October 29, 2012

Picking Halloween pumpkins in the freezing rain

...While wearing a festive jack-o-lantern covered cardigan and trying not to get knocked off my feet by the nearly gale force winds!




 


































Outfit details

Prescription eyeglasses: (frames) Venus Eye Design V-12
Black and white polka dot hair flower: Arden
Grey pearl earrings: Claire's
Halloween cardigan sweater: eBay
Vintage black shirtwaist dress: eBay or etsy
Black patent skinny belt: eBay
Black crinoline/pettiskirt: Pettiskirt Style
Carved black resin bangle bracelet: Ten Thousand Villages
Orange and green bangles: Forever 21
Vintage black gloves: a gift from a dear online friend (and fellow vintage loving gal)
Vintage Saks Fifth Avenue black patent purse: etsy seller MK Retro
Black and white Swiss dot tights: eBay (I've had these for years, worn them dozens of times, and they're still holding up - knock wood!)
Black faux suede bow adorned heels: Wal-Mart
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano




Murphy's Law, of course, a day finally comes along where I feel well enough to embark on an outing to the nearby community of Keremeos (which just happens to be where the wonderful petting zoo we visited last summer is located) to spend time at one of the Okanagan’s best known and most loved fruit stands while their fantastic annual fall display is underway, and the weather was nothing short of awful!

Sleet that looked dangerously close to snow started pelting our car a few minutes outside of town (I should mention, it was sunny when we left Penticton), then turned into rain and partnered up with some rather hefty winds (that kept wanting to blow the skirt of my dress and my pettiskirt up over my head!), but knowing that this might be the one shot we'd get to visit Bear's this year, we ploughed on.

My outfit, though a bit bulky (the black shirtwaist dress is very blousy on top, plus I had a cami under it for warmth, and a flouncy black crinoline underneath), was intentionally chosen for this day and shoot, as I wanted to share this darling jack-o-lantern covered cardigan with all of you. The cut of the cardigan, including the wide round neckline, isn't necessarily one of the best for me, and white as a top layer is anything but flattering on a curvy figure like mine, but I don't mind at all. This sweater is too cute and filled with the playfully spooky spirit Halloween not to wear come late October.

It's not a vintage piece, but the grinning Jacks all over it have, I think, classic faces that help lend it a bit of a yesteryear feel. As I made a point of mentioning to my parents when we saw them later in the day, this isn't my Halloween costume this year, it's my Halloween outfit (which is just as fun and seasonal as a costume, in my books).

Though our trip to Bear's Farm fruit stand was cut shorter than we'd planned due to the nasty weather, we were able to pick up a few pumpkins (including a grey one - which is something I'd always wanted, but never been able to find in Canada before, and indeed, the lady behind the checkout counter said this was the first year they'd ever carried grey pumpkins there) and some delicious dark purple (nearly black) bell peppers that we've been enjoying throughout this past week.



{Speaking of The Great Pumpkin, I recently spotted this incredibly lovely, delightfully vintage looking poster for it, and bookmarked it to share here for Halloween. Poster created by strongstuff (Tom Whalen) on deviantART.}



Naturally, being at a pumpkin display with pumpkin patches all around the area, my mind instantly flashed to It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, which is my all-time favourite Halloween cartoon. Later that night my mom came over to our place and we watched it, as well as my favourite Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus, both of which are huge seasonal musts for me every year (I pretty much know them both by heart at this point, but that just makes me love them even more).

So while the weather was anything but ideal, I'm thrilled that I got sport this Halloween cardigan on camera, hand select our pumpkins, and enjoy a terrific afternoon down in Keremeos with Tony before winter - which, some days at least, doesn't appear to be very far off any more - moseys back into town.

Wishing you all an awesome Halloween countdown - and much better weather than we ran into if you're out gathering pumpkins or setting up your yard in preparation for the 31st!

38 comments:

  1. You looked to be in danger of having a Marilyn Monroe moment there!
    Your cardigan is lovely, it does look like it should be a vintage piece, adding the belt makes it perfect.
    Your shoes are lovely.

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Tracey! Indeed, and (great minds here) I said that to Tony at the time. This wasn't the worst of it though (just the worst caught on camera). A couple of minutes the front decide to go up over my head, but thankfully my pettiskirt only got to about mid-thigh height, so very nearly avoided unintentionally flashing an an elderly chap who was walking into the produce stand at the moment (after that, we went inside too and I kept a hand on the front of my skirt the rest of the time right up until we got back into the car).

      ♥ Jessica

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  2. It's totally awesome that you went to a pumpkin patch. I've always wanted to do that but we just went to the grocery store. We had an exhausting weekend and just took it easy. I love your outfit. You always make it look so easy. The pumpkin cardigan is cute. I love novelty items. I think they make the outfit more unique to you.

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet gal. We had an auction packed weekend, too, which always knocks the wind out of my sails (lol, what little wind there is to begin with) and now I'm just going to rest and recoup as much as possible so that I'm doing as well as can be for Halloween.

      I love novelty items, too - especially seasonal ones, too. I have a Christmas cardigan, too. It's much more understated than this one, but certainly festive nevertheless. Chances are it'll be part of a shoot here, too, come December.

      ♥ Jessica

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  3. Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen a grey pumpkin. How interesting!! Those bell peppers sound awesome too. How cute is this pumpkin sweater? Orange is a fabulous color for you:) I'm amazed you were able to find such a vividly white cardigan on ebay without the telltale signs of a previous owner:) Fabulous:) I love all the little expressions on the pumpkin. We are bracing for the storm today. I think power will be off later today. Your pictures from your outing are wonderful and thank you for sharing them!

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Joanna. I'd seen grey pumpkins for years in Martha Stewart magazines and on her show, but never once spotted them in Canada (even when we lived in Toronto). I don't think they're terribly common anywhere, but perhaps their reach is spreading if I was able to locate some in a wee little town here in British Columbia.

      I got this sweater new without tags on eBay, which made it an even better score. I adore all the little faces, too. They're each different and are all so cute.

      I'm so sorry that you're facing such a potentially brutal storm. We're getting nasty weather up this way, too, but nothing nearly as bad as potential hurricane. You'll be in my thoughts all day, sweet gal, and I truly hope you and your area is spared from this awful storm.

      ♥ Jessica

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  4. Jessica, you look darling! I bet you were the only one who showed up in a skirt at the pumpkin patch. I think that women don't wear skirts/dresses often enough, and you are a breath of fresh air with this outfit on this cold day.

    What a lovely place that is...the mountains in the background.

    :) Hope

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  5. Pumpkins with eyelashes! Cute!!! I've only ever been to a pumpkin patch once, a couple of years ago....so much fun, I wish we had them in London!

    incendiaryblonde.blogspot.com

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  6. I'm glad the grey pumpkin trend is making its way to you! The different varieties are spreading out more here in the states as well. This year I was able to get all sorts of different colours (grey, blue, white) at my local stands, and at a few places they actually cost LESS than the typical jack-o-lantern types. I was positively gleeful and our front porch now looks like its own little pumpkin patch. :) Happy Halloween!

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    1. It's marvelous for sure - no blue ones in sight (yet!), but we were able to get green, white, and yellow + orange stripped ones as well (along with a big classic orange one that will likely get carved tomorrow), all of which were rarities around these parts even just a few years ago. Hopefully it won't be too much longer before blue ones start appearing, too. I bet your front porch looks wonderfully pretty and so filled with the timeless spirit of the harvest season.

      ♥ Jessica

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  7. Ahhhh, what an adorable outfit!! I miss the Lower Mainland SO MUCH!!!! Beautiful photos!

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    1. Thank you, very much dearest Baroness! I didn't know you'd spent time in B.C. before? Did you live here? I was born on the coast and lived there until I was about nine, then my family moved up north a bit to Okanagan, and has been here ever since (which is one of the main reasons Tony and I opted to move to Penticton when we left Ontario). I love them both - and everywhere else I've lived (on my own) or spent time in the province. It's just so gorgeous from top to bottom! :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  8. Ohh lovely, I like your sweater!! I want a pumpkin, they are so cute! I saw one live for the first time in my life, I was way too excited about it :D

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  9. I know the feeling when you find an item that doesn't technically suit you but is just so much fun that you can't resist! Anyway, no one's going to be looking at your top and saying, 'oh, she shouldn't be wearing a white top', they're going to be saying, 'that top is so much fun, I want it!'

    Well, the weather may not have been ideal, but at least you can say you had an adventure at the pumpkin patch! And what a jaw-droppingly beautiful location.

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  10. You look so adorable! The sweater is the perfect thing for a pumpkin patch outing!

    xo,
    Em

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  11. I adore your polka dot rose!!! You know, I absolutely love those flower clips, but have absolutely none. What's up with that???? I might have to search ebay....

    I guess Winter is coming to you sooner than you wanted. :-( This morning I had to wear my winter coat {I currently don't have a fall jacket and it's so late I hate to purchase it only to wear it for a month} and my vest wasn't enough. :-/ Winter will be coming soon!

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Sean. I've picked up most of my hair flowers over the years from Claire's and Arden, and to a lesser extent H&M and Walmart. I tend to have an aversion to paying too much for a hair flower, as my mind starts thinking, "Hmmm, I know I could make this for a whole lot less!" when I see overpriced ones. I really should start making my own - perhaps next year as something fun to add to the craft roster for 2012.

      ♥ Jessica

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  12. OMG, that bear sign is to die for! I think I will HAVE to travel there one day just so I can get a photo of myself in front of it.
    Of course, you look divine as ALWAYS dear Jessica!

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  13. Super cute outfit! I too wore the orange, black and white uniform to a children's Halloween party yesterday, I didn't get a photo though, poo. Love your tights too.

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  14. Rainy weather and bulk for warmth (as a Michigander, I THOROUGHLY understand that need), you looked cute as a button! Though your cardi isn't vintage, it certainly has that look. Hope you picked up a few cute pumpkins—and a grey one? That I have to say I've never seen before, not even in seed catalogs—but then, I've not really room to grow them. Interesting.

    Good luck with the weather. Here we're dealing with gale-force winds and crossing our fingers that the power remains on.

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  15. Those are the cutest tights ever and I enjoyed the majestic landscape that was behind your pumpkin patch!

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  16. Ah you look wonderful! That cardigan is so darling.

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  17. That cardigan is almost as gorgeous as you, love all the cute pumpkin faces!

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  18. That's one thing my husband and I have never done, and that's to go to a pumpkin patch. Hummm . . . I'll have to see if there are any good ones near where we live.

    I'm sorry the weather turned sour on you - bummer. At least you were able to get out and about for a short while. The weather didn't look too bad in the photographs - just a bit overcast. Of course, you look quite cute in your Halloween outfit. I love those polka dot tights. Those are certainly unique, for I haven't seen any in the stores as of late.

    I couldn't help but smile when you mentioned about the two movies you like, but know most of the lines by heart. There are a few movies I watch too that I pretty much know all the lines, but like you mentioned, they are still fun to watch.

    Blessings to you! :)

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  19. I'm glad you got your pumpkining in despite the weather! You look absolutely lovely, the pumpkin cardigan is quite appropriate.

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  20. Aww, what an adorable outfit! So sad that the weather turned bad!

    xx TraN
    http://www.sevenoutfits.blogg.no

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  21. Your cardigan is soooo adorable! I'm simply lovin' it!

    I'm sorry the weather on your trip was bad - but it seems to be bad weather all over the world now - in Poland, where I live, we already have snow, which is quite uncommon in October...

    xoxo
    Monika

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  22. Lovely! Husband needs combat pay for this photography session!

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  23. That cardigan is too sensational!!! (it seems like it has had quite a few compliments ; )) I love a good novelty item but this really does take the biscuit!

    x

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  24. This cardigan is just smashing and looks great on, no matter that the colours and shape might not be exactly the best...I would have bought it just for their smiley faces too. I think the whole halloween and thanksgiving traditions you have over there look like so much fun...and I admire your fortitude at plowing ahead with your pumpkin picking and photo shoot despite the dismal weather. xx Shauna

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  25. What a fun outfit! And I love your shoes.
    I really need a black skirt, I just don't have one that I'm comfortable in, so am looking to make myself one very soon.

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  26. Darling sweater -- I love it! And that Great Pumpkin poster is amazing! I want it. That Charlie Brown cartoon is one the things I remember fondly about this time of year. :)

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  27. That's a really fabulous outfit - I love it. What a shame that the weather wasn't very co-operative.

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  28. awesoem pumpkin sweater ... so cute!

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  29. You look absolutely adorable, Jessica! I love your cute Halloween cardigan! You are such a darling. <3

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  30. That shirt is perfect. I also looove the polka dot flower in your hair!

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  31. Well, it sounds like fun despite the weather! I hate when the weather spoils one's plans - it's hard to get properly angry because there's nothing to blame, really. Ha. And I LOVE your cardigan. So cute.
    -Andi x

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  32. You look so cute! Now *that* is how you rock a themed cardigan... nice.

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