Squeaking under a gibbous moon

Forthwith I went, perforce, of course. Batwinged under a waxing gibbous moon. I have just landed in my boudoir after a long night of squeaking and ruining hair-do's throughout the grand metropolis. Care to join me for a croissant and a cup of hideous fresh-brewed coffee while I sort myself out?

Sandra (of blog Lens is More) and I were style parkouring today, and where better to do it than on a pest-infested mattress in one of our favourite stench alleys? This was an impromptu gig and we thanked the filth underfoot for satisfying our whims so readily.

Wearing: black velvet opera coat, navy linen capris, diamond-patterned socks (retail), bronzy faux-buckle man shoes, indigo beret, three T-shirts (retail sales), fingerless knit gloves DIYed. And a superpower pendant which resembles any/all of the following: the WWII mine from that episode of Gilligan's Island, a diamond-encrusted meteor, Garamon from Ultraman, a disco-ball, a lump of lava with jewels. And matching earrings. And of course the magic loupe from O.

Of course I can fly in everything I wear, but I walk more purposefully in this specific attire. The resonance between where I'm at head-wise and my fabric wrapping was peak today. In fact, except for switching out a black tunic for a few T-shirts, this is exactly what I wore last night for a ramble around Granville Island with O. Wouldn't you know I was caught in my duplicity by an effervescent woman named Darlene, who had seen me walk past her restaurant last night and stopped me on my way home today to say hi. She also enjoys gowning around. (Hi, Darlene, in case you drop by.)

Sandra took the photos of me, I took some of her (see my street style blog HERE for my fave), and I credit the scum-crusted garbage bin, a clean sheet of paper, my sunglasses, and the self-timer for these duo shots. (Jean of Dross Into Gold will understand how hard it was to get this photo.)

Smugly satisfied with our professional crassmanship, we brushed off the critters - well, most of them, the big ones - licked our fingers clean, and proceeded to one of the hippest bars in town for a debriefing over Korean Fried Cauliflower, one order each (too good for sharing), and white wine.

That's all. I don't understand why everywhere I go I seem to be surrounded by Caution tape...

Also, if you haven't already, make sure you check Jane's new post, her second one, about the Freakish Thing at Flight Platform Living. She not only shares the beautiful art she added to the skirt, but also magnifies the additions made by previous wearers.

Am I just a reflection?

Do I exist?

I see my reflection.

I feel the wind on my cheek.

I hear my heels clack on the sidewalk.

But how do I know it's real?

How do I know any of this is real?



I caught this image in the mirrored window of a local business. It's Sunday so I hope they were closed.

The white letters in the photo are a poem that someone has stuck to the window - and someone else has unstuck. My sweater has the word "Wi" (why) on it.

Sometimes when I come out of my coffee shop after journaling, my mind stays behind at my little table, still ruminating over those pages which are now safely stowed at my side in my toolbox handbag.

This dress has headed to the donation pile more than once, but this morning I found a rescue and it's now one of my favourite pieces. I put mitten clips on the sides to shorten it which created this interesting pear shape. The knit sweater was also destined for redonation until I chopped it off, hemmed it, and embroidered that kitty head with the sticking-out-tongue on it yesterday. I didn't use a pattern, I just started, and I'm glad I left everything to chance because being raw it feels alive. I started to stitch "Why?" but decided it would be too long and stopped abruptly before I had finished the "H," only to realize that the H arm could transform conveniently into an "i" with the addition of a dot - same word, different spelling. "Wi."

The mitten clips were only 50 cents a pair at my favourite local fabric shop, Dressew. From them I also bought yarn, a bag of 3 balls of odd eyelash black yarn with metallic silver threads, for $3.99, and a pair of metal darning needles for 25 cents.

Those are my cool stripey socks over my cool plaid leggings in dark brown with blue and rust-coloured lines. I had to play with the photo contrast and colour to get that pattern to show even faintly. I brought along my brown wool shawl but didn't need it; my knit top was perfect for this cool sunny day.

Details

• dark brown dress with squiggles, rescued, sample sale
• mitten clips, Dressew, 50 cents, new old stock I presume
• plaid leggings and stripey socks, retail
• black knit skirt worn under dress for warmth and dress-flying-up protection, sample sale
• buttery-soft brown leather ankle boots, thrifted, Value Village, $7 I think (1/2 price day)
• knit top, thrifted, Value Village, upcycled with scissors and yarn

I'd never embroidered with yarn before but the idea of stitching big yarn into loose knits appealed to the slacker sewist in me - you can accomplish a lot in a very short period of time. I'm on a roll now...

My hair has finally taken root in the sense that the white colour feels Right now. Since I had my hair done, the transformation was not sitting well on my head. I think I feel better because I've been experimenting with cosmetics, which has been very exciting. I'll post some photos soon. If only these products would come off my face with as much fun as they go on.

I'm heading to Patti's Visible Monday to see all of you in pixelated reflections. How odd is that? How interesting and great that we can slip into this netherworld of hardware and dots of light.

PS. VOGOFF magazine has put out a call for submissions. Check my previous post for details if you're interested.

I feel like Amelie

I love how feminine this outfit feels. Under the skirt I am wearing a multilayered, seafoam summer skirt that acts like a crinoline, and a one-piece, ruby-red lacy slip. The riot of colour under the black skirted canvas makes me feel gleefully naughty. Plus, there is a wonderful swishing sound when I walk. The jacket is light for 6C, but I wore thigh-high socks over tights and a long-sleeved shirt under my blouse.

Details of the outfit:

• thrifted skirt refashioned from a dress - I added a lining and suede closures at each side at the waist. I still have to hem the bolero I made from the top half
• black tights under high, diamond-patterned socks
• shimmery green jacket with velcro closure
• ivory silk blouse with mother-of-pearl heart-shaped buttons, from Tokyo about 20 years ago
• burgundy patent leather shoes, thrifted
• life pendant O made me

This outfit also seems to suit the B&W mode, so I included one below. I hope you like it.

I feel like Amelie in this photo, one of my favourite films. I hear that soundtrack in this outfit.

It looks like I have a straw in my mouth or an extra-long droopy cigarette. : ) 

Military Bearing?

My favourite thing about this outfit is the brown socks over the black tights so I'm not too matchy and all the men's pieces. I'm getting pretty good at knotting men's ties.

Details:
thrifted white shirt made in France with 26 tiny front snaps
thrifted pinstriped skirt, boots, tie, beret
men's cashmere overcoat and vest: belong to O, custom made for him so I must be careful!

This is one of those outfits I wear and people ask me if I'm from Paris, although I get that fairly often anyway. Put on a hat in a sea of yoga pants and immediately you're an out-of-towner.

I've included another B&W photo. It looks like I'm a general looking for enemy troops cresting a distant hill. I'm hoping the dork factor may diminish the more I get used to posing but better lighting would be good.