More Black and Yellow

At least it is a change from wearing brown all the time.

So here we are again in the black and yellow section of my wardrobe. I haven't wortn this dress on the blog since 2014, so it seemed time to revisit this loud Frocky Horror.

There's a Made in Korea tag inside the dress which supports my theory that it hails from the 80's (we imported tonnes of stuff from Korea in the 70's and 80's). No shoulder pads, though something makes me think there might have been originally. The top is quite roomy (but the buttons still manage to gape) and would accommodate some padding through the shoulder area. I suspect it would have also had a fabric belt, though I see no sign of belt loops. The wide sleeves are meant to be cuffed, though they never quite stay that way. Being linen, I suppose the dress could be starched and ironed but ....oh ha ha ha ha ha! You don't really think I'd do that, do you?! Good lord, no. So I'm going with the "lived-in" look here, which is a more truthful way to wear linen anyway. Yes, it creases-badly. *Shrug*.

 I was thinking about ways to incorporate more colour into the yellow/black look. A deep green might work here, and I did wear green earrings, but otherwise I think it can be difficult unless you get just the right hue. Dark red might go as well, which also shows up in the multi-coloured brooch I selected. Still, in the end I kept the outfit rather plain because with a print like this I didn't want anything trying to compete with it. This isn't the time for purple boots. Well, scratch that-it would depend on the boots. You see the dilemma.

Outfit Particulars:
1980's linen dress-Goodwill
Tights-K Mart
Vintage velvet shoes-Thrift World
Belt-Hand-Me-Ups
Gold bangles-all over
Earrings-Goodwill
Vintage brooch-Goodwill (I think?)
Vintage handbag-Goodwill

I'm not sure how long I can keep this colour theme going, but I might be able to eek out a couple more days. I like a challenge. 

Double Your Pleather

Over-the-knee boots aren't typically my thing, but these are so trashy I made an exception. I'm not sure if there's a good way to wear them other than perhaps with leggings, but I went with an otherwise not-too-racy outfit to counter the impact of the "Fuck-Me" boots.

 The 80's silk blouse had very large shoulder pads, which I removed. The blouse buttons up the back with tiny buttons which is a bit of a pain, but I can do them up halfway and pull it over my head before buttoning the top. I don't know why buttons up the back keep coming back in fashion, but they're having another moment, so it was time to wear the blouse.

Outfit Particulars:
1980's pleather skirt-Goodwill
1980's silk blouse-Hand-Me-Ups
Belt-Goodwill
Brass purse-New Life Thrift
Vintage metal earrings-Goodwill
Cat brooch with moving tail-Hand-Me-Ups
Boots-Goodwill

For those of you unfamiliar with the jingle for Doublemint Gum.

I was still feeling the bumblebee look the next day, so out came this circa 1983 linen jacket.

The collar stands up like a funnel when fully buttoned, and the shoulders have those distinctive wings I associate with clothes Michael Jackson wore in videos. The jacket can be worn buttoned so that it rests at the waist and blouses out on top. I never liked that look, so I've opted to wear it long. The jacket is large enough that I have the option of buttoning it un-bloused as well.

I don't purchase many 80's items unless they are terribly iconic. This jacket ended up in my cart because it is so well made. The lining is perfect, the buttonholes done correctly, the quality of the linen-it would have been mad to leave it for three bucks and change. Made by Capri New York, this would have been an expensive item of clothing at the time. I'm happy to have it, and wear it. I do love well-made clothing.

Outfit Particulars:
1980's linen jacket by Capri-Goodwill
Wool Pendleton skirt-Goodwill
Poloneck-K Mart
Vintage Kadin (the Famous) Rambler handbag-Goodwill (read about Kadin bags in a fascinating post HERE)
Boots-K Mart

Finally, I'll leave you with the Pan de Muerto I made today. The recipe may be found HERE.

The entire house smells of oranges and aniseed. I can't think of a better way to usher in November.

All the 80's Looks in One Hideous Jacket

The Jaeger jacket gets the yearly wear. I own three, but this one is by far the strangest.

The crazy, long lapels, the goofy shoulder pads, the pockets so low you'd need absurdly long arms to reach them. This jacket is every bad idea from the 80's rolled into one. I'd never part with it!

The skirt is equally bonkers. Prince of Wales check and gingham in alternating panels. The fabric is a very stiff cotton that would be best used for upholstering outdoor furniture, and the heavy, industrial zipper better suited to a duffel bag. The length is quirky too. There's a very old label in it, in Hebrew. It looks like something put together in a home ec class on a kibbutz. Needless to say, I've been wearing it because I like oddly constructed clothing. I just wish I knew the story behind it.  The socks are of course the Ouija patterned ones I bought at the Halloween shop. They're quite tight on me. I have, thanks to all the running larger-than-typical calves. Most days I don't notice it, but knee socks are tricky to find large enough. I'm also swollen like a damn balloon from all the steroid medications, so for the time being, I might need to stay away from knee socks. I wish they made compression hosiery in Ouija board patterns!

I tried out some very matte green eye shadow. I don't think it is me, but it was fun for a day.

Outfit Particulars:
Skirt-Goodwill
Sweater-Target about 15 years ago
Socks-Halloween shop
Shoes-Goodwill
Betsey Johnson bag-Goodwill
Necklaces-both Hand-Me-Ups
Earrings-Hand-Me-Ups
Brooch-Goodwill
80's Jaeger jacket-Goodwill
Fragrance-Chamade

We were at Lake Manawa today, and found ourselves caught in the most magnificent downpour. We sat in the car watching the thousands of gulls scatter as the hail began, only to return ten minutes later as the skies cleared. Sometimes it can be nice to quietly experience nature, even in less than perfect conditions. Earlier in the day, we stopped in at the Douglas County Extension office for their open house. There were bunnies, goats, sheep, hissing cockroaches, spiders, plants, cooking demonstrations and just about everything you would expect. We ran into a Master Gardener we know, met someone Danny saw at Bird Banding last week, and chatted with an entomologist about those bloody Pirate Bugs biting like crazy this time of year. There were 4-H kids showing off their prize animals, and the loveliest girl told us all about her bunnies. It was a very nice way to draw people in from the community that wouldn't otherwise have reason to go to the Extension. The thing is, they're really a great resource.  Gardening questions? Food preserving worries?  Something eating your flowers? I've availed myself of their expertise over the years, and have always been glad we have people around that really know their stuff. It was a great way to spend an hour on a Saturday afternoon.

I hope you're having a nice weekend.

Won't Lose Me in a Crowd-80's edition

Thank you everyone for your well wishes. I do try to avoid complaining but sometimes it gets the best of me. I'll try to keep the grumbling to a minimum though as I get sick of hearing about it too! Thanks for indulging me though.

How's everyone's Rocktober coming along? We've been trying our best to get into the Halloween spirit (see what I did there?) but the rainy, steamy weather has been most uncooperative. I think today was expected to be the last of it, though we don't have a frost in sight for a while. I don't have plans for the green tomatoes beyond a few batches of chutney, but it might make sense to make a batch of vegetarian green tomato mincemeat. I could pickle the tomatoes, but I'm the only one that will eat a sour pickled tomato and I rarely want more than one. I'm still pulling in ripe tomatoes, so with a bit of luck I won't be too overwhelmed with underipe ones. 

 I've owned this sheer jacket for a few years, and it was only as I dressed last weekend that I noticed a bit of paper stuffed in the arm. I've been wearing the original price tag around for three years (the jacket is sheer-it must have been noticeable). *shakes head*. Goodness. What's worse, some fool paid $99.00 for it and never wore it before donating it...or else they overlooked the tag as well. Who puts a price tag up a sleeve anyway?!

 The skirt proved difficult to photograph, but you get the idea.

Outfit Particulars:
Nabi jacket-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage satin blouse-Goodwill
Skirt-Goodwill
Tights-Walgreen's
Vintage leather boots-Goodwill
Brooch-Goodwill
Belt-Goodwill
Vintage Gaymode handbag-Goodwill
Fragrance-Geminesse

If you own a spider ring this is the time of year to wear it. We've had some lovely orb-weavers outside our window, big garden spiders, and the usual house-dwelling sorts. We don't get wolf spiders in this house like we did on the farm, so there's nothing here willing to take a bite out of us. I leave them alone, and they largely do the same with us. 

 I spotted this dress at Goodwill for .99 cents last week. It still had the $30.00 tag from the defunct vintage shop that was trying to sell it as 80's cool. Look, it was 80's-definitely, but this was never the sort of dress a "Cool" person would have worn. My mum would have worn this-and possibly her mum as well. It has gigantic shoulder pads (I'd place this circa '84-'86) and is made of a parachute material. It is too big on me as the shoulders kept slipping, and I had to wear a belt to keep it from twisting as I sat, but I really purchased it for my collection. I like pieces that are representative of the sort of thing people wore daily, not just for special occasions. I very much doubt I will be wearing it again, but I don't regret purchasing it. I would NOT have spent $30.00 on it. 80's stuff is still easily available-you don't need someone to curate it for you.

I do like the bright colours-but I wouldn't have been caught dead in a dress like this at the time.

 Outfit Particulars:
1980's dress-Goodwill
Boots-K Mart
Belt-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage purse-Sequels
Earrings-Goodwill
Black bangles-both Goodwill
Fragrance-Shalimar

In other news...we've been out enjoying all the wonderful parks Nebraska has to offer.

The boys at Lakeside Park (gosh, they really got creative naming that one).

 Yellow-Rumped Warbler at Chalco Hills NRD

 Red-Tailed Hawk at Walnut Grove park.

 Wherespan lake on an Autumn morning.

 Somewhere in this tree are the first Dark Eyed Juncos we've seen this year (the Juncos are here! The Juncos are here!) which is always a source of excitement for birders. The birds are quite small, and camera shy.

As the Autumn migration is underway we're seeing more snow geese, gulls, pelicans, ibises, and cormorants. The yellow rumped warblers no longer migrate, and can be found in Nebraska year round, but they are more difficult to spot in winter plumage. If the weather cooperates, I'm going to try and take Danny out early before school each morning so he can take advantage of Nebraska being in the flight-path for all these birds. I'm not a morning person, but I have a travel tumbler and plenty of tea.

Anything interesting flying through your neighbourhood?  More importantly-what are you doing with your green tomatoes?

Rejection-Praying Mantis Edition

"Hey there good-lookin', do you have plans tonight?"
"Bugger off."
"Hey, wait-up, I just want to..."

"I said, bugger off!"
"Hey! OWWW!"

"Another Saturday night and I ain't got nobody..."

I saw all this take place in the space of a few seconds. Clearly, the praying mantis wasn't in the mood to be bothered, and wasted no time ridding itself of the er...pest.  It was interesting how the rejected mantis ran off into the grass as the other stood in the centre of the sidewalk undisturbed by the foot traffic of students from the college. I know the praying mantis is no lightweight-Youtube is full of videos showing how they can sneak up a hummingbird feeder and grab dinner, but I never saw one in a fight like this.

You can learn so much about nature just by looking around. Here, I'm noticing a yellow jacket wasp that thankfully was more interested in the flowers than me. They get aggressive this time of year as the flowers die and the cold takes hold. I'm not particularly afraid of them, but I wouldn't want to disturb a nest or anger one accidentally. We've also had a surprising number of sweat bees, which are harmless.

You might have noticed the buttons are missing from my jacket. I lost one, and as it would be impossible to replace it, I removed them all figuring I'd find replacements. Three years later and...yeah, I still can't find anything I like. As I rarely button a jacket, I've been wearing it as-is, but I really ought to go buy some buttons. Green is surprisingly difficult to match! There's a skirt as well, though I can't remember the last time I wore it as a suit.

I bought the skirt several years ago as the print reminded me of rose windows and it was in pretty shades of blue, green, yellow and red. It is a cotton/rayon blend that shouldn't wrinkle but does-horribly. I've finally moved it to the "donate"pile accepting that as lovely as the print is, life is too short for ironing.

Outfit Particulars:
Handmacher 60's jacket (part of a suit)-had it over 30 years! Can't remember where I bought it.
Pendleton skirt-Goodwill
Green knit top-K Mart
Green vintage shoes-Thrift World
Vintage Morris Moskowitz handbag-Goodwill
Vintage brooch-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage earrings-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage necklace-Sequels
Clamper bracelet-New Life Thrift
Fragrance-Montale Full Incense (errrrr, no. I can appreciate it for perfumery skill, but no. Might work for a nun). It is however keeping insects away, so it might have some use there.

I dunno, it IS a lot of sparkle for a weekday afternoon, but what's the worst that can happen? It isn't like I'll be issued a ticket for wearing rhinestones before seven o'clock. Why does it feel more appropriate in December? Is it the earlier nightfall, or the holiday season that makes it feel more appropriate? It hardly matters as I personally don't give a rat's ass, but it is interesting to think about.

Do you ever build an outfit around an accessory? I'd been looking for something to wear with my Valdrome shoulderbag, but it is so casual I don't have many opportunities to carry it. I rummaged through my wardrobe and came up with this 80's rayon shirt and skirt from women's sportswear company, Chaus. I like separates, but due to the bright gold buttons on the shirt and skirt it is essential to keep them aligned. That ought to be a simple matter of tuck in the blouse and go but...well, I'm really not graceful. I can't even sit gracefully! The belt helps keep things in place though, and what a crazy belt it is.

Much like the bag, this belt doesn't go well with 99% of my wardrobe, but when it does...well, accessories can be magic.

 Outfit Particulars:
Chaus 2 piece set-Goodwill and /hand-Me-Ups (yes, I found the pieces in 2 different shops)
Belt-Goodwill
Valdrome shoulder bag-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage 80's Naturalizer shoes-Thrift World
1940's choker-Goodwill (I think)
Kenneth Jay Lane brooch-Sarpy museum sale
Mosel earrings-Etsy
Vintage bracelet-Sarpy Museum sale
Fragrance-70's vintage Coty Chypre

Bird banding starts again this Saturday, but at a new location as Aksarben Aquarium undergoes renovations. This winter it will be at Hitchcock Nature Preserve (no, the name hasn't been lost on us, and yes it is funny to hold bird banding there) which ought to be interesting as there's an ongoing Hawk Watch study taking place. I don't mind climbing the very tall observation tower, but it does get unbelievably cold and windy up there. A 70 degree F. day on the ground can feel like January up there so I will be wearing my winter gear. If you are in the area Saturday morning (before 11 AM) , bird banding is open to the public, and you can learn a bit about how it is done. It was one of those events ten years ago that started Danny's involvement with the group of researchers-we just thought it was something fun to do with a toddler on a Saturday morning. Who knew?! 

Well, we've finally made it to the best month of the year-Rocktober.

Rock on, dudes.