Silver Cat Tea Party

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Outfit of the Day: French Quarter and Halloween Harlequin

Hello there Kittens!

This past weekend was a good mix of seeing friends, staying at home catching up with good ol' netflix and some horror themed flix, and partaking in Halloween activities!

On Friday Tim and I met up with some friends at a German bar in nearby Alameda to celebrate a friend's birthday. We got to hang with the gang, gorge ourselves on German food, and drink beer while enjoying the live band the bar had going.

On Saturday, in contrast, it was a very relaxing day. I got to watch the first disc of the first season of Ash Vs. Evil Dead and catch up on a few episodes of American Horror Story Hotel.

Then on Sunday, Tim and I went out to the Candle Lighter's Ghost House in Fremont! I had a craving for caramel apples and I knew this was just the place to get them-- and get to go through a fun spooky house while we were at it. ;) While I haven't been to the Fremont Ghost House in a while and definitely can't say that I go every year, it is a bit of a tradition, especially for the locals. In fact, this year they are celebrating their 48th year running! Some things that I absolutely love about the Fremont ghost house: 1) the ghost house is set up in an actual historic 19th century Carriage house, 2) admission is only $3 though that doesn't mean it's not a whole lot of fun! These people really put on a great show and you can tell they really put a lot of time and thought into what they put together. 3) I love that they have booths set up for games, face painting, photo booths, and caramel apples! While my primary stop is at the caramel apple booth I do love seeing all the kids and grown up kids having so much at all the different booths. 4) I love that the people that put together this event are a non-profit group who use the funds they raise for community-based projects in the area and use it to give to other non-profit groups. And last but not least, 5) while I mentioned previously that the Fremont Ghost House is not something I can say I go to every year, it is a place that runs deep in my bones. As a kid and all through the present I've always loved driving past this historic carriage house interestingly located on the edge of a large town shopping center right off of a busy main street. I love how it makes me really think of the past and what the area might have looked like when this historic house was first built. It adds such an air of mystery both in this questioning of the historic past of this area and also in wondering what this house might have looked like inside during its heyday and also during the present. It's such a wonderful treat to get to walk in through the doors when they open it the to the public for their annual Halloween Ghost House!

Candle Lighter's Ghost House, Fremont, CA

Historic 19th Century Carriage House, home of the Candle Lighter's Ghost House

Caramel apple booth!

After a good day with my caramel apple after seeing the Candle Lighter's Ghost house!

Outfit of the Day (Friday):

As I mentioned before, on Friday after work Tim and I went out to meet up with some friends at a German bar to celebrate a friend's birthday. For the occasion I decided to get out one of my favorite dresses, my Trashy Diva Annette dress in French Quarter print. I paired this with a black mohair cardigan I got several years ago in an Australian boutique shop and a pair of basic black flats. For a finishing touch I wore a pair of faux cameo earrings I got from a plantation in Louisiana during our trip there last October, a skull bracelet Tim bought for me a couple weeks ago from Spirit, the Halloween store, and I also wore a faux cameo cat sweater clip I made a couple years ago. You can see the tutorial here.

Trashy Diva Annette dress in French Quarter- Front View

Trashy Diva Annette dress in French Quarter- Side View

Trashy Diva Annette dress in French Quarter- Front View

Trashy Diva Annette dress in French Quarter- Side View

Faux cameo earrings and cat sweater clip- Close Up

Outfit of the Day (Sunday):

On Sunday, to visit the Fremont Ghost House, I decided to wear my new Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny dress in Halloween Harlequin. I paired this with my black mohair cardigan, a Trashy Diva black obi belt, and a pair of basic black flats. For a finishing touch I wore this with a pair of Rosita Bonita Halloween cat earrings which I bought last year from Trashy Diva and a lime skull brooch which I bought recently from Luxulite on Etsy.

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny dress in Halloween Harlequin- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny dress in Halloween Harlequin- Side View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny dress in Halloween Harlequin- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny dress in Halloween Harlequin- Side View

Rosita Bonita Halloween cat earrings and Luxulite lime skulls brooch- Close Up

Bonus Pics!
(mini) Dress Review:

Since I have this dress out for the blog, let me just say a few words by way of a mini dress review.

I was super lucky one day and snagged this Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny dress in Halloween Harlequin print when a single dress in my size popped up in their final sale section. It was being offered at a great price because it has a snag in the fabric at the front side of the dress-- something that isn't noticeable at all when worn with a cardigan or shrug, and also not too noticeable when worn alone because of the location of the snag. With it being offered at such a great price and seeing that this dress at the time was completely out of stock anywhere near my size, I jumped at the chance to get this. Add a 15% discount code I had sitting around and this dress was truly mine for a great price! I got this dress in an XL which according to the website should have been my perfect size for this style. However, I do feel it is a touch too big and just a bit too long for my short torso. Nothing I can't overlook for such a cute dress but it is a bit of a bugger when things don't fit exactly as you hope they would. I do think though that if I sized down it would probably be too tight (for what it's worth). It is back in stock here.

Like other Jennies this dress is boned and lined in silky soft black fabric at the bodice, is made from a wonderfully heavy material, and comes with a delightfully full gathered skirt. The dress also features a back zip for the ultimate in convenience, adjustable shoulder straps to help with the fit, and also has pockets!

And because I adore matching sets so much, I couldn't resist also getting the matching shrug in black with Halloween harlequin trim. I got this shrug in my usual PUG size, large and it fits just right. I really love the finished look this shrug adds when paired with the matching dress. I did however opt not to wear them together on Sunday for the ghost house as I felt just a little too awesomely Queen of Halloween for the short and somewhat informal jaunt that day.

Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny dress in Halloween Harlequin with matching shrug in black with Halloween harlequin trim- Front View


Pinup Girl Clothing Jenny dress in Halloween Harlequin with matching shrug in black with Halloween harlequin trim- Side View

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Watercolor Workshop at the Dancing Cat!

This past weekend I got to go to a watercolor workshop with a friend at the Dancing Cat in San Jose

While art was one of my favorite subjects in school and I was sure to try and take as many classes as I could, watercoloring is something I had absolutely no experience with so I was excited to try this workshop out. Not to mention that I haven't been to the Dancing Cat since they reopened several months ago and so I was excited to re-check this place out.

The Dancing Cat is like a cat cafe minus the coffee. It's really more like a club house for cat lovers which provides a comfortable home for several homeless and family-less cats while they wait for their new forever home. You can see my previous visits to this cat cafe here, here, and here. While they changed a few aspects of the place, the spirit of it remains the same. It was great getting to see all their cats running around freely and lounging away like there's no tomorrow.

As for the workshop, I thought it was very well organized. We arrived a little early and was able to grab some coffee at a nearby coffee shop before getting started. When it was time and we walked into the Dancing Cat, the large center table they have was decked out and ready with all the necessary supplies we would need for the event. The instructor Frances Marin was very informative and helpful keeping instructions simple and yet making it easy enough for us to feel comfortable to just jump right in. Once we got started and throughout the workshop she would come around to each of us giving us individual feedback, suggestions, and encouragement. Periodically she would give further instructions to the group in general to help us along in our work. While it seemed that everyone was working at a different pace, I never felt rushed or discouraged if I was at a different place or working in a different pace from the other students in the workshop. Frances Marin was great with leading this workshop knowing that everyone works at a different speed. Also, I don't think the cats played a small insubstantial role in keeping us calm or giving us necessary distractions when we needed it. The Dancing Cat was very smart as well in selecting some very nice calming jazz to play in the background during the workshop.

Overall, I had a great time at the Dancing Cat and at this workshop! I'd love to do the workshop again if they offer it again in the future. In any case, I will be sure to be back for visits with the cats.

The Dancing Cat, San Jose, CA

Colorful fun ambience at the Dancing Cat, San Jose

Art work and comfortable couches for the cats and humans at the Dancing Cat

Adoptable cats currently available

The table set up and ready for us for our watercolor workshop

Watercolor station for one

Kitty wants to join in

My watercolor station set up. My inspiration, my sweet girl Murkurie

Another cat says he's ready to join in

This one got tired. Says time for a nap

And a little bit of a drink

Lounge cats at the Dancing Cat

Look at that luxurious tail!

End of the watercolor workshop

Me with my masterpiece ;)

Murkurie on bed with Murkurie on wall

If you missed it, you can check out the Outfit of the Day post from this adventure here.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Outfit of the Day: Spooktacular Separates!

I had a super busy weekend last weekend in the best of ways!

Outfit of the Day (Saturday):

On Saturday I went out with a friend to the newly reestablished Dancing Cat Cat Cafe in San Jose (welcome back Dancing Cat!) where we spend the morning taking a watercoloring workshop and painted some cats! (More about that in my next post ;) ). Later that evening, after the watercoloring workshop I went out with Tim to our local Halloween haunted house, Fear Overload, and got our Halloween fix for the day. After that we went to the local 80's arcade to end the evening playing some games.

It was expected to rain off and on that day and I wasn't really in the mood to don on a dress for the watercoloring workshop so instead I opted for a sweater and ankle trouser set. I just got this Lucy Fur Halloween cat sweater by Sourpuss from Cats Like Us a few weeks ago. They had initially sold out in my size and one of the owners, Julie Ann, was super awesome enough to notify me when they got my size back in stock after someone returned one. And for those that missed it and have been looking, Cats Like Us recently got a full shipment of reorders of this sweater in stock! I paired this sweater with a pair of ankle trousers by Myrtlewood which I bought several years ago from Modcloth. I wore this with a pair of basic black flats and for a finishing touch, a pair of cat earrings by Rosita Bonita which I bought from Trashy Diva last year.

Sourpuss Lucy Fur Vintage Cat sweater and Myrtlewood ankle trousers- Front View

Sourpuss Lucy Fur Vintage Cat sweater and Myrtlewood ankle trousers- Side View

Rosita Bonita cat earrings- Close Up

Outfit of the Day (Sunday):

On Sunday another friend and I had plans to go out for tea at one of my favorite tea places, Tyme For Tea in Fremont-- look out for that post coming soon! :)

It was another rainy day, this time pouring raining, but I didn't let that stop me from getting dolled up in a fun creepy theme for October tea. For the occasion I knew I wanted to wear my Venus Fly Trap skirt by Pinup Girl Clothing which I bought from them earlier in the year. To give the skirt extra fullness I also added a crinoline under my skirt which I got for cheap from Amazon last year. I wore this with a basic black sweater which I got from a small boutique shop in Australia several years ago, an Elvira cardigan by Kreepsville which I got as a gift from my husband last week, and a pair of trusty basic black flats. For a finishing touch I wore this with a pair of spider web tights which I've had for several years but forgot where I bought them from (maybe Hot Topic?). I also wore this with a black hair flower I bought a couple years from our local vintage shop, Vintage Alley, and a pair of spider stud earrings, also bought from Vintage Alley a couple years ago.

Pinup Girl Clothing Venus Fly Trap skirt and Kreepsville Elvira cardigan- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Venus Fly Trap skirt and Kreepsville Elvira cardigan- Side View

Pinup Girl Clothing Venus Fly Trap skirt and Kreepsville Elvira cardigan- Back View

Pinup Girl Clothing Venus Fly Trap skirt and black sweater- Front View

Pinup Girl Clothing Venus Fly Trap skirt and black sweater- Side View

Spider stud earrings- Close Up

Pinup Girl Clothing Venus Fly Trap skirt and spider web tights- Close Up

Fox- Close Up

Monday, October 17, 2016

Help for Jessica

Logging into my blog account this morning and reading through all the new blog posts of bloggers I follow that I missed over the weekend, I was struck by sad news from a blogger I love to follow

I am so saddened to hear about the news of a fellow blogger and a dear sweet lady I have come to consider a friend, Jessica Cangiano of the blog Chronically Vintage. You can read her post here. On October 13, a day before her 12 year wedding anniversary, she and her family became victims of an arson fire that spread to their home destroying absolutely everything they owned including her entire vintage collection, everything from her Etsy shop, and tragically also the life of her dear cat Stella!

For someone who has lost absolutely everything please consider donating even just a little. Donations could be made here: https://www.youcaring.com/jessica-cangiano-antonio-cangiano…

or if you would like to donate items or care packages you can find where to sent them to here: https://www.facebook.com/helpingthecangianos/?fref=ts

Big hugs to Jessica Cangiano!

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Halloween Ready!

Glorious, gorgeous, wonderful Fall!

It was hot as heck around my parts the weekend I put out our Halloween decorations during the beginning of the month but I didn't let that stop me from reveling in the fact that it was now officially Fall for us in the northern hemisphere and that it is Halloween month all month long!

I like to add a little Halloween to just about every room in the house and so taking out some decorations from storage and adding a bit of new items I got from Amazon and Joann's earlier this month I got to decorating! I hope you enjoy these photos!

Freddy and little Timmy hanging out on the window seat

Mood dining for the dining room

A touch of vintage Halloween for the kitchen

More vintage Halloween for the kitchen

Hello, Mr. Bones

The cats left us trophies ;)

Bat friend watching over us as we sleep

Two friends for the bath

A friendly ghost haunting in the bathroom

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Dress Review: Visions of Venice

At long last the return of Trashy Diva's Circle Day dress is here!!!

There are many Trashy Diva dresses that are regulars and semi-regulars on Trashy Diva's dress cut rotation (with good cause)-- the 40's, l'amour, Lena Sarong, Annette (including the variations of Annette-- Annette mini and Anne), the Honey (including the Honey Sun variation), for example. However, there are also dress cuts that seemed to have only popped up for a handful of prints back in the day which haven't seen the light of day for years (I'm looking at you Dixie, just recently re-released Hopscotch, and Circle Day dress)! The Circle Day dress is perhaps my most #1 wished for comeback dress. Looking at pictures of this fabled cut I imagined it to the most perfect, most wonderful cut ever known to 50's style reproduction. Seriously! The Trashy Diva Circle Day dress features a full circle skirt and a bust friendly modest friendly bodice. The bodice features a large collar and charming decorative black front buttons with rhinestone centers. Because the buttons are only decorative you get the visual appeal without having to deal with button gaping! This dress also has the appearance of cap sleeves from its long shoulder seam providing not only a cute look but also fuller coverage at the shoulders. The bodice is darted to keep things fitted while a hidden side zip allows one to get in and out of this dress without breaking up the single panel of fabric and thus an uninterrupted view of the print in the back. Well ladies, it's finally happened! Trashy Diva's Circle Day dress is finally back! As is the previously re-released Hopscotch (you can see my review of the Hopscotch in Hourglass here).

While I would have really liked the Circle Day dress to come out in a cotton voile or stretch cotton (as it mostly did in the past), I am so super ecstatic that this cut has made a long awaited return in any fabric. The last time this dress cut was released by Trashy Diva was, I believe, in 2008 with the Butterflies and Cool and Warm Watercolors prints. That's almost 10 years ago! When I saw that this dress was back I had it added to my cart and paid for that morning! And when I finally got my hands on it, it did not disappoint!

To be completely honest, this dress could have come out in almost any print or solid, and in any fabric choice and I would have been one of the first in line to get it. It's just an added bonus to me then that this dress came out in a wonderful new print, Venice Nights.

Venice Nights is the first print in Trashy Diva's new annual Tourist Print Collection. It's a 1940's inspired novelty print depicting scenes of gondolas going down the canals of Venice with bridges, buildings, and lights all playing off in the background. The dominate color of this dress is true blue while the Venice scenes display an abundance of red, mustard yellow, black and white. The fabric on this dress is a super soft stretch rayon. It has the feeling of wearing the most luxurious comfortable pajama yet has a very polished look with great drape to the skirt. This dress, while has all the features expected of the Circle Day dress listed above, also features one pocket to store items.

I got this dress in my usual size 10. It is probably possible that I could have sized down but I was worried that sizing down would cause pull at the bust. Also, I don't really like my dresses to be super tight. Because this dress came out in the stretch rayon fabric, the skirt has got great drape but it does lose a little of the 50's fullness that other Trashy Diva Circle Day dresses had. I will probably opt to wear this with a petticoat to help emphasize the fullness of the skirt in future wears but to show how the dress is as is, here it is without a petticoat.