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.