Sometimes simple is best on a trip to fake Paris

No shagariffic boots or bright colours here, but I feel just as visible in this black and white outfit as I do in my most brilliant plumage. This is exactly what I needed to wear on my stroll to my favourite cafe in fake Paris, or maybe fake Italy - does it really matter where? It's all in my head anyway. I'm putting this in Patty's wonderful Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style (even though it's already Tuesday). I've also put this up at Everybody, Everywear, which coincidentally has a monochromatic theme right now.

I'm looking rather dazed here, like a cat that has suddenly gone rang-y for no apparent reason. In fact, I'm feeling rather rang-y myself. 

TOO MUCH NOISE IN THE CITY!!! 

CAN YOU HEAR ME ABOVE THE DIN?? 

YES? 

THEN LET ME TURN UP MY FREAKING CAR STEREO OR 

RIP THE MUFFLER OFF MY HARLEY!!! 

Sorry, just venting here...effing, yeah! (heavy metal side effect)

The black things hanging down the front the outfit are the ties of the skirt. I carry a straw bag with this demure outfit and wear my other camera slung across my torso for style scouting. They're not in this photo because I needed to unburden myself as soon as I got home, which is when I snapped this. 

The Outfit

• wide-brimmed black hat, retail
• wraparound circle skirt, retail many years ago 
• flats, Geox, retail many years ago
• light cotton boat neck, three-quarter-sleeve top, thrifted, Value Village

This is the cartoon I drew of me in this outfit on my way to fake Paris (or Italy) with two of my favourite feline friends.

I'm including another outfit cartoon below. O and I had seen a marmalade cat hunting a dragonfly one night which I mentioned the next day when I saw Lisa at Dreamz n Wishz wearing fabulous firefly earrings, plus she had gone out for dinner at Firefly restaurant. She suggested that the cat might make a good cartoon. 

I was wearing Steven Madden slim trousers with ankle zips, and a shirt-dress, which Joni at Walking Colors had reminded me of, pointed black shoes, and my beret.

It has been hot here. By that I mean mid-20s tops. Compared to some places I should not be complaining, but I have been wilting terribly. No amount of watering is able to revive me. I have TREMENDOUS respect for all those bloggers weathering greater heat who manage to look so cool and fabulous, even in light jackets! I sleep sometimes with an icepack wrapped in a towel at my feet or under my neck, which helps. I hope it's not hot this week because I want to wear tights, but the odds are against me...

Other Housekeeping...

I drew this cartoon based on an incident that Curtise at The Secondhand Years had with Ms. Grabby Hands at a thrift sale. In the real story, Ms. Grabby TOOK Curtise's treasure. I could write a not-so-sweet heavy metal song about that too!

I sketched the cartoon below a while ago; it made me think of Robin at her blog a little sewing.

Okay, that's all. Whew. 

I hope you have a tremendous week! I've only been managing to post once a week lately, but I still make the rounds even if I'm not commenting as much as usual. You guys are all ROCK STARS!!!

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.

Trousers, jacket, hat. Go!

I keep telling myself, it's just trousers and a jacket, but I had a hard time keeping this outfit in its proper place! The trousers are heavy linen with two big pleats (supposed to be there) but there is so much fabric (we're talking living-room drapes!) that they waffle wildly in the wind making walking a challenge. Add to that my 4.5-inch platform shoes and it takes all my biped skills not to fall over. The trousers are long so I need the heel but I also like the long line.

I had no idea of the impact this outfit until I saw the photos. The glasses really make this into something else entirely. I like it, but I think in a perfect world I would wear this jacket with a patterned pink circle skirt and a red crinoline. I have worn this piece once before with vintage ultra-wide-leg jeans and flats and it looked very different. When I am actually moving I think this outfit looks more real.

Details of the outfit:

• thrifted silk brocade Oriental-style jacket with wide obi-type belt (you can see the strings hanging down), $15
• linen ultra-wide-leg trousers, Totem, sample sale, $10
• D&G leather and wood shoes, thrifted at Value Village, $10
• felt "acorn" hat, Kyoto, Japan, new about 20 years ago, I've also had this hat called a Hersey's kiss, nice name

And a fun shot. The wall is keeping me up. This ensemble was really a challenge to wear but fun too. Hope you're all having fun in your closets today!

A bit spooky.

 

Go-go-sno boots

First:

A HUGE HUG to MIS PAPELICOS!!!

for putting me on her blog today. 

I will never shut up about your bug necklace - 

I LOOOVE it SO!!!

Today's outfit: Heavy flurrious snowflakes - time for the big guns - my go-go boots. Despite the heel, they have the most manly traction on slippery surfaces of any boots I own. And since this is probably one of the last snowfalls of the season (I hope) I had to wear my ultra-heavy winter coat and faux fur hat that makes it almost impossible to see anything.

The faux fur collar is out in force again today too, this time as outer wear. I needed an umbrella to keep my camera dry. Oh, so complicated!

Oh, those pesky lens flares - I try scrubbing and soaking and I still can't get them out!

Above is what I wore inside my coat. That's my hair - I don't think you've seen it before because I'm always wearing my beret.

Details of the outfit:

• inside-out faux fur coat - I like the pile lining outside and it seems warmer that way
• puff-sleeved, cropped cotton top from Tokyo, new (about 20 years ago)
• slate-grey, long-sleeved T-shirt under the top, Metallicus
• wool thrifted skirt made in France
• black tights, and pseudo-go-go boots from the "Loser" pile at Winners
• faux fur collar with home-made ties, as debuted in an earlier post

Below is a cartoon of me in my hat:

Happy weekend, everyone!