One Down, Two To Go!

We have a Millie!!!

Just look at that gorgeous woman in all those colors. With all that brightness you’d think it would have been easy to find her at the airport, but that’s a story for another day…

Fancy Living

Chelsie, Millie AND Sarah are all coming out for a visit this month, and to celebrate I’ve booked us a night in a fancy hotel in the big(ish) city.

Our “deluxe guestroom” has, and I quote,

Italian Frette linens, feather down comforters and pillows

C.O. Bigelow bath amenities, ooh la la!

Animal-print bathrobes…grrrr!

You must make this face while wearing the robes. Grrr!

Drumroll, please…..!

It’s time to bust out the party hats again, because this is the 1,000th post on Interrobangs Anonymous!

This is what happens when Millie gets let loose with Photoshop.

Unfortunately, it hits at a bit of an awkward time. Katie’s on an absurdly busy (and early!) schedule due to the whole setting-up-a-new-museum thing, Millie is spending vast amounts of time alternately cussing out her computer and cussing out herself for still being in school, Chelsie is starting a new job, and Sarah is saving the world in regions with extremely limited internet access.

We’ve not been posting as much as we’d like, but we’re still thrilled that this blog is a part of the whirlwinds our lives have become. We love how this blog has evolved, and we’re proud of the writing and photography we’ve done here. And of course we love all you fantastic readers and commenters, too!

You’re the best audience four ladies with a blog could ask for, and we’re honoured that you’re still here.

Chelsie Daily Happy: A Hollyhock Fence

I’m always meaning to take a photo of this flower hollyhock fence when we drive down this particular country road. It is gorgeous!

The fence basically follows the property line along the side of the road, with four rows of hollyhocks, and it goes on for two field lengths of about 50-100 meters each.

S’s mom is going to try doing this along her country property line next spring. If it works out it should look gorgeous as well!

Banjo Anthems for a Friday Morning

So over on The Twitters, Millie made a flip comment about the under-utilised phrase “banjo anthem,” so naturally we decided that this blog needs more banjo action. We’ve got you covered for all your banjo anthem-requiring situations, though admittedly some of these are on the mellow side. Leave your banjo music recommendations in the comments — you know you’ve got some up your sleeve!

This wasn’t on Grooveshark but is gorgeous:

Treasures by Mail

Have I mentioned lately how awesome you all are? Seriously, you dudes rock. The best part about blogging is the community (both within IA and beyond). Now, I won’t go saying which of you is my favorite before you’ve all had a chance to mail your bribery checks, but one lady who will always be in the running for the top spot is Rebekah of Jaunty Dame.

We’ve sung her praises before, but let me give one more verse: this lady is amazing. Funny, insightful, and stunning with a shaved head, I adore her. Even more so since she sent me presents!

Lookie!

Inventory

• Copies of Bust and Bitch (training wheels for heavier feminist discourse)
• Assorted body washes and lotions (I’m totally going to make The Rocket Scientist smell like “Twilight Woods for Men”)
• DevaCurl “Set it Free Moisture Lock”
• Sally Girl pale pink nail polish
• A fake and furry mustache
• A tiny screwdriver and socket set
• Mineral makeup (the products are made in Portland. And, yes, they put a bird on it)
• The Jacqueline Touch – “the First Lady’s charm, beauty, and fashions: how you can adapt ‘the Jacqueline touch’ to your life”
• A gorgeous head wrap (that got left out of the photos because its wrapping camouflaged with my sheets, but I plan on wearing it all summer so you’ll see it soon enough)
• SHRINKY DINK PLASTIC!
• A lovely note in an envelope sealed with wax. Classy, 16th century style.

Because of Rebekah, I will now be clean, tidy-haired, potentially-mustached, empowered with feminist knowledge, channeling my inner Jackie, able to fix things involving tiny screws and have shrinky dinks for everyone! Really, what more can this blog ask for?

Millie’s Words of Wisdom for a Monday Evening

There is little in life that is not substantially improved by wearing international orange coloured underpants.

In Which Millie Has Some Truly Outstanding Tea

I’ve come to the realization lately that despite my complete lack of good graces and gross impatience with ceremony of all varieties (varieteas?), I have unwittingly become a tea snob. It’s been months since I’ve had less than a dozen types of tea on my counter, and I’m pretty sure the ones at the back are organizing an assault on the nearby fruit basket. I pay attention to the water temperature so I don’t burn the leaves. I occasionally set a timer so it doesn’t overbrew. I get snooty about tea bags, and have absolutely no use for orange pekoe. Feel free to roll your eyes, because in spite of my drinking of tea in sturdy mugs instead of delicate cups with an outstretched pinky, this is more than slightly embarrassing.

But! If you like mint tea, or slightly spicy tea, I highly, highly recommend getting yourself some North African Mint Tea from David’s Teas. It’s minty, peppery, and almost like a light chai, and it’s some of the best tea I’ve had in ages. There’re David’s Teas around Canada, and they also have an online store. Of course they’ve not paid me to rave about their tea on the internet — it’s just really tasty.

Pantsless Flapper Dudes* Make Everything Better

Today I indulged in some thrifting therapy to take my mind off of going through five (5!) interviews for a job that could have been pretty awesome and that I would have been excellent at and then not getting it. Suffice to say, Katie was in need of something pretty.

And did I ever find it. In moments like this words become futile, so I’ll just show you:

Let’s take a closer look:

Katie Happy – Graduation

Well, folks, he did it! Meet Dr. Rocket Scientist, complete with floppy hat:

The PhD students in Engineering (or Engi-nerding), of which The Rocket Scientist is one, were the first to graduate, so it was ten minutes of excitement followed by two hours of a very numb bum as they matriculated the other 2000 students. Do you know how many different types of engineering people can study? I lost count after seven…

Dr. Rocket Scientist and our good friend Wendy:

Me and the Doc:

It was so cold by then that I’m wearing his suit jacket. But even that wasn’t warm enough, so I ended the evening dressed in Wendy’s regalia:

I got several “Congratulations!” from strangers, and shamelessly accepted them all.

All of the graduation hoopla got me to reminiscing about my own graduations. And since, after all, this post is really about me,* here’s some more photos!

Getting my Master’s Degree. Can you tell how popular a M.S. in Museum & Field Studies is?

Getting my B.S.:

And Sarah, Chelsie and myself in some of our official graduation photos (guest-starring our friend C):

Sadly, Millie wasn’t a part of that photo shoot. So here’s a gratuitous photo of Millie and her love of apples:

*Dr. Rocket Scientist got a PhD and I get this blog post.

Hanging Out with the Jaunty Dame

Be prepared to be jealous, internet-world. Why? Well, other than the fact that I successfully rocked the socks pulled over jeans and tucked into sandals look today for a work thing (yes, there’s a photo, and no, it will never be seen), this past weekend I got to hang out with Rebekah – the Jaunty Dame herself!

Do you read her blog? Read her blog! This lady is so smart, sassy, thoughtful, interesting and hilarious it almost makes you bitter for there to be so much awesome in one person. But then she’s insanely nice, and you can’t help but adore her.

I first “met” Rebekah when she praised my choice to wear a spider on my head, and I’m pretty sure one of the first comments I left on her blog went something like,

I hope this doesn’t sound weird, but I think we should be friends. Possibly best friends. And eat brownie batter and braid each others’ hair. Cool? Yay!

Rebekah came to my neck o’ the woods with her dashing boyfriend Ian for a wedding, and I was able to steal her away for what was supposed to be breakfast and ended up being six hours. During our lovely morning we:

• Had hot chocolate with our breakfasts (her pancakes much more patriotically decorated than my eggs)
• Drove around fruitlessly looking for wildlife – not even a chipmunk, people
• Delighted over discovering we own(ed) the same keychain
• Talked about religion and family and boyfriends who make corny science and/or music jokes
• Got scolded by my condescending GPS system “Thomasina”
• Remembered the movie The Three Lives of Thomasina
• Got lost looking for thrift stores and then found them where they weren’t supposed to be (Thomasina lied!)
• Looked at beautiful American Indian art and artifacts
• Determined the best ice cream flavor (mint chocolate chip)
• Agreed on why Tim Burton shouldn’t be allowed to remake movies
• Schemed about turning a hotel closet into a secret hideout
• Speculated about the nature of ghosts and how businesses monetize on people’s love of the macabre
• Eavesdropped on people through walls
• Reminisced about singing
• Debated our favorite musicals
• Had an all-’round fantastic time

In fact, we had so much fun we forgot to take any photos until I was skedaddling out the door so Rebekah could get ready for the wedding. You’d think after a day out walking in the cold and wind we’d both look unkempt, but nope, only me.

Thanks for the fantastic day, darling!

Snake Dress (Don’t Look, Sarah)

If I can’t have my lobster dress, then I suspect I need one with snakes on it. So much cooler than snakeskin print, and I’ve already worn the actual snakes…

CHELSIE’S BIRTHDAY!

Today is a momentous day. A day for celebration. A day for men in puffy pants and silly hats to blow giant trumpets while acrobats riding elephants throw streamers into the air. What is today, you ask? It’s Chelsie’s Birthday!!!

No silly hats, but at least they got the giant trumpets part right.

Join us in wishing the ever-so-cool Chels a happy, happy day. And feel free to send her presents. Or, if you think the postage to Canada is too much, feel free to send Katie those presents and she’ll see that Chelsie gets them…eventually.

And if you can’t send presents (seriously, Katie’ll get them to her. Cross her heart), you can at least celebrate the birth o’ Chelsie in true Interrobangs fashion with an umbrella party.*

How to Have an Umbrella Party

• Step 1: Pick a day that’s decidedly not rainy
• Step 2: Invite people who have umbrellas
• Step 3: Parade through town under your umbrellas, singing songs (and if you sing Rhianna’s “Umbrella,” you’ll be uber-meta)
• Construction paper crowns are optional, but why would you never not chose the crown option?

Happy Birthday, Chelsie-Bells! We love you!

*Umbrella Party © Interrobangs Anonymous

Chelsie Daily Style – I can be Festive!

Yesterday a co-worker challenged me to dress festively. Or at least I took it as a challenge. Enter the red blazer.

I really like the effect with the belting, and the leaves on this belt, I have raved about before. It’s not totally mine, but it’s on loan from a friend. A loan of indeterminate length.

• Red Blazer – Closet Raid
• Belt – Closet Raid
• Skirt – Smart Set
• Tights – Winners
• T-shirt – Joe Fresh
• Key and Chain Earrings – Artisan Market

I think this outfit looks snazzy, while still being professional and work appropriate. It has personality, but still says, “Only ask me important questions, because I am a very high powered and important librarian! Capish!”
Last time I wore this blazer and saw my reflection in the mirror, I thought, “This could be used for a Sarah Palin costume.” Oh, Hallowe’en 2008.

Chelsie Daily Style – Simple Dress and the Great Outdoors

As in, what I’ve been wearing outside. I got this turquoise jacket on sale on the hottest day of the summer, for about 80% off. It’s fabulously lined, and the sleeves were quite long, but I got them altered a couple weeks ago. I would have tackled this project myself, but I really didn’t want to mess up a quality coat. The brand seems to be European and is called Soaked in Luxury. Hmmm.

And yes, it does have giant pockets.

Today I simply wore my sweater dress with these funky tights I got from Winners. No idea what make they are because they were on clearance with a missing package, and there is no label attached.

Don’t worry, those paint cans in the background are relevant to my ensemble. They held down the leather on the heels of my boots that I reaffixed with Shoe Goo.

Chelsie Daily Happy – Owl

I saw this owl on the side of the road today. We backed up the car, and I got out to take a picture. The owl was very still and not spooked. I tried taking a slow step closer to take a picture and he flew off. We think it is a Barred Owl.

Chelsie Daily Style – Cheetah Stalking Dress

My shadow self is lurking in the background in this image, inching up to tell me this outfit was a bit experimental. I will now call this dress, my cheetah dress, because I am stalking me.

I used safety pins to close up the collar on the dress, and added my purple flower brooch, just slightly off centre, to keep it together. I tried flattening the dress collar down, but it just made me look all bulgy on top. I wanted to make this look like a sweater and skirt combo, but this is what I got. On the plus side, I remixed the dress. On the negative, this is not my favorite ensemble.

On the plus side, I really like how my lettered balls look in that vase.

Previously I wore the dress with this vest, which I preferred.

We win some, we lose some.

Chelsie Daily Style – Monday Blah and White

I went on my first trip to Anthropologie on Friday. It was alright. Mostly, I got a lot of ideas. I loved the lace dresses, but could not fathom spending over $300 on a lovely dress, when I was a bit unsure of the construction. One shirt I tried on was so FLIMSY! For that kind of money, or a bit more, I would rather go with classic couture. It did give me some inspiration, and some thrifting targets to keep me in focus. I did leave with two pretty great skirts and this sweater.

The Anthropologie store we went to was in Toronto in the Yorkville area. For those not in the know, Yorkville is the high fashion destination in Toronto, often frequented by celebrities and the like.  Sadly, no celebrities to be seen, and the fashionable people were hiding in their caves. Though, according to photographs on People’s websites, Taylor Swift was at the music building where we got our hot dogs mere hours later.

• Grey shirt – Joe Fresh
• Sweater – Anthropologie
• Dress Pants – Suzy Shier
• Necklaces – Mom

I really liked the look of these two chunky necklaces with this black and white look. It reinforced the colour scheme.

Maybe I should stop cleaning the house spray on tan lotion.

Chelsie Daily Style – Les culottes!

I got these culottes from the Salvation Army last week. They still had the tags on them from this boutique down the street. Original price, $129. I paid $5. They were a couple sizes too big, but I decided that maybe I could try and alter them – for $5, I couldn’t go too wrong, right? I took them in by about an inch on each side (originally I could get them on without unbuttoning them and they barely stayed on my hips), and now they sit quite nicely! Self high five!

• Culottes – Thrifted and altered
• Books – Clark’s
• Sweater – Boutique in Toronto

I have not worn this sweater in ages. I think it’s because every time I wash it I have to stretch it to give it some length and shape, because otherwise it will widen. It’s a bit shorter than most of my sweaters, and worked nicely to show off the fitted waist of these pants. Plus, the neckline pattern is so adorable that even my dad noticed how neat it is.

We are going to go on my first Anthropologie shopping trip on Friday! I was looking at the website, and one of the Toronto locations would have been a short drive from where we lived for a year and a half! What?!

Best thing about these pants? They don’t inhibit my kung fu moves!

Chelsie Daily Style – Catching a Wave

It must be fall, because the wind is picking up in the evenings and the leaves are blowing everywhere! We went to the (rock) beach after work and the waves were BIG. We even saw two guys wearing wet suits taking their surf boards out. I didn’t spy them hitting any waves. They stayed pretty close to the shore. Maybe they don’t know how to surf?

• Dress – H&M
• Belt – Thrifted
• Boots – Consignment
• Tights – Zellers

The wave started chasing after me, so I had to run. Not so easy on the rocks, with the boot heel, while the white water is roaring.

I think I also had an awesome hair day because everyone mentioned it. And not in a, you-have-a-dead-leaf-stuck-in-your-hair kind of way.

Millie Daily Style: Old Lady Edition

The cake is badly drawn, but it is not a lie*!

It’s Katie’s birthday, and since she pulled a page from Academichic’s playbook (blogbook?) and dressed in something I’d wear for my birthday, I’m returning the favour. Katie’s best known around here for her scarf wizardry, so I wanted the scarf to be the focal point of the outfit, even though my scarf skill pale in comparison. There’s no expensive wrinkles, unfortunately, but I’m a lady on a budget with more rectangular scarves than square ones. She’s also got more cardigans than anyone I know, wears skirts galore (but no tights, usually, cause she’s tall and tall tights are hard to find), and belts a lot, so my outfit sort of built itself! I hardly ever pose with my glasses, because I’m lazy about wearing them, but I fished them out since not all of us are as ocularly blessed as I. Here’s a shot without the sign, so you can see the belt:

I think this looks pretty nifty. Katie does have impeccable style, though.

• Scarf: thrifted, former dresser scarf
• Cardigan: H&M
• Skirt: thrifted
• Tank top: ?
• Belt: handme down from Mom

On a stressful note, my comps** are in a month, which means that I a) am flipping out, b) am becoming a work hermit and c) need to study like WHOA so I don’t make a complete fool of myself. I’ve already been a bit scarce lately, both here and elsewhere, and that’s likely to continue for about a month. I’ll be back in full force after that, with a good deal of relief hopefully, and with more mental energy to put towards snappy dressing. I’ll be around a bit, ust not much, and probably not with any regularity. Wish me luck, and happy birthday Katie!

———————
* See here.
* Comprehensive exams are giant exams that seemingly every department, let alone discipline, does differently, but they’re big exams that you have to pass to stay in a PhD program.

Katie Daily Happy – Post Script (in your pants)

business finance pretty

Happy Belated Punctuation Day!

Having been on vacation in San Francisco until…now, I didn’t have a chance to celebrate National Punctuation Day (Sept 24th) with all of you. However, I’m sure that you caroused in full with your exclamation points, semi-colons, interpuncts and, of course, interrobangs! And in the wisdom of George Bernard Shaw,

“You practically do not use semicolons at all. This is a symptom of mental defectiveness, probably induced by camp life.”

And, for the following, please forgive me.

Katie Daily Happy – Ukulele!

There’s an old saying, “It’s not a party until someone breaks out an accordion.”*

Well, I’d like to ammend that saying to include “or ukulele.” I have not been able to get this song out of my head for a week now.

*And by old I mean Millie and I coined it years ago and have found it to be oldy prophetic.

It’s Friday!

It’s Friday, and after a week dotted with hair pulling and a sore… everything, really, I think an otter is in order.

I’m feeling better already!