Bare arms, plunging necklines, and tower hair, oh my

My arms are bare and I'm starting to be okay with that again. I was a bit wobbly (heh) for a while. Pfft. Bring. It. On! 

Grizas sent this dress and matching jacket to me over a year ago, April 2018, and I wrote about it here and even made a tiny video. 

I've said it before, I'll never be as young as I am right now, and if I already cover my arms, what will be left to show of my entire body in the years ahead? It's not about the body; it's about what's in the body, so go do something amazing. Go on!! - I tell myself.

And below, another thing I wore this week: my acid orange jumpsuit with a plunging neckline and no coverup top underneath - it's a first. And arms showing. It was just so dang hot and this jumpsuit was so dang cool I had to do it. After about five minutes I forgot about the neckline completely.

It was a good hair day when I wore my dress. Really, when my hair is sticking up all over the place I have yet to figure out what, from someone else's perspective, would constitute a bad tower hair day. "Uh, Mel, your hair is sticking up there." To capture said hair I went down to the Art Gallery for some photos and took the little step stool to sit on.

Exhibit A: Hair.

My hair is on the cusp of falling over so I have to enjoy every good hair day left before another Big Chop.

And below, the matching jacket. I feel like I'm sitting for a Sears portrait. Heh. Sears is/was a big North American department store, which always seems on the brink of collapse these days. And bye-bye Barneys - almost. At least they are keeping their New York flagship stores open.

I even brought my rockstar shirt from O and a vintage tie. I switched out the heels for my slip-on Converse running shoes.

Somehow the baggy crotch of the jumpsuit balances out the neckline. I also put on the diamond encrusted meteorite pendant as a distraction from the plunging neckline. That was kind of a big fail - it's big, shiny, and positioned right at the lowest point of the plunge - but it made me happy.

SWOOOOSH!!! You can see a bit of pylon or traffic cone in the corner. Coordinating perfectly. I can't lace the top lace holes of my shoes unless I wear socks because the sandals bite my ankles, and I didn't think socks would go.

And why not a kick to show you that this is not a dress. It's an even cooler jumpsuit!

The parasol was given to me by Lily-Lark last year. I often go out with it to protect from the sun. I went to the Art Gallery again. I love the light up there.

And the Pride Parade was last Sunday. I wasn't in the mood to dive into the crowds so I hung out on the periphery in a cafe and sketched in my journal, as I do. That photo below is two photos stuck together. I didn't have my tripod or camera so this is the best I could do with the phone. It still freaks me out taking photos on a phone.

That's been my week. How has yours been?

I'm too late for Patti's Visible Monday, dang! (word of the day), but I'll skedaddle over to Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike, at Not Dressed as Lamb. See you there!! 

Stay cool, my friends. 

Surrendering in a green oasis

"I surrender to the chaos" is what I painted on this tank dress a few years ago. I don't surrender all the time. For the big stuff, I fight back with vigilance and persistence, snarling, gnashing of teeth, and curled toes. 

These shots were taken by my friend Elizabeth Zvonar in a little green oasis not far from my home. I'm still shaking off vestiges of that pesky summer cold, so this nearby location was perfect. The next photo is my favourite of the bunch.

I like being dwarfed by nature. It's a feeling I definitely could use more of. 

Again, my mug by artist/stylist/designer Anne M Bray (IG and other links), which features many of my favourite bloggers. You saw it my last post too, on sale here. And my Lily-Lark parasol. All unpaid mentions.

I was going to choose a song for this post, but they all made me tired. Nature sounds are what I really crave right now. Get me away from the trucks and honking and screaming and loud mufflers (a pathetically great oxymoron).

Don't feel you have to stay on this page while you listen to the whole YouTube. Heh.

When I put a photo of this dress on IG, lots of people thought it said, "I surrender to the chaise (chair)." Yes, in fact I do.

Those legs really throw off my camera's white balance.

Below is my "flat lay," nothing to do with the bedroom, folks. Get your minds out of the gutter! It was in another post on the "Silver Foxes and Vixens" party I went to at Vancouver's Fluevog shoe store, where I got to meet the man himself, John Fluevog. He was immediately drawn to my elven shoes, which he told me are rare, made in a limited run. I bought them in the late '80s. Too bad they bite my baby toe, although that's probably what has kept them so pristine.

Soaking up some rays. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. 

It's a rather tame post this time. A rather tame life at the moment. 

I'm linking to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style and Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike at Not Dressed as Lamb.

I hope all of you are keeping cool, or warm, as the case may be. Thank you so much for visiting. xo

Not quite minimalist, but trying hard in Mel Nation

Having fun in the summer sun, although that day I had to wear this houndstooth Pepe Jeans London jacket to keep off the morning chill. I got it at Talize thrift store in Delta, BC, during a blogger meetup in early June. See my post HERE. I liked this outfit so much, I defied gravity. It was uncanny.

Oh behave!! WHAP! Hm, I seem to be enjoying that action a bit too much. 

Who, me? I am the model of robotic poetry.

I was wearing this and that. The floaty blouse and runners, which I farked, are originally from My Sister's Closet eco thrift boutique, proceeds to Battered Women's Shelter Services in Vancouver.

The parasol has become a summer staple. I have two, both from Lily-Lark, to suit every mood. No more skulking in shadows, except my own. That would make me a self-skulker. 

The jumpsuit below is vintage '70s I'm guessing, and I sold it. What was I thinking?! I opened an Etsy shop called Mel Nation and this was the first listing - my only listing. Mel Nation is ultra, ultra exclusiff; it has nothing to do with me being lazy or decision avoidance, no, nothing whatsoever.

If you want to see my empty storefront, it's here. So exciting. When I replenish my entire inventory, I shall invite you to become citizens of Mel Nation as well. No borders, just fruity drinks with umbrellas by the poolside and a secret handshake, which I'm currently choreographing.

With the brown belt above, with no belt below. This piece is on its way to Oslo. If you hear maniacal laughter coming from the sky above, wave, as it's the jumpsuit flying overhead. 

With this massive sell-off, life here is so calm, so KonMarie, in reference to Marie Kondo's bestselling book, "The life-changing magic of tidying up." Sigh. Ohmmmm.

HaHaHaHAHAHA!!!!!

I made these sketches in 2015 - on the same day. Clearly, they are as relevant now as they were three years ago in Mel Nation, which, come to think of it, sounds almost like damnation. How weird is that? They were originally posted on July 1, 2015, "Let your clothes choose your profession, and Hat Attack." 

Below, obviously these are white wolves at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Vancouver.

You can see the brolly bag below. Slung over my shoulder it reminds me of Asian weaponry. Whap! 

And red.

With Turniphead. Because.

I know I'm late, but in case you missed it, Sherry of Petite Over 40 made an awesome video of our June meetup. I laugh every time I see it. Her post is Blogger Meet-Up Proves Vancouver's Got Talent. Suzanne's meetup posts are Strike a Pose Blogger Style - Blogger Meet Up 2018 and Breakfast at Tiffany's Prom Do Over.

VIDEO by Sherry, Petite Over 40

That's all from here. I'm going to link up to Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday, and Catherine at Not Dressed as Lamb for #iwillwearwhatilike.

I hope you are all well. Big hugs to all. Thank you so much for dropping by!!

Safety wear for the stylish woman

We were walking in tandem, me on one side of the fence, the construction guy on the other. He looked over and said, "That could be a safety vest."

I replied, "Yes, it is!"

Well, technically it's a life jacket so I get double the protection of a mere vest.

This paillette jacket protects me from psychic debris. Whew. There is so much of it around!

With my construction gear I'm wearing my rockstar pants, which are thrifted low-riders that I upcycled with Sharpie markers and acrylic paint, featured several times on Bag'n'B. They were noticed by Paul Stanley of the band KISS the first time I wore them. I was in a shoe store and oblivious to his presence, but my friend Sandra of standard.deviations clued me in later. I'm bummed that I didn't get the chance to ask him for pointers on how to wear platform boots with aplomb and his favourite makeup remover. I love that guy!

And I'm wearing my upcycled T-shirt, "I am my own brand," which I would change to "I am NOT a brand" if I were to do it again. Those are my super-duper discounted Topshop platform sandals.

Below I'm raising my arms to the universe. I was in the concrete studio but I digitally edited myself into a photo I took of the beach the other day.

Schlep schlep schelp schelp seems to be the little cartoon sound of my feet as they release from the hard reality suction of the concrete sidewalk. Each step schlep. How tiresome. This is also why safety gear is a top priority. One must never get sucked in by hardness!

Other protective construction pieces I wore recently.

That outfit features a vintage dress with a tulip hem. It's a fairly substantial brocade fabric, fully lined, too big and heavy for a dress, so I snipped it up the front and turned it into a coat. The sparkly owl pendant is from Patti of Not Dead Yet Style.

And I almost always go out with one of my parasols from Lily-Lark.

Below are my "safety" glasses, which I got from Vint & York in New York. They make me feel like a psychiatrist with panache and a love of the arts. Don't ask me why. Sandra, standard.deviations, thrifted that Maison Martin Margiela for H&M wool darted jacket. Sweeeet. Ever grateful to her.

And of course, I also wore this:

And then when I get home I unwind with Kitty.

Those are the highlights of my week, my friends. Remember: Always suit up. Always protect yourself from those harmful rays of negativity.

I'm linking up to Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday and Catherine at Not Dressed as Lamb for #iwillwearwhatilike.

What do you use for safety gear?!

Pinky tea with a parasol

Oh dear, I think it's time for pinky tea at the country estate again. It's on my mind on account of the Royal Wedding. Did you watch it? One of the major thoughts I had when flicking through footage the next day was, that woman, the now-Duchess of Sussex, will never have to vacuum again, which is a good thing because her new digs are ENORMOUS, a perfect venue for pinky teas.

I'm featuring my new parasol this week wearing three different outfits on different days. There is something elegant, almost regal, about a parasol. It works hard in tough conditions but always maintains its composure, whether it's with man-pyjamas, above in Outfit 1, or a Moschino suit, later. 

I call this black shirt-dress man-pyjamas because I found this piece at Talize thrift store in the men's nightwear section. (Never overlook other sections in the thrift store.) And of course I'm wearing my magic loupe that O made for me. You can buy one too at his Etsy store, OSK Micro-Art Studio. 

Outfit 2 below features everything upcycled: my Marni for H&M pants with added side stripes, from Vancouver high-end consignment store Mine and Yours, chest-cooler T-shirt, graphic vintage handbag, and scribbled-on sneakers. And my magic loupe.

I seldom wear hats on account of my tower hair, and my pores choke when I put on lotion, so this parasol is perfect: it maintains the do, protects my skin, and keeps me cool. A special coating on the fabric blocks 98% of UV rays.

I almost bought a paper parasol last summer thinking a parasol would meet my needs. Glad I didn't because Lily-Lark asked if I'd like one of their designs. Wow, yeaaah!

Finely crafted in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from bamboo and wood, with ultra-soft, durable fabric in divine arty patterns. It's lightweight and comes with its own carry case. See how it's made HERE.

It's like a mega-brimmed hat but better because I control the roll, pitch, and yaw with a flick of my wrist.

Below I'm standing next to Elizabeth Zvonar, an artist friend, with the parasol closed.

I'm also wearing very cool tights that Zohara "Art on Tights" sent me. They are super soft and opaque at 120 denier, just the way I like them. Vancouver can be cool in the spring and summer, so I'll get to wear these tights year-round. I have more pairs I'll show you later.

Lily-Lark parasols come in large and small. This is a small - I thought it would be perfect for navigating busy city sidewalks. It is.

The pattern and drama of the parasol inspired me to make a short video on a whim. That day, I was wearing Outfit 3, my Moschino plaid suit, which features men's ties on the jacket and skirt. I bought it last year at the West Vancouver United Church Flea Market on a tip from friend Yvonne.

With the suit I'm wearing my cat/dog sticking-out-its-tongue T-shirt tucked in. But you can see the eyes when I don't wear the jacket. I got it on a tip from friend Sandra.

All that parasoling, I'm tuckered out. It's an Olympic sport now, did you know?
Then it's nap time on the concrete steps. Aaaah.

Give a lady a little privacy, would ya!?!
So many uses.

And that's the carry bag you can wear over your shoulder, which I do. It's almost like a samurai sword. Almost. Always at the ready for solar emergencies.

You wouldn't believe all the conversations I have with interesting people when I carry this parasol. Several men have commented on the quality - I'm not making this up. I'd love to see men carrying parasols - that would make my day!

Note to Lily-Lark: how about some canopies with monster trucks and stems that look like steel rods? Our skin is important and some guys can't stand lotions either, let alone large-brimmed hats. Good luck with that, hahaha! But why not?

I didn't remove the tags right away because I was always getting asked the brand. Now I won't forget. This design is called Taco.

Before, on sunny days I'd have to skulk awkwardly from light standard to light standard, like Inspector Clouseau of the Pink Panther, very undercover. But now, porting my own shade, I can walk wherever I like - what a concept! It's very liberating to choose my own path.

I met another woman today who also has a parasol - her skin is sensitive to lotions too. Are sun parasols a new trend? Rather, the revival of an old trend? Would you carry one?

That's all for this week, friends. I'll link up to Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for her Visible Monday and Catherine at Not Dressed as Lamb for her #iwillwearwhatilike.

Groove on!