Happy Holidays!

I will not be myself if I don't wish you happy holidays and don't share with you some of our latest outings and other slices life generously offered at the end of the year. So without further ado, let's dive in!

You might have recognized the building in the first photo. The Rialto Theater was built as a movie theater in Beaux-Arts style in 1918 and has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1992. In December, it hosts a beloved Tacoma tradition called Christmas Revels. Each year, the group of dedicated musicians and actors offers a performance based on winter celebrations of past times in a particular country to welcome Yule. I wrote about our previous experiences in DEC 2017 and DEC 2014. This year, the action took place in a medieval English village, so I wore a peasant dress with a tartan jacket, as a nod to good old England.

DRESS - Lane Bryant (old, previously shown in MARCH 2017)

JACKET - Joe Browns via Simply Be (old, shown in MARCH 2018,

JANUARY 2018 HERE and HERE)

BOOTS - Josef Seibel (old)

FUR BAG - Lane Bryant (old)

WOOL BERET - ModCloth

One of the main events for me personally was coming back to working with children and libraries. As some of you might know, I've been a Russian Story Time presenter working with the King County Library System (KCLS) since 2009, but I took a break to write and publish a few children's books (more info on my author's site ChickenlegHouse.com). This month, I was invited to work as a substitute for a colleague in the Redmond Library (where Justin took these pictures of me). And I'm happy to announce that starting in February 2019, I will start my own program in three different libraries (I don't do things by halves!) - one in Federal Way (KCLS) and two in Tacoma Public Libraries (which will be a pilot program for TPL). For you local folks, I will announce dates, times and locations later - stay tuned and please let your Russian-speaking friends and neighbors know about this! Programs like this still don't happen often enough in our neck of the woods, and I hope those who are interested don't miss their chance to be a part of it! 

Wisdom Seekers by Tony Angell (1999), Redmond Library

DRESS - Eloquii (also shown in OCT 2018) 

WOOL COAT - Avec Les Filles via Nordstrom Anniversary sale last Summer

BOOTS - Ecco (old)

CANVAS BAG - stolen from my husband who generously overlooked this fact

TIGHTS - Eloquii

(I am so glad I bought new ones since I still wasn't able to find my old reserve!)

Finally, going to an English panto, a local tradition thanks to Alan Bryce, the former artistic and managing director of Centerstage, a theater in Federal Way. It became one of our family favorite traditions since Pinocchio (2011), truly a masterpiece. I wrote about our previous experiences in DEC 2017 and DEC 2014. This year, with new directors and management, we watched Rapunzel and had great times as usual! If you are local and haven't seen Christmas panto at Centerstage, make sure to get tickets and bring the whole family next year - it's unlike anything you've seen before!

I wore my cold season fancy dress and a new faux fur coat which I couldn't wait to wear, but the weather just wasn't cold enough for it. Now when the temperature goes down to the mid 30s F in the evenings, this is the coat to wear for sure! Honestly, I was so afraid that it would disappear from the Eloquii site sooner than I could get my hands on it that I bought it at first opportunity (with a discount, of course). I think it's fabulous! It reminds me the 1960s fashion so much, very chic! And it really is warm - not Siberia-winter warm, but cozy for around 0 C or even lower. If you are looking for a statement plus size fur coat, look no more - it is still available (I'm not paid to advertise and I don't get any commissions, but I'm happy to share the LINK because such stylish and affordable coats don't come very often in plus sizes, you are welcome!). Just make sure to reattach all the buttons - I think the machines just couldn't grasp this fluffy fabric, and two of the buttons came off almost immediately.

DRESS WITH BELL SLEEVES - Christian Siriano for Lane Bryant (old,

previously shown in DEC 2016 and NOV 2017)

STATEMENT FUR COAT - Eloquii

Boots - Aquatalia via Nordstrom Rack (old)

Scarf - Russian platok, gift from my parents back in 2005

To all my friends and readers around the world -

Welcome Yule!

Merry Christmas!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Linking with Visible Monday and Tina's Pink Friday

* * *