rachel antonoff fall/winter 2011

If only my old high school dances looked like this. I doubt anyone had more fun at New York Fashion Week than Rachel Antonoff.. this past Saturday, LaGuardia High School (of Fame.. fame) was host to Rachel's Fall/Winter 2011 collection. The Like performed, Julia Frakes styled, Alexa Chung attended.

And this is one of the (rare but potent) moments that make me wish I lived in New York City.

Lovely lovely cream colored tights, plaid drop waist dresses, two toned saddle shoes galore (courtesy of Antonoff's collaboration with Bass), velvet trousers, floral brocade skirts, and a playful trombone print. Sweetly dressed models in oversized glasses were dancing with boys in bow ties, and the tables were dusted with candy necklaces and twinkies.

I can't choose my favorite dress. Maybe the brown velvet and floral brocade one with the bow at the waist? Or the sheer drop waist dress with white bows on the front? Which outfit do you like the most?

Photos courtesy of here.

shop update! wool trousers and cable knit sweaters

Shop update! All items headed to the shop in the next 24 hours.. a candy pink cable knit sweater, floral stripe blouse, vintage black velvet mini dress, charcoal wool trousers, and more.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

blogger meet up.. meeting aya of strawberry koi!

Photos by Thom!

On Aya..

1940's Junior's Plaid Dress

Tan Lace Up Oxfords from the Cactus Flower

Blue Cardigan from Target

On me..

Vintage Liberty Print Dress from The Cat's Pajamas Vintage

Gold Heart Locket from Forever21

Black Lace Up Heels from H&M

So, here is that secret meet up I've been alluding to.. last week, I had the chance to meet lovely Aya of Strawberry Koi and her husband, Thomas!

Man alive, were they sweet! We had a fantastic time. You would think blogger meet ups would be awkward and nerve wracking, but nerves wear away within minutes and then you find yourself in conversation with seriously interesting, seriously passionate people. Getting to know Aya and Thom was a blast.. the story of how they met, where they were before, and what dreams they're pursuing now was all a bit inspirational. There is nothing more motivating than meeting people who are pursuing what they love.

We went to Frothy Monkey for coffee and Local Honey for some quick vintage shopping. Then, we walked back to finish our coffee and to talk about everything - from SLR cameras to Anna Karenina. By the time we were done, we had nearly missed out on any good light for picture taking, but luckily, we snuck some photos in before the sun set.

And I apologize for the tangled 80's mess that is my hair.. it was a bit humid out that night. Big hair can be fun AND stupid.

I'm going to the monthly Tennessee Flea Market with my friends Colleen and Lauren tomorrow.. I can't wait! All of this sewing study has given me sewing cravings, so I'll be on the lookout for more vintage patterns to try out - namely, dresses with full skirts (there's a wedding coming up in April that I'd love to make a new dress for) and bloomers (a strange new trend that I'm tempted to try out). I'm so excited to dig through boxes of old patterns and actually understand some of what I'm reading.

Sewing Saturday post tomorrow!

december crafting - holiday skirts and little pet presents

Today was a craft day!

This is a skirt I've had on my mind lately. I found a black velvet skirt at the thrift store, hemmed it shorter, and then used the extra fabric to create a ruffle effect. Then, I sewed the baby blue lace to the ruffles. Ridiculously easy and ridiculously time consuming. I'm not quite done - I have to sew the ruffles completely on and pleat them in an orderly fashion. But after seeing the nearly finished product, I really love the look of a pastel blue with black - velvet especially.. it feels like a good wintery combination. I have a Victorian-looking lace blouse that I'm about to dye black. When I do, I'm definitely wearing it with this skirt.

Hey velvet and lace trend, I love you.

This plaid petticoat skirt was reconstructed from a little girl's dress. To be honest, I'm not sure how much I like it - I just don't know what to pair it with. I'm considering taking off the plaid, adding extra lace, and creating a white crinoline with elastic at the top.

Bloom got some craft attention as well! I completed this plaid bow tie within an hour. I'm going to sneak it on her when she's docile and take picture after picture.. before she realizes what she's wearing and tears it to shreds.

Meet Bacon, Bloom's stuffed friend. I made this guy right before Thanksgiving. He looks somewhat prematurely aged now - he's missing a nose and he's accumulated a few open wounds. Needless to say, she loves him.

I've got a million Christmas projects ahead of me. Neil and I have decided to make several gifts this year.. it'll be a bit of a handmade holiday, which is the best kind. Shopping for supplies tomorrow!

SHOP UPDATE! vintage and handmade goodies.

Vintage Navy Military Blazer with Gold Buttons

Vintage Velvet Mini Dress with Lace Collar

Handmade Vintage Pink Lace Bow Headband (made last blog post!)

1980's Gray Plaid Wiggle Dress

Shop update today! Including a cropped grunge denim jacket and the best plaid dress with velvet cuffs, bows, and collars!

And more good shop news.. this week only, I'm offering a shoe sale - buy ANY pair of shoes from my shop, get a second pair 50% off!

In just a few minutes, Neil and I are headed to IKEA! We're buying cool furniture to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary, which is coming up  - November 1st (a nice and easy date to remember, perfect for me.. who can't remember my own birthday sometimes).. 8 hours of driving for 2 hours of shopping. It's Ikea - so it's worth it, right?

Happy Monday!

etsy shop update!

Vintage Velvet Floral Skirt and Double Breasted Blazer

Vintage Wool Plaid Blazer

1980's Hearts and Flowers Knit Sweater

Vintage Gingham Sailor Dress with Bow

New pieces in the shop! Also, mod 1960's autumn heels and an adorable vintage buffalo check dress.

Today, Neil and I are running some fun errands.. GOODWILL, groceries, and then Borders to sit around and drink coffee and read books! I can't wait to check out the new Teen Vogue Handbook, which is stuffed with interesting advice from fashion designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs. Even though I haven't been a teen for five years, I'm still getting a subscription to that magazine. I just skip the prom and the Twilight series articles. And anything to do with High School Musical or Disney, for that matter. Or acne. Or quizzes on how much the boy in 3rd period likes you.

And I'll admit it, I love grocery shopping with Neil. We're splurging on a homemade meal tonight.. Neil is buying bison steaks and blue cheese at Whole Foods, and he's going to make a blueberry balsamic reduction for them! Bison is the best.. more flavor than beef and less fat than chicken. How is that even possible? 

Happy Monday!

bluegrass festivals and military jackets in autumn

Photos by Neil!

White Military Blazer, Green Plaid Skirt - Thrifted

Navy Tights, Tan Cutout Heels - Urban Outfitters

Gray Tank - Banana Republic

Diana Camera - Yard Sale

Today Neil, Joel, Duckie, Mom and I went to a bluegrass festival in Thompson Station! Lots of overalls, bad jokes, and barbecue. And good music, of course.

The skirt and military blazer I'm wearing are both from the kid's section at thrift stores, so I'm basically half little boy, half little girl in this outfit. The little boy blazer is a new favorite of mine.. both the plaid skirt and the blazer have matching gold buttons, and the blazer has a lovely sailor-themed patch! And I braided the front of my hair in honor of that perfect Erika Hendrix collection I posted about a few days ago. 

I bought the Diana camera for five bucks at a yard sale in Nashville. It has a great look to it, but I'd like to actually use it.. Do you guys know where I can find film for vintage cameras?

Mom was the one that found out about the festival, and I'm glad she did.. the bands were great and it was fun to catch a glimpse into the small community that put the festival on. The people were all really welcoming and friendly, and wow, they can bake! There was an auction for chess pies, carrot cakes, and all sorts of lovely looking bread loaves. In response, I ate a funnel cake.

A huge highlight to the festival was the church sponsored thrift store! This is a place in the middle of nowhere, which means no hipsters have gone through it recently.. and it was wonderful. The shop was filled with old dresses and heels, mostly from the 1960's, as well as an older crowd that may have owned them.

Here are my Helping Hand thrift store finds.. tweed jacket, Pendleton wool jumper, a 70's knit white vest with wooden buttons, alligator pumps.. all of this (AND a pair of fringed shoes that Neil bought) for six dollars! That was all we were charged! How do these wonderful church ladies do it?

My favorite finds are the peter pan collar plaid blouse and the 1970's red, white, and blue pumps. The other two pairs are from the 60's, which makes me love them.. but not as much as the 70's heels.

I'm having a blast with the guys staying over (except for the toilet seat always being up). Joel and Duckie have even gone thrift store shopping with me and feigned interest in what I was buying! We've watched a million Harrison Ford movies, argued about politics and music, went to the best 24 hour restaurant in Nashville, played computer games, started a fire. It all just feels really natural, as though humans were meant to live in larger groups. We split a bottle of wine (red wine beats white wine up) when we got back tonight. And watched Harrison kick some bums, of course.

Does anyone have any good ideas of what to do on a birthday? I turn 24 on Wednesday! The Tennessee State Fair is that day, which sounds fun.. but there's also a hot dog restaurant in town that we haven't been to yet, as well as an old, historical movie theatre that's new to us. And besides that, I have an early present Urban Outfitters gift card to spend. And Arrington Vineyards is having a wine and cigar night. In other words, I need help with this decision.