Hat Attack 9, Stepford style, and Shop Secondhand First

I've been on the computer so much lately that my satin bow has become pixelated and I have turned into an animatronic Stepford wife! Thank goodness I could photoshop-out the power cable plugged into my head, which means I had better write this post for Judith's Hat Attack 9 (at Style Crone) quickly - who knows how long my brain's backup batteries will last.

"Gee, those moistened Q-tips work a dream at cleaning the venetian blinds. O will be so pleased. 

I can't wait to dust the lightbulbs and polish the bathtub drain."

Actually, being a Stepford wife would mean that I cook and clean and mend without batting an eye, when in fact I bat my eyes with great fury wearing these false eyelashes. It's the first time I've dressed up in fake lashes since I was about 12. I remember them clearly, Date Mates. Judging by my second photo, I don't think my gluing technique has improved since then.  

"Build me a pyramid and make it snappy"
Shocking non-Stepford behaviour! Clearly I am channelling strange energy from my green barrette.

This barrette was crafted by Kayla Gibbens, who gave it to Shelley of Forest City Fashionista for her giveaway, which is how I got it. Thanks, Shelley and Kayla. Shelley wore the same barrette in black and white for an earlier Hat Attack, here. I think this is one of my favourite head attachments - it's small, it's unique, and it's green; plus, it stays in place, unlike my hair which I teased into a stellar beehive that quickly fell flat, my fault for sparing the hairspray. I don't have a website for Kayla but if I get one, I'll let you know. (Edit: Kayla now has a Facebook page, Pxl Punk, so now you can contact her.)

Below is one my Stepford tricks for efficient housekeeping. I'm sure you can benefit from this tutorial on shirt-folding as well.

Oops, there's the timer for the roast and I still have to harvest my vegetables for the salad. Where's my extension cord? I'll never make it to the garden on battery power.

Thanks, Judith, for your hat meet-up. I'll activate the link when you go live on Tuesday.

PS - If I started acting Stepford, O would immediately take me to the doctor.

And this is what I wore today (Mon). This is for Bella's Shop Secondhand First link-up party at The Citizen Rosebud. 

My skirt is an oversized silk blouse with a scoop neck which sits quite nicely buttoned up below my waist. My hands are in my sleeves turned to the inside to form pockets, which creates a draping effect reminiscent of an Issey Miyake design. Everything here, except the shoes and tights, is thrifted. The short, heavyweight linen berry jacket is is short-sleeved. Flowing, flitty outfit, perfect for the springlike weather we are having today, 12C (54F). Flowers bloom on my legs.

Some of you may have seen this post without Bella's link. Horrors! I stand 100 percent behind her credo to Shop Secondhand First. Her featured blogger, Pao, is definitely a style and art icon for me too.

Visibling in the city - calm us down

Me on right, feeling vampirish. Ah, poor Jean. She comes to Vancouver a mere mortal and leaves as, well...

"Cut it out, Mel, or I'm throwing you overboard!" 

This photo shoot went something like this: "Did we get it?" "I don't know, I can't see." "Let's do it again." "Yeah, okay!" And again, and again. With lots of laughter in between, counting to ten with the camera timer like kids watching Sesame Street in the middle of a crowded thoroughfare.

Note the caution tape around us.

TOO MUCH FUN WITH JEAN of Dross into Gold, blabbing, shopping, power walking. And I broke a dish, oompah! What a privilege to hang out with Jean on her visit to Vancouver, and to meet her son and grandson. More photos of her trip are on her blog HERE. We were like a big ball of light illuminating the city, such a grand simpatico. Seriously, she is such a warm, smart, artist friend. I can see we're going places.

And secrets revealed - Jean is a real schtar. For REAL. Did you see her in this music video? You've got to watch it. Stunning! And she made that red top. Hold on to your hats, it's 1984.

!!JEAN STAR ALERT HERE!!

And if that weren't enough, the day before my Big Jean Adventure I got to hang out with Sheila of Ephemera and her Studly Man L for brunch, a wee thrift, and a preview of some serious shoe shopping during their anniversary pilgrimage to Vancouver. Sheila rather shamefully lied on her blog when she said there was no bum-pinching going on during this trip... Naughty. But no one is complaining. In fact, I feel rather left out! I had the honours last time here.

Happy anniversary to these two gobsmackingly smart, stylish, fun people. As soon as we walked into the Fluevog store another dapper gent asked them where they're from, he clocked them as out-of-towners by their sheer fabulosity. Sheila posted lost of excellent photos of their trip HERE, including the one below taken by L.

Oops, can't jump in those shoes. I look forward to future meet-ups - it'll be BYOWB (bring your own wild boar, insider joke inspired by a famous writer I know). 

Blogger meet-ups. Sheesh! From my computer into my meat life. It's surreal but oh so WONDERFUL!

Thanks to the inspiration from Jean and Sheila and L, my street style blog has groaned back into action. You can see them HERE.

Party of one, '30s style

Spy Girl Anne's 52-Pick-me-up '30s theme, bias cut and slinky.

Ooo, biatch face. Well, can you blame me after flying off to Paris for breakfast every morning for the past week on my personal Concorde? (It's the only one that was not decommissioned - parking is a challenge.) It's exhaaaausting, even with my flight steward Ferdinand to keep me entertained. Maybe I'll have sausages in Italy next week.

I made a post for these pics on Dec. 30 this year but couldn't bear to publish it, I don't know why. 

This maxi dress was $20 (or less? can't remember) marked down from akazillion dollars. Given its hideousness I can understand the need for the retailer to get it off their premises as quickly as possible. Heaven forbid anybody would actually don said hideous dress for swanning about their home for an evening of eating barbecue potato chips. Were I to dine on vanilla pudding, I'd have put on my white mink and diiiamonds as well.

My secret is out - I live on a cardboard stand which is rather inconvenient in a rain storm. This also explains why I am so two-dimensional. Clearly I was still doing Mel-in-a-box. 

I shall wear this dress outside for my morning inspiration walk when the weather warms up, maybe with a denim jacket or a kimono-type thingy and my black glitter platform shoes, also from said retailer's reject rack. In these photos I'm wearing my clear plastic-strappy sandals with clear acrylic heels - sorry no pics, I was concentrating on the dress, the MAN BROWS, and just enough makeup overall to make this an appropriate potato chip Occasion, oh, and it was New Year's Eve.

So I got to use these photos after all. Thanks, Anne.

Do you ever trash your posts? I've done it once before too, a post called My Worse Blog Post Ever Contest. I opened it but took it down about 15 minutes later. Miz Bagg wanted to see your worst. I decided I wasn't in the mood after all. But hey, feel free to join even if it's not official.

Bella's Shoe Shine and Anne's 52 Pick-Me-Up

These shoes, rescued from a shop's reject pile for $20 and worn in my previous post, are perfect for Bella's monthly Shoe Shine at The Citizen Rosebud. Thanks, Bella, for a chance to show off these glittery stompers. Note the magnificent double buckle closure. Contrary to what you might think, these shoes are not difficult to walk in because the pitch is relatively tame, but you'd want to stay away from them if you suffer from vertigo, especially paired with these socks, speaking of which...

Hugs to Anne at Spy Girl. Her geometrically-patterned socks inspired me to throw this pair on over top of my jeggings to share at 52 Pick-Me-Up - Sock Inspiration theme. She has a HUUUGE adventure going on in her life right now. Very exciting!! Read about it here if you haven't already. 

Until next time, 

Ease on down, ease on down the rooooad... 

I get my kicks you know where

Just another day at the office...

Bella of The Citizen Rosebud (of course everyone knows her already) sent me these suspenders months ago, along with some other AWESOME goodies. I've been wanting to debut everything all at once when the weather warms, but I couldn't wait any longer to share these: child-sized Calvin and Hobbes!! braces, LOVE! perfect for hoisting my sky-blue sequin tube top. It was challenge to figure out what to do with them, but now I have gobs of ideas. 

Bella, THANK YOU, again!

Who needs steel toes when you have glittery soles? And my Route 66 thrifted jacket was too big so I slapped a big 'ole zipper diagonally on the front - done, DIY. The hemline is wonderfully asymmetrical when the jacket is closed.

The tube top, blouse, and jacket were thrifted; the suspenders from Bella!; tool box from a collaboration between Chanel and DeWalt via O; the trousers from a sample sale, and; shoes $20 in the reject pile. 

And for inquiring minds - 

You know how when you repeat a word over and over it sounds like gibberish? That's how I felt about my closet - clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes, too many clothes, nothing to wear. Clearly the problem wasn't the clothes, it was the fact I was feeling SQUISHED!!! So, no, I'm not moving; I'm paring, scaling down, weeding. About 70% of my clothes are space-bagged in storage, but now when I open my closet I feel a fresh sense of play, of freedom. I can BREATHE again. 

Oh, yeah, I got a haircut too. Hee. I liked the Warhol mop but it had to go.

I'm skipping over to Patti's visibles at Visible Monday, Not Dead Yet Style. See you there.

Yellow Skirt Freak Show Update!!

saucery

SAUCERY

...S A U C E R Y...

. . ."S A U C E R Y". . .

A nickel gets a peek

at the travelling yellow skirt freak

show of golden arse-blooming magic

whirlagig riots on Smug FAIR

maiden, witchery wonderfully

wrings the hex out of each day

*********

C U R T I S E

The Secondhand Years

********

See the fascinator fountain

bloom eerily from her ENGLISH head garden

in a spray of floral delight

Step Right UP

Come one. Come all.

G O !   G O   N O W !!

_________________________________________________________________

The magic of Curtise combined with the magic of the skirt... Incredible styling and incredible graphics. You have to see what Curtise has done if you haven't already. FYS has a way of pinching our imaginations (in a good way). Thank you, Curtise, from all of us! xo

Jacquard of all trades

A lady never overdresses or under-dresses for an occasion. Thank goodness I am perfectly attired for my self-defined, over-the-top-and-bottom occasions at all times because I'm the boss of me. 

Every jacquard of all trades requires a tool-box handbag. O gave me this one, a case for a rechargeable drill with some of the plastic dividers inside removed to make it more convenient for carrying my power tool (my journal). I painted the case white and decided I like the tool look better so I scraped off the paint before it had time to set, which gave the case a slightly beaten look - a better look. I carried this bag out for the first time today, loving the fat handle. That humungous new loupe I'm wearing is from O as well, I was double-looped.

Sixty to 70% of my clothes are now Sealed, not unlike the royal tombs of Egypt, poised for rediscovery many months down the road, hopefully with a professional team of crack Steamers on stand-by. I am missing out on all the wonderful linkups going on but it's all I can do to Dress, work, and clean at the moment (the smile above is just for show). I lurk.

I also have some AWESOME gifts I've received from blogger friends I want to share with you, one from months ago best suited for spring... Have I forgotten? NO NO!!! NEVER EVER! They all require proper tributes.

And Curtise with the Freakish Yellow Skirt...how you lift my spirits! My next post shall be a proper homage. (And that lovely maxi skirt came to me via Curtise as well, first seen here. Many extra hugs. Everything else I have on was thrifted - like Bella says, Secondhand First.)