Toughen Up

All this dress needed was for me to roll up its sleeves and find the right stuff to wear under, over, and with it. There!

floral shirtdress: Boden, worn here
twist-front pullover sweater: European Culture Knitwear, Yoox
olive green "snakeskin" elastic belt: Charming Charlie, worn here
proper vintage crinoline, hooray: Netty Vintage, worn here, here, and here
olive green suede wedge sneakers: Gianni Bini, Dillard's 75% off sale (a.k.a. Shoepocalypse), worn here

horseshoe nail necklace: The Occult Shop (Toronto, early '90s), worn here

For my fellow bloggers, I've been reading along faithfully but without brainpower to comment much - various logistics issues rippling out from winter storm / bitter cold reschedulings, a sick hen, and car repairs, together with extreme workload crunch have entirely used it up. Gone! Has equilibrium always been this tenuous? But know I'm sending love and appreciation, as always.

Fortunately, everything is reasonably okay at the moment, and I'm mining my trusty backlog of recent outfit photos so I can see y'all over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday. I'm also hooking up with Spy Girl's 52 Pick-me-up: Pantone Party due to my wee bits of Cerulean and Blue Iris. Plus it's time for Shoe Shine at The Citizen Rosebud. 

Big Henrietta is hanging in there like the champion she is, poor critter - she's come through egg yolk peritonitis before, and seems to have turned a good corner on her way out of the woods. Here she is being majestically affectionate last fall:

Think we have similar hairdos? You should see our handwriting.

I leave you with some fun chicken facts:

• New York Times: Are Chicks Brighter Than Babies?
• International Science Times: Study Says Newborn Chicks Understand Physics and Math Better Than Children

Go here for more of Big Hen and to meet our other ladies (and one gent). Our very best to your furred and feathered and scaled and spined beasties too! 

A New Leaf

Last post (thanks for your kind condolences on the felling of my tree and Curtise for immortalizing the moment with care and humour) I promised the story of these boots. They'd been on my Amazon wish list forever, as I waited and waited and waited for the price to drop on the last pair as it sometimes will and / or for a great big discount code to come along. Then they sold out, as often happens. And then they reappeared just as I received payment for the publication of two of my poems in The Malahat Review. Hooray!!!

green scarf: Lupita's (Harlingen, TX), worn here
leaf pattern bell-sleeved peplum jacket: I.C. by Connie K., Becky's (South Padre Island, TX), worn here
favourite scoop neck pullover sweater: Esprit (2005), worn here
sheer-layered black skirt: Nygard collection, thrifted, worn here
amazing bottle-green boots: Fluevog Radio Ard, worn here

I have also updated the blog's new-ish Writings And Such page with my pysanky art being chosen for my friend Sean Steel's book and SUNY Press's Spring 2014 catalogue cover - last year, I decorated nine eggs on the theme of wisdom in response to his dissertation. 

necklace of silver leaves: (which I love even more for its resemblance to tobacco) Beleza, won in giveaway from the incredible Ann of Blue Hue Wonderland 

Back to outfits, I adore vintage peplums, but find that this trend-go-round, the definition has morphed into "unfortunate stiff little ruffle sticking out at ribcage-level without reference to proportion of torso or figure." Most of them don't look right to (or on) me, but this ivory and black jacket is a welcome exception. I'm linking with Mis Papelicos for Share-in-Style: Favourite Colours because I've worn this green scarf for three posts in a row.

fuzzy plaid vintage coat with snack bowl buttons: Bromleigh New York, passed along by dear friend, worn here (see the pretty labels!)

Further to vintage and old-timey-informed and traditionally-constructed garments that don't mess around, I've got my woolies on. We're anticipating 15 cm / 6" of snow tomorrow and next week's temps will be dropping down near -20 C / -4 F - which is quite a bit warmer than last week! That "swish-swish" of snow pants you hear in the distance might be me catching up: I'm waddling over to Style Crone in time for Hat Attack. 

black wool lop-eared cloche: Scala Collezione, Becky's (South Padre Island, TX)
knitted scarf: handmade gift from aunt R., worn here
thrummed mittens (ON A STRING): handmade locally, special order
winter boots: Sorel Cate the Great

Happy New Year, everyone!