Cats, Dogs, Hippos, Giraffes....

I say this because raining cats and dogs is not accurate. We are having a huge rain storm here in California. It hit Northern Cal yesterday and moved down to us about 4 AM this morning. I have to carry flood insurance here in Huntington Beach because we have these big flood channels running through the city to take the runoff from the foothills to the ocean. Today, I am very glad I have it. Here's the picture from my famous office window.

Yipes. And here I am, in full regalia.

When I walked through the front lobby of the hospital, the receptionist said I looked like royalty in my hat. I told him , "What are you talking about? I AM royalty." Har. Speaking of said hat:

This Kentucky Derby - esque hat is made by August. I have a lot of hats, and I like to wear them, but they are always a topic of discussion. Here's the outfit that is under the Ell black satin trench.

The pants are black satin cargo pants made by Cache. They have a million pockets. They are nice thick material and are very well constructed. In this pic, you can see the pockets, and my black suede booties that I wear when it rains.

The jacket is part of a vintage suit made by Criscione. The lady who operates Return Engagement ( an HB consignment store) saved it for me when it came in, then called me and I went over and got it. It has a matching black skirt made of ponte with an ottoman weave. Here's a closeup of the detail on this beautiful suit.

For this outfit, I went with my Joan Rivers convertible necklace. It matches perfectly.

See the sequins on the turtleneck? I have the exact same one in ivory. I got them at Stein Mart years ago. It was so unique that I got both colors. I'm glad I did - they have lasted a long time, and I haven't seen anything like them since. Here's a better look.

For jewelry, I wore my white enamel and crystal ring from Saks on my right hand, and a gold/crystal cuff watch by Vernier, along with a ruby cocktail ring on my left.

Today, I am linking with Lauren at www.stylelixir.com for Friday's Fab Favorites. She hosts two linkups per week, and I try to join both times. This suit, although vintage and one that I have owned for probably 10 years, is definitely a fab favorite of mine!!!

The Color Of Emperors

Since I am only royalty in my own mind, I am gonna go with the following quote about Doc's favorite color, and the color I chose for today.

"Don't wait until old age to wear purple - be eccentric now!!!" Regina Brett

Here is the offending outfit.

The knit pants are by Express, the purple and black plaid chiffon tunic is by Byer, and the black sequin tank is Banana Republic. We are once again expecting a rain storm today or tonight, so I wore my black satin Elle trench and my black leather gloves for warmth and cover.

I used a black leather belt with large clear crystals from Nordstrom. I actually had it out to go with yesterday's outfit in case it needed a belt, but it didn't. Luckily, I hadn't put it away because I went out to the Crab Cooker last night for a friend's birthday.

I have the perfect necklace for this outfit as well - purple Austrian crystals with matching earrings.

On my right arm, I have an amethyst and opal ring and a marcasite costume cuff that I bought from a store on Ebay.

On my left arm, I have two silver Austrian crystal bracelets that I got in Philly's Chinatown, and a tanzanite ring.

I think it's cool that both rings are sort of a wraparound style, but this wasn't planned. Sometimes cool things just happen on their own. Since it may rain, I decided to wear my Steve Madden ankle booties.

Since today is Thursday, I am linking with Alice at www.happinessatmidlife.com for Throwback Thursday. And also, a new link with Jalynn at www.theredclosetdiary.com for What I Wore. Check 'em out!!!

March of The Penguins

I guess that I am extra dressed up today. On the way into my office, some man who works here at the hospital (don't know where) asked me if I was out of uniform today. Umm, nope. But heck, if a tuxedo is good enough for cute little penguins, then by golly, it's good enough for me. Here's my Tennessee Tuxedo:

It's my new old jacket from BCBG Max Azria that I got at the closing of Happyness Consignment (sob). The ivory box pleated skirt is by INC..

 It was actually chilly this morning, so I wore my Newport News coat on top.

When I was deciding on the accessories, I knew that my favorite JCP necklace would be about as perfect as it gets.

I waffled back and forth over shoes, and since I wanted to wear ivory hose, I went with black shoes for the contrast factor. These are by Audrey Brooke.

Since my jacket has built in sparkle, I kept the jewelry down to a minimum (for me). On my left hand, I have a round solitaire and my ruby wedding band.

On my right hand, I have a marcasite ring.

So remember, I was whining about how late in the month my Birchbox was arriving? Well, I guess the squeaky wheel gets the grease again, because this arrived yesterday.

And here's what was in it.

1) Amika Nourishing Mask - for hair ends. I need this. Badly.

2) Lord & Berry Paillettes Glitter Eye Pencil - it's a mini size. It's black with silver glitter. I'll try it, but I gave up being a Disco Queen several decades ago.

3) Mirenesse Mattfinity Lip Rouge in New York - this scares me. It's a bright red stain that "Tattoos" your lips. I am going to try it, but I hope it eventually comes off.

4) Rusk Texture Spary - Flexible hold and bounce for hair. This will be good for travel.

5) Tocca Crema de Mano in Cleopatra. - a grapefruit and cucumber scent. One of my favorites.
So that's it for today. Except for the links. As always on Wednesday, www.thepelated poppy.com for What I Wore. Then, another What I Wore, this time with www.cappucinoandfashion.com. Madeline is a lovely lady from Romania. Go by and say hi!!!

Tinsel Time

The holiday season is the time of the year when you are "allowed" to break out all kinds of fancy, glittery outfits that would be considered ridiculous at any other time of the year. But since I am generally and reliably ridiculous, nothing has really changed in my world. So today, I am dressed like a piece of tinsel.

You have seen this Amanda Stevens coat a few times before. I have had it for several years, and I have always loved the fabric, the shape, and the comfort. Underneath, we have more silvery goodness.

I copied this outfit from I blog that I look at, www.phiphisblog.com. She looked so cute, and she is petite, and I thought that I could recreate it myself.  My slacks are Sun Moon Star, my tweed top is from Target, and my black satin button down is from JCP. I also knew that I had the perfect statement necklace as well.

I got this resin necklace at Stein Mart. Here is a closeup that shows the tweed texture of the top, as well as the slubby sharkskin of the slacks.

I am so comfy that I feel like I am wearing pajamas, and that's always a good thing. For shoes, I went with my Steve Madden ankle booties.

I continued the glittery silver theme with my jewelry. On my left arm, I have my silver and onyx ring and a costume bracelet with crystals.

On my right arm, I have a silver ring with an Iron Cross design, and a thick leather studded wraparound bracelet.

I switched bags today, since the magenta beauty that I carried yesterday had gold studs. I went with my white metallic foiled tote from Cebu.

And there you have it !!! Can you hear the silver bells ringing?? Since it's Tuesday, I am linking with Amber at www.induffinitely.blogspot.com for Tremendous Tuesday, and also Lauren at www.stylelixir.com for Style Sessions. I love both of these cute girl's style - go ove and check it out!!!

The Circus Is Back In Town!!!

Lately, I have been having trouble with my Birchbox. September never came, so I called and they sent another one. October was fine. November never came, and I had to call twice in order to get my box. In fairness, they gave me 100 points on my account to buy something from their store, and eventually refunded my payment because I finally received it on December 6th. Here is what it contained:

1) Eslor Firming Collagen Day Cream - dying to try it. It looks like the full sized item for this month.

2) Harvey Prince Hello Shampoo and Conditioner - citrus scent. I'll try it the next time I color my hair.

3) Klorane Floral Water Makeup Remover with Soothing Conflower - a staple, I can always use this.

4) The Balm Cindy Lou Manizer - I didn't know what this was, but it's a highlighting powder. I can't wait to try it, but at my age, I have to be careful with shimmer. We will see.

And they included a dark chocolate Blood Orange Caramel that I snarfed down so quickly. It was good.

So Sunday is the day I clean and scrub the backyard and the French doors that lead out to the pool. My back always hurts after this, because I am not used to bending over like that. Today was worse than usual, because I had the rain storm filth to clean up, and my fig tree drops its leaves this time of year. I did have all 3 of my puppers cheering me on. At first, it was just Kenni and Vinni, but Elli saw us and began scratching and lobbying to come outside.

They followed us around the entire time. Elli was wearing her Rock Star onesie, so I am sure the boys found her quite alluring. The three of them were quite a circus. They circle around me, all begging to be petted or kissed. I have to be especially careful to divide my attentions evenly, or else jealously erupts, in the form of a cute dog trying to climb up my legs. I love them.

Onto today's outfit. The star of the getup, and the item I built upon for this look, is this beautiful Urban Originals purse. I got it at Neiman Marcus. It is raspberry leather with gold trim.

It has both double handles to carry on your arm, as well as a shoulder strap. The sides are covered in studs. It has a hang tag with the brand on it, and gold feet.

The real kicker for me is that it has a detachable inner bag for your tablet or laptop. It snaps out and is such a nice, comtemporary touch.

So what did I choose to go with this gorgeous bag? Well, I started with this coat that I got at a pile sale. I can't remember, but pile sales are always $1 - $2 per item. So it was highway robbery. The brand is Transitions.

Then I wore my trusty White House Black Market ivory slacks - a perennial, classic favorite.

I also wore a button down fuchsia blouse. The tags are cut out, so I don't know if it is silk or polyester, but judging the fact that it requires ironing, I as going to guess that it is silk.

I accentuated the colors in the coat with a knit sash in olive, that came from a sweater that I have.

For jewelry, I started with a statement necklace in purple, yellow and green.

This adds a few more bright colors.My arm jewelry coordinates with green and purple as well. On the left, an amethyst and peridot ring and a Tiffany charm bracelet.

On my right arm, another amethyst ring and a tanzanite bracelet.

This colorful outfit was just screaming for neutral shoes, so I shut it up with my Mixit sandals from Nordstrom.

I am linking twice today, with two lovely ladies. First, we have Jen at www.fashionablyemployed.com. Today's theme is minimalist fashion, which I am not and will never be, but maybe this old lady can shake things up. Also, Carylee at www.morepiecesofme.com for Manic Monday. I fit that title VERY well. Have a great Monday!!

The End Of An Era

I was driving down Gothard street the other day on my way back from getting stuff at CostCo, and I saw that one of my good old standby consignment shops had a sign out front. I had gone by there on Small Business Saturday in order to support them, but they were closed. The sign said "Going Out Of Business Closeout - I am Retiring!!!". Good for her!! So, on Friday, I had an extra hour with no commitments, so of course I went in. As I was going in, another lady said to me "I saw the sign and I just can't resist!!". So I said, "Join the club, sister." And in we went, together.

So out front, there is a $2 rack. That's where you ALWAYS look first. Looky, looky, what I found on that rack !!!!

Awesome purple and black brocade pants by Carlisle. The propieter told me that this is a British brand that has limited exposure. We don't see much in the US. They were my size, 100% silk brocade, and fully lined. 2 freaking bucks!!! They close with a thick velvet ribbon.

Then the lovely shop owner suggested I first look in the Bargain Room, because everything there is 50% off the tag. I rushed in like I was being chased by rabid wolves. Look what I found there.

A BCBG Max Azria jacket made of rayon and spandex knit. It has a very fine hand, and is trimmed on the cuffs, pockets, and lapels in tiny silver studs. Here is a closeup of the lapel situation, and the nice buttons.

It was orignially $50, so I got it for $25. It's so nice and so finely made that I thought it was a St John at first. The nice lady who runs the shop is closing for good on December 23. I will go back on the 22nd to see if anything good made its way to the $2 rack. She told me that everything will be $2 on the final days.

So today is Shoe Shine Saturday at www.sheilaephemera.blogspot.com, and the theme is black shoes. Good lord. I have A TON of black shoes. Sheila featured some that were exquisite - I loves me a funky black shoe. So I figured that I would finally decide which pair of black shoes, sandals, shooties, and boots are my absolute favorites. Away we go!!

Shoes - the Calvin Klein pilgrim shoes are my favorites. I bought them twice - once when they were new, and once when they died and I saw them in a thrift shop. As for sandals, there is a tie.

I love my black and grey Old Navy $12.99 espie sandals just as much as my Enzo Angiolini gladiators. Just goes to show that price isn't everything. As for shooties, there is no question.

The Sam and Libby booties that I got at Target win the prize. They are so elegant, classy and HOT that I love them. As for full length boots,

My Forever 21 black suede boots with the bronze studs just get raves every time I wear them.

So that is my final decision. Go on over to Sheila's blog to see everybody else's shoes!!! Until later, my friends!!!