Surrendering in a green oasis

"I surrender to the chaos" is what I painted on this tank dress a few years ago. I don't surrender all the time. For the big stuff, I fight back with vigilance and persistence, snarling, gnashing of teeth, and curled toes. 

These shots were taken by my friend Elizabeth Zvonar in a little green oasis not far from my home. I'm still shaking off vestiges of that pesky summer cold, so this nearby location was perfect. The next photo is my favourite of the bunch.

I like being dwarfed by nature. It's a feeling I definitely could use more of. 

Again, my mug by artist/stylist/designer Anne M Bray (IG and other links), which features many of my favourite bloggers. You saw it my last post too, on sale here. And my Lily-Lark parasol. All unpaid mentions.

I was going to choose a song for this post, but they all made me tired. Nature sounds are what I really crave right now. Get me away from the trucks and honking and screaming and loud mufflers (a pathetically great oxymoron).

Don't feel you have to stay on this page while you listen to the whole YouTube. Heh.

When I put a photo of this dress on IG, lots of people thought it said, "I surrender to the chaise (chair)." Yes, in fact I do.

Those legs really throw off my camera's white balance.

Below is my "flat lay," nothing to do with the bedroom, folks. Get your minds out of the gutter! It was in another post on the "Silver Foxes and Vixens" party I went to at Vancouver's Fluevog shoe store, where I got to meet the man himself, John Fluevog. He was immediately drawn to my elven shoes, which he told me are rare, made in a limited run. I bought them in the late '80s. Too bad they bite my baby toe, although that's probably what has kept them so pristine.

Soaking up some rays. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. 

It's a rather tame post this time. A rather tame life at the moment. 

I'm linking to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style and Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike at Not Dressed as Lamb.

I hope all of you are keeping cool, or warm, as the case may be. Thank you so much for visiting. xo

Should I sing it or wear it?

"Je suis amoureuse." I could wear that on my chest on a tank dress or I could stagger around, slightly hunched over, croaking that 1970s classic song "Je t'aime" with Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, scaring tourists and locals alike. Aren't you glad I chose the former? Aren't you!? Heh. 

Normally I don't like graphics on clothing unless I put them there myself. But this one is so, well, annoying/compelling that I couldn't help myself when I saw it on the $5 rack at My Sister's Closet a few months ago.

I'm keeping this blog post short and sweet. What do they say - absence makes the heart grow fonder? For whom? When I'm away for a while, yes, it's nice to come back.

And miracle of the week - you know how you can be weighted down by niggling worries and then somehow, out of nowhere, your brain connects tiny thoughts that have been pinballing around your brain for ages and suddenly, poof, reset, calm is restored. A profound Aha! moment. Like finding a four-leaf clover in a field of dandelions, not that my brain is a dandelion field. Perhaps sweet corn.

Life has indeed been busy here. Mad Hatter time workwise - not in a bad way. This is the fastest blog post I've put together in a long, long time. But better short than not at all.

Great big bear hugs!!

I'll link up to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style and Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike at Not Dressed as Lamb. See you there!

P.S. Make sure you catch Suzanne's latest post - HILARIOUS in a tragic way. I can relate. Let's make this viral!!!!

Silk wrap, satin, and sequins. And Hat Attack!

I can't tell you how long I spent on this first piece of artwork below. Well, I can, but I won't. The vintage satin and sequin Chinese padded vest needed to be immortalized. As did those stretch caramel leather booties. And the hair, well, see paragraph below.

Remember when I said in the previous post, if you don't know what SEO is (search engine optimization) you might as well scrap your blog and stick your head in the toilet? Clearly, I'm as bad as it gets - the hair don't lie.

Connie summed it up with such erudition in her comment: "schblah-glunge-schwoop." 

But therein lies my genius. I am expecting correspondence from Liquid Plumber drain cleaner any day now with a glamorous sponsorship offer that will have all tip-top fashonistas clamouring for similar deals. Who better to sell that shite than someone with a swirly? Especially middle-aged with a swirly. And imagine the fun I'd have making videos to pitch their products.

Next I'll have automotive and electrical parts companies beating down my electronic door. And I shall be living on Cloud 9 where everything is at my beck and call. Hurrah. Flush. 

Onto the fashion:

Above is a couture look that says, wow, looks like that lady got tangled up in a wraparound skirt. Astute! It is indeed a maxi wraparound skirt, but one that's too precious, I felt, to be trapped within the rubric of the granola-cruncher set - not that that's a bad thing. Some of my favourite mammals eat granola.

No, this silk piece cried out for romantic fluttering closer to my heart, an intense infusion of incense, Shinto shrines, Lawrence of Arabia and Marrakesh night markets, paper lanterns, Paris runways, bordellos and bourbon. A whirlwind in my closet! In a word - a silk body wrap.

To add to the romance, under the wrap I am wearing my farked tank dress backwards. The script I painted on it, "I Surrender to the Chaos," seemed much more fitting positioned under my ass than my boobs, the latter of which never put up a fight to begin with making surrender a rather moot point. Plus, with this wrap the words were only legible from the back, at least when I left home, and both shirt sleeves were fully covered as well. All the best couture is slidey, don't you find? 

I am also wearing black jeggings, and on my feet thrifted lace-up booties and colourful Harlequin socks with black athletic socks underneath to prevent scraping of my ankles. Yes, cute shoes, but even without a tongue they give me quite a nasty lashing.

I may have only paid five dollars for this swath of processed caterpillar spit, but it looked and felt like a million bucks when I sashayed through Nordstrom, yesh. Cloud 9. Royal flush. 

And a parting photo of the sequin satin vest. I would have enjoyed acting in silent movies; maybe in a previous (still ongoing?) life I did. In this photo I see a young (heh), small-town woman clutching her bags, waiting for the train to carry her off to the big city where I suspect she would take up smoking, drinking gin, and scandalously rolling down her stockings. 

Which favourite automotive part would you like as a sponsor?

On Sunday I'll hook this up with Patti, hostess of one of the longest-running link-up parties ever - Visible Monday - at Not Dead Yet Style. Have you seen her new place? Schpetacular!

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HAAAT  ATTAAACK!!! (27) 

Hi Judith and everyone! See you at the meetup at Style Crone.

Unexpectedly feeling like a cowboy in this hat, a plain blue cotton cloche worn 

high with the brim turned up. Chanel sunglasses.

Jacquard "Mad Hatter" jacket that feels

like furniture. Mmm.

Get the cards ready. It's going to be an all-nighter.

Who's bringing the pie?

Thanks, Judith!

My familiar outdoor look

This is what I often look like when I go out in the mornings - patterned coat over whatever I have on underneath, bright tights, the most fabulous footwear I can find that my feet and the weather agree with, my of-the-moment favourite pink scarf, and a beret in whatever colour I am in the mood for. In this particular outfit I added the wide black elastic belt with patent leather near the buckle.

Under the coat you can just glimpse a wavy-patterned stretch tank-style dress which I wore on top of a black long-sleeved T.

This winter sheath feels fun and somewhat chic - or am I delusional? I think the dark belt with the beret is what makes this more grounded. The rang-y cat expression is compliments of my past week. I do know that when I've had the chance to slip away on my selfish/self-care inspiration walks last week I felt very swingy and bouncy in pattern and colour, yet polished and so-fist-icated with that subtle hat/belt containment. "Good morning, good morning, good morning...!" was my silly birdsong to the world. And guess what? It responded with a Good Morning back. How cool is that?! 

Details

• thrifted coat
• thrifted D&G shoes
• thrifted beret
• mustard tights, retail
• scarf, gift from Sharron
• thrifted belt
• thrifted stretch tank dress
• thrifted black T

Are you happy with your outerwear or do you see it as a necessary evil cloaking all the fabulousness you're wearing inside?

I am linking up to Patti's Visible Monday. I look forward to seeing everyone there! It's been a while since I joined the party.

PS - I put up a VOGOFF sidebar image. Feel free to grab as you like or not. Doesn't Desiree look awesome on the cover?! This is the link: http://bagandaberet.blogspot.ca/2012/12/vogoff-december-2012-issue.html