of my new-to-me thrifted vintage finds.
My cheapy bracelets and rings, mixed with my high-end Wendy Brandes rings. The circle earrings were a present from my coworker Lise who also thrifts. I've given her clothes in the past (I bring bags of goodies in to my work to give away), so this was a sweet trade.

Cardigan (Kersh), Tessroc dress (Smoking Lily), underskirt (Noa Noa), shoes (Darjeeling Teapots, Fluevogs), obi (consignment), bracelets/turquoise ring (thrifted vintage), earrings (swap), hematite ring (Avon, thrifted vintage), lapis lazuli ring/Fulvia ring (Wendy Brandes).

On Saturday morning, we had a game of Ultimate, so I wore comfy loose layers over my sports underpinnings.
It was a little chilly and rainy intermittently, so I ended up with the jacket done up most of the day. It is my indispensable boyfriend blazer, briefly worn tossed over the aforementioned Smoking Lily dress above last weekend (here).

The tee is my emerald green one, last worn with a plethora of greens on St. Patrick's Day (here).
My fluffy skirt was easy for doing my quick-change at the field. It was also handy for changing in the aisles at one of the thrift stores I went to (they only have 1 change room). I last wore it here on a breezy weekend in April.

The shoes are my faithful Kenneth Cole Reaction sandals, worn a whopping 8 times in the all-neutral June 2012 capsule (recap here), and they are starting to show all the wear I give them. I'm on the lookout for something as cool and comfy to replace them, maybe for next year.

They were awesome for a light thrift shop after brunch, and I even walked home in them.

Jacket (Banana Republic, thrifted), top (The Limited, consignment), skirt (Lapis, consignment), shoes (Kenneth Cole Reaction, consignment).

On Saturday night, we strolled down to some friends' place to hang and play a game of "Arkham Horror" - we haven't played at their place before so I had to dress appropriately, both for theme and comfort.
There are a couple of things in this outfit that I haven't featured on the blog at all, or at least in a long while! These slip-on Vans shoes are my "hey, I'm going to the gas station for milk, be right back" shoes. I bought them in Vancouver in 2008: check it out: Sheila old-style! The only thing in that outfit I still have are these shoes and the chainmail necklace.

Some other previous wears you might find amusing:

  • July 2008: To see Judas Priest in concert! Yeah, baby! 
  • August 2008: To see Beck in concert. The only thing I still have of that outfit is the black cami!
  • May 2009: Rock Concert Day at my old work. That Alice Cooper t-shirt is now workout wear.
  • August 2009: Travel wear to go visit my in-laws and their hideous mint-green walls (I still have the striped long-sleeved tee).
  • December 2009: A Casual Friday at my old work.
  • September 2010: What I wore to the Saanichton Fair (after the boogie-ing down in my Desigual dress)
  • June 2010: For L's birthday "day of indigence" lounging about. That t-shirt is also now a workout shirt.
  • December 2010: Travel wear to Florida and back.

I am struck by how little I do "jeans casual" now - how my style has changed!

The t-shirt is one I ordered from Threadless a few years ago. I don't usually wear it out - it's a fun one to wear around the house or to the gym.
It's called "Zombie at Tiffany's". I'm wearing it layered over one of my many long-sleeved tees, with a couple of rocker leather cuffs on. I also have a swatch of rings (snake, spider, etc.) on, and my silver bird skull earrings.

The skirt is one of my favourite maxis. I last wore it here in February with purples.
Also, with the same socks. Somewhat creepy and ominous flocks of birds...

It was a fun night! It always cools off in the evening here, as the breeze comes in off the ocean, so I donned my lovely yellow leather jacket.
Cross-body bag loaded with jelly beans: check!

Jacket (Danier Leather), t-shirt (Threadless), long-sleeved tee (Jacob, thrifted), skirt (InWear, consignment), socks (Sock It To Me), shoes (Vans).

Here's all the goodies I got while shopping on Friday and Saturday. First up, I found a Canadian-made belt at Danier Leather on Friday with Mom.
Note that "someone" has already gotten his teeth into the end of the belt...
It was $19.99 - love the colour! They had tons of colours - it was so hard to choose!

On Saturday after brunch, I wandered through a couple of thrift stores. At the St. Vincent de Paul store, I found this lovely brooch.
Only $5.00! One of the inner stones is missing; otherwise this is in perfect condition. Not stamped, so probably just department store. Still, very pretty.

This top was a total score:
I love corset-y type tops, and spotted the good construction and quality of this from a mile away.

I adore Betsey Johnson! I would place this top as being mid-90s. Does that make it vintage?
It's a snug fit, but that's preferable in this style. I bet it will work over a long-sleeved top, like a vest.

Check out the score:
But no, it actually wasn't $5.00 - all orange tags were half-price. It was $2.50!! For Betsey Johnson!

And, even better - it was made in the US.
Gotta like that.

I also went to the Hospice Shop. They always have great quality things. I found this amazing purple lace dress by Jacob.
It's quite short, but I still like showing my legs once in a while, so why not? Ha!

The sleeves are see-through, not lined like the rest of the dress.
It was $9.50. Pretty good!

I debated over these, but I'm always on the lookout for good quality, comfortable shoes.
Aren't they crazy? I love the faux croc with the faux python, the little kitten heel, the Mary-Jane strap.

I've never heard of the brand - Ramon Tenza - but I looked them up and the new styles sell for over $300. I guess $24.00 is not too bad.
Leather, and made in Spain. Almost no wear on them too!

Pretty sparkly buckle.
And now, it's Monday, I'm off, and L and I are headed to the gym soon. Ah, long weekends...

Vizzini knows how to chill appropriately.
Stretchy in the sun!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Mustard, Rust and Plum (and a Kitty in the Sun)

Oh, my gosh, I'm feeling so much better today! I was a little loopy on all the pain medication, but I slept well and feel a lot like my old self again. Let's celebrate with colour!
I actually built this outfit around the necklace. It's a bronze-y colour with oranges, plum-y purples and gold tones.

This skirt is so pouffy, but I love it (I do have to pat my lap down when I sit or it looks like I have a loaf of bread under there). I wore it 5 times in the February 2012 capsule (recap here) - this is its first wearing since!
The mustard cardi is such a great cut and colour - I wore it 3 times in the April 2012 capsule (recap here). I'm really enjoying pulling out pieces I haven't seen for over a year and remixing them with other classic items. I did remember that it's very wide open across the chestal region, and chose a cami with lots of coverage!
It was gloomy and rainy this morning, so I reluctantly dug into my tights and wore these nude fishnets. It worked! It's now nice and sunny out!

The stuff:
Another pair of Ralph Lauren pumps gets an airing. This is the third wearing of these thrifted pumps and I just love them - I last wore them here with red and olive and a bunch of birds. So comfy! They are a slightly lower heel than yesterday's pumps.

Sparkly bits:
My $2.00 necklace and my $9.00 Poly ring, plus my spinner ring, dangly orange crystal earrings and my spoon bracelet.

Cardigan (Club Monaco, consignment), cami (InWear), skirt (Plum), shoes (Lauren by Ralph Lauren, thrifted), necklace (thrifted), ring (Poly), spinner ring (Twang & Pearl), amber crystal ring (some junky store in the 90s), spoon bracelet (About Tine), earrings (Plum).

I got home a bit later than usual because of my long-overdue haircut. Someone was displeased with me (he is currently trying to bother me by digging around under the desk and meowing).
"I demand attention!"
 Kitties always find the sunny spots.
"Maybe she'll rub my tummy if I streeeetch."
 Finally, he gave up and laid up against the wall.
Yellow eyes!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Citrus, Sparkles and a Bad Tooth

In case you all hadn't noticed, I've been featuring all the lovely new-to-me jewelry that I picked up at the vintage fair this past weekend. Today, I'm showing off my yellow finds.
And what goes better with lemon yellow than a nice orange? Not much!

This is my fab orange suede skirt that I've had for a couple of years - it was part of the July 2012 capsule (recap here) where I wore it three times. The front panel of it is completely laser-cut into little squares - you can't really see it here (check this picture to see it in the background).
The skirt sits quite low on my hips, so I have to wear a shirt untucked with it or something covering the waistband. I struggled with finding a top that matched but didn't fight with the 60ish vibe of the accessories, then remembered this wonderful vintage sparkle top that I wore in the January 2013 capsule three times (recap here).
Nothing beats a fitted top!

The stuff:
Love my caramel Ralph Lauren pumps - they were last seen here with the tiki-tiki-tiki-tiki-tiki skirt in February.

The yellows are my thrifted yellow acrylic cuff, my thermo-lucite brooch and my Bakelite earrings. Nearly everything I wore today was thrifted!

Top (handmade, vintage, thrifted), skirt (Co & Eddy, thrifted), brooch/earrings (vintage), cuff (thrifted), shoes (Lauren by Ralph Lauren).

So...my crappy days this week. I've actually been in a huge amount of pain since Sunday - one of my molars was aching and my gums were swollen. I thought maybe it was lingering or associated pain from my face-plant a few weeks ago, or maybe I'd gotten a popcorn hull stuck in there. I took painkillers, flossed, brushed...but last night I hardly slept due to the pain,and this morning I called the dentist, who kindly slipped me in this afternoon.

It turned out to be a massive infection, and good thing I went when I did. I am on painkillers and antibiotics now, and am already feeling better, but oh jeez...

If you haven't been reading my blog for a while, you might not know that I knocked out my front teeth when I was 17 (fainted in the shower, face-planted the edge of the tub). I went through over a year of dental work and surgery (in the days before pre-freezing - I had needles jammed through my hard palate), so I have a lot of trauma associated with dentists. I've also chipped my front tooth, and I'm apparently an Olympic champ at growing tartar, so I have to go through long sessions of scraping. *sigh*

Anyway, I don't usually complain about stuff on my blog (I'm mostly sunny), but thought you would want to know why some of this had seeped out into my posts. I had a really hard time doing my WW meeting last night, and I had to miss my nieces' dance recital tonight because my face was half-frozen and throbbing - I'm sorry, girls! Right now, I'm trying to eat soup now, but I'm probably going to bed. Wish me well, my friends!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Pink, Red, a Skull and the Galaxy

Thank you all for your kind comments and sympathy over my crappy day yesterday - it was sort of better today (although I did spill my coffee all over the floor in the grocery store on the way to work, but I'm not going to dwell). 

So, let's just fake it.
Look, bright colours! Pay no attention to the cranky lady wearing them!

I have been wanting to wear my Smoking Lily pink skull skirt for a while, especially now that we are in bare-legs season again. I wore it three times in the December 2012 capsule (recap here), but because it's not lined, I had "tight-creep" issues (or slip riding-up issues). I am happy to report that it was much better today!
The top is that really stretchy plastic material (I think it's called ponte) that I generally loathe - I prefer natural fibres whenever possible. Thank goodness I thrifted this for only $8.00. I wore it twice in the June 2012 all-neutral capsule (recap here).
I liked the mix of hot pink and red in this outfit (my camisole is red). The shoes are showstoppers!

The stuff:
The shoes are also quite comfortable. I wore them four times in the September 2012 capsule (recap here).

The sparkly bits (I forgot to take off my earrings, but I'm wearing bigass pearl studs):
Getting lots of wear out of my awesome Fulvia ring by Wendy Brandes. It was the first time for the "galaxy" brooch, which I wore pinned just above the wrap tie on my top. I also wore the vaguely spidery ring. Perhaps it represents the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

Top (Talbot's, thrifted), cami (Mexx), skirt (Smoking Lily), shoes (Locale), brooch (Sarah Coventry, vintage), ring (vintage), Fulvia ring (Wendy Brandes), earrings (Aldo Accessories).