Hive Mind

Thanks for always being so kind - I'm still not 100%, the hives situation is tedious (more dietary restrictions) and draining (wishing I was able to be more present in Bloglandia) but getting sorted. Keeping things in perspective, my thoughts are with Lynne's daughter as she and her family prepare for the next steps in her fight to cure sickle cell anemia. 

The first wear of this dress (early May, pre-hives - how I miss you, non-rashy skin!) caused a minor shoe-mergency. As I hollered to Beary, how is it possible that I don't have shoes that work? His response - "I guess you DO need more shoes!" - is one more of the many reasons he is a keeper. Here are just a few of the footwear options which do not go with it: suede shorty cowboy boots, cool green Fidji shoes, Frye boots, and taupe clogs. Here's what I ended up with, which was a lot better in theory than in practise: 

green silk honeycomb-and-floral dress: Nylon by Dex, Netty Vintage
brown wrap belt: no label, Netty Vintage
scarf: Charming Charlie, worn here
pirate boots: Vivienne Westwood, My Habit, worn here

I felt kind of Comic Con-ready, and not in a good way. Oops! Ah well, can't win 'em all.

necklace: random jewelry booth ~20 years ago, worn here
usual wrist business: Swiss Army Cavalry watch (beloved gift 1994), silver OM bracelet (Lollapalooza vendor, early '90s), leather and silver "hands" bracelet (AGO, precious gift, early '90s replaced 2005), rubber O-ring
silver and amber bracelet: gift to self 2008, Pages (very dear local shop, now closed)

But wait! I'm not sure how I overlooked these shoes last time - they are a great improvement (photos are from last week, post hive-action, on a day dim enough to downplay the poofy face and blotchy chest):

shoes: Fluevog Pindown Farrah, worn here

Hmm, guess all the shoes in the world that are for sale will remain safe from me for a bit yet. The air conditioning is on at the office, and, as usual, I layered up for the fluctuations:

sweater: Nurture, Dillard's, worn here

I'm headed over to Patti's Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday (her 100th!) with my outfit un-fail!

The Object of My Affliction

I want to thank everyone for all your tremendous responses to my recent plea for fresh earworms and Travelling Yellow Skirt action-adventure! I just love the lot of you. 

turquoise rose-patterned scarf: Gabii's (Progreso, TX), worn here
off-the-shoulder t-shirt: Joe Fresh
tank top: Smart Set
orange brocade wrap skirt: Alchemy (Toronto ~10+ years ago), worn here
shoes: Cydwoq Instinct, ebay

I've been off-grid due to a mysterious cause-yet-undetermined allergic reaction necessitating a hospital visit, lots of missed work, and ongoing antihistamine haze - I thought I was behind on everything in life even before this new wrinkle, dammit. I have sorely missed being able to keep up with correspondence, respond to the wonderfully funny bits and utter gems in your comments here, and leave comments in return.

Or I suppose I could have left comments, but they'd have been way discomfort-preoccupied and not actually in response to your incredible sartorial ensembles, divine wisdoms, and life happenings - sort of all, "I have hives on my eyelids, " or, "When did the sides of my throat start to squish against each other so friendly-like? Huh." and such. Before folks so kindly say I don't look all that bad here, the upside of having plenty of photo backlog is a few documented outfits from early May - taken well-prior to this latest (and, sadly, kind of hideous) season of pox upon my house. 

horseshoe nail necklace for luck: Old Clothing Show and Sale (Toronto, early 90s), worn here, shown in 1994 long-ripply-hair photo here (scroll down)

watch: Stuhrling Tuskegee Skylancer
antique orange amber bracelet: a gift from my mother, worn here
usual wrist wear: rubber O-ring, silver OM bracelet (Lollapalooza vendor, early 90s), leather and silver "hands" bracelet (AGO, precious gift, early 90s, replaced 2005)

While I'm off meditating on how one might attain brain-in-a-jar-dom while retaining the excellent outfits which occasionally seem to be the only main benefit of not being a brain-in-a-jar, and alas, possibly sometimes consoling myself with more shoes between futile attempts to restore every darn thing to any slight semblance of the glorious order I once knew, here are just a few amazing bloggers to visit who've been especially on my mind since I fell off the face of the earth: Emalina, Pao, Judith, Curtise, Jean, Lynne, my scritchy-sister Sheila, Gracey, and look! Look who's back, it's Terri!

Closing with a reader query, Val of late blooming sparkle asked, "... I am wondering if you added your own mark to the yellow skirt (or did Starr add a mark)." Hee! The answer is both - but not to worry, it was all my doing on our behalf rather than a direct deposit by Starr - my idea came after the photos and post were finished. Here is the white wing I added and how it interacts with the other customizations accumulated along the skirt's journey so far:

Though I may be a scarce and spotty (ha) presence for a bit yet, I surely will be seeing you over at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday! Thanks again for visiting, and much love.

Edited to add: also linking up at The Citizen Rosebud for Bella's new monthly feature: Shoe Shine!