Showing posts with label Lands' End. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lands' End. Show all posts

Monday, January 29, 2024

Art, Entertaining and my recent successful thrifting adventures...

 


We attended the art exhibit "Building Bridges" at Cedar Hill Recreation Centre.


Victoria Artist Tanya Bub


Paper Mache Rooster


~ Grace ~


Tanya Bub created this "chair" using a variety of reclaimed and recycled pieces.
Walmart carry bags, cardboard, and papers among them.

Can you see the boots hanging underneath the chair?

A documentary "Sitting With Grace" has been screened locally.


Tanya has such a great eye for detail...
the face is exquisite.

Tanya is well known locally for her amazing driftwood sculptures.

~ OOTD ~


Thrifted Black Kirkland Tee
Artisan necklace


Thrifted ankle length pants black with small white dots.
(label missing but I think they are by INC)
Coach Loafers that I bought new last Spring.


We shared dinner with friends...
on the menu:

Appies ~ Olives, Dried Apricots, Dates, Smoked cheese and Blue Cheese

Salad ~ Arugula, sweet red pepper mini pearls, chopped pecans, thinly sliced white radishes and a French Vinaigrette.

Main course ~ Chicken Breasts stuffed with feta and topped with red pepper pesto
Spinach Gnocchi with cheese sauce, garnished with snipped fresh basil

Dessert ~ Olive Oil Citrus Cake with fresh blackberries and whipped cream


Our guests brought a lovely Maidenhair Fern.
(Thank you!)


I popped it into our Vintage Arts and Crafts Weller Jardiniere.

Chester, our smaller cat, was quite taken with the fern!
It is a pet friendly plant so if he nibbles a wee bit no harm done.


I absolutely LOVE Vintage Sherman Rhinestones.
I have a small collection of brooches.
If you have been reading my Blog awhile you know I wear these pieces often...

If you are REALLY lucky you might find some in a thrift shop.
Most of the ones that I see are now sold in The Antique Malls.


Denim shirtdress...was purchased on sale, not thrifted.
(Lands' End)


The Baroque strand of Pearls add some interest.


Dress by H&M

Second Hand Hope Thrift Store.

I went thrift shopping with Annie, a woman I have connected with on Instagram.
She is starting up a business where she plans to take people to the thrift shops and consignment stores here in Victoria.
Her instagram page is Victoria Thrifting Tours.
If you pop over to check out her site, please say I sent you :-))


Ralph Lauren reversible leather belt from WIN Thrift Shop.


Small Patterns work better for me as I am a curvy gal...
I like the small metal button details at the neck and on the cuffs.
The fabric is a jersey knit so this will be a great Spring and Summer Dress.


Found one of my favourite author's books in a wee Book Nook.
It just so happens that the Book Nook is in the front yard of my childhood home.

I keep finding the BEST books there...
if I ever see the owners I am going to introduce myself.
Tell them that I grew up in the house.

Well that about wraps up my news...
until next time.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~ 

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Holiday snippets and snapshots...part three.

We met up with friends who have a boat and we all cruised to Genoa Bay.
The Marina is quaint and small but very protected from the wind and is quite near Cowichan Bay where they hold a sailing regatta every year.


The winds were blowing about 25 knots so the sailors were happy.


Spinnakers made an appearance on part of the race...
the reason these photos are rather blurry is that I took them from inside the window of the GrayLing shuttle boat.
The wee lapstrake hulled boat ferries passengers (and dogs) to Cowichan Bay.
The main street is not long but is jam packed with
shops, a chandlery, several eateries, a bakery, deli and a small grocery store.

We spent about an hour and a half perusing the shops and eating lunch before hopping back on the shuttle to Genoa Bay. 


It was super hot in Genoa Bay so I used my personal fan...
O 2 Cool
which mists water and helped me stay cool.


We ate simple fare...
fresh home grown tomatoes from The Humble Bungalow Garden were harvested before we left and carefully spread out in a basket so they would not bruise.
The taste of these heirloom varieties are out of this world!


I was "roughing it" and had to use a soup bowl for my cafe creme every morning.
It tasted good but looked quite tacky!
You know what they say...
Necessity is the Mother of Invention.

(so much for keeping up standards...it has gone to the dogs)


Walks in the morning were kept short due to the extreme heat and it was uphill all the way from the marina. 


I saw a family of quail with about a dozen babies and a couple of wild bunnies that were nibbling in the gardens.
Flowers catch my eye and turn my head every time I go walking.


We ate lunch out with darling daughter and her husband.
They had the loan of Mr. HB's BMW and drove up from Victoria to show us the elopement pictures.

Sipping an icy cold margarita on the deck of The Genoa Bay Cafe.
It is a fabulous place to dine, most of the boaters go up for a meal or two while they are tied up at the docks and many other diners come by car.

Our friends joined us for dinner on the deck on another evening...


Impromptu concert from the boat on the dock across from ours...
we were asked to sing a line and be the chorus.
I am not sure that our sound was in tune but what we lacked in sound quality we made up for with enthusiasm!


all the great food and beverages have added some extra pounds and I will be starting a series of posts on what I plan to eat and do to get rid of the holiday weight gain...

I also plan to write a post on what I wore and how I packed for 18 days on a boat living out of a canvas Lands' End tote bag.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Books, Bedding, and Bouquets...

Summer reading...
I love having a stack of books ready and waiting for summer holidays.



Reading has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember...
The summer of 1960 we moved to Oak Bay and the first friend I met was Diane.

Her family lived up the block from us and we hit it off right from the start...
they resided in a charming heritage home tucked away, it was actually hidden from the street, surrounded by a lovely large garden.

We spent many lazy sunny afternoons playing in her garden that first summer.

I learned how to read at Monterey School using the Dick and Jane readers and became interested in other books. The Anne of Green Gables series, Trixie Beldon, The Famous Five series, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Box Car Children were among my favourites...

After playing outdoors all morning,
we would retire to read in her cozy bedroom nestled under the eaves.

We started reading novels voraciously...attending a library club one summer at the Public Library. Our mother's permitted us to take the bus downtown...Victoria was a small town and much safer in those days. We read so many books that summer and collected a stamp for each book we read...the program was called "Circus McGircus."

In our preteen years, we started listening to music and developed crushes on the Beatles. We owned a TV and her family did not, so she came to our house to watch The Beatles on Ed Sullivan...a lot of screaming ensued, and my parents were not amused!

We would peruse the Beatle fan magazines that her English aunt would send in the post...I had a huge crush on Paul McCartney, and if my memory serves, I think she liked John Lennon.
We even wrote fan mail to Paul and John at The Beatles Fan Club!

As we grew older our taste in reading changed and Diane and I went our different ways...she now lives back east and I stayed in town,
we are now "FaceBook friends."

The love of reading was fostered early in our lives and continues to be strong.
Fostering the love of reading is important and one needs to start early....
reading regularly to babies and children is the best way I know of to get them into the habit...and there are so many great kids books available!


Lands' End had a 50 % off sale on one item on the 4th of July.
I jumped at the chance and ordered some linen bedding 
linen sheets have been on my list for several years.

Bunny is test driving them...
These are the flax colour and soon I plan to buy a linen duvet cover.


Love love love this bouquet!
 Thorn and Thistle put this beautiful bouquet together for our darling daughter's elopement photo shoot.


OOTD
NYDJ skinny jeans
London Fog polka dot trench coat
Sperry espadrilles


I arranged to meet a friend for lunch this week.
We met at a popular Victoria institution...
Pagliacci's on Broad Street.


You need to be there early or wait in line until a table is available.
They are well known for their pasta and focaccia bread.

After lunch we perused Russell Books
then parted ways 
as I was totally immersed in searching the shelves for more books!

The newlyweds will be home soon...
looking forward to seeing all the pictures taken by Kim Kaylyn Photography.

What books are you reading this summer?
Any titles worth sharing?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

White Wednesday and Breaking the "Rules"

The Fashion Police might consider citing me for this infraction....
I admit that I am breaking the rules...and do so with gay abandon!

Hint Hint...It's white Wednesday.


It's the rule about white...
are you familiar with that rule?


Hey Girlfriend...
these jeans are soooo comfy.
(they go with so many things that are hanging in my closet)

So why not wear white after Labour Day?
I have not retired these jeans to the "off season closet" just yet.


The COS striped Tee purchased in The Marais district of Paris.


New purchase from The Hudson's Bay
Style and Co.
Monoprix necklace from Paris.


Bianca Nygaard top 
vintage coin necklace


Cloudveil Merino Tee and Zara shawl sweater vest
J Crew Venus Flytrap necklace


Eddie Bauer down vest and a basic white tee


Tweed jacket ~ Spenser Jeremy
Amalfi shoes
(a dressy affair)


same again but with Coach loafers.


Gap distressed denim jacket
Sperry Top Siders espadrilles

Silver is my current shade to accessorize these jeans...


Bangles ~ vintage, Tiffany, Birks, Boyd Bond, and artisan.




Vintage Belt 


French Connection soft cozy grey top
it looks oversized but really is not baggy
the hem sits on the hips.


Worn with freshwater pearls


Stripes and white...
nautical and nice.


Love the weight and shape of this top.
It camouflages the midriff area which is not as toned as it was when I was younger!


Just saying that if this anemone can still bloom in October...
I can wear white jeans.

Hope that you are having a lovely week.

What fashion rules are you breaking?