Outfit #134 - With Tags

Yes.  I went the whole day still with the tags attached to this skirt.  And I didn't notice until I was checking the label for this blog.  So the chances of me repeating the experience were fairly high. 

Skirt: Country Road (op shop). Dress (as shirt): Sunny Girl (op shop). Tank: Now. Cardigan: Jeanswest. Shoes: Pulp. Earrings: gift from a student.

This year, I'm trying to buy clothes only when in Melbourne.  However, a few weeks ago it was as if there was a construction workers' battle of noise production, two neighbouring properties having work done, and my head just couldn't take it anymore.  I escaped to the city... and my favourite op shop...  Last night I firmed up the attachment of one of the buttons, and debuted the skirt today.  It was just as lovely as I had hoped.  And although I spent most of the day thinking patterned stockings would do better next time (oh, hello knees!), I was also thinking of all the possibilities.  Consider yourself warned.

Outfit #133 - Signs of Aging

You know when you have an item of clothing you love, and then you notice the sleeves start looking like an 80-yr-old at a nudist beach?  Well, that's what I noticed about the sleeves of this white top today.  Sad.  It's one of the Ambra bamboo range and so, so soft.  But, aging.  (I bet you thought this was going to be about me counting my own wrinkles or something - sorry).

Top: Ambra bamboo. Vest: Avocado (from Jeannie). Skirt: Katies. Leggings: Ambra. Shoes: Girl Xpress. Scarf: ? maybe Gregory Ladner?

Although it might look like I'm going with the theme of Ambra top, purple top, green scarf, I'm pretty sure tomorrow will be different.  Mostly because I don't have any more purple tops.  At this stage, I have no idea what I'll be wearing.

Outfit #132 - Could This Be...?

Could this really be... At long... Last... Autumn? 

Skirt: Sunny Girl (op shop). Top: Ambra bamboo. Jacket: Kirx (from Jeannie). Earrings: ? Shoes and stockings: Target. Cardigan: ? (from Jeannie). Scarf: ? (from Myer).

This was the first day I wore stockings to school this year - not counting last Wednesday, when I was heading up into the mountains for a gig and would need the warmth.  And these stockings received such love!  One of the quartet girls even noted they, like, totally matched my earrings.

I did feel I was going rather 'animal' today - leopard stockings, deer (apparently) earrings, and what felt like a cat in the cardigan (close-up next time).

You may notice - if you're really on the ball - that I'm posting this just shy of midnight... On a school night!  After tonight's meeting, I stopped by a friend's place on the way home.  I was fed a totally delicious (second) dinner, and we watched the first half of Iron Man.  So, how's that for breaking out of the rut?!  And no, I'm not going to the gym first thing in the morning.  I am, however, really looking forward to a hill run in the evening.  No, I'm not being sarcastic. 

Hill Running

Last term, I felt my fitness was not as peak as it was last year.  I did, however, put in an entry for a hilly half marathon, which is fast approaching.  Then, in early March, I had a conversation in my head (yeah, I know - everyone does this, right? right??) in which a Judgmental Other commented on my lack of fitness, a Defensive Me pointed out I would have to get up at quarter to four in the morning if I wanted to run on a school day, and then a more Rational Me piped up to say, Wednesday's could squeeze in a first-thing gym session (now regular), and I could maybe do more than take blog photos and go to trivia on a Tuesday evening... Maybe...?  A short but hilly run?  So, most Tuesdays have involved a hilly 3km loop.  Last week, with very limited time, I really felt like doing it twice.  I didn't.

This hilly half marathon is nearly here, and now that the chamber music concert is done, I feel I can concentrate on training.  Last night, I decided to do my hilly route, with an extended end to include a horrible nearby hill, and then what would normally be my 13km river run.  All up it was about 17km, with 6km of hills.  The last 3km were a bit painful and I had to walk a couple of hundred metres.  However, I'm now far more confident about this upcoming race.  Another really big plus - the slight undulations along the river route were nothing.  Normally the first rise after the end of the detour makes me reconsider how far I'll go, but not last night!

And.... Now I'm going to have another stretch.

The DIY Chamber Concert

You know when you're just casually having Australia Day drinks, and you realise you could be a string quintet?  And then decide to have a quintet night?  And then agree to put on a concert with that same string quintet?  And do a quartet too?  On Star Wars Day?  Yeah.  So that's been my last 3 1/2 months...  Schubert, Schubert, and more Schubert.  Death and the Maiden (now known as Darth and the Maiden), and the String Quintet in C (or, 'squintet', as one of my kids read it) for 2 violins, 1 viola, and 2 cellos .

Our concert was yesterday, and as far as I can recall, this was my first time.  That is, first time performing as a small chamber group (gigs don't count here, obviously); that's not organised by someone else (such as, it's my recital for whatever will you be a backing string quartet); in which we had to do everything ourselves - rehearsals (duh), organising a venue, advertising, tickets, food, clean up.

Yes, you can only just see my head

As we had booked a 6pm concert that would go until about 8, I thought we should provide food.  Friday evening and Saturday I prepared finger food - I love my mini-muffin tins.  This was the first time I'd ever made cupcakes - I find them visually appealing but never really want to eat them.  Except for the icing.  But I figured everybody else in the world seems to adore cupcakes (ooh, more evidence I'm weird).  More than that, though, I only recently found Cake Wrecks (which I love!) and thought, I can do that.  I was right!  Not only could I successfully spell our group name (formed from our initials, ADEPA), but I did all three clefs - and, in true Cake Wreck style, I put the dots of the bass clef on the wrong side.  And only realised this after a friend put a photo on Instagram and a couple of others did the head tilt, phone turn, head tilt, eyebrow raise, then "How did they flip it without.. um... flipping it?" oops.

Anyway, the concert went well.  There were a few odd notes here and there, and my ricochet was not the most amazing ever, and I'm sorry for augmenting the C chord at the end of the first bit of the quintet.  Not all that many people showed up, but about half the audience seemed to be made up of my students and their families.   Although small in number, they made up for it with enthusiasm.  I'm pretty sure there will be more concerts to come!

Outfit #131 - Back to Back Black

Yes, this is another black outfit.  Unlike yesterday's, though, today's version comes with splashes of colour.  Mostly because I wanted to wear these earrings.  And this scarf.

Dress: Jeanswest (op shop). Leggings: ? Shoes: Pulp. Earrings: Quick Brown Fox. Cardigan: Jeanswest. Scarf: ? from Myer.

This scarf is ... just.. beautiful.  It's a silky kind of material, and this green is my absolute favourite green. 

I think these earrings might count as my most interesting pair.  Definitely not something I would make on my own!  Although I see now this isn't the most detailed shot.  Next time, I'll do a close-up.

There was no way I could wear any other shoes with this outfit today.  Colour is in.  I'm just hoping that autumn will be in soon, too.  I'm quite sure that May should not be this warm.

Outfit #130 - Wedding Blacks

Today I played for a wedding, so went straight from school to Mt Tamborine.  All black - but I didn't want to terrorise the kiddies, so I wore these rosebud stockings.

Skirt: Miss Shop (op shop). Top: Ambra. Earrings: Pandora (gift). Stockings: Leona Edmiston. Shoes: Target.

Slightly weird photo today - as we were leaving the gig, I realised this was my only opportunity for an outfit photo.  Pat very kindly took a couple of photos of me (thanks Pat!) - but we both wanted, and needed, to head back, so we didn't stuff around getting a great pose or anything.

Just because I love these stockings, you get a special close-up.