Style Wednesday: A Review of J Crew's Songbird Bracelet by Marc Alary

The Style Wednesday posts have been sparse for the last couple of months.

There are a couple of reasons for that.  Since my purchases in the spring I have purchased very little.  Nor have I been putting together 'outfits' per se or feeling any great urge to take pictures of them.  Lest you think I am walking about town in some kind of sartorial slump, I have simply been a uniform of J Crew vintage tanks, a few other other nice linen tops and long skirts or tank dresses.

Nothing exciting or worth taking pictures about.

Except for the vintage tanks above, and the two dresses earlier in the spring, I have not purchased anything from J Crew this summer except this bracelet.

I have to say that I have been totally underwhelmed by J Crew this summer.  I am hopeful for the fall offerings, but not too hopeful.  And while I liked the two dresses I purchased in the spring, they have gotten less wear than the cheap jersey midi dresses I purchased at Joe Fresh

Really I need less and less, and things I thought I might need have gone mostly unworn.  They will have their day at another time I suspect, but it is interesting to see how this working from home has changed everything so much and how I am still struggling to sort it all out.

I often still think I need things because it is a new season and that is how I always operated when I worked full time.

And while I still like to dress nicely, I prefer simpler things and I am not all that interested in paying as much money as I once was for clothing that will be worn only rarely.

However, one thing I did buy about 6 weeks ago, and keep forgetting to blog about, is the Marc Alary for J Crew Song Birds bracelet.

You may recall my obsession with all things bird:

So when I saw this bracelet and knew that I had a J Crew reward card that I could stack on top of the 20% off promo they were running at the time, I jumped at it.

It does not disappoint and is just the kind of piece that is fun to look down and see on your arm.  I have received many compliments when I wear it.  The small enameled birds are a delight.

Marc Alary is (apparently) known for his higher end jewelry.  I visited his website and discovered that I quite loved it, but there is no way I could possibly afford it.  My bracelet has the same style aesthetic, but lacks the price tag (and to be fair, the finer materials).

Who wouldn't want a fun monkey necklace?

well for $20,000, not me...

So I am content with my little bracelet and highly recommend it for those of you who have been sitting on the fence about it.

Have a wonderful day and stay safe out there!

xoxo wendy

The Last of the Mohicans: Remembering Al Wry

He was a gift.  I knew it when I was with him.  A miracle of sorts, this cousin, once lost, now found.

You may recall my story of meeting my dad's first cousin in my post here in late April.

His name was Albert Lorne Wry Jr. and I found out this past weekend that he has passed away.  I was heartbroken as I was about to call him and go see him at his summer home as early as next week.

Al died on June 22nd, which happens to be the birthday of the grandfather that I spoke about in the post above.  He died at his cottage, which is, without knowing him well, a place he would be as glad as any to pass away in.  When we met him, he had all kinds of wonderful pictures of his cottage to show us and he gave me his phone number there so I could come visit him this summer and see the Wry family bible.

When I cold-called him that blustery early April day, Al said "You'd better come soon."  He clarified it afterwards; he'd be opening his summer cottage soon and wouldn't be in Sackville after the long weekend in May.

But perhaps Al had an inkling.  During our visit with him, he spoke with such love about his wife who had only recently died.  It was clear he was lonely, despite family and friends who checked in on him.

Al lived a great life.  From his service to his country during World War II, to his creative work in advertising, to his service to his community, his was a life well lived.
 

Al during the war.  I only realized when I saw this picture that Al had the same nickname as my dad!

I didn't get my second visit with Al, though I guess I will when I go down to his funeral in early August, where I hope to meet more Wry relatives.

But that cold, rainy afternoon in late April was a gift.

I was shy to call this man I'd never met, this man my own father probably hadn't seen since the early 1960s.

The world is full of our cousins and it is only a generation or two before they are scattered to the wind and your own children don't even know who they're related to.  My dad would have been shy to call Al had he been alive; I know Al was surprised that I had called him.

During our first of two phone calls Al called himself "The Last of the Mohicans"; he was the last surviving child of the Wry siblings who grew up in the Wry House across the street from the Marshlands Inn in Sackville.  He had outlived all of his first cousins.  He was the last person who remembered my great-grandparents; could share family stories with me of events so long ago.

Eventually we will all get there.  Someone has to go last.

I had a little cry on Saturday night, not because I was close to Al or because I thought it was a tragedy he had passed away; neither of those things are true.  But with this lovely gentle man the cord was cut.  

The Last of the Mohicans was gone.  And with him, the stories.

God Bless you Albert Lorne Wry Jr.  And thank you.

"I am on the hill-top, and must go down into the valley; and when Uncas follows in my footsteps, there will no longer be any of the blood of the Sagamores, for my boy is the last of the Mohicans."
- James Fenimore Cooper, 

Domestic Life

"How terrible it must be not to see and feel beauty.... I'm so glad I can find happiness in all lovely little things... It seems to me that every time I look out of a window the world gives me a gift.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Mistress Pat

For some reason, 5 days without power has unleashed some kind of inner Martha Stewart.  Oh sure, the seeds were already sown with the painting of the sitting room (and the still unpainted dining room and hallway - thanks to Arthur, I await my painter still), but for some reason, having no running water and electricity made me want to de-clutter and clean!

In the last three days, I have done just that.

My fridges have never sparkled so... It turns out they are ESPECIALLY easy to de-clutter and clean when everything has been thrown out...

I've washed all my cupboards.

Decided I needed to reorder my cookbooks and make a little tea corner.

Polished all the silver.

Brought out some colourful dishes I had that I thought needed to be used everyday

Threw a pool party for 10 people

Just before the guests arrived and pre spilling of a whole plate of watermelon for which the ants were ever so thankful..

Mostly, I am just loving electricity and puttering around the house and property...

The new front door is in place and I look forward to the day when the virginia creeper creeps back around...

The Astilbe is replacing the peony now.  I can't seem to get enough of it; I am quite mad for the lace-like fronds..

And I wander around the house in little jersey dresses and bare feet...

Really, it is quite nice.

Will any of you be watching the world cup finale tonight?  I bought Argentinian wine so I think you know which way I am leaning...  And despite my love of the Dutch team, one can't help but feel badly for Brazil who has come in 4th.

And finally, a new book recommendation:

The book tells the story of two young people - one French, the other German - during World War II and the events that lead their characters together.  It is just brilliant and I loved it so much I read it in the dark with a flashlight when the power was out!

Hope you have a fantastic day!  Stay safe out there! xoxo wendy

Sew Much Fun!

I haven't had a sewing machine since around 1988.  When I grew up we had a (very) old singer sewing machine, circa 1950s I think.  It was a beast to lift and to sew with and the bobbins were always getting tangled.

editorial aside: even as I wrote bobbin, I had only a modest level of certainty that what I was describing was, in fact, a bobbin.  When I checked online, I was right.

In my early twenties, my friend Joyce bought a new sewing machine and I inherited hers, which I used with great enthusiasm for about 6 years.

But I am feeling the siren call of sewing again.

I went to the local fabric shop in search of new curtains and was gobsmacked by the variety of materials.  In a giddy fit, I ordered new cushion covers to be made for my sitting room and bought new material to make fresh curtains for under my kitchen sink.

However, that material sits unsewn (well really, it's only been a week...) as I begin to look around at possible contenders for my new sewing machine.

I am unlikely to begin making my own clothing again, but one never knows, and so I am unsure as to how much sewing machine a person like me needs.  On the other hand, I see the beautiful things that Dina makes over at her blog My Superfluities and think "hmmmm"....

I mean how much fun to sew this and then make a matching opera coat?

Oh and I have a hankering to make slip covers for the tweed couch's cushions..

Do I need 30 kinds of stitches?  Do I need to spend hundreds of dollars or can I get a sturdy little machine for less than $200?

Mostly,  I want to be able to do the odd homekeeping task, clothing repair, etc. 

But I am kind of hankering after learning to sew again.  I was never a great sewer but now that I have time, I think it would be fun to try again!

So I would love any advice you might have about sewing machines!  And your experience if you are just getting back into sewing!

Thanks in advance!

The Aftermath of Arthur

It was supposed to be a sub-tropical storm for goodness sakes...

But Arthur made his was up the eastern seaboard, and the outer edges of the storm, the most violent winds and rain, hit our part of New Brunswick with full force and stayed stuck  there for hours.  By the time he left us, fully 90% of the people in our city had no power, including ourselves.  And since we are not on the city system, we also had no potable water or sewage.

There were massive lineups at gas stations and shops when they finally opened, everyone came to realize the importance of having some gas in your car, the need for a generator if these weather systems become more frequent (which they appear to be doing) and that if you can't find ice (almost no one could), you cannot eat the contents of your fridge very long.

After 5 days n this situation, we finally gained power last night.

There are still 25,000+ who are going into their 6th day without power.

The damage is everywhere.  Fredericton lost over 2000 trees alone, and the damage they created going down was horrible.  It is amazing that no one was hurt!

Trees were simply uprooted, as if one was pulling a carrot from the ground:

We lost 4 trees on our property and all of the contents of two fridges and freezers.  But thanks to good friends, we showered at others' houses who did have water and were able to eat out.

The biggest pain was that I was working on a small contract that required me to be writing a draft report and continually searched all of the city for WiFi hotspots.

And my back muscles have gotten considerably stronger with picking up the hundreds of huge branches that fell on our property.

I didn't mind a bit not having technology, so it was a nice enforced break!  

I have new appreciation for the lives of my grandparents and great-grandparents.  And like a good girl scout, I will be getting prepared for the next time..

More cheerful chatter tomorrow!  stay safe out there!

xoxo wendy

Vinegar fit for a Midsummer's Night Dream!

Adventures in flowers continue!

According to Wikipedia:

Vinegar is a liquid consisting mainly of acetic acid (CH₃COOH) and water. The acetic acid is produced by the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria.^[1] Vinegar is now mainly used as a cooking ingredient, but historically, as the most easily available mild acid, it had a great variety of industrial, medical, and domestic uses, some of which (such as a general household cleanser) are still promoted today.

How positively un-poetic!

I do love a vinegar - besides the basic white, so vital for cleaning, I have a whole stash of flavoured vinegar for cooking.

And while I adore a good champagne vinegar, my heart has, heretofore, belonged to balsamic vinaigrette, the older the better.

But thanks to Martha Stewart, vinegar is about to become a little more romantic...

In the July issue of Martha Stewart Living, Martha included a recipe for a lovely herb blossom vinegar:

Infuse distilled white vinegar with various herb blossoms, such as elderflower, chive, and Thai basil, to make vinaigrettes and sauces. First, fill a glass container half- way with washed, cut blossoms, then pour white vinegar to the top. Cover and store in a cool, dark place for three days. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discard the blossoms, and pour the vinegar back into the bottle. It will have taken on the delicate taste of the herb, plus a blush color. Garnish with leftover herbs if you plan to serve immediately, but be sure to remove them before storing in a cool, dark place for up to a month.

Well of course I had to try it!

I will share the results in the next few days, but isn't that divine looking?

It looks like something that Puck would splash on his salad out in the woods while making mischief (or something that the Littlest Rascal might splash on those stinging nettles..)

Surely it will make the menu on some fairy romp in the back yard?

Really, a meal out of doors is the most divine aspect of summer.  It is often hard to achieve here without a bug net, thanks to the mosquitoes and black flies, but the mere thought of it makes me all happy inside, as per these images:

If these are too fancy for you, a picnic is always just the thing...

I will bring the vinegar!

Have a great day! and Happy 4th to my American friends!

Stay safe out there!

xoxo wendy

Some Things I am OBSESSED with these days and Canada Day (and Gigi's Birthday!)

Happy Canada Day!

147 years ago the True North Strong and Free came into being, and, if I do say so myself, it has been a pretty good run so far!

I am lucky to live in a (generally) peaceful country whose citizens, according to the latest poll, value our universal health care system and Charter of Rights and Freedoms over all else.  Yes, we are polite, but we are a good time at a party and we are kind.  We are not in your face, but we can go the distance.

It is hot here again today so we will likely swim and then head downtown this afternoon, where there is music and food a-plenty.

Happy Canada to my fellow Canadians!

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I am currently obsessed with some things that I feel the need to share!

The documentary Tim's Vermeer.

We stumbled upon this on apple TV on the weekend and were gobsmacked, it was so good!

The synopsis from the official website:

Synopsis

A Penn & Teller Film

Produced by Penn Jillette, 2013

Tim Jenison, a Texas based inventor, attempts to solve one of the greatest mysteries in all art: How did 17th century Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer ("Girl with a Pearl Earring") manage to paint so photo-realistically -- 150 years before the invention of photography? The epic research project Jenison embarks on to test his theory is as extraordinary as what he discovers.

Spanning eight years, Jenison's adventure takes him to Delft, Holland, where Vermeer painted his masterpieces, on a pilgrimage to the North coast of Yorkshire to meet artist David Hockney, and even to Buckingham Palace to see a Vermeer masterpiece in the collection of the Queen.

This is part adventure/part mystery/part magnificent obsession/part genius in the best way possible and it made me so grateful that a) there are people like Tim in the world and b) Penn and Teller thought to make a documentary about it (and good documentarians they are, actually!).

I can't recommend this enough!

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I finally got around to reading The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert this past week.

Well, I read it over 2 days actually, because I was so caught up in the world that she has created out of one woman's seemingly small, and at times tragic, life.

We fall in love with Alma Whittaker from the get-go.  The book is sweeping, brilliant, and timeless in its storytelling.

This was sort of on my radar last year, but got lost in the accolades for The Luminaries, The Goldfinch and The Interestings.  This book belongs in that company, I am happy to say, and now that it is out in paperback, I highly recommend picking it up.  I cried my way through the last 15 pages, though I am a softy....

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FIFA World Cup

Until 2 weeks ago, I had never really watched soccer (or as the vast majority of the world knows it as, football, which makes a lot more sense to me and I nominate that american football be renamed carryball forthwith! No hate letters from American and Canadian football fans please!) except for the Canadian women at the last olympics.

To be fair, until this world cup, I had been too busy to be follow much in the way of sports, but I am obsessed, obsessed I tell you!  I love watching the play, love the fitness of the players, the almost operatic acting as they fall to the pitch.  It is my kind of game!

And I have a crush.  An unlikely bloke perhaps, but I loves him nonetheless:

Arjen Robben of Team Netherlands:

He is mesmerizing on the field, a looping Mercury on the pitch, weaving this way and that among dumbfounded opponents.  And while others tire as the match proceeds, he seems to dig deeper and deeper, finding unimaginable sources of energy to keep going.

It was always going to be Netherlands for me, and here's why:

In 2008, our family visited the Netherlands for the first time.  It was a pilgrimage of sorts; Barry's great-uncle had been killed in Germany, near the border with Arnhem, and was buried in the small village of Holten in the Netherlands (which is absolutely lovely by the way and worth a visit).  One evening we left our B&B on the outskirts of Arnhem and went to dinner in a lovely local bistro.  It was a gorgeous night and we were the only ones there.  We left the restaurant and wandered around the neighbourhood.  Not a person in sight.

For persons like ourselves, ever vigilant for zombie epidemics, it was eerie..

However, when we returned to the B&B, our host Jurgen explained that there was a euro match on and everyone was home watching.  Everyone.  I asked who the Dutch were playing.  "Oh we're not playing," he explained patiently.  "Germany is playing.  We all stay home to root against Germany."

That my friends, is dedication AND a grudge.

I could kind of relate to that..

And frankly, the Netherlands is the most lovely country I think I have been too, at least from a gardening perspective.  The Dutch are orderly and adore beauty and while I aspire to the former, I am completely besotted with the latter.

Now I need to find some orange before the quarter-finals....Hmm, wonder if any of our sports shops have a jersey...

Have a wonderful Canada Day and a special shout-out to Miss Gigi, who is celebrating a birthday today!

stay safe out there!  We stand on guard for thee!  xoxo wendy