Happy Lunar New Year!

 2022 is Year of the Water Tiger

Water Tiger things available on Redbubble

There was a student-sponsored event at Otis, with dumplings and packets of Lucky Money.

This is the outfit I was intending to wear

But it's all an illusion. We had a water heater disaster and couldn't go to Otis. Sigh.

I took a "Make Space for Grace" decluttering course with Katie Rogers in preparation for Chinese New Year, and I'm very proud of my achievements.

The studio/bedroom became especially improved (after on top)

(A lot of those boxes have relocated to the living room. Going slow and steady and one space at a time).

One's entry is an important space to tidy up. Ours looks great at the moment.

Before:

It's been a lot of work, and well worth it.

Mr Lou agrees:

Linking up with

Shelbee's Spread the Kindness

Michele's Potpourri

Fine, Whatever

Shine and Sparkle at the Santa Monica Flea

The Santa Monica Airport Antique & Collectible Market is a feast for the eyes (and a drain on the wallet). It's within walking distance of my abode, which is DANGEROUS.

I already posted these photos on IG, but not all of you go there.
Enjoy!

First the shiny stuff:

This and the next are rugs. Um, yeah.

How would one clean this?

Another rug, more practical

Other cool things

The perfect umbrellas for the Year of the Dog

HULA PIE!!!!!!

Oh Ken with your laser eyes and man bag.

Red, white, and blue

Rim reflections and red Danskos

I bought two items, I'll show you the Ajrakh textile from Gujarat (Vix has been there!)
Here I am wrapped in it on my way home:

click image to embiggen, I didn't reduce this photo

It smells just like the Indian textiles of my youth!

Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday.

52 Pick-me-up: Ink Blue / Bittersweet / Poignancy

••• 

Ready for seven weeks of blue hues? Here they all are, in case you like to plan ahead:
••• 31. (1/31) Ink Blue / Bittersweet / Poignancy 
••• 32. (2/7) Sapphire / Isolation  
••• 33. (2/14) Blueberry / Workaholic / Talent 
••• 34. (2/21) Aqua / Vanity / Transformation 
••• 35. (2/28) Sky / Expansion / Connection 
••• 36. (3/6) Electric Blue / Impatience 
••• 37. (3/13) Navy / Quest 

This is the week for Ink Blue. How is that different from Navy?
Good question, for which I have no answer.
Here is my take, combined with red:

I'm linking up with Patti's Visible Monday, she has a giveaway this week.

Ink Blue / Bittersweet / Poignancy -- link and tell!

52 Pick-me-up: True Red / Insecurity / Bravery

•••  

True Red in motion. 

Since it's the week's prompt, I've been thinking about Bravery.
A lot of my personally brave moments, when I really think about it, are better described as good thinking and wise decisions. Like that time in January 1997 when I said to myself "no more" after this guy I'd been seeing for about 8 months (and lived with for 6 weeks) abandoned me (with all my stuff) outside of a motel in Mesa, AZ while my van was in the shop for a week. He was assuming I'd stay at the motel. Instead, I called a cab, stayed near the mechanic, and didn't reveal my location.
Two weeks later, back in Los Angeles, I met Severo.
Or the cancer battle I waged and won five years ago? Just followed marching orders, no choice was involved. All my angels were the brave ones. I only needed the courage to ask for help. Which was hard, for sure, but not huge.

First responders.
Now THAT'S bravery.
And their vehicles often are True Red!

I'll leave it at that. I'm not touching insecurity -- not brave enough.
True Red / Insecurity / Bravery -- link and tell!

52 Pick-me-up: Rose / Soulmate / Treasure

•••  

These are roses from my garden. Super fragrant, I like to turn them into rose petal jam. 

Roses, the flower of romance.
So why does my rose circle skirt hate me?
Is my love affair with skirts over? Are we no longer soulmates?

This just felt all kinds of wrong. I tried tucking in the shirt and it was even worse. 

Relationships change. It's important to adapt.
Or repurpose, in the case of garments.

So much better, right? 

I hoisted the skirt up to chest level and I like the look. Into the "fix it" pile it goes.

I had a wonderful meetup with Maricel of My Closet Catalogue on Friday in Claremont.
We had become Blogging BFFs over the past year and a half and the stars finally aligned correctly.
We talked of many things, one being the culling of closets (we both are using Poshmark and are finding it a devil's bargain because we are both experiencing greater influx than intended outflow of items. Those Mary Janes up there came from Poshmark).
Anyway, I described this decluttering book I'd read about: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo (I haven't read it yet). The basic premise is to approach an item and ask yourself if you love it and it brings you joy (I'm also taking a Wear Your Joy self-guided e-course that is tackling this concept). Maricel made the astute observation, "What do you do about perceived loved garments vs the reality of them not really looking that great?" [Not a direct quote -- Maricel, do you remember exactly what you said?] It's a quandary. Minimalists would say BANISH. Maricel and I are maximalist Geminis, we let our "precious" treasure linger and build up.

[source]

For me, it's an ongoing process and involves repurposing.

PURCHASED/ GIFTED (band shirt)/ LINKS/ 

Rose red, soulmates, and/or treasure? Link and tell!

52 Pick-me-up: Fresh Fruits

PURCHASED/ PURLOINED/ GIFTED/

Feeling fruity?
I'm wearing the forbidden one -- the apple!

Details:

Freedy Johnston band tee for that farmstead feel

Scarf, socks, skirt:

My lap at lunchtime, setup for a #tinyplanet photo
Note "Pop of Pink" socks for linking with Create 28 Lovely Spring Looks

Fruits does not only refer to food.
There is also FRUiTS, a 90's Japanese Harajuku streetstyle magazine created by Shoichi Aoki.
FRUiTS the magazine spawned a couple of books, I have both:

In my Google perambulations, I discovered there is a current FRUiTS Facebook Page.
YES! My people!

I've given you a wide range of choices for your 52 Pick-me-up contribution this week.
Go wild!
Then link and tell!

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

52 Pick-me-up: Match Your Scarf

PURCHASED/ PURLOINED/ 

This prompt was so much fun last year, I'm doing it again.
First you find a scarf, then you match your outfit to it.

I chose this Indian silk square that I "borrowed" from my mom back in 69 or 70.

Scarf it up! Link and tell!

I'm linking with Patti's Visible Monday later today. No hiding behind scarves for me!
Also linking with Maricel's TARDIS Tuesday. Because blue.

52 Pick-me-up: Hat Trick

PURCHASED/ PURLOINED/ GIFTED 

This week is all about hats. Judith, the Style Crone, hosts "Hat Attack" on the first of every month.
She asks us to "...display your hat, headwrap, headpiece, fascinator, hair flower, headband or other adornment for your head..." This time the linky parties shall align, despite the fact that Mercury is still in retrograde.

I'm featuring my collection of ribbon hats.
They are made in China, I think with leftovers from apparel manufacturers. I bought them all at the 99 Cent Depot in Culver City, for $1.99!

[Screen capture from my Tumblr]

Here's the first one that I bought:

The ribbon is printed with this: "get wrapped in the fabric of MIMCO...........for frolicking"
What does that mean?

I played "match the hat" with a tee and scarf:

And:

And:

And:

And:

This last look has further permutations yet to occur. When they happen, you'll be the first to know.

My personal ribbon hat stack:

That's a drawing by Cidney Hochman behind the hats, not that you can see it.

What's your hat trick? Link and tell!

When Amaryllis Met TARDIS

PURCHASED/ GIFTED/ 

What happened when I was thinking of the red and white Amaryllis
while also thinking about Maricel's My Closet Catalogue TARDIS Tuesday?
This:

I fear the spandex is dying in the skirt. Tragic.
It's tubular bubble knit nylon/spandex yardage that I bought in the 80s.
I had located a wholesaler for it then, not sure if it's still being manufactured.

Amaryllis inspiration:

[Source: Google Image search for Amaryllis]

You have lots of time to add your 52 Pick-me-up link!

52 Pick-me-up: Amaryllis

PURCHASED/ GIFTED/ 

It's a flower week again on 53 Pick-me-up. The Amaryllis is a lily-like bulb that comes in many colors.

Amaryllis by disequilibber [source]

I'm using red, burgundy, and pink to inspire today's look.

Yeah, stripes still. I like stripes.

I'm linking up with Patti's Visible Monday later today.

Which Amaryllis color will you link?

52 Pick-me-up: Go Dotty

PURCHASED/ GIFTED/ LINKS/

Dots are this week's theme.

If you are regular, you are well aware of the many dotted socks that I own.
You've also seen this skirt a lot.

Glamor shot, so that I can join Style Crone's Hat Attack:

 I'm still swamped with work, so I'll keep this short. Got dots?

52 Pick-me-up: Short Over Long

PURCHASED/ PURLOINED/ LINKS/

Proportion play! Find something short (maybe even TOO short) and wear something long under it.
Go grunge and wear long sleeves under a tee.
Or go crazy, like I did:

I didn't start out dressing to match my scarves (like last week), but I found the perfect matchy scarves.
Short scarf over long scarf pure accident!

This was one of those outfits that started out with totally different items over the striped top and red pants.
I ended up with the above for lack of time.

I felt like this (which I've posted before, but it bears repeating):

Sporting the drop-crotch trend at such an early age!

My red and white scarf has a special past:

Dolls of the World Kenya Barbie, 1994
photo source: Barbie Collector

I designed it for Kenya Barbie and purloined some sample fabric!
This is one of my early digital print designs, that I worked up in U4ia (expensive proprietary software which Lectra now calls something else). The printing on the polyester base cloth shows equally on both sides, and it works well for both Barbie's cape and my scarf.

[Apologies for the wretched photo. Will replace with a better one tomorrow.]

Here's another short over long idea:

At my art reception, 3/31/2013

I now have the distinction of being "that crazy girl on Facebook", as described by one of Severo's old pals.
Hahahaha!

Special shout-out to Megan Mae and Keely, 
who first gave me the idea for this prompt, from their Fashion Challenge series.

Link up, my friends: