To IG or not to IG

"DRIP OF THE DAY" 

on tap at my cafe:

"Burundi: a tropical aroma with flavours of cherry, 

red apple, caramel and a syrup finish."

I declined. I am a pure bean woman, as you may recall.

But that didn't stop me from doing this...

And I ate lard today. Not a huge helping, just enough to make me wish I hadn't eaten it. It was baked into a big biscuit which I wasn't hungry for but I ordered and ate anyway. Stupidly.

I have two very different looks for you in this post - one ultra-casual in jeans worn today (my building guy didn't even recognize me this morning) and one jewellery-laden ensemble worn yesterday. Both made me feel swell. The open mouth photo is me - preparing to eat lard, like a fledgling in a nest waiting for its mama to fly back with, um, a mouthful of lard? Moving right along...

I am in training for jewellery-wearing. I'm not sure how many lessons I'll do. This stuff is heavy. It leaves dents in the back of my neck - seriously.  But if I loosen my scarf that might not happen. I wore this 100% silk thrifted maxi tunic/dress yesterday. It says XL but I altered the shoulders to fit. The man robe draped over my arm kept me warm enough. You may remember it from "my man robe" video, here.

I didn't "do" my eyebrows to be asymmetrical; they were that way for real today. And I wore my hair sort of side-parted. ("Today" is Friday and "yesterday" is Thursday in this post.)

Shoes for Sheila's Shoe Shine at Ephemera. Thrifted. Debuted in previous post.

I haven't been blog-crawling much. And I just did a quick review of a few blogs I have commented on and some of my comments are missing despite doing a double-entry. I have the sense that blogging is becoming antiquated, that I should really be Instagramming. Its platform based on quick-shotted pithiness is appealing, as is the idea of being able to Like and run. But I don't want a phone. And contrarily, the reasons that attract me to Instagram are what keep me blogging - IG excels at Show, but I also enjoy the Tell of blogging that lets me express myself more fully (like the lard bird story) and get to know everyone else much better. In the end, I'm going to do what makes me happy. But the pressure, the pressure! No Facebook, no Twitter, no Pinterest, no Tumblr, no Link On Me... I'm a step away from a museum.

Do you remember the movie The Big Chill? The Michael character played by Jeff Goldblum was a journalist for People magazine and he said: "You can't write anything longer than the average person can read during the average crap." We've become so abbreviated in social media that maybe the line should be revised: than the average person can ???...  Any ideas?

Do you do all of the social media things? How do you manage your time? Are you obsessed? (I also fear IG for that reason.) Do you in fact or fiction make money from it? Think it's possible? Use it to promote an outside business? Hope to become an icon, not that you aren't already, darling. I sometimes feel left in the dust - not that my house isn't immaculate, simply immaculate!! Thoughts? (not on my cleaning habits, but the other questions, okay, my cleaning habits too)

I hope you are all well and enjoying your changing season whatever it may be. 

Rainbow of black and white

Coarse fabric and oversized high-waisted pants are an awkward combination; strict measures needed to be taken. Now these vintage pants fit like a dream and the checkered flag in the front crotchal area has become a star. Bingo! The pants are also short, and while I contemplated adding a band of black or gold or red to the hem, I decided that the high-waters effect enhances their retro appeal. I mean, these pants could never look standard anyway. Why bother trying?

I'm also wearing my Frump shoes, so-named for their plain style, but they are favourites nonetheless. They were out of commission for a spell because the leather started tearing horizontally on the sides where the shoe bends. Gorilla glue and leather patches took care of that. The bandages are hard to see in this photo but I folded them over the top and glued them down on the outside and inside. The next day I noticed a dusting of white powder on them. Ah yes, that would be the tiny skin bits that riiipped off my fecking glue-covered fingertips while holding the patches in place. 

I'm linking this up to Sacramento's Share-in-Style, freestyle, at Mis Papelicos. And I'll link up to Anne at Spy Girl for 52 Pick-Me-Up: Dots even though these aren't dots, and to Sheila at Ephemera for Shoe Shine, even though these shoes are more of a glimmer than a full-on shine. 

Next:

"A citrus aroma with flavours of apricot, grape, and caramel, and a juicy finish" 

"Oh," you say, "that must be a new wine she's writing about." It's a new whine all right, about my coffee. This is the verbatim description of the "Drip of the Day" coffee from Papua New Guinea that was featured at my coffee shop this morning. I don't know about you, but I don't want fruit in my coffee. I do not want to start my day imagining plump bitter-skinned purple grapes drizzled in caramel sauce. And why would I want "juicy" coffee when I can have juice? That's what citrus is for - juice!

Call me old school, just call me old if you want to, but I want my coffee nutty, coffee-beany - not fruity, not candied (unless it's on the side), and definitely not citrusy. Or floral, which is another blooming coffee trend. Did manufacturers suddenly run out of coffee beans and go, "Hey, I know, why don't we throw in all these flowers and fruits? Nobody will ever know!" - except they broadcast it, except it tastes like crap. (I suppose we're lucky their plants are not next door to sock factories.) I'd rather sip coffee made from beans shat by a kopi luwak than a wet, fruity, floral abomination, although I can't afford that kind of shit. 

When I'm lucky my shop serves up a lovely Italian "Drip of the Day." We're not talking Steve Buscemi, but a more robust Pacino or De Niro, although they'd all probably order espressos or cappuccinos. In this sense, I'm afraid I would be the drip.

But let's get serious - am I to expect "A brussel sprout aroma with flavours of pizza, cheese, and banana, and a sour finish" next week from Iceland? Sure, why not just serve me wet minced bark with a tulip in it and call it day?

Where my Nescafe? Better yet, get me a highball, quick, double juicy.

How to get more Followers

Warning: content might use language.

266. That's my magic number. 

My number of Followers (on Google). Do I care?

Me? Moi? Fer-krissakes. It's just a number. Ho hum. Big yawn, bigger, biggest.

We all know it's not how MANY followers you have, it's the QUALITY.

OMG OMG OMG, I have no fecking followers!

OMG OMG OMG, I have so many followers I can't keep up!

OMG WTF LOL. Is that even language?

Some mornings I wake up with "A Plan." I know exactly what I need to do to Get. More. Followers. which will miraculously make me Good. Better. Best!!!

I'll put on something sheek, probably only one layer even, go outside, find a blurry background (I may need a few drinks first), then have a real person take photos with a heavy camera. Ba-bye garbage room atelier!! Ba-bye concrete box studio!! Ba-bye cardboard box studio!! (here) Hello Hollywood. Mmm, baby, yea-aah! Atlantic Pacific*? Heck no! It's Arctic Ocean Antarctic Ocean…

My No-No List says nothing about hot pants, specifically thrifted Moschino wool/cashmere blend hot pants, sample.
I had to fark this photo to get a blurry background. 

I won't spell words rong, and I'll schtop writing with a stupid slobbery grin on my face, and crumbs stuck all over. I'll grit my teeth, look serious with undertones of sexy, playful magic, and then pay someone accredited to shove bacterial toxin botulin around my eyes and my mouth to counteract the effort. Now we're talking!

"Get More Followers" Photo Guidelines for Old Women (me)

Absolute No-No's

1. Eyebrow wiggling or any asymmetrical brow pose
2. Weird lip positions, i.e., smirks, fish-lips, tight lips
3. Vulgar displays of teeth (teeth are cutlery for goodness sake!)
4. Bulging eyes in fake surprise/fear/innocence/loathing
5. Garish emotionalism, genuine or feigned
6. Shaggy clothing (only young people in the UK "shag")
7. Bright colors below the waist (and only in moderation in the torso and head areas)
8. Platform footwear and hosiery with holes, unintentional or deliberate
9. Underwear/nightwear/support gear worn on the outside
10. Jewellery larger than a small marble, unless real diamonds
11. Ill-fitting/ripped up/scribbled on/wrecked attire
12. Sparkles, spangles, pailettes, dingleballs
13. Visible or loud cosmetics

I have been guilty of all of the above, although I have not shagged in the UK, even when young, nor worn real diamonds larger than a small marble. Follower Failure case in point below. Outfit a couple of days ago.

No-No's: bulging eyes, shaggy clothing bits, too many intense colours in the torso and head areas, visible lipstick.
New thrifted muppet vest. Linking this to Rosy and Mis Papelicos Share-in-Style: Plaid. Almost missed it.

As I was saying, I'll not only LOOK serious but I'll try thinking before I write too. There's a novel thought. Yeaah! And I'll prepare my posts more than one hour in advance. YESH! YES! In fact, I'll plan my posts DAYS in advance, nay, one WEEK in advance on a, I can't believe I'm writing this, on a SCHEDULE! I'll distill my intellectual erections into sweet non-caloric fashion bites of grey and beige and navy. YES! I'm on a roll!!! (oooh, roll reminds me, where are those leftover bun thingies?) I'm gasping in anticipation. (bun, bun, bun)

Of course, I'll get advertisers and make piles and piles of moolah. Every click to the sewless needle, hair vibrator, ethical lipo village will yield me riches. RICHES!!!! BWA-HA-HA-HA…

I'm tired now. I need to take a nap. Where's that bun? Where's my fecking uni-layer? Oh, feck that.

To all youse 266, mwah, mwah, mwah!!! I can't believe you have signed up for this abuse and you don't even get PAID! I have more grey hair now than before I started blogging in Jan. 2012. What does that mean??!!

If you've managed to read this far, have you ever wished you could turn off the numbers?

*blog of young style goddess, ho-hum

For Sheila of Ephemera Shoe Shine 20, thrifted converse runners I scribbled on, a Big No-No!!

Sleuthy in the garbage room atelier

CALLING ALL UNITS: Be on the lookout for 

Shadowy Woman in a Shadowy Cat Bar

I woke up in a dark underground bar surrounded by drunken cats, a passed out bartender, and a dog head on the wall. I can't be sure, but I seem to remember some bad poetry too. Am I dreaming?

This definitely called for a head-to-toe black-ops shoot in the garbage room atelier.

Under cover in tuxedo pants that someone before me paid lots of money for, a $5 top, and a thrifted wool beret. What's on my feet? you ask. BWAhahaha!!!!!!

You know my green shagariffic boots? It doesn't matter, suffice to say I have acquired an identical pair in black for waaay more cheap, thrifted, $30. My undercover exposed black-socked toes were chilly but it was a small sacrifice for feeling slinky sleuthy. Except for the shaggy texture, these boots are a tad boring, so I have Plans for them. [Edit: I'm linking these boots up with Sheila's Shoe Shine 18 at her blog Ephemera]

Also, it's nearing the end of the year so I sketched this this morning on my inspiration walk. I'm - 

                  T  A  K  I  N  G      S  T  O  C  K               

H  A  P  P  Y     N  E  W     Y  E  A  R     

YOU GORGEOUS CREATURES, plus you're smart too, and funny, and creative, and have generous hearts.

Just moving like a fool in the garbage hall. Same 'ole, same 'ole.

I'm linking up to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Shtyle, even though I'm under cover. I'll deputize you all and give you a badge too.

My Stylish Thoughts and Birthday Bash at Sheila's

In case you missed the addition to my last post: I am featured in an interview in Imogen Lamport's Stylish Thoughts column on her dynamic blog Inside Out Style. If you want to know more about me, "Yesh, shecrets of the schtars!!" have a look. Imogen has had some life changes lately, well worth the read, and while she knows the style rules, she also believes in breaking them. Thanks, Imogen. I feel honoured to be in your lineup!

Now for more business: Sheila's Party!!

Happy Birthday, Sheila!! What a lovely party. Yes, it's Sheila of Ephemera's Birthday Party and I have dressed up special for it. I like these photos so I'm surprised I didn't wreck enhance them. I look a bit like a coconut.

If you'll notice, that's the same bottle clutched in my hand as at your party in 2012, here. It has been entombed in my fridge all this time because it tastes like crap and it's non-alcoholic, at least it WAS non-alcoholic before fermentation... I suppose I don't chuck it because I need something to serve my guests - bwa-ha-ha!!! - and go out of my head at your party.

I'm wearing my thrifted ruffled blouse, because I know how much you like them, and I like to debut new pieces at your parties, in this case that would be the thrifted patchwork skirt, which needs a few repairs, but who will notice after I empty this magic juice into the punch bowl? And that's my old thrifted fringed jerkin. Oh, and a wide suede embroidered belt, old and thrifted.

I'm also hooking this post up to your Shoe Shine 12, Sheila, and to Mis Papelico's Share-in-Style: Favourite Print. My favourite prints change by the day, but at the moment this skirt has my favourite patchwork pattern with some spectacular time-warp prints on its stretchy polyester squares. The skirt is hand-made and very swirly. 

That's all, folks. Have a safe drive home - or why not sleep over with the gang? The key bowl is almost full. Hee-hee-hee.

PS: My fridge is very clean otherwise, honest. 

ALSO, Pao at Project Minima took Turnip Head to see David Bowie at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. She doesn't want to come home now...

Miz Bagg's poser video, new garbage shirt maxi, and more

My new feather boa. It's been too frigging hot to dress like a non-colour-fast bird but my new character, Helen, didn't give a flightless flying feck. Helen is the host of my new YouTube series called Helen's Hot Hauties - as in Haute Couture (hauties pronounced hoe'-tees). Think of it as VOGOFF in motion, with an exuberant host. Those are stills from video footage but Helen wears glasses now.

Episode 1 features a selection of Miz Bagg's award-winning original poses in a segment I'd pieced together before I thought of Hot Hauties. Sadly, most of Helen was chopped; there was no room left. Ah well, she's only the host who explains everything. More than a minute of me in video is simply too fabularsenic. I'm not sure where I'll take HH, but I can say: talking to myself in public with grand animation set a new record of shamelessness.

And this is Hat Attack #13, is it true? Thirteen?! And here I am in a hat.

This photo was dark so I had to up my levels all around, but you get the idea. I love cloches and I wore this blue cotton one, which I bought retail years ago, for most of my inspiration walk today; I had to take it off and ruffle my hair in the breeze once in a while. I also felt invisible under this hat with my shades on, but I enjoyed slinking around in Spy Mode. Thanks, Judith of Style Crone, for the party, Hat Attack #13. Her hat collection is incredible. 

I'm also linking up to Sheila's Shoe Shine at her blog Ephemera. There's a good view of my hairy thrifted D&G shoes in the photo below.

BUT GUESS WHAT I'M WEARING!! You'll never guess. It's a dress I made! I'm am so excited I had to make a drainage hole in the bottom of it. 

I got a new serger, a special gift from O. I had been having trouble with knits on my regular sewing machine. I tried sandwiching the fabric with paper, taping it, using interfacing, stabilizers, starching, zigzagging, stretch stitching, every single trick to stop that annoying ruffle. It would also have helped if my machine had a presser foot pressure adjustment knob, but NON! Soooo.... Hahahah! 

My serger is a Brother "Lock 1034D", less than $300. It arrived pre-threaded, and after untangling the mess I just started sewing. I'm going to use this thread until it runs out. 

This dress is made of three garbage shirts, a navy blue regular T on top, a darker navy golf shirt turned upside down, collar and buttons removed and pockets turned into sleeves near my knees, and a khaki T-shirt, also upside-down with the collar removed and sleeve turned into drainage hole. I finished the piece off with a bleach pen, inspired by Megan Mae's recent bleach projects.

I was feeling very angsty about the Machine so I just. started. sewing. The freedom! Aaaah. Breaking the learned no-no of sewing without a plan felt like writing in library books with black marker and folding their pages over and dribbling coffee and food all over them. Now that I have done sewing like this and didn't get heck or have to pay a fine, I'm committed to doing more. I'm scouring the house for more garbage T's. 

I am so pleased with this garbage shirt maxi dress that I feel like a writer who has first-novel writer's block. Can I live up to this mess again?! A huge hug to all my sew-sisters out there - you know who you are - for inspiring me to take this next step with the Machine.

If you're still reading - yes, this is a packed post - a reminder to watch the video, Helen's Hot Hauties, with Miz Bagg's award-winning poses. I hope you too try these poses out at home. 

Finally, THANKS, EVERYONE, for your VOGOFF submissions! As I suspected, I had quite a few come in these past few days. It's going to be the best issue, a bit different, as it should be, and hopefully worthy of our collective efforts.

See you in the funny papers. Who used to say that? I hope you're all finding inspiration around every corner. I look forward to visiting you.

Faking colours and re-runners

I'm linking to Share-in-Style: White with Mis Papelicos and Sheila for Shoe Shine at Ephemera. I linked these platform runners before (Shoe Shine #3) but I'd rather do re-runners than nothing at all. And as for white, although the dress is salmon pink, I edited it to be white, which counts. Call my lawyer.

The dress is a thrifted vintage dream, possibly a wedding dress, made by Tachi Castillo in Mexico. The undulating tide of pink is more than I am used to but the crackle nature of the stretchy poly/cotton fabric cancels out the femininity. (Curtise posted a lovely crackle-free garment today.) The beautiful lacy bits are see-through so I wore my skinny red tartan jeans under it. Of course, that's my turnip head.

And a reminder:

The VOGOFF submission deadline is only TEN days away!!

Get out your cameras. Right this minute! Or not...

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

From rainbow platforms she rises

sunrays spewing from her arse

the Divine, the inspired freakish thing, the 

travelling yellow skirt

from boudoir FILM noir

playground to bar-boundXX

with glowing beckoning codpiece

quivering and naked pale on

SAra

Hello the Mushroom

Magic shrooms

Hallucinogenic daydreams

You must see this.

G  o !    G o   n o w ! !

_____________________________________________________

Oh, Sara, thank you so much for your joyful and fishy contribution to this piece of fabric! Seeing your post was an unspeakably welcome distraction from the living I'm crafting at the moment. If you haven't already seen her post, don't miss it. The quilt grows. The journey continues.

...and a quick update

Ere I am J.H...The ghost in the machine.
(from the movie Brazil)

I'm too late for Hat Attack. I'm too late for the latest Visible Monday and Secondhand First(TM) and Shoe Shine and and and... In fact, I'm late for most of the Net life swirling wildly beyond my control within the guts of this machine, beyond this little clickety keyboard and the blue ghost-light of the screen. But here's whad I got, which I am linking to Shiny T Tuesday at Flight Platform Living.

First, the hat. It's my black hat, a vintage one, $7, worn with a vintage car coat circa early '50s, golden and shiny, black side-zip slim-cut linen capris, and super-high studded platform shoes. I'll leave the visualizations of everything but the hat and my left eye and my bits of messy hair to your imaginations. 

Bing. S'a meercle. Here I am again. In my jeans. In a thrifted jacket (designed by a famous He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named) enhanced, nay, resurrected by permanent markers (my faithful Sharpies - I had to get a new pack). This is MY jacket now, sucka'! Fake bone-tone reptile skin. I always smile like this when I come out of the salon in Brazil.

I'm in Mad Hatter mode. I'll connect later youse guys...

PS I just joined Mis Papelicos for her Share-in-Style: Pink as well. No pink here. I just felt like being a gatecrasher.

Okay, I just joined Bella's Shoe Shine too, hosted by Sheila at Ephemera instead of The Citizen Rosebud for something new. You can't even see my shoes. Heh. 

In the cage again

Are you lookin' at me? Are you LOOKIN' AT ME?!

For Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style, and for Bella's Shoe Shine at The Citizen Rosebud and Jane's Shiny T Tuesday at Flight-Platform Living when they go live tomorrow. 

• black velvet midi opera coat, thrifted
• Simpsons-Sears '60s dress, thrifted
• tights and tights and socks, retail
• boots, old as the hills, retails
• black dickie, also old as the hills, forget where I got it, retail
• belt, thrifted
• magic loupe, from O

In that last photo, I had to boost the light to show those boots, but the coat is midnight velvet with a satiny black lining. Swish. 

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... 

Visible, Shiny, and animated

I like this. I wore this. I feel good in this. Rain. Dripping awkward umbrella. Wet pant legs. Wet grit crunching under shoes. Cafe. Steaming coffee. Loudness!! Escape into my journal. Home. Fiddling around with photo-taking. Fiddling around with quick edits. Grainy, dissatisfaction. Stray bits. Posting anyway. Pickle face.

Wearing:

• thrifted shiny-buckle bronze-brown shoes
• striped socks
• thrifted Dolce and Gabbana side-zip slacks, old, had to restitch all the seams
• thrifted T-shirts and DIY T-shirt
• pink scarf, hand-me-over, worn under coat
• thrifted shawl, worn over the coat
• thrifted vintage R coat, made in Tokyo
• thrifted beret
• magic loupe O made for me

These slacks (best word for them really) make me feel tall with that vertical stripe. I'm linking these pics up to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style, and the shoes of course are being linked up to Bella's fantastic Shoe Shine at The Citizen Rosebud. Scored at Value Village, the shoes may not be glamorous - they may in fact be men's shoes - but they give me a weird sixties vibe that is irresistible. Plus, I can wear them in the rain.

And... I am including a short video of a little kids' story that my partner O and I collaborated on. O often sketches on napkins when we go out and then later I sometimes digitize them, colour them, firm them up slightly, and add backgrounds and filler scenes. You could say that the inspiration comes from O and the final product comes from me. Either way it's a collaboration that works.

I hope this little vignette relaxes you. The quality is not the best. The original digital artwork was trashed a few years ago and this video is made from scans of the surviving printouts, about 2"x2", which I stumbled across about a week ago. Thanks to the Creative Commons contributors at freesound.org and the music library that comes with VideoPad for the music and sound effects. 

Thanks for your encouragement on my journal sketches in my last post.

DIY summer sandals into winter booties

I realized today that imagination and frivolity are often the mother of invention.

Two weeks ago, this was my mantra: "I gotta' get some geta!" Geta are Japanese traditional footwear which look a bit like a hunk of wood with little foot-sized platforms stuck on top. Of course I didn't want REAL geta; anything high and flat would do. (Pao brilliantly calls this style of footwear flatforms.) And the next day, there they were at a retailer marked down to $20 from $120. They were mine, and I stowed them away for spring.

Meanwhile, I had been planning a DIY to make little bootie slipcovers for my summer shoes so I can wear them in the winter. Why buy new boots if I can winterize what I already have? But this DIY has been lingering on my To Do list for over a year now. 

Then today [Monday] it snowed. As I was bundling up to go out, lamenting my lack of excellence in winter bootwear and my DIY slackness, I had an epiphany: I already have booties! - the kind you slip over cleats for road biking in the winter. They are battered but why not at least try them? In a couple of minutes my problem was solved. The booties fit perfectly over my sandals and, presto!, new winter boots. Or shoots? - shoe/boots.

Felt-lined, wind-proof, and waterproof, these booties kept my tootsies nice and warm, and the elevation of the shoes kept my feet out of puddles. Made by Sugoi, the covers have little velcro tabs that fasten together on the bottom of your cleats, but in this case, the tabs were perfectly aligned to nest between the heel and the step of my sandals. The fabric has a slight stretch and there is a rear zip, edged with reflective material, to conform to the shape of your shoes, although you can see that the booties stick out at the toe from my cycling shoes - the shape reminds me of a freighter. And who doesn't want feet like freighters?

I think this look, as is, black with yellow bits, is cool/urban/post-modern ironic?, but now that I know this method works and my feet will in fact stay warm, I'll paint these booties, or at the very least use them as patterns to continue my original DIY project, now wonderfully revived. Some thigh-highs are definitely in order. While I'm at it, maybe I'll colour my boring pants as well.

Of course I'm linking these up with Bella's Shoe Shine. These are my new LOVE shoe/boot/things. They are not very glittery but they do put a spring (in this case, a clop sound, rather like a horse) in my step, plus, my previous post already had sparkly shoe action. I look forward to seeing what the rest of you are wearing. You never know when frivolity and imagination will strike.

FREAKISH YELLOW SKIRT

Pao at Project Minima has been having her way with the Freakish Yellow Skirt. She is doing a multiple-wear challenge, which is still in progress, but already there has been a Sewing Rebellion! This is just an update - a proper post will appear after The Artist has realized her Magical Vision. Check out her story as it unfolds.

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

Thar She Blows! The Freakish Yellow Skirt

Steampunking her way across the seven seas

to her castle on the coast

Ruled by Mistress of Mystery

Sheila of

Ephemera

Dominatrix of sunshine and dastardly 

dungeon frolics

Hoisting sails and bunching ye hatches

What ho! Arrrg. Eyes spy ye 

brassy lass's blooming goodness

You must see this Piratical Ruler of FYS

Go!  G O  N O W!!!!

____________________________________________

I am gobsmacked by everyone's manipulations of this yellow skirt! You HAVE TO see Sheila's incredible styling. Thanks Shelley at Forest City Fashionista for your ongoing scheduling feats, and to Sarah of Misfits Vintage for the idea in the first place.

In other news...

Raining and dark. Thank goodness that dang sixties soundtrack of maddeningly mod swinging swellness wouldn't shut off. There was nothing to do but throw on this old rainbow from Value Village, my thrifted YOGA PANTS!! (only worn in emergencies such as when I feel like it), and my screaming sheep faux fur body casing. Capping it off was my rrrrred beret. I grooved my way to my doctor's appointment and sprayed my colour action indiscriminately around the waiting room. No surgical mask could protect you from my viral groove-oozation.

After discharge, I grooved over to a different coffee shop, where I was treated to a steaming cup of brew from a favourite barista I hadn't seen for a while. Her smile lights up the universe, 'tis true. And I journaled, as usual.

Wearing:
thrifted faux fur nicotine-coloured hooded coat
thrifted stretch rainbow dress
thrifted bell-bottom YOGA PANTS!
thrifted crackle leather Miu Miu boots with side zip
under T, sample sale
thrifted red wool beret
DIY mantis pendant
thrifted lucky charm beaded bag pendant
magic loupe from O

Of course these awesome boots are for Bella of The Citizen Rosebud and her Shoe Shine.

I feel ever so much better after lolling around the floor doing body contortions while running frantically back and forth trying to beat the frickin' self-timer without knocking over the whole friggin' tripod and all that stuff. Above all, it was essential that I be eloquent and elegant in ALL THINGS.

How is everyone managing out there? Of course you're looking fabulous but I hope your hearts and heads are feeling that maddeningly mod vibe as well.

Yellow Skirt Freak Show Update!! and Shoe Shine

The Freakish Yellow Skirt 
lounges in the 

sumptuous Bedouin Love Bower...

after grueling days & nights surveying the Territories 

from the lofty heights of her Mighty Terracotta Steed

Camels, children, and grown bearded men

quake and cry before the Almighty

Freakish Skirt, commanded by SHE-RA

Margy of 

A Fool for Fabric

Witness her mastery of this magic fabric

G O!   G O   N O W ! !

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Also see Margy's incredible addition to the FYS on her post. Your styling transports us to another world. (You must see her Bedouin Love Bower - I'm not making this up!) And special thanks for doing this on the heels of a family wedding. Remarkable! Hugs.

In other news....Shoe Shine

These are my woolly mammoth boots, which I'm linking up to Bella's Shoe Shine over at The Citizen Rosebud. This is a repost from my previous one, where you can also see these boots laughing in the little video, but you need to make sure the sound is on when you play it.

Thanks, Bella, for the party. Who doesn't love shoes(and boots)?!