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Sunday 8 January 2017

Life beyond the screen

Oh look - I'm a real person! With real friends! Bwahaha. Thank goodness for friends. It's one of the big reasons I keep blogging.

I met up with Sue of A Colourful Canvas before Christmas and we had lunch at Vancouver Art Gallery before hitting the streets. We both happened to be dressed in screamingly bright colours. Not really a surprise. I mean, she's not called Sue of A Bland Canvas, is she? I'm wearing my Norwegian onesie. That's the gallery behind us.


After a lot of blah, blah, blahing, laughs, and startled guffaws, we marched down to the fabric store, Dressew, where we drooled all over their fabrics, so much goodness, especially in the faux fur section. Then, we stopped at swanky fashion retailer Holt Renfrew to ogle their merchandise. Sue tried on this adorable beret/hat with a pom pom thingy on top.

I really love Sue's hot pink puffer coat - so refreshing to the eye when most people are wearing dark outerwear.


And I tried on the humongoid hat below. Of course we didn't buy either of these hats but shopping is most of the fun. Holt Renfrew has recently completed a big renovation project so it's much more spacious and deluxe. It's a good thing - Nordstrom a block away is on the offensive. I'll let them duke it out while I do my real shopping in vintage, thrift, and consignment shops, although Sue and I got lots of inspiration here for our own projects.

Our meetup was the perfect way to brace ourselves for the holidays. If it's true that laughter is the best medicine, we were both satisfyingly doped up by the end of the day. Mwah, Sue!


And then I had my first booze of the new year last week when I met up with Sandra of standard.deviations for, uh, booze - a glass of wine during happy hour - accompanied by a pile of fries smothered in too much raw garlic and salt. Slightly pitui, but I forced myself, heh. I tried ordering a shot glass of wine, but they don't sell it in that size.

It was frickin' freezing outside afterwards. This is a picture of me looped and Sandra keeping her cool. The instructions for this photo were: DON'T MOVE YOUR HEAD! [maniacal laughter] My camera was perched on the post box on self-timer for this shot in the dark. But we wildly swung our arms around - just because, hey, wonder what that will look like. Now we know.


We are in Yaletown, Vancouver's warehouse district turned trendy. I remember club-hopping at gay bars here in the early '80s because that's where all the best dancing was. When I returned here after living abroad, everything had changed. Me too, I suppose.

And Sandra again below. Check out her BEAST!! She told me about this coat earlier that week and that's what inspired me to check out the menswear section where I found the traffic cone coat I wore in the previous post. Sandra's coat is probably made of the elusive blue faux mountain mink.


These are just two of the meetups I've had recently. While I was chatting with Sandra on a street corner one morning a while ago, Vancouver Barbara tore by in her sexy little car, beeping wildly, and I flapped a big wave back. I love these chance encounters.

I look forward to more meetups this year. The friendships I've made through blogging are the best thing about it.

I'll end this post with this photo from Yaletown.


In my wine-addled state, at first I thought an alien ship had photo-bombed our shot. But no - using my magic loupe, I realized that this looked creepily like flesh! Ghost hand?! Or had my own hand become so obviously rhino-hided this season I hadn't even noticed? It couldn't be a bicycle seat, right?

Then, using my superior powers of deduction, I realized that my camera on the post box had tipped downward on self-timer for an excellent shot of my leather glove tucked under the lens to prop it up. Brilliant.

Why don't they sell shot-glass sizes of wine? Why?

There are some outfit photos on my Instagram if you're interested. HERE. That's all.
Have a great week all youse guys.


22 comments:

  1. I'm giggling vicariously at your adventures with Sue, having been through Holts with you before! I adore Sandra's massive blue beast (obviously it's made from whatever Cookie Monster is). Huzzah for Muppet coats! You are so right - it's the people I've met through blogging that make it worthwhile. I couldn't keep doing this if I didn't know real people like you and Sue are out there.

    Tee hee at the handbag photo!

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  2. blogger meet ups are fabulous!!
    love the bright outfits of you and and sue! and that glove shot - mystical! xxxxxx

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  3. Again I am kicking myself for not moving to Vancouver in my younger days when Canada might possibly have let me in. Oh, well - I live vicariously through you and Sue and Sandra and your colour-filled, booze-lite days and nights wrapped in faux fur and fuzzy hats! The shot of the glove is a wonderful study in texture. And the answer to why they don't serve wine in shot glasses is that you would then drink it like a shot and quickly have another, and another, and so on... I can tell you from experience, drinking shots of wine is not a good idea. :-|

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    1. Ooooh....I sense a good story in all this Val.

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    2. Not really, Sue - just a headache and an avoidance of wine for a while(!). Melanie would probably have the good sense to sip her shot of wine slowly, while nibbling on a huge cookie and signing autographs.

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  4. ohhh, so fabulous ladies rocking together!, love your colorful coats, particularly that hotpink puff coat that Susan is wearing! (and you know that I love your red coat too!) Sandra is looking absolutely cool&cozy too!!
    Meeting with blogger ladies and red wine, it sounds like heaven!
    besos

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  5. Looks like so much fun!

    I thought you two looked a bit like you were flying in that photo with your arms in action.

    I am in love with Sandra's blue coat. I must start checking out the men's section more often.

    Friendships are the main reason I continue to blog. I know you're shocked. I'm sure you thought it was the millions I'm making in partnerships and product placement deals. Naw. It's what Mastercard can't buy. Bad breath and a poor attitude. Ha ha! Nope. Friends of course. ; P

    bisous
    Suzanne

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  6. You obviously had a lot of fun! There's nothing like a like a good catch up, eats and drinks with friends. Hope you manage lots more in 2017...

    xxx

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  7. I wish I could have magically transported myself out there to visit with you guys! We would have been a brilliantly coloured trio with my hot pink winter coat. Yep, the friends I have made through blogging have definitely been the best thing about it, and it is often the reason why I keep posting.

    As much as I like garlic, I don't think I could eat french fries garnished with raw garlic. Ptui indeed! LOVE Sandra's beeyootiful blue coat.

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  8. You are so funny! I love the massive fur coat she is wearing.
    " Sue of A Bland Canvas" -ma ha ha!!!!!!
    I want that hat!!!!x

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  9. What a joyful, life-affirming post! Blog life and "real" life. :) Yes, friends are essential, even if they live thousands miles away from us. And it's very special when they are so close and you can meet!

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  10. no, no shot glasses of wine are so last year. The other day I saw a story about some $$$ place that sells wine by the spoonful.

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  11. MY HAT! OMG...but I LOVE my hat! {I try to imagine it as faux fur...eh...it's in my imaginary closet, so why not?}

    Yes people...Melanie is real. AUTHENTIC. Wears her onesie and every other article of clothing like a boss. And is as brilliant as her Instagram smile!

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  12. I agree! Blogger meetups are the best! So excited to see you and Sue trying on hats and you both look fabulous. No surprise there!

    Happy New Year Mel! Wishing you the very best in 2017. I'm sure that you will continue to inspire us with every post!

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  13. It is so nice to see you enjoy friendships. I almost waved at you and Sue. I get it that Holt Renfrew had to do something since Corey left. That will have had some serious sales droppings effect.
    Enjoy your adventures dear. Hopefully I will see you in August/September in New York? Are you pepared?
    Greetje

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  14. I can feel the crisp air and hear the giggles as you snuggle into your brightly colored coats and savor the togetherness. Nothing like friends to warm a cold winter's eve. What a nice start for the new year!!

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  15. Dang that blue fur coat is fabz. You can kind of get a shot glass of wine. There exist communion "to go". No kidding. It's a tiny plastic cup with a peel off lid. Under the first lid is your communion wafer and under the next peel lid is the wine!

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  16. I'm sure we all yearn for our very own meetup with you Melanie. Friends, laughter and wine in any order seem to hit the spot. Great to see you ladies all having fun. Blogging is a wonderful source of joy and friendship - a real bonus!
    Anna x

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  17. Why DON'T they sell shot glasses of wine? You can get a flight of beers at most any old craft brew pub. Not much more in those little glasses than a shot.

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  18. awww, like puppies. I'm nostalgic now. You go girls!

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  19. It took you until January 8th to have your first booze of the year????

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