A Chance of Afternoon Showers

photos by Tom b.

top: 70s cotton eyelet camisole (see it bigger)
shorts: Urban Outfitters
shoes: thrifted
purse: vintage Coach
belt: thrifted

So far this has been such a mellow summer. None of those so-hot-I-can't-think days of sweaty necks and unbearable sunshine when you just want to crawl into an icebox and take a siesta. Just lots of mild, cloudy days and almost cool nights. We've barely even run our AC! But today the mugginess set in and the air was heavy with humidity. We stopped to take a couple of photos on our walk back from buying fruits and veggies at the Farmers Market and the sky started spitting a little afternoon shower. Even as I write this I can still hear the drops pinging on our tin roof. It's making me a bit drowsy so I better get to work on that pile of dresses that needs to be mended for this week's shop update.

P.S. We're heading out to see The Half Blood Prince tonight. I'm such a Harry Potter nerd. Anyone seen it already? Did you like it?

Bailey's Home & Storage

I promise to eventually get back to more fashion related posts... I've got lots of things planned for the blog after the big move. But for now, pretty much all fashiony things have been pushed to the back of my mind in favor of interior design and remodeling projects.

One of our main goals in restoring this old home is to do things in a way that utilizes "green" products and processes. Green. That's such a buzz word nowadays and I sort of hate the way it's overused and abused but it's still the most apt word I can think of to sum up our philosophy toward the house. Anyway, I digress. One of my favorite ways to "be green", if you will, is finding new ways to use old products. I've been researching how to turn an old dresser into a bathroom vanity, searching for old crates to use as storage in my new studio space and collecting flea market odds and end for decorating.

For inspiration, I've been studying the Bailey's Home & Storage site. Unfortunately it's out of our reach - both geographically and financially but it's so much fun to look! From their site...

"The things we sell are a surprising mix of vintage and new from a variety of sources - but they all share the qualities integral to our repair, reuse, rethink philosophy. One of our favourite things is to reuse unloved bits and pieces (small or large) that we find on our travels, and give them a new lease of life - it's our version of recycling... so abandoned bobbins from old textile mills turn up on our shelves as egg timers, lamp bases or string holders; scraps of floor board become mirror frames, tables or even kitchen units."

Worn Magazine

Just when I'd sworn off print magazine for their online cousins, the fine gals over at Worn Fashion Journal were nice enough to send me a copy of their latest issue. Worn is a self proclaimed "small, independent print publication dedicated to offering a unique and inclusive perspective on fashion and style." If that wasn't great enough, the latest issue just happens to be dedicated to shoes - who doesn't love shoes?

You can click on the scans below to see a sneak peek from the issue. The magazine offers articles showcasing an enviable collection of vintage shoes, a glossary of shoes, a guide to shoe repairs and more shoe related information than you can shake a stick at.

Update: FYI - You can purchase a copy of the magazine from the Worn website or from their Etsy shop.

Audrey, Ip and Mr. Famous

Writing a post about Audrey Hepburn as a fashion icon is sort of like writing a post about the sky being blue or summer being hot. A bit obvious, but nonetheless true. It's such a daunting task to imagine saying something original about the subject, I hadn't dared tackle it. But when I ran across this collection of photos by Bob Willoughby featuring Audrey and her beloved pets Pippin, nicknamed Ip, and Mr. Famous I couldn't resisit.

As documented in the NY Daily News, Willoughby was as on-set photographer for many of Hepburns films who grew close enough to the star to follow her home and capture her candidly among her four legged friends. Can you imagine what a sight Ms. Hepburn must have been, strolling around Beverly Hills for an afternoon of shopping all while being followed by that adorable little deer? What a dainty pair they must have made. The whole scene reminds me a bit of The Golden Compass. Don't you imagine if Audrey had her own dæmon, surely it would have been a deer?

Etsy Preview

Here's a little sneak peek at some of the items I'll be adding to the Etsy Boutique tomorrow...

There's no telling where we'll be at this same time next year...*

top: James Perse
skirt: 60s pencil skirt
shoes: 80s flats
purse: vintage coach
beret: vintage
*listening to: Dredge - The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion "Ireland"

I realize that the only times I stop to take outfit photos these days is when I'm wearing a nice dress or going somewhere picturesque so I thought I'd mix it up a bit and snap a few photos right outside my apartment of an every day sort of outfit. I've been feeling really inspired by visions of 60s French girls in striped tops and pencil skirts. Add in flats for lots of walking around town and a satchel bag to tote around all my belongings and there you have it. That's pretty much what I've been living in lately.

We're Moving (Again)!

Sorry for the spotty posting this week. My mind has been just about everywhere except fashion. It's been in the works for a while and now it's official... we're moving! But, unlike our last two epic cross country treks, this time we're moving (drumroll, please)... a whole seven blocks! I'll be so sad to leave our wonderful apartment with its super high ceilings and brick wall but we've always dreamed of moving into an old house and fixing it up. Our new place was built in 1867 so I think it fits the bill. The actual move won't be until the end of August but we're already busying ourselves with plans for renovations and decorating and having a little vegetable garden and all the other fun things that come with living in a house.

There will be a new studio space for all things Sally Jane Vintage and I have so many ideas swirling around in my head I can barely stand it! Needless to say, there will be lots of new things for the blog and the shop in the months to come. I'll keep selling right through the move so there won't be any interruption to the shop but the blog may suffer a bit while we get settled. I've already found myself being pulled away from the usual fashion sites I peruse in favor of interior design sites and home improvement DIY sites. I came across this New York Times article via Darling Dexter and can't stop staring at the photos. I think the whole place is just perfection!