Saturday, December 03, 2016

A Red Silk Dress

For someone that isn't fond of red, I wear a lot of it.

 I was dressed in red almost exclusively as a child because my mum thought I looked good in it-which I did, but everyone needs a bit of variety in their wardrobe. Worse. she'd buy things like coats too big and I'd still be wearing the red Hudson's Bay blanket coat she bought me in grade four when I was in High School. I finally threw it away on my way to school one day, and told her I lost it on the bus. No, I'm not in love with wearing red but all these years later I admit she had a point-it is my best colour.
 This 80's silk dress is beautifully made with nice ruffle details and a lining that stays put. I couldn't really pass it up for a dollar and I tried to reason with myself that the black print didn't put it into blanket-coat territory. Not much, anyway. I bought it last year, packed it away and never gave it a second thought until I was going through my autumn clothes. I wasn't even sure it would fit as I'd bought it on a whim without trying it on. Well, there you have it-a perfect fit.
 Outfit Particulars:
1980's silk dress-Goodwill
1970's polyester jacket-Thrift World
Boots-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage Stylecraft purse-Godwill
Vintage Brooch-New Life Thrift
Earrings-Can't remember!
Belt-Shop Ko
Fragrance- Watt Blue for men (el-cheapo cologne in a wacky bottle that smells of vetiver, oakmoss, mint, and cedar. It was instant love. Like Cool Water without the headache inducing aquatic notes).
How impossible is it to photograph patent leather? 

Today's cocktail is a Bunny Hug:
1 oz. gin
1 oz. whisky
1 oz Anesone
Shake well with ice and strain into a glass. 

Somebunny needs a hug. Bad.


 I started the holiday cards. This one put to use some inexpensive gel pens I borrowed from Danny.
This one is watercolour pencil. Clearly, I'm no artist, but I enjoy taking the time to do the cards myself. I know I'd rather get a wonky handmade card than some crap from Hallmark.
We'll be doing some birding this weekend (Danny has bird-banding, and there's a local lake that's been attracting an unusual collection of species). I had to laugh at how Danny left this toy owl atop his bird guide. The little fellow looks like he's studying. 
"Oooh, I wonder if they have Little Bunting at Branched Oak Lake?"

We're in the planning stages of a spring trip out to Western Nebraska on the Colorado border so Danny can see some birds we don't get around here. Our state is very wide and 500 miles can be a significant difference with respect to local birds. I've only been out that way once, years ago and there were signs posted everywhere about rattlesnakes. We won't be camping!

Hope you're having a nice weekend. We had our first bit of snow, but it mostly melted as it hit the ground. 







16 comments:

Beth Waltz said...

If ever a brooch was designed to accessorize a wide lapel...! Please add this beauty to the list of things you're leaving me in The Will.

Yes, I too enjoyed making cards for immediate family members: a custom began when I was in grade-school and continued into my 40s until they departed this life. However, I also recall a funeral in which a great-aunt made her stately entrance, paused to peruse a genuine Hallmark card, and commented, "How very colorful." Mum hauled me into the corridor and instructed me, "Plain stationary card, half-folded, blue or black ink, box paragraphs! Never, ever, store-bought stuff!" Those were the times, which have changed.

Goody said...

@Beth

You've got it.

Those "Genuine Hallmark" cards are expensive too! I recently needed to purchase a Thank You card for someone that wouldn't have appreciated a hand made card and I nearly broke out in hives handing over $4.00 for a bloody card! And, it felt crass-but not everyone appreciates my artwork.

Hope said...

I need to own red silk dress very soon.Maybe one is just waiting for me .You look beautiful in your dress.Thanks for sharing. Here is Summer, I am taking out my linen and cotton clothes. Made decision to put one item for the donation each day, I own far too much.

Curtise said...

Red really is a great colour on you, and that is a very elegant dress!
Beautiful cards too, clever you.
It's good to see you. I'm in the process of reminding everyone I'm still alive... xxx

Polyester Princess said...

You do look great in red, Goody, but I understand your point. I got to wear a lot of blue as a child, but I cannot remember anything in red! I now do, and I definitely would have fallen for that dress too. And the brooch! xxx

Vronni's Style Meanderings said...


You look utterly fabulous in red, Goody. I like the black detail in the dress. Is it real silk? All I know about silk is that its a bastard to iron... I also love the jacket, boots and bag. The brooch is gorgeous and goes perfectly.

You are not artistic? Don't make me laugh - those cards are brilliant. I can just about produce matchstick men and women!

How envious I am of your's and Danny's birding excursions. It's lovely you have one planned for the New Year; I hope you get to see loads of different birds. I have to rely on what I see when I'm out walking but on my list of to do's for 2017 is a first visit to a famous bird sanctuary in Norfolk called Minsmere. I spotted two sparrowhawks on my drive to visit my son yesterday I was so excited I nearly crashed the car!

Hope you have a great and not too cold week.

Veronica

Vronni's Style Meanderings said...


Oops - I need to make a correction. Minsmere is in Suffolk not Norfolk!

Miss Magpie said...

I love that brooch! so unusual.

Bibi Maizoon said...

Very warm reds look gorgeous on you. And you look fab in all those other rich autumnal hues such as olive, maroon, russet, ochre, cocoa, etc. Those brilliant corals you wear in the Spring look beautiful on you too!
I think your handmade Xmas cards look beautiful! The last ones we made here required 6" fern tips pressed until dry then glued flat on a card with spray adhesive and decorated with globs of glitter paint to look like Xmas trees. You can actually buy WONDERFUL handmade Xmas cards here in Nepal that are made out of hand made daphne wood paper. I bet they'd sell wondrously in the US too if you could get a reasonable shipping rate out of this remote and landlocked country. I used to send Xmas cards but gave up as our postal system is a joke. I'd mail my cards out for Xmas and they might arrive anywhere from 2 months to 6 months later. (That's a big MIGHT as in a third of them never showed up anywhere ever again.)

Sue said...

I think you suit most colours, but Red is very good on you. I like what I would call blue red rather than orange red, if you get what I mean. Well done you on your hand made cards. I have a friend that does hand printed wedding invitations, calligraphy and all that sort of thing, she makes a pretty penny from it too. Business op for you??

Vix said...

You look stunning in red, you ought to own way more. Our parents were way more imaginative than today's - I rarely see a little girl dressed in anything but sickly pink. My childhood was mostly spent in turquoise and purple (must be in my second childhood now!)
Your art work is fantastic. xxx

Anonymous said...

Lovely artwork. I feel bad about the purchased card. JanF

Goody said...

@Hope
I'm trying to get rid of stuff too (there's always more, isn't there?) but it is hard! I keep thinking I'll need it eventually.

@Curtise
I should hope you're still alive! A blogging break isn't death, I promise. I'm so glad to hear from you. My day just got loads better!

@Ann
Maybe our parents knew something because you look great in blue.

@Ve4ronica
I haven't driven off the road following a bird (yet) but I have pulled over to get a better look.That sounds like a great place to visit.

I never iron silk-I'd probably melt it. I can't be trusted to iron anything more delicate than table linen.

@Miss Magpie
If you like it then I know it was worth buying because you have a great eye for brooches.

@Bibi
Our postal service keeps getting defunded so we're probably not far behind! The glittery ferns sound like a lovely idea.

@Sue
Yep, I know what you mean about blue red, particularly with respect to lipstick. I don't quite have the skill for a business, but you're sweet to say I do :)

@Vix
The hippie years were a godsend for kids clothes. I can always tell my childhood photos from my sister's at a glance as hers were all puffed out crinolines and mary jane shoes, and mine had patchwork bell bottoms!

@Jan
Ah no-that wasn't the card I was referring to, no worries. I only really resent it when family expect a store bought card because they don't think a handmade card is, "Nice enough."





Mim said...

I have no idea what anesone is!

You seem able to wear pretty much every shade of red, which is really unusual. Though I always think of you in cobalt blue. Primary Goody.

I always end up buying a large, tacky card from a shop for my mum because that's what she loves. The sort of thing with a really LONG dreadful poem in. I hate them, but she likes them, which is what really counts.

Goody said...

@Mim
Neither do I. Seems to have been common in the 50's going by recipes.

JanF said...

Thank goodness, I've been fretting for two days!
Personally, I love hand made cards and make many myself, I also recycle cards by adding little bits and pieces.
Another thing you can do for those who don't appreciate a hand made card is to just buy blank ones and add something special to the inside.
We get extra little cards from the florist when we buy flowers for ourselves and glue those inside.
Stay warm. Jan