Bare arms, plunging necklines, and tower hair, oh my

My arms are bare and I'm starting to be okay with that again. I was a bit wobbly (heh) for a while. Pfft. Bring. It. On! 

Grizas sent this dress and matching jacket to me over a year ago, April 2018, and I wrote about it here and even made a tiny video. 

I've said it before, I'll never be as young as I am right now, and if I already cover my arms, what will be left to show of my entire body in the years ahead? It's not about the body; it's about what's in the body, so go do something amazing. Go on!! - I tell myself.

And below, another thing I wore this week: my acid orange jumpsuit with a plunging neckline and no coverup top underneath - it's a first. And arms showing. It was just so dang hot and this jumpsuit was so dang cool I had to do it. After about five minutes I forgot about the neckline completely.

It was a good hair day when I wore my dress. Really, when my hair is sticking up all over the place I have yet to figure out what, from someone else's perspective, would constitute a bad tower hair day. "Uh, Mel, your hair is sticking up there." To capture said hair I went down to the Art Gallery for some photos and took the little step stool to sit on.

Exhibit A: Hair.

My hair is on the cusp of falling over so I have to enjoy every good hair day left before another Big Chop.

And below, the matching jacket. I feel like I'm sitting for a Sears portrait. Heh. Sears is/was a big North American department store, which always seems on the brink of collapse these days. And bye-bye Barneys - almost. At least they are keeping their New York flagship stores open.

I even brought my rockstar shirt from O and a vintage tie. I switched out the heels for my slip-on Converse running shoes.

Somehow the baggy crotch of the jumpsuit balances out the neckline. I also put on the diamond encrusted meteorite pendant as a distraction from the plunging neckline. That was kind of a big fail - it's big, shiny, and positioned right at the lowest point of the plunge - but it made me happy.

SWOOOOSH!!! You can see a bit of pylon or traffic cone in the corner. Coordinating perfectly. I can't lace the top lace holes of my shoes unless I wear socks because the sandals bite my ankles, and I didn't think socks would go.

And why not a kick to show you that this is not a dress. It's an even cooler jumpsuit!

The parasol was given to me by Lily-Lark last year. I often go out with it to protect from the sun. I went to the Art Gallery again. I love the light up there.

And the Pride Parade was last Sunday. I wasn't in the mood to dive into the crowds so I hung out on the periphery in a cafe and sketched in my journal, as I do. That photo below is two photos stuck together. I didn't have my tripod or camera so this is the best I could do with the phone. It still freaks me out taking photos on a phone.

That's been my week. How has yours been?

I'm too late for Patti's Visible Monday, dang! (word of the day), but I'll skedaddle over to Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike, at Not Dressed as Lamb. See you there!! 

Stay cool, my friends. 

Thwarting crime in a red catsuit

Below I am in my atelier having cocktails with James Bond (the Sean Connery one). I am smiling because he just thanked me for my stellar work at the hidden volcano last week when I thwarted the plans of the bad guys. 

In reply, I winked and said, "You'll have to work harder if you want to keep up with me, Jim." He smiled back devilishly, tipped his glass, and said, "Perhaps I'll have another." He was drinking wheatgrass, good for the digestion.

"On the rocks, Jim, or neat?" I asked as I sauntered over to the wet bar and popped another carton. "By all means, neat and shaken," he said. It was awkward shaking his green drink after I'd already opened it, but I'm trained for emergencies. I filled a glass and withheld a retch. 

I decided to be dirty and popped a few olives in as well - they were hard to see in the putrid green fluid. And stuck in a bamboo straw because plastic ones are ruining the planet. Finally, on a whim I fished a bag of frozen corn from the freezer where I also keep vodka and old blue jeans.

"Here you go, Jim." He smiled at the bobbing olives. I said, "Next time, be more careful," and dropped the corn on his knee. He winced and saluted.

"Well, I'll leave you to your dirty wheatgrass. I must go. No, don't get up. There's a joystick in the arm there. This chair will take you wherever you want. Mind the wheels under the skirt." And I was off.

I set my hoverboard on High. I had to hurry if I wanted to be on time at city hall to receive the key to the city. That's me below, ready to shake hands with the mayor. The key is ginormous and gold-plated, very unwieldy. In a press scrum after the ceremony I asked the mayor if he could possibly exchange the key for a small fob. My catsuits don't have pockets.

Then I asked, "Where's the door for this key anyway?" "Whaaa...?" the mayor spluttered. His eyes bulged in alarm. "Well, uh, well, I don't know, really." He swiped his sweaty forehead with the palm of his hand. Eeew. "It's got to be around somewhere. It's the key to the city for f#@$'s sake!" He snapped his fingers and was immediately enveloped by consultants in boring suits.

When the mayor turned back to the press, his fists were raised. "Nobody builds a giant door to my city and I don't know about it!" he proclaimed. "I'll get to the bottom of this!" Cameras flashed. The mayor posed. And I knew I had my next big assignment.

I may need help. I hoped Jim hadn't left yet but remembered with relief that I had Johnny English on speed dial. (Johnny English, spoof Brit spy played by Rowan Atkinson, read here.)

And below, on my way home I stopped at the studio to practise my go-go dancing. Of course it is a requisite skill for all international women of action, which is so unfair. Many international male stars just sit around acting like misogynist pigs. 

In fact, I received a dance caution on a previous job, my guest appearance on LOL 40-UP! show, which Sherry Dryja of blog Petite Over 40 and I made. It's on our IGs, here, here, and here. Plus Bloopers, here. 

Sherry and I had a BLAST!! shooting LOL 40-UP, modeled after the Laugh-In comedy TV series from the '70s. Sherry was in Seattle; I was in Vancouver. But we found a way. It stretched our tolerance of bad jokes and our editing skills. Thanks, Sherry, for coming up with such a freaking fun idea. And thanks to O for his tolerance when our home was blanketed in green screen. The dance clip was made from some green screen takes I made for the show.

I'm wearing my Gordi of Montreal vintage red wool catsuit with rear zip. I always get into trouble when I wear it.

You know what's funny? Although I am a social butterfly, sometimes I feel stuck in the wormy stage, too many feet without enough gorgeous shoes to go around. Slow-moving, hairy, and squishy, particularly in winter. Better than being a mealworm though, which just turns into a beetle.

There was a study which showed no difference between mealworms fed styrofoam for one month and those fed "conventional" food. I'll take the dirty wheatgrass. Who thinks of these experiments? And are they hiring? (That was on Wiki, by the way, but there was a note stating the claim needs a reliable source. Ya think?)

It's a new year since I posted last. I hope you are all well-rested after any holidays you may have had. It's a year for creativity, caring, and humour, you betcha. Big hugs to all of you. Thank you for coming back to Bag and a Beret after this break. I'm very grateful.

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

Hang on to your hoverboards, everyone! Two-thousand nineteen is going to be quite a ride!

ONE MORE THING!!

If you are in a style rut, my friend Sylvia of 40+ Style will be offering some awesome courses to help you feel fabulous. Click the image for details. For her paid courses I get a commission, but you know I never promote stuff like this unless I think it's absolutely awesome. And it is!!! Hurry!!! The Style Challenge is free and on NOW!

Floral vintage jumpsuit with microscope

Don't you hate it when you go into one of your favourite cafés and you can't find an outlet for your microscope? Right? I hate that. 

Who said only laptops and cellphones and tablets can go for walkies and coffee? Really, how tiresome. 

Bye-bye woman-with-coffee-and-laptop selfie; hello woman-in-awesome-vintage-'70s-jumpsuit-with-palazzo-pantlegs-with-coffee-and-microscope selfie! I think the security guard understood what I was doing.

Coffee mug by Anne M Bray, featuring sketches of 

many of my favourite bloggers. You can buy one here.

What would the world be like if scientists suddenly starting taking over cafés with scientific gear, setting up mini research institutes each afternoon with free outlets and caffeine on call. 

I suppose occasional shouts of "Eureka!" would crack the humming silence as breakthroughs were made in solving world hunger or health and wellness issues. If I were a savvy shop owner, I would create a "Eureka Lunch Special" with a sandwich and your choice of soup or salad. 

Clearly, below I am hurtling toward my own Eureka moment. 

Ice cream - diet ginger ale - chocolate chip cookies! And a giant pretzel for something salty. 

This past month has been a white-knuckle ride that has tested my fortitude and gumption, in a good way. I've come through intact, with a big silly grin even, except I caught a bug on a plane. Cough cough pitui!

As a result, I have been in the wearying daily routine of wearing a face mask. Believe me, this is a bug I don't want to share. I'm almost cured now, but a summer cold? There's a heatwave and I have a friggin' cold?!!! GAAAA! This shoot was my first real solo outing in a week.

I'd like to share details of what I've been up to, but I am contractually bound to secrecy. It's all very cloak and dagger, just the way I like it.

I leave you with the following photo - just another day at the café. Probably nobody uses microscopes like this anymore (I bought this one for O a couple decades ago), but it's my Year of the Prop, and this instrument caught my eye as I was going out the door. My first prop shoots of the year were here and here. 

A tricky tripod shoot in a café - I had to snap and scram. 

Can you see my tripod?

While I'm at it, I propose a caffeinated toast to women of science. You blaze trails and inspire. Thank you. I hope you have better gear than I do. And I suspect that a lot of it is in your laptops. Hahaha!

I shall link up with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style and her Visible Monday and Catherine at Not Dressed as Lamb and her #iwillwearwhatilike - if I can still remember my way there. Heh. 

Stay fabulous, everyone. All will be revealed in the weeks to come.

Avenging rock star

Same 'ole, same 'ole. My mod Emma Peel Avenger jumpsuit, in red wool, vintage, by Gordi of Montreal, featuring a groovalicious hip-slung belt and rear zip. I had to resew the seams, which can only be expected from a garment designed for action and intrigue, such as exploring high-tech volcano hide-outs used by bad guys and partying in Monte Carlo to schmooze intel from other secret agents. Sigh.

With it, I'm wearing my License to Wear (on account of that deadly collar) maxi vintage cape of Welsh wool, my diamond-encrusted meteorite pendant, and my brown leather ankle boots. AND rings that O made me, also available in his Etsy store HERE.

I've worn all of these things before on Bag'n'B. Nothing new to look at here, folks. Just move it along. (I posted the cape HERE and on IG HERE, I think there was somewhere else too but I can't find it; my labels are too stellar.) 

(Make sure you click Read More below to get the full story.)

Exploring Elegance

Below is my Vegas jumpsuit, vintage, crepe wool, rear zip, which has been featured several times on Bag'n'B, worn with my super puffed-sleeved silk blouse bought retail in Shimokitazawa in Tokyo a vintage-age ago.

I call it this because it's always ready for a night of brat-packing, martinis, bubblegum cigarettes with sugar-puff smoke, and jackpotting, or faffing about downtown. Or for gardening, below, for the post, "What to wear for gardening," in March 2017. This photo is called "The Rake's Progress - In a Good Way," named after the opera, which ended badly for the rake.

And below, a photo taken by Vancouver Barbara at the Little Black Dress Gala in Vancouver in May 2017. See this post, "Trotting to a gala like a little pony." You know that if I'm instructed to wear black, I must include a colour breakout somewhere. Note the glitter black platform booties. Those floors are definitely marble.

I also styled it in December 2013 in my post, "I wore this for Mis Papelicos," who was having a linkup party. Below is an ultra-short video of the outfit. I still have the cape, which I still adore. Fake ermine, dahlings. Or some other speckled animal. And platform booties again.

Finally, I made a mini-me cutout with this jumpsuit on and put it in a cardboard box for my post "Thinking in the forest in the box," also December 2013. Check the link for a look.

Trotting to a gala like a little pony

On Friday I went to a gala called The Little Black Dress, a fundraiser for youth at risk. It was very schwanky. Su (Fairy Thrift Sister Su) had a few freebie tickets which she generously shared with me and a couple of my friends, Vancouver Barbara and Judy.

This is what I wore, my so-called Vegas Pantsuit because it feels snake-eyes lucky. It's a fully-lined, vintage crepe wool jumpsuit with diamond-edged side slits and neckline. You may have seen me wearing it for gardening here. The clutch was thrifted from My Sister's Closet. And my vintage angel-wing top, psychedelic tights, diamond earrings, and magic loupe.

Too bad you can't see my rainbow eyes here. They matched my tights. Photo by Barbara.

I was running late that night, carried away by eye shadow, so I wound up trotting, rather than swanning, into the heart of the city as I had planned - my sky-high 5.5-inch platform black glitter booties prevented a full-on canter. My hair, freshly coiffed, was very perky and bobbed jauntily like a little pony as well. 

I tried to hail a cab to take me the few remaining blocks, which merely resulted in interesting body contortions as I kept looking over my shoulder for one, but no ride. I am glad I didn't run into sign posts or parking meters.

Those are the booties. I trotted, danced, and hobnobbed in these from 6:45 until 11:30 p.m. Ooooh! But it was worth it - if not now, then when, right?

Below, detail of the side slit in the palazzo pant legs and metallic-silver frog closure embellishment. 

Several people commented on my outfit as I lurched down the sidewalk. I responded breathlessly, in a high-drama voice, "I'm on my way to a gaaaala and I'm late." Heh. It's a line I've always wanted to use.

Below is the jumpsuit as day wear in a 10-second YouTube video I made in late 2013. 

When I arrived at the hotel, I was delighted to see many familiar faces from the gala Shelley (Forest City Fashionista) and I attended last May. See her coverage here. And everyone was dressed.

Mingling in the foyer off the grand ballroom was an older gentleman oozing mystery, power, and moolah, with a bevy of young, gorgeous women, obviously with him. They liked my style and, after discreetly conferring amongst themselves, asked photographer David Bong to take some photos. I also met David last May. Our group lined up and my auto-pilot went ON: one foot forward, shoulders back, head up, big smile.

Then this happened... David said: No, just relax. No posing.

???!!! Be natural? How is that possible?! My whole life is unnatural. It's taken me forever to perfect this state and now I'm asked for natural?! Is a tripod in a concrete box natural? Is smiling into nothingness natural? I tried my best but I'm afraid I must have looked rather Mr. Bean-ish in my attempt to be real. Or here's a thought - maybe that is the real me. Gaaa!!

Above is what I wore the DAY AFTER the gala, tux pants with satin stripes down the sides and a tux shirt. I still had all my stuff crammed into that sparkly clutch, which I continue to use, too lazy to do the bag transfer. Same applies to the tie and blouse, can't tie it, can't iron it. The pamphlet on the right is the crumpled gala program I dug out of my clutch. I'm reading it with O's magic loupe, which, by the way, he is selling on Etsy now, here.

The gala was happy exhaustion. There were dance troupes, opera, live music, DJs, a silent auction, and a grand fashion show, in which my friend Yuliana, whom I also met last May, was modelling. She was a knock-out. Barbara told me later that she saw some Middle Eastern princesses in attendance too. And I met some other Vancouver style bloggers, excellent!! When I left after 11, I heard the show was still only half over, but my feet left and I followed.

Below, Su, who made it happen for us. She farked that pastel coral suit with spectacular detailing on the back. That's a big burnt-out velvet warp with a motif of faces and scissors. And note the asymmetry she created with her earrings, and the black pom-pom near her waist. And let's not forget the shoes, the shoes.

Su is also carrying a Philip Treacy bag with a Campbell soup can lining. You can see it in this photo with Barbara.

Barbara dazzled in this sparkly jacket and all that bling. She is known for her vivid colours and wasn't sure she had anything black to wear. Clearly, she did.

PHOTO WAS HERE

And below, Judy. She made that crown from pipe-cleaners and farked her dress with tons of cool detailing. She also made her neck piece. With her is probably the coolest-dressed couple of the evening. The woman on the left is wearing a Philip Treacy hat which she got through her hairdresser in London. The man is wearing a Barbie-doll necklace with lights and a tire-tube skirt with tulle. Of course he is. Love them!

There was a fantastic live band in the ballroom and Judy and I couldn't keep still. She has irrepressible new Orleans rhythm. 

And below, I spotted this stunning woman in the VIP Lounge, Jamie Gerus. She brings to mind a Downton Abbeyesque adventuress returned home from travels in the Middle East for intense discussions with her publisher before departing on another voyage. I love the tassel on her handbag. Almost at the same time we asked each other for photos. It's like that sometimes.

And below, wearing the Super Model t-shirt I made. Who decides who's a super model and who's not? One of the things I liked about the gala fashion show, what I saw of it, was the diversity of models.

This super model really needs sunglasses with five lenses.
It doesn't take much to crack myself up. Is this natural?

I always get excited by the prospect of a gala or special event, even though I don't need a gala as an excuse to dress up. It's that being among crowds of people with a common purpose can be exhilarating.

I love the frisson of anticipation. Whom will I meet? Will I embarrass myself badly? Will I say lots of stupid things? Will there be magic there? Will there be chocolate? (This gala had pyramids of Lindt chocolates.)

Have you gone to any good galas lately? Fun parties? Do do you usually entertain yourself? That counts too.

That's all for this week. Some bloggy friends are coming to town in a few days. I must get to work now!

I'll link something up with Patti's Visible Monday at her blog, Not Dead Yet Style, and Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike at her blog, Not Dressed as Lamb. See you there.

Hooped and louped

I was out on my inspiration walk - dum, dee-dum, dee-dum - and I swung by My Sister's Closet thrift shop, as I usually do, inexorably drawn by their famous $5 rack. And look what I found, brought to my attention by my friend Su, who happened to be volunteering that day.

Yes, a closet staple: the magnificent hoop skirt. It brings back memories of dress-ups and dreams, and I figure there's absolutely no reason to disengage from such frivolity just because I am many decades older without any baby teeth left. And for only $5, that's cheap and sigh-worthy thrills. Now the owner of two hoop skirts, I have some serious hoop shoots to tackle when the weather warms up. Can't wait.

Trying to look bad ass with a hip-slung hoop skirt is not as easy as it sounds. Heh. Under the hoop I happened to be wearing: vintage jumpsuit in dark brown/black with floral patterning, vintage wide suede tie belt, purple Mozart jacket, and my still-hanging-in-there D&G heels.

And then below, how I looked downtown carrying the skirt, tied and shoulder slung so it didn't bell out and limit arm function (although that's also a look) or shove oncoming pedestrians into traffic. Unfurling didn't happen until I got home.

Definitely, a hoop skirt is one of those things you've got to wear like you mean it, and I did, even if only over my shoulders, "Ho-hum, I always walk around like this." A few people even complimented my style. Heh. The skirt does look a bit like fairy wings, far from Björk swan-dress-worthy, but the next best thing on a budget and impromptu. Best of all, I felt Björkish.

And a bit of breaking news...

You know how I'm always wearing my magic loupe, right? Ninety percent of my all my photos feature it, and if you can't see it, it's probably tucked inside my clothing. O made it for me as a talisman and reading aid and I never leave home without it. 

If you've met me in real life, you'll have seen it in action. Often it is passed around the restaurant table as we order or in thrift shops to read labels. No one wants to fumble around for reading glasses on the fly (or admit we need them at all) when I have the magic loupe at hand. And I use it all the time for checking photo previews on my camera. 

Well, O decided to start selling them in an Etsy store. They are just like the one I wear. Knowing how much time he put into crafting mine, I thought there's no way he could make them affordable, so I was shocked when he told me they'd be $175 Canadian (that's about $130 US). He streamlined the process a bit but still...

He manually turns the stainless steel on a watchmaker's lathe, he hand polishes all the metal parts, including the screw, and he even hand turns the magnifying lens to get the size he wants. 

That's a closeup of what they look like below, C$175 (US$130). It's such a minimalist design it looks great on men and women - architects, scientists, designers, photographers, shopkeepers, anyone who needs a quick vision fix. Some people mistake me for a pro photographer because of my loupe.

AND, he started to make rings, like the ones he made me, also to sell. He has made three different designs featuring an industrial ruby and stainless steel shaped with a milling machine and manually turned on his lathe. They are hand polished, all in size 6 3/4 (17mm).

Below, Style A, with angled surfaces on the top and sides of the ring, C$490 (US$362). 

Below, Style B, C$490 (US$362). The outer band is smooth but he angled the sides.

Below, Style C, C$390 (US$288). This is his most simple design. In this photo you can really see the high polish. There is something called a mirror finish, but this is a higher level of polish called a black finish, which is often used in very high-end watchmaking. 

Every time I wear my rings I get compliments. There is so little contact between the ruby, the band, and your finger that the stone absorbs maximum light, which reflects an intense red glow. This is definitely a good luck ring that brings me lots of positive energy.

Opening Etsy was pretty scary. Heh. I hope we got it right (I helped). O's production is limited, only one or two of each ring design and four of the loupe at this point. His shop, OSK Micro-art Studio, is HERE. It would be so cool having Louped Sisters - not that I don't already, hahaha!

And back to what I wore...

Below is a variation of the outfit I wore to the big fundraising event I wrote about in my previous post.

This is a vintage '80s silky pyjama suit in neon orange with bright fuchsia dots and linebacker shoulders. I wore it with my thrifted pussy-bow Scotch and Soda blouse, D&G shoes, and the magnificent ruby-red velvet coat, which was a generous gift from Fairy Thrift Sister Su's personal stash. 

If I were to hear the line, "Hey, lady, the '80s called, they want their suit back," I would respond, "Pardon me, the 2000s called, they want their clone back." I feel so empowered in this suit, I suspect I won't need this line, but it's best to be prepared I always say. Plus, the padded-shoulder gyrations, triggered by intense '80s flashbacks, are of such magnitude that it's likely nobody could maneuver safely into earshot when I'm on the move in this splendid number.

And below, something I wore last week as well, a black lace dress bought at a sample sale, Totem brand I think. I removed its black sewn-in slip that morning and instead wore a lacy vintage bright red slip which I mitten-clipped to shorten into a swag. And those are Fluevog shag boots, Jericho, in black, bought at a consignment shop. I also have them in bright green. 

Coincidentally, this vintage graphic coat was also a generous gift from Su. Her gifts are absolute favourites in my closet. Hugs, Su!

I felt a bit odd in this outfit. It's very, hmm, tidy I suppose. Or wrapped up or ordered. Maybe it just feels slightly magaziney, which is not my usual style. But I still felt empowered, which probably had something to do with my hair being its peaky best.

Maybe this outfit is too modern-ish. I'll probably wear it again though, when I'm in a weird mood.

And a laugh, in case you've forgotten that that's what I usually look like when I'm with my friends.

Finally, I spent a lovely day with Vancouver Barbara recently, which included booze and breakfast, not necessarily at the same time, and I am happy to report that she is now on Instagram HERE. At last you'll be able to share in her amazing sewing creations and artistry. 

Of course I'll be linking up to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style and Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike at Not Dressed as Lamb. I'll see all youse guys there. 

I hope you have had a stellar week. Life is topsy turvy here, but what's new?

What to wear for gardening, and AARP!

Oh yeeeeah, baybee, we're raking it in now! We're talkin' the green stuff, all righty. Heh-heh-heh. And I don't mean vegetation - because it's pretty much just mulch. Sigh. Now that I mention it, I'm not really raking at all. Props. They're the best. I'll call this photo "The Rake's Progress - In a Good Way" (The Rake's Progress is the title of paintings by Hogarth and an opera, both with a wretched ending for the rake).

My Vegas Pantsuit, although it's really a jumpsuit, vintage crepe wool (fully lined) and sleeveless, with palazzo pant legs. The slits up the sides are edged with rhinestones diamonds and topped by a sparkly silver embellishment. DIVINE. When I first laid eyes on this beauty, I immediately sensed that the previous owner wore it to Vegas in the day, and WON. I'm still placing my bets hoping the vibes will carry over.

The flutter sleeves are another vintage piece, a top with a stretchy low-cut, nude-coloured body and lovely angel wings, designed to be worn under other pieces, like this Vegas jumpsuit.

And another outfit. This is the most HUUUUGE construction trailer and stairs ever, it's downright Brobdingnagian. (Love that word! Brobdingnag is the name of the island in Gulliver's Travels, where Gulliver is very small.)

That's some good-assery there. (Why must my ass always be bad? - even if it is.) My T-shirt is a DIY that says "I am my own brand." I would revise the statement to "I am NOT a brand" but it's too late now and I like the T-shirt. It's hard to see anything clearly when the photo is this small. Good.

And the pièce de résistance for this post - the video I put together when Suzanne and Sue and I met up recently. Suzanne came up with the story, Sue did all the camerawork, and I did the editing. We filmed this at Talize Delta, that humongous thrift store that we make a special point of hitting together when Suzanne comes to town.

I'll link something up with Patti at Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style, here too. I'm feeling more perky this week so I'll need a sassy little drink and Cheesies. See you there!! And I've also linked up to Catherine, #iwillwearwhatilike, at Not Dressed as Lamb.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

THRIFT SHOP FIGHT CLUB

SUZANNE VS MEL

Who will take home the bowling trophy?!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I have experienced the aisle block, hanger crush, grab 'n' dash, and rack attack many times while thrifting, but I usually don't take my opponent down - I wouldn't want to hurt anyone. But I give a mean side-eye. Heh.

The uncensored hardcore version of this video is playing in the rec room of an anonymous middle-aged woman in the suburbs in Altoona, Pennsylvania. You have to know the secret password to get in and must bring a bottle of Paul Masson wine and Cheesies.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Aaaand, I was in a piece in AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons) in their section called Disrupt Aging. Hahaha. The snappy writing makes me so happy. The full story is HERE with new photos. Thank you AARP!

Others in there are Dorrie Jacobson of Senior Style Bible, Anita Irlen of Look for the Woman, Lyn Slater of Accidental Icon, Alyson Walsh of That's Not My Age, Sara Jane Adams from her Instagram, Elisa and Lily of Stylelikeu, Judith Boyd of Style Crone, Debra Rapoport of her self-named blog. I'm a fan of all these women. It's a huge honor to be among them.

I had another meetup a couple of days ago. I'll have to put that in my next post! And there is a video to go with it. Heh.

I hope you are all feeling DAZZLING no matter what you're wearing. SPRING SPRING SPRING!!! (at least in this hemisphere). Vancouver is still in rehearsal but I'm sure it will eventually get here. Hugs to all!!!