your friend...the bandit

i can't help it if it's true

2011-03-02T13:15:00.001-08:00

Before I forget, I wanted to share some of the things I got for my birthday and Christmas this past year. (Hard to believe that it's already March, is anyone else ding for it to be spring? I most certainly am, and cannot WAIT until warm weather creeps back into my life.)

I got a few more things besides this, but the best has to be this Anthroplogie lace dress I've been wanting forever, and these triple strap black ballet flats from Golden Ponies on etsy that I saw through Fieldguided (favorite blog. everything about this is appealing to me, and makes me want to specify my wardrobe/life to pastels and sailor stripes and cats. and really great bangs. which reminds you i forgot to show you my new hair. damn).

I still need an event for the dress, and I'm terrified of catching the lace on something whenever I even try it on, but the shoes have already gotten some action when the days are a bit less snowy. Pretty cool if you ask me.

I'm compiling a wishlist for spring, so expect to see something up here in the near future!

Begging you to sit for a portrait on the wall

2011-01-11T21:16:00.000-08:00

so here it is; i am twenty years old. i don't have much to say, other than i can't believe that it is snowing again and slowly but surely i'm getting sick of winter. so, so done with the whole thing.

i need a fresh start; i've told you this already. so, though it's terribly cliche, i'm cutting and dying my hair this week. nothing too drastic yet. i've wanted to go blonde for years but the colorist doesn't want to damage my hair, so i'm getting highlights. also, though i do love having ridiculously long hair (it's down to my waist now) it's heavy as hell. and completely unmanageable for a girl with no idea how to do anything with it. pity, since only a few years ago i was dying for long hair, but whatever, don't we always want what we don't have?

please excuse the terribly unflattering photo of me with dirty hair and no make up; it was my birthday so i was allowed to be a slob. funny, since i had a birthday dress and all that picked out. of course i ended up wearing my most comfortable thrifted flannel and jeans, stuffing my face at my grandmother's house. a completely acceptable way to celebrate turning 20, i say. i suppose that speaks volumes about the kind of person i really am, doesn't it?

speaking of which, i've started writing in a journal, something i haven't done since i was eight or ten or so. there's something about getting words out on page in ink that has always drawn me to writing, hence the scores of notebooks lying about my room. i have a thing for buying moleskine journals, because i become entranced by the idea of filling them with pages of writing and drawings, but then think that my work isn't good enough so they go unused, and instead i have tens of sticky notes tacked to my walls with ideas and half formed poetry, waiting to be good enough to grace those pages. i'm really an awful english major, haha.

wow, well if you stuck around to read all that, thanks! the dozen roses were a gift from my mom, it's a standing tradition that she gives me roses on my birthday, and i love it. that and having red velvet cake are the two things i can count on each and every birthday. flowers are just what i need to help scare away the awful, deadened feeling winter seems to bring with it. why couldn't i have been born in the summer?

i'll show off the rest of my loot later, when i can get around to photographing it during the daylight hours. can you believe i've been sleeping in until noon almost this whole break? and not going to bed until as late as 5:30 am, mind you. i'm all mixed up.

just a reminder to check out my tumblr on occasion, since that's where i post all that inspires me/ the moods i'm in. it's like a mini peek into my little world. terribly pink if you ask me, but i guess that's what i'm into nowadays. also, i tend to update that way more often than i should.

drink up baby, look at the stars

2011-01-07T17:48:00.000-08:00

i'll be keeping this brief as it's 3:30 am here and i'm probably going to sound like a fool if i try to write more than necessary, but i wanted to say happy new year (a week late, of course) and i hope all of your holidays were as warm and full of awesomeness as mine were.

i had a pretty great and simple christmas and then for new years went to new jersey and spent the weekend with one of my best friends from school; my first new years away from home, because i'm an adult! (snl reference? anyone? moving on...) and now, as i'm typing this, i'm realizing that i will be turning 20 in less than two days...something that both frightens me and, well, frightens me.

on one hand, i can't wait to finally be in my twenties and to see how this new decade of my life turns out, but then again i'm kind of terrified to leave my teenage years behind. i feel like the last few years flew by, and i never had chance to appreciate being 15 or 17 or whatever, and now it's gone! it scares the hell out of me how fast time goes.

ok, i better put the mini quarter life crisis away for now, as this 19 year old (holding on to that until the last minute, haha) should really get to sleep before 4 am at least once this week. responsible adult right here.

(ps sorry for the scary ghost that is me in the above photo, it's all i had that resembled and outfit post. for shame.)

next time maybe i'll show you some of the stuff i got for christmas/my birthday? shameless showing off of my possessions, that's what blogging is all about, right?

so much to tell you

2010-12-18T23:19:00.000-08:00

photo cred: searching hearts on flickr
has it really been an entire semester? i'm terrified with how fast time has flown by, and so sorry for not keeping up to date here! i have no real excuse, all thing considered, just plain busyness and lack of interesting things to say.
on that note, I think it's time to take this blog in a new direction. Seeing as I don't post as often as I like anyway due to lack of inspiration/photos/etc., i think i should stop trying to post for the sake of getting something up here. i'm going to try to be more deliberate with what i say and show you from now on; after all, i am an english major. incorporating something semi-intelligent into my ramblings is certainly a good thing, right?
also, i'd like to get back into photography, and by that i mean good old 35 mm film stuff. this also could end up making posts few and far between, but jesus it's been far too long since i've even held my camera, and that's a damn shame.
lastly, i think this space needs a facelift. anyone have any suggestions for a new header design? i'm thinking girly with masculine touches...and have no clue how to execute such a thing. but now that i'm off from school for a whole month (!) i'll certainly have enough time to figure it out.
so, if i don't see you, have a wonderful and happy holiday season! check my tumblr for updates and the things that have been keeping my brain alive while i studied for exams in the past few weeks; there are some gems up there that i think need to be printed out and pasted on my walls. new project? quite possibly.

a room of her own

2010-09-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Random rings that I've been wearing, from left: Octopus Me on etsy, forever 21, old American Eagle, estate sale. Below: new bowl and cup from Anthropologie and Starbucks, respectively. I figured that it's about time to show off my new digs, seeing as I'm finally all settled in and back into the swing of things. I had a clear plan in mind when I was getting ready to move in, and that really helped to streamline the process and helped me to get my space too look exactly how I wanted it to.

I knew that, although bigger than last year, my room was going to be relatively small. I also knew that I needed a comfortable living space, so I decided to loft my bed up high and bring in this vintage love seat from home. This has proven to be a great idea, because I'm much more comfortable working in my room now, and I actually utilize all the space that I am given.

As far as closet space goes, I didn't want to make the same mistake as last year of bringing too many clothes and getting frustrated with an imbalanced and overstuffed closet. So, along with a few new key pieces, I updated and simplified my wardrobe to only include those pieces that I knew could work week after week and still be able to change up. I'm working on forming a working wardrobe, and I think I'm much closer to that now.

I organized my desk so that I used the space efficiently, and as far as decorating my wall I took a whole bunch of photographs that I've saved to my pictures folder over the years and printed them out on heavy cream colored card stock. I used sticky tack to put them up, and voila! A cheap and completely unique wall space, which I'm pretty excited about. I think that my wall is my favorite part of the room, because every day I can look at photographs that inspire me artistically and stylistically. I'm really excited to get this year going!

credits: None of the photographs pictured on my wall are mine, they are from many different sources including Etsy, Sarah McNeil, Deerlings.blogspot.com, fashion editorials, and unknown sources. The Polaroids are a set of note cards from Urban Outfitters.

So, how do you decorate your space?

"but you are not even close / to being the field of cornflowers at dusk"

2010-08-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

Back to school in the morning. Finally got around to completely hand-making something this summer; behold my new floral tank top. I traced a thrifted tank onto an old sheet, sewed it up, and added that teeny pocket for good measure. Not in love with it, as this truly is my first solo pattern-less project, but it will do for now.
Also, wanted to document just how long my hair has gotten in the past few months, and this is after a good two inches were lopped off last week. I'm seriously considering chopping off another 8 inches and going blond, but I'm scared of what could happen if I don't get the right colorist...so we'll see.

Meet my new leather backpack, leather boots, and thrifted 90s beauty book as well as not thrifted copy of The Selby. I've discovered Goodwill to be thrifted-leather gold; that backpack is just what I've wanted for a long time, and to get moto boots, brown ankle boots, and pointy toed Dingo's in one go? Magical. Also, both that 90s thrifted book and the Selby are awesome, the former for featuring Christina Ricci and Kirsten Dunst as teens, and the latter for providing much needed inspiration for dorm decor. Which will most definitely be interesting this year, and I promise to share once I'm settled in.

farewell, summer

2010-08-17T10:06:00.001-07:00

To start, here are a few drawings I've made in the past week or so. Apologies for the awful lighting! My scanner refuses to scan anything too light or in a book, so I'm out of luck for a while.
I actually false-started this post a week ago, so ignore the date up top!

I'm popping in to let you know that I'm still around, but that my laptop (and hence all my photos and inspiration folders) is down for the count and refuses to let me access blogger and Google (but still works for everything else...which is really irritating). So, I hopped on my family's home computer and, though I'm lacking photographs besides these poorly lit shots of a few drawings I've made, I thought I'd share what I've been up to for the past few weeks. First of all, I got to go back to the Gathering of the Vibes music festival for a night, which was a totally different experience than it was last time around. There were way more dead heads, way more people on drugs (amusing and frightening, I have to say), and it was actually a lot more fun to be an observer of everything going on. Also, there was no mud, thank god! Other things I have been up to: hiking, swinging in the hammock, cooking good meals, painting my nails, drawing a ton,reading even more, buying new jeans, falling back in love with pastels (wrong time of year for that but whatever), going to my first ever pro football game (yeah Giants!), watching too many movies, etc. I've been kind of avoiding the whole going back to school thing, and I realized I have less than a week before I move in! That's crazy, and I'm not sure that I'm ready to get back into all that again. I guess I hate feeling trapped at a place, if anyone knows what I mean. So, with me going back soon I'm not sure I can promise a lot of updates for the next month or so until I'm settled, but I do have a lot planned, including an entire blog overhaul, so please stay tuned!

For now, take a glimpse at some of the people that really inspire me this week!

-Sarah McNeil
Her Etsy, her blog, her flickr...I love it all. Adding a print (or two or ten) to me Christmas wish list. I'm so ready to start a Christmas wish list!

-Blushing Ambition

Just started reading her stuff, and it's a bit different from what I usually follow but I like how clean and put together everything is. Also, I love her hair.

-Bree Dentice
Found her shop via Sarah McNeil, and I rally wish I could afford a necklace! Another thing to add to my wish list.

Also, go out and buy/borrow St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, by Karen Russel. I really enjoyed each of the stories, and finished the collection way too fast.

8 difficult questions...

2010-07-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

( photo via Rostbiff on flickr)

Sorry for the radio static, I've been having some computer issues (try whole computer virus takeover/crash, possible loss of all my photographs and everything I've written for the past four years...I am so bummed). I'm trying to figure out all the workings of the home computer, and thought I'd drop by and let you know why I've been quiet!

Since I don't have anything on this computer to share (although I have a ton of cool stuff I've thrifted recently to show you, plus a slew of outfits queued up) I thought I'd finally get around to answering the 8 difficult questions that Miss Madeline of Swellegant Ponderings tagged me with a few weeks back! Here goes...

1. What never fails to cheer you up?

If it's nice out, then I'll go sit outside on the lawn and read one of my favorite books, and if it's better to be indoors then I'll sit inside and catch up on my blog reading!

2. If you could live one day of your life over again what would it be?

That's a hard one...I guess I'd relive any day the summer after Sophomore year of high school; I was just discovering my friends then and it all seemed so wonderful to be a part of a group after staying shy for so long!

3. What do you like best about yourself?

I like that I don't feel the need to fill every silence, and that I'm a great listener (so I'm told). I can't understand why some people need to be entertained all the time! Take a breath and chill!

4. What would you change about yourself?

I'd like to be a bit more confident and outgoing, and a little less shy. Blessing and a curse, I suppose.

5. What have you enjoyed most about blogging?

Aside from all the wonderful people out there, and being able to connect with people continents away, /I really love to be able to look back at my life through the blog. It's a lot like a personal diary (although mine looks a lot more like a "this is what I bought today" list! Oh, well.)

6. Who or what is your ultimate source of inspiration?

That's tough... I guess I'd have to say that the use of fabric and texture in the 20s, the drape and fit of the 30s through the 50s, color and cut in the 60s, and free spirited-ness of the 70s all have influenced me at one point. As for a particular person, I think that Kirsten Dunst and Natalie Portman are the bees knees. Lula Magazine is also fantastic. And Nabokov's Lolita. And Atonement, both the book and the film. I cry every time.

7. If you could be anywhere in the world where would you be?

I would sacrifice all spending/ an arm and a leg for the chance to experience the french countryside in the flesh. That or Italy, especially where my grandparents came from.

8. Who would you invite to your ideal dinner party?

The women mentioned above, Sophia Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio circa Romeo and Juliet, all of my friends and whomever they choose to bring... and it would be fantastic.

Well, there you are! I also have to tag 8 bloggers,, so if they please, would The Girl in the Paper Dress, Belle Vintage, Buttons and Accordians, Maps and Fragments, Daisy Dayz, Papillon Vintage, Naked Tile, and A plus B in the Sea kindly pass it on!

I pinky swear that as soon as I get everything straightened out I will be back in business. Promise.

the sweetest thing

2010-07-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I let time escape me! While I spend my days dreaming up ideas and posts to share with you on this blog, I tend to forget to actually bring these posts into fruition! Shameful!

Well, here I am, alive and well. And I have an outfit post to share as well (though you must excuse the wet hair, I detest blow drying and always let it air dry.) I'm wearing vintage dead stock 70s clogs, old H&M belt, and I just bought this dress (which is much more pink in real life) from Forever 21, and have worn it consistently. New favorite dress! Now, if only I could whip up several more dresses like this, I'd be set! Speaking of sewing, I wanted to share the dress I made as a part of my senior project last year, in which I source vintage and thrifted materials and built a line of skirts as well as this single dress for me. It's also much more pink in real life, and shiny. The dress is really special because I worked on it with my Grandmother, who is the driving force behind my interest in dressmaking and sewing, as she was a dressmaker for Hattie Carnegie in New York before she was married! She is a really talented lady, and I'm proud to have her as a Grandmother. I really hope to make more dresses with her in the future, maybe more easy to wear pieces. This dress in particular is something I'd rather wear to a special occasion, so it hangs on my closet door waiting.
And finally, I wanted to show you the sweet cake stand type jar and base I thrifted a few weeks back, which now houses one of the little collections of things that make me happy in my room, including that amazing vintage beaded collar necklace I got at that funny little flea market I mentioned last post. Also pictured is the beautiful vintage 50s party dress I bought at that flea market, which I can hardly believe I was fortunate enough to find, and it fits! I think this dress is destined for the President's Ball (a glorified high school type gropefest) that my University hosts in September, although it may be a bit too...sophisticated...for such a thing. Well, I don't really care, as long as I get to wear this dress somewhere!

P.S. does the lighting and location of the dress shots do the objects justice? I was getting tired of the crazy colors photographing all my finds on grass gave me. I was hoping to set up an Etsy really, really soon, and lack space to photograph the goods. Hopefully this space will work!

the fourth of july

2010-07-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

How was your fourth of July? Mine consisted of waking up very late, driving to the fringe of New York state and going to a little church flea market (even though it was overpriced), finding a dress and a necklace that I can't stop staring at (!cannotwaittoshowyou!), and eating too much at my Grandmother's house, followed by some fireworks. But I totally forgot to take photographs. Oops. Overall, it was a pretty great holiday, and I don't even like the fourth of July all that much. Halloween is still my favorite.
The three blouses up top were thrifted on three separate occasions, as were the basket and vintage leather cowboy boots below. The striped tank is from the 60s, the middle blouse is probably 40s/50s, and the floral and dot tank is likely 90s. The basket is holding all my projects at the moment, and I can't believe I thrifted boots that fit me, especially after I was going to cave and buy some off Etsy for way more than I paid for these ($8, had to brag about that one).
As soon as I get batteries for my camera I'll post the dress and necklace I found at the flea yesterday, as well as my little DIY post (I haven't forgotten!) and another sweet dress I got when I went with my friend Anna and her sister on a thrifting adventure a couple of weeks ago. There's so much to tell you!

i wish that i could stay outside, and linger with the fireflies

2010-07-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

During my brother's last few days of school, I was able to persuade my mother to trade me a few things on my wishlist for a few days of my help, which entailed my undivided attention and editing skills on papers. After a few sleepless nights, my new things were shipped and sent! Thank you mom :)

As soon as the package from Urban Outfitters came (late! I was so mad!) I put on this dress and found a neighborhood barn to stand in front of. The dress is really nice, well made and a sweet light gray, but my only problem is that it's a little too short for me, and the arm holes are a bit large, which was mentioned in the reviews. I like it though, so I'll be keeping it! I also ordered these Jeffrey Campbell wooden heeled shoes (on sale for $60, half off regular price from ) which I've seen circulated around a few blogs, and I think these are my favorite shoes! (Besides my triple strap Chloe's, of course) As I've mentioned over and over again, I've been dying for a really high wooden platform, preferably vintage 70s, but I can never find any in my size or price range. These definitely did the trick! Now if I could only muster up enough courage to wear them in public...I definitely get some stares with these, and I'm not a person who likes to get noticed!

I also got this chambray romper and high waist swimsuit bottoms, both on sale at Urban. So great for summer!

Ok, got to run, it's time to take some of this stuff for a spin!

in which a lazy girl wants to start something new

2010-06-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling really tired lately, probably because of all the late nights I've been having. Now, before anyone starts to think I actually go out and stay up partying (ha!) it's because of late night TV and my younger brother's exam schedule )as I moonlight as his designated editor/paper correcter). Oh, the wild and crazy life of this American teenager...
Anyway, now that I'm feeling better, I thought I might as well start up a weekly posting thing, much like other bloggers have, in order to stick to a better blogging schedule. I feel that if I don't set a due date for myself, then I tend to let time get away from me, and I don't want to spend my whole summer without posting!
So, since I really wanted to create as much as possible during break, I thought I'd start up a weekly DIY post. Also, I have a feeling that these shoes are high on the list of things I want to create; who's up for DIY dyed sneakers? Someone find me that purple, please!

photo cred; SWNKDLLR

this lady and her knits! how freaking amazing would it be to make something like these!? I just discovered her blog and literally went through the archive, and found these shoes, which she hand dyed, and inspired me to try it out. I'll let you know how it goes!

(oh, and I'm so lazy that I haven't gotten around to putting batteries in my camera and photographing my recent finds, but I pinky swear I will this weekend!)

take the tracks of time

2010-06-19T22:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the silence, I've been a little bit caught up in end of the year festivities for my younger brother and haven't had much time to do much of interest! I did manage to pick up a summer read (and also managed to get through 3/4 of it by the time I got home from the bookstore) and I set up a hammock and actually spent an evening sitting in it, reading. Making progress on my summer '10 wishlist. So for now, at least until I get around to photographing some new things and some outfits, I thought I'd share some beautiful things bouncing around in my mind lately. This photo is from my new favorite blog. I'm such a sucker for each and every dreamy, beautiful photo I come across, and this seems to be the mother load. source: the hymn for the cigarettes.

I have a sadly persistent and unattainable daydream in which I fix up my aunt's old VW bus (impossible, as it is so rotten) and just drive across the country. It's a nice dream, though. This dress, from Allen Company vintage on Etsy, have me obsessed and started a frenzied search for off the shoulder Mexican dresses. So far nothing compares, and of course this dress is far too small for me to ever fit. Sadness! I also became obsessed with white crochet or lace dresses because of The Snail and the Cyclops. Wouldn't it be nice to look this put together, even in the heat? I love this photo, found off the Urban Outfitter's blog/flickr set, and really, really wish my hair would stay put like that. It's super long now, about to the small of my back, but impossibly thick and heavy. And refuses to hold anthing more than a braid. So it's not so great for piling on top of my head, and it barely stays put in a ponytail! Blessing and a curse, I suppose. Source: here.

I have a lot to share, I've been busy making and sewing (!) and buying and dreaming and reading and such. There's never enough time in a day!

sweet disposition

2010-06-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I took a short trip to the next town over to see if I could snag anything cool from the local church fair. Unfortunately, I got there just as it was closing, but I managed to take a few halfway decent outfit shots outside one of the many historic buildings. I'm lucky to live in an area rich in history and old, old buildings, and I hope to take advantage of that for my outfit shots in the coming months!

I'm wearing the dark rinse overalls and white peter pan collared blouse from my last post, leather belt from h&m, thrifted vintage coach bag, and old flats from J Crew. I hopped out of bed and threw this on to beat the humidity, and it worked fairly well. I'm on the lookout for long ones in a dark rinse, or maybe even white. I'd roll the hems and wear them all fall.

I also got to thrift a bit before picking my brother up from school on Friday, and here's all my finds!
A vintage dish drying rack which I'm converting into a basket for the back of my bike; it's perfect for holding books from the library, and thrift store shopping bags!

My first copy of The Little Prince; can you believe I've never read this book before? I sat in the car and read it through in one go. So pretty and sad, this might just be my favorite story yet. (the illustrations get me too)

This is one of my favorite finds yet. A tooled leather bag, with roses stamped into the leather. Also, I love that shade of leather, it reminds me of the natural colored Swedish Hasbeens.

A plain silk tank top in a neutral color, for tucking into jean shorts when it's too hot to think. I might just collect these.

Another (I know, I know, but I'm a sucker for all things soft and comfortable) plaid flannel, this time in blue.

Another piece that I can see becoming a warm weather staple; a perfect vintage blouse, airy and light, and the blue stitching kills me. I need more blue in my life.
Sorry for the funny faces, for some reason I can't keep a straight face when I'm being photographed! Let's hope the good weather is here to stay, because I also finally put up a hammock, and I plan on using it to loung about (as if I don't do enough of that already). Till next time :)

back to basics

2010-06-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a look at some of the stuff I've been finding lately at the thrift store/estate sales/flea market; pretty sweet if you ask me!
Two mini bottles of Chanel N5 and Chloe Narcisse. Personally I've always thought Chanel N5 smelled awful, but the bottle sure is pretty.

I got myself some dark rinse overalls, a nice buffalo plaid flannel, and crazy ass Levi's daisy dukes. The shorts are not for me by a long shot, but are perfectly worn in and frayed.

I got this wonky 80s belt and funny black purse at the same place; normally I hate gold but with black I suppose I can stand it. I also got these leather men's brogues at salvation army for free, because the shoes are a mismatched pair! It's hard to tell so I got them anyways, and they are super comfortable and broken in.
These four white blouses are pretty and clean, exactly what I want for summer. The first is from the 40s or 50s and is handmade, a really awesome find! I just about cried when I put it on and the bust was too tight; I've been searching for a simple sailor blouse for ages! The next two shirts fit me, thank goodness; one is linen and the other a soft Swiss dot cotton. I've already worn the peter-pan collared one, and actually took some outfit shots so hopefully you'll see that next time! The last is crochet, I guess from the 60s/70s. It's funny because I turned to my mom and mentioned that I was looking for crochet dresses, and there this was! Pretty lucky I guess.

These last four dresses I'm exciting to have found; they are so beautiful! The first is a formal dress from the 50s/60s, I wish so bad it fit me! The second is a 60s dress, likely hand made, and it reminds me so much of this Lover dress, with the high neck and longer sleeves, that I grabbed it right away. It fits everywhere but the arms, does anyone out there know how to re size arm holes!? Help would be appreciated! The last two are from the 70s, and they pretty much speak for themselves.
I have been planning for something special for you guys, and I can't wait to let you know about it! Next time I have some more finds to show off, and an outfit post (a commodity around here, haha)

paper dress

2010-05-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

So far this week I've gotten quite a bit done, mainly cleaning up my room, doing laundry, and trying my hand at drawing a bit. I got the idea for this when I was falling asleep one night, and, although my scanner doesn't do it much justice, it looks pretty cool in real life. I think I'm going to put it in a weathered white frame and hang it on my wall. It maes me want to try painting more!
Oh, and though I can hardly afford it at the moment, Madewell has opened their online store! Now I can fantasy-shop, one of favorite things to do nowadays. Seriously, my wish lists at Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie are miles long...
Expect to see some cool finds next post, I got lucky last time I went thrifting!

a sorta filler post: the week in purchases

2010-05-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

I have gotten around to a few of the things on my summer '10 bucket list already, mainly picnicking and getting outside a bit more, but not without my SPF 70-there's nothing more important than taking care of your skin! As a half Italian half Irish/Dutch mix, I think very little of the Italian ability to darken in the sun came through for me; I stand out in my family as the pale child who burns, while my little brother can tan in ten minutes. I'm pretty sure my paleness adds to the effect of me looking about 16 years old, as at least 5 people asked my younger brother if I was his little sister this past week, but it sure as hell beats looking like the leather bag that half the girls my age already do! It also helps that I don't drink or smoke at all, of course. Plus, I'm at much lower risk for cancer, a damn god reason in my book to avoid all that nonsense. Alright, rant over, haha. Finally just caved and bought the CD of She & Him Volume 2. I wanted the record, but decided it wasn't a portable-enough option. I ripped the songs onto my iPod and popped the CD into my mom's car. Yay for technology.

As I'm always on the lookout for cool stuff, I managed to add to my silver-ring collection today when my mom and I trawled the local tag/estate sales and flea market. I've added these three pretty little things to my collection, two vintage sterling silver rings from Mexico and a handmade moon stone and silver ring. I still have my eye on a vintage silver armor ring for next time!Sometime in the past week I went over to the thrift store for a bit, searching for a few particulars like a silk button down to tuck into high waist denim shorts, dark rinse farmer jeans, some plain rompers for the hot days, striped shirts, a medium brimmed straw hat, and leather shoes, and managed to find a few off this list. I'm still on the lookout for perfect essentials for my closet, and am planning to pare down my wardrobe this summer to some well tailored, easy basics. Plus, I really want to start making things from scratch again! I miss my sewing machine, poor thing has been neglected all winter!

I'm not sure if I could ever pull off this ruffled pink shirt, but the details kill me and remind me of the movie 3 Women. I think it's from the 70s, but may be from earlier? It would look fantastic tucked into a high waist a-line denim skirt (in my opinion). I also picked up this pretty floral rose print fabric, and I'm not sure if I want to make a dress, skirt, or shorts out of it yet! Any suggestions? In addition to all this I bought a wee little bottle of old old Chanel N 5 and Narcisse by Chloe. They probably smell awful after sitting all these years in someone's attic, but the bottles are adorable.

Tonight I plan on going to bed pretty early (and by that I mean before 2 am kevery other night this past week-yikes!) I'm beat after all the tag-saleing today! I also want to try to post more outfit-shots of me in the future, as I have been pretty good about dressing civil now that I'm done with school and have time to organise outfits. I guess I just have to get used to being in front of the camera instead of behind it!

Oh, and I have an addendum for my to-do list: plant something and let it grow! I'm thinking watermelon-even though I can't eat them without having half my face blow up with allergies. They just look so pretty!

all that glitters

2010-05-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Some things that are making me happy this week: the frankie photo album and star glitter from my 18th birthday that I keep in a vintage sugar bowl, recent thrift finds, the built by wendy dresses book I plan to utilize in the coming weeks, and unique and beautiful silver rings. I'm starting a collection of silver rings, seeing as I already wear three or four everyday I want to expand my collection, and the other day I stopped at an estate sale and picked up this beautiful silver filigree ring and another silver one with elephants. I'm on the hunt for them!
I've been out for summer break for two days, and so far I have:

-gone for a ride on my bike

-eaten far too many sweets

-seen some old friends

-slept in far too long

-lay out on the lawn in the sun

-rearranged my closet

-gone to the movies with my family

-watched an unacceptable amount of CSI, Law and Order, and Ghost Whisperer

-caught up on all my blog reading

-eaten Popsicles

What else is there for me to do? Well, I suppose I have a sort of bucket-list for summer '10. I'd love to:

-bike a lot more

-stay outside instead of sitting inside all day

-go swimming, in pools and lakes if I can find the courage!

-have a few ( or a lot) more picnics

-learn to cook

-take more photographs ( I miss photography so much it hurts)

-sew some more

-go fishing and catch frogs like I used to when I was little

-write and read more

-take more day trips to places I haven't been

-put up a hammock-and use it!

-go to more outdoor concerts

-get up early

-learn to drive

-thrift a ton

-attend (and host) more bonfires and parties

-go camping

-try to live a little, because sometimes I get way too uptight
Most of these things apply to life in general, but it would be fantastic to accomplish of of them this year! Expect to hear more from me from now on; I'm back in action!

follow me

2010-05-12T14:12:00.000-07:00

Popping in to let you know I'm alive-and that I've made a tumblr! Follow me here. Expect to see lots of 70s shoes, pretty girls in pretty clothes, dream home inspiration, and quite a few vintage dresses that got away. Oh, and a lot less text (yay!). I'll save the small talk for this old thing.

I plan on posting at least once a day, but I still have one more final exam and a final project to get through until I am free at last! Here's a sneak preview; just one pair of my dream shoes.

Until then :)

leather and jean

2010-05-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Pardon the headless oompa loompa in a denim on denim ensemble below: I went a little nuts with the editing and couldn't fix the photo, and my face sans makeup plus tang-colored sheen was a little too much for the permanence of the Internet.

I thrifted myself some high waist jean shorts the other day, and wanted to try the jean suit thing out for size. I don't have the confidence to wear this outside of my room, but it was cool to try out.

I also got some more jean items this week; two more super soft shirts, a pair of Levi's shorts that I'll likely cut since they're at an odd length, and some overalls. I haven't worn overalls since the fourth grade, but just decided to try them out for the hot weather days. Why not for $4.

I also found these vintage 70s leather clogs and a pair of leather cut-out flats in my size. Sadly, the clogs are way too small for my monster feet, but I bought them anyway; too cool to pass up.

And finally, I found a pair of dead stock vintage 70s clogs in my size on eBay!!! They're pristine and perfect, and remind me of the Alexa Chung for Madewell ones with their little tassels on the tops. I have to start wearing these around; they are too cute to sit in my closet year round. I suppose finding these makes up for the too-small clogs I thrifted :)

fun finds

2010-05-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

Just half of the cool stuff I've thrifted over the past two weeks. A 50s/60s sleeveless shirtwaist dress, a 60s/70s nightgown, a 60s swimsuit/romper, and a late 50s/60s formal juniors dress. So sad that last one is so small; it's the perfect spring dress!
Up next: leather and denim. I'm much less of a cowboy than I seem, haha :)

see, the life i've had can make a good man bad

2010-04-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

Like a kid on Christmas morning, as soon as I woke up this past Thursday I had one thing in mind; Lula issue 10! Considering my infatuation with this publication, I'm surprised I haven't gone searching earlier, as I knew that it came out about a month ago (at least overseas). I guess it's for the best, because when I finally did make it to my Border's bookstore and ran over to the "foreign magazine" rack, there it was waiting for me! No disappointed waiting this time around!
My copy has Lime Chiffon on the cover; I wouldn't have minded Strawberry Shortcake herself, but this girl is pretty as well.
This issue doesn't have quite as many articles/photographs that appeal to me as the past few have, but I did appreciate the bit about Shelley Duval, my eyelash envy crush (second to that of my friend Jen, who has to best eyelashes even without eye makeup) and there were plenty of interesting articles in there that kept me entertained all day. I could hardly believe, when I went to stack my copy in with my past copies, that this is the sixth issue of Lula I have read; three whole years have gone by since I first picked up a copy and fell in love!
Happy fifth birthday, Lula! <3

As if getting my coveted copy of Lula wasn't great enough, I also managed to drag my poor mother out to the Salvation Army today, and found some really fantastic stuff to add to my wardrobe.

First up, a vintage Sears red gingham shirt. I love this color gingham, especially with rolled up indigo blue jeans. Summer, are you here yet?

Next up is this 50s/60s shirtwaist dress in a nice goldenrod color. It's usually hard to find this style and time period dress in good condition at my salvation army, but I must have been on a lucky streak today. Look at that collar, it's pretty awesome!

Next, keeping with my spring coat hunting, I grabbed this nearly pristine military style fishing jacket. This isn't vintage, but I was in the market for a military style jacket, and was going to cave and buy this one from J Crew, but I feel like the $10 price tag on this jacket beats the hell out of the $158 one on that. Plus it's the perfect color green, and has great little details, like tough little zippers and pockets, and plaid trim around the inside seaming.

Last but not least, I finally found a nice little jean jacket to go with summery dresses and skirts! I've been searching for just the right fit and wash jacket for what seems like years, and today I thought to look in the kid's section and there it was among bedazzled coats and teeny little dresses. Bonus: it's vintage 70s/80s, and fits like a glove. I think my closet is completed as far as spring jackets are concerned! (Now all I need are the perfect vintage leather platform clogs and I'll be golden!)

This might be the last post for a while; less than a month left of classes and my freshman year of college is over! Holy crap! Needless to say, this is crunch time, and I'm booked up to my ears in classes/work/sports until after May 15. Wish me luck, hopefully be talking to you sooner rather than later!

blue jean baby

2010-04-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

How's this for keeping up with the blog? Three posts in the last week! Ha!
Well, as you may have noticed, blue is currently my favorite color, and as i mentioned in my last post, I've found a new appreciation for denim. So this post is dedicated to the blue things I found last time I went to salvation army with my mom.

First up is this awesome vintage 60s(?) trench/rain coat made by Misty Harbor, "a division of Jonathan Logan," that is perfect for spring. As soon as I fished this out from between sketchy flasher-trenches and some really odd, over-priced fur coats I instantly thought of Rhiannon, who has been talking about finding the perfect spring trench for ages now. I think I have found mine! It has contrast top stitching, is the perfect length, and has the cutest buttons and pockets without looking too contrived. Plus I was in serious need of a raincoat with all the rain we've been getting lately.
Next up is two button downs; I've been practically living in the lower one for the past few weeks. I've been on the lookout for chambray shirts for the past few months, and luckily I've found two that are perfect! The top one fits closer to the body and is good for tucking into high waisted jeans/skirts, and the bottom one is incredibly soft and easy and looks pretty wild my my great-aunt's vintage sequined vest. I'm loving these right now!

I grabbed this denim dress the other day at salvation army, and fell in love with the collar. Doesn't it look familiar? I swear I've seen another dress with the same exact collar in some spring collection, but I have no idea where. I cut it shorter as it was awkwardly ankle length, maybe a little too short because now I can't hem it (oops), but I'm crossing mt fingers that the edge won't fray!

And lastly I wanted to show off my (growing) 70s jean collection! I have six pairs now, five of which were thrifted and one bought off of eBay (from Australia, no less!). The only pair that fits me is the ebayed pair, but I'm thinking of selling the rest...that is, if anyone actually reads this and would be interested in owning 70s high waisted denim! Anyone out there? Hello?

Oh, and before I forget, my first post was this time last year, right after Easter! How weird is that? A whole year has gone by! I can hardly believe, when I look back on the past twelve months, how much I have changed. I feel like I'm a bit more mature, and my tastes have definitely changed, but what do you think? Am I totally the same? Totally different? Let me know what you'd want to see more/less of! (less text probably, haha)

'til next time :)

i want your style

2010-03-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Damn ,I want everything she's got!
chambray shirt: check
high waist perfectly belted trousers: check
sweet combo of socks and tall ass clog/sandals: check check check

some girls have all the luck...
(photo cred The Sartorialist via Lulu Letty)

wishes

2010-03-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

I'm alive! Ha! Weeks literally fly by when you are incredibly busy and living for the weekends-I think I'm in serious need of a real break. We were off for spring break a few weeks ago but I ended up going to sunny Florida for a training trip for rowing. This was not exactly a relaxing vacation; we were up at 6 every morning and trained twice a day, about 6 hours every day. Crazy! But also an incredibly fun and interesting experience.

In the meantime, I've been running ragged catching up on work, getting up too early and going to bed too late, and just trying to find time to chill out! I have hardly even thrifted once in the past month, never mind having time to dress decently! I literally live i the same gross sports clothes all week-except for Thursdays, my only day to wear normal clothes. I shouldn't be complaining, at least I am doing what I want to be doing, but I miss having my old life a bit.

OK, end rant, now that spring has arrived (YAY!) I've been thinking a lot about what I want to be wearing come real warm weather and no more threats of snow. Hence, I've made a compilation of wants/needs for the season, some real and some imaginary. Check it!

*high waist jeans in black from American Apparel, no matter what season I always wear pants, and I've been wondering if I could pull off these high waisted ones or not. I'm weirdly disproportionate from top to bottom, but I really do love the way high waisted pants look. I want to try these on in store before committing anyway

*chambray and jeans in general. I thrifted an awesome men's over sized chambray shirt a few weeks ago and brought it to Florida, wearing it on the beach as a cover up and with shorts as a comfy alternative to sweatshirts that always seem to be in heavy rotation. Such a great fabric! I also recently bought some 70's high waist jeans (shipped all the way from austrailia!) and I want to try wearing them around, and I'm also intrigued by the denim-on-denim look (not, however, the way my father rocks it. I mean like how Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie in The Runaways rocks it in one scene; totally killed it with some of her wardrobe! MAkes me love the 70's so much more).

*very high platform sandals. I really like the Swedish Hasbeens that everyone seems to be talking about lately, but they are a bit outside of my budget. I'm also craving a higher platform, and have scoured the Internet with no luck searching for genuine 70s platforms. I'll keep trying though!

*handmade, light and airy dresses. I need the simplicity of a dress when I'm rushed to class/work/dinner, and cannot wait until I don't need any thought of tights! I recently purchased the Built by Wendy Dresses sewing book, and after I'm done with school I want to tackle at least one of the projects. Warmer weather come soon!

*high waisted swimsuits. I'm a big fan f vintage-styled swimsuits, and this one from urban outfitters/anthropologie is beautiful, but I would totally settle for this or this, from urban outfitters and hayden-harnett. I really wan tot try a high-waisted swimsit out this year!

it began between bookshelves

2010-02-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

I know I am terribly behind with updates, and I have a whole bunch of things to share about what I've been doing and getting and seeing, but I wanted to share wit you something I made from a while back, in December in fact, for my English final project. We were assigned a 7-8 page paper on anything we wanted to write about, either a creative piece or an essay, on the themes for the semester. I chose to write a story, and I bound it up in a little book and drew in illustrations to go with it. I was pretty pleased with how it came out, although the writing wasn't necessarily my best, and I thought you might want to take a look? Sorry the scans are shoddy, I didn't want to unsew the binding and lazily scanned it in. hopefully I'll get around to scanning the text in too, just to see what you think!

(p.s. I hand-stitched some of the details, like the stars in the cover, the hearts on the tights, and the girl's tears. Oh, and I borrowed the names Hannah and Landon because I love them so much! The story isn't a very happy one though, so I don't think it has much to do with with either of them)

has it really been this long?

2010-02-21T18:06:00.001-08:00

I really need to get myself in gear and remember to post; I was entirely unaware that it has been an entire month since I last let you all know I am alive and well! Can you believe it? I made a promise to update more and I keep taking these extended breaks...I need to get myself together here!
Forgive me for the long silence, I just seem to forget that time flies so quickly! I have lots of new and exciting things to share over here, tons of thrifting and little trips and films I saw and future plans I made, but right now I actually have to get my ass in gear and write some reports for work that I have put off for nearly two weeks (!!!). You see, I am just a terrible procrastinator, someone should really yell at me daily to make sure I get everything done that needs to be.
I will make a tentative promise that I will post a large collection of the finds of the past month come next weekend, but if I don't then I guess yell at me? Send me hate mail? Wait a bit more?
I don't ask too much, do I? ;)

don't think twice, it's alright

2010-01-20T16:14:00.000-08:00

OK, so I guess spring is sort of getting into my head. All I've been thinking of is blues and whites and light gray, although It's frigid out in dear old Connecticut. I think I've been influenced most by the sweetest little look books that come out about this time of year, and I'm not complaining! I was able to sneak a mini day trip to Manhattan on Friday with my mom, and I think I can safely say that I can find my way around now, with little use of a map! Very exciting, haha. Well I dragged her to two stores, Anthropologie and Urban outfitters, with the intention of hunting down that blue dress in the above photograph and a pair of flats, and managed to limit myself to getting only 4 things, 3 of which were on super sale ( and no, they didn't have what I wanted in store, darn). Savvy shopper right here. Although I managed to get two impractical summery blouses (including that Pins and Needles one above, at a discount too, from Urban; so adorable and soft). I got home and ordered the dress online since it's been in my head for weeks; I'm a sucker for a sweet back detail. If it's as nice in real life I think I'll just live in it for the rest of the semester! I also have another two blouses that I got today at Anthropologie near my school; I got a 15% off coupon and wanted to get something special for my birthday. I'll show those off in a separate post though; they deserve their own spotlight!
Off to do some homework...I hate being in school, haha

i heart grandpa sweaters

2010-01-14T22:02:00.000-08:00

There are few things out there that make me as happy as finding an awesomely warm, comfy sweater. So finding six of them for just $25? I was ecstatic!
So guess who will be warm and toasty for the remainder of the winter? Check it :)

Thank you, thrifting god! Not only did I score all these for way under the price I would pay for even one sweater at Anthropologie, but I also found a vintage hat thingy with a fur bow; too cute!

While I'm at it, I might as well show off some of my birthday loot (shameless, I know, but it's all too good not to share!) Oh, and I'll stop saying sweaters now, lol.

Quirky rings ftw! I'm really into interesting silver jewellery at the moment, and these were just what I was looking for.

And I added to my growing perfume collection. Rollerball Daisy! Lola! And I just discovered Stella Nude, which smells really great too :)

I go back to school on Monday, can you believe it? A whole month has gone by! Jeez! Until next time :)

take me out tonight, because i want to see people and i want to see life

2010-01-12T20:26:00.000-08:00

I guess it's shameful that this will be my first post of 2010, two weeks after the fact, but I promise that I wanted to post! I've just been in a bit of a funk lately. I'm still trying to get used to the whole not living at home thing, and it's difficult, but I know I'll get over it eventually.

OK, well while I was being a neglectful blogger my birthday, January 10th, rolled around and I turned 19! This is another thing that totally blows my mind; I can't believe I'm in the last year of being a teenager, it's too weird!

I had a little party and though I'd share it with you. I had so much fun baking red velvet cupcakes, blowing bubbles, playing vintage dress up ( and finally getting to see some of my vintage pieces in action on my friends), and finally sitting down and catching up with everyone. We ate too much food and just chilled, and I hope to do it again soon; it was far too long since we all hung out like that! Here's an awful photograph of my birthday dress. I got it for Christmas off of Etsy; it's a vintage pink 50s dress with pin tuck detailing and a tuxedo-like front and a pleated skirt. It's too cute hanging on my wall.

So it was a great day, and I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday than with friends :)

(Oh, and I got Lola by Marc Jacobs and the tentacle ring! Thank you so much Mom and Dad!)

my fingertips are holding onto the cracks in our foundations

2009-12-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

Hello and happy (belated) holidays! I am probably the worst blogger in the history of man; all the time I've been off so far has consisted of me sleeping in too late, getting too much coffee, and

generally avoiding posting because I wanted to put up something decent before the end of the year! Idiotic, I know, so here I am, with a crappy little self portrait I drew last night at 1 am, just because I was bored, haha.

So, if anybody is still out there, did you get everything you wanted for the holiday? I did pretty well, but I nearly cried when the boots from anthropologie came out of their pretty white box and refused to go on my not so pretty giantess's feet...I warn you to order a size up if anyone was intending on getting them! I think they are marked a 40, which is a 9 (I think) but the store says that is a ten...which means I can't even exchange them for a bigger size because they don't come bigger...bahh it makes me so mad, they were perfect! Someone please cut off my toes so I can wear them? Yes? No? Alright I'll just exchange them for something nearly as awesome...bah.

OK, I won't make any promises that I can't swear by, but I am pretty sure that I'll be better at this whole blogging thing in the new year! Look, a resolution that I can keep!

If I don't see you, happy end-of-the-first-decade that I can actually remember (I was too young to truly remember the nineties, haha). And I'll be turning 19 on January 10, can you believe it? The end of my teenage years is a year and three days away...that's so depressing!

p.s. I got some much needed itunes giftcards and last night at around 3 am I bought myself the 500 Days of Summer soundtrack-go out and do it too, it's awesome! And that isn't even the sleep deprived crazy girl talking, just listen to it, it's great :)

UPDATE: here's another drawing I made the other night, this time of my friend jen, who is my most stylish, world-traveling, cool friend :)

style like you

2009-12-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

Ok, real quick post here, but how cute is this chick?

I can't figure out if she is endlessly cool or endlessly annoying...but I really like some of the stuff she has to say.

Like the whole repeat outfits thing, and the comparison between new york shopping vs. paris shopping, pretty damn accurate!

P.S. exams start this Saturday for me, wish me luck!

(photograph borrowed/stolen from stylelikeyou.com, it is not in any way, shape, or form mine! don't sue me!)

be my baby

2009-12-06T07:42:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the hiatus; it's been a busy past few weeks, and with finals coming up and last minute holiday preparations I can't see the end of the craziness anytime soon!

I pinky swear I'll be back to posting regularly as soon as I'm on break, so if any one's out there hold on for me for another twelve days? Please and thank you!

For now I'll leave you with a little (okay, huge) holiday/birthday wish list (some of it is just wishful thinking on my part, but dreaming is free, right? haha). I can't believe how fast time has gone by!!1) a leather backpack, preferably vintage. I've been on the hunt for one forever, but I think I'm just too picky about the size and style and way too wish full about the price! This one's from here; it isn't exactly what I had in mind but it's pretty close. 2) A pretty vintage blue dress. Ever since Rhiannon did a post a while back about her search for the perfect vintage blue dress, and since I saw 500 days of Summer and fell in love with the idea of an all blue wardrobe, I have been dying for a sweet blue dress! Can't you just see one like this with black tights and heeled black oxfords? Or leather boots and a thick long sweater? So many possibilities; a dress like this is the holy grail of dresses!3) An octopus ring from here. I already have a pair of earrings from this site that my mom gave me for my 18th birthday, but I've been wearing a lot of rings lately and an octopus tentacle ring would be a perfect additions to my collection of quirky silver jewelry. 4) These boots from Anthropologie are the epitome of cool in my book. The heel is sturdy, the craftsmanship is flawless, and I could totally go for a strong boot for the winter. Too bad the price tag is a bit steep, but here's to hoping! 5) Some albums for my collection! I've been pining away for Johnny Cash, Elvis, Elton John, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones all Autumn, so having the vinyl counterparts would be pretty spectacular. Youtube just doesn't so the music justice.

6) Lola by Marc perfume. It smells wonderful!

7) Benefit's Posie tint. Such a great color for the lips!

Alright, so that's pretty much the extent of my wish list. All together it could be the perfect outfit; vintage blue dress, leather backpack, and chunky heeled boots, posie tint as the only makeup and lola perfume on my wrists, a cool ring and listening to my favorite albums!Perfection! I also want a few good books, some DVDs, and anything high waisted, light blue, cranberry red, knit and wool. Oh, and some black oxford flats. Although I wouldn't mind an all expenses paid trip to Paris, or a shopping spree for Lover, Lyell, and Chloe! Please? Haha, happy holidays everyone!

doctor doctor!

2009-11-17T12:10:00.000-08:00

This weekend I was able to make it out to my favorite vintage store, and I found this amazing vintage Doctor's bag, just waiting there for me! I have had Doctor bags on the brain lately, as I let a really cool one go back in May (stupid me...haha), sot was pretty amazing that this happened to be in the store! I wasn't going to get it at first because it was $45 and I'm a bit short on cash, but my mom gave it to me the other night as an early Christmas present, and I couldn't be any more excited :)

I can see this working really well as my new winter bag. It's perfectly worn in black leather that holds its shape, and since it's so huge it can hold my hat, gloves, scarf, and an entire tissue box! lol

Thank you mom for the awesome early gift <3

I feel so professional with it. Someone get me a stethoscope and some band aids! Haha!

black and blues

2009-11-15T16:09:00.000-08:00

So here is the dress I wore to the sweet sixteen last weekend! (Gosh, that was only a week ago! It feels like ages!)
I initially fell in love with it a few weeks ago, but it was a bit pricey so I left it and mulled over whether or not it was worth the cash (damn Anthropolgie, making such beautiful expensive clothes!). But then I got my first few paychecks burning a hole in my pocket, and knew that I wanted to spend them on something special ;) I'm slowly building up a collection of their beautiful dresses, and I'm pretty ecstatic, to say the least!
I love how it is unconventionally blue and black, and with the velvet bustier it's magical! The tulle is stiff enough to hold shape too, which is exactly how I like it. The only downfall with this dress is that it runs pretty big; I should have gone down a size because it fell down a few times over the course of the night. I wore my polka dot J Crew tights as I said before, and had my hair up for conveniences' sake. Next time I wear it I'd try doing my hair the right way; a strapless dress deserves long hair worn down! I felt very Karen Elson ish, which is always a good thing!
I also wanted to say that I'm sorry for being such a deadbeat blogger as of late; but I promise good things are to come, including Christmas (or Hanukkah, or whatever) wish lists and maybe something a bit more eloquent that I have had in the works for a while. We shall see...

whirlwind

2009-11-11T14:02:00.001-08:00

My slacker ways are becoming a bit too much; I really need to establish a schedule for blogging so I don't lose the five people who read this (counting family members, lol).

So I've been busy busy these past few weeks, getting my spring schedule set for school, finishing up fall rowing and starting winter conditioning, hanging out with the family on weekends (I'm a terrible college kid, all I want to do is stay home and watch TV with my little brother!). And going to as many high school football games as possible! I feel like I missed out on that part of high school, so I've been catching up on all the crazy sports fueled Friday nights that I can :)

I also went to my little cousin's super sweet sixteen party last Saturday, and I forgot to charge my camera (stupid me) so we had to use a disposable...which I have yet to get developed! It was at this fancy restaurant on Coney Island, NY, and I was channeling the latest Lula in my outfit choice. I got this bustier black velvet and dark blue tulle dress from Anthropologie, and I wore my J Crew polka dot tights so I didn't freeze! If only I had Karen Elson's beautiful red hair :)

I was so tired that night from getting up to row at 4:30, so I don't even remember most of what we did, but I know I had some fun. So: pictures, if they came out, will be up here shortly! Whew!

you promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, now you just say oh romeo, yeah i used to have a scene with him

2009-11-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween! Mine was fun, although the day was way longer than I would have liked. I had to get up at 4:45 to go to my rowing race, and then I didn't end up going to bed until 2 am. That's a 22 hour day!

Oh well, I had fun though, trick or treated for a bit and stopped at a friend's house, then went to the grandparents to show them our costumes, haha. Not very eventful, but pretty decent :)

My stupid camera died before I could take any good, nerdy blogger photos pf my costume, so you'll have to bear with me in the awkwardness of some of these! Maybe I'll do a re shoot when I have more time! Some kind of re creation of the film stills, perhaps?

If only I had the young Leonardo DiCaprio for that ;)

So, how did I do? Pretty good recreation of the character, no? I have on that 50's nightgown from a few months back and the hot topic wings; not a perfect rendition but I worked with what I had.

Can't wait to see some of your costumes!

lyell is my love

2009-10-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

I got a package in the mail the other day from Urban Outfitters, and I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was! I opened it up and found this amazing Fletcher by Lyell silk romper; I completely forgot I asked my mom to order it for me as soon as it went on sale! I got it for something crazy like $15; such a super deal!
I showed it to my grandmother and she said that it was of really good quality, and the fabric reminded her of something she had way back in her day! She also told me that it was something that a girl would wear with a matching skirt, and to keep my out for for one online, and sure enough U.O. has a skirt and the romper together on one of their models! My Grandma is such a smart woman :)
So yes, it's safe to say that I officially love Lyell, and I can't wait for more of their Fletcher stuff to go on sale at Urban! (because my teeny tiny paychecks simply won't cover an actual Lyell addiction!)

p.s. The silk is nothing like what I thought it would be; it's actually really substantial and gorgeous! Do check it out if you get the chance!

juliet, the dice was loaded from the start

2009-10-24T12:53:00.001-07:00

Oh, two posts in a day! I almost forgot to show you what I plan to be for Halloween; Juliet from Baz Luhrmann's "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet"!

If you haven't seen this yet, please do so! I know a lot of people didn't like it, but I thought it was beautiful and really original, and the musical score that went with it was pretty great as well. I absolutely loved the ball scene where Juliet is wearing that angel costume, so that's the scene I'm going to try to recreate. I know that 99% of the girls at my school are going to be dressed really sexy or slutty, but I'm sick of that to tell you the truth. It seems like being a whore for Halloween has become every females' prerogative, and i think that's really messed up and sad. It ruins the fun when you are dressed up like a pirate hooker and can sincerely say that there are at least 25 other pirate hookers hanging out with you, and 50 or so more hooker type costumes within sight. Halloween is about originality and becoming a character, not being a skank! Ok, rant over, but that's why this year I won't be buying a lame store bought, overpriced costume with a too short skirt!

So the costume was a bit difficult to put together, especially the wings! No one seemed to sell feather wings, and then they would be fuzzy or the feathers would be going in the wrong direction. I finally found the wings at Hot Topic of all places, and they're only little bit different than the one's in the film, but they're close enough! All I really need is the dress now. I have a 50s nightgown that looks pretty similar to the dress in the movie, but i need to figure out a way to make it more empire-waisted and less sheer. Maybe I'll wrap and pin a white piece of fabric around my waist and up around my shoulders, kind of like how the dress looks?
The makeup and hair is super simple, so I have that down pat. The only thing that I have to worry about is no one knowing who I am! That doesn't really bother me though, haha.

Ok, so tell me what you're going to be for Halloween? If you're being a sexy store bought hooker, I'm sorry, please don't be mad at me for ranting! See you later!

(photos found off of Google Images, not mine)

the girl with the sun in her eyes

2009-10-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

Hello hello, I have not abandoned you! I've just been so busy lately! I don't even have much time to write anything here since today is both my little brother Andrew and my Grandmother's birthdays! Instead I have a bunch of pictures of the things I have found lately! Happy birthday Andrew and Nonny!

Here is what I wore the other day; the shorts are new from Anthropologie, only $10 on sale! They're a great heavy weight for cooler days, and work the best with tights. I also bought a plaid bustier and some nail polish, which I'll debut later!

I also got a few vintage plaid shirts when I went thrifting, and I'm almost done with all the apples I got when we went apple picking a few weekends ago.

I wen to the mall with my mom to look for birthday gifts and got these polka dot tights from J Crew, and some makeup from Sephora. I'm really into the heavy eyebrow thing right now, like Camilla Belle, so I got an eyebrow pencil and got a sample of Posie Tint for free! I heart free samples!

I never got around to photographing myself in the dress I got at the NYC clothing show, so here it is! It's a B. Altman 50s dress, with a peter pan collar and sweet little rhinestone buttons, and 3/4 sleeves with a little poof on the end where they tie! I adore it; such a great Autumn dress!

I also ended up thrifting last weekend and got some really good vintage finds! I ended up finding this 50s/60s day dress, an awesome velvet and lace Jessica McLintock 80s dress, and this absolutely stunning sheer dress that may be from the 40s or earlier; I don't know how to date this one, but it's definitely really old! It reminds me of something Chloe might put out; I have definitely seen something like this before but I can't put my finger on it!

Well, that's pretty much everything I've gotten in the past few weeks, and it will be all that I get for the next few as well! I'm going to go get ready for the day (I didn't get up till 11 this morning, I was so tired form the week and going to my brother's homecoming football game last night! They have won every game so far; go Panthers! haha) Hopefully next post won't be so long overdue, and I can actually put something coherent up here for you guys!

Have a good weekend!

post haste!

2009-10-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

I knew that my mom mailed me a package last week, but by the time the post office closed for the weekend it still hadn't arrived! I eagerly awaited the whole weekend, wondering what on earth she could have sent me. The wait doesn't matter too much, because I got a sweet surprise this morning instead, with a vintage romper/swimsuit from Duchess Vintage on Etsy! I've been hunting like a mad man for months for one that fit me, and this fits the bill. Too bad the seasons have to change; if I could go swimming right now without freezing to death, I totally would! Now
I'll dream of lakes and rivers while I shiver under three quilts tonight!
Thanks Mom :)
(P.S. I can't wait till the warm weather rolls around again so I can wear this out; I have a long winter ahead of me!)

dark star

2009-10-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

Hello! So, here's a little rundown of my Friday in NYC. I literally had to run from class to catch my train, so I just grabbed whatever clothes I felt like I wanted to wear and rushed out the door. So I guess I was feeling a bit goth Friday on morning? It probably had to do with the cloudy skies, but thankfully those cleared up as soon as we got on the train! Once we got to New York, I really wanted to see if any of the book stores carried Lula, so after a quick walk through Bryant Park we found a little magazine store that carried it! I finally have my copy of Lula Nine, and it is so great! I love all the red heads; I always wished I was red haired, or at least blond, but I guess I'm happy being a brunette :) We eventually made our way over to the clothing show, but I only got a photograph outside. It was pretty cool this year, albeit a bit expensive. Some sellers were trying to sell 90s rayon floral dresses for almost $200! Considering these are abundant and crazy cheap at Salvation Army, I really hope no one bought them, lol. There were some good deals though, and I managed to buy one really great fall dress, soon to be debuted here! It was crazy packed in there, and I was trying to stick to a list of things I want, but it was difficult to find all the pretty little 50s dresses I had in mind! There was a lot of fur, plaid shirts, and sequins; none of which I have a problem with, but not what I was looking for. The dress I got makes up for it though :) I got home exhausted, but with the new Lula and a great little dress, I'm definitely happy, and can't wait for the next show!
floral dress: fredflare.com, lace shirt: free people, tights: target, shoes: forever 21, bag: vintage coach
P.S. I threw together some clothes that represent what I want to be wearing more of this fall, mainly dark florals and purples and blues. All inspired by the show and Lula Nine. Don't my Lula's look good together? I'll try to channel the inspiration as much as possible in the next few weeks!

paper doll

2009-10-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

So, here is what I wore on Monday (and I can't even remember Tuesday, so I'm assuming I didn't wear anything all that great). The dress is vintage, from that same store that I got my awesome boots at (woot!), the cardigan is J Crew, shoes are Chloe (lovelovelove, but so painful, lol), belt is thrifted, and necklace was handmade by my mom when she was about my age! I wear this thing everywhere, and people constantly ask me where I got it/ what it means. I just think it's cool, and it reminds me of mom when I'm away. :)

Other than the obligatory outfit shots, I wanted to let anyone who lives near New York City/ has some free time this weekend to check out The Manhattan Vintage Clothing
Show! I went last year and it was so cool; basically a bunch of Vintage dealers show up and have booths stocked full of really awesome vintage clothes/shoes/accessories. It's alsmost like a bazaar of vintage! The only downside is that most of the stuff is priced pretty high (dealers plus new york equals crazy prices!) but since the recession has hit everyone hard I'm thinking some stuff might be priced to sell...all the more reason to make it out there for some hard core vintage viewing! Unfortunately there's no photography allowed, but I promise I'll try to sneak some shots when I go this Friday! I'm so excited, and I'm on the hunt for a sweet little blue dress like Liebemarlene posted about. Fingers are crossed that I find some cool stuff!

these boots are made for walking

2009-10-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

Do you guys have a place that no matter when you go, you always leave with something amazing? I do, and although I've only been there three times, each time I've left with a treasure, and for really cheap too!
Today I was able to cross off that long-awaited wish list item, the perfect fall boots! I initially didn't see these packed away under a table at my luckiest/favorite vintage store, but when I saw them I literally stopped in my tracks and grabbed them. I didn't even think that they would fit, but they do! I'm so excited, I've wanted a great pair of boots, preferably vintage, for the longest time, and I just happened to find them today! I can already see that these are going to be my favorite shoes, perfect for all the fall things that I'm so psyched about (especially pumpkin and apple picking!). I also crossed off a long awaited fall activity this weekend; attending a cold Friday night football game complete with eating way too many pumpkin flavored things and drinking hot cider. Sooo good.
Oh, and you know what the best part is about these covet able boots? They were twenty cool dollar bills. Now that's a deal ;) So many great fall outfits are whirling around in my head, I gotta go write them all down before I forget!
I think I'll outfit-post tomorrow, we'll see how my brain feels after all the work I have to get through tonight. Yuck, haha.

UPDATE:
wow, just went on urban outfitters and found the exact same boots for nearly $300!!!
so glad i got them, lol!

au revoir, September!

2009-09-30T14:09:00.001-07:00

Well, seeing as it's the last day of September I thought I'd wish it adieu and welcome October, my favorite month, to the blog! I wasn't planning on posting anything because I have been bad about taking outfit posts (who wants to when all you have for a backdrop is cement and ugly furniture?) and I never even got to photograph the estate sale finds from 2 (!) weeks ago, but I decided I needed to assure you that I am alive, although I have an ear infection/sinus issue going on, and I will try very hard to put up something worthwhile in the next few days!

Other than illness and feeling uninspired, I am really excited about fall activities, and I hope I have time to do them all! Apple and pumpkin picking and Halloween are really high up on that list, so if I at least get to do those three things I think I could be content ;)

Awfully blurry farm photograph by yours truly, scanned pinhole negative.

beetle juice, beetle juice, beetle juice!

2009-09-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

So, last night was Prez Ball, and it was so much fun! I ended up not wearing either of the dresses that I thought I might, because I went to Anthropologie and found this one instead! The other too dresses were pretty, but one was too plain and the other was poor quality. So when I saw this dress on the rack, I knew it would fit really well and would stand out from the crowd. I've wanted this dress for long time, and I'll totally wear it again, so it was money well spent.
I lovelovelove the back lace-up detailing, it's totally awesome! I kind of felt like a ballerina/circus performer/lydia deets from beetle juice, which, in my opinion, is pretty rad! I also loved the heels, which were from my sophomore year formal, but I ended up in flip flops the entire night, since dancing in heels is next to impossible and a hazard; a girl I know got gashed by some unthoughtful girl's stiletto :( Overall, it was a really fun night, and I really had a lot of fun dressing up for an occasion again; I don't get to do that often enough!
I think I'm going home tonight to see my little brother, and that means I can finally photograph all the goodies from the estate sales of last weekend! Have a good one everyone :)

i heart new york

2009-09-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

As promised, here are a few of the sights I was able to see on my too-short trip to NYC! We only had about an hour of free time, so our freedom to roam was confined to a few blocks. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed walking around and seeing so many people; coming from a small town, the thought that I was surrounded by so many individuals was frankly mind-boggling, to say the least!

Tonight is my college's fall semi-formal aka Presidential Ball aka Prez Ball, and I have a few dresses to choose from...still not sure what I should wear, lol! I'll try to photograph each and the final decision for you guys, they are pretty edgy compared to what I wear on a daily basis, so it should be interesting!
See you all soon...

rose gold

2009-09-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time to write before I dash off to English class (we're finishing up Sunset Blvd., can't wait!) so I'll save the crazy NYC post for another day. I have like three posts queued up; I'm so far behind! Alright, so here is a sampling of the pretty little things I picked up over the weekend, together like this because I somehow managed to buy them all in the same color! A preview of the dusty pink fall wardrobe I have dreamed of, no?

A rosette headband:J Crew. It's the same as the pink one I bought back in the start of summer, but in a dustier color.

The Little Fashion Dictionary: ICP gift shop, haha.

Rosy knee highs: J Crew. I've wanted knee high socks for ages, and these are so soft.

Stila makeup: sephora. I'm pretty proud of myself for this one, since I adore Stila and all of the makeup in this thing is full sized! I love makeup way too much!

I also got a sweet little sample card of the new Marc Jacobs perfume Lola; it smells wonderful, like a nighttime version of Daisy. It's already made its way to my birthday/holiday wish list ;)

I promise next post will be a bit more exciting, but now I have to run!

frill and floss

2009-09-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

Hey hey! So yea I finally got around to doing another half-assed outfit post, woot! As you can see, it was finally cool enough to wear that thrifted romper from a few weeks back, with tights of course! I really liked wearing this, other than the obvious difficulties in getting out of it (tights AND a back zip onesie are a bit overwhelming to take off!) I was super comfortable all day, and I didn't need to bust out the sweatpants after classes to chill!
I just watched the short films on Lula's new website, and I'm really liking the whole pretty, delicate goth thing they have going on. I especially love all the sheer/muted fabrics with black. I think that next time I go home I have to make a trip to the fabric store, because I want to take a crack at making some tap shorts in dark colors, and a few more skirts as well. SallyJane's post on the Lyell collection has me wanting a darker, more layered wardrobe (and tap shorts. preferably silk). I made myself a pair of tap shorts back in the spring that turned out pretty well, but they're more like a prototype, almost like boys boxers so not really wearable in public!
On another note, my English class is going to be spectacular, I just know it! For one, we are taking a trip into New York on Saturday to go see the works of Richard Avedan, take our own photographs, and enjoy the arts of the city! (Two summers ago I enrolled in a class at ICP, and although the class was cancelled I was allowed to use the grant given to me by my school to go to the city, shoot, and print. I met a ton of really cool people, and although it was overwhelming at first, I'm really glad I got that experience!) So today in class we are watching Sunset Boulevard, which seems to be a really cool movie so far. I'm super excited for the rest of the year to pan out, especially since we're starting off with such cool stuff!
Oh, one more thing, I will hopefully crank out some photographs with my pinhole camera this weekend/week; I dropped the photography class I was placed in because it was way too basic, and now I'm getting that familiar ache to start shooting again. I miss photography, and not this point and click crap I usually post here. I want to develope my own negatives and prints again, and to take the time to make sure I do everything right. This digital nonsense is so mindless; I feel the disconnect from the craft of making photographs when I shoot digitally. I have to give digital some props though, it is much easier/you can manipulate your work a whole lot more when you shoot digitally, but you can call me old fashioned because film is where it's at!
Gratuitous nerdy peace sign shot, and look at that weirdo in the photo below...tsk tsk, I need a studio space or something, dorm room decor is getting old fast, and I always seem to make weird faces when I'm dashing across the room to get in the shot before the timer runs out! romper: thrifted, originally the limited, tights: target, flats: urban outfitters, belt: thrifted

hello, kitty

2009-09-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Since it's fashion week (or it was, I'm not on top of these things) and everyone has put up photographs of their favorite collections, I thought I'd do a little fashion show modeled by my dear friend, miss Hello Kitty!

Silver nail polish: hard candy in trailor trash

This lady has quite the wardrobe; look at those hairbows!

Here, miss Kitty is modeling a winter look. Pink faux fur coats are so in right now.

Come spring, Kitty will be well prepared with a sweet little polka dot dress and a blue bow.

Those hot summer months don't keep Kitty from looking awesome. Designer shades and of course her SPF keep Kitty from being a burnt cat.

Red is a great fall color, and Kitty pulls it off with a matching hair bow, just in time for back to school!

Wow, such great looks, so little time! Kitty is jetting off to Paris for a much needed break from her modeling career; till next time, Bye bye, Kitty!

i wish everything i wished for you before, but harder

2009-09-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend turned out to be pretty lovely, although, as with all good things, it went by too fast.
Here's the rundown...
Friday: Had photo class for the first time; was NOT what I expected/wanted in a photography course. Dropping class tomorrow :( Went to my first event for my job; was not "adult" in the weird way, thank god! Still writing my little article on it ;)
Saturday: Crew practice at 6:45, boo early weekend mornings. Mom came and got me to go do laundry (I'm awful, I haven't done it myself once yet! haha). We stopped at two tag sales on the way home and I picked up some cool stuff, like this vintage suitcase that sort of goes with my smaller vintage suitcase, 50 cents, the two cameras pictured, 50 cents and $2, respectively, and that great little 1950s school desk, $30 bargained down to $20! I recently saw desks for sale at urban outfitters (I think), and I really wanted one but they were way overpriced, so this was an awesome find! I can see one of my typewriters sitting prettily atop the desk, and me writing away a rainy afternoon. Someday...
...Saturday cont.: We hopped over to Borders bookstore to see if the latest Lula came in, but still no dice in that department. I picked up some cute little Hello Kitty dress up magnets there, as well as this wacky V magazine with Lady Gaga and her removable cling on sunglasses. Spray tan much? I love the pink though; slowly becoming my once again favorite color! After the bookstore wee went to Salvation Army, which had a lot of new stock but not as much as I had hoped for. I ended up getting a vintage dead stock 70s (I think) pencil skirt, which actually fits me so I might end up modeling it here in the near future!

Sunday: Slept in, ate cold pasta for breakfast, and hung out with my mom for the majority of the day. Went to the bookstore near my school and stalked around for Lula again, but it doesn't seem to be around yet. I really cannot wait to get the issue; the color combinations on the cover give me heart palpitations!

Alright, hopefully I'll be a bit more fashion-y tomorrow. Goodnight darlings:)

dancing in the moonlight

2009-09-10T12:33:00.001-07:00

I'm feeling better today, maybe because I wore pink for the first time in months (hard to believe, haha). Homesickness and exhaustion suck, but they are most definitely remedied with a good night's sleep and a call home!
I start my on-campus job tomorrow; I'm working as a reporter/blogger for on-campus activities. My first assignment is to cover the "adult circus" that's coming to school...sounds interesting? I'm a little iffy about the whole adult part, does that mean what I think it does? Lol, probably not, but the wording caught me off guard for a minute.

Today was so cold, which means something other than a sundress and sandals! Or, a sundress and tights and a cardigan...ok, not much of an improvement, but I was tired this morning and didn't feel like trying to hard, haha. Although I always seem to be the most dressed person in all of my classes. What is it with college kids and sweatpants? I know they're comfortable, but it's a bit insulting to the professor if you show up to class dressed as if you were going to bed. Maybe I'm just so used to a dress code that pyjamas in school are a shocker!

I'm thinking of bringing my scanner up to school so I can scan those old Life magazines; some of the advertisements were really funny. And Lula has popped up again! I can hardly believe that I've been reading this sweet little publication for nearly three years; where does all the time go? I've sent my mother on a mission to track it down for me, but I don't think it has reached stateside as of yet. Last issue, my mom got so tired of looking around for it that she had it shipped, but that's way too costly! Lula around here is usually $15-$16 USD, and I think there was an issue 7 or 8 at the bookstore last time I checked, so if anyone wants it I'll send mom on a mission for that copy too ;)

Alright, I'm going to try to go thrifting this weekend if I have time, and hopefully I do! Talk to you soon.

under pressure

2009-09-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

I'm having a hard time coping with all the crap I have to do; it seems like every time I turn around there's another meeting or assignment that I have to write down. I'm really tired too; I didn't get much sleep the last few nights. I just want it to be the weekend already!
Yesterday I wore this dress and the sweet bow necklace I won a few weeks back from Blooming Leopold, but I changed into sweat pants and took a nap after my first class, haha. I promise I'll do a proper post soon, I just have to adjust to all this nonsense and I'll be back to myself soon enough!

ahoy!

2009-09-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

I wore my new blouse yesterday, and even though I had no class I was super busy! I went to the freshman meeting, up to the dean's office to switch a class, straight to the bookstore to buy a lab coat (haha) for my biology lab, to my room to study for about 3 hours (exhausting), and finally went to dinner and the club fair, after which I got to go home for this weekend! Whew!
I hope everyone has a great holiday :)

hush

2009-09-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick shot of what I wore today, taken before my morning class. I was going to wear some real shoes,, but I have insane blisters already from walking around this place! Once the weather cools I'll definitely wear something other than flip flops, and maybe try the pretty-sock trend? We shall see...then again, I have quite a few pairs of tights which would probably do the trick just fine.
Goodnight, and have a good weekend!

like a little girl

2009-09-02T20:40:00.001-07:00

One of the many perks of going to school close to home is that your parents can pick you up and take you out almost anytime you want them to. So essentially my mom and I went on a mini thrifting/shopping excursion the other day, and these are the good I found/bought!

I bought a pretty blue floral headband at Anthropologie...
Like I give a Frock is a book that has been on my wishlist for a long time! I actually read through the entire thing last night, it's so cute!

And I also got a sweet little sailor inspired blouse at Anthro, I adore this!

We also stopped at the local Goodwill and look what I found; a boater hat! So weird that I finally found one, but it looks funny on my head so for now it's a decoration, haha

Alright everyone, it is late and there are many many more pages of biology and calculus to attend to...kill me please, lol.

welcome to college; installment 2

2009-08-31T14:16:00.000-07:00

This isn't much of an interesting post, since school hasn't officially started and therefore I haven't even bothered to wear anything other than jeans and a t shirt all weekend, but I wanted to show off my new "home."

I pretty much transplanted the majority of my stuff from my room at home here, although my big cat painting thing won't stay on the wall...bummer.

Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with how it looks, although I must admit that it's all a bit pink, but I like it. I still haven't gotten used to the setup, and not being able to see my family every 5 minutes is a bit of a shock, but I guess I'll get over it once the school year starts...which happens to be 9:30 tomorrow morning!

I'm a pre-med and English major, so my schedule looks a bit stuffed, but I'm really quite excited to get into my routine and see if college really is all that they say it is :)
Ok, I don't want to bore you with personal stuff, so here are a couple of quick shots of my room (At least my half, lol, having a roommate is new for me too! I like it though, it would be so lonely if I was in a single!)

So here's my bed and all my junk...

my little dresser and a bunch of stuff

above my desk...

on my desk (my grandma gave me the baby seal, because she wanted me to have something of hers! so adorable, i love her :)

... and another on-the-desk shot

so voila! there's my room in a nutshell; I might reorganize later in the year but for now it's good :)

back to school

2009-08-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, I just wanted to let you know that I'm safely moved into university as of today, and I am already loaded up with activities and figuring out where everything thing is and whatnot; college is far from simple when you've never lived away from home! I miss my family a whole lot, but I'm really excited to get this year started so I can feel comfortable on campus. It'll probably be a bit quiet on here for the week, but once I get settled I'll resume blogging, and may actually do more outfit posts ;)
Alright, it's already so late, so I've gotta get to bed, but hopefully I'll be back very soon!

warm my heart

2009-08-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

My favorite season by far is autumn. I have nothing against the other seasons (besides winter, which i detest...) but fall is just so much better than any other time of year! I can't get enough of the way the changing trees look when the sun is going down; the smell of leaves and woodsmoke and spice. Picking pumpkins and apples and mugs of hot cider, halloween and thanksgiving and staying warm with wool blankets on long car rides. Sunrise, and even better, sunsets...nothing can beat it, especially here in new england where we are all about the change of seasons.
One of the best things about the transition from summer to fall has to be the cool autumn air and the richer colors and cosier layers that serve as inspiration when the world outside ceases to be an oven. The summer is nice, but so limiting because all you want to wear is t shirts and flip flops. Spring is alright, but always seems to be rainy or just a milder second winter. Autumn, therefore, is my season; the one I wait for without fail, until the first leaves begin to carpet my lawn and the neighboring farms again boast of a bountiful harvest.
So, with autumn in mind, I found some really cool stuff at salvation army today, including this sweet romper that I can't wait to pair with knit tights and oxford flats when the weather is cool enough.

i also found two pairs of 70s jeans that are totally rad (yes, i just used the word rad, lol) Now I have a small collection of 70s denim, but I'm still on the lookout for the perfect pair for me.

I also bought this autumnal print at the thrift store for my dorm room, and am debating whether or not I should buy a little love seat sofa that has been waiting there as well...it is absolutely one of the most hideous things I have ever seen on account of the fabric, but it is the perfect size and shape for snuggling up on, and is so ugly it's almost charming. I might just go back and get it for my room at home; for $50 it's a steal. I promise I'll go take a photo of it to show you if I get back there before I leave for school!

I was also having a dilemma with my lack of shelving, as I read a lot of books and will undoubtedly need a storage space at school, but my mom had a brilliant idea to use the shelves from the beautiful cabinet my great-grandfather made, and they are perfect! It's cool to be able to bring along a piece of my family history to college; it's so much more meaningful than the walmart milk crates I was going to use.

Now that I have professed my love for the upcoming season, I need to reassess my fall wardrobe...I'm really feeling the separates thing as opposed to pretty little dresses, possibly because simple single layers are boring me as of late. I still need to pack up 90% of my stuff for the big move, and I have no idea what I should bring! I should be fine though, I just need to sit down and do it and I'll be fine :)

she comes in colors everywhere, she combs her hair, she's like a rainbow

2009-08-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

so yes, i did end up going back to the estate sale i was talking about last time, only there were many, many more people! there was considerably more elbowing my way around, but i managed to find this sweet 50s dress/night gown and a big sewing box full of cool stuff.
then, today i went to my favorite thrift store and picked up this adorable little vintage peach pink dress, an awesome pair of italian woven leather shoes, and a pair of sandals that look a bit like saltwater sandals.

the men's shoes fit me great, and they are just what i was looking for in fall/winter shoes! they also make a great clack sound when i walk because the heel is stacked wood. the estate sale dress/night gown is sheer but a substantial material, and i think i'm going to wear it for halloween this year...but what i'm going as is a surprize for now ;)

a day in which the sky echoed my words

2009-08-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

once again, an unfortunate sounding "estate sale" turned out to bring me some great stuff, and for mad cheap!

sometimes things are just meant to be. let me count the ways...

1-we pulled up to the sale after waiting at my brother's school for his football practice (it was cancelled...damn) and NO ONE is there. usually a bad sign, right? nope, this meant that there was very little jostling of arms and things when maneuvering around the home. YES

2-we go inside, at first not much looked too promising...how i was wrong (thank god). then we head upstairs...KA CHING VINTAGE CLOTHING COLLECTION! and everything was like, $5??? YESYES

3-the true stroke of fate, after seriously only 5 minutes in this place i have a nice little pile set aside for me and as i go to pay the grand total is $20 (WIN). and it gets better, because i ask who lived in the house and i am told a 90 year old woman named GENEVIEVE (yeah that's my name, holy hell weird!) had died and left all her glorious things for me to buy, haha. now that is fate!

the only true "vintage" dress i bought was this blue 50s/60s pleated number. it reminded me of 500 days of summer (which i have to talk about in another post, so i don't rant, lol). i've been craving all those beautiful blues from the film, though!

next i picked up this sweet little pink striped/lace accented/rosebud buttoned day dress. no tags, but i think it must be 80s? late 70s? it's in good condition if it is old!

my favorite piece by far has to be this ADORABLE (caps are necessary) white sailor blouse! the label Lover is old hat by now in the blogging community, but i lusted after that sweet (but exorbitantly priced) sailor blouse for months, and now i think the one i have here (for $5! ok, enough gloating, i'm bad, lol) is way better! it has the perfect almost-elbow length sleeves, a nice sized sailor collar, and pretty little details. and i wasn't all too happy with the split collar on the back of the lover shirt anyway, so i'm really glad that this blouse is sans unsightly split!

i also picked up these two interesting little purses in the basement of the home. i love the saddle style of the black one, and the fact that the strap is long like an across-body bag. and i wanted a picnic-basket type purse for some time now, and i like the gold/white combo. the picnic one is also vintage, judging by the label.

so yeah, other than waiting for my brother's football practice in a thunder/lightening storm, today was a good day =) and i might just go back tomorrow, because i left behind piles of nubby vintage sweaters and some good dresses that i'm now regretting not buying...haha!

i won!

2009-08-20T11:33:00.001-07:00

hi there, just wanted to let you guys know that i won the giveaway featured on Blooming Leopold!!! i love this girl's blog/ style, and am psyched to have won!

i rarely win anything (except once i won a raffle at a car show and got some fuzzy dice...lame), so i'm super excited about winning this, especially since the prize is amazing and handmade :)

alright, i have a few more posts planned for this and next week, and then things might get a bit quiet as i adjust to life at college! i cannot believe how fast this summer has gone by, but just looking at all my things packed up and ready to go makes me excited for school again. now i just need to figure out what clothes i need, since closet space is severely limited! i should be fine though. alright, till next time!

the summer of '69

2009-08-16T14:33:00.001-07:00

question:
where do these items take you to?

platform shoes...

...a leaf and turquoise necklace...

...a peace sign and a mood ring?

the woodstock music and arts festival...although we are 40 years late, haha!
saturday marked the 40th anniversary of the woodstock festival, which i know was romanticized over the years, but, like any good music festival, has become iconic, and i can't help but think if it as a pretty cool event!
my mom was too young to attend, but my aunt did go, and she said it was great, but very dirty and rainy (and they forgot food when they went, so they ate raw corn from the farm, lol)
my mom also let me borrow the ticket she has so i could show you, and this beaded headband from when she was my age
long hair and tie dye; peace people!

midnight d.i.y.

2009-08-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

is it just me, or do you always come up with great ideas in the middle of the night? it seems like i always have crazy ideas when i should be in bed, and i end up staying up all hours to finish projects.

this happened to me the other night, and inspiration struck in the form of this button less, too long chambray skirt i bought at the salvation army last week. i picked this up praying for a button down style with an a line cut, but it turned out to be a straight ankle length skirt, missing three of four buttons and pretty frumpy. the material is that awesome, so soft light blue denim that i've searched forever for, so i figured i could alter it, and for 6 dollars i couldn't leave it behind...hehe

i planned on making a knee length a-line skirt with the buttons down the front, and i'm pretty pleased with how it came out! i might add a few buttons (i don't want to flash anyone!) but i wore it to the mall yesterday and it was just as comfortable as a pair of jeans. alright, here's how i fixed the darned thing!

first, i needed to find some buttons! i have an extensive (inherited) collection of buttons, and sifting through these gave me a few ideas. did i want girly white? fabric covered? plain? i ended up leaving the silver button that the skirt came with and adding three other silver ones; it looked the most versatile. i can always change it up if i want!

so i added the buttons, and needing to fix the straightness i tilted the skirt a bit and voila! a-line, haha

i chopped off a few inches from the hem to make it a bit more polished, then hemmed the bottom and...

here we are! a finished, easy to do d.i.y.!
since i'm not too eager to give up my softer colors, i wore the skirt with a linen 50s/60s blouse i thrifted the same day as the skirt. (sorry no outfit shot, it was so gloomy out yesterday!) this was really fun and easy to do, and now i actually have a skirt in my closet that i can wear! haha

p.s. i also thrifted a pair of nylons, haha the package was too cute! oh, and a christian dior nightgown! totally epic!

tiny dancer

2009-08-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

isn't it funny how some things work out, like when you blow something off but end up checking it out anyway, and it turns out to be pleasantly surprising?

that's how it was yesterday, when i was on my way to the thrift store with my mom. i usually check the newspapers for weekend estate sales, but after going to so many that were misleading in the advertisements (a few old sweaters and ortho shoes ARE NOT VINTAGE people, sheesh. don't lie to me!!) i decided that unless i actually go by a sale that looks promising, i won't bother hunting down the undoubtedly disappointing ones that advertise. so that's what i did this weekend; looked in the papers and saw some that might be promising, but blew them off for my trusty salvation army.

so there we were, driving down this windy road, and what do i see? an actual estate sale, and not only that, the exact one that i blew off! we had a crazy parking spot at the end of the road, and had to walk up a steep hill with people whizzing by in their cars. the house had a lot of cool stuff, although there was a lot of playboy in the basement...and sketchy old men buying said playboy...eww...

but other than that i got some AMAZING steals, making out like a bandit as always ;)

the people who lived in this home had a lot of antiques, and i wish i could have taken more home!two photographs of victorian ladies; there were so many victorian styled things in this house!a thick stack of vintage life magazines! i can't wait to read these, they're from the 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60'sa sweet green vintage hat/ headband

two cool vintage perfume bottles

vintage tins

a hat holder and a stapler, lol

some books (i love the covers!)

pretty gloves that go with the best piece of all......a beautiful 1950s wedding dress!!!!!! ahhh!!!too bad no one i know is getting married soon! i need a good way to store this... haha

oh, and here are some of the fabulous things i wasn't able to take home :( oh well, i hope someone else gave them a good home!

whew, so much stuff! alright, goodnight people

so sweet you'll get a toothache

2009-08-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

i went back to the thrift store yesterday, because when i was paying for my pink glass slipper last time i saw something that i thought would look great with the slipper, but i had no time to look around so i payed and left, hoping the stuff would still be there next time i came back

thankfully, the little lady i had in mind was still there, and then some! i found this really adorable/really creepy sleeping baby bank (the money goes in the butt...hahaha so weird!) i loved the colors and the thought that someone years ago must have kept this in their nursery, so it now resides on my bureau! this is the girl i saw and left behind, but isn't she sweet? she's a planter of some sort, because she's missing the top of her head. i think i'm going to store pencils in her, lol i also got this little glass owl. and by little i mean he's about 6 inches tall and weighs 5 pounds. but he is cute, a bit haughty looking with his puffed out chest... there were a lot of owls in the store...maybe i'll start collecting them? hopefully not, there's no room here for them! i also added to my little wall of funny things i find; two crochet lace collars (score!) and a luna moth wing that my brother found outside of the health food store. poor thing :(

i also got a bow ring from hot topic. now, i do look a bit odd in my pastels and j crew sweaters when i walk in there, but i swear by the accessories, crazy cheap and colorful nail polish shades, and hilarious t shirts that i buy there. love that store!oh, i picked up an old egg basket, and here are some many coloured eggs in said basket! my dad gets these eggs at a secret location, but they come in shades of blue, pink, green, yellow, and orange, and taste ten times better than anything store bought! they look too pretty to eat

there were some things i left in the store, but i may just go back and get them soon...
aren't these teacups beautiful? i love the pink one, but they wanted $9 each! absurd!

spiral staircase

2009-08-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

this is another haphazard post (sorry guys!) but i wanted to show off some stuff i got in the past few weeks :)
first up are the thrifted/vintage: i'm really loving the way these two teeny tiny prints look together. the top is by cacharel (it's actually a button down, don't know why i photographed it backwards, haha) and has a little red cherry/flower print, and the high waisted shorts have a little green/blue/yellow floral print; i think i saw an outfit like this somewhere...not sure where though, haha lovelovelove the crazy purple and pink paisley print on this dress, and the shape is awesome! i can totally see this one with a pair of white tights and boots this winter this 60s shift dress reminds me of peach sorbet, and the stripes are too cute! the buttons match too...too good

a real vintage peter pan collared blouse! such an awesome staple, i'm gonna collect these thingsummm, can you say vintage pink glass slipper? YES. it looks too good on my desk, i love it!

ohh, and instead of paying like $20 on etsy for a single pair of vintage library bookends, i found all of these for $3! i love etsy, but this was a steal, and now i can stock my shelves without books tumbling down on my head, haha

i managed to go to the mall the other day, lol, and picked up some summery things that i really do adore:)

from forever 21, i bought two new blouses, a dress, and a romper (hmm, florals in pastel colors...i'm liking it)

and i also got the softest aqua cardigan from j crew :)my closet is looking like springtime, and we're nearly into fall! maybe i'll have some winter clothes by the time next spring rolls around, lol

fishtail braids on a sweltering afternoon

2009-08-01T23:16:00.000-07:00

saturday i threw on the 50s flea market find from a while back, plus a belt and shoes thrifted from salvation army, and ran myself down the road to the farm house for some photographs, but it was so sweltering and my shoes are a bit too big on me, so i only stayed for a bit until i ran myself back home to sit in the air conditioning!

i've lived on this street my whole life; and i'm extremely lucky to live in a protected historic district so that the fields next to my home can't be touched by new development. i pray that they never let those awful yuppie homes move in around here, and that the land stays protected for as long as it can be! this seems to be one of the last standing old farm homes in the area, and i want it kept that way! this is the home of my neighbors, the one's who have been on this land farther back than i even know. they're both in their 90s now, but i still see them out once in a while

i'm glad that i grew up here as opposed to a big neighborhood, although when i was young i wished for just that. i can always move to a stuffy, overcrowded area, but i'll likely never find another place like my childhood home (and certainly not for a reasonable price!)

the walls came crumbling down

2009-07-31T22:40:00.000-07:00

i completely forgot to share with you all the antique sewing supplies that my aunt gave me a few weeks ago! i absolutely love the packaging, although many of the boxes are crumbling with age (hence the inspiration for the post title, lol)

i wish that i used patterns when i sew, many of these tools would be useful! for now they're sitting on the mountain of sewing junk i've collected, which leads me into something i've been thinking about for a while to put up here on the blog... and by that i mean regular posts about the things i collect besides vintage clothing; ie: hats, sewing machines, records...you name it, i most likely have two or more! i sound like a compulsive hoarder, but really i can't resist the history behind an object, and the superior craftsmanship of things from the past when compared to today!

i planned on doing a mini photo shoot with this outfit (the lilac handmade sundress from the salvation army in the previous post, and a piece of ribbon i used as a belt...i really want a bow tie belt!) but it rained...crap. so here's a haphazard shot of the dress/belt (really loving light blue-ish purple and red right now)

i also just totally revamped my wall above my desk/bed yesterday; ripping all of the old stuff that's been up for nearly three years and changing it up with some new stuff, plus these USB lights i got that are little stars, too cute

my cork board collection (here i go again) of things i find, from a robin's egg shell to pressed flowers in the bindings of my childhood fairy tale booksand here is my overstuffed bureau, with two new additions: the clock i got from goodwill (it has the best seafoam color on the back), and a real old princess telephone in yellow, from my aunt! i also have all the old hats from gettysburg, my all time favorite books (lolita, 1984, the jungle, etc...), troll dolls, a vintage train case (one of my first flea market buys, from when i was 10 or something), a metronome, a cameo wall hanging from my grandmother, and the other really old german phone from a while ago!

so much stuff, so little space! my problem is i buy things for my future home, planning ahead, lol

so this post was a mess, but i swear i'll get my crap together for the next one! i already have it planned out..but no telling, it's a surprise!

thrifting gold

2009-07-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

right now i'm sitting in my room, listening to all my beatles albums on my record player after a long day of doing nothing, but i wanted to show you all my finds from yesterday! i finally made it to the salvation army, but only after spending wayyy too long shopping for football equipment for my brother. but i guess i deserved it; i drag him along to thrift too much, and it was payback time :)

i only had an hour to look around, and i was amazed at how much stuff i got that was actually quality and vintage!

tons of 50s, 60s, and even 70s stuff! i never have such luck, it was as if an old house was cleaned out and all the great clothes were just shipped to salvation army! the goods include, from the top, a sheer purple 70s dress, a 60s shift dress, two 50s house dresses, a 50s lavender sundress with white lace trim (swoon! so glad this one fit, i would have seriously cried), 50s/60s high waisted skirts, an 80s cream linen shirt (a lot like the pink 50s one from this post), and a stack of 30 old records (hence me listening to them right now, haha)

so i left with a huge bag of awesomeness, and all for like $40, which is what, a shirt at a store in the mall? too good, thrift stores, you are my goldmine

(my feet aren't two different sizes, i was lifting up my left foot a bit and it came out looking like i have a monster right foot and regular left! lol)

i also got a bunch of mail, including a package with these wonderful cut out 70s sandals from etsy, and a sweet postcard from one of my best friends, jen, who was in paris for nine days! she's such a world traveler, i would love to just drop my life and go off to europe with her! and she said that she visited some thrift stores while in the city...damn, parisian thrifting? that's what i call ECSTASY

for now, i'll live vicariously through her and her adorable handwriting, and save up for my own plane ticket to a foreign land...if i stop spending all my cash on clothes, that is!

bubbles and benetint

2009-07-26T23:13:00.000-07:00

the other day i forgot to post this, so here is the summation of another beautiful day in photographs

kind of tried to do the whole chic parisian in stripes thing, but i don't have a really good quality striped shirt to pull it off! on the lookout for one now, lol

i wore the octopus leg earrings my mom gave me last christmas from octopus me on etsy, they're pretty cool up close! actual octopus legs are cast into earrings, i love them

shirt: thrifted; shoes: health food store; jeans: macy's?
and there are some new purchases to show off; bubbles that smell like strawberry ice cream, the big size benetint (i live on this stuff), and a very old, very heavy typewriter! when i have my own place, i plan on having multiple rooms with desks in each, and a typewriter on each desk, just in case i come up with an idea on the spot and must write it all out before i forget! i carry around post it notes for the time being, but there's nothing like the sound of typewriter keys...which reminds me of this poem, which my english teacher gave to us the last day of class on the last day of the year. i want to be able to sit at a desk in a light filled room and write poetry like this, maybe some day

The Writer

In her room at the prow of the house
Where light breaks, and the windows are tossed with linden,
My daughter is writing a story.

I pause in the stairwell, hearing
From her shut door a commotion of typewriter-keys
Like a chain hauled over a gunwale.

Young as she is, the stuff
Of her life is a great cargo, and some of it heavy:
I wish her a lucky passage.

But now it is she who pauses,
As if to reject my thought and its easy figure.
A stillness greatens, in which

The whole house seems to be thinking,
And then she is at it again with a bunched clamor
Of strokes, and again is silent.

I remember the dazed starling
Which was trapped in that very room, two years ago;
How we stole in, lifted a sash

And retreated, not to affright it;
And how for a helpless hour, through the crack of the door,
We watched the sleek, wild, dark

And iridescent creature
Batter against the brilliance, drop like a glove
To the hard floor, or the desk-top,

And wait then, humped and bloody,
For the wits to try it again; and how our spirits
Rose when, suddenly sure,

It lifted off from a chair-back,
Beating a smooth course for the right window
And clearing the sill of the world.

It is always a matter, my darling,
Of life or death, as I had forgotten. I wish
What I wished you before, but harder.

-Richard Wilbur

it's the vibes, man...

2009-07-26T12:02:00.001-07:00

i am so exhausted; yesterday my brother, mother, and i spent 7 hours at the HUGE outdoor music festival, the gathering of the vibes! i had no idea what to expect because i've never been to anything quite like it, but ere's a rundown and picture representation of what went down!
*smelly people
*drunk people
*high people
*mud
*sweat
*good music
*good food (asian tofu, noodles, and rice, yum!)
*naked people (so many naked/ high girls, gah!)
*a dead body (no lie, someone died!)
*hippies...so many hippies
*unwashed drunk old men hitting on me...apparently i have "eyes like a husky" and the guy also asked me why i am so pale...umm, because i'm part irish?
*coming home smelling like a hippie (sooo gross, but so worth it)

ok, enough with the talking, heres some pics

the front gate hippie van! me looking a bit scruffy, haha
me and my little bro! squinty eyes = smoke and sun
right next to the stage
the aftermath, soooo much mud, smelled like a barn/bar/soooo icky
man in a weed costume, with the cops!! so freaking hilarious
a weird alice in wonderland type installment

awesome day, thanks so much mom for taking us, your the best hippie mother ever :)

new shoe debut

2009-07-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

this is what i wore today, a day i spent at borders bookstore with a big stack of foreign magazines and a glass of iced mint tea. i bought two books, jude the obscure and far from the madding crowd, both by thomas hardy (one of my favorite writers)
dress and belt: thrifted many months ago

vintage barrette: a traveling antique clothing expo thing, pretty cool

chloe heels: ebay

sorry about the gloomy face, wasn't wearing any makeup for these (yikes!)
and here's a (poorly done) shot of a little garden gnome who watches over our little pet cemetery...

sounds creepier than it is, i swear!

since i can't have dogs or cats due to allergies, we've always had pet hamsters, and they are mostly all buried in my front yard, with the gnome as a guard!

...although there was an old woman whose house was on our property until it burned down while she was asleep cooking a thanksgiving turkey; spooky! we still find old shards of china in the yard, but if she is a ghost she must be a friendly one, because i feel quite safe and happy at my home :)

schoolgirl crush

2009-07-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

i love summer and all, but now that the sticky humid weather is here i can't help but think of beautiful fall afternoons with hot tea, fall leaves, and relaxing on campus (maybe i'm swayed by the way harry potter movies always make school seem so awesome, as i just saw the latest installment. it was good but i liked the previous ones more, less confusing and teen-angsty)

maybe that's what drove me to make both of these buys- a white school uniform blouse (that is identical to my old school uniform, only mine was yellow) and a very fall rust colored vintage skirt. there were two other vintage skirts i left behind, one green in a heavy wool, very old, and a blue, but sadly both were very small, and i was low on cash so no impulse buys :(
as for shoes, i did manage to find two pairs of minnetonka moccasins! i had a pair of these when i was a toddler, and they're a totally cool fall-like find. and, for my most exciting win(at least for me)drum roll please...
a pair of chloe heels off of ebay!

i have my eye on another pair, but we'll see how high the auction goes...these were very cheap as far as chloes go, about as much as a new pair of heels from urban outfitters, and so far the other pair are low as well...i'm becoming addicted to ebay and all the great chloe shoes i seem to find! but if they're in my budget and miraculously my size, they are so mine

i also want to make a promise to start posting more regularly and less erratically, which will a)force me to actually wear something other than jeans and a t shirt every day, b) try a bit harder to put myself together for "photo shoots", and c) not leave any readers wondering if i fell into a black hole! i hate when bloggers don't update frequently, but i'm a big hypocrite! lets say that i pinky swear to post at least 3 times a week? if i get on a schedule of posting i'm sure to stick with it :)

through the looking glass

2009-07-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

as promised, here's a little photo representation of the wonderful hats i found in gettysburg!
first off, a velvet and black net one that i adore! a bit funereal but in a good way

then there's this sweet off white headband type one, with chiffon flowers and a caged top. totally cool

then there's this plastic flower headband with net, also pretty cool! and all of these were less than $4 each!

and last but not least...a boater hat!

i know i'm super late on this bandwagon, but i've FINALLY acquired my own boater, and the best part is that it was handmade by the shop owner i bought it from and it was considerably cheaper than any vintage one i've come across! win win situation here.

in case you were wondering what i was wearing, here's a lopsided picture of the thrifted handmade dress, black belt, and putty t straps all from salvation army

p.s. don't these kinda look like a marc jacobs ad? i love poladroid, haha
and how does the new header look? better than the old one?
<3

bathing beauties in black and white

2009-07-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

the first day of my trip i went into an antique shop expecting for there to be war memorabilia and nothing that i would like, but the place turned out to be huge, with tons of booths full of vintage randoms, and in the back of the shop there were piles of old photographs taken in the 1950s by a local photographer. i rummaged through them and picked out the best to show you all; summer inspiration! i especially love the girls who wore heels for their photograph, so funny.
and the girls are all too cute not to show off :) i also snagged these ladies in their adorable outfits; the first girl reminds me so much of lolita, i love the middle girl's shoes and expression, and the last girl's shorts are great!

i probably should have saved some of these to show off later, but i felt like they all needed to stick together! i'm really craving all of these looks now, haha!

back in action

2009-07-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

i'm back!
our trip was both good and bad, so i'll give you all a rundown of what occurred

the good:
1)sleeping on the long ride up (6 hours)
2)going to all the cool historic sites
3)looking at the architecture around town
4)swimming!
5)having beautiful weather
6)looking through all the little antique stores and thrift shops and buying not too many pretty little things

the bad:
1)doing nothing during the 6 hour car ride
2)having faulty bathrooms in the hotel at midnight
3)fire alarms in the hotel
4)having our hotel room ROBBED of my mom's camera, totally an awful and unsettling thing to know that someone has all of our vacation photos...ugh
5)bike week...so damn loud and obnoxious!
6)my mom also got stung by a bee, she was cursed or something! seriously WTF

aside from the obvious awful stuff that happened, i managed to have a nice time (because i was determined too, lol, we haven't been on a family vacation in years)
and i also managed to find a few cool things for the blog/stuff that has been on my wishlist for months that i'll show you later (my camera batteries are dead, lol, charging them right now)

i did get to finally test out my negative scanner today, and it's awesome! i'm super psyched to be able to convert my own negatives just like i did in high school, and i quickly did a little test run with the negatives from the 4th of July fireworks and the carnival (sorry the pictures are messed up, this was a test drive to see if my little pinhole actually worked with fireworks!)
these aren't that awesome in quality, but i'll keep experimenting in nighttime photography with my pinhole camera, and i'll definitely post more of my work soon!

flea market find and a mini vacation for me :)

2009-07-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

as i mentioned earlier, i went to a flea market on the 4th with my family, and it was absolutely huge!

most of the vendors were selling really weird things, like socks and sham-wows (hahah) but there was a few rows of vendors specifically market "antiques" that i headed straight for
we got there pretty late and only had about an hour to browse, so i sped through the booths looking for vintage clothing and that elusive boater hat! unfortunately i didn't bring my camera with me, because there were some beautiful old bikes, vintage furniture, and strange little odds and ends that i would have loved to get it money and space were no problem, but i did manage to find one vendor with a small rack of random Hawaiian shirts and this sweet little 50s dress that fits like a dream, and for only $15!

50s dress: flea market find (pictured with a huge fabric cat "painting" that i found in a dumpster a few years ago, because the blue in the dress matched perfectly the blue of the cat's eyes; one of my favorite finds ever!)

sure, that's a bit higher than what i would usually pay at a thrift store, but i've seen similar dresses on etsy and ebay for a lot more!

i never did find a boater, although there were plenty of old war helmets, so my list of things to search for has grown once again!

p.s. i won't be around for the next few days, i'm off on a mini vacation to historic gettysburg with the family! hopefully i'll take a bunch of pics for you all to see, plus i finally caved and bought the negative scanner from urban outfitters, so i can upload my film photos for you as well! talk to you then :)

cherry baby

2009-07-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

i don't usually wear a lot of makeup, and i rarely wear perfume, but there's something about buying pretty packages and lining them all up that makes me want to wear pretty stuff more often!* i bought myself a pink lipstick and the perfume Miss Dior Cherie, the commercial itself won me over, but it also smells so pretty! here are some of my things that look best with my new cosmetics :) a spool of thread candy colored nails

a big pink bowa pink lipstick a chiffon flower

and a little white mouse!

lipstick: sephora, perfume: dior, thread and bow: thrifted, nail polish: essie, flower: j crew, mouse: steiff

sometimes, the best things in life are small, and preferably pink!

black and gold

2009-07-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

how was you weekend? mine was spent watching fireworks, going to a humongous flea market (that had very little vintage, sadly, but i did get a steal of a dress that i can't wait to show off), hanging out with my family, and eating wayyy too much! i did get a few things this past week that i haven't shown you yet, so here it goes...

shorts: salvation army, hat and shoes: forever 21

usually when i go thrifting, i see things at a glance, pick them up, and then toss them when i'm in the checkout

sometimes, the cut doesn't seem too flattering, or i don't like the color, or i'm low on cash (most likely, lol)

but then sometimes i go home and think about what i left behind, and realise that damn! i've been searching for something just like that and i let it get away! usually when i come back the whole store has been rearranged and whatever i left is gone, but this time i lucked out! these goldenrod shorts are very similar to an old h&m short that i wanted but couldn't find anywhere, and i didn't realise it until i got home and had that "oh crap" moment, but thankfully they were exactly where i had left them! and they go too perfectly with my new hat and shoes that as alix pointed out ( lol, i ran out and bought these as soon as i saw them on her blog, they are way too badass to pass up!) look a whole lot like the chloe sevigny for opening ceremony strap heels, but for a LOT less

the golden color of these shorts happened to be the same as of one of my new urban outfitters dresses, and since i bought a wig to try out a shorter hairstyle without actually cutting my hair (i'm too chicken to ever do anything drastic) i decided a mini photo shoot was in order! hat and shoes: forever 21, dress: urban outfitters, belt: thrifted, bow tie: vintage fashion show in nyc (i put it on a necklace though)

i hardly recognise myself! for now, a wig is as far as i'll go for experimenting with my hair for now, lol

that 70s wardrobe

2009-07-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

i used to agree with the majority of people about the clothing from the 70s

high waisted or bell bottom jeans? not a chance with me

acid colors and platform shoes? not so much
but now, i've definitely warmed up to this era of supposed "fashion follies", and have collected some of my favorite vintage pieces from this era (as well as some zany ones, but they are are interesting to look at!)

there is so much more, but these are the finds from the 70s that i found this week!

*70s psychedelic print romper. it almost seems like a tennis outfit, with the little shorts under the pleated skirt; imagine playing tennis in one of these! i have an old suitcase that is nearly identical in print to this, and i know most people think this represents the worst of the 70s, but i can't help but love it

the hem is falling down, as you can see, but that's an easy fix

romper: salvation army *this is a cotton fabric, so it isn't too heavy, and the colors seem great for fall. it buttons all the way down and has a peter pan collar to boot

shirtdress: salvation army *i spotted this girl and her awesome pair of vintage high waisted jeans and i just had to get a pic! i've been on the lookout for a pair of my own, and she said these were a lucky find in a boston shop. i love how easy this looks to put on in the morning and look put-together

i scoured the salvation army for anything remotely similar and found an old deadstock pair of high waisted bells that i'm almost sure are 70s, judging by the tags and the orange contrast stitching/leather details. that were from sears for "male teens", haha. vintage high waisted bell bottoms: salvation army (originally sears)

and a 70s post can't be complete without an outdoor music festival! "the gathering of the vibes" is at the end of july in bridgeport, ct for those who are in the area/interesting in hippies, and i'll totally be there! as for clothes, i'm still on the lookout for the perfect pair of 70s jeans, and also a pair of wooden platforms! but for now i can be content with what i have :)

i shop too much, i talk too much

2009-06-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

~sorry for the lack of posts; i've been so caught up in traveling to different camps for my brother that i haven't had the time or energy to sit down and put together a decent write up! now that camp is over (for at least this week), and since it is beginning to rain outside anyway, i thought i'd show off some of the new goods i got since last time ;)

first off: the thrifted finds

*just a small selection of the INCREDIBLE finds from a day of thrifting last week, these are by far my favorites! the first dress has a beautiful sheer embroidered top half and then a green swiss-dot skirt. i'm pretty sure it's from the 60's or 70's, and the tag says it's saks fifth avenue, pretty cool. it's so delicate looking! and too small for me...damn, lol *my other two favorite thrifted finds are the light pink linen hand-embroidered blouse and pale yellow high waisted shorts, both from the 40's or 50's. salvation army was having a very good day! haha. unfortunately (again) the shorts are too small, and i'm not the biggest fan of pink clothes on me (even though the pink and yellow blouse and shorts combo look adorable!) i'm just going to have to dress up one of my human barbie dolls (aka my friends, hi guys!) and take some pics of the awesomeness that is this selection of vintage!
(sorry for the wrinkles, i have to keep my thrifted finds in bags because i have no more closet space! i'm a total hoarder now, and i really need to open an etsy shop to unload some of this onto you guys, lol)

all thrifted clothing: salvation army (lovelovelove)

next up: etsy packages

*i lovelovelove the prints on these two dresses!!! (i'm so sorry, i forgot what the names of the shops were that i purchased them...usually i browse etsy and just send the link to my mom if i like something, and sometimes she surprises me and buys me what i want! only thing is i can't go back and find where they came from...i should keep better track of that)

both dresses are from the 50's, and i absolutely adore the little belt-like bow on the yellow dress! and the tiny purple floral with the scalloped neckline on the one below! i had to mend the yellow one because the stitching thread had gone to dust, and the purple one is a bit too long, but i'm scared of altering anything beyond a few minor repairs! too chicken to mess with an object from the past, i suppose. oh and i guess yellow is my new favorite color? seriously EVERYTHING i've been buying has included something yellow, i'm like an addict!

50's dresses: etsy (?)

and lastly: the regular store purchases

* a floral bustier! i don't know if i have the courage to wear this one out in the daylight, but it was on sale...haha, excuses excuses. maybe if i find the right bottoms to wear i can dare to venture out with this baby.
floral zip-up bustier: urban outfitters sale

*oh, surprise surprise, TWO new floral yellow dresses...i have a weakness for this, i must refrain from buying any more yellow dresses! although they are oh-so perfect with the sunny weather...i really do love the versatility of the darker yellow dress, great for any season, and the print on that top dress! liberty is to die for. now i'm sounding vapid and clothing obsessed, but heck it's what i do ;)

yellow floral dresses: urban outfitters*a couple of headbands in pastel hues, a tiny music box that plays "hey jude", and a bright red lipstick that smells of vanilla icing; i do love the little pretty things in life

headbands: j crew, lipstick: urban outfitters, music box: borders bookstore

*the rachel comey for urban contributor oxfords! so beautiful, the details had me won over in a second flat. i don't want to get them dirty though; i always ruin light coloured shoes! for now they're protected in their sweet little sparkly box, but i'm going to break them in soon i hope!
oxford heels: urban outfitterswhew! so i guess i did find a whole lot of good stuff this past week, and even more besides that i haven't gotten to photograph for you all yet! i promise that there are some wacky, pretty, or down right classy pieces that i can't wait to show off! (a peek at my ever-growing vintage/thrifted finds!)

the girl with kaleidoscope eyes

2009-06-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

the last few days i've been at my college orientation; i can't believe how fast time goes!
i feel like i only just began the process to go to high school, and i am already moving on to college! i'm excited to start school; meeting new people, seeing things differently, and living on my own for the first time are things i'm looking forward to most in a bittersweet kind of way :)

the university i am going to is really quite close to my aunt's house, where she has the old volkswagen bus of my dreams if i so choose to take it and restore it!! (exclamation points galore on this post; as you can see i am so psyched for everything! haha) yay graduation gifts!!!

it's fairly beat up and rusted, but i haven't seen a more beautiful pile of junk in my whole life!dreams of driving cross country, and maybe even across europe, in one of these fine pieces of machinery has crossed my mind more than once the past few years, but i don't have the money to get the bus back into drive-able, safe shape at the moment (much less the money to fund an extensive trip)

and then there is the whole issue of the drivers licence...i'm 18 and have yet to go take the test, but that is on the top of my ever-growing to do list, of course!

for now my dreams of being a pseudo-hippie have to wait i suppose, but someday i will drive this fantastic vehicle!

we walked through her house, which at the moment is gutted for renovations, and on the way out we passed a beautifully wallpapered room, and i had to get a snapshot of it! it totally reminded me of this great handmade vintage dress i just bought on etsy (random change of topic, sorry guys!); it's a really flattering cut and it is yellow! doesn't it remind you of the wall? and the 60's/70's? it even matches my bus; isn't that weird? i'm still on the hunt for the quintessentially 50's pale yellow summer dress, but for now i'm really happy to have this addition to my growing vintage/handmade wardrobe!

summer only started this past weekend, but fall will be here in no time, and i can't wait to get on campus and show my new school what i am all about :)

the girl with the milk maid braids

2009-06-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

this is the first outfit/photo shoot post i've done, so bear with me if they aren't as beautiful as Liebemarlene's or thecherryblossomgirl's as of yet!

photos by my sweet little (or at least younger by 22 months) brother Andrew ;)

here it is, my folding beach cruiser bicycle! B E A U T I F U L!

here is my mint plant and a bouquet of wild daisies :)

lemonade ice pops on a warm summer afternoon

t straps: good will, coach bag: salvation army, vintage camera: flea market

daisies are my favorite flowers!

blue gingham dress: salvation army, belt: h&m

contents of my bicycle basket <3

classy bathroom shot of my hair and makeup, i tried out milkmaid braids in real life; they are super easy and a welcome change from my usual ponytail (i like my hair up, i don't like the feeling of hair on my neck, although i love long hair! haha)

i also can thank him for finding a little blue typewriter for me today as well!

the yellow high waisted swiss-dot bathing shorts are vintage, and the swim suit is J Crew just thought i'd add them in here

slanted sunlight

2009-06-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

after several days spent inside (due to the crummy weather and subsequent crummy feeling/ wish to do nothing but stay in and browse the internet) the sun has come out! granted, it's nearly night time, but here's a quick post of all the stuff i got at the salvation army today so i can go outside and enjoy the sun!

*sparkly cat-eye glasses (these are actually from my aunt, not salvation army. she found another pair when she rifled through her basement and since she gave me that other lot of old glasses she sent them on to me! thank you aunt annette!)

*wicked cut-out 80's boots. not sure if i'll keep these for myself or not yet, i have issues stepping out of the house in anything but flip flops these days. one boot needs a new cap, but otherwise they are great! i sense a madonna moment in these, lol

80's white cut-out boots: salvation army

*a sweet pink gingham and white lace peter-pan collared blouse. i usually shun anything pink but the collar was too good to leave; plus i never find any blouses at salvation army (i don't know why, there are literally racks full, they just are never appealing to me)

pink gingham peter-pan collared blouse: salvation army

*a handmade dress, with the sweetest little floral print (that you can't really see in the pic...oops) this one is huge on me, but i think i'm going to alter it quite a bit; the patterned fabric was too good to leave behind

handmade floral dress: salvation army

*the shape of this dress is great, it reminded me of 1940's house dresses (although i'm pretty sure it's from the 80's) it looks much better on, for some reason my camera is making everything look a bit grey

*another gingham print find, this dress is perfect for a sunny day picking flowers! or for a dorothy-inspired photo shoot, which is totally happening, btw! haha. it also happens to match a table cloth i have, which is too funny not to photograph ;)

blue gingham dress: salvation army

well, that's it for today, i'm out of here before the sun goes down! oh, i just got my graduation present from my dad; a baby blue folding beach cruiser style bicycle!!! it is fantastic, although i have to relearn how to ride since i'm so used to my mom's old banana seat bike, which is way too small for me. pictures of me and my bike in the countryside (aka the only dirt road left in my town, where i happen to live, love it) soon to come!

not fair!

2009-06-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

augh, so bummed about this one

today marks the two-month anniversary of my first post! (somehow i totally missed the one month mark, whoops...haha)

is it just connecticut, or has the weather been not june-like at all? i think there has been two nice days in the past three weeks, which is awful! bring back the sun!

ok, nothing new bought (yet) this week, but this dress above, found at allencompanyvintage on etsy (one of my favorite shops to look through, everything is so amazing!) is B E A U T I F U L!

and i cry because it's also too small...damn

i've been hunting for a pale yellow dress for so long, and the fact that it's from the 50s makes it so much better (or worse, in my case...)

oh well, the hunt is still on i suppose, but this beauty is getting saved to make favorites folder

(p.s. click the picture to go to the etsy listing, maybe one of you can buy it. if you do send me pics of it on, it's too pretty not to be posted on a person!)

life goes on

2009-06-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

i'm officially done with highschool, and summer couldn't come sooner!
so far for my first week of break i have slept, bought books and gone thrifting, which is all i could ever want!
i don't feel like writing a book like my last post tonight, so here is the awesome stuff i've found in the last week or so, plus a few non-thrifted/vintage finds that i couldn't resist :) i got some really great stuff that i've been excited about, so here it all is!

* this is my bureau, which among other things (some of my favorite books, thrifted metronome, train case, and troll doll!) my new phone now sits! i need a plug converter thingy, and i hope that it doesn't burn my house down, but hopefully this beauty will be fully functioning soon! making phone calls, which i normally hate to do, seems so much more glamorous and bearable when you get to talk on a phone like this
phone: local thrift store

* i thrifted a floral dress/top (more like a top, but we shall see) i think this will go great with denim shorts when it's hot out (send me the hot weather please!!!) florals are really winning me over lately, and i feel as though i'm turning into a crazy grandma character...which is fine with me as long as no one objects! lol
top/dress: salvation army thrift

*dress in the above and below photos is another of the floral finds that i just couldn't leave on the racks; look at it, the collar on this is just amazing! i'm pretty sure this was a kids dress, and i'm not sure how to pull the lolita look off yet, but this sure would make for a good start. maybe with more adult pairings i could get the gumption to rock this...we shall see

dress: salvation army thrift

*i got this silk scarf on sale, so it was only 50 cents! i've always wanted to try out the whole mysterious girl with a scarf in her hair look, so i'm googling tutorials and pics. any tips on how to wear this? it's far too pretty to just sit on my dresser!

silk scarf: local thrift store

*high waisted shorts in a great chambray blue with white stripes! really comfy and great for summer, of course

shorts: local thrift store

*finally, a pair of shoes that fit! i almost didn't notice these guys, but thankfully i snagged them as i was checking out at the salvation army and they fit perfectly, plus they are almost twins to a pair i wanted off of etsy! awesome luck, and so so comfortable (and the name "Cobbie Cuddlers" makes me laugh every time, haha)

70s platform sandals: salvation army thrift

*my brother needed a beside clock, and this one just looked to cool not to get. it almost looks like something off of urban outfitters. i got him a john cougar cassette to play, since i doubt my house has any. jack and diane will play constantly this summer, of course!

clock and cassette: local thrift store

*and now for the non-thrifted finds, (another!!) floral dress, this time from forever 21, and a great pair of shorts from h&m.

dress: f21

shorts: h&m

*these two machines are really awesome, i'm so glad i found them! the crazy futuristic machine below was in a cabinet that i really didn't need, and after i asked if i could just take the machine, i took this home along with two boxes full of parts and manuals! EPIC WIN FOR ME. ok, happiness rant over. when i told the thriftstore lady that i wanted machines she went in the back and got me the blue machine up top, and since it lacks a foot pedal i got everything for $10!!! so much happy, so much happy! these two do so much more than my grandmother's singer, so i can do a lot more with sewing. cannot wait to start a project with these!

* finally, i got some sweet...floral...fabric for a dress i've been thinking about making for the last few weeks. i got a few baby sized buttons as well, not sure what they will be a part of but i love the color!

ohh, so many good things to find, so little time!

your friend,

the bandit ;)