Etsy Update: Black and White

Here's a little looksee at the dresses I added to the Etsy shop today. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Eve Gravel Winner

photo by Tom b.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the Eve Gravel dress giveaway. The time has come to announce the lucky winner. And that winner is...

Dakota C. Walsh from Sweetheart of the Rodeo (Dakota, please email me for details; sallyjanevintage(at)yahoo(dot)com

Congratulations Dakota! This dress is so lovely, I'll have a hard time parting with it, but it makes it so much easier knowing it's going to another gal that will love it just as much.

All Things Orla

I know I'm all about fall, fall, fall right now and I'm not changing my tune any time soon. BUT! I couldn't help but ooh and ahh over the peek at the Orla Kiely spring collection. These two dress are just too sweet for words. Carrie from WishWishWish was lucky enough to view the collection in person (well, at least cardboard cut-outs of the collection) and if you haven't seen her photos, you should hurry right over to her blog to gawk at all the wonderful perfectly Orla dresses. And then of course there's the photo of Carrie with Leith Clark in a most enviable Orla dress!

I haven't gotten my hands on a copy of Orla Kiely's book yet, but I've only heard great things about it. You can imagine my surprise when Starr told me that my blog is mentioned in the book! Apparently there's section in the book that is dedicated to blogs and their importance in the world of fashion today. Thanks so much to whoever included this blog in the book!


Thank you for the photos Starr!

Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear...

- 50s corduroy dress
- thrifted silk polka dot blouse
- 60s may-janes
- vintage umbrella
- vintage purse
- listening to: The Beatles - Abbey Road "Here Comes the Sun"



Today started out just like the last couple of days... rainy and grey. I didn't mind a bit since I know we need the rain, even though this rain is of the tropical, warm and humid variety. To take advantage of the rainy weather, I quarantined myself in the house for the past two days for some much needed work time. Everything went well until 10:00 last night when I got so stinkin' stir crazy Tom and I had to walk to the Turkey Hill to buy ice cream just so I could get out of the house for a few minutes. Nothing beats cabin fever like a chocolate milkshake!

I was still feeling a bit trapped this morning so I decided to venture out to a few thrift store. And boy, I'm glad I did! I found a couple of 60s dresses for myself as well as a vintage chenille bedspread. I've been searching for one of those for ages. Not to worry, I didn't only score things for myself. I stocked up on some silk blouses, wool sweater and cotton dresses for the Etsy shop. By the time I got home, the sun was out and the sky was clear.

Etsy Update: Smilin' Gal Vintage

I'm have a lovely shop update in the works, brought to you by Smilin' Gal Vintage. So many wonderful dresses for the changing weather! Thanks so much for stoppin' by!

I listen to my words but they fall far below...

photos by Tom b.

- 40s dress
- black wedge sandals courtesy of 13Bees Vintage
- vintage wool beret
- listening to: Cat Stevens - Teaser and the Firecat "The Wind"



At one point during our explorations, Tom and I found ourselves in an abandoned bowling alley. Wouldn't it be fun to work in a place where they had a bowling alley on site!? I was really tempted to pick up one of the balls and roll it down the lane but I can't imagine how noisy that would have been in the silence of that room.

Last night and this morning is finally bringing some much need rain to the area. And much cooler temperatures too! I'm taking advantage of the rainy day and staying in to do some much procrastinated sewing, laundry and rewatching last night's episode of Mad Men (so good!). I'm also cooking up a big crockpot of potato and broccoli soup. Yummm!

Steven Alan Fall

The Steven Alan Fall lookbook offers up lots of great ideas for layering and thrift store shopping inspiration for the months to come. It also doesn't hurt that the entire lookbooks seems to be done in my favorite colors: navy, black, camel and grey with a little touch of red here and there.

Cookie K's Vintage Giveaway

One of my generous sponsors, Cookie K's Vintage, has decided to do another giveaway! You may remember the first time around she offered three lovely bags for you to choose from and she's upped the ante today with three more vintage bags for ya!

All you have to do for a chance to win one of these bags is hop over to Cookie K's shop and have a looksee. Then leave a comment on this post letting her know your favorite item in the shop. In a week I'll announce the lucky winner and you'll get to pick your prize!

Cause nothin' ever doesn't change but nothin' changes much...

- thrifted silk blouse
- Fletcher for Lyell denim shorts
- Swedish Hasbeen clogs
- vintage Coach purse
- listening to: OK GO - Of the Blue Colour Of the Sky "White Knuckles" (seriously the cutest video EVER)



The weather is playing a little summer trick on us today with temperatures reaching the 90s for the first time in weeks. I'm taking it all in stride and trying to enjoy the last bits of heat before fall inevitably turns to winter. I'm quite sure I won't be wearing this hat all day!

I've bought a few pieces from the Fletcher for Lyell line at UO, but these shorts take the cake. I've pretty much worn them every day since I got them. Some of the pieces from the line have been sub-par (zippers broken after only a couple of wears, super clingy fabric) but these shorts are all I hoped they be.

Etsy Update: Leather Purses

Today I've added this collection of leather purses to the Etsy shop!

Annette Pehrsson

I'm feeling very much like picking up a camera after submersing myself in the photography of Annette Pehrsson this morning. I love the dreamy David Hamilton-esque quality of the photos and the use of nature and animals as her subjects.

Etsy Update: Cloudy Skies

Today's Etsy shop update was inspired by all of the wonderful fall skies that have been having lately. You know the ones... crystal clear blue with big white puffy clouds!

A small remembrance of something more solid...

photos by Tom b.

- dress by Eve Gravel
- AA tights
- Jeffrey Campbell heels
- vintage wool beret
- vintage Coach purse
- listening to: Blondie - Parallel Lines "Picture This"



As you may have already read on Starr's blog and Tieka's blog Canadian designer Eve Gravel has enlisted the help of a handful of bloggers to spread the word of her line to the big ol' US of A (and the rest of the world too!). They sent me a copy of their fall/winter lookbook and let me pick my five favorite items with the promise that they'd send one for me to try out. Fun, huh?!



But I haven't gotten to the most fun part yet... I'll be passing the dress along to one of you lucky gals! I have to admit when I first saw the lookbook I was a bit intimidated by all of the leopard print. I'm not much of an animal print kind of gal. But after staring at the Edge Kate dress for a while, it became my number one pick. While the print is on the bold side, there are lots of little details like the ruffle down the front and the ruching on the sleeves that make it pretty and feminine.

For a chance to win this dress (it's an extra small and should fit a size 0-2) just visit the Eve Gravel shop then leave a comment on this post letting me know what your number one pick would be. Make sure to leave your email address so I can get in touch if you're the lucky winner!

Etsy Update: Wool Skirts

It may not feel like fall everywhere right now, but I've been waking up to temperatures in the 50s all week! Feels like fall to me! Wool skirts are always a staple in my fall wardrobe and it's time to find these beauties new homes. I've just added them all to the Etsy shop.

In the space between our cities, a storm is slowly forming...

photos by Tom b.

- 50s dress
- UO boots
- vintage wool beret
- vintage Coach purse
- listening to: The Church - Starfish "Destination"



Yesterday Tom and I went for a Sunday morning walk and ended up right outside of an old church just as the services were starting. We were looking for an inconspicuous spot to take photos when I saw that the church doors perfectly matched my dress. What a coincidence! We watched people filing into the church wearing their Sunday best and listened to the church bells toll before moving on.



That's one thing Lancaster is blessed with... beautiful old churches! Being from the south where most old churches are small and quaint I'm always blown away by the architecture of the grandiose stone churches here. Tom and I are planning to go on a walking tour of the city next month that will let us go inside some of the beautiful old buildings we're always admiring from the outside. We'll have to take some photos to show you!

Etsy Update: Autumn Neutrals

It's truly feeling like fall these days and I've been hanging on to some of these dresses for way too long... I've just added them all to the Etsy shop!

With every mistake we must surely be learning...

photos by Tom b.

- Fletcher for Lyell silk blouse
- vintage cropped pants from 13Bees
- vintage felt fedora
- vintage shoes from 13Bees
- listening to: The Beatles - The White Album "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (George is my favorite Beatle)



I have to start off by apologizing for the photo heavy post... Tom took so many great photos this day, I couldn't narrow it down to just a few. This was one of my favorite spots to explore in the old lace factory; the auditorium! I imagine they probably made their own lace curtains for the stage. ;) The floors were all buckled from years of neglect which made navigating my way through the space a bit tricky. At some point, the auditorium had been used for storing huge bins of lace and there were still piles and piles of it laying around.



I'd also like to say a huge thank you to Megan from 13Bees Vintage for letting me play dress up in some of her amazing vintage finds. The original plan was for me to wear these adorable britches for photos then send them back to her but I fell in love and snatched them up for myself. Sorry! I just couldn't help myself. Oh, and the shoes too. ;)

Etsy Update: Pretty in Pink

I think I've got a bit of a sweet tooth today. I've filled the Etsy shop with pink and lavender confections!

Standing in Queens Lace

Vogue UK October 2010

I'm loving the washed out autumn colors in this Vogue editorial. Sometimes fashion magazines go so over-the-top with the styling of their editorials they end up being way too much for me. This one is making me want to stand in a field of queen's lace and have my picture taken. Not to mention her golden locks are just the encouragement I need in my quest to grow out my hair to my natural color.

Etsy Update: Smilin' Gal Vintage

I started working on this update yesterday, but things got a bit hectic and I didn't quite finish it... so I'm working on it right now! There are lots of lovely dress from Smilin' Gal in this set so be sure to drop by the Etsy shop and check them out.

I only ever lie to make you smile...

photos by Tom b.

- vintage corduroy jumper
- Fletcher for Lyell silk blouse
- Jeffrey Campbell heels
- vintage silk scarf
- listening to: Interpol - Interpol "Memory Serves"



Here we are back in the abandoned lace factory. As we were exploring, there were signs throughout the complex that had been tied to pieces of the machinery stating "do not destroy". They were being marked as historic pieces and saved by a local preservation group. So often when we explore these places, it's just heartbreaking to see the amazing things that are rotting away or lying in wait for demolition.

Flea Market Finds

As promised, here is a look at the dresses I brought home from this weekend's flea market adventure. There were several more that tempted me, but I had to narrow it down to just a few. Each is so different from the last, I couldn't stand to leave any of them behind. There's a madras plaid 60s day dress with a drawstring waist, a 60s paisley print mini dress and a 50s gingham dirndl dress. I can't wait to go back!

Sunday Morning Flea Markets

I can't even tell you how long I've been meaning to check out some of the area flea markets. Ever since we moved here? I don't know what's taken me so long to finally get out there and explore! So, this weekend Tom, Andreja and I woke up early and headed out in search of treasures.

We were hoping for sunny skies because there were a couple of outdoor markets I'd heard about but mother nature wasn't on our side. It was misty and cool and most vendors weren't setting up their outdoor stands. I took that as a sign that I'll just have to go back soon! Luckily there were a couple of indoor markets that sounded promising so we set our sites on those instead.



We ended up discovering one really great indoor place. It seemed like there were miles and miles of rows to walk down with vendors offering everything from vintage kitchenware to old photos. There was so much to look at! Finally Andreja and I happened upon one that was a little bit of vintage heaven. This place was filled to the brim with dresses, hats and jewelry. Quite the collection!

We ended up with a huge stack of dresses to try on and Tom waited patiently while made out way through the pile. He entertained himself by taking some sneaky photos. You never know how those flea market people are going to react when you start taking photos of their stuff! Andreja and I both ended up with three dress that we couldn't stand to part with. I'll take some photos to show you what I came home with!

A Thought is the Blossom

Today I did a little guest post over at A Thought is the Blossom while Starr is away on her New York Fashion Week adventures. Hop on over to her blog to read more...

Etsy Update: Pretty Blouses

We'll end the week on a pretty note... lots of lovely blouses being added to the Etsy shop this afternoon. Have a lovely weekend!

Inside Mad Men

Photograph by James Minchin III

We've really been enjoying this season of Mad Men so far. It was a treat to see these behind-the-scenes shots from the set in Rolling Stone. It's amazing how convincing a world this television show has created. It's kind of shocking to see some of the actors out of character. Cooper is hardly recognizable! And how out of place does that Mac look?!