30 September 2009

Work Space

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A little visual inspiration for my new work area. Via Design Sponge.

29 September 2009

Auf Wiedersehen, Au revoir, AdiĆ³s, Sayonara, Wa ki liao, Cheerio, Goodbye!

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top: 60s boy's plaid shirt
sweater: vintage
skirt: vintage
shoes: thrifted Etienne Aigner
purse: vintage Coach
hat: vintage wool beret

First just let me say, I had a completely different outfit planned for today. Something involving tights and my Fletcher for Lyell tap shorts. But that plan was put to rest because the shorts have disappeared into a box somewhere along with my tights and what's left of my sanity. This outfit was pieced together out of the scraps of my closet and while I don't think it's a particularly noteworthy ensemble I just had to stop and take a photo in front of the brick wall. Why? Because it's the last photo I'll ever take in front of that brick wall. Goodbye trusty brick wall! You have served me well.

28 September 2009

Alexandra Grecco

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How lovely are these shots from the new Alexandra Grecco collection?! Perfectly soft and dreamy. You can find more behind the scenes shots from the fall photo shoot with the always gorgeous Hannah Metz over at the Gluda Finds Lulu blog. I'm so smitten with that little blue number. Those scalloped sleeves!

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27 September 2009

Can You Say Dream Job?

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I had the video preview for this show posted but it seemed to be clogging things up a bit. Long story short, this man has my dream job. He travels the globe in search of antiques, unique artifacts and local artisans to stock Anthropologie stores. Man Shops Globe premeires on the Sundance Channel in October. You can bet I'll be watching. It's like one big treasure hunt!

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Nadinoo Autumn/Winter Preview

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I never did get my hands on a piece from the lovely summer collection from Nadinoo. That Pixie Dress was most tempting! But now I'm sort of glad I waited because as much as I loved that line, I'm even more enamoured with the autumn/winter collection. That blue floral dress would look so cute paired with tights and a cardigan and the blouse is the perfect shade of yellowy-gold.

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26 September 2009

And she gave away the secrets of her past...

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photos by Tom b.

dress: vintage 60s cotton day dress
boot: vintage
purse: vintage John Romain
hat: vintage wool beret
belt: thrifted
*listening to: Joy Division "She's Lost Control"

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25 September 2009

It's Begun...

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photo by Lisa Warninger, styling by Rebecca Westby, dress byElizabeth Dye from Urban Weeds: The Sunroom

After weeks (it kinda feels like months) of preparations the big move finally begins. We're moving all the small stuff today and a movers come next week to move all the big stuff. It's getting a bit tiresome living in two places at once so we'll be so happy when it's all over and done with! While I'm all for getting this done, I can't help but wish I was living in that photo instead. :) A fall picnic complete with freshly picked apples and my very own Hudson Bay blanket? Yes, please.

24 September 2009

Leith Clark

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The more I find out about Leith Clark, the bigger my girl crush grows. Cute, talented, enviable style... what more could a gal ask for? I love that she says her style is part Marianne Faithful, part kids from Mary Poppins. Perrrfect! The fact that she's the talent behind Lula Magazine cements the fact that I'll have to get my hands on a copy!

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23 September 2009

Joy Newell's Breath of Life

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Quite a while back I saved the above image to my "favorite photos" folder on my computer. Then I promptly forgot where I found it. I think I even used it in one of my photo collages but didn't know who to credit. So imagine my surprise when I discovered Joy Newell's Breath of Life photography and there it was! I was so happy to finally know who had taken this lovely photo. I'm always a sucker for photos of pretty girls in pretty dresses in sunlit fields.

Then, of course, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise to discover a wealth of photographs just as lovely; softly lit girls in pretty dresses lying in fields or surrounded by flowers. As if the photos themselves weren't enough, they're made all the more impressive considering the talent that shot them is a seventeen year old young woman.

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Recognise the poison in my heart...*

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photos by Tom b.

top: 20s net & lace blouse
skirt: vintage (shortened by me)
sweater: thrifted
shoes: UO booties
purse: vintage Coach
hat: vintage wool beret
*listening to: Portishead - Third "Machine Gun"

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22 September 2009

New in the Etsy Boutique

Here's a little peek of an Etsy update I'll be working on tonight. This will (most likely) be the last update until the beginning of October, after we're all moved in and settled. I've been greedily hanging on to bags and bags of fall dresses, sweater and skirts for the relaunch of the shop once we're in our new space. The store will be back in full swing with a whole new look (no more brick wall!) and lots of regular updates. I can't wait!

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Luella

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I know I keep saying that I'm all about fall right now - and I am! But... I couldn't help but notice the spring 2010 (doesn't that sound way too futuristic?) collection from Luella. I've always been a big fan of the line but sometimes it sways a bit too into cutesy territory for me. This collection however seem just right. I love the 60s style suits and jackets. So many of them could work perfectly for fall with tights and a nice pair of oxford heels. I think that's really what's drawing me in - the fact that even though it's technically a spring line, I could see myself wearing the pieces now.

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21 September 2009

In A Mad, Mad World

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After viewing last night's episode for the second time I'm as in love with this show as I've ever been. Yes, it was a bit over the top in parts (I don't want to give anything away for ones who have not yet seen the episode) but I thought it was all handled very well. Tom and I (OK, really just me) were over on the AMC site looking at behind the scenes info and just generally nerding out when I discovered you could Mad Men yourself. We had way too much fun creating little Mad Men versions of ourselves. And um, I kinda want that dress in real life?

Juliette Hogan

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I know the spring collections are still rolling in from London but I'm still searching out fall inspiration. Another line that I recently discovered and fell in love with is Juliette Hogan. The pieces are all pretty and feminine without being frilly or overly fussy. There's just the right touch of vintage spirit but all of the looks are thoroughly modern. And the color palette is just right for fall; washed out greys and blues with dusty pinks thrown in to keep from being too drab. I especially love the plaid skirt paired with the floral blouse. The perfect mix of patterns, one that I'll certainly have to try for myself.

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18 September 2009

Sometimes you get up and bake a cake or something...*

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photos by Tom b.

dress: 50s cotton day dress
shirt: H&M
shoes: UO (newly rediscovered in my closet)
beret & belt: vintage
purse: vintage Coach satchel (everything else is packed!)
*listening to: The National - Boxer "Racing Like a Pro"

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17 September 2009

Lula Confession

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I have a bit of a confession to make. I've never actually gotten my hands on a copy of Lula Magazine. I know, I know. That seems like some sort of sacriledge in this blogging world, right? It's just that I've never been much for buying magazines because I thought they were all sort of the same Conde Nast vision of fashion and never much interested me. I guess I got it in my head that I didn't really like magazines so even when a good one came around I just stubbornly stuck to not buying one, even though I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the scans from the pages online.

Word spread quickly across blogs today about the new Lula website so I thought I would finally give in and check it out. There are three short films on the site. I tried watching them all but for some reason I'm having some internet issues which made the films all jumpy and jarring. I finally made it all the way through "I Put a Spell On You", written in part by Sarah Sophie Flicker. Watching the film that way made it seem even more like an editorial come to life. Every time the movie paused unexpectedly, it was like a page ripped from the magazine.

Once my internet issues are worked out I want to go back and watch the other two films. I have to admit, seeing this film with all its mother-nature-wicca-goth-fairy-princess sort of imagery has me itching to get my hands on the new copy of the magazine. A convert at last!

15 September 2009

New in the Etsy Boutique

I'm finally getting ready to update the shop with lots of new pretty dresses, tops and skirts. Everything will be available for purchase by the end of the evening! Yay! Also, I marked down loads of summery things that are already in the shop. The sale section is all $15 or less. Be sure to check it out! Thanks so much for stoppin' by. :)

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Lyell

Of all the fall collections to come out the one I've been most anxious to see is Lyell and here's our first little teaser of a look at the line. Ms. Fletcher never disappoints me. The colors, the shapes, the fabrics... they all belong in my closet pronto! I can't wait until the actual lookbook comes out and I can really see the details.I think my favorite outfit here is the second one; black tap shorts, brown vest, white shirt. Unfortunately line is so special (read: expensive!), the closest I'll ever come to owning a piece is the UO collaboration. The little black shorts look a lot like the ones at UO, so that's a start. And the detailing around the collar of the vest looks like the grey dress in the UO line (that's my favorite piece from the collaboration). I haven't seen any of the Urban pieces in person. I'm guessing the quality is not quite as nice as the real thing.

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14 September 2009

Polaroid Transfers

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While I was cleaning out my closet this weekend I ran across a box of old photos, slides and negatives from years ago when I took a photography course while living in Birmingham. I loved taking those courses! My professor was Iranian and looked just like Albert Einstein. I kid you not - see for yourself! He required all of our photos to be taken on slide film so that they could easily be displayed and critiqued in class. I had to take an entire roll of 36 exposures a week for the class. That's alotta photo takin'!

Among the slides and negatives I also found this set of Polaroid transfers that I made. Polaroid transfers are made by exposing peel-off Polaroid film (these were made with 669 film) and then tearing open the pack before the photo is fully developed and transferring the image to another surface (these are on watercolor paper). You can use a Polaroid camera for this or a little machine that will transfer slide images onto the film - all those slides finally came in handy! I love the soft focus, grainy effect you get when transferring the images. Each one ends up a bit different depending on your timing and the conditions you're working in.

Finding these makes me want to get back to doing some hands-on photography work, rather than all digital and photoshopping. It also really makes me sad that Polaroid is stopping production on their film. What's going to happen when it all runs out?!

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13 September 2009

Rainy Day

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trench coat: Gap
rain boots: Wellies
umbrella: vintage

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful encouraging comments on my last post! I'm glad you finally got to see a little bit of what I've been up to over the past month or so. We're really proud of the progress so far and we've been taking lots of before and during photos so when we get it all done and take our after photos I'll have to post a little series.

Here's the rainy version of the outfit I was wearing yesterday. I wanted to get some shots of our backyard but the sky wouldn't cooperate. We're only moving about seven blocks from our apartment to our house so whenever I have to make a quick trip there I usually just walk; thus the rain boots and umbrella. As excited as I am about the inside of the house, I'm equally excited about having our own tiny backyard.

We already have plans for a porch swing and a little vegetable/herb garden and finally a place to compost! And there's a scraggly orange cat that lives next door (I've already dubbed him Mr. Orange - I love Tim Roth). He climbs the fence and comes to visit so I'll be working on fattening him up. Oh, and my mom already built the worlds cutest bird house to hang on the fence so I can entice all the pretty little yellow finches I see in the trees to come live in the yard.

12 September 2009

Our House

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dress: 30s linen jumper
top: 50s cotton blouse
shoes: 70s leather boots
hat: vintage wool beret
belt: vintage

Finally, here it is! The first little peek into our new house. I know it's not much of a peek, but there's still so much work to be done! I found this wonderful convertible typewriter desk at the Salvation Army last week. I'm so excited to finally have a real desk so I can get rid of the terrible folding table I've been using for the past year. Right now the desk is sitting in the living room but eventually it will be moved upstairs to my office. And our poor, pitiful staircase. We finally got down to the original wood after ripping through all of the linoleum and carpet that had been nailed to them over the years. They are still very much a work in progress (as is everything really).

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11 September 2009

Random Things

Just as I'm starting to feel like myself again, the rain comes and makes the day grey and icky. I don't really mind too much though. It's a good excuse to stay inside and read a book under a quilt and drink hot chocolate (not that I'll be doing much of that). I still don't feel much like stepping in front of the camera quite yet and we're up to our ears in packing boxes around here so instead of the post I had planned (an outfit shot in our new house!) I'm going to share some of my favorite internet related things that have gotten me through the past few days...

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Anja's scans from Fudge Magazine. At first I thought, I've got to get my hands on a copy of that magazine! Then I realized I wouldn't be able to read it anyway. ;) These are so much better than any American magazine I've seen by far. They're really making me not mind the grey day we're having.

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Searching Flickr for old photos. There seems to be a never ending wealth of photos on that site. I swear everytime I start a new search I find something I've never seen before.

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Obsessing over the book jacket designs of Alvin Lustig (discovered via 13bees). Wouldn't you love to have a collection of these? Somehow I feel like I'd get around to reading more Fitzgerald and Baudelaire if the covers looked like these.

10 September 2009

I'm Still Here!

Thank you so much for all of your kind words and well wishes after my last post. Yes, I'm finally feeling better and no, not to worry, it wasn't swine flu or anything that horrific. Taking a couple of days off from life has put me farther behind that I'd like to admit. So much for a quick recovery! A shop update and photos of the house are still to come. I promise!

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It seems like I've pulled my head out of the sand just in time for the start of New York Fashion Week. Honestly, who could be thinking about spring when it's just beginning to feel like fall?! I can't imagine I'll be able to muster much interest in the collections right now. I'm much more curious to see what people are wearing to the shows since they're likely to be sporting looks appropriate for the early fall New York weather. Here are a few looks from the Rachel Comey show. Looks like chambray is going to be just as popular for fall as it was for spring! :)

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08 September 2009

Getting Back On My Feet

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Just when I thought I was getting all caught up, I got hit with a nasty bug that knocked me flat on my back for the last three days. All the plans I had for working on the house and getting the shop organized for fall went right out the window. Instead, I've been firmly planted on the couch watching Beatles marathons and Joan Blondell movies while eating ice cream and wishing I had a new head.

I'm expecting to be fully back on my feet, hoppin' and skippin' by tomorrow afternoon. I'll be back then with a shop update and a sneak peek at our new house. See ya then!

04 September 2009

Fall Goodies

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Whenever I shop for clothes for the Etsy shop I tend to sell whatever I find that's in season and squirrel away whatever I find that's not. I didn't realize just how much squirreling I'd been doing until I cleaned out my closets this past week. I found not one, not two but five(!) big garbage bags packed full of fall and winter clothes that I'd collected over the summer. Since I was accumulating things one or two at a time I had no idea I'd amassed such a pile!

I pulled out a couple of things for myself and then put everything else away for the shop. I think I have one more week's worth of lightweight dresses and tops then I'll start listing the fall/winter collection. I better start getting everything organized! And ladies down under, not to fret, I'll still be listing a few lighter weight pieces throughout the year so there's a little something for everyone.

Here are a few of the pieces I kept for myself:
  • A 60s era 100% cashmere sweater. My, oh, my... I'm such a sucker for cashmere. This sweater is actually a bit big for me I just can't imagine parting with it just yet. I'm going to try to make it work but if not, I'm sure it will end up in one of your closets instead.
  • A 30s linen jumper. I guess this piece could work for several different seasons but I'm picturing it as the perfect fall jumper. I love the faded olive color. It's one of those things I fell in love with despite its many flaws. It's pretty stained in places (especially on the seat of the dress) and I've already soaked it in Oxyclean to no avail. Perhaps a Rit bath is in order?
  • More berets to add to my ever growing collection. I can't wait to start wearing these everyday.
  • I seem to be drawn towards skirts right now and I pulled several out to put in my keep pile. This might be my favorite though. Doesn't it remind you of a crisp autumn day - all blue skies and changing leaves?
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