miles from where you are

WARNING: another massive essay post, sorry guys i guess i really like to write! good things ahead though, i promise!

this is the last week of my high school career, and it still hasn't hit me yet. i'm not quite sure it will hit me; i'm always good with goodbyes (maybe because i don't believe that i will never see people again, although that seems to be the case sometimes) and don't get emotional over these sorts of things, but i can't believe that the supposedly "most fun part of my life" has passed me by already (and it was not what i expected!)i'm excited for college to start, and being a freshman will be so strange since i never was one for high school! (my middle school went up to 9th grade, and i was a new sophomore)

i have a feeling that the connections i made in high school, especially those with my teachers, will be something that will never happen again, and that is what i will miss the most

i don't think any professor will care as much about me and my education as some of my teachers have, but i guess that's part of growing up...

OK, less about nostalgia and more about the cool stuff i found yesterday! the day started off great because i got to sleep in before class ( i was up mad late making a dress at my grandmothers house)

on the way to school, there were literally dozens of tag sale signs up, and i was thinking this could be a lucky day...

my mom and i stopped at an estate sale at the house i have been drooling over for years, this gigantic Victorian thats really creepy but awesome at the same time, and i couldn't believe my luck that we were able to go inside and look around! the "sale" was a bust, but being able to see the home was totally worth being late to math class!

after school, we went to a flea market that was packing up. i was upset at first because i felt so rushed, but at one table i found this perfect old Kodak camera for $5, and with film inside! i can't wait to get the film developed to see if the pictures come out, super happy about this one!

then we went to the salvation army (my new home, i swear) and i found an AWESOME (and by awesome i mean absolutely ridiculous/i secretly want to wear this thing everywhere) tie-dye romper, a floral romper, and the sweetest little blue and white 60s-70s dress!

the day ended at my grandmother's finishing up the dress i'm (attempting) to make, and a good long sleep! the perfect day, if you ask me ;)

my lucky stars

some days i plan on going thrifting and have a plan of what i really want to find, and will visit all the shops yet come up empty handed, and then there are days that i just stop into one shop not hoping for anything and i find a truckload worth of stuff i never knewi needed! (haha, my room is a junkyard, it's becoming embarrassing)

yesterday was one of those days. i got home early from school and stopped at one of the little stores that i usually find fabrics at and what do you know, i left with a treasure trove, all for $5! sometimes i really do have great luck :)

and to top it all off, my aunt gave me a bag full of vintage sunglasses and eyeglasses that are amazing! thanks so much aunt annette, i can already picture hot summer days at the river with these puppies.

my polaroid camera collection is growing, now i have 7! and it it absolutely astonishing that these strap-on rollerblades actually fit me! the bowling bag came with the shoes, which don't fit me but i can sell i suppose, and the timer is pretty cool.

your friend,

the bandit

summer loving

the weather has been so weird the last few days! rain and sunny skies on and off, i can hardly believe that it's nearly summertime.


the warm weather days have me dreaming of a summer wardrobe, and the shedding of the sweaters and pants that i always seem to turn to, especially during the school year. i don't have any photos of my own to post (lazy lazy) but here are some great summer- inspiration photos from http://www.lolitas.se/

creams and pinks, and sunshine, oh my!

burning the midnight oil

hi, sorry for the lack of posts! this week has been hectic, with final projects for what seems like everything! i know that this post looks like an essay...sorry!

the most important project i have been working on would have to be my senior project,which explains the photos up top. i am making clothing out of discarded materials , like sheets and curtains, that people either donate to me or i buy from places like salvation army. so i combine recycling/thriftiness/AND prettiness, which translates to an epic win.

i have gotten a lot done (i have learned to make simple skirts and not so simple high-waisted shorts!) but there is still so much i want to do, and in only 18 days! i want my project to look well put together and each piece to be as professional as it can be, especially since people already are asking for me to make them clothes! selling skirts and shorts (and hopefully dresses and maybe more, as soon as i have time!) would definitely be a great thing for me to do, especially now that i'm a broke college student, lol. i have an etsy account, but i'm scared about the whole online world, and don't quite understand paypal or shipping yet. i guess i'll figure it out over the summer though!

on another note, i got to spend quite a bit of time in my grandmother's basement yesterday. rummaging through her old boxes i found all of her old high school work that she kept, which dated back as far as 1944. she went to a high school in Brooklyn, where she was born. her high school trained girls to go on to become seamstress'/designers and she was the top of her graduating class. she even received a scholarship to Pratt institute, but had to turn it down to go to work and get married to my grandfather ( a shame, haha). i found among all the meticulous notes and hand-sewn examples of how to make smocking or perfect pleats, the handbook to my 1955 singer featherweight, pictured above! (which she gave to me so i could learn to sew for my project,of course) thank god, now i can do fancy crap and all that with my machine, haha. i also found a sweet little dress that my mother wore when she was pregnant with me (holy crap) and some of the negatives from the photographs taken at my grandparent's wedding! i have a plan for all that, which i will put up here in due time...

so i will promise to post some aesthetically pleasing photographic posts in the near future, and more updates on all that is going on! have a great weekend everyone ;)

your friend,
the bandit

these are a few of my favorite things

i'm being lazy and feel like lounging around and hanging out with my family (happy mothers day mom!) so here are a few of the best finds i've come across recently, an ode to my favorite pastime-hunting for cool stuff!

1) vintage suitcase from the 60s/70s- found at a local antique store for $6



2) vintage roller blades, found at the salvation army for $1

3) vintage saltine canister, found at a tag sale for $2

4) vintage typewriter, found at an estate slae for $15 (!!! love)

5) vintage polaroid land camera (it is massive!) found at a tag sale a while ago, re-found in my basement, haha

thank god for salvation

i went to the salvation army for 2 seconds today and managed to not only find a pair of t-strap heels in my size, but i also got a coach purse, a pair of 70s sandals for the store, and a sweet little 70s house dress too! last time i went in i didn't get anything, which is a rarity for me as usually i leave with at least $20 worth of stuff to sell or to keep, but today was like gold. thrifting gods smile down upon me, i am not worthy...

it's long weekend (woot!) so tonight i'm going to attempt to make myself a pair of high-waisted beach shorts with this new blue fabric i got at a tag sale today. i'm pretty much a noob at sewing; i've made five or so simple skirts and one not-so-successful pair of shorts before, and never on my own. i'm crossing my fingers that i remember how to sew with my other, clunkier machine! please please don't let me screw it up, haha

all photos: salvation army luckiness!