Favorites of 2009

One of my favorite things about blogging (besides all the wonderful internet friends I've made) is the fact that the blog acts as sort of a diary. I've never kept a diary although I've always admired people who do. When I was looking back over the photos we've taken in the past year, I was surprised at the flood of memories that came with them; traveling to Philly to explore old cemeteries, going to see Bat For Lashes play at the Unitarian Church, sneaking into the abandoned silk mill, how cold it was on Easter Sunday and how it felt to lie in the grass on the first truly warm day of spring.

Naturally when I picked my favorite shots from 2009 they all ended up being ones that Tom took; not my self-timed-run-around-the-camera-and-pose ones. So I have to say a big thank you to him for always being ready with the camera to capture photos for the blog. Thank you!

I also want to say a huge thank you to all of you who come here to visit! I just really don't think I say it nearly enough. I'm still amazed at just how many lovely people I've come in contact with through blogging. One of my resolutions will be trying to respond to more of your comments and being a better commenter on other blogs! Right now I don't do that nearly as much as I would like. I'm not sure what my other resolutions will be... travel more? read more? finally get my office in order? What about you? What are your resolutions for the new year?

It wakes me up and shakes my bones...

photos by Tom b.

- floral 90s dress worn as a top
- 60s wool skirt
- H&M sweater
- AA winter leggings
- vintage wool beret
- UO boots
- listening to: Sparta - Porcelain "While Oceana Sleeps"

Here are some more shots that Tom took while we were hanging out on my parent's property down in 'Bama. I was so excited about the 50-something degree temps I hardly packed warm enough clothes. I had to come up with some creative combinations with what I had in the suitcase to make up for my overzealousness when it came to the "warmer" weather.

Sooo... if I could finally talk about something besides the weather - aren't these woods the best?! I think that they are. There's a little stream that trickles down the hillside and feeds into a bigger creek. Over the bridge there's an area thick with ferns and there's a little screened-in cabin with porch swings and a cot for spending the night and listening to the coyotes howl.

Trench Coats

photos from German Vogue November 2009

This is the year that I finally took the plunge and got a classic trench coat. It's one of those items that I had no idea how much I would use it until it was hanging in my closet. I can throw it on over almost anything and instantly feel a little more put together. I think these photos are proof that you can look good doing almost anything as long as you're wearing a classy trench coat. Well, I guess being Claudia Schiffer doesn't hurt.

Papercup

When we left Lancaster on Thursday there was still a 12 inch thick blanket of snow covering the ground. Upon our return, I was happy to find all of that snow had been washed away by a rainy Christmas weekend. It's so pretty when it first falls, but quickly becomes a big slushy mess. I know we're in for a few more months of cold weather, and surprisingly, I'm still OK with that notion. Ask me again in February and I might have a different story though.

I haven't even started thinking about spring yet, but when I ran across this collection from Papercup I got this slightest yearning for warmer weather. I'm definitely filing this away for a rainy spring day. I think I just got my first glimpse of what I want my warm weather wardrobe to look like.

Back in Alabama

photos by Tom b.

- Fletcher for Lyell silk blouse
- H&M tweed shorts
- AA tights
- H&M coat
- vintage wool beret
- UO boots

Hiya! I feel like I've been gone for ages but it's only been a few days. It was a welcomed break but I'm so glad to be back. On Christmas Eve morning Tom and I packed up the car super early and headed south. Nothing says Happy Holidays like a fourteen hour car ride, right? But really, as soon as that blanket of snow gave way to a blanket of kudzu vines (you southerners know what I'm talkin' about) I finally started to feel the Christmas spirit. And it was so nice to leave the single digit temperatures behind for just a few days. By the time we reached South Carolina it was in the 50s and Tom and I had the windows in the car rolled down!

We spent a wonderful weekend at my parent's cabin holed up with lots of family and amazing food. My parents have a new kitten that kept us entertained all weekend long. The poor little thing is probably completely worn out from all the lovin'. Tom and I did a little exploring of a couple abandoned places - one an old cabin, the other an old train station. The little cabin is what you see here. The last time we visited we salvaged a bunch of 50s-60s soda bottles in a crate that are now sitting in the corner of our dining room. This time I salvaged an old metal basket (maybe an egg crate?) that I'm going to use for storing scarves in.

Happy Holidays!

Bright and early in the morning we're packin' up the car and heading south to spend the holiday weekend with my family (the two and four legged varieties). I haven't been much in the Christmas spirit yet but I expect that to change the minute we reach my parents cabin. And it'll be a welcome break from the snow! I'll be away from the blog for a couple of days as we relax and enjoy the weekend, but we plan on taking loads of photos while we're there so I should have lots to share when I return.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Winter Wonderland

Here's a super sneak peek at the pieces I'll be putting in the shop tomorrow. This week's update was inspired by all of the snowy weather we've had this week. Lots of cute dresses in creamy shades of white and steely greys, crisp white blouses, coats for bundling up against the cold and woolly sweaters for tomboy days.

My favorites: the 30s cream lace dress, the grey monogram sweater and the silk ruffle blouse!

Update: Whew! All of these items are now available in the shop! Thanks for your patience. :)

Duffle Coats

Speaking of coats, I've also been on the lookout for vintage duffle coats. I was lucky enough to thrift one in the fall that fits me nicely but I would love to find more for the shop. I was reminded of this when I saw the wonderful collage of duffle-coat-wearin' gals put together by Calivintage.

As much as I like my vintage one, if I was going to splurge, I would love to have a real Gloverall duffle coat. I like the shorter version the best. And just look at the rainbow of colors it comes in!

Furry Coats

random streetstyle shots that may or may not have appeared on this blog before: stylesightings, facehunter (I think), the sartorialist, cafe mode

All of this snowy super cold weather has reignited my thirst for a old-ladyish coat with furry accoutrements. A few years back I was determined to find such a coat that actually fit me but constantly came up empty handed. I think I must have given up and moved on to something else because I never did get my hands on that perfect old lady coat. Now I'm reminded a bit of the Camille Bidault-Waddington interview I read on Siri's blog when she talked about dressing like a spinster when she was younger was charming but now that she's older she just looks like... a spinster. I think I still have a few years left of being able to wear the little old lady coat and not come across as just that. I hope.

I'm still kicking myself for not snagging the one on the below left when I had the chance. Actually, I think it sold for a ridiculous few hundred dollars which is why it's not hanging in my closet now. The one on the right would do as well. Even the fur is faux which is a plus in my book.

Snow Day

- vintage fisherman's sweater
- H&M tweed shorts
- Undercover wool tights
- vintage snow boots
- vintage knit beret
- vintage silk scarf

Why does The Weather Channel have to come up with a "clever" (and I use that word sparingly) catch-phrase for every storm, flood and natural disaster? Apparently we're currently suffering from the "Winter Wallop". Seriously Weather Channel, knock it off. So far Mr. Wallop has dumped about 9 inches of glorious powdery snow on our front doorstep and it's still coming down in big, fat flakes. Luckily I have nothing to do today except help keep the sidewalk in front of our house clear. That mostly consists of me watching Tom sweep the sidewalk through the front door peephole while sipping hot chocolate. It's so cold out there!

Having grown up in Alabama and then living in California, I'm not used to this kind of snow. This is only the second time in my life I've ever seen this much of the white stuff (the first being the blizzard of '93 - I'm sure there was a catchphrase for that one too). While the adult in me is thinking about how to keep the house warm, digging the car out and sweeping the never-ending blanket from the steps and sidewalk, the kid in me just wants to stomp around in the deepest snow, throw snowballs and make snow angels.

One if by land, two if by sea...

Here's a little peek at the items that will be going into the shop today...

The Sally Jane Dress from Modcloth

- the Sally Jane Dress from Modcloth (it also comes in red!)
- H&M trench coat
- heathered grey tights ??
- vintage silk scarf
- vintage wool beret
- 70s leather boots
- vintage Bond Street bag

The lovely ladies over at Modcloth went and did the nicest thing - they named a dress after me! The dress they picked for me is one of those classic cuts that I know I'll wear again and again. Basic black dresses are always more fun when they have special details like pleats and a reverse collar. Oh, that collar! It's my favorite part of the dress, perfect for tying up with a vintage scarf.

You can visit the Modcloth blog to read my interview and see all of my favorite picks from their shop.

Dream and Awake

Dream and Awake is a Swedish based company that does my favorite kind of recycling by taking dresses of yesterday and tweaking them into something new and wonderful. Each dress is handpicked from around the world and redesigned for a modern girl while retaining all of its vintage charm. Below is a sampling of the one of a kind pieces we've already missed out on! But not to worry, there are plenty more in their shop.

Knowing Me They're Sittin' at the Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea

- 60s tweed riding jacket
- vintage wool skirt
- silk Fletcher for Lyell blouse
- 70s leather boots
- vintage silk scarf
- vintage wool beret
- thrifted brown tights
- listening to: We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls "Ships With Holes Will Sink"

Foret

It seems in my thrifting endeavors I always come out heavy on the skirts and light on the blouses. My closet is overflowing with vintage skirts that I can't seem to part with but I honestly can't remember the last time I found a great vintage blouse that actually fits me. After discovering Foret on Etsy I think my blouse woes may finally be over. Wouldn't these look lovely tucked into a high waisted vintage skirt?

Creepy Ol' Attic

- 30s wool jumper
- thrifted wool J. Crew cardigan
- AA tights
- boots courtesy of Modcloth
- vintage wool beret
- vintage silk scarf


Yet another abandoned house you're asking? Nope! It's my very own sorta creepy, maybe-sometimes haunted attic! With temperatures plummeting well below freezing I couldn't fathom stopping along my way to the post office to take outfit photos. M-m-must minimize time spent freezing outside! So instead, I hauled myself up the creaky stairs into the attic of house. It's a space perfect for storing all of our extras that haven't quite found a permanent place in the house but not exactly a room I hang out in, um, ever.

As for the haunting, I'm sorta half kidding. There have been some mystery wet spots that appear on the floor outside the attic door (do ghosts do that?) and the cats are always howling when they walk by it. Plus there's been a knocking noise (which I'm sure is caused by tree limbs hitting the roof, but it's more fun to imagine it has a supernatural origin!) and I swear I felt something tug my skirt when I walked by the door one day!

Pretty Pictures (instead of an outfit post)

Oh my gosh you guys, so sorry for the lame-o blog this week. I had a very legit outfit post all ready for today, but as sometimes happens, life gets in the way. It seems we have a problem with one of the gas lines leading into our house which the gas company has so kindly offered to fix. Did I metion that "fixing" includes jackhammering up the sidewalk in front of our house? And turning the gas off of course! So it's c-c-cold in here and my b-b-brain is sh-sh-shaking from all the jackhammering and I'm certainly not leaving the house for any outfit photos today. I probably won't even be changing out of my jammies and wool sweater!

So for now, here are some more pretty pictures to look at. I discovered this set of editorials via Knight Cat but I'm not sure what the original source is. If you know, tell me and I'll be happy to credit them. They're not very wintery at all so they're more for just admiring the pretty than drawing inspiration for outfits right now. As a matter of fact, it looks quite warm where they are. Maybe that's why I like them so much! I promise to be back with outfit photos and relevant blog posts soon! Thanks for hanging in there with me. :)

Ruche Look Book

I just flipped through the Ruche Winter Look Book and really liked quite a few of the looks. Even though my days of wearing knee socks are done and over with, these photos almost have me convinced to try it. I said almost. Replace the knee socks with tights and I'd certainly wear it! A yellow coat has been on my wishlist for the past couple of winters but I never seem to find the right one. Doesn't it seem like the perfect thing to brighten up a dreary winter day?

A Case of the Mean Reds (and pinks and purples)

I'm working on an update for the shop! Some of these are already available and the others are on their way...

Class Photos

This set of class photos are among my favorites that I've found on Flickr lately. Class photos are always fun but these are especially nice because they were scanned at a very large size. Go here to see this one in all of its full size glory. I would kill for any one of those dresses on the girls in the front row. I also love how the girls are sweetly holding hands, the hair-dos on the boys and striped socks with saddle oxfords.

Keepers

Hard evidence that I was not feeling well last week is the fact that I never went to a single thrift store - all week long! So very not like me. I jokingly call my thrifting treks my "weekly therapy sessions." I get all restless and antsy if I haven't set foot in a thrift store in more than a week. I think I suffer from thriftitis? Thriftdrawal? I'm a thriftaholic? By Saturday afternoon I was finally feeling fully rested and ready for an outing. And I'm so glad I went! I came home with two large bags of goodies for the shop - and a couple of things that will make a rotation through my closet before perhaps hitting the shop as well.

It seems there's a bit of an equestrian theme going on up top. I finally found a perfect pair of riding boots in my size. They were just the thing for the snowy weather we had this weekend! This horse-jumping sweater almost didn't come home with me. I was in the checkout line when I spotted it on the rack. I reached over at the last second and put it in my cart. I don't usually do these sorts of novelty sweaters but for some reason I'm loving this one!

I don't think I'm ready to give up my berets, but I'm certainly going to have to find a way to work this wool brimmed hat into the rotation. This skirt may not seem terribly noteworthy but it's the kind of wardrobe staple I know I'll wear again and again. It's in my favorite color for the season, a nice warm caramel, and has all sorts of lovely details that make it special; the cutest hip pocket, a tonal windowpane check and double kick pleats at the back hem!

Fletcher

For me, most designer/chain store collaborations have fallen flat. Of all the Target GO collections, I've only acquired one piece - the 30s style black and white Libertine dress. I don't know what it is about them that doesn't tickle my fancy, but for some reason I'm never as excited about the actual clothes as I am the idea of them. So when I heard that Lyell was pairing up with UO, I was excited but at the same time a bit apprehensive. I guess I can breath a sigh of relief now! I'm actually liking quite a few of the pieces. I know I've mentioned it (a couple of times?) before but the little velvet jacket is certainly in my future. And I'm happy to see that whenever I check back, there seems to be new pieces being added. Just today I discovered that black polka dot flutter sleeve dress. Now if only they would add a pair of high waisted wool shorts! I've been looking everywhere for a pair with absolutely no luck.

Paris 1962

I discovered this Flickr photo set via Niotillfem last night and I think my jaw actually dropped. The saturated colors! The clothes! The poodle at dinner! And those fingernails! Yikes. I love how intimate the photos are, as if you're sitting right there at the table listening to wine glasses clink and laughter fill the air as smoke fills the room. I don't know if I've ever seen photos that captured the mood of a room quite so well.

From the Flickr set description: "Images from Paris cafés and nightlife in 1962, the same week Yves St. Laurent's runway show vaulted Dior to new heights."

What I need is a kiss from you babe...

photos by Tom b.

- 50s cotton blouse
- Fletcher for Lyell sweater dress worn as vest
- vintage skirt
- vintage wool beret
- thrifted t-strap heels
- 40s Gladstone style bag
- listening to: BOC - Spectres "Death Valley Nights"

Thank you so much for all of your well wishes and get better soons! I am finally feeling better after a couple of days of funk. It wasn't anything serious, just a cold with a fever but I'm not very good at being sick.

Tom snapped these photos the other day while we were out scouting locations for him to shoot for a Kodachrome project he's working on with the Lancaster Building Conservancy. We ran across this abandoned house unexpectedly. There was actually a for sale sign out front and the doors were open, so for once we didn't have to sneak in!

December Wish List

Chimney Sweep's Daughter Dress, Fletcher velvet jacket, Kimchi Blue t-strap wedge, Topshop dotty tights

It seems I've fallen prey to whatever latest bug is being passed around. It started this morning with just a soar throat but has slowly spread to take over, well, everything. I've been reduced to a pile of bones perched on the couch with the remote control clasped in my hand. I thought it would be a good day to indulge in a bit of online browsing but I really couldn't muster much enthusiasm. My picks seem to reflect my rather somber mood - all greys and blacks. I only picked a few things that caught my eye before wrapping myself back in the blankets and giving into the couch. Perhaps I can gather enough energy for an interesting post tomorrow?