Would you give a blog award to THIS woman?

As style blogs go, would anyone in their right mind give a blogger appreciation award to THIS woman?

Well, the inimitable Curtise at The Secondhand Years has deemed me worthy of the 

BLOGGER APPRECIATION AWARD! 

(Homework assignment: Debate Curtise's soundness of mind.) 

Many hugs and kisses to you, Curtise! 

Thank you. I'll try not to to let you down... 

FYI: The above photo is unretouched, that's exactly what my hair looked like when I crawled out of bed - and, yes, my face IS that blurry in the morning. This look fits right in with Patti's (Not Dead Yet Style) retrospective of '80s looks.

It always amazes me that what I tap away on my keyboard makes it past my front door! 

To fulfill the obligations as a reigning Blogger Appreciation Awardee I must NOT do the following - pose nude in a magazine (darn it), give the finger to children, hork in public, hike my skirt to pull up my tights (commonly accepted blogger queen practice aka CABQP). A winner MUST, however:

1: Thank the person who nominated you by linking his/her blog; 

2: Answer the four questions below;

3: Award the Blogger Appreciation Award to fellow bloggers;

4: Let the Bloggers know that you have nominated them.

THE Q&A

1. How long have you been blogging? Since January 31, 2012, just over three months.
2. Why did you start blogging? Dressing in clothes that resonate with my feelings makes me feel invincible, my light shines twice as brightly, and it was always a let-down to come home after a spectacular inspiration walk with nobody to share my own style with. The blogger community is full of smart, funny, amazing women who provide that outlet and feed back into that positive cycle. 
3. What type of blogs do you like to follow/read? Answer: Many kinds, but mostly blogs by strong, witty women who appreciate the good vibes that echo through their homes, their communities, and the the world at large through the simple act of wearing things they love and sharing their life stories. 
4. What is the one thing you'd like to improve on as a blogger? Answer: My photos are mostly indoors; I'd like to get more outdoor photos. I'd like to integrate other stories into my posts...

NEW AWARDEES:

It has been a difficult decision, but in the way of the samurai (treat serious things lightly, light things seriously) I have decided to treat this serious thing lightly - I stress out thinking of my blog favourites.

1. Ariane at Style Montreal Sud-Est
2. Jean at dross into gold
3. Rosemary at Forever on the Catwalk of Life
4. Anne at The Frump Factor
5. Shelley at Forest City Fashionista

Some of my awardees have probably already won this award? I wouldn't be surprised. If you have, let me know and I'll pass it to another  - so many to choose from!!

__________________________________________________

Now -What I Wore

I missed Patti's Visible Monday, which was very disappointing, so here's what I wore Sunday.

And another shot mannequin style below to show the fitted bodice, which I love.

Details of the outfit:

• vintage cotton day dress, home-made, the colour of faded tea towels or curtains; it brings to mind the scent and sound of spray-starch or the shush of the hot iron over finger-flicked water.
• refashioned blouse, puff inserts sewn into the sleeves, many, many darts sewn into the bodice in reverse-Sharpei style
• bamboo fibre tights
• thrifted Dorothy red shoes

Ms Bagg has invited me to the Sahara for the 2020 autumn/winter collection shoot so I shall be indisposed until the end of the month. (Seriously, I am burning my candles in the middle now...all good, though.) So, I am sorry I have not commented on your posts lately, and my posting has been irregular too. I'll be back by the end of the month with quick peeks to everyone in between. 

Until then, dress fabulously! Live fabulously! Shine with your high beams on! (okay, you can interpret that last one however you like...)

Cafe Peignoir Cocktail Dress

After yesterday's activity - the art opening, which I shall write about soon - my whole body felt like jello with relief today in the vein of "It doesn't matter what I do today because yesterday is behind me." This is a liberating state of mind with which to approach one's closet! I thrifted a satiny bubble skirt with a wide elastic waist for the opening and decided at the last minute not to wear it, as often happens when I shop for occasion-specific attire, so I decided to wear the skirt today with my black tights and pickle-stabber shoes. Despite their fierceness the shoes are ultra-comfortable because they are elasticized around the opening.

Colour was desperately needed so I called upon my rainbow stretch dress, last worn here and here. But something was still missing... My fabulous peach peignoir! I thrifted it several weeks ago and was dissatisfied with it's tent-like hang, so today when I threw it on I belted it.

The photo does not do justice to the fullness and filminess of the peignoir or the satiny sheen of the skirt underneath. I can only say that walking down the sidewalk felt absolutely heavenly. Swish, swish, sashay. I saw a woman's jaw drop - it was a first! And that made me swish even more wildly with a ridiculous grin. Why not? Yesterday is behind me (even though it was one of my best days ever!). With the coat on, this outfit made me feel like I was going to an evening cocktail party along the Seine; I made do with the next best thing - my favourite coffee shop. (That black lump in the photo is my camera for street style spotting.)

Details of the outfit

• peach peignoir, thrifted, Community Thrift Shop, $18
• bubble skirt, thrifted, Wildlife Thrift Shop, $10
• shoes, new a couple of years ago
• rainbow stretch dress, thrifted, Value Village
• spring coat, new, Winners last spring
• white T-shirt, new a few years ago, Athlete's Foot!

What I love is how the cinched waist makes the peignoir flare. The fullness of the skirt also accentuated the coat's A-line created with the top button done up. I like this look much better with the coat. I think next time I might wear a different coloured T underneath. What do you think?

At the coffee shop I was oblivious to everyone around me as I scribbled about the opening and drew my little picture, then on the way home I ran into a wonderful gentleman I had style-eyed several months ago. Now I have lots and lots and lots of work to do...

This peignoir is perfect for Visible Monday! Here I come, Patti! Bonjour, everyone.
Big hugs and thank you's for your well wishes on the opening. They really worked! You guys are the BEST. Hugs again.

My art exhibit, what to wear...

I am a haggard harridan. Why? Many work deadlines, and I have been busily preparing for an art exhibition that opens on Sunday, all while battling my cold. (Do you hear the tiny violins? Neither do I!) O custom-designed a metal mounting system for my acrylic works on paper, each piece is about 5ft x 5ft. I am as excited about how wonderful his architectural mounts look with the paper as I am about finally letting my art out for some air.

So I have been working with all seven hands and feet, not quite a Medusa, although I do hiss under my breath when I'm tired and irked. I have been devouring nuts like a maniac, a weakness, and these odd flax, sugar-free cookies by Red Square, which are like sand blocks - when you bite into them they just disintegrate in your mouth. I think I like them...?

I don't know what to wear to the opening in two days, something oh so artsy fartsy and yet sophisticated and demure, with a dash of impish Frenchness perhaps. It's a group show so the pressure is not quite as heavy as a solo affair. Okay, I have no more time to fritter. I must get back to the important job of freaking out. This is a DIY poster for the show below. That colourful squiggly painting is one of mine.

If you are in the Vancouver area and are free on Sunday, 2-4 p.m., please come to my opening reception!! I will be bleary-eyed but oh so happy to meet you! The Baron Gallery website has details.

PS: I have been remiss in commenting on all your wonderful posts lately! I have been visiting briefly, guiltily, between tasks. Normal life should resume soon. And thank you sooo much for all you lovely comments here. They are like Wheaties (North American power breakfast cereal which I've never tried - have you?).

Double waisted

Why have only one waist when you can have two, I always say. These stripy pants are very low-slung, which I love, and I like the wide-cut shorty jacket too, but I was seeing too much black so I added this fantastic belt I recently thrifted to add another waist and a pop of colour.

Can I tell you how much I like this belt? It's very long so after twirling myself up in it I left the ends dangling like little tassels.  This is a perfect party outfit, just what I need for Patti's Visible Monday!

Here's the look I ended up with.

The Basics:

• pants, Joe Fresh, thrifted
• belt, thrifted, $3
• jacket, thrifted
• stretch wedge booties, thrifted (it was raining today so my footwear options were reduced)
• black T, Sport Chek

Below is a close-up of the belt. Note the glittery yellow disc in the centre - it's the superhuman power source. The studio lights kept turning it on which had the curious effect of making me levitate, so I had to keep changing my angle. Look at that loverly macrame! The tassels have beads on the end, good for flicking about. 

And I have taken a couple of pieces of art off the rack so the visuals behind me are different. There is a lot of action on the art front these days... The piece on the right has little volcanoes on it made from sculpting fibre, and they are full of primordial colours waiting to explode. Maybe the volcanoes are the ancestral home of my belt disc - how romantic, reunited at last.

Me at one with my volcanos. 

Have a great week all!

Coming out of the clochet

Today I did something different. Usually I grab things in my closet pell-mell to create an ensemble that reflects an overall mood, giving equal weight to all parts. Today I chose a signature piece, an accessory, which singlehandedly seemed to embody everything I was feeling, and then constructed my outfit around it. I'm speaking here of my felt cloche with the flower. Poor little thing was buried in the closet.

This one little hat said it all: I wanted to partially shield myself during my walk (still in recovery mode) and I wanted to feel romantically 1920s. The colour palette is quiet, but my cloche demanded it be so. The jacket has convenient velcro tabs for closures on the front and the shift has a freighter neck, much wider than a boat neck, which is concealed by the jacket.

Details of the outfit:

• cloche, new decades ago from Sears(?)
• shimmery green jacket, thrifted, Value Village
• moss-grey shift, new years ago from Eatons closing-out sale, downsized 4 sizes
• black tights, "Frump" shoes, The Bay
• magic teacup carrier with heirloom teacup inside; I made the carrier, O did the hardware
• hand-me-over black vinyl bag that holds all my pencil crayons, sketchbooks, etc.
• Shar Pei wool sweater

I'm still recovering but managed a brief, low-intensity game of squash today. It felt good to MOVE!

And finally - 

Ms. Helga recently posted a brilliant photo essay of her drunken escapades under a tree. I immediately thought of this painting I did, although Helga was much more visually exciting than the waitress in this piece.

Title: "Becky had had trouble sleeping lately; she finally realized that it wasn't the coffee keeping her awake but something much more sinister." Acrylic on canvas paper, 18" x 24"

Have a great weekend everyone!