Big Brown Multi Scarf

It looked like a grey day.  It looked like it would rain.  It looked cold.  But no.  I had waaaay too much clothing on today: tank top, t-shirt, long-sleeve, scarf, jacket AND a coat.  It was hot.

The scarf is my new (not really new, just never seen on the blog before) thrifty item.  It was normally $20 but I got it for $4.  There was a blue one too, which looked like it would go great with denim, but I got the brown.  It's one of those prints that is often called "multi".  It is really just a big piece of fabric frayed a bit on the ends.  But I like it.  It's light and goes with a lot of stuff, and it's big.

I sometimes wonder why I wear scarves so much.  Is it a crutch?  Is it like Linus' security blanket?  Could I step out of my comfort zone and go for a week without wearing a scarf?  Hmmm.  I feel a personal challenge coming up ....

Snake Print and Fish

Aaaarrrrrrgh!  This is a bit of a rant post.

Have just spent half an hour talking to someone at the UPS call centre.  We were not home to receive a parcel yesterday and I called last night to have it delivered today between 9am and 4:30pm.  When it didn't come, I called at 5:15 and was assured by a nice lady that it had been put on the truck in the morning and should be arriving tonight before 7:30pm, and if not I could phone to have it delivered at a specific time.

I knew deliveries stop at 7pm, so called again when nothing came.  This time the call got routed to the Philippines and the CSR said there was a problem with my address.  I told him it was always the same driver and he knew our house.  Then he said the package never made it onto the truck that day - this was contrary to what the nice lady said earlier, so I asked if the item had been put on the truck in the morning how could it not be on the truck now?

So much discussion later: do we live in a house?  yes.  there is only one door.  the address is right on the front gate.  in big numbers.  - I was told someone would phone between 9am and 11am tomorrow!  I asked about the 2 day delivery since it was the 2nd day now and was told that it was delivered just I wasn't there to receive it.  How could it have been delivered if I don't have it yet ?!?

So long story short - if it doesn't come tomorrow, we won't get it until Tuesday.  Aaaarrrrrrgh!  I expect too much.

Today we had a lovely sushi lunch at work so I wore something with a bit of room for expansion - the altered by me snake print skirt.  My plan was to wear it with a big overtop but at the last minute I decided to go with a belt and t-shirt.

Just made it before the rain started full blast.

The belt came with the pair of jeans which got turned into a bag. It is actually quite blingey so I kept it for accessorizing.  I don't have a closeup, but I think you can click on the pic below to upsize it:

Polka Dotty Butterflies

Finally a relatively hot day!  I'd actually hauled out thicker clothing the night before, the usual thick black tights, layers and such but woke up to bright sunshine so switched out to something a little cooler.

This dress is yet another Sears outlet item which must have been priced incorrectly when I bought it.  I got it quite a while ago and yet saw one in the outlet for about $5 more just recently. The print almost looks like butterflies ...

It's a bit thick looking in the photo because my slip was too long so I wore it strapless dress style.  I actually tried wearing it normally with the lace showing, but it just looked like the slip was too long - perhaps if it had been pink or orange instead of dark blue ...

The strange thing about this dress is that it has a weird tie on the side.  Really not sure what it's for - definitely not for holding the dress together.  I am considering cutting it.

I threw on a scarf too - I very rarely step outside sans scarf, it's like other women with lipstick.  I wore another dollar store necklace - you never know if it's going to be too hot and you have to remove the scarf.

I hope these dollar store jewellery items are safe - they probably are not, but at least I don't chew on them.

I also wore my blue cardigan again in case it got cold.

Does it look like a cape?

Last winter, I wore this dress with thick black tights - you would think such a minor change would scarcely be noticeable, but it looks 100% better with the white tights. 

Grey, Green and Loafers

After yesterday's wildly hypnotic skirt, I wanted to project a more professional look.

The grey jacket is a new item in this outfit - it is from the Sears outlet $9 and today is the first time I've worn it.  I love the Sears outlet and am not sure what clothes shopping will be like without it.  Rumours are that Sears will be replaced by either Nordstrom or Macy's, both good stores but I doubt the prices will be as low.

The jacket is a nice light weight, with room to move and hides all manner of figure flaws.  Luckily Big J noticed that I hadn't removed the tags! 

The blouse has quite a V-neck and I had a horrible time trying to find a scarf which would go.  Finally went with a dollar store necklace and a scarf which had some of the same colours.  Terri of Rags against the Machine was writing about a buying mood and this blouse was one of several greenish items I got last summer.

  
The shoes are yet another pair from Spain from several years ago.  Loafers are a lot more popular in Europe than they are here.  You see them on both men and women, especially with jeans - although the younger set are wearing converse-style canvas shoes now.

btw: I've added a "How To" page to the blog - this is just a listing of useful (methinks)  fashion-related info that I've found while reading/surfing the interwebs.  There's not too much right now, but it will surely grow.

Slightly Hypnotic

The sun is holding up today, so another spring-ish outfit - I know right? it's summer actually. 

 

We went out for dinner at the Keg which is a local steak restaurant.  Big J was very good and had a salad topped with grilled chicken.  I succumbed to a succulent steak.

 

 

Looking a little pained - the teeth (or lack) are still bothering me.  The mary janes are from Spain from maybe 7 years ago.  I love this style of shoe - reminds me of being a student for some reason.

 

The skirt is quite memorable so I've only worn it a couple of times.  On top of a crazy hypnotic print, this skirt is also asymmetrical and has an over-flap. 

 

You are getting sleeeeeepy ....

 

Not sure if I like the grey tights or not - they don't quite clash but seem a little solid looking for such a floaty skirt.

Today's post is linking to:

• Visible Monday
• Mannequin Monday 
• Monday Mingle

Graduation Day

Today was my son's middle school graduation day.  When I was young you could only graduate from high school and university.   Now though you can also graduate from elementary school and even kindergarten and pre-school! I guess it's to give kids a sense of accomplishment.

I noticed that it does seem to increase consumerism and fashion-consciousness especially in the young girls who are decked out in fancy dresses, high heels and even makeup. At least no one fell off their shoes this year.

The day started out nice and sunny and I considered wearing a bright coral skirt but changed my mind at the last minute and wore this instead:

The top is the peach one which gives a bit of colour but without too much flash.  I tried mixing it with beigey tones this time but don't know if it goes well or not.

The long skirt is a Mantles (an HBC line) that I got for $9 a year or two ago but never wore. As it turned out, the length was good as the day got colder and greyer and by afternoon it was pouring.

Not too pleased with the shoes though - now that I see the shot.  They're a little too yellow toned, should've went with the darker pair.  And the tights are too white.  Funny how I don't see this in the mirror when dressing.

So, is anyone else having problems with the latest Firefox?  I haven't been able to comment on blogs or even reply.  I've switched to IE, for blogging, but don't really like it.  It must be a setting or something which needs to be tweaked. 

Teeth Pulling Duds

I hope there are no squeamish readers ... So finally today was the big day - the two fractured teeth got pulled.  I was a little nervous because the last time I had teeth pulled it was all the wisdom teeth at the same time.  There were about 3 sets of hands in my mouth and they had to cut into the gums more than normal since the roots were fish-hook shaped.

Today was a little better, lots of needles but a fairly straight-forward, albeit time-consuming, jiggle-jiggle and pull.  Then they put in one post, some graft material and stitched it up.  The other implant will have to wait 4 months while my body makes some more bone to support the post.  I won't get the actual teeth until probably 6 months or so down the road. 

Needless to say, today's outfit was strictly comfort based.  Jeans and a shirt - no worries about stuff dripping onto my clothes.

Grimace - Not a Happy Camper

The shirt is a basic button up from Jacob, but I like it for the little flowers:

I keep thinking this shirt should have flower buttons and might just change them one day.

It's Summer!

It's finally summer and warm enough to go out without a coat.  It actually felt a little springy so I wore something green.

Everything in today's outfit was bought at Sears.  They have an outlet store where you can get stuff at clearance prices and will often have an additional 30, 40 or 50% off.

The skirt is another tube-waist skirt - one of 3 or 4.  The tube I unrolled as it was a bit thick.  The top is nice; it has ruffles and a small, all-over print.

The accessories though are a bit hard to see: green necklaces on green.

Also wore another Dollar store bracelet and my Rocío bracelet from Spain.

Rocio is one of the pilgrimages that Big J and I would like to complete one day.  The Sunshine and Siestas blog has a post for those who want to read about it.

Meanwhile in Lotusland, Big J and I walked from the train station today - about 45 mintues!

To Lop or Not?

Are there some things you would wear if not for looking horribly out-moded?  I am that way with long dresses.  Being a reader of historical and fantasy novels, I like longer hemlines, capes, lace and clothes with details.

I regularly read Refashionista and she recently had a dress that I really liked the "before" version, although the "after" is definitely more her style.  Isn't this a great dress?

source: refashionista.net

Unfortunately, I'm not self-assured enough to wear stuff like that without feeling completely unfashionable or costumey. I have a dress which I've kept for years just because it was floaty and looked like something from another time.

I lopped off the self-ties and the collar (the pic above is post-lop; I just "placed" the collar back on for the picture which is why it's crooked).

and got this:

It still looks a little peasant-goes-to-the-may-fair. I am considering shortening it, but it's difficult to make that first cut. Big J likes it like this so I might try to style it with a belt or something first.

Does it look any different or am I just kidding myself?

A Bit of Red Lace

The main focus of this outfit is a hand-me-down top which I've had for over 10 years.  It's a cotton sweater which has short sleeves, so is not overly useful in our northern climate.  But, we are now in that sort of in-between weather so it is perfect.

It has a v-patterned piece down the front, so I hauled it out for the lace which is back in vogue.  It is also an orangey-red which looks a little more current than plain red.

The scarf is one of many that I got for a $ from a vintage shop which has since relocated; unfortunately they are no longer in the downtown area, so I can't pop in at lunchtime anymore.

The bracelet is from Big J's mom and are giant pearl beads with a sparkly flat bit.

The other news is now that summer is almost upon us, Big J and I are going to walk a lot more and we are trying to go on a high fibre, low fat diet. Perhaps I can lose another 5 pounds by summer's end!

Today's post is linking to:

• Visible Monday,  
• Monday Mingle,  
• Mannequin Monday

These Boots are Made for Walking

Since it's still autumn here in Lotusland, I am still in fall colours.  Today's outfit is made for walking.  I had clients to see off-site so wanted to wear something comfy for travel.  What better than a jacket, flippy skirt and booties?

The jacket is super-old, yet I notice it has that faux fur which is still (I hope) fairly current.  I was feeling lazy, so just put on the same scarf from the other day which I've worn a lot already - whenever I'm wearing brown or similar colours.  This scarf was actually my Mom's suggestion and it has become a go-to item.

These are my favourite non-Doc boots.  They are peregrine or pilgrimage boots from Spain.  This is the traditional style which is for hot climes. (vs the rainy season boots from the Welsh Cape post.)

I've had them for years. They are hand-made and I had to eventually put topy soles on them so as not to wear out the stitching.  Having a wood heel they make that nice tok-tok sound. 

 
They are well worn and comfy. Don't they remind you of movies like The Magnificent Seven or Once Upon a Time in the West?

 
The strap criss-crosses in the front and they have the typical Spanish detailing in the back.

Brights for a Grey Day

Cold, later warm, rainy, muggy all good words for today's weather.  Today's Everybody Everywear theme is Neon and I'm kicking myself for having just donated my Mango neon green asymmetrical tee.  I'd had it for years and really only wore it maybe twice.

So instead, I went for blue and hope that it is neon-y enough to qualify:

See the bug-whacker?  I hate bugs.

I wore a sweater tank with another tank under it - don't like to look overly bare at work, and covered it with my usual blue cardigan.  The scarf is an ombré-ish one and is another find from the mercadillo in Spain.  It was only €2 which I think is quite a good buy.

 

The sweater tank has sparkly bits which was the main reason I bought it years ago from Sears.  It's a little hard to see:

I like the frilly bits on the scarf too.

My boots are getting to be a little uncomfortable.  The innards are going - so might have to make me some insoles again!

All Dotty

I'm trying out the inspiration method of dressing today and am not sure if I carried it out or not.  The inspiration outfit from two birds was Kate Bosworth in a floaty skirt, sweatshirt and runners.  Not exactly what I can wear to work.

So I wore this, substituting a biggish sweater for the sweatshirt and flats for the runners. What do you think?

The floaty skirt I found in the PJs section - it came with a matching tank, but I don't think it is nightwear.  It's that chiffony fabric that wouldn't be very comfortable to sleep in.  There are 2 sizes of dots: big yellow ones and small white ones.

I didn't have a blue tee and black seemed to clash so I decided to go overboard on the dots and wore my dotty black tee with my dotty made-it-myself scarf which has yellow and black dots.

Here's a closeup:

I liked all the dots, and it was comfy, but the whole outfit felt a bit frumpy (or perhaps the lower half) - I think because of the shoes.  Plus the skirt was a bit big so I had to wear it lower down than usual.

I'm linking to these link parties today:

• Visible Monday @ Not Dead Yet Style
  
• Mannequin Monday @ ArtsyGirl Connection
  This is only her 2nd link party, so please have a look!
  
• Mellow Yellow Monday
  
• Inspiration Monday

Faux Wrap Dress

Do you ever pick out something to wear in the evening and then the next day change your mind?  It happens to me all the time.  So it was with today's outfit.  Being Friday, my original plan was to do a dress with jeans look, and then I thought dress with footless tights.  But it just seemed a bit weird so I went back to dress with regular tights.

I wanted to wear a bright tee on the inside but the day started out drizzly and cold so I reverted back to a basic black turtleneck.  It looked a bit plain so added the obi thing which I've worn previously as both a scarf and a belt.

To match it all up I added my dollar store accessories (the necklace and bracelet), and at the last moment tossed on another scarf from the market in Spain:

I'll have to try experimenting with my look a bit more because this outfit got a lot of positive comments. 

The dress was $8 from Old Navy, but from about 5 or 6 years ago.  I find that I no longer like Old Navy; most of their clothing is poorly made and of shoddy material.  This dress seems to be an exception.  Seams are serged and it has held up well.

It's actually a faux wrap dress which is nice because you get the look without the hassle of having to worry about the dress flying open or gaping when you sit.

I only wish the cute flower print was on the outer panel instead of the inner.

Taupe, Red and a Safety Pin

The weather outside is still autumnal so another fall outfit today (in June!). This cardigan is another buy from the Spanish market.  I had been looking for a long time for something in this colour, and when I spotted it, instantly got it without thought to price.   

It's a very neutral taupe colour which goes with everything.  I am trying to introduce more contrasts into my wardrobe so wore it with my orangey-red French shirt instead of a taupey coloured top.  The scarf is also from the market and doesn't really go, but doesn't clash either:

I would've normally worn lighter-coloured tights, but the ones I had were a bit too light for the weather so I subbed in a pair that had a pattern with some lighter coloured lines.

It was the first time I wore the cardigan and when I took off the tags, noticed that the safety pin was very unusual:

Have you seen anything like it? Here it is open:

It may not be anything special, but I like uncommon things, so will probably keep it - at least for a while, pack-rat that I am.

NWT

For those who know something about Canada, NWT means the Northwest Territories, that cold polar area up north where there are few trees and fewer people.  For thrifty fashionistas on the other hand, NWT means New With Tags and that's exactly what I got for $5 the other day: a NWT blue print tank!

I decided to wear it for the Visible Monday and Monday Mingle link-up:

Here is a closeup of the print, I really like it:

Being a matchy-matchy type of person, I then wore all sorts of other blue clothing. Tights:

and a bracelet got on the same trip for $2:

The only jarringly non-matching piece is my Spain futbol bracelet which I'm wearing for soccer:

Olé!