52 Pick-me-up: Topaz / Enlightenment / Courage

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Today, a rainbow vomited all over me:

I had pulled the leggings for TOPAZ week, but was having trouble styling them.
Why not go full pattern on pattern?
Time will tell if this look leaves the back patio.
Courage, right?

How about the shoes????

I have been bragging on Pinterest and Facebook about these treasures.
Snagged Friday at a local charity shop (Silver Lining on Washington Blvd in Culver City) for $60.
They are the most beautifully made pair of footwear I have ever handled.

Handmade in El Paso by Tres Outlaws, they are still available new online for $2500!!!!!
Yes, they are alligator and yes, they are slightly creepy. And they have extra long pointy toes.
This video came to mind when I tried them on:

I'll be linking with Patti's Visible Monday.

Topaz / Enlightenment / Courage: link and tell!

Party On at UNIQLO

UNIQLO, the Japanese fast fashion chain, is opening some new stores today. 

UNIQLO Chicago's opening is being hyped online.
LOOK! Free shipping all weekend!

Last night I ventured down to the Del Amo Fashion Center for the UNIQLO Torrence pre-opening party.

Live DJ!

Wakame Salad in mini cups! (My dinner).

Deep discounts!

What was in my shopping bag?

Men's HeatTech Crew, Women's Airism Tank, Navy Tights, Men's Dry Tee in Aqua (not online, unless it's the Green)

The flannel shirt was too small (sad face), but I checked online while composing this post, and SCORE! Same for the TARDIS blue "dry" tee (which they only had in XS-L instore).

And what was originally in that $1 display?
SOCKS!!!!!!

SEVEN pairs for ONE DOLLAR!!!!!
[Hey Marlita on my left. Even just your fraction of your face is flawless!]

Can you believe that I debated whether to get these? That damn decluttering project.

It was fun running into Marlita, of Marlita On the Run and her friend at the event.
We were there until closing.

Then things got grim.


Word of warning -- don't stay inside the mall past 8:45.
I couldn't retrace my steps through Macy's to get to my car.
I had to go outside the mall.
I got totally lost and wandered around A LOT -- make that A LOT of LOTS.
Not fun. Scary even.
Del Amo is huge and everything looks the same in the dark.
Single woman wandering around in the dark, random dudes lurking in dark corners, construction crews...
Seriously, I had to use my phone's GPS to locate where I had parked.

Hello car! So glad to finally find you! Glad that I remembered that I parked near Sears.

Anyhow, this weekend is definitely the time to stock up on basics at UNIQLO.
From the comfort of your home.
Unless you want to try your luck finding ONE DOLLAR SOCKS!

Disclosure: I was invited to the store preview. The salad was free. Everything else I paid for.

Have a Happy Sunshiny Day

My mad hunt for yellow had me thinking about smiley faces.
Not only do I have a good amount of smiley tees:

I have a collection of smily stuff, mostly displayed in the bathroom.

A very small section of the collection. 

It may not be the Smiley Face Museum, but it's close!

Here is the purple smiley tee, Severo found in NC -- it advertises a club in Atlanta, the "Have a Nice Day Cafe"

This is the back

What adult wears a smiley tee to work? Raises hand.
With a bodycon dress? Raises hand.
Purple leggings? Why yes, I did.
And tie-dye print scarf? Thank you Bella.
And matching socks!!!!! (They were 99¢ at Jack's in NYC)

This outfit qualifies for many linkups:
Patti's Visible Monday
Maricel's TARDIS Tuesday
Catherine's I Will Wear What I Like

Plus, SUNSHINE YELLOW, yo. "Have a nice day!" :-)
Link up your yellow outfits here. Link up your yellow art there.

52 Pick-me-up: Sun / Miracle / Reward

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Ah, forgive me while I have a yellow meltdown.

[see more of this mess on The Glutton, where I'm still documenting my decluttering process] 

It's the start of seven weeks of yellow tones here on 52 Pick-me-up.
The colors are named by Tori Hartman for her Chakra Wisdom Oracle. [links here]
The interpretations are my own.
Here's what I decided back in June:

Sun, Topaz, Sunflower, Lemonade, Canary, Bronze, Gold  

This week our prompt is Sun Yellow. How is that different from Canary?
Here's what Tori says: Sun Yellow is the brightest and boldest. Canary Yellow is yellow in its purest form.

OK, so I still have four weeks to get something sewn up in my 90's yellow, black, and red plaids:

The item on top is a sweater that I'm going to turn into a skirt.

The other two are both woven yardage, the middle has spandex added.

That leaves me with the Sun Yellow jingle jangle skirt, which I still haven't decided what to do with.
Here it is, as a skirt, in days of yore:

With the famous Traveling Yellow Skirt!

"It makes a lovely bed"

"But I like the plaids more."

Yes, Mel's "Miracle" Traveling Freak Show Skirt is Sun Yellow.
Have you taken a spin with it?
Leave your link below, if you have.
If you haven't, contact Melanie. [The instructions are over on this page]. It is SO REWARDING!

Sun / Miracle / Reward -- link and tell!

All Aboard LA's Fashion Platform 2015

Frances Harder, founder of FBI, wears a cape from EIS LA

On Tuesday, I attended a fashion show at Union Station, hosted by Fashion Biz Inc.
I went with the intention of sketching the runway, but did not do too well.
I had a fantastic seat at the foot of the runway (thank you Kelly!) but it was very dark and I couldn't see what I was doing!

A recap follows with an assortment of photos and quick sketches.

EIS LA

MK Collab

Soverra

Odina Surf

Vene Ai

Nepal Pashmina

AS by DF

Designer  Denise Focil (in red) was presented with the Moss Adams Fashion Innovator (MAFI) award.

52 Pick-me-up: Sunset / Completion / Achievement

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This is our last week with an orange-themed prompt with the key words sunset [orange], completion, and achievement.

Who doesn't love a fiery orange sunset?

Phoenix Setting II, Oil on canvas, 48 x 36", ©2001, Anne M Bray

At this time of the year, I see less and less of the sunset. It's almost completely dark by the time I get home from work.
Dawn, however, I catch almost every day.

Wednesday's dawn was particularly mesmerizing.

It needed to go on a tee!

And leggings!

Not to overlook the #GoodMorning duvet cover!

As soon as Society6 has a free shipping deal, that Tee will be mine!

Happy to say I achieved posting this stuff to Society6 quickly.
And my initial rough mockup in the sketch looks very close to the Society6 mockup photo.
[Disclosure: I get $4 per garment and $10 per duvet cover purchased]

How about you? Sunset / Completion / Achievement -- link and tell!

Create 28 and Decluttering

Whitney at Whitney a la Mode is hosting a fall-themed Create28, if you're interested in such things.
I'm joining in, as the mood strikes me, mostly on Instagram.

For #create28fallLooks Day 5: Fall Colors

My big project this month is tackling my clutter.
I signed up for a decluttering e-course called 27 days of Feng Shui with Katie Rogers ($49 or so).
It's helping and I'm discovering all sorts of treasures!

As part of my spin on the process, I'm keeping a journal that includes incriminating sketches of the clutter, and an online daily progress report. All can be found over on The Glutton. Some of you have expressed interest in seeing the "islands of clothing", etc in the living room. The islands have been put into boxes (be happy for me!) but there is still lots of clutter to gawk at, if you want to feel better about the disorderly state of your home.

Why am I prattling on about all this?

I found these "molten lava" beads, conveniently still strung as I purchased them in the 80s:

They (along with some 70º weather) inspired me to pull out the "manzanita" skirt:

Plus the CUPCAKE SOCKS!!!!

Socks a gift from Severo, Marcia, first time wearing them. He probably got them at Jack's. Purchased somewhere in WI.
Shoes are Kork-Ease

Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday too.

52 Pick-me-up: Carrot / Perseverance

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This orange "dress" is a study in Perseverance.
When I bought it, it was a skirt. [original post from 5/4/11]

sage tee from boyfriend, skirt from cottage art, chinese plastic sandals

Another take [original post from 5/18/11]:

Then I began wearing it as a dress(?), pinafore(?), whatever you want to call it.

[And here's where my computer's dying has caused way too many hurdles in writing this post.
Yes, it was all backed up -- but where do all the iPhoto uploads go? And how do I get to them?
It's a Mercury Retrograde mystery, my friends. Or a lesson in Perseverance.
Trying to use the Search Tool on the blog's sidebar was no help at all.]

Trust me, I've worn this skirt-dress many times.
I was going to show you, but you'll just have to imagine it.
The pairing with the lime maxi is a particular favorite.
Here's how I gussied it up for an Instagram:

Those silver fauxkenstocks really sing with the silver sequins.

Forgot to mention my linkup with Patti's Visible Monday. How rude of me.

Have you donned Carrot AKA Orange lately? Any recent acts of Perseverance?
Link and tell!