So here’s a photo of the dress (it’s the one all the way on the right). It’s one of my favorites, with braided trim around the neckline and chiffon panels that kick out from the skirt. My only complaint is, why did they put the brocade pattern sideways? Like damask, this is a pattern that’s supposed to draw your eyes downward. But, I forgave it.

Many years ago, I wore this dress to a posh San Francisco restaurant – The Stray and I were across the country from our families, and we decided to splash out on Christmas dinner since we were on our own. This was the kind of place that makes jackets mandatory for the guys, so I figured I’d go just as formal as my date, and this was a holiday and therefore deserving of dressup, yeah OK a gown! We showed up for our reservation, and the hostess was snooty. The waiter was snooty. The food was really not all that great. As we were slipping into our coats and getting ready to leave, the harpist came hurrying over. “I love your coat!” she purred, stroking the black lace on the sleeves, making noises about how much fun it would be to play the harp in them. (Picture here. It’s the duster on the right.)

So screw the stuck-up staff, and yay to the really sweet musician, from whom sartorial appreciation is a much finer compliment.

OK. On to the cats.

This is the very portrait of a bed pig. I was trying to get a pic of her wallowing around in the brocade and chiffon but all that came out was a furry blur. I think she’s enjoying these posts as much as I am.

Oh noes! An interloper! Bella has decided that one of my goth gowns is a perfect spot for an impromptu wrestling match, and thus jumps on Polly’s head.

As you can see, Miss Polly gets very upset when her sty of splendor gets disrupted. Bella left quickly after this shot to go shred sisal, and Pollywog was back to rolling around violently in purple floral brocade. And peace was restored to Kittybuttock Manor.