Happy maxi skirt with attitude

Hello, everyone! I'm on my way to Visible Monday at Patti's place, Not Dead Yet Style. It's a new week, full of possibilities... I'm ready. Nothing like a zesty lemon maxi skirt to sproing me up. I bought it at - gulp - Joe Fresh...new. (I hang my head in shame.) This skirt very boldly screamed at me as I gawped at it in the window about a month ago. I didn't flinch though - I knew the price would drop. And drop it did. I waltzed in and rescued it late last week for half price. I don't think the store had sold even one; every size was still on the rack. So sad but not surprising. (Where do unwanted skirts go?)

Here it is, the look that says, Don't get in my way or I'll flatten you in my happy skirt. O calls it The Willow Monster with Two Shadows. In fact, I can imagine silently levitating down the sidewalk in this upright position, frighteningly calm and zesty, very Japanime.

This is the best spinnaker sail in my closet! Today was breezy and I just couldn't resist gently holding out the folds to catch the wind. Whenever I'd stop at a walk signal, it would take seconds for the billowing fabric behind me to catch up. I wore the turtleneck to protect my neck from the sun but the fabric is light and breathes. And there was plenty of air-conditioning down below...

Details of the outfit:

• yellow maxi skirt (with pockets!), Joe Fresh, new, $30
• fuchsia silk top and teal silk top, hand-me-overs
• turtleneck, thrifted
• Michael Kors platform sandals, thrifted, Value Village
• sunglasses, new about 15 years ago, Sunglasses Hut?

I also had a kick in my walk because I was feeling energized and to prevent falling flat on my face by tripping over that hem. Did I also say this the longest maxi I own? Tip: People are friendly to women in lemon skirts.

Other News

I took down my art pieces tonight; the Baron Gallery exhibit closed yesterday. What a ride that was!! The people who attended my action painting workshop will be exhibiting their works for a week and the opening is Sunday, July 22, 2-4 p.m. Free refreshments. I'll definitely be there. Everyone is so incredibly talented, I wouldn't miss it. Thanks for your support during this exhibition!! I really appreciated it. 

Remedy for too much pattern

This dress had too much pattern for my liking so there was only one thing I could do: add more pattern. I desperately needed a distraction from the florals, and I found the solution in my lovely satin Oriental top with its own groovy motif. I added the little velvet tie belt to disrupt the red field on my torso and unify the overall flow. The pattern riot is then anchored by black shoes and Trusty Beret.

When I thrifted this dress for about a dollar it had big stiff ruffles lined with bright pink satin around the cuffs and hemline - hideously fun but seriously too hideous. I ripped them off immediately but kept them for future projects. This dress was obviously lovingly hand-made. The fabric is a polymorphoid blend, which is most probably water-resistant by the old feel of it.

Details of the outfit

• polymorphoid thrifted maxi dress, True Value Vintage (gone now), about a dollar
• red satin Oriental top, Wildlife Thrift Store
• stretch pointy heels, new some years ago
• black T underneath to shield myself from the rainproof fabric

This outfit looks much better in motion that it does static. As I kicked down the sidewalk this outfit seemed to say, "Howdy, howdy, would you like to join me for tea?" I wore this on Friday, July 6, just before summer descended at precisely 10:03 Saturday morning. 

And today I am happy to join everyone over at Patti's Visible Monday gathering. I look forward to seeing you there! Everyone always looks so brilliant. 

Other News

I gave my encore artist talk on Sunday at Baron Gallery and it went very well! The capacity audience was incredibly supportive so I felt very relaxed. An art critic also wrote a review of my work and my talk, which was published Friday in an online award-winning newspaper - it gave me a shock...and a huge grin! If you're interested, you can find it here. I wore my muu muu and beret, and of course Grushenka, my magic wand/pointer cast a lovely bubble of safety and goodness.

Neutrals in overdrive (or my Clint Eastwood impression)

You know how much I love pattern mixing and loud florals lately... Well on Friday I needed something calmer, something quiet but with a big stick, er, handbag. This is what I chose and what I am including in Patti's wonderful Visible Monday get together.

My expression in this photo reminds me of Clint Eastwood - "Make my day, punk," she coos as she catwalks the city streets, swinging her oversized vinyl handbag menacingly at her side. This face is close to the rocker bad-girl face I was striving for with comic results the other day. To achieve it, all I had to do was "think chic." What does that mean?!...

I had forgotten the power of this hat. It is a light-knit cotton hat, very flimsy in fact, but the brim has stiff ribbing in the brim that maintains the strict shape. It was still cool outside so I had to wear my wool wrap too. 

Details of the outfit:

• side zip Capris, thrifted, Value Village years ago
• wool wrap, Eatons closing sale(?), years ago
• stretch shoe with wicked kitten heels, new several summers ago
• large black vinyl handbag, hand-me-over
• black oversized short-sleeved T by American Apparel, Winners years ago
• Hermes leather wrist wrap, hand-me-over (yes, a fabulous piece)
• black hat, I think it was new from The Bay years ago

Other News

The action painting workshop I led at Baron Gallery on Saturday was very satisfying. Everyone who joined made spectacular paintings and I am so pleased with how the day went! I returned home exhausted but with a big grin on my face. 

This is a photo of me with participant Jane Appleby and the magnificent piece she created in the workshop. You can still see signs of activity around the floor. Jane is a professional artist in Vancouver who had an urge to GO BIG. Did she ever! You can check her work here. I wanted the participants to paint my pants during the workshop as well but I forgot - next time. By the way, the talk last week went very well too, backed up by Grushenka, my magic wand, and the PowerPoint cartoons I had drawn.

My bloomin' floral dress

Summer is here! Really - today is the first day that I could go on my inspiration walk without a jacket or cardigan, although tights are still comfortable at 18C (64.4F). I wore this cheongsam-style light cotton dress on May 25 and posted the sketch here. Today I opted for my dove-blue tights instead of the mustard tights in the sketch. I also think my black beret would have grounded this look better, but I didn't care - I was craving bright red on my head. I also like the analogous smack-down between the red beret and the pink top.

Details of the outfit:

• cheongsam-style cotton dress, Wildlife Thrift Store
• Dorothy shoes, Hush Puppies, Value Village
• dove-blue tights, sample sale
• red beret, Community Thrift Store
• pink top, sample sale

And below is what I wore to my artist talk at Baron Gallery last Saturday, minus the vest and the ankle boots, taken from my post of January 27. The day was rainy so I changed into my thrifted Dolce and Gabanna leopard-print shoes when I got indoors. While the severe pencil skirt and Grushenka, my magic wand, projected the image of a strict school teacher, my voice was much too twee to pull off that persona. Maybe next time, July 8...

My action painting workshop is on Saturday and I am fluttering around to prepare, so this is my last post till next week. See you soon!

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?).