Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Autumn Colours in Spring

More awful news day after day. I find it interesting that for someone who's so quick to tweet (blurt) out whatever unfiltered rubbish courses through his head, the bully been maintaining complete radio silence the past few days. Interesting, eh? Well, no role model there I guess. I mean, come on-not even a completely hollow and meaningless, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims"? 

Okay, just had to get that out of my system. 

Here, have some cake.

On to nicer things. Happy Midsummer! We make this cake every year for Danny's half-Birthday which happens to fall at Midsummer eve. He spent the first nine years living in a very small town that was settled by Swedish immigrants that came to Nebraska as homesteaders in the 1800's. The real reason we save this cake for Midsummer is because you can't get raspberries in December! It is a very special cake that takes three days to complete, and as a result isn't the sort of thing I'd want to undertake baking more than once a year. What's in it you ask that takes three days? 
Homemade raspberry jam
Raspberry puree
Chocolate buttermilk cake
Raspberry chocolate ganache
And assembly that includes a wide variety of curse words!

In the end, we have enough cake for the next week and another half for the freezer. 

Let's move on to the real reason you come here...my sparkling personality vintage clothing. 
Sigh, I like brown and rust colours. Always have. I imagine it is a matter of knowing what works for me, but it can look a bit out of place come spring and summer. That's where accessories become useful in stretching my favourite wardrobe pieces.
There isn't anything inherently summery about Western wear, but I do tend to associate it with the rodeo season which in Nebraska at least tends to be in the summertime. Confession-I like rodeos. The boys don't, but that's okay. I took Danny to a rodeo once and that was enough for him. 
I think Danny was about three when we took him to the Ashland rodeo (I can't remember when he stopped using a sippy cup). I couldn't bribe him to wear a cowboy hat and Western shirt these days. That's a pity as I find some really great stuff in the thrifts. All well, kids need to grow up and find their own interests. 
Anyway, accessories can drag an autumn skirt into summer as I've done with the addition of these open-toed sling-back heels. A hand-tooled leather bag always feels summery to me. I recently purchased one in dark green leather with a tan and rust rose motif in the centre. It would have worked with the colours of the skirt but I was afraid it would end up getting lost with the print of the fabric. "More is more" is a great rule of thumb, but shocking as it might sound hearing me say it, sometimes you've gotta hold back. I know, there there, the shock must be terrible. You should probably go have a lie down.
Outfit Particulars:
Blouse-K Mart a few years ago
1970's skirt-Thrift World
Vintage Belt-New Life Thrift
Vintage hand tooled Mexican purse-New Life Thrift
Vintage root beer Bakelite earrings-Can't remember
Shoes-Goodwill
Fragrance-Fleur de Cabotine (cactus flower felt like the right note here)
How about another?
This nylon dress and matching jacket would be too flimsy to wear in our autumn weather, but the colours do suggest changing leaves. To help lighten this outfit up, I added a new-to-me Hobe  necklace and bracelet set. 


 I can appreciate why people collect Hobe-the pieces are substantial. My wrist was sore by the end of the day! Sort of like a fashionable wrist-weight.
 Outfit Particulars:
1970's nylon dress and jacket-Thrift World
Vintage Hobe necklace and bracelet-Thrift World (under three bucks. Really).
Vintage handbag-Thrift World
Brooch-Etsy shop, Nomads With Baggage
Vintage Gaymode shoes-Thrift World
Belt-Goodwill
Fragrance-Nahema
 If you like the brooch, there's another still available in silver.

What about you? Do you save certain colours for specific seasons, or do you wear what you like when you like? 
Giddyup pardner.






10 comments:

Bibi Maizoon said...

Oo! That cake looks like it's worth every second of toil! I just bought a $3 raspberry lipgloss from Essence that is amazingly balm-like and comfortable to wear. The color is too sheer for my tastes so I wear it over lipliner.

Those were Spring colors in the earth-tone crazed early 70's as I recall. Those really are YOUR colors too, Goody!

Awww, love those photos of Cowboy Danny!

Melanie Folly Bird said...

Ooooh, yum! That cake looks gorgeous! I just passed my half birthday (unrecognised) two days ago, I too am a December baby. Now you have me wanting cake on my half birthday. You're a wonderful mum for making such a cake for Danny.

I like autumn colours too but am guilty of only wearing them seasonally, maybe because my autumn colours, bar my brown skirts, are all of a heavier weight. I really love your white top, it's so pretty and I am so in love with your glasses!

Anonymous said...

Fantastic looking cake, you are good to put so much effort into your cooking!
That's a cute photo of little Danny! JanF

Vronni's Style Meanderings said...


I'm with you Goody. I love autumnal colours too and I will wear what I like when I like.

I love your first skirt with the white top and all the accessories. The second outfit is fab; I do remember those matching skirts and jackets. One of my Senior managers had a wonderful range in all sorts of colours and designs.

That cake is incredible and I bet it is delicious. Lucky Danny!

As for he who shall remain nameless - what a total knob he is.

Miss Magpie said...

How amazing does that cake look?? I love the tooled handbag. Autumnal colours are definitely my favourites too.

Beth Waltz said...

Over the years I've attempted to amass a collection of dark cottons that can be worn throughout the year, save the dead of an Indian winter (and even then I pop a sweater over them). Back in the day, one wore shirtwaists for daily office attire; the dress-with-jacket ensemble was the thing for conferences and making presentations. The warmer the weather, the more white was added to the mix.

Having forsaken heels, I now favor what I call "coolie suits" that enable me to wear flats -- but I'm still getting mileage from handbags that are older than my co-workers. The metal details on that big bag are sooo elegant! And I'd snap up that cowgirl belt if I could beat you to it at the thrifte shoppe!

That cake is a labor of love and a work of art!

Goody said...

@Bibi
You're right-I forgot about all the earth tones. I had brown corduroy shorts I wore all spring and summer.

@Melanie
You should demand cake ;)
I would get half a cake on my half birthday as a child. It was always lemon. Not sure what became of the other half, but I suspect my dad finished it off .

@Veronica
The beige top is part of the dress-isn't that strange how far they went to make it look like separates?

@Miss Magpie
You're one of those lucky people that look good in just about any colour.

@Beth
I really like those soft, unstructured trousers and jackets, but they look terrible on me-curse those big boobs. I'd wear nothing but Eileen Fischer if I could get away with it. I really like the idea of clean lines in solid colours that let you show off accessories. I'll bet you're the chicest in your office.

Radostin said...

That cake looks amaaazing and with added description sounds even better. I love your light-weight autumnal colours.

Goody said...

@Radostin
You know how I said we'd freeze half of the cake? That didn't happen, and we've nearly eaten it all. Ah well, once a year, right?

Polyester Princess said...

That cake looks yummy, and so does that nylon dress and jacket, which I'd have snapped up in an instant. I have quite a few of these sets, but never know when to wear them, as it's either too hot or too cold for them. I really should make an effort and get them out. xxx