LATE AUTUMN LOOK

I avoid wearing blue and black together for most of the year, as I find this combination a bit somber and off-putting, but it always seemed a natural pairing for the cold months, especially in late Fall-early Winter.

I like wearing these two colors in clothes that have a noticeable texture, like the leather and denim pairing here:


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Leather jacket: Gap (thrifted)
Top: Wal-Mart
Belt: Lucky Brand
Skrit: Citizens of Humanity
Boots: Miz Mooz

This is one of my favorite cold-weather outfits! I love how the texture of the leather jacket is echoed in the leather boots -- I think it keeps the simple color combo interesting.

THANKSGIVING 2009

When it comes to Thanksgiving and other holiday dinners, I like to wear somewhat loose clothing that will hide any post-feast "bloat", know what I mean? ^__^

Usually Thanksgiving time is cold enough to wear forgiving layers of sweaters, but this year it was unusually warm, so I was able to wear my flowy sleeve top with a tank top underneath. It's one of my favorite tops, and I thought it worked well for the day:


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Top: Studio M (Macy's)
Jeans: J Brand "silver fox"
Boots: Miz Mooz

Here's a photo of me and The Hubz at Thanksgiving dinner at my mother's place:


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It was a great dinner which we really enjoyed. I made my usual zucchini casserole, which turned out well and was liked by all. I posted the recipe for that in this blog, a while ago. We went home a bit early, so that we could wake up at 3:00 a.m. for Black Friday the next day. I'll post pics of my finds from the sales soon, so stay tuned!

THAT '70s SKIRT

I have a denim skirt that feels very 1970s in style. I adore this skirt, but it's not very easy to coordinate with tops. I tend to tuck blouses into it, or wear it with shorter, embroidered-type tops that have a retro Bohemian feel.

Recently, I decided to try out this skirt for the colder weather, going for an early '70s look with suede boots and bag, but keeping everything else as sleek as possible. Here's how it turned out:


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Top: Jones New York
Jacket: Target
Skirt: 7 For all Mankind
Boots: Bronx "Chevy"

I really liked this look! I thought my slouchy suede bag gave it a perfect retro touch.


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Bag: Maxx New York

The next look is a bit more ladylike, using my suede jacket:


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Top: Old Navy
Jacket: I.N.C. Petite (Macy's)

Here's a close-up look at my suede boots, which I tend to wear a lot in wintertime:


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I'm still looking out for different ways to wear this skirt, which is one of my favorites. I never thought it could be worn in cold weather, so I'm glad I was wrong!

HAPPY TG!

Wishing you all a wonderful, joyous and peaceful Thanksgiving!

(anyone planning on hitting the Black Friday sales?)

ONE JACKET, TWO WAYS

If someone ever told me that I'd get a faux leather jacket from a chain store maternity department, I'd have laughed till I snorted. But that's exactly what happened recently, on a trip to Target with my husband. We both spotted an eye-catching jacket hanging from the Liz Lange display, and I thought: I just have to try this.

I've never bought anything from a maternity section before, but there was something about the very simple, fitted lines of this jacket that caught my eye. I tried it on, and it looked really nice and flattering ... not what usually happens when it comes to leather jackets I try on. My husband really liked it too, which sealed the deal for me. What's better -- I had to go down two sizes. Can't beat that! ^__^

I've worn this jacket two ways, so far. First, with a denim skirt and suede boots:


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Jacket: Target
Knit top: given by my mother
Skirt: 7 For All Mankind "gypsy"
Tights: Calvin Klein (TJ Maxx)
Boots: Bronx

Next, with a printed skirt (my second Thakoon-for-Target skirt, which I adore) and leather boots for a more sort of bohemian look. This look is my favorite:


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Top: given by a friend
Skirt: Thakoon for Target
Belt: Nine West
Tights: TJ Maxx
Boots: Miz Mooz

I find myself reaching for this jacket almost all the time. I'm going to try it with my funky printed Free People skirt next. I think it will work well! It's very comfortable and keeps me warm without adding a lot of bulk, which I really appreciate. All in all, one of my best buys this season!

MORE VINTAGE FINDS!

We've been visiting our local thrift and charity shops a lot, lately. Mainly because the bad economy and my husband's still active job search have us penny-pinching like never before, but also because there's a lot of great new stuff in our thrift stores, which makes me feel like St. Vincent de Paul's is the new Macy's, lol!

Here are our most recent fabulous finds. First, I got this beauuuuutiful vintage '60s faux fur coat at the Cancer Society store! It's in near-perfect condition, which made me really appreciate the care and attention that went into making clothes 40 years ago. The brand-name label is "Grandella", and you can find faux furs by this brand on both eBay and Etsy, though they tend to be a bit pricey. However, mine cost just $19, so I think the best places to look for these kinds of coats are your local thrift/charity stores. This one makes me feel like I'm in Mad Men!


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Next up, I found these glorious forest green cowgirl boots at the same Cancer Society store! They're authentic leather boots, and tooled in an intricate design that caught my eye. They too are in really good condition. I've never bought shoes secondhand, but I couldn't resist these. I think they're so unique -- a bit rugged yet ladylike!


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I also found my husband a beautiful pure lambswool sweater from England when I found the boots! I loved the creamy pale yellow shade and the perfect condition it was in, which was kind of unbelievable since thrift store sweaters often have small holes, tears, stains, etc. Someone really took care of this sweater, which is perfect for the weather. Its brand name is "Sporting Choice", a British label.


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I've always wanted a leather jacket, and never found one until I went to our local Hospice thrift store last week. I can't really afford a new leather jacket, and faux leather always looks kind of "off" to me. But then I found it: a black Gap leather styled just like a denim jacket, in my size, for $19!! I just couldn't believe it, but there it was. I adore it!


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I can never go to a thrift store without searching for vintage handbags, and at the Hospice Thrift I got these. First, a rich teal leather bag from the '80s, for only $1.50! Another double-take, for me. I need a handbag this color badly too:


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I have been looking for a dainty black evening bag for years now, and I finally found one at Hospice Thrift. I loved the elegant crepe fabric with just a hint of sheen, and the ladylike vintage shape that was just a trademark of the era. They just don't make evening bags like this anymore:


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Right next to the above bag was this little beaded number. I went crazy over it! It's in mint condition too:


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A close-up of the intricate beadwork:


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I'm so over-the-moon with my thrift store treasures! It's wonderful to find such beautiful pieces for next-to-nothing prices, especially in this grim economy. It makes shopping fun again! Though I did spend hours conditioning and shining all the leather clothes and accessories with a special leather lube conditioner (which you can find anywhere). Lots of elbow grease but so worth it! Made my retro beauties look new again. ^__^

KATINA PINKAMA

A few weeks ago, my husband, mother and I attended the "Katina Pinkama" at our local Sri Lankan Buddhist temple. A "Katina" ceremony is a very special occasion in the Buddhist calendar in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand; it marks the end of the rainy season in ancient India, where Buddha and his disciples would retreat into caves and temples to wait out the huge storms. You can read more on the fascinating history of this ancient rite here, on the Lanka Library website -- this excellent article on the Vas ceremony was written by Sumana Saparamadu, who is one of my husband's relatives and also one of my mother's teachers at her school in Sri Lanka!

In our temple, this is a day for chanting prayers and getting together with everyone after the monks have been served their noon meal. People come from all over northern California to our temple for the "Katina" ceremony. This year, there were folks from Thai, Cambodian, Chinese and Bangaladeshi temples! I loved the diversity and color all around.

In Sri Lanka, you have to wear white or light colors to go to the temple, and that's what we all did. Jeans are acceptable in temples here in America, due to the colder weather, but if I were in Sri Lanka I would opt for a long white dress or skirt, or maybe even a white sari.

My husband wore a white dress shirt and light "sand" color trousers, which were the same colors he wore for the first temple rite we did together, just before our marriage registration! It was a perfect ensemble for this year's temple service, as well:


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My mother wore a soft white crepe sari with sky-blue embroidery at the edge. She was the only Sri Lankan woman there in a sari. Here she is, serving lunch to the monks:


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I wore light-colored jeans as I didn't have any light-colored pants, and the weather was too cold for my skirts. I also wore a soft white cotton blouse with pintucks down the front, one of my favorites:


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Blouse: Macy's
Jeans: Paige Premium "Canon" flare-leg
Shoes (not shown above): Charles David "Hottie" t-strap sandals

The photo doesn't show my favorite part of the blouse: little silver-threadwork embroidered dots:


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They shimmered in the sunlight! To match, I wore silver sandals (which I had to remove at the temple door, unfortunately!). I think silver shoes are a must for white clothes, as the two colors complement each other so well.


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Here's a shot of me wearing them:



My wardrobe was perfect for the occasion. I deliberately bought some white blouses last year; didn't have any in my wardrobe, but I knew they'd be perfect for the temple. I'm so glad I did that!

All in all, it was a memorable and beautiful day! It felt really good to be back at the temple again, and I'm looking forward to future temple ceremonies.