More Inspiration from Toast

When flipping through catalogues or perusing the internet for wardrobe inspiration my finds usually fall into one of two categories. One, I see something like a dress or a shoe or a hat that I would like to buy and add to my own wardrobe or two, I see something that while I don't want to buy it, it leaves an impression or sparks an idea. The new Built By Wendy collection, as seen a couple of posts back, falls into the first category. I literally want to own each and every piece in that collection. Flipping through the online Toast catalogue, I found many things that fit into the second category. I don't really see any particular piece that I would buy, but the images capture an overall idea of a color pallet and mood that inspires me. I take away from these images the idea that it would be fun to have a sunny yellow coat to brighten a dreary winter day. I would like to try wearing cream colored textured tights with a grey and black outfit to lighten things up a bit. I'm looking forward to knotting a long scarf high on my neck to block out the wind. I like the idea of wearing brown and black pieces together. I'm going to be on the lookout for a woolly sweater vest to layer over a long sleeve tee.

Today at Sally Jane Vintage

Here's a peek at a few of the pieces that will be listed in the store today. Lots of cute dresses, rompers and shorts for those last hot days of summer. Be sure to hop on over and check it out.

This is the last week I'll be posting these summer looks so snatch them up while they're still around. Starting next week, it's all Fall, all the time! All summer long I've been collecting wool skirt, chunky sweaters, and warm dresses and storing them away like a little squirrel. I can't wait to unveil all the pieces I've found. Thanks again for stopping by!

What I'm Wearing

dress: vintage
shoes: vintage
purse: vintage
sunglasses: vintage

It seems like it was forever ago that I received a perfectly wrapped package from Effie containing this lovely 50's dress. Of course as soon as I opened the package the temperatures soared to 90 degrees and I didn't feel like wearing anything with sleeves. Now that the weather has taken a bit of a turn this dress is perfect for crisp, sunny afternoons.

Autumn Inspiration

I have a gargantuan load of work waiting for me in the next room that doesn't leave much time for blogging today. Instead I'm going to leave you with this collection of photos from the Fall Built By Wendy collection. I wish I could have each and every piece! The collection encompasses everything I love about dressing for fall: little corduroy jumpers, printed mini dresses, girly blouses layered under dresses, chic plaid shirts, tall boots and, oh, those lederhosen!

What I'm Wearing

jean: vintage
tank: H&M
suspenders: H&M
hat: vintage
shoes you can't see: my trusty Chucks

Sometimes I run across an item of clothing that regardless of its obvious ugliness captures my heart for some inexplicable reason. Case in point, these bleached-out, high waisted 70's Jordache jeans. Despite the fact that they give me what my boyfriend likes to jokingly refer to as "long-butt" and the fact that I feel a bit like a cross between Lou Doillon and Gallagher I've grown quite fond of them. I've gotten so accustomed to wearing skinny jeans that putting these on felt a bit like wearing bell-bottoms so I'll have to get used to them but I've already got plans to wear them with little cropped sweaters once the weather turns cooler.

Now on to the question I'm sure all of you will want to ask... What is that smeared all over your fingers? It's poke salad! Ever hear the song Poke Salad Annie? This is what Elvis is singing about. I'm sure anyone who grew up in the South knows about these. The berries have a dark pink juice that Native Americans used as a dye and cosmetic. I remember playing with the berries as a little girl, smearing them on my cheeks as make-up. It was once used as an ink as well. The Constitution of the United States was written in poke salad ink! They are also used as a folk remedy and people eat the leaves of the plant despite the fact that they are poisonous. I wouldn't recommend it!

Amelia Earhart

I ran across an article yesterday mentioning that Amy Adams will be playing Amelia Earhart in an upcoming film. Further research revealed that the character will be part of a Night at the Museum sequel, a movie I couldn't be any less interested in seeing. I was a bit disappointed because the thought of an Amelia Earhart biopic grabbed my interest. A little more research and I discovered that there is indeed a movie about the life of Earhart in the making; this one starring Hilary Swank. You can see a few sneak peek shots from the set of the movie here.

I think my fascination with Earhart can be traced back to a 4th Grade book report. We had to pick a biography to write a report about and I picked Earhart. One read and I was hooked. At the time it had nothing to do with her brave fashion choices (check out the pants!) but I fell in love with her adventurous spirit and her steps in pioneering the public's perception of what women are capable of. While those are still reasons that I consider her a personal hero, her fashion choices are not be be ignored. It was considered quite daring for a woman to wear pants in those days. I can definitely see her influence when looking at other fashion icons such as Katherine Hepburn. Her bomber jacket is a timeless classic and would easily mix right into a modern day ensemble. In her day, she even helped design a line of clothing marketed for "the woman who lives actively". Wouldn't it be wonderful if some of those pieces still survive today?

What I'm Wearing

skirt: vintage
sweater: vintage
purse: vintage
shoes: vintage
hair clip: made by me

This cream cable knit sweater is my favorite find from my vintage shopping trip this week. I actually found it among some little girl's clothes but I'm not really convinced that's where it belonged. It super soft and snuggly (is that a word?) and the perfect piece to transition from hot summer days to cooler autumn temperatures. I'll be wearing it with high waisted skirt like this one but I think I'd also like to try it layered over a long sleeve shirt with skinny jeans and boots.

Tomorrow at Sally Jane Vintage

I usually wait until Thursday morning to show you the new pieces going up in the store but my brain is a little blog-tired at the moment so I'm going to cheat a bit and give you an early sneak peek. This is about half of what you'll see in the store. You'll have to wait to see the rest! :) Only two more weeks of summer stock so make sure you grab it while you can.

Put a Feather in Your Hair

A few weeks ago as I was digging through baskets of antique sewing supplies at a flea market, I came across a big bag of vintage feathers. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with them at the time so I put them away and nearly forgot about them. As my thoughts turned to planning my autumn wardrobe, I remembered that bag of feathers and pulled them out. It seems that over the summer I became quite addicted to wearing a flower in my hair. Rarely did I leave the house with one and it even came to be that I felt quite unfinished without one. I think that the feathers will become my must have accessory for autumn.

So far I've fashioned one headband and two haircombs using the feathers and some of the vintage buttons I collected in Baltimore. I'm saving some in hopes of finding a vintage hat, maybe a nice velvet one, to decorate.

What I'm Wearing

photos by Tom b.

romper: vintage
shoes: vintage
bag: vintage
flower comb: made by me

Over the weekend my boyfriend and I accompanied his mother to an art fair in Mt. Gretna, a woodsy little cabin community built in the early 1900's. I was wearing this little romper (can you see that it has little birds on it?!) and my favorite woven flats because the afternoon temperatures have been fairly warm despite my best attempts to conjure autumn weather. Luckily I brought a sweater along because the thick canopy of trees kept the temperatures wonderfully cool all day.

Street Styles

Recently, on one of my What I'm Wearing posts, The Clothes Horse astutely commented that I seem to be dressing more "sweet" as of late. I couldn't agree more. It seems that my summer attire leaned towards florals and pastels, lady-like skirts and lacy blouses. Not to mention the flower that seems to be perpetually clipped in my hair.

Right now the Pennsylvania weather is giving us a big tease of autumn with temperatures twenty degrees cooler than only a couple of weeks ago. This has me scouring street style site for more inspiration for autumn looks. While my summer wardrobe was girly and sweet it seems that I'm leaning back towards a darker palette and edgier style for autumn. Here are the photos that I currently have pinned to my inspiration board.

• First is this lovely girl from Hel-Looks. I love the simple black dress played up with a couple of quirky, colorful accessories. I'm shamelessly stealing her idea for that belt and working on a DIY version of it for myself. I'll let you know how it goes.
• On most girls the combination of motorcycle jacket, military cap, cowboy boots and beaded ethnic earrings would be a fashion disaster, but somehow on the coolest girl in the world it just works.
• I love this all black look from Super.Fantastic.Picture.Time because it's really not as simple as it first appears. The addition of the textured tights is what puts it over the top for me. I'm pining for this pair. The fact that's she's standing in front of the Lyell store, one of my most favorite lines, doesn't hurt either!
• Lastly we have the darling Louise, the entire internet's fashion muse. This looks is the perfect mix of sweet, girly ruffles and tough leather boots with the ripped up tights giving it just the right amount of attitude.

New at Sally Jane Vintage

Hello ladies! It's that time again. This week I've restocked this store with more high waists, ditsy florals, super minis and a few hints of autumn. Here's your sneak peek at everything coming up today. Be sure to stop in and check it out. Thanks so much as always!

(If you see something you like, you can click on the picture to see it a bit bigger.)

What I'm Wearing

photos by Tom b.

blouse: vintage
skirt: vintage
shoes: vintage
necklace: vintage

At what point does something that is vintage become an antique? Are the words simply synonyms? There's a little antique store here that is filled with knick-knacks, old patterns, books and memorabilia. I love to go in and just browse around despite the fact that the lady that runs the place is a bit on the strange side (or maybe that's just part of its charm). A few weeks ago I was wandering through the aisles when the owner asked if I knew she had a back room full of clothes. Ummm, no! I did not know that! Making my way into the backroom I realized that she has a collection of turn of the century gowns, blouses and capes, 30's suits with little puff sleeves and shelves full of vintage hats (still in their hat boxes!). It was a bit like being in someone's attic that hadn't been cleaned out in 100 years. I don't think many people shop back there so she was more than happy to have me poking around. I ended up finding this little lacy blouse. I asked her what decade she thought it is from and she said the late 1880's or 1890's! It's in marvelous shape with only one little snag in the fabric. It's hard for me to believe it's over 100 years old. I'm sure I'll only be pulling it out for very special occasions.

My Tattoo

Lately I've gotten quite a few question regarding my tattoo so I thought I'd dedicate a post to answer them for you. I got the tattoo a little over two years ago when I was living in LA. I was missing my southern home and the changing of the seasons so I wanted to get something that would remind me of both. The inspiration for the design came from botanical field drawings such as the ones below. I picked dogwoods because they remind me of spring in the south and are always in bloom on my birthday (the tattoo was a birthday gift from my boyfriend).




As far as general advice on getting a tattoo, here's what I would recommend:

1. Find a great artist. Remember that this is permanent so you want to get the best quality tattoo as possible. If that means traveling to a bigger city or waiting for an appointment, it's worth it. Think of it as a piece of art and be willing to splurge a bit. I went to Clay Decker at True Tattoo in Hollywood and had a great experience.
2. Live with the idea for a while. I drew the sketch for my tattoo at least six months before I actually had the work done. Again, this is permanent so you want to make sure you're not going to get tired of the design. If you think of an idea for a tattoo and six months later you're still happy with it then go for it. I changed my mind a couple of times before I settled on this design so I'm glad I waited it out.
3. As far as pain goes, I didn't find it to be too bad. As I understand, it greatly depends on where on the body you're getting the tattoo and the upper arm is not too sensitive. It's more like a nagging pain as if someone is scratching you too hard.

Here are a few old photos I dug up of me getting the work done back in 2006.

The first photo is the completed outline with just the leaves filled in. The next photo looks a lot grosser than it really is. That's just the pink ink smeared all over my arm as he fills in the petals. Then you see the almost completed tattoo with only the highlights left to fill in (as well as a rare glimpse of my natural hair color!). The last photo was taken about two weeks after the tattoo was completed when it was just healed.

photos taken by Tom b.