Fly me to the moon

I may be from Istanbul. I may be from Rio de Janeiro. I may be from Boca Raton. I may be from Kuala Lumpur. But one place I'm definitely not from is...

...the Kiwanis International Convention, as the security guard at the Vancouver Convention Centre was quick to note when Sandra and I tried to blend in with the hoards streaming into the building - he clocked us as gatecrashers at 100 paces; we'll never know how. So we took our style parkouring outside. The guard was very friendly and invited us back for Canada Day celebrations (Monday) and cake.

I'm glad we went outdoors. Check out that billow effect. Swoosh. The thing I like about hanging out at Vancouver's waterfront is the number of tourists from all over the world. Walk through ten crowds and you'll hear ten different languages. It's fantastic, almost like I'm travelling myself, ALMOST. Sandra and I even considered stopping for hideously-overpriced coffee with smiles on our faces until we decided to nip into our favourite swanky bar for a glass of wine and a snort-fest (snorts of laughter).

I had to give my jacket a helping hand as it was a bit weighty for the breeze. But Sandra's new thrifted silky smoking jacket billowed juuuust right to achieve her rock-star-the-morning-after look. She posted a photo on June 28 on her blog, Lens is More. She also posted part of what I was wearing on June 29, one of my favourite maxis ever.

Details

inside-out silk brocade kimono worn as jacket, thrifted

old white Gap T-shirt, retail, upcycled in a last-ditch revitalization effort

tights, retail

stretchy blue skirt, Metallicus, sample sale

painted boots, the zip on one is broken at mid way (you can see the buckled seam in the photo)

2 magic pendants from O

ghost-on-a-swing pendant from friend Monique of little lamp sculptures

neon sunglasses, vintage, thrifted

Canada Day is tomorrow. As you might know, Canada is a "commonwealth" country. Okay, I get the "common" part. What I want to know is where is the wealth? 

I hope you all had a lovely weekend, and for those of you stuck in heat waves, stay cool! I'm linking up to Patti's magnificent garden party, Visible Monday, at her blog Not Dead Yet Style. Mint juleps, anyone?

Female Pattern BOLDness

Jane George, this one's for you on Shiny T Tuesday, your first one, over at Flight Platform Living.

Check out how palatially-spatial these palazzo pants are. Oooh yeah. But I've showed them to you before. What I haven't shown you before are this alphabet blouse and fringe madness jerkin. (Thanks, Vix, for the word. I hope I've used it correctly. I always confuse it with the pickle.)

Details

• alphabet blouse made in L.A., thrifted, vintage
• leather fringed jerkin, thrifted, vintage
• palazzo pants, thrifted, vintage
• brown crackle leather boots by Miu Miu, thrifted
• indigo wool beret, thrifted
• cotton gloves, Canadian Tire automotive store, I decapped them
• magic loupe, as always, made for me by O

These patterns seduced me with song; they didn't whisper or shout. 

What I heard went something like this... Voulez-vous...

If you have a pattern that sings, shouts, or just whispers to you, think about joining Jane George for this inaugural link-up. Her blog is AWESOME! Have a great week, everyone. 

Aqua brows and dizzy tulle spirographing

Jazz Fest Day 2.

Yup, nothing like those crazy spirograph circles to get in the mood. 

And my aqua brows with bright lipstick, no eye products - a face in colourful parentheses.

I met so many great people downtown today. The music was unbelievable! 

This last photo catches my mood best.

Details:

• ballerina dress, thrifted, vintage
• graphic top worn over dress, thrifted
• platform sandals, thrifted
• silky accordion-pleat underskirt, thrifted
• green beret, gift from gorgeous Ariane at Style Sud-Est
• magic loupe and pendant, O made them for me
• whale airship, from friend Monique of little lamp sculptures on Etsy
• mechanical wristwatch (I seldom mention it although I always wear it), vintage, gift from O
• tights, retail

That's all. This is my third post in three days. Extremely unusual. 

I'll be joining Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday with this. See you there.

Don't forget to email Shelley of Forest City Fashionista to get on the Freakish Yellow Skirt travel itinerary. 

Again, thanks, Shelley!

Peace out AND Yellow Skirt News

That's me wondering why can't I get my photos to stay upright but I have found a solution, apart from having to stand on my head or contort into other shapes. Hurrah!! I should break into an anthem of some kind here...

So I'll have to go back into my dusty photo files sometime and right those tipped-over shots. Below is a closeup of the poorly-made shoes that I bought at super discount worn with my retail fabulously-made socks. Too bad I have a wrinkle at the ankle. Don't you love that peace T-shirt? I nabbed it yesterday as I was leaving the thrift store. Close call! 

I wore this outfit this morning to the Jazz Festival downtown. Free music? What a superb start to the day, although I hope the musicians were handsomely paid. The group that I caught at the art gallery sub-stage was clearly talented but distinctly Country & Western with lots of slide guitar action when what I was craving was soul food - waterfall sax, lots of string bass, trumpet... I'm going again tomorrow. And I think the festival continues through until next weekend. How great is that?

Details:

executive pinstriped pencil skirt, thrifted

peace T-shirt, thrifted, label called LOL Vintage

black T underneath, thrifted

black tights, retail long ago

striped socks, retail

poorly-made but awesome studded platform shoes, retail at big discount

magic loupe and 2 other magic pendants, made for me by O

I always wonder why so many people here dress like they're going hiking when they attend an occasion that requires them to walk more than one block.

I just reread my last post and laughed. Jeez I'm bossy. "Follow me on Bloglovin'" she commanded. I was ordered by Them to "claim" my blog and that's what I had to write, but put more civilly, having recovered from my tech meltdown, I have switched everyone I'm following over to Bloglovin' and if you'd like to keep following me, I'm there now too. Some of you have made the transition with so much grace that I didn't even notice. You are my role models. And thank you SO MUCH for keeping me real when you do drop in and your helpful comments too. (You're right, Val, it's an apostrophe, not an exclamation mark, but I was just seeing expletives at the time.) Also, if you have Google+, while I can enjoy your posts, sadly I can't comment at the moment as I am not a member, nor am I on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn or anything else. I have trouble remembering all my passwords as it is.

and 

YELLOW SKIRT NEWS

Friends, 

The request list for the Freakish Yellow Skirt (FYS) has become rather overwhelming, which is great news, and although I am an anarchist when it comes to style and self-expression, after emailing with Shelley of Forest City Fashionista, the most recent FYS wearer, I've decided to go ahead with coordinating FYS's globe-trekking. Shelley has most kindly offered to do a spreadsheet of people who request the skirt so that FYS is not flying pell mell to all corners of the earth and you don't feel passed over. Even with the list, I suspect the skirt will still be criss-crossing the globe as more people hear about it, so fear not: even if you miss FYS when it's on your continent you will still be able to participate in the years to come, which would be awesome! Thank you, Shelley. I could never do this on my own.

Therefore, if you would like to play with the Freakish Yellow Skirt, send Shelley an email, slong88 at hot mail dot com, letting her know your full postal address so she can do her admin magic. Also, don't forget to tell me when you get the skirt so I can put you on the official Travelling Yellow Skirt Freak Show page and make the announcement here. Also, it would be great if you could post the skirt to the next wearer within two weeks of receiving it - just a guideline.

Hugs and kisses to all of you for joining in this yellow skirt MADNESS!! She has got a mind of her own that yellow skirt and I love her to bits - um, hopefully not to absolute bits... It's crazy how she's touched your hearts but it's only because she's MAGIC!!! Born into harshness, resurrected into glory - Sing Anthem Now!! (See how bossy I am?) Thanks, Sarah at Misfits Vintage, for your idea in the first place!!

I'm being tech-handled here! And I don't like it.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin
I'm being forced to post this post because I'm being tech-handled, booted off Google Friend Connect in a matter of days. To follow me on Bloglovin! (I have to type that exclamation mark - it's part of their name!!!), click the stupid cartoon I did below:

Okay, I know now that cartoon clicking didn't work, so try clicking that next phrase, Follow my blog with Bloglovin Or you can click your heels together three times and say, Google Friend Connect, you SUCK.

And that's a cartoon of me hitting the washing machine and it's mocking me by loving it. Or rather, BLOGLOVIN'!!!! it.

And a cute kitten. Can't go wrong with that. But maybe it should be up at the toilet paper cartoon. (In reference to popular North American TV ads which feature fluffy white kittens to sell their toilet paper. Oh yes, that's EXACTLY what I think of when I reach for toilet paper. I think those ad people need to call in Miz Bagg to for some serious consultation - parakeets would be much better.)

Did that work? Gaaa!
I have good Freakish Yellow Skirt news coming in a real non-forced post soon.

I wore my nude-coloured vintage medieval-style corset (a new find BWA-HA-HA) as outerwear today. A woman walking by as I swanned down the sidewalk stopped, gave me a squinty sour-apple eye and said "Really?" I laughed in her face and moved on down the road. That was rude of me - I should have stopped and offered to pray with her to soothe her ruffled spirits.

Stay tuned for a future post in which I rant about how much I LOOOOVE Bloglovin'!!!!
Okay, time for more caffeine now, just one more mug I swear....

Okay, I previewed and I had over 200 followers and now you're poofed. Whatev.... Where's my coffee? Okay, the followers are back... Gaaa! Ba-bye.
And WHY does blogger keep making my photos go sideways? I fix them, they fall over, I fix them, they fall over, I twist them, they fall over. I preview, they're fine, then a couple days later, they fall over... I'm off balance here. Okay, coffee.

Yellow Skirt Freak Show Update!! and more...

She has LANDED in London, Ontario that is, the

Travelling Yellow Skirt Freak SHOW,

where she was gently coaxed from

SHY LARVA to brilliant b u t t e r f l y 

by THIS WOMAN:

S H E L L E Y of  

Forest City Fashionista,

(aka the latest VOGOFF cover girl).

Go! GO NOW!!

 Feast your eyes!

________________________________________________________

In other news:

You may know that Tamera, the Menopausal Supermodel, has hosted a Black & White Party in support of people living with chronic illnesses and conditions. Below is my contribution to her fantastic awareness campaign, my black tunic with black jeggings, black flats, and my black and white hat. Oh so demure.

I look forward to seeing what everyone else who participated wore!
________________________________________________________

But this weekend, I wasn't only wearing black and white...
I was the Thrifted Creature from Paillette Lagoon. Below I am shown immediately after crawling out of the lagoon (to my right) and sprouting human legs. I had to dry off before beginning proper human adventures.

Oh yes, Sandra and I were Style Parkouring again. No place is safe in Vancouver. Above I am sighing with grand drama outside an office tower, staring wistfully past the hoards of boring bustling bankers in blue suits, wondering, Now that I have legs, where, oh where is Rudolph (Valentino) to whisk me away on his camel?

Sometimes my clothing is a projection of my mood, but in this outfit I was one single entity, clothing and spirit united, creature from the paillette lagoon. 

In fact, the drama in this location was also the result of fretting that the concrete would snag my rubbery legs, but Sandra was kind enough to lend me her scarf to sit on to minimize snaggage damage. That's true friendship, folks. 

You may recall that I was nervous to wear this shocking hot-pink hot pant ensemble in pubic, expressed here. That fear was remedied quite nicely with this gold lamé second skin which Miz Bagg debuted in VOGOFF December 2012. The metallic gold rubbery substance not only normalized the look but its insulating anaerobic powers kept the day's chill at bay. I wore pantyhose as an under layer as well to prevent the synthetic skin from sticking to my legs. 

Yes, a different location but Sandra and I really had that architectural cross/water thing going on. Having experienced the absolute joy of life as this creature, I shall assuredly wear this ensemble again, provided the lycra dries without black mold. And I'm glad I was running late in the morning because there was no time to have second thoughts about this outfit. 

Can you believe the shine from those paillettes? - the perfect antidote to an overcast day. Sandra and I brought smiles and gaping mouths everywhere we went.

Details

hot pink bouclé hot pants and jacket, thrifted

gold lamé lycra bodysuit, rear zip, thrifted

gold paillette top, thrifted

brown crackle leather Miu Miu boots, thrifted

magic loupe, O made it for me

pantyhose, retail

I am definitely linking this up with Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style. I may be a cold-blooded creature, but I still like to socialize with humans.

And above, Sandra of Lens is More looking uber cool. After we finished our shoot, we went thrifting. Oh my! The treasures we found, the restraint we didn't exercise - shocking - but that's for another post.

And that's all for now. I hope I haven't missed anything... Have a great week everyone!! 

Shoe Shine and soft landing

Shoes for Bella's Shoe Shine at her blog The Citizen Rosebud. These are my go-to shoes for bad-assing with feminine floral rockin' sox 'em delicacy. And they were thrifted for a penny X about 1200 = $12.00 I think. Steve Madden. Worn here camouflage style. Thanks, Bella, for this meet-up. And huge thanks as well for PART DEUX of the interview with Roz. If you haven't seen it yet, I know you'll love to find out more about Rosalind of Clothes, Cameras and Coffee. Bella makes things happen - she's an incredible force for positive change. Can't wait to see what's next from her...!

Other recent outfits:

and

This second outfit looks waaay better in motion than static and minus the I-think-there's-a-piece-of-sand-in-my-mouth expression. The obi-style belt is high and in combination with the vertical stripe my legs feel like little trees. The roots of the tree are these clonky crappy-new shoes, so-named because although they were purchased retail the quality poor; the clonky part I like. Everything in both of these outfits was thrifted,  except for the teal tights and the crappy-new shoes.

Thanks for your response to VOGOFF! And again, huge hugs to all the amazing women who participated. I'm including a small cover image if you feel like putting it in your sidebar. If you want a different size, let me know and I'll make one for you.

And just copy and paste the following link address:

http://bagandaberet.blogspot.ca/2013/06/vogoff-june-2013-hot-off-press.html

The weekend is almost upon us. Are you giddy with excitement? I'm feeling the void of getting VOGOFF out, a soft landing, the puzzlement that comes with the curtain-drop on the final night of a stage performance. What's next? What's next?... 

VOGOFF June 2013 Hot Off the Press

It's finished - VOGOFF June 2013, all 56 pages. And I have uploaded four, count 'em, four ways you can read it. You can read it below as it appears on Scribd, where I put up the first VOGOFF issue.



Or, because I designed the magazine in a two-up layout, you can read it on a whole new VOGOFF website with your choice of pdf OR full-sized jpegs OR as small jpegs in a photo gallery. WHEW! Clicking the cover below also takes you to the new VOGOFF website.

Doesn't Shelley of Forest City Fashionista look incredible as the cover girl? I thought this photo she sent in encapsulated everything that VOGOFF stands for. Thanks Shelley! This will be a surprise for you. And there are many other amazing photos and articles inside as well courtesy of your talents.

If you don't see your submission in this issue, please don't be discouraged! I was inundated with excellent contributions and the decisions about what to put in were extremely difficult, but I hope you will try again for the next VOGOFF, whenever that may be.

Okay, and so I lied - I wasn't able to get out and visit everyone last week like I had hoped. VOGOFF just ate up my time, but now that it's out I can get on with my 3D life.

That's me from a shoot I did a few days ago for VOGOFF, just to give you an idea... Yes, I AM allowed to submit past the deadline because I have to put up with Miz Bagg! I shall be including this for Visible Monday. Although I didn't wear this outside on my inspiration walk, this shoe-o-clava headwear was pretty cool (I ruined my already-ruined tights to make it), and I want to share it with you at Patti's party at Not Dead Yet Style. Don't give me too many drinks because this shoe-on-the-head-look is tricky to walk in. Now my shoe is a body passenger - if that makes sense.

Secrets of the stars: You can see the gusset of the tights just near my ear. BWA-HA-HA. But it's our secret!  See?- you never know what those tricky magazine people are up to...

Thanks again, everyone, for your awesome support of VOGOFF! I hope that one of these four viewing methods works for you. And yes, I swear, your Honour, now I AM telling the truth - I shall be making my rounds with joy and a big laugh.

EDIT:

Issue 1 (test issue)

Issue 2

Issue 4

An alien and a monster truck and a prairie dog

I found myself between these two, sucking up the sunshine, baby!

The chain-link fence around that lot was unlocked today so I couldn't help myself...

I wore my see-through sequined wedding-dress type thingy, thrifted. Underneath I wore the maxi white slip that came with the dress, my thrifted vintage black lacy slip, and then my thrifted boatneck T. Around my neck is magic jewellery that O made for me. And I wore mustard tights and my fringy wild green boots. Having just met a big deadline I knew these boots and sequins would be perfect for my inspiration walk.

The last time I wore this dress was in September, in my studio, with my ancient faux leather hot pants, whose fate may be similar to my blue boots...

I'll be joining Patti of Not Dead Yet Monday at her Visible Monday. So glad you're back, Patti. Looks like you had a great time in NYC. I'll see you all there. I'm frightfully behind on my commenting and shall be visiting everyone this week. 

OTHER STUFF

I was intending to post the next outfit earlier this week but felt that I couldn't break way from work long enough to stick it up, despite the fact that I had already done the writing. It's a fairly casual look for me, comfy, yet colourful.

I'm just a prairie dog...

...popping my head up for a quick check around before dipping back down to my den to toil. Such little weeny paws tippy-tapping on the keys. Oh how I sometimes miss my vintage manual typewriter, the satisfaction of the delicate end-of-line "ping" followed by the table-shaking THWAP of a mighty carriage return.

Details:

silky lime-green patterned blouse, thrifted

blue stretchy skirt, sample sale

riding pant jeggings, retail

maxi cardigan, sample sale

boots, retail long ago

magic loupe, O made it for me

Indeed, I was certainly feeling chipper during recess earlier today when I went out with O for a bite. In fact, he snapped these photos for me when we got home. The instruction for the above photo was, "Look neutral. Neutral is best." He should have said, "Look like a prairie dog." Then I cooperated for the next neutral photo.

LOOK AT MY BOOTS! Ah, yes, the process of decrepitudinization. On their first outing newly blue they had cracked within a block of home. I didn't though - I was braced for it. The gesso primer didn't help. In future I would go with regular acrylic housepaint primer, although stretchy vinyl and flocked whatever-the-hell-that-is are never good substrates at the best of times. 

When I got home the zipper teeth on one boot separated from the fabric backing half-way down so I had to the tug the boot off my foot without fully unzipping it. But I'm not done yet - I have many more liberating plans for these lovelies. My foot passengers love these vehicles. Drive on, my good woman.

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