52 Pick-me-up: Periwinkle / Balance

••• 

This is our final week of PURPLE and our last color is Periwinkle, a color combining purple, blue, and grey. Balance is the emotion cue word, very apt for me after my month of fake-journaling as Enid.  I also blogged the tartans of US and Canada A-Z every day this month (except Sunday) over on Pattern Recognition. Exhausting! Extremely unbalanced!

Periwinkle was one of the colors in Enid's rainbow of crayon colors, here is my Periwinkle outfit from 4/21.

Anyone remember the brand Kensington Blue? They made my striped tee.
Hey 80's. I got the ikat scarf at that time too. Relics that still fit! Hurrah!
Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday

I shot an outfit photo every day this month to sketch from -- easier for me to look at the preview on my camera vs imagining what I looked like. I'll be making a compilation of the month's photos, but not today. I'm too busy being a groupie! (Smithereens gig at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. It's sound check as I type.)

It's all about Balance, right?

This is your final week to add anything PURPLE to the link-up.
Periwinkle / Balance -- Link and tell!

52 Pick-me-up: Amethyst / Forgiveness / Belonging

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The 52 Pick-me-up prompts this week are: Amethyst / Forgiveness / Belonging 

I've been on an 80's nostalgia kick, triggered by seeing a performance by Stan Ridgway (Wall of Voodoo).
All week, Stan and WoV have been my soundtrack. 

We'll start today's post with an outfit including orange and Amethyst striped leggings from Tweeds. 

Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday.
Can't overlook me in this outfit!
[5/9] also linking with Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike

Anyone remember Tweeds? It was an early "cool" mail-order company (vs. preppy L.L. Bean's, Land's End, etc).
I got these leggings in 1988 or 89. Hey! They're Vintage!
(Enid called them "antique". Enid is a brat.)

Here's a closer look, to get the full glory of the lower half of the pattern smash:

Turquoise laces c/o the nice girl at Fluevog on Abbot Kinney.
Pink/turquoise Keds snagged on Poshmark -- I love Poshmark!!!!

Amethyst-the-gemstone also gets the spotlight today.

I had amethysts in my wedding ring (HAD being the operative word -- the first cracked on day 2 of my honeymoon. Yes, it was an omen, I should have paid attention). I designed the ring and I wish the silversmith friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend who made it had told me it was a bad design (he might have tried, can't remember). ALL the Amethysts are long gone (as is the wasbund). The silversmith also made a keeper ring that I now wear in my pinky.

Here are: the retired wedding ring, 

a new Amethyst stacking ring (again from Poshmark),
the keeper ring (it's a keeper!),
Spanish St. Lucy postcard,
additional artifacts from the DEF wasbund era in a Mexican matchbox.

I don't remember WHY I chose Amethysts for my wedding ring. I didn't research its spiritual qualities, I went with intuition. Which brings us to one of this week's emotional words: Forgiveness. I'm still working on that one re the wasbund.
Maybe when I'm 64?

Amethyst / Forgiveness / Belonging -- link and tell! (Anything purple)

52 Pick-me-up: Royal Purple / Faith

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I'm recuperating from a late night partying in Claremont.

(I had an art opening for my #dailytruck series at SPACE Claremont. I got home at midnight).

Here's a Royal Purple look from earlier in the week:

Linking with Patti's Visible Monday
[5/9] also linking with Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike

Since most of you aren't local, I give you #myshittycommute The Book*, which has all 20 pieces in the show:

#myshittycommute

By anne m bray

*I get a small commission if you buy the book or PDF. I'm ever so grateful for your support.

Royal Purple / Faith -- Link and tell!

An InLinkz Link-up

52 Pick-me-up: Iris / Despondence

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Oh, have I got an Iris (Violet) outfit for you this week!

Am I bright enough?
Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday, because, VISIBLE
Linking with Not Dressed As a Lamb's #iwillwearwhatilike also, because, age inappropriate!
[5/9] and again linking with Catherine's #iwillwearwhatilike, because, PURPLE

Today marks the start of seven weeks of purple hues.
••• 38. (3/20) Iris / Despondence
••• 39. (3/27) Aubergine / Mystical / Intuition
••• 40. (4/3) Royal Purple / Faith
••• 41. (4/10) Indigo / Gratitude
••• 42. (4/17) Amethyst / Forgiveness / Belonging
••• 43. (4/24) Lilac / Recovery
••• 44. (5/1) Periwinkle / Balance

I'm doing a big purple linkup and keeping it open until 5/8.
Add anything PURPLE over the next seven weeks. Multiple linkups are fine, as long as you have some purple somewhere.

And now some words from our sponsor:

Thank you Prince, that was rockin' -- love your hair!

Iris or Violet / Despondence -- link and tell!

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.

[Enid] X is for the X and Os Scarf

ENID/

Transcription:

4.28  X
Kisses and hugs to my pal Bella!
How did her scarf make it into this collection?
Unknown, X factor.

52 Pick-me-up: Iris

PURCHASED/ PURLOINED/ GIFTED/ 

This week we celebrate the Iris.

Iris Petals by Len Burgess 

Iris 'Constant Companion' October 18th, closeup by Bob Gutowski 

The iris comes in a wide range of colors, but I was inspired by the purple ones.
Both of my ensembles feature the radiant purple scarf that Bella gave me last May.

Did you know that the heraldic fleur de lis motif is based on both the lily and the iris? Now you do!

[source]

I'll be linking up with Sacramento and Rosie's Share-In-Style on Monday.

You, on the other hand, will hopefully link here!

52 Pick-me-up: Morning Glory

PURCHASED/ PURLOINED/ GIFTED/ 

It's another flower themed week on 52 Pick-me-up. Let the Morning Glory be your inspiration.

Morning Glories by trekr on Flickr (source) 

Morning Glories come in a range of colors -- pinks, blues, and purples.
I opted for a look with purples:

My scarf is a gift from Bella of Citizen Rosebud. She gave it to me when we met last May during my US road trip.

I'm linking up with a special edition of Visible Monday.
Patti has a giveaway drawing for a Karina dress (until 12/7/2014 9:00am PST), in case you're interested.

Morning Glory or glorious morning?

Link and tell!

52 Pick-me-up: Purple Royale

CREATED/ PURCHASED/ GIFTED/ LINKS/

This week on 52 Pick-me-up, we don Purple, the color of royalty.
Back in 1500 BC [says Wikipedia], purple dye was derived from tiny snails. It took a lot of effort, so only the big-wigs were allowed to wear it. Good thing they got rid of that rule!

You may address me as Queen Anne

I'll admit, I have a purple past.

Here I am back in 1993, my last salaried day at Mattel (I later freelanced), in my purple Leon Max suit, yellow tights, and purple Mary Janes. Hoi and Anita made a mini-me Barbie wearing the same outfit. 

Then, farther back in time, there's the purple maxi (details here):

sorry such a wretched photo
wish I had a larger scan

Have any purple in your closet that you might wear to my party?
Please link up your look!

Purple Haze

The jacarandas are blooming late this year, so I was enveloped in a cloud of purple for my birthday, which was last Tuesday. Today, I'm eating my last piece of ube birthday cake, which is also purple, and I'm enjoying every delicious bite. To make things more festive, I donned my trippy daisy/houndstooth shirtwaist dress.

"As the daisy is rising, the houndstooth peels away..." [intoned through a mic with lots of reverb]

The dress can no longer be worn out in public -- too many random holes (perhaps nylon DOES disintegrate!). It's a treasure that I picked up from Larry, back in the 90s. I'm thinking its vintage is late 60s?
The cake, which Severo got me hooked on, is a Filipino concoction from Red Ribbon Bakery. Ube is purple yam, better known as taro. The cake also has macapuno (baby coconut) and is topped with Asian-style whipped cream frosting.

I will now float over to Patti's Visible Monday. Wanna join me?
Patti is celebrating her 100th Visible Monday post. What a grand achievement!

Inspired by the #OSCARS and Robin Roberts

I performed an experiment yesterday: I "Live Sketched" the OSCAR telecast!

Starting at around 2:45 PST, I planted myself on the couch, tuned into ABC.
I had paper, my old Barbie croquis figure, markers, and colored pencils.
During commercials or boring parts, I shot photos of my work as it progressed, and posted via Instagram to Facebook and Twitter. (I've provided my webstagram link in case you want to see the roughs).
I'll do a post with all my sketches on Wednesday (I still have to scan and clean them all).

Here's a teaser -- Robin Roberts, who was interviewing the stars as they walked the red carpet.

I thought Robin was absolutely radiant. And the moment when she was interviewing Halle Barry? OMG, I got goosebumps. Two beautiful, strong women. I sat there, mesmerized, gawping at the TV, trying (and failing) to shoot photos of them with my phone.

I think Robin's royal blue/purple gown entered my subconscious. I had actually composed an entirely different post for today. But I was compelled to wear my purple tights and my striped sweater dress and the rest developed from that.

So, as my tee says, "Have a Nice Day"!

Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday. Where the elite meet.

Crazy Quilt -- Cotton Blend Rib Knit

I got this purple maxi at Lord & Taylor in the Garden State Plaza, Paramus, NJ. Going to the mall was a big deal then - we lived out in the country far away from department stores [in Dutchess County in upstate NY]. I eventually shortened this [to a below-the-knee length].

At a 4th of July party. Yikes! Hello, Morticia!
Wish this was bigger -- alas, my mom scanned it low rez.
I searched high and low for the photo album,
but had no luck in finding it.

The shortened version, at my art exhibition in 1980 at AnyArt, Providence, RI, with my Dad.
I like how we have mirrored poses here. I am my father's daughter in so many ways.

Jacaranda OOTD

PURCHASED/

I had so much fun dressing in my 365 photo items, I thought I'd try it again today.

My outfit was initiated by the purple scarf

Look! I match the little purple weed flowers in the back yard!
(this is not jacaranda, which is a tree)

macro shot

No jacaranda in these photos, though they're just beginning to bloom. One of my favorites!

I've been thinking (for years) that it'd be fun to dress in the color of various flowers and do outfit shots with them. I sort of did it with the poppies last year. I'll keep it in mind...