What I Wore, the Weekend Version. . .

 A little What I Wore, What I Did reporting from the weekend while I polish up a post that’s taking time to write. Apologies to those of you who saw these two posts on Instagram — above, What I Wore to the opera Saturday night, a powerful, moving production  of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking. I wrote a bit more about these in those IG posts, if you’re interested.

Saturday was a busy day. Earlier, after a run and a quick breakfast, we took advantage of the mixed-sun-and-clouds weather to visit Van Dusen Botanical Garden.

I wore my shiny new sneakers, faded Levis, and a new sweatshirt that’s been making me happy lately

 covered it all up in this light cotton field jacket

and headed off to take advantage of our garden membership before the inevitable rains fell.

Here’s a bit of what we saw before the skies opened and we scurried for shelter at a favourite neighbourhood Pho place. Mmmmm, noodles!

I keep thinking that I’ve got to get myself organised and get to The Garden with my DSLR camera or my sketchbook. Meanwhile, though, I drive Pater crazy, I’m sure, with my constant recourse to my iPhone.  When the Macro thing works and/or the depth of field blurs up the background nicely to direct your eye to what I saw, it’s so satisfying. In this photo below, it’s those funny little curls of the emerging leaves — the wind was blowing enough to keep unfocusing the camera lens, but this shot is okay.

 And this field of ferns. . . . I’m not sure the shot lets you see the same swath I saw of funny little green aliens comically poking their heads up at a quizzical angle, but at least you can appreciate the multitudinous fiddleheads

 The Red-Twig dogwood that was burning up the garden when we visited in February has turned down the heat a bit as it leafs out, and it makes a great background for the Bleeding Heart.

 and for the Bergenia down the road.

 I have to say that I’m not generally a fan of Bergenia, but ths patch was quite attractive, and perhaps I’ll change my mind. . . . (and yes, that’s Pater in the background — he’s making a note of plant name details for his next visit to the nursery — stay tuned for news about one appearing on our terrace soon)

No need to be talked into admiring this maple, but I spent a frustrating amount of time trying to get my iPhone camera to focus sharply on those tiny, delicate maple flowers and the incipient whirligig seeds, all sweetly green-and-pink.

 And oh my, these erythronium. . . . so very graceful. The garden has some really charming woodland areas, beautifully planted.

That’s quite enough for now, isn’t it, although I’m afraid I have scads more still in the camera. But Monday morning, we’re trying to get our week organised and started, and we really shouldn’t be tarrying online, should we? Still, before you go, perhaps a word or two about what you got up to this weekend and whether you enjoyed dressing up or down for those activities. Or, as always, about anything else you’d like to add to our conversation. I’m writing this Sunday evening, and Pater and I are just sipping a glass of wine, waiting for his Moroccan chicken to be ready to eat. I must confess, we’ll be eating it in front of the screen, watching Season 3 of The Affair.  . . It would be so much more civilised to eat at the table, place mats, candle, conversation, but needs must. . . Sorry to disappoint 😉

20 Comments

  1. High Heels in the Wilderness
    1 May 2017 / 3:00 pm

    That sweatshirt looks really great under that jacket. And I love how the green jacket picks up on the new shiny sneakers. Maybe I should say shiny and new shiny sneakers.
    Think we've been getting your rain. Two miserable rainy, blowy, cold days here. We've even had fires in our wood stove to keep off the chill. Feels like November!

    • materfamilias
      2 May 2017 / 2:27 pm

      Thanks — I love the simplicity of throwing together pieces I really like, and I don't mind wearing them over and over eiether.
      We have a sunny day, finally, but I don't think most of you can know what it's been like for us on the West Coast this year, the nearly constant grey and rain on all but four or five days a month, each month until now. May, we're counting on you. It's true, though, that we're a few degrees warmer, probably, into the low double digits now. . . And at least the flowers look like spring. ..

  2. Ann Lee Gibson
    1 May 2017 / 4:04 pm

    So love your ensembles above and your latest (last) mother-of-the-bride dress. You're looking sharp, woman! 🙂 I especially like the golden footwear.

    I also covet your gorgeous park. Wish we could all teleport to that wonderful space y'all have such easy access to up there in Vancouver.

    I live in a part of the Midwest that flooded last week — just awful. But we'll dig out. And we'll soon be able to wear golden footwear again, too.

    • materfamilias
      2 May 2017 / 2:28 pm

      Thanks, Ann. And you're right, we're very fortunate in some great outdoor spaces here. So sorry about your flooding — I hope you dry out soon and, as you say, dig out and move onto the golden shoes again. Bon courage!

  3. Anonymous
    1 May 2017 / 4:34 pm

    Oh the fiddleheads -so fanciful and a bit space-agey looking, too. Shared London and the Kent coast plus charming Greenwich with skin and blister (Cockney rhyming slang for sister. It's what my sister and I call each other) and BIL this weekend who was just promising to make me sautéed fiddleheads when I go to Maine soon. It's a big thing in his French Canadian family, he said.
    Having that expanse of garden so close must be so rewarding for you. We visited Kew Gardens this weekend,too,which never fails to impress.
    Wrote a comment on Sat and Sunday re: your perfect dress for the wedding and both got lost in space. The second one was especially frustrating because the "I am not a robot" police gave me at least 10 attempts to prove I am, in fact, not a robot and would not accept what I had written. Ohhhh,there are days technology is not my friend.
    What is the source of your sneakers if you don't mind me asking?
    A.in London

    • materfamilias
      2 May 2017 / 2:32 pm

      So sorry about your frustrations with technology here, especially because I never got to see your comment.
      Re the sautéed fiddleheads, if Sue (above, of High Heels in the Wilderness blog) happens to read this, perhaps she'll chime in — I know they're also "a thing" in parts of New Brunswick, but have no idea whether she and her family enjoy them.
      The sneakers are Onitsuka Tiger brand.

  4. Ceri in Bristol
    1 May 2017 / 7:03 pm

    We were in Kew Gardens too, A in London. A Saturday morning visit for us, a first for both of us. How strange to think that we could have passed each other along the way. As to wardrobe matters, I snapped up a Jaeger top in a Kew charity shop. British friends will perhaps understand the sadness at the denise of that clothing company. Wore it for all the big occasions – going away outfit, first graduation- and always thought that I would be a faithful customer once I was a real grown up. Guess they grew tired of waiting…

    • materfamilias
      2 May 2017 / 2:35 pm

      It is strange and delightful to think of you and London A potentially meeting, randomly, in Kew Gardens on the weekend.
      And that little vignette you sketched in three deft sentences. I'd say so many of us can relate to that, those aspirational brands we hoped to grow into more regular wearers of, but that met the reality of global economics and changing times. At least you found that top. . .

  5. Madame Là-bas
    1 May 2017 / 9:01 pm

    I really like that skirt. The flowers are really beautiful at this time of the year. I have a pair of leather soled gold oxfords from Paris. I don't wear them much because they are slippery. I wonder if I could get them altered. I'm watching Olive Kitteridge
    right now. I read the book a while ago. It's dark but well-done. It's Workers' Day today so I watched about 100,000 people march into the Zocalo. I drank my cappuccino and left quickly.

    • Anonymous
      2 May 2017 / 6:53 am

      Madame,I think that a cobbler could put thin rubber soles on your oxfords (gold! Beautiful!)
      I did it with all my leather soled shoes
      Dottoressa

    • Ceri in Bristol
      2 May 2017 / 8:19 am

      Mine too. Definitely worth it

    • materfamilias
      2 May 2017 / 2:36 pm

      Echoing Dra. and Ceri re getting Topy soles.
      Olive Kitteridge was excellent, although dark, as you say. Such fine acting.

  6. Duchesse
    2 May 2017 / 2:08 am

    Such tender beauty (and a bit of more mature beauty too). Delivered to me while I look at a thunderstorm punctuated by ice 'plates' falling; these look about the size of a bread plate. I have never seen anything like it, and the rain is blowing up and down. Wild!

    • materfamilias
      2 May 2017 / 2:39 pm

      Oh dear! It doesn't bear going on and on about how weather patterns seem everywhere to be changing dramatically, and yet. . . .Or not changing so much, here, as intensifying.
      Ah well, the sun's out today here, and I'll cross my fingers for you that the Wild has yielded for now when you are and you're on the threshhold of one of those beautiful Montreal Spring days. . . .

  7. Katherine C. James
    2 May 2017 / 5:03 am

    Love your cotton field jacket, and the fiddleheads ferns are delightful. They do look like little space aliens. Sunday I laid in bed surrounded by books. Occasionally I ran up and down the stairs to do laundry. When I manage to buy a condo of my own—soon, I hope soon, though the Bay Area housing market is insane and getting more so—I want it to be a single level, but I must say stairs are an impressive workout. We discussed Dead Man Walking on IG. Would love to see how it has changed after seventeen years.

    • materfamilias
      2 May 2017 / 2:43 pm

      We looked at condos/townhouses that were multi-level, and, honestly, I miss the built-in workout of the stairs at our old house, but they take up too much room, given the space we could afford in the city (Vanc'r market is nuts as well, even more so in proportion to the income levels here).
      The reviews are in, now, on the VOA production of DMW, and the critics were impressed. It's an opera that demonstrates that Opera can be contemporary and accessible without compromising on the musical front. You're so lucky to have been at its world premiere.

  8. Anonymous
    2 May 2017 / 6:49 am

    Beautiful skirt! Time for flowers at last
    I have silver 🙂 Nike sneakers btw
    The garden is lovely- you'll have a beautiful terrace and gardens nearby to walk -it is a great combination
    Dottoressa

    • materfamilias
      2 May 2017 / 2:43 pm

      It does seem to be time for the flowers now — Hello Spring!
      (and hello metallic sneakers as well — they're great, aren't they!)

  9. Anonymous
    2 May 2017 / 8:03 pm

    Ceri in Bristol….how weird! We could have met at Kew and said hello. It is a mighty impressive place,isn't it; certainly duly impressed the visiting Americans,but I was a bit startled by the planes going overhead every 6 minutes,it seemed.
    Jagger, now Jones Boots what next-Americans buying Boots pharmacies?! (which sadly has happened).
    A. in London

  10. Ceri
    2 May 2017 / 10:04 pm

    Dear Materfamilias — I'm rather late coming to the last 2 posts — and so much to say! Outfits, opera, plants ….
    You've made me re-think an evening skirt. You look great in that which is the perfect smart casual solution for an evening out where you want to make some effort but not too much. My problem is that heels are increasingly uncomfortable but my short legs make me reluctant to give up altogether — your solution of ankle boots is a good one.
    I also loved your MOB solution — a simple dress was also what I wore when I was MOB a couple of years ago. But since it was a church wedding I went all out on the accompanying hat!
    Dress was from Jaeger which will amuse Ceri in Bristol re her earlier comments about Jaeger — I will miss it too.
    Spring is still unseasonably cold here in London and even worse in Norfolk this weekend. Managed a mixture of dog walking, gardening, snuggling in front of the fire with all the weekend papers and a stately home garden visit. Great photos by the way!
    Ceri in London

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