Rings

Lately rings have been my favorite accessory. I haven't bought any new ones, I've just been switching my old ones up more often and wearing them in different combinations. It's amazing how much the size of my fingers change throughout the day: a ring that fits my ring finger in the morning fits my middle finger by dinnertime. I guess my hands are puffy in the morning.

l-r: turquoise, belonged to my Grandmommy, turquoise from flea market, silver from market in Hawaii in high school

l-r: wedding band from pawn shop, cameo from flea market, jade was my Gram's

I think my ring-spiration is coming from watching Sons of Anarchy constantly. I'm on the second season - it's a great show about a biker gang, er, motorcycle club, in California. They all wear awesome huge gold rings. Some of them probably have symbols that mean bad things I wouldn't want to say, but they look so cool. I'm sure I could never find any in small enough sizes for my baby fingers, but I'll keep an eye out.

Saturday Shine

The top with the big paillettes came out for the first time this season! The big black and white coat has been out for a week or two - it's my snow coat. The snow's all gone for now, but that little shock of winter we had was a good reminder to dig out all the cold-weather gear and the snow shovel and salt.

The Christmas music station is on the air now and one of my co-workers plays it at least four hours a day. Strangely, it does not increase my jollyness. I do feel like I should start my Christmas shopping this weekend, but I just keep thinking of things to buy myself. It's a bad time to need to restock beauty supplies, because I'm so torn between playing it cheap and splurging on good quality. Mascara: cheap. But eye cream? Am I at the age that I should be buying the expensive stuff? Is the expensive stuff really much better? Also, I walked by, OK, and then walked into, Aldo the other day and there were some really cute heels on sale. I fondled, I pondered, I walked away, then walked back. I gave myself a serious talking-to, silently of course, about how I have lots of cute shoes and certainly should not be buying more, which is very true. Then I walked out and didn't let myself go back the next day, or the next. But I can't make any promises...

Blouse Saga Continues

Another day, another blouse. We've had this fabric at work for years and up until a week ago I thought I hated it, but then I took another look and all of a sudden it inspired me. The oranges, yellow, mustards and red, and the funny canoodling couple made me smile, and I did some pleating on the sleeves and gathering at the neckline to break up the print a little. I'm happy with it, but what you you think?

Cold Snap

current frame of mind: brrrrrrrrr..........!

Twirl

Here's an idea: for the next five weeks before Christmas, Saturdays are going to be my days to dress up for work. I have plenty of dressy clothes that don't get much play, and I feel like it's my way of being a little bit festive. Though the cold weather does make it a little harder, especially shoe-wise. I just have to be more diligent about packing a cute pair of shoes to change into.

This skirt was a thrift find in the summer. It's a couple of layers of hmm, not quite tulle, kind of mesh, and it's full and swishy. I tried a twirl picture, but without the flash it's so blurry.

I made this blouse yesterday, making good on my plan to do a blouse like I was envisioning with the zipper in the shoulder. Cramming it under my sweater on the way home resulted in an unsightly wrinkle on the boob, but you get the idea... I love this fabric. It's a crepe de chine with a sweet little vintage-y print that kind of looks like poppy flower seed pods. Do you like my halo?

Face Time

Yeah, it's all about me. Sorry. It's just so hard to get a nice picture of me - I should know - that I wanted to share the amazing work of David Lang, the photographer who shot me for the newspaper last month. I find it difficult to look objectively of pictures of myself, but I was told that these were some of the best ones.

long view

Yes, like a fallen leaf blown by the fickle breezes of fashion... Mini, maxi? Yes, no, maybe? All of the above? I couldn't resist this long grey knit skirt for a couple of dollars, although the fashion bosses only really recommend it for those with model proportions. It's so cozy! Usually I change into PJs as soon as I get home from work these days, but I may just fall asleep in this skirt. I just finished reading a book about the history of the Mormon religion, and I felt like the long skirt might be a little too modest and obedient, so I paired it with this lace shirt I made last month.

Zebra boots!

What a difference a day makes!

We've been getting these marvelous fall days, beautiful days thrown in amongst the rain and drear. This photo was taken last week when the pale blue of the sky and the yellow of the leaves brightened up the grey and inspired me to grab the camera before it was over.

My shopping trips at Value Village were totally successful yesterday. I got everything on my list, and only a couple of things that weren't. Technically, this sweater doesn't fit with what I thought I wanted - it's white, and a cardigan - but I fell in love with it, and I did get another sweater that fit my criteria. This just has that handmade look and feel and the shortish proportions are cool. I feel like it's kind of a good deed to rescue handmade items from the thrift store. Is that crazy?

Tomorrow

There are certain drawbacks to having Sunday and Monday as my days off, but there are also some advantages. One is that Value Village happens to have it's 50% off days on Mondays. Not every Monday, just a few times a year, so it's a bit of an event. Requires a bit of planning, I've found. Not that I'm immune to impulse buys, but I really don't need more clothes to stuff into my closet, so it helps to have a few items in mind that I'm seeking. Tomorrow, my list consists of sweaters, a slip, and hiking boots. I browsed Etsy for some inspiration.


I need a sweater or two, non-cardigan, small enough to be worn as a top. Cable knits are always nice. Mustard is cool. Not itchy. A dollar or two.

I'd like to try a full slip for under my black lace skirt. I have a black half-slip and I don't like how it looks. Black is boring and it kind of moves around, and it's not long enough. So I'm looking for a colour, opaque enough to be modest, tight so that it doesn't bunch up. I think it's going to be tricky and I'm contemplating wearing the skirt over leggings to I can try it all out before I buy. Leggings and a cami are required wearing for this sale - I do not play the line-up game. It's all about efficiency.

The hiking boots are for Quadra. I need an old pair to leave there for various outings because they're just too bulky to pack back and forth on the off chance I'll need them. Must be waterproof. My current Quadra boots were never very comfortable and it sounds like my mom is adopting them for gardening. My fear is that people don't give VV their hiking boots until they are past death and worn out and besides, they'd be totally molded to someone else's foot. And possibly moldy. (Should one of those have a "u"?) Comfort is important because going for hikes is the whole point. Maybe it's unrealistic, but I need goals, right?

Blahs

I feel like I totally squandered my day off yesterday. What I really should have done was go to the ceremony at Victory Square for Remembrance Day like a good citizen, but I've never done that. I guess the last time I really properly observed Remembrance Day was in school. My intentions start out good, but then it's kind of cold and rainy (being November and all, what a surprise) and the prospect of taking the bus downtown and standing in a big crowd of umbrellas, getting dripped on and not being able to actually see or hear... Sorry.

Instead I barely left the couch. I went for a walk before the rain really started, to get some groceries. Bacon, tea, and chocolate: that kind of day. The shopping area on Hastings is the perfect distance away; it always takes about an hour round trip including a quick shopping, and I like to take as many different streets as possible; there's something to look at in every yard, garden, alleyway and window.

After that I camped out on the couch and watched half of the first season of Sons of Anarchy. So good! It kills me to watch TV with commercials now. Sure it feels indulgent and lazy to watch six episodes back-to-back, but nothing that was on real TV was as appealing as biker gangs and no commercials. I just wasn't in the mood for my current craft project and I had just finished my book and of course I could have been cleaning, but I think I need some serious products to help me tackle the bathtub. Anyone tried the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser? Obviously I still do see commercials as I have been brainwashed to think that what I really need is an overpriced sponge, then all my troubles will disappear. And I'll have more time for TV!

Also, later in the evening, Lost in Translation was on TV, with no commercials, and it made me nostalgic for the Scarlett Johansen of old. I'd forgotten how likable she was, before she focused solely on being lustable. It's a good movie, I think I'd forgotten that too.

Well, I'm hoping that this shortened week will bring me a burst of energy, resulting in more interesting posts. If anyone still reads this blog, maybe you're hoping that too!

Daiane Conterato

Any photo with an Egon Schiele poster in the background works for me, but I really love these shots featuring model Daiane Conterato.

This made me laugh!

Dot Blocked

There are two reasons I posted so many pictures of this outfit. For one thing, I had the hardest time getting decent pictures. Changing the clocks back tonight will give me one more hour of light after work for taking pictures outside, which is much better than inside. I kept forgetting to turn the flash off, couldn't figure out how to get my feet and head in the shot...

*Edit* Doh! I know the extra hour of light is in the morning. I don't know where my brain was; must be wishful thinking!

But the second reason, and why I persisted, is my love for this blouse. It's my new favorite! I made it this week out of a couple of fabrics I had hoarded, but didn't have enough of to do anything with. I made a new blouse pattern and pieced the two silks together and I'm so happy with how it turned out. As my boss pointed out, it's a little bit jockey, but I don't mind that. It's a bit wrinkled after the trip home under a blazer, but you get the idea.

Drool

If I saw all this amazing turquoise and silver jewelry coming down the street towards me I would need someone to physically restrain me. I might honestly mug someone for this stuff. Perhaps a more legal option would just be to continue to keep my eyes peeled at flea markets and thrift stores.

Time to get dressed

I think this cool shoulder zip detail would be really effective on a silk blouse. The weight of it would pull the shoulder over - I guess it would be best on a raglan sleeve like this. Put it on the TO DO list.

I love this blouse. Great colour, neckline, sleeve shape. All it needs is a zipper on the shoulder...

It's so gorgeous paired with the grey skirt and shoes.

This is so sweet and pretty. I'm so sweater-deprived. I have one old blue cardigan with holes in it and one thin grey one with a hole, and just thrifted a camel one. That's it. I'm now on the look out for a sweater like this, but not white.

Layer Up

Fall layering means shorts get a couple more wearings before they get shuffled out completely. This velvet blazer recently got promoted from the secondary spare-room closet up to regular rotation. It's all about keeping some freshness in the wardrobe, right? Especially when the budget permits no shopping.

I do have to admit that although Halloween has kept me away from Value Village for a month or so, I'm quite looking forward to a thrifting day next weekend. I feel like after their big post-holiday madness cleanse I'll be greeted by a fresh selection of excitement!