Is it Almost Spring Yet?

I've been working and working and working on my new Spring Coat.  And tah-dah, here it is!
 

ooo, and check out those new-to-me ebay boots...

I'm so excited about it.  It's made from the endless scraps of fabric I have about the place - including the vintage drapery ( the sleeves).  The base is some of what I scored when the fabric store down the street suddenly went out of business and everything was 90% off.  Can you imagine?!!  It's embossed velveteen.  I worked from a Koos pattern.  I love them, always so exuberant and complicated.

I'm going to visit all the wonderful women at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style that I missed last week.  And the crowd at Monday Mingle, and, of course, Lakota's Ta-Dah Tuesday.  Oh, and don't forget the Pleated Poppy.  Come join us.

Ed. Note:  A year later I'm connected up with Sheila's Shoe Shine and Sacramento's Share-in-Style: Autumn.   My lovely boots never got the chance to shine on their own and my transitional coat gets such short air/ wear time between seasons, it was a great chance to show them off together again.  Hope you don't mind...

See more views of the amazing Spring coat, after the break!

Kimono in the Closet

Style Imitates Art is back from the holidays (yea!) with this inspirational painting:

Portrait of Emilie Floge by Gustav Klimt

See my version after the break...

Monday, Monday

...so good to me,  Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be.  Yes!  What would it be like without the Visibles and Patti's at Not Dead Yet Style?!  I can't imagine. 

Here I am, kinda fuzzy, but there nevertheless:

wearing sewing repeats (my big pocket skirt and kitchen curtain pantaloons), old stuff (pj lace top, pearls & star shell pin), and the velvet beaded blazer gift

yeah, check out those new-to-me cowboy boots! 

Oh man, I am so bad, I have to stop.  These were another e-bay thing, but they fit perfectly and are really comfy, soft leather and cost under $20 bucks.  But still.  Not a good trend.  After this, I'm going to quit.  I blame everyone else for my downfall.  Yes, I'm in total denial...maybe. 

Okay, I'll be joining everyone at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style as well as the crowd at Monday Mingle.  See you there!  Then hooking up with Lakota's Ta-dah Tuesday and the Pleated Poppy.

This Is It For Now

Getting ready to join Patti's gathering with the Visibles at Not Dead Yet Style for the end of  2012...hmmm, what to wear...? 

how about the skirt I just finished, the top I refashioned & the gifted vest?

find out after the break!

The Artist Not Wearing Banksy or Hirst

I've been toiling away in my studio for the past week or so on a little something something.  Ready?  Oh, but first, let me show you the latest Style Imitating Art inspiration...

Roller Rat by Banksy

Everyone's probably familiar with England's (in)famous street artist, Banksy.  But perhaps you were like me and unaware of this particular piece which has a hilarious back story.  Given a museum show in Bristol, Banksy had several rooms of his work, plus he put things amongst the museum's regular collection.

Lo and behold, the art world's darling, Damien Hirst, had one of his ridiculously expensive spot paintings housed there.  And that is what it looks like now after Banksy painted over it adding his trademark rat.  hee hee hee.

Okay, now you're ready to see what I've done after the break!

Young Girl and Her Mother?

Style Imitating Art is here again!  And this is one I couldn't get into, I mean literally.  There just wasn't any room for me in the painting.  So rather than force the issue, I stepped aside, and I do mean literally.  Here's the inspiration:

painting by Tamara de Lempicka

You can see how I interpreted the "Young Girl in Green" after the break...

The Mystery of THE Golden Boots

~ painting by Mike Worrall ~

Coming up, what I wore to school on Saturday with THE boots.  Everything goes with 'em.  The silly excuse the e-bayer gave for selling them was she hadn't a clue of what to wear with golden boots - puleeze.  Well actually, thank goodness, because they're on MY feet now.  Yeah baby!   I'm rocking 'em with my lagenlooking.  Check it out after the break...

Ain't It A Darning Shame

And now ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure...mom's elbow length, ivory knitted and pearl decorated gloves!  That's what I'm highlighting today for the Ethical Fashion Bloggers October DIY knit challenge.  No, they weren't handmade by me, but I did clean, darn, and mend them so I can make this fashion statement:

Voila!

Yes, yes, I've just highlighted the gloves.  

and here's a close-up

AI-yi-yi, my inexperienced darning job

Otherwise I am wearing an old pillowcase turned into a top with a lace and trim collar and mom's old kitchen curtains turned into pantaloons all made by me.  The boots, however, were recently bought, used, as confessed here.  (click on the bold items to see more about them.)

Check out what other Ethical Fashion Bloggers have brought to the October DIY Knit challenge after Tuesday.  And I'm joining others at the Pleated Poppy.

From the Treasure Trove

I've been assembly bits and bobs together to make some jewelry lately.

painting by George Gower

Oh, and I received a Sunshine Award from the loverly Vivienne of Thrifted Shift: 

Thank you.  While I will always appreciate a bit of sunshine sent my way, I really do loath all the Q&A that tag along with those awards...so I shall make up my own rules and repeal that aspect.

I'm going to award some sunshine pick-me-ups to a couple of bloggers who could use it right now.  Vix of Vintage Vixen who has a bit of pnemonia and Lakota of Faith, Hope and Charity Shopping who is nursing a cold.  Enjoy your Sunshine Award and do with it what you will!

Now back to my treasure trove...after the break

Tulle Time & OMG I Bought Something

Well I don't have any, tulle that is, nor do I have a tutu, ballerina outfit, can-can slip or the like.  The closest thing I can come up with is all these pantaloons I've been making with organza and lace.  Does that count?

Here's to all my sistah bloggers who have transcended time and space in tutus on stairs with tea!  If you don't know what the #@% I'm talking about, Miss Simmonds deliciously spells it out with pictures and links in her post, I am doll parts.

Please remember, I'm doing the best that I can with what I've got...drumroll...

ta-dah!

Yeah, I know.  What a let down compared to all the other groovy ladies.  But let me tell you, try putting on multiple layers of pantaloons sometime, yeah.

Maybe if you let me say a bit about the pieces I can get extra credit for effort.

Stepping Out

...of my True Love's painting in all florals.

and everything's made or refashioned by moi!

Okay, from the top:  made-from-scratch reversible vest and skirt, rehabbed transparent dress and shoes. Just click on bold items to get to post about them and see details.

I know it's a bit much, but I wanted to wear my newly painted oxfords and dressed myself from the feet up - one thing led to another - and voila.  I had to go to class.  Worse things could have happened...

Come see me and others at the Pleated Poppy.
And I'm participating in Ethical Fashion Bloggers Outfit Challenge - Brights.

Prehistoric Me

A fabulous inspiration was chosen for Style Imitates Art this time:

~ a painting from Lascaux cave in France  ~

While I'm at it, I want to encourage everyone to see Werner Herzog's documentary on the most recent cave discovered in France housing the oldest cave drawings known (30,000 years old), called Cave of Forgotten Dreams.   (The Lascaux cave paintings are dated at a mere 17,300 years old.)  The film itself is incredible, not to mention its subject.  You can get it on netflix.  Miraculous.  Let me know what you think.

Okay, see what I did with this after the break... 

Kimono with Loafers (and Sox)!

Yeahhhh...I'm too crazy cool for school.  I'm too nerdy quirk for work.  I'm too overblown for home.  But I'm outta sight for here, right!

made-from-scratch kimono top & skirt, upcyled loafers & old sox 

I know, too much of a build up, right?  But wait til you see the shoes after the break...

Back to School Day

What I wore my first day back to college where I teach painting & drawing.

I dressed feet first today.  Why?  Well, just take a look at those awesome shoes I'm wearing.  I upcycled them yesterday.

I have been so craving new shoes lately.  Really massively lusting after them.  So...I went through the back of my closet and found a bunch

Wearing It Out...

or In, as the case may be.  I'm speaking of the previously noted Downhome Funky Dress.  See?!

Shot live in the bed-sitting room, looking out into the museum/archives

I'm sporting that dress and that necklace along with an old stretch lace store-bought top and old cowboy boot clogs.  Click on the bold words to check out what the items look like up close and personal!

And without further ado, I'm linking up with Patti and all the Visibles at Not Dead Yet Style,  the Pleated Poppy,  Recycled Fashion Finds and Refashion Co-op.

Dot, Dot, Dot...

 ~ Lichtenstein painting and moi ~

Yes, that's me merging into the dots of a Lichtenstein landscape painting, one of 160 pieces in a retrospective now showing at the Art Institute of Chicago.  Don't you think we're both working the Japanese theme in a satisfying way?  yeah.

I'm wearing a kimono dress made from my fabric stash using the I Am Cute Dresses