Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back

You'll get where I'm going with this in a minute. Yesterday, I told you that I would be meeting a possible buddy for our heartbroken Kenni. Well, not only did I meet him, but I took him home and we all adore him - me, Kenni, Elli, and Doc. Here he is, eating his first meal in his forever home.

I realize that this pic is dark, but it was about 8:30. After giving him some strength, and fortified with the knowledge that Elli and I like him, it was time to introduce him to Kenni. It went spectacularly. They hit it off immediately.

Unfortunately, there is now mud and dog footprints all over the french doors. Oh well, they can be cleaned.

This sweet little guy was named Denver, temporarily. One of my coworkers has a friend, and she has a friend who found Denver wandering around the streets on October 1. He put up signs,and took him to the vet to see if he was chipped, but no one claimed him. So they were looking for an owner. I was looking for a dog. It was a match made in heaven. But, I needed to find a name that would go along well with the others. Denver would immediately be shortened to Denni, which is too close to Kenni. So he became......... Vinni.

Specifically, Vinni Barbarino Holtzman. Go waaaayyy back to the 70s, when John Travolta played in a show called Welcome Back Kotter. His character was a really cute, really dumb guy named Vinnie Barbarino. Hence the title of this post, the first line of the theme song. Welcome Back, Vinni !!!! We are glad to have you as part of our family.

As far as I can tell, Vinni is part American Eskimo and part Pembroke Welsh Corgi. He has a sweet little fox face and a fluffy curled tail. He is really long in the body, with stubby legs. He has a big tuft of pure white fur on his chest and is tan along the back. I couldn't quite figure it out until I saw his front legs. He has short, muscular legs that turn outward. That's when it hit me.

If you can imagine these two having a puppy, you get Vinni. Rest assured, there will be many more Vinni pix to follow. After work tonight, I am headed to Wal Mart to get Vinni a collar, a Gooby, and a sweater. He is very thin, but in about 2 months, he will be very fat. The vet thinks he is about 2 years old.

So onto my outfit. What am I wearing??? Feast your eyes!!

This psychedelic baby doll dress came from Kohls. It's made by Volume One. It needs no ironing and is totally comfy. For shoes, I went with my black suede pumps by Audrey Brooke, that I got at DSW. They have silver trim.

The jewelry was easy. My turquoise ensemble worked well. I have a necklace from the Southwest Indian Foundation, two cuffs that Doc got me in Gorman, California, at the top of the Cajon Pass, and two rings. Here they are.

Also, today I am doing some more hard core linking. First, with Alice at www.happinessatmidlife.com for Throwback Thursday. This dress is sort of a throwback - very 90s in style. Then, I am linking with Lindsay at www.sequinsandstyel.com for Style Confessions. My confession ? I keep stuff FOREVER. Last, but not least, Tara at www.mixmatchfashion.com for What I Wore To Work. Self explanatory. Have a good day, and stay tuned for more Elli, Kenni, and Vinni cuteness.

Could He Be The One???

Well, now that I am back from my work/vacation trip, I am ready to start looking for a friend for Kenni. One of the ladies who works down the hall has a friend who found a little dog. She has had him for about a month, put up posters and signs, but no one has claimed him, so she needs to find him a new home. Well, tonight I may meet him. His name is Denver, and this is what he looks like. I'll keep you posted. He sure is cute.

Now, onto the daily outfit. Today, we are once again having the Santa Ana winds. That is when it gets pretty warm (80 degrees) with very low humidity and about 30 -50 mph winds, depending on what part of the county it is. So I dressed fairly lightly for November. And the kicker? Everything is thrifted.

The tan leather skirt was a gift from my MIL, who likes to shop at the Assistance League. The sweater is Joseph A and the jacket is WDNY. Both of those are from Salvation Armani.
The brocade jacket has a lot of shine and texture, as does the lurex shell and the skirt. So I continued the theme with my lacy hosiery and my sandals. They are nude beige with pewter studs, and they came from Nordstrom. The brand is Mixit.

Also from Nordstrom, a necklace that I rarely wear. I like it, but is is quite dramatic and it jingles when I walk. I have a bell on Elli so I can hear her coming and don't step on her. I remind myself of Elli. The necklace is bronze tone with tiny tonal crystals that are hard to see in this picture.

The colors in this outfit are a perfect backdrop for the Swarovksi pieces - the Nirvana ring in Black Diamond and the Platinum cuff.

On the left arm, a silver bracelet with smoky topaz and a citrine ring.

I also took the opportunity to carry one of my favorite thrifted bags. It's made by Beverly Hills Bag Lady, and I got it at Happyness Consignment.

I may be wearing an entirely neutral outfit, but it sure is interesting in terms of detail.So onto today's linkups. First, as always on Wednesday, www.thepleatedpoppy.com for What I Wore. Then, a new discovery, Liz at www.shoppingmycloset.com for Style Me Wednesday. And lastly, since I am almost all thrifted today, Ayana at www.thriftingdiva.com. for Thrift Sisters. Ayana lives in my hometown, San Diego, so it will be fun to see if we know about the same awesome shops down there. Thanks for dropping by, and visit these lovely ladies!!!

I'm Not A Copycat, But I Could be a CopyZebra???

Oh, this blog post title was a stretch!! Let me explain. When I was in Philadelphia, walking around sightseeing, I saw several ladies wearing very cute and classy outfits. So as soon as I had a chance, I jotted down the particulars in my notebook, so I could copy the outfits when I got home. But since this outfit is black and white, today I am a CopyZebra. Get it? Anyway, here is my rendition of an elegant outfit that I saw on a beautiful lady there.

The blazer is by Escada, and it has a wool shell with ribbed knit sleeves. The pants are by White House Black Market (isn't that perfect for this post) and the sequined tank is by The Limited. Here's a closeup of the ribbed sleeve.

I originally put out two belts for this outfit, but I liked the first one I tried, so it stayed. It actually came from another pair of black slacks. It's half gold chain link, and half status scarf print. Here is a front and a side view of this sash.

I also had the perfect pair of shoes. I saw these last year and sorta stalked them, finally buying when the after Christmas sales hit. When I brought them home, my husband asked me why I would buy such a foolish pair of shoes. Why? Because they are AWESOME. They are black suede with tiny gold studs and are made by INC. I believe that I paid less than $30 for them.

For my necklace, I wanted a little bit of color other than black, white, and gold, so I wore my matte necklace that I got at the new consignment shop.

The cabochons added just enough color. For my arms, I wore the two pieces I got at the new Saks, plus my wedding set. I have been trying to get a good closeup of the enamel ring, but this shot is still a bit blurry. Try, try again.

And finally, I must show you my purse. I got it at The Classic Closet. That is a division of Goodwill that we have here in Huntington Beach, where they carry more upscale pieces. I have found quite a few gems in there. This is a vintage Cartier La Panthere purse. I paid $12 for it. My Escada blazer came form the same shop, and I paid $10 for it. If you have one where you live, by all means, check it out!!! I got both items on half price day.

So I am linking up with 3 more lovely ladies today. First, we have Amber at www.induffinately.blogspot.com, who I have linked with before. She hosts Tremendous Tuesday, and that is a good title!!. Then, I linked with Laura at www.walkinginmemphisinhighheels.com for Trend Spin Tuesday. Today's trend is Fall Tones. I suppose black and white is seasonless, so I just may qualify. Lastly, a new to me blog that looks interesting!!! I can't wait to check it out. It's at www.myriadmusings.net, and is hosted by Saumya, and it's called Styel Swap. Go check them all out!!!

California Dreaming!!!

So this weekend, we went for a special celebration of Doc's birthday. We went to stay at a resort that he has always wanted to go to.

This is the Hotel Del Coronado, located on Coronado Island, which is just a ride across a beautiful bridge from downtown San Diego. It is said to be haunted by the ghost of a lady who killed herself there, but the story about why remains with several versions. When I was growing up in SD, we had our high school proms there. Here I am, in front of the sign when we first got there.

The Victorian part of the hotel, which is the red roof part, was opened for business in 1888. Although the Victorian rooms are small, we HAD to stay in one. It had a little patio covered in whitewashed gingerbread, which opened onto the garden.

Across the street is Glorietta Bay, where boat owners can moor their vessels.

While Doc relaxed, I went for a stroll through the village of Coronado. You can cover the entire main shopping district in an hour. So I walked around and then on the way back, went into a few shops. I saw this beautiful old stone church, which was built in 1984.

I would have loved to see the interior, but it was locked up tight. The only things I bought were some dog treats for Kenni and Elli, and two necklaces for myself, since the cute little Victorian shop was having a 50% off sale. One is lapis, and one is larimar.

After that, Doc and I went to an Irish pub, and had cider and potato skins. Here I am, in front of the other sign.

The toiletries provided by the Hotel were large and luxurious. Actually, the entire resort is large and luxurious. You can pay a fee for day use. It opens onto a beach with views of Point Loma to the north, and Playas de Tijuana, Mexico, to the south.

They have a main pool, an adults only pool, a beach bar, a regular bar, a high end restaurant, a coffee shop, and many gift shops. I also swiped the Do Not Disturb sign, since it was so cute.

Hence the name of this post. We checked out on Sunday at noon, and went to brunch at the Westgate Hotel in downtown San Diego. We started with Bloody Marys - those, mimosas, champagne and any other mixed drinks were included in the price.

Here is plate number 1 of my food.

This is a fried shrimp, a crab cake, a gyoza, some crab claws, some red and green mussels, oysters on the half shell, and a lemon to squeeze. Then I moved onto plate number 2.

I liked that everything was in little dishes or ramekins. That way, you get a taste of everything, and if you want more, help yourself!! This plate has Indian curry, seafood parmegiana regianno, salami, buffalo mazzarella, more crab claws, a piece of roast lamb, and oysters Rockefeller. Then, onto the last plate. I stopped before I was bursting open.

This had a Korean rib, more oysters Rockefeller, a pupusa, black forest cake, and a biscotti that I dipped in the chocolate tower. Doc had a bunch of food as well, and said that it was the best birthday he ever had. Mission accomplished.

So onto today's outfit. We had a cold snap with some rain (YAY) over the weekend, so I busted out some fall goodies. We were lucky in that is was chilly, but sunny in Coronado.

My skirt is faux leather and made by INC. I got it over the summer, in Las Vegas, on deep discount. The tweed top came from Kohl's and it is trimmed in faux leather. Here is a closeup of the perforated material of the skirt.

The skirt is a bit large in the waistband, which isn't unusual, so I wore a wide belt over it to cinch it in.

To cut down on the monotony of the black and white, I wore my Sesto Meucci pumps with the red organza rose, and a red faux crocodile jacket.

Quickly, the jewelry recap. My Joan Rivers pearl necklace, worn long style. On my right arm, my white enamel/crystal ring and a gold bracelet. On the left arm, a garnet/diamond ring, a ruby bracelet, and a gold bracelet.

I am still on the super link up kick. Three more lovely sites today. First, I am joining www.fashionablyemployed.com for Sophisticated Style, then www.pinksole.com for How I Fall, and lastly www.clariejustineoxox.com for Creative Mondays. These are all new blogs to me, so let's all enojy ourselves visiting them.

Here Kitty Kitty !!!

So in honor of Halloween, I am once again sporting an outfit that is not a costume, but which I am sure will be mistaken for one at some point today. Here we go!!

Meeeooowww!! The animal print blouse came from New York and Company, a mall store. The leggings are from Kohl's. I am wearing black tights underneath to ensure that I am nice and opaque, and not flashing anyone. I decided to wear a belt that I have had since the 80s, and is my favorite belt ever. I have already had to McGyver it together a couple of times when one of the chains ruptured.

My necklace is matte gold tone. I got it, along with a longer version, at Stein Mart. It has black cabochons on the stations.

On my left arm, a black leather/crystal bracelet, and a ring that was a souvenir from Baltimore. On my right arm, the crystal/enamel ring I got at Saks a couple of weeks ago, and some gold/white bangles that I don't know where they were purchased.

Now for the real excitement!!! Because of Ebola preparation, I worked a lot of overtime, so I got a lot of extra dough. So I decided to get myself a present, since that much overtime is very hard to do. I had heard that Target did a collaboration with Altazurra, which is a designer that I like, but can rarely afford. So after work yesterday, off to Target I went. I also needed to get candy for the Trick or Treaters. Well, I didn't like the Altazurra stuff, but I did get these babies:

They are made by Sam and Libby, and they cost a total of ........ $22.48!!! They are gorgeous. They are black suede on the toe,black leather on the heel, ankle high, and have 3 gold buckles on the side. And on the other side

There is a sturdy zipper with a gold tone fob. And that light part on the sole is also goldtone. They're so beautiful. There were only a few pairs left.

As I mentioned, in an effort to reconnect after my absence, I am linking like crazy. Today, there are three lovely blogs that I am joining. First is Renae from www.simplesequins.com, then Sara at www.sabbystyle.com, and last but not least, Whitney at www.whitneyalamode.blogspot.com. Enjoy!!!