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.

My Style Autoblography

When I went on my inspiration and style-scouting walk today, I ran into my rocker chick friend, Sandra Bernabei. I told her about this new blog and she said, "Oh, you're doing an autoblography?" I love that word and she said she just made it up on the spot. I'm trying to coax her into her most intense rocker gear for a photo but even today she had on a great hand-sequinned T-shirt supporting the Port Alberni fire-fighting water bombers! (Port Alberni is a small town on Vancouver Island)

Today was cold so I threw on three slips under my dress, one red, one rust, and one white, and it helped.

Details of my outfit:

• one nifty thrifted vintage dress, short sleeved with pleats, made out of excellent polyester, which I bought a few days ago
• black turtleneck under the dress for warmth
• three slips and light blue tights (you can see the rust slip peeking out in photo 2)
• thrifted D&G pony heels, score purchase a few years ago
• a necklace from waaay long ago with a little heart hanging on it.

There are three vertical rows of  ivory-coloured stitching on the front of the dress, curving from the top down to just above the pleats where they end in arrow points. The whole dress is finely made. I kept the photos slightly orange because I liked that vintage patina with this dress pattern.

This pose is how I feel in this dress: "Ta-dah," with a little tap dancing flourish to punctuate it!
O thinks this is good studio camouflage wear.

It looks like there's light coming out of the painting with this colouring and reflection.