I Don't Even Like Pickles

 

Me too seagull, me too. 

We had a cold snap. In the past that would have been typical enough, but we just aren't used to it. Our newer car we purchased back in early 2020 when there were still cars to be had, and they were inexpensive (how quickly things change) has a remote starter. What a delight that is! Getting into an already warmed up car on a cold day makes it worth the waste of fuel spent idling. I don't use it often, but am very happy to have it. 

Probably a bit over-dressed for the medical lab, but it is a walk to the building  in the wind. When I bought this coat it was in need of a good cleaning but having a real fur collar and a faux fur body made it risky. I plunked it in the bathtub with some woolite and after several gentle soaks and rinses it was clean-and several shades brighter. I dried it on a hanger suspended over a drain in the basement floor and after a week or so carefully brushed it out. I can't promise that will always work, but here it did. In person the fur is a silver colour. I always feel glamourous in it, though at five feet tall I know I probably look more like these Russian children.

They definitely wear it better. I'm sure they weren't complaining about the cold!

And then, I came home. No good reason to be out.

Here it was in 2014. I'm gesturing, don't remember why.

What's better for cold weather than a quilted skirt? Practically like wearing a blanket. 

The skirt was a gift a few years ago. The selvedge read ,Iliad by  Victor Malta, 1953 For American Artists 

It has a wide sweep that would benefit from a fluffy crinoline.

And they are indeed scenes from the Iliad. Years ago I made Danny a quilt in a similar design without knowing it (we were reading our way through Homer together). 

Was that really eleven years ago?! I can barely believe it.

The photos don't do this vintage mohair blend cardigan justice. It is beautiful, and so well made.

The silk blouse beneath is nothing special and feels rather cheap, but it fits, is a neutral, and cost about a buck. 

Had a stupidly stressful week, but who hasn't?! I tried on this 1970s jumpsuit for fun, but didn't wear it anywhere and changed out of it shortly after snapping photos. A pair of platforms wouldn't be out of place, but I just didn't feel like it. 

But look at the size of those flares. Wouldn't they be magnificent on a dance floor!

I'm not headed for any dancefloors, sadly.

There's really only one fragrance that's appropriate with a jumpsuit like this.

And don't forget the giant hoop earrings. The earrings are not good with a mask.  

Cooking has been a challenge again as the produce hasn't been very nice, and it is expensive. Luckily bell peppers/Holland peppers have been plentiful, and everyone enjoys them. The slice of bread in the upper right of the plate is a dairy-free pizza I made for Dan on an evening when his dad had to work late. I served the leftovers for days. As it turns out, pizza is a fantastic match for chicken .No one is getting malnourished on my watch. Well, I am LOL, but I meant the people I cook for. 

Been using my favourite Spanish cookbook again. 

This is a fantastic cookbook but there's a bit of translation murkiness. Nothing I can't figure out, but be warned.

There's nothing here you haven't seen before.

The shirt is made of some sort of chamois cloth . It is softer and more flexible than Ultra Suede. The entire outfit was thrifted over the years. The Michael Kors belt had a bunch of metal and leather branding hanging off of it that I removed. It was annoying, and I don't care much about brands that sell in outlet malls. Certainly not enough to feel the need to flaunt it.  

I'd planned to wear this shirt with the matching skirt but as every vintage lover knows, sometimes things fall apart in your hands. Such was the case when the ancient zipper's teeth fell out. 

I'll look through my stash of vintage zippers for one in the right size/colour but I suspect this will be a job for a professional. No matter, I found another skirt to wear with it.

These pieces hardly get worn, and that's a shame. The rings are both unmarked, but look like 70s to me. The bracelet is also unmarked. Earrings are Coro, and the stork brooch is Sara Coventry. 

The matching skirt. I'll get it fixed eventually. It has a fabulously wide sweep.

I don't know why the photos are doing this. Just tilt your head, OK?

This skirt is an old favourite I've owned since the 80s. There was a matching blouse I've long since got rid of, but I kept the skirt because the print was so nice I figured it could be made into something else. Like most things, I never got around to it, so now I'm wearing it again. Lucky I'm a procrastinator. 

Isn't that beautiful? It reminds me of some expensive Italian stationary I once had. 

I wore it with another item that's been lurking in my wardrobe since the 80s-this Burberry trench coat. 

Bored detective pose-not buying the alibi...

Still not convinced...

Why I never!!! I did think about taping a picture of a nude statue to my chest.

The coat was, as I recall a fantastic bargain because the arms were too short for a normal person to fit in and it had been in the thrift shop a long time. I have very short arms, so it came home with me. I couldn't always button it, but I never even considered getting rid of it. 

A few more wardrobe deep-dives for you with this wool skirt and cashmere sweater. The capelet was thrifted in the last few years.

They're such good pieces though I believe this is a first for wearing them together.

Brooch was purchased new in the 80s.

The skirt is a bit big, and I've pinned it and put on a belt. Is it perfect? Hardly. But good enough works too. It isn't at all obvious once the cape is on. The sweater is also gigantic, but tucking it in solves that issue. 

Another 80s purchase. This is by the 1928 company. They made some really beautiful pieces in the 80s. 

Even the reverse is pretty. I wore this necklace so much the beads have worn dull, but that just enhances the antique look. As I recall it was on the expensive side for costume, but as I'm still wearing it forty years on, I'd have to congratulate my younger self for splashing out. You already know the story of the cashmere sweaters and how I went to Marshall Field's once a month and bought another colour. This went on for a few years, but I knew what I liked, or rather didn't. I've been covering my neck since I was a teenager! Besides, I'm always cold and you can pull the neck up over the face for an impromptu balaclava if you're waiting for a bus, or inspired to hold up a bank. 

Isn't that a beautiful skirt?! Itchy, of course but that's why I wear a slip. 

This isn't a dress, but rather an abaya and should be worn over another dress as it is open in the front, not a bodysuit and tights as I've done here. I was staying home anyway.

What a busy/chaotic week it was. Danny managed to re-injure the same ankle he hurt back in November falling at school. He had the good fortune to wipe-out in a nearly empty hallway except for his coach's son, who saw what happened and ran to get his dad. Together with the school nurse they got him bandaged, iced, and into a wheelchair to get picked up. X-rays looked good so thank goodness he didn't break anything but we need to find out why this ankle keeps going out under him. He's staying in his room anyway as he's now had two close contacts at school come down with covid) and he can stay in bed with the leg propped up. There's a bathroom right outside the door, so that's lucky. 

Mr. ETB continues to isolate in the basement and wear a mask when in common areas because his workplace is full of sick people. Yay! He's eating alone as well. I've started announcing myself as, "Room service!" when bringing food up, but this won't last forever (I hope). Made them a lovely curry tonight with four pounds of spinach which was easy enough to dish up in bowls with rice and chickpeas. 

I'm still going through various medical appointments but I did meet with the neurologist that confirmed these migraines are probably going to be with me for life, but there's things I can do to manage them. So that's what we're doing. She also noticed I'm B12 deficient. Well, that's not unusual for a vegetarian, though we'll have to see if supplements do any good. My first two doses of sublingual mega-dose B12 had me feeling like I'd done a line of coke. I mean, that's not bad, I just wasn't expecting to be so jittery. Live and learn. I have to take magnesium now as well since it can be beneficial preventing headaches, and I was deficient anyway. Those are two simple things I can do. The medication I have to take at the onset of a migraine is also strange. I do think it helped (there's no way of knowing how bad it would have been without) but it also induced this mild euphoria. I was brushing my teeth before bed and laughing. Dan found it all very entertaining that his mother was high. I didn't feel otherwise impaired though, so a fit of giggling is far preferable to a full blown migraine. The preventative medications haven't worked well for me and this Dr. agreed that for most people they aren't the best treatment. That's one thing out of the way for now. I'd really like to avoid that whole experience of feeling unable to move and speaking gibberish but if it isn't avoidable, it is at least treatable and that's good news. We still don't know what part hypoglycemia plays in it, but I'm seeing the endocrinologist next week and I have a month's worth of blood glucose monitoring to bring. I'm not generally an App person, but the one that syncs with my monitor and phone has been very helpful. I wouldn't want to be writing it all down. 

My stomach, which you'll remember I've named Pickles because I walk around holding it and talking to it so much it seemed only fair to give it a name. Pickles has been a________fill in the blank with the expletive of your choosing. I should probably stop eating Styrofoam, eh? The drawing at the top of the post is by the very talented Falseknees and you can find his stuff all over the internet but also at falseknees.com 

I really do detest pickles, so perhaps that's a good name after all. 

Have a good week all.

I Wanna Be Jackie Onassis, I Want to Wear a Pair of Dark Sunglasses

Thanks everyone for letting me get all of that out of my system in my last post. I try to keep this space focused on clothes, cooking, etc. but given the current situation I'm glad to know you'll forgive a frustrated rant now and then. 

There's nothing here you haven't seen before, but it is hard to go wrong with a good skirt and blouse. This one was always a little snug on me, and I tended to wear it open but that's currently not an issue. Most clothes can be made to fit a range of sizes, you just have to wear them differently. 

It was a bit chill in the house and rather than reach for the usual cardigan, out came this lined leather vest. It is surprisingly warm. 

oooh looking tough😀

Would have been good with a black leather skirt as well. I need to give that a try. 

Everything in this outfit was thrifted, including the Brighton belt. It is oh so heavy, but I do love it. Belts are just for photos these days as they tend to stab me under the ribcage the minute I sit down. Sort of like being Heimlich'd . I'm over sharing, huh? 

I thought about steaming or ironing that wrinkle across my corduroy skirt, but didn't guessing it would either fall out naturally or get worse as the day wore on. Neither happened with it remaining more or less the same all day, but I stand by my decision to leave it alone. Life is too short for ironing corduroy FFS.

This pair of new, old stock Snowland Boots from the 70s haven't been outside yet. I wear my black pair all winter, but I'm hesitant to take these pristine boots out in the salt and sand and snow. I'm sure I will eventually, but I've been saying that for a few winters now. House boots can be a thing. Isn't that what Uggs are supposed to be (before people started wearing them out)?

Another of my 80s cashmeres from Marshall Field's. I will never regret buying them. The cashmere for sale now is such poor quality even if the prices remain high. These are two-ply knits. 

Is a beige belt the world's ugliest, useful thing? After trying every brown and yellow belt in the closet, beige was the winner. It gets the job done. Just.

Everything except the yellow poloneck and the locket necklace are thrifted. I accidentally shrunk the beige sweater a few years ago. It was nice wool and I kept it thinking I would find someone it would fit-just didn't expect it to be me. I'm sure that won't be forever. In an effort to make myself feel better I've started giving my weight in stones when required. It sounds less upsetting to me likely because as everyone knows, Americans aren't very good at maths (too much multiplication to do quickly in the head) 😃." Seven stones, yeah whatever". It just sounds less depressing. Because I'm American. And bad at maths. Anyway, my shrunken sweaters fit for the moment.

My love of Ultrasuede is well established here.

What's not to love? Launderable, always looks great, timeless.

And those old labels are just the best.

Lilli Ann is a sought after designer now, but the Ultrasuede pieces don't seem to be as desirable.  That means they can still be had at bargain prices. I have other Lilli Ann pieces from the more collectible era which I am planning to show soon. Meanwhile, it really is hard to go wrong with a classic tailored blazer in brown.

A cashmere that wasn't from Marshall Field's? It is true! This one dates from the 80s and is from Lands End. It is also two ply, and beautifully made. Land's End used to have a lifetime Guarantee on their items, but I never needed to take them up on the offer-after close to forty years it is still perfect.  

This velvet skirt was something I bought in the 90s but I am pretty sure it is a 70s piece. The wool socks were purchased years ago when we still had a K Mart. Never guessed the socks would outlive the store. I miss K Mart, they were good for essentials like underwear and stockings. They were fantastic for children's clothing too. Oh well, times and tastes change I guess. The belt is a thrifted Michael Kors that had a bunch of branded logo crap hanging off it. I removed that as I just wanted the belt. It also lightened it up considerably. This belt is worn low enough that it doesn't make me feel like I'm being injured. 

And you thought MLM marketing scheme Longaberger only made baskets. Or they did, I guess the original company is no more though the name and brand have been re-launched. I thrifted one of the baskets and it holds some bangle bracelets, but I mean, it is just a basket. I don't understand the fanaticism people have for them. 

The handbag is nicer than any of the baskets I've seen. It set me back a couple of bucks and I'm happy to have it. 

Contrast lining is always a plus. It is a very nice bag. 

Pardon the terrible photos, it was that kind of a day.

I don't think the Mexican tourist jacket from the 50s has ever been worn with the Paganne skirt from the 70s but I like them together. I wasn't going anywhere, but if I had someplace to go this would be a nice outfit.

The embroidery is beautiful and oh so hard to photograph. 

The skirt began life as a maxi dress before someone with more ambition than skill (Not I) took scissors and sewing machine to it, badly. I've thought about trying to fix it, especially as it now needs to be safety pinned in the waist for me to wear it, but there's better uses of my time. I've accepted it will always be a damaged yet still wearable piece. I do wish people would at least think about what they're doing before cutting. I don't sew well-you'd never see me cutting up designer vintage. I know my limitations.

The cotton sweater was a recent purchase and isn't it a feel-good colour?! 

This beautiful brooch was a bit of a mystery. I'd tried searching out the markings but couldn't find much. After mentioning it in Instagram, Mim of Crinolinerobot came to the rescue and identified it as Premier Designs a company that was around from the mid-80s to 2020. It is one of the more striking brooches in my collection. 

This necklace is a Camrose-Kross JBK piece and wow, is it ever nicely made. You can read a bit more about the Jackie Kennedy collection at the link, and it is fascinating. I didn't know what it was when I bought it (I'm indifferent to the late Jackie O, but I understand her appeal) but for fans of that era, these are very good pieces. 

Here's a better photo (not mine)

I saved the best for last. Or my favourite anyway.

I'm willing to itch a little for vintage mohair. I'm not allergic to it, just annoyed by it. If I got rid of everything that annoyed me...let's not go there.

Some baubles from the Victorian to modern era

In the lower right are my monogramed button covers.

Aren't they beautiful?

Ow, my brains!

And there's the button covers in action. No makeup except lipstick which we've already established does just fine. The blouse is by 70s/80s brand Lucky Winner. Well, that sure sounds optimistic but I'll go with it. Couldn't hurt. 

I'm going to leave you with one of the best bands to come out of Boston in the 80s doing their Jackie O tribute:

See you later