Sunday, November 28, 2021

101 Pounds of Fun, That's My Little Honey Bun


Helloooooooo! Been a while, I know. I expected November to be busy and it didn't disappoint. I hope your month has been going well. The easiest way to deal with posting the outfits will be to generally work in reverse, so that's how I'll go. I haven't done proper outfit posts on here for some time, so let's do that for a change.  

Everything here is thrifted, and at great bargains too. That leather skirt was on the dollar rail as it had sat an entire year in the thrift store. Why? No idea. It has a Made in Italy tag and looks to be from the 80s. Giant pocket across the front as well, which is nice. So I bought it, and then it languished in my collection waiting for someone I could pass it along to that could fit it. Well, that ended up being me, for the moment, but I do still plan to move it along. It really was too good to leave. Later in the post I'll show you a suede skirt that was acquired similarly. Thrift stores that discount items based on how long it has been on the rail are great. I always check the sale first, even in a thrift store. 
This sweater is angora and lambs wool and it started pilling after the first wear. Predictable, and I own a sweater comb, but I was secretly hoping it wouldn't. The rhinestones are a fun touch. 
This handbag was something I purchased when we moved to Omaha. I've never seen another like it, nor been able to find out much online, but I really love the bag. It is nicely made.
Photos don't really capture how nice the beading is on both the bag and the handle. 
Also hard to see is the skirt is a patchwork and there's two different textures of leather. 

With the exception of one cold day, our weather has been beautiful and I still have flowers and vegetables growing in the garden. I know that's a terrible sign, but this year with energy costs through the roof and with so many people struggling, I'll take the unseasonably warm weather. Most Novembers, I wouldn't consider wearing this sheer, flimsy Laura Ashley dress, much less without a coat. There's a slip beneath it to keep the material from clinging, but it isn't one of my heavy flannel backed ones. 

Everything here is also thrifted, some recently, some long ago. I've had the handmade bag for several years, but never get tired of it. It worked beautifully here. 
The antique cameo was a thrift find at Goodwill. I'm pretty sure it was less than a fiver. Finding a brooch like that with the seed pearls all still intact was exciting. 
The Italian glass earrings I've had about forty years. They were not thrifted, but rather a somewhat extravagant purchase on my student budget. I think I've probably worn my money out of them by now. 
The bodysuit is not thrifted, but everything else is including this vintage Valentino skirt. 
I do get excited over nice pockets. I was however a little disappointed the skirt was unlined and not that nicely sewn. For the sort of prices Valentino commands new, I'd have expected something of better quality. Still happy enough to have it. A grey skirt is indispensable. 

Still with me? This designer skirt and blouse are very well made. 1980s Ungaro, complete with crazy thick shoulder pads and buttons down the back of the blouse. 


Everything is thrifted. The necklaces were a recent bargain find. They go so well with this sort of outfit. 
Excuse the scuffed bag-it needs a good polishing. 
From the side the thickness of the shoulder pads shows through. Now that I'm older and my shoulders have all but disappeared leaving a couple of bony protuberances in their place, I rather like the look of the pads. Who knows, maybe I'll have to go back and put the padding back into all the clothing I removed them from over the years. 


Everything except the shirt and bodysuit is thrifted. The shirt was something I bought for low-self esteem days (of which there are many. So now I have shirts that read, "Inconvenience" and "Legend". Yeah well, we're in the midst of a global pandemic, I'm entitled to mood swings here and there. 

I'd have preferred, "Fucking Legend" but it is a children's tee shirt and at least so far they don't make things that vulgar for kiddies. 
The velvet skirt has been in my wardrobe for years and has plenty of room to accommodate a number of sizes. I'm glad I can still wear it because it wouldn't be winter without my ribbon trimmed velvet skirt. The 80s boots are recently thrifted and I've been wearing them quite a lot. Didn't expect them to be so comfortable, which is of course a delightful surprise. 

When I saw this denim embroidered waistcoat in the thrift shop I posted a photo to Instagram and was inundated with messages telling me to go back and grab it. So I did. It is hideous. It will likely be raffled off online in a giveaway since so many people loved it, but it is not for me. 


The velour sweater is something I purchased in the 90s when those looks were so popular. The vintage Sassoon skirt was a lucky find. New and unworn it replaces the larger version I've had for years and loved wearing. I am thrilled to have another though being unworn it is still quite stiff. The handbag is cheap and unlabeled but trying quite hard to look designer.  

Next up is a knit set from the 80s that I would have thought was older had I not seen a vintage ad for it on Tumblr. 
A bit nana-ish, and I joked on Instagram that my nana would have called this a "Nice outfit". And it is. A little plain, but sometimes that's just fine. Not every day has to be "wow". 
Vintage shoes that are more useful than they appear at first glance. Black and taupe accommodate a good swath of my wardrobe. They're comfortable too. 
That day was a bit brisk so the vintage swing coat made a first appearance for the season. The vintage Gaymode handbag (the house brand of JC Penny's in the 60s) was the obvious choice. Now, to find a luncheon in a church basement to crash. 

You've seen everything in this outfit before, but no shame repeating favourites. When I bought that sleeveless coat I never expected to get quite so much use from it. 

A crochet skirt and vintage acrylic poloneck are what the cool mums wore when I was a child. So fifty years on, I guess that makes me cool? Maybe? Probably not. 
Wasting no time wearing that Gucci bag. 

And this is what the "square" mums wore when I was a child. 


 Found the bag years ago needing a small repair. Five minutes of sweing fixed it back up in useable condition. Had a hard time photographing the lucite handle, but it is always interesting to see how things like this can survive so well. 

Didn't adore this jersey jumpsuit, but the colour is so good I'm keeping it. 
Sure, do the Hustle or whatever.



This is another, "Never thought I'd wear it" piece from my collection. The skirt was a Scott McClintock sample dated 1991 (tags are still in). It was too small, but yeah that's not an issue now, so I dug it out to wear. Thr colours are faded or some sort of ombre-I can't quite tell but along with the moire fabric it is a strange piece and difficult to build an outfit around. There's a built-in crinoline as well. I knew I didn't want to treat it like formalwear, so this sheer blouse with a tank top beneath it did the trick. The belt is a recently thrifted piece and it weighs a tonne! I seem to have a thing for big belts these days. I like big belts and I cannot lie...

Such good sleeves
as our last president would say, "That's a really bad ombre" . Yeah, I know it was "Hombre" I'm making a joke. Relax. 
These brass earrings are quickly becoming favourites. They go so well with so much. The brooch is a plastic cameo, is was made to be cheap but somehow over the years looks better made. Our standards have dropped that low I guess. 

Now for a leap from Scott McClintock to his mother, Jessica with this Gunne Sax dress. 
My baby Dragan the Dragon (yeah, I know) matched the dress so here we are. At some point, not very well executed alterations were done on the dress, but it isn't obvious when worn. 
It is a pretty dress, though perhaps just on the edge of being too youthful for me. I do believe people should wear what they like regardless of age, so I suppose the issue might be that I don't like looking like I did at twenty. Twenty year old Goody would have been all over this though. I have a few other Gunnes I need to try, but most likely they will be sold along to someone that can appreciate them. It was fun for a day though.

Goldstone necklace. 

Hey, who's this?! A rare appearance from the rarely spotted Northern Twitcher. It was such a beautiful day we headed over to Heron Haven to look for birds. 
I can't believe he's going to be 17 in a few weeks. 

There were some geese and a few ducks but sadly, no heron. 

Such a beautiful nature reserve. It doesn't get much use from the general public as there's no boating, fishing, etc. Unless you want to look at nature it isn't much of a draw. That tends to keep the badly behaved people away, so that's nice. In the summer there's a magnificent pollinator garden. 

Though it hardly feels like the right season, we've been putting up holiday decorations. We have an artificial tree, so no worries about creating a fire hazard. Dan ran some lights through it this year and I have to say, it turned out very pretty. He did all the decorating. The plastic bags have gingerbread people inside which makes the room smell lovely. 

Might as well light the house plants too




Back to a few last outfits...
This is the suede skirt I mentioned earlier that sat in the shop for months until it was discounted to almost nothing and then I took it. The skirt was new with the original tags. Made in Montana. 


I wore western boots with it, but resisted the urge to go completely cowgirl including a hat. I thought about it, but then went with this. 

I've had these Bonwitt Teller Gaucho pants/culottes for a very long time, but this was a first wear. 

I'm posed completely normal so you can see the wide legs and my boots.
Wool/silk blend. The fabric has a slight sheen to it and is just so beautiful to the touch. 




Those were enjoyable to wear.

Almost forgot about these culottes with the deer applique
They're fun, no?




I'll leave you with what I wore on Thanksgiving.

Home sewn by someone (not me). 
The handsome turkey brooch on the bottom is from the lovely Beth Waltz who made sure I had one to wear with my Owl and the Pussycat story dress. I don't remember when I bought the top brooch, but it was years ago, probably for Danny. 

And that's about it from here. No good news to share unfortunately, but hey, there's always clothes to lighten the gloom. Tonight was the first night of Hanukkah and a happy holiday to all who celebrate. I made some potato pancakes from sweet potatoes and served it with gefilte fish. They both seemed to enjoy it. 

See you next time. 



















12 comments:

Emily said...

Your tree is lookin' good! Those edible ornaments wouldn't last a day in my apartment because of how little self-control I have around sweets. :)

Those are great outfits. I especially love the green jumpsuit and the Bonwit Teller gauchos and the antique seed pearl cameo with the Laura Ashley dress.

I have a fondness for nature preserves that don't allow visitors to do "fun" things like swimming. It's probably better for the wildlife that way.

Happy Hannukah!

Miss Magpie said...

So many amazing outfits! I never cease to be amazed at some of the things that end up on the sale rail.
Happy Hannukah to you and yours. xx

Polyester Princess said...

I'm loving both of your bargain skirts! If there's a sale at € 1 or € 2 at Think Twice, I often buy things too even if I know they won't fit me. I'm keeping them to sell on at our flea market, although there hasn't been one for two years running. One can only hope.
Favourites are the 1980s Ungaro skirt and blouse, the crochet skirt, turtleneck and sleeveless coat, the crinolined skirt with the sheer blouse and belt and finally, the divine Gunne Sax dress. xxx

Vronni's Style Meanderings said...

So many wonderful outfits! I think my favourites were the maxi dresses and the gauchos/culottes. You have an amazing wardrobe and such brilliant accessories!

Danny is a man now - how did that happen?

Hope you have a great week.
xxx

bahnwärterin said...

happy hanukkah!
this post has some of your best outfits! very beautiful vintage clothes and you styled them perfectly. but no wonder the leather skirts sat that long in the shops - they´r very tiny :-D
your big boy danny did a super job decorating the tree - looks cozy and stylish......
xxxx

Vix said...

Happy Hanukkah.
I can't believe that photo of Danny, he's a grown man!
So many fab outfits. That Gunne Sax is lovely but if you're not feeling it get it sold soon while they're commanding top dollar. xxx

Sheila said...

Oh, what an outfit bonanza! As a fellow goofy poser, I greatly admired your "see, they're culottes" pose and your grand gestures. So fun!

I love your clothes - you have such a great eye for good quality. It bugs me that a Valentino (!!) skirt isn't lined - it should be impeccable! Love your leather/suede skirts too - I'm a big fan of them and have paid as low as $5.00 for a leather skirt in the thrift store.

I have come around on shoulder pads again, as my shoulders seem to be succumbing to gravity. That vest is hideous. Never listen to other people when buying clothes!

Señora Allnut said...

Such a lot of lovely outfits!, I'm admiring your leather skirt (and the fringed suede one too!, wow). Loving particularly the Valentino skirt (pockets!) and the 80's skirt and blouse with big shoulder pads and fab accessorizing!. I'm also learning to appreciate shoulder pads lately, after having removed lots of them!.
You have some magnificent bags, really. Lucite handles, tapestry bags, Gucci!, I love all of them!
And also loving your 'Nana approved' outfit, the floral sleeveless coat and crochet skirt, the fab jersey jumpsuit and those culottes. Rocking It!
besos

JanF said...

You look wonderful at this weight! Don't get any smaller!

Bibi Maizoon said...

LoL. Teenaged Bibi would have loved that Gunne Sax dress too, that was the much coveted prom dress of choice during my high school years. (Actually, we didn’t have proms at Mennonite school but rather ice cream socials.)
I am loving that sleeveless coat, the colors and pattern are groovy! All you need is a blonde pixie shag and you’d be the Brady Bunch mom.
I used to wear my flimsy Laura Ashley dresses in chilly San Francisco with opaque support hose and leather boots, The fashionable granny look was completed with a wool challis scarf usually, at least I was warm.
I did not know that Gaymode was a JCPenney brand, used to see it a lot thrifting.
Great to see the Northern Twitcher out birding ! Let him know we had a Lammermeier with a 9 foot wingspan hang out on our roof looking for a snack. I was in the kitchen and heard the THUNK and whooshing when it landed. It’s traditional to throw whatever bits and bobs left over from butchering on the roof here in Nepal, guess that’s what he was after. Kind of creepy feeling the shadow of that thing when it flew off.
Happy Hanukkah 🕎
XOX

Beth Waltz said...

Good heavens, a sub-adult Northern Twitcher in native habitat! It seems only last month Dan was a fuzzy chick, so it's difficult to imagine him taking the long flight across the pond to pursue his studies.

I'm in awe of the designer clothes you discover in thrift shops. The Valentino skirt (with pockets!) ticks all my boxes. Too bad about the lack of lining. That used to be the hallmark of an investment-grade garment, especially wool trousers.

Yes, the denim waistcoat is unworthy of your closet in its current form. Perhaps some crafty person will salvage it to make a bag?

Goody said...

@Emily
Thank you!
We're really enjoying the tree this year, I think it must be the addition of lights. The squirrels really love those biscuits so I also made some for them (with the squirrel shaped cutter). Your card arrived-thank you, it is beautiful.
That nature preserve is off limits in the spring when the geese are nesting as they get dangerously aggressive. I', glad they have that refuge.

@Miss Magpie
Thank you.
Where I live the shoppers are looking for things to re-sell on Poshmark, mostly denim. That leaves it easier for me to find the vintage and we all come away with something we wanted.

@Ann
I'm hoping you have the flea market this summer. I know you'll have wonderful things at your stall. Some of the stuff I've bought is so flat out strange I wonder who I had in mind as a buyer? If it is too weird for me, that's saying something.

@Vronni
I don't know how he grew up so fast. Feels like I was just standing on the farmhouse porch in the night air with a croupy baby trying to get him to fall asleep. Now he sleeps anywhere. I'm going to go ahead and take credit for that ;)

@Beate
Thank you. It is supposed to be a joyous holiday so we set our moods aside and lit candles and did all the fun stuff. Danny is busy studying for exams so we don't see as much of him as we used to. He'll be 17 in a couple of weeks. Being an interfaith family, we also did St. Nicholas Night and I bought some candy for his shoe. He says he's too old for it, but smiled and took the candy.

@Vix
Dan would have made an excellent American football player. I'm sure there were some disappointed coaches when they found out he wasn't interested.
I really should move those Gunnes. The others are more lace and romantic prints. Definitely not my style.

@Sheila,
I've been lucky in Omaha-there's a lot of wealthy people (not us, sadly) that donate quality clothing. I once found a Mr. Blackwell gown being rented out in a costume shop as a 60s costume! They sold it to me. Probably not my best find, but definitely top 10.

@JanF
Unfortunately I have no control over my weight loss. It is NOT deliberate. I will however probably be getting fitted for a feeding tube.

@Bibi
Given my fear of birds if I'd been in your house when that happened I'd have had a heart attack!
Penny's had some strangely named lines. I still like JCP for Dan's clothes and my underwear. I hope they don't go out of business like the other department stores.

@Beth
I practically had to drag him out the door. I am thinking of getting him a European bird guide to perhaps reignite his interests for when he moves?
I think the young kids like tacky stuff like the waistcoat. It would read differently on a young person.
Hope you're doing well.