Blurred image in black and white

What would give me away? A few stray threads? A hole in my tights? A stain on my hat?

Am I the crazy lady down the street or the woman from Paris here to approve plans for the new hotel I'm building in Whistler? If I walk with rolled shoulders, hesitant steps, and furtive glances, I'm on my way to a costume party, but with shoulders back, a graceful gait, head held high, and a ready demure smile, I am the mysterious woman with a story to tell. Who is that?

People who know me know that I am expressing my Paris self with one foot in the present and one in a romantic past, the dreamer, the impish idealist. People who don't can take their pick: crazy lady, sophisticate, perhaps an artist or all three. The tool box handbag might be just what it is - O's tool box with my things jammed inside. Or is it the latest "it" bag from Milan? One thing is certain: if there's a stain on my hat, it's a tool box; if I am impeccable, the bag may be $$$$ and the pearls might be real.

As I pass, I blur in people's vision, which is the best way to preserve a stereotype. Careful scrutiny would show the cracks in the image - dry hands without a manicure, a lack of makeup except lipstick, and inexpensive hair. But I am just myself and I am content. To my knowledge there were no stains showing but I did have a small hole in the toe of my tights. Any stray threads were also all on the inside, simple tickles in the seams. But who's to know that? I wonder what/where/who tomorrow may bring.

Details

• high-waisted skirt with matching bolero jacket, thrifted from movie wardrobe sale, upcycled from a dress, I finished the bolero last night
• tool box handbag, from O
• wide-brim hat, San Diego Hat Co., thrifted, $7
• tuxedo blouse, thrifted
• pearls, thrifted
• mid-heel pointy shoes and tights, retail

The weekend is here. Cheers! I had an immensely satisfying thrifting expedition with Sandra the other day, her first time out. I can't wait to show you the sweet spoils of our hunt. PLUS, today on the way to my coffee shop, I noticed that a pair of shoes I've had my eye on for months and months were marked down from $124 to $37. Bwa-ha-ha-ha!!...I knew nobody else in Vancouver would want them. So ba-bye sophisticated Paris woman - hello Thrifty Glutton! 

Hope you're all well. I'm doing the rounds, slowly but surely. Mwah.

Making friends with something that used to gross me out

I used to shudder when I saw crocheted dresses, vests, blankets, bags - anything crocheted. It was just one of those things, like having a fear of spiders. It may in fact have been the web-like patterning of crocheting that triggered the cringe.

But look at my new favourite dress! A crocheted masterpiece! I saw it and my skin prickled - with delight, and, I must confess, a little bit of eeew which made it just right. Add to the dress a wondrous new red felt beret that I recently thrifted and I felt like an impish princess. Striding down the sidewalk in this Wonder Outfit of dress, hat, fence-climbers (shoes), and bright red lipstick, I was transported to Paris. Bonjour, bonjour, bonjour my dress said silently to passersby. Some of them actually answered back.

Details of the outfit:

• thrifted red beret, $10
• thrifted crocheted dress, $24
• fence-climbers (aka pickle-stabbers), new a few years ago
• black tights
• shortish black knit dress under the crocheted dress, new about 20 years ago, Tokyo
• fierce jewel necklace, thrifted, $2 (?)

Below I am hailing a cab: "Take me to the Louvre! IT'S AN EMERGENCY!!!"

And here's a shot without the bag and camera. The dress is pinched in slightly at the waist. I thought it was me(!) but it's the yarn.

I'm including this outfit in Patti's Visible Monday. Good to be back!

Revealing the Red Beret

If all my blogger friends were six-year-old girls, here's how I would introduce my new red beret:

I see my friends ahead in the park, giggling in their chumsy huddle. I'm running so hard towards them that I can't even stop to hike my skirt to pull up my tights that have puddled around my ankles - I can't wait to tell them. Breathlessly I break into the group. My flushed cheeks and sweaty hair are just right to create the saucer-eyed expection I was hoping for among them.

"Look!" I say, and with both hands I reverentially present my new red beret into the center of the circle. Everyone is silent in awe. "I know," I say, still gulping to catch my breath.

"Where did you get it?" Curtise whispers.

"I dunno," I shrug. "It was magic... You can touch it if you want." Hesitantly one girl after another feels the soft red felt. 

"Aren't you going to wear it?" Ariane asks.

"No way," I say, "this is for sure going in my special treasure box.

"That's frigging crazy," say Helga, Desiree, and Vix at the same time, as they snatch the beret and run off giggling wildly. Everyone follows, laughing, in chase.

FINALLY, what I wore to my gallery opening

Ariane suggested that I wear a red beret. Of course such an item was not to be found when I needed it most, and this is what I ended up with. It's hard to see here but those are my mustard tights and I'm wearing my bright red Dorothy shoes too.This is the outfit that appears in the header of Culture Serf, my street style blog. I carried around my camera all day and didn't take one shot, so friend sent me the one below. The piece in this photo sold already.

That's all. Hopefully soon I will be able to post more regularly.