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ModCloth buyer, constant traveller, pro thrifter by day - artist, crochet dork, photographer by night.
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Archive Archive Goodbye for now!
Dear lovely readers, It's official! I am building a bigger, better, blonder blog. And I've decided to take a little hiatus while I decide what exactly MSC should be. I'm moving to the west coast on August 17th, hopefully taking a work trip to London before that, and have every intention of getting MSC back up and running in the meantime. What does that mean for you readers? You have the month of July to get a little break from me. But don't worry, this goodbye isn't forever. I love you all too much to quit. In the meantime, I'll keep up with Chictopia and Twitter. Don't miss me too much! See you soon. Have a great July. Sincerely, Lindsay
Add a Comment  4 Amazon 06.28.2010
Finally, a real outfit!
We used our backyard as a location for the first time, but I can't figure out why we haven't before. It's totally overgrown with knotweed, which makes it look like a jungle (which is perfect for this dress).
I've owned these earrings for two years now, and this is the first time I've had the guts to wear them. Got tons of compliments, most from peo ple who thought it was actually my hair.
I got these shoes for a dollar at a yard sale a while back. I really need to wear them more.
I wasn't able to be out very long, but it felt good to dress up again. dress - motel shoes/belt - vintage earrings - modcloth Answer me this readers - so it looks like to fix my usability issues with this here blog, I'm going to have to move everything over to Wordpress and relaunch for a third time. I'm seriously considering hanging up this blog. Please be honest with me here - does the world need another style blog? What does blogging mean to you? Would you keep fighting the good fight or start living your life without being glued to a camera? Add a Comment 8 The Writing's on the Wall 06.24.2010
I've been bursting with creative energy, but due to my lack of, well, being able to walk, most of that has been lurking the depths of the creative side of my brain. But with a little help from Kristin and the inspiration of a new model, Miss Alicia Ledden, I was able to hobble myself down to the local skate bowl (which happens to be less than a minute from my house), outfit and makeup in hand, to have a little fun with Kristin and my's latest collaboration - The Writing's on the Wall.
(this was my favorite shot)
Kristin was the real photographer here. I was just shooting while I sat perched on one side of the bowl. I can't wait to finally work with her in a professional environment now that it's official - I'M MODCLOTH'S NEW FASHION STYLIST! I start on August 16th, which means I'll be moving to San Francisco. AHHH! Don't worry. I'm still going to be a buyer in a part-time sense, so you'll still be able to shop my strange sensibilities over at ModCloth.com, as well as read all about my travel adventures here on MSC.
This was my view for most of the shoot. Thankfully, my lens has a zoom. Loving my new Jeffrey Campbell leopard print sandals.
Isn't Alicia lovely? She isn't a professional, she's just THAT GOOD. Expect more great things from her. We're not finished that beautiful mug quite yet.
Due to adverse weather conditions and my inability to do much of anything without lots of advance, careful planning, we were only able to use one look. But eh, this one was PERFECT so I'm not sorry. Dress - AA Shoes - Tick in tribal by Jeffrey Campbell Bows - Stylist's (my) own. Hope you're all having a good week. I finally found someone to help with some of the RSS issues that this blog has been having, so hopefully it should be working as well as anyone else's in the coming weeks. The "Hatters Gonna Hat" (my new Etsy store)'s preview will be coming up soon, with a set launch of next week. Get excited. Trust me.
Add a Comment 5 Freshly Featured 06.20.2010 Sunday night! I hope you all had a great weekend (and had some time away from the computer)! I'll be back to outfit posts starting tomorrow, but to start off the week, I'm going to share two features I've been lucky enough to have over the last seven days. First, like a handful of bloggers I greatly respect (like Fashion Chalet, Blooming Leopold and Calivintage), I've been chosen to be a featured stylist on the new site www.WhatToWear.com.
Now I know you've probably seen this or a similar screenshot before, but I can't figure out how to take my own, so I apologize. I think that bathing suit is hideous, haha. Here is my profile. Come give me some love and ask me some questions. Annnnddd, if you follow ModCloth, you may have already seen our "Dream a Little Dream" vintage lookbook haul preview featuring myself, Sari, and of course, Susan. We're 100% of the fashion buying team! Take a look at it. If you look closely, you can see my bra. Have a happy Monday!
Add a Comment 2 Super Fudge 06.18.2010
While I've been sitting back and "enjoying" my month in bed, few things have helped me pass the time more than magazines. Luckily for me, my love of unique, hard to find fashion rags isn't limited to just....me! Anja of Clever Nettle fame was nice enough to send me over a few Fudge Magazines (a difficult to find, Japanese fashion and style source) to fawn over.
Their editorials are incredibly unique (not to mention inspiring) - full of quirky, Cassy-from-Skins sensibility.
Many pages read as a dream shopping list. Clean, organized, and prepped to clean out my bank account (that is, if I could understand it). I WANT THOSE SHOES!
So if you're lucky enough to already know of an outlet for your favorite fashion mags from overseas, grab these up! And don't forget to send them to me once you're finished with them. P.S. Once I decided a counter-gift was in store for miss Anja, the seedling for my Etsy store was planted. Crazy hats are the name of the game. I'll share more soon! Add a Comment 3 My New Favorite Picture of EVER 06.15.2010
As soon as someone shared this piece of joy with the I Love Jeffrey Campbell Flickr Group, my heart exploded with love. I just had to share it! Thank you No (I don't know characters), for knowing me better than I know myself. Check out her photo stream - she has lots of stunning and whimsical photos that are worth checking out. Add a Comment 3 Beauty In Bed - Day 4 06.12.2010
If you can't tell, I'm spacing these out a little bit. It was my intention to do two for each dress, and now that it looks like I'm going to be in bed for at least two weeks longer than I expected....well, you get it. This was my 80's inspired look. Something about neon yellow always reminds me of the time period. Probably because it was my favorite color when I was 4.
I had a Ken doll that had a strikingly similar blazer to this BB Dakota version. And he had a pink scarf. And his hair was longer than mine. Ha! Plus, how often do I get to wear my neon yellow flower headband and have it actually make sense? Here's a hint: this is the second time.
I know it's hard to tell, but these Marc inspired heels actually match the arms of the sunglasses I'm wearing. I adore the heart shaped sole, but I never plan on wearing them in mud and/or snow, so it's probably going to be my little secret.
I really wanted to wear this outside, because nothing matches a knee brace like neon. Unfortunately, my knee feels like it's broken. Oh, wait... Once again, thank you all for your support. And a big thank you to surprisingly large amount of friends in Pittsburgh that I've found out have been following these posts - it means a ton to me! dress - H&M shoes - Poetic License blazer - BB Dakota headband - ModCloth P.S. If you're in the reading mood, check out my unconventional interview with Susan Gregg Koger of ModCloth founder (and my boss) fame. It's over A Thought is The Blossom, where I was asked to guest blog while Starr is at Bonnaroo! Add a Comment 5 Jeffrey Campbell Lovers Flickr Group 06.09.2010 It's official! I've turned my addition to Jeffrey Campbell shoes into something constructive. Meet the Jeffrey Campbell Lovers Flickr Group, started and admin-ed by yours truly!
If you've been following this blog for awhile, it's no secret that there isn't a pair of JCs on this planet that I can (I realize that in the original post I wrote "can't) which is simply a lie) resist. Here is a shot of my collection. Excuse the quality - I would have come up with a much m ore creative display, but I am so limited in what I'm able to do, not being able to wa lk and all, haha.
...and some detail shots...
Jesus christ do I need to vacuum. My floor is covered in pennies, spare buttons, strings, and price tags. Ew! Naturally, when I set up this group, I emailed Ty from JC to make sure this was okay...and he was STOKED! He even blogged about it. "One of our FAVORITE Jeffrey Campbell fans and supporters, Lyndsey who we have met through her job at www.modcloth.com, has recently found herself in bed for two weeks due to a knee surgery. While for most people, a giant brace and two weeks of downtime would be a curse, this lady from Pittsburgh has taken this opportunity to start her own support group for Jeffrey Cambpell fanatics! Well, not a support group–but rather a simple FLICKR account where you can post, discuss and share your ideas about JC, styling your looks and building your collection! WE LOVE IT!" HOORAY! I also loved that he misspelled my name because my work email address is my name, but no worries, I'm just grateful for the endorsement. You can see the post here. So join up! Even if you only have one pair, you're totally welcomed. This is so exciting, I could buy 3 more pairs. Okay, you've convinced me...I will...
P.S. Don't have a pair of your own? Score a free pair via Nubby Twiglet's Blog! Add a Comment 8 Beauty in Bed - Day 3 06.08.2010
Back to bed for day 3 of my challenge! Of course I picked up this little number in black - could you blame me? A LBD looks wonderful regardless of the situation, even if it is laying around watching documentaries (thank you Netflix Instant!)
This scarf is really something special. The black in the design makes it wearable with almost anything!
If you're asking yourself - is that an alligator shaped bracelet, give yourself snaps, because YES, YES IT IS! Love it so much. We sold this on ModCloth ages ago, and I missed it. Luckily for me, we came across it at the same wholesale store a few months later. This time, I didn't miss out on a good thing!
These shoes should speak for themselves. Once again, Jeffrey Campbell has outdone himself. I may start buying exclusively JC shoes for now on. Why not? He's perfection.
And thats it for day 3. I think it's my favorite look so far! Caulen is such a great photographer, especially in such limiting settings. Thank you girls for all of your love for this project so far. You really make being stuck in my bedroom not so bad. I had to abandon a crutch in my kitchen today because it was the only way I transport my lunch, so yeah, I'm still in rough shape, but fashion and my friends (you guys!) really keep me going. Stay tuned! Miss Anja of Clever Nettle sent me a few Japanese fashion magazine to keep me going while I can't go anywhere. They're amazing, and I want to share them with you girls! Add a Comment 3 Beauty in Bed - Day 2 *but outside 06.06.2010
Okay, I know what you're thinking - "What happened to the bed? Wasn't that the whole point?". And yes, you're right, but yesterday I was actually asked by my doctor to go outside! It was AWESOME!
I got myself to the end of the street and back - it was great! I've been back in bed ever since, but I took the opportunity to snap a few outfit photos in the favorable light! I got this necklace at Aldo in NYC. I'm kind of obsessed.
And that's my brace and cryo-packs. I dressed them up with one of my new pairs of Melissas. They are just so comfortable! They were super easy to "walk" 'in.
Zooey Deschanel had the same pair on in the She and Him feature in the most recent BUST magazine. I don't know why I get so excited about things like that, haha, but I do.
This tiny hat always looked insane on me when I had longer hair. Thankfully (for my outfit's sake) that isn't the case with my boy cut!
And here's the whole look put together. I bet I looked insane laboring around my street in such a get up, but who cares? I don't! I'm sort of afraid to post this photo on Chictopia and the like - are people ready for the brace? Time to find out, I guess. And I'd like to thank you girls for your support of my styling challenge and my recovery overall. You really make this time glued to the web totally worthwhile! Add a Comment 10 Meet Elizabeth Sanchez 06.05.2010
The weather is getting nicer, I have all the time in the world, so naturally, I've been drawing again. It's not always easy to find inspiration, but thankfully, my good friend and artist Elizabeth Sanchez has been a constant source ever since I first laid eyes on her work.
Her darling illustrations are never short on whimsy, and even manage to inspire my outfits every so often.
She was recently featured on Etsy Treasury (and of course, it's not her first time in a "best of"), and was accepted to contribute to the newest issue of Drawgasmic! (check it out, its an incredibly interesting international art community!)
If you like what you see (and I don't see how you couldn't!), you can check out her website, etsy page, and inspiration tumblr for more information! Add a Comment 0 Beauty in Bed - Day 1 06.05.2010
Okay, not the best location, I know, but this is the long and short of my life right now! So I figured, why not use this time to conduct a little style challenge. I bought this comfy dress from H&M in five different colors. The challenge? Naturally, to style and photograph them from the home of yours truly in a way that isn't terrible!
Day one was light blue. Excuse the "rolls". I've actually lost 12 pounds recently, but its hard not to wrinkle up when you're struggling to sit up,haha.
I love these shoes and bought them knowing full well that I couldn't wear them for six weeks. I could only put the right one on for the shoot, but that's good enough for the time being. I got my fix.
Again, ignore the ponch, haha! Well, thats my first look. What do you think? A worthwhile challenge? I'm headed downstairs for the first time since Wednesday. Wish me luck! dress - H&M hat - American Apparel necklace/bracelet - ModCloth shoes - Jeffrey Campbell Add a Comment 2 It's a nice day for a, bright wedding 06.04.2010
While the readers of blog.modcloth.com haven't reacted too favorably so far to my styling of an unconventional, vintage-inspired bride, I still wanted to post it here, because I'm actually proud of the look! Martha Stewart magazine contacted ModCloth about a vintage feature for an upcoming issue, and when I heard about it, naturally I jumped at the chance to style the post. The above is what I came up with, and I stand behind it! Sure, it's not a gown, and sure, not everyone call pull of beige (lets be honest here), but I love the 40's feel of the look. I'd totally rock this down the aisle!
And this was my bridesmaid look! The print of the dress is so stunning, so I decided to keep the outfit simple with a pretty gemstone necklace and a comfy yet cute pair of shoes. You have to be a bold chick to let your bridesmaids wear such a bright and attention grabbing look, but bold is one of my many middle names!
And finally, a look for the rest of us, haha! As I mentioned in the original post, weddings are great excuses to buy that dress you've had your eye on without having to worry if you'll ever actually wear it. A simple floral frock is glitzed up with a statement gold necklace and bracelet. You'll have your pick of groomsmen - mark my words! All of the clothing is from ModCloth. If you'd like to shop the looks or want to read my original (more polished/coherent) post, bitchy comments and all, you can find it here! Next up - the beginning of my bed-ridden style project! Details to follow! Add a Comment 0 The Calm Before 06.04.2010
I am finally coherent enough to blog! The surgery was a complete success, and hopefully I'll be bringing you some bed-ridden outfit posts soon. As you could guess, this was the last outfit shots I took before the big day.
I got so many compliments on the shoes. Matiko, you did it again!
Have I mentioned I love my boy hair?
Dress - Dainty June Shoes - Matiko That's all there is to it! Thank you girls so much for your concern through all of this. I'm so full of painkillers - I couldn't feel better under the circumstances. Add a Comment 4 Giant Agave 06.01.2010
On Friday, Caulen, Sara and I headed to the Phipps Conservatory to see the giant agave plant in bloom. They live for almost 100 years and only bloom once during their lifetime. This is especially impressive to us because, unlike the southwest, these don't occur naturally around these parts!
I tried to wear an appropriate outfit. The crown of flowers just felt right.
I would totally get married here, but everyone around here seems to have that idea. Yes, those are stick dragons.
Love this man.
Love this woman. There are lots of amazing glass pieces by artist Dale Chihuly floating around the gardens too. They're breathtaking!
I am making this face because the giant agave just looked like a big yucca plant. All and all it was fun but eh. Eh. I was promised tequila. Add a Comment 1 Old Kentucky Road Trip 05.31.2010 These are the highlights of my recent trip to Louisville, Kentucky with a handful of my best friends. I would move there in a heartbeat.
It was the perfect day for a long drive. Well, I didn't actually drive but you know what I mean.
This was the show we were on our way to see - it was the last show of Centipede E'est's three week tour. We arrived just as the sun was going down.
The venue was a little redneck bar in downtown Louisville.
Hell YES.
This guy was opening a thrift store next door. It wasn't ready yet, but he let us shop anyways. Holy crap was he sitting on a gold mine. I got a great pair of Calvin Klein shoes (that miss Keiko Lynn was wearing in a recent post of hers), an incredible leather bag, vintage campers, and lots of other stuff. Not to mention he sang to us as we shopped, and shared his homemade moonshine.
This is where things get fuzzy. Next thing I knew, it was morning and Caulen had managed to wrangle me to a motel.
After shopping all morning long in so many amazing independant stores, we got brunch, and left. I have no pictures of that because I was too hung over to remember I even had a camera. Finally, we headed home...but not before finding a vintage horarder's dream house.
And this is only what I could snap while creeping around the property - I can't even imagine what the rest of the place looks like. I can only hope to live in such a heaven one day.
This isn't me trying to look cute - this is me trying not to throw up. Hangover doesn't even begin to describe how I felt. People from Kentucky don't fuck around.
As beautifuly as Louisville was, it was time to go once the sun began to set. A 6 hour drive is nothing to scoff at. I would move down there in a heartbeat. If you ever get a chance, check it out. And look up Dot Fox Boutique while you're there. Tell them Lindsay from ModCloth sent you. Add a Comment 4 Merily 05.31.2010
This dress is further proof that Dahlia makes the cutest stuff ever. T-minus two days until knee surgery. The cameo of my beat up knee is for you Maya :). Dress - Dahlia Glasses - Norman People's Socks - Betsey Johnson Shoes - Jeffery Campbell I've gotten two requests for freelance styling and a guest blog post that I'll talk about soon. Watch this space girls, things should be getting interesting. Add a Comment 3 Slide 05.27.2010
All taken pre falling off my moped, of course. You'll see my mangled mess of a knee tomorrow. Consider this the return of regular posts! dress - vintage shoes - jeffrey campbell socks/necklace - UO
Add a Comment 4 Ambien 05.20.2010
self-portraits dress - olga de polga shorts (sequined, hidden) - ModCloth shoes - Vans watch - Casio Add a Comment 2 Missing You 05.18.2010
Hello! I'm alive! I know it's been a few weeks, but I it was a much needed break from just about everything. Call it a quarter-life crisis mixed with an extended period of strangely bad luck. I'm out of it though! Woo! And now with less hair. Thank you to everyone that emailed me during the break. It means so much to me that you not only notice that I haven't been posting, but that you actually miss it! I'm so flattered! I'm also going to announce a change of plans for this little blog. Starting as soon as Verizon fixes the internet at my house, this blog is going to undergo a few format changes. I've been thinking a lot about why I started a blog, and where this blog has gone. I'm going back to my original idea. For now on, this is going to be a photo blog. I'm going to continue to post outfit and travel photos, but I want to tell the story via photo. I never wanted this blog to be like every other one. I don't have my shit together enough to run giveaways, I never plan on having sponsorships - this was more of a journal that I wanted to share with the world. Another big thank you to everyone that continues to read my blog! I hope you continue to despite there being less to "read". Let me know what you think! The first photo post should be tomorrow. Here goes nothing! Cheers, Lindsay Jean Add a Comment 2 04.30.2010
I was going to finish up the contest post tonight, but judging by the lack of time I have to do the things I need to do (and the lack of comments on the last post), I'm going to wait until I'm in NYC to post it. Or anything! Have a great weekend, see you guys on Monday. At that time, I'll share with you all the great deals I got today (a beautiful Charlotte Ronson dress for $90, for exampe). Have fun, ladies! The above picture was taken from the Photojojo blog, which is awesome. Add a Comment 4 She wears the clothes of an emporer. 04.29.2010
If you're anything like me, you don't need any help finding places to spend your money. So, when Susan introduced me to Queen's Wardrobe, I knew I had start putting money aside weekly to make their wares my own.
It all started when she sent me the link to these shorts. These perfect, mind-bendingly adorable shorts. They could put them on Oprah and I'd still buy them! However, Queen's Wardrobe styles almost editioral quality shots of their garments, making them even more difficult to resist.
I knew I wanted this dress before I was totally sure I knew what the dress looked like (model shots came first). That's a sign of good marketing, haha.
Okay, maybe I'm a little scalloping crazy (I am, god am I), but isn't this blazer AMAZING? Especially in the pink! I NEED it! I only have three blazers - I can stand to get another one. I plan on placing my first order tomorrow! The prices aren't low, but they're easily affordable. AND SCALLOPED SHORTS! With a cute little tiny waistband. SOLD! AH! Go check it out. You'll be happy you did! P.S. The giveaway has been postponed till tomorrow due to an unfortunate series of events (basically, me forgetting to take the pictures! I'm sorry!). But don't worry, tomorrow is the day! Add a Comment 1 Up in the Air 04.28.2010
Good morning everyone! Thank you all for putting up with the Caulen post, haha, I just felt it was time I did one. You girls are so sweet! So yesterday was the third attempt at me taking outfit photos of myself - this time, I ventured to the street.
I didn't have too many cars to dodge, the light was adequate, and my camera was almost dead but managed to hang in there for me. Woo!
If you can't guess, I didn't intend to wear this purse with this outfit, I just didn't have time to switch it out in the morning. By the end of the work day, I actually liked it with this. It breaks up the red and black that is usually so Hot Topic-y to me.
I love the shape of this dress, except it has pockets. Why put pockets on a bodycon dress? If I wanted my hips to look bigger, I'd buy donuts.
I'm pretty sure this outfit was inspired by me checking the weather while watching A Clockwork Orange. dress - AA And, and and and, I'm happy to announce that I will have a vintage giveaway starting tomorrow! Woo! Add a Comment 6 Ode to Caulen 04.27.2010
As I mentioned in my last post - Caulen is gone. On a cross-country tour with his band, Centipede E'est (go see them and say hi!), he has abandoned Ruby, Comrade, and yours truly to fend for ourselves. Okay I'm exaggerating. I'm actually really excited for him! So much so, that this post is dedicated to him!
Notes about Caulen: He is 32 years old, and grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh. He went to school for, and graduated with, a degree in Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh (it took him five years because he got shingles!) He currently works as a website developer and accountant for 400lb Communication - he even built this site!
He plays bass, cello, and guitar, owns more records than god, owns more books than god too, and he actually loves to go thrifting much like yours truly.
He did not build the above history project - his aunt did, but he still won an award! He's incredibly picky about his food (and where it comes from), he deals with my messiness, and I will be marrying him sometime in the not-so-distant future.
He is amazing with children and animals, he loves video games, and is obsessed with sports. Especially hockey. Which he actually plays in a local league. He only uses natural soaps, I cut his hair, and he hates most of the clothing I pick out for him.
Obviously, he is the man behind my outfit photos. He actually likes taking them, and has a real eye for framing! Basically, he is the greatest, sweetest, most caring man I've ever met. And my mom threatened to kill me if I mess this one up, which is big, because she has hated every single guy I've brought home.
He is Caulen. The man behind My Solitary Consignment, and the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I miss him. P.S. I wish he still had that care bear costume! Ha! Add a Comment 5 Froyo 04.26.2010
Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend! This weekend I saw Caulen off on a three week tour. What does that mean to me? I'm probably going to sit on my couch and cry for three weeks, AND I'm going to have to take my own outfit photos. Fun! The above shot was candid, I was trying to figure everything out. Digging the ghost hand!
I wore this to a taco buffet at a friend's house, followed by AMAZING frozen yogurt. This is still a new concept to Pittsburgh, so we're still pretty into it.
I love wearing my new watch, even though I never look at it. A friend had the exact same one, only his was vintage.
This hat was part of my UO haul over the weekend. Lots of good stuff, actually.
Now, let me preface this by saying I LOVE WALLABEES. I have five pairs. They are my go-to comfort shoe, but totally not what I wear out when I want to look put together (which is always). Unfortunately, as I mentioned in my last post, my shoes KILLED my feet, and they're still incredibly sore four days later, so they're all I could wear. Oh well! jacket - annie greenabelle What did you do this weekend? Oh, and I made a video of a thrifting haul, but I'm not sure that I'm going to post it. Would you guys be interesting in My Solitary Videos? (thats what she said) Add a Comment 2 Vitamin C 04.23.2010
I decided to name this outfit "Vitamin C" last night, and I've had Vitamin C by CAN stuck in my head ever since. So good!
I got this dress from ModCloth a long, long time ago. It's totally inspired by a MJ dress that was popular at the time, and everyone seemed to hate the color of this little guy. I don't see why though! Orange is so happy!
The dress is incredibly wrinkled, especially the bow, but I don't have an iron! Sorry! I thrifted this cardigan in Charlotte, NC when I was snowed out of Pittsburgh. Susan said it was "Lindsay brown" which I can get behind.
These shoes are my backups. They had been sitting under my desk for lord knows how long. I originally wore the 80%20 floral cork wedges that I had posted about before, but they bloodied my feet on the way to work. I had to limp most of the way and it took me 15 mintues longer! Gah! I never would have paired these with my dress, but the navy bow actually matches my navy bag. Love it!
I love the sunlight when I first get home from work! Tonight is Caulen's band's (Centipede E'est) tour kickoff show! He'll be gone for THREE WEEKS. What the hell am I going to do with myself? Thanks to you ladies who complimented my shorts - I thought they looked like a big demin diaper at times, haha, but they're still easy to love. I wanted to wear them again today! I'm glad you all love Esme as much as I do. Cara - Thanks for checking out my blog! I hope you liked it!
Add a Comment 7 the lane less taken 04.22.2010
Everybody, meet Esme (if you haven't already). I'm devoting a post to her because she's been a constant bringer of "OMG"s to my reader ever since I started following her blog, Esme and the Lane Way.
This stunning London-born fashionista currently hails in Melbourne, where she shares her whimiscal outfits and romantic photography with us lucky readers!
Through many blogs, I've been lead to believe that the Aussies are lucky enough to have plentiful vintage finds, and Esme is no different (except in how she styles it!).
Basically, I'm obsessed with her, and you should be too! Her blog is already very successful, but if for some reason you don't know her by name, get crackin! She also sells stuff via her other blog! Check it out! And as promised, RE: LA Remix: Starr - Thanks girlfriend. Someone needs to raid my wardrobe - I have too much. You always look so put together! Skirts are difficult for me because I'm so picky about tops. Eyeliah - Thank you girlfriend! Maya - It always blows my mind how many nice things you post here! You are such a doll baby. I'm going to bully Jeffrey Campbell into making larger shoes for you! I will actually bring it up too, but I can only assume that he won't listen to me. Kelley Anne - Thank you! You really should wear bows - I think you have the PERFECT hair for it! So vintage-y! Add a Comment 4 Oh Diana! 04.22.2010
So I finally uploaded some of my inital pictures using my new Diana F+ lens from Photojojo! I'm still gettng the hang of it. And I think I like my other set better, but in the interest of full disclosure, here are my first shots. Caulen even messed around with outfit photos with me! First, here are those!
I forget what designer collab for TopShop that this cardigan is, which is strange because I've been wearing it pretty regularly since I obtained it. Old woman names! What?
This is my new hair, sort of. I dyed it and trimmed my bangs. I was going to cut all of it a bit shorter, but Caulen talked me out of it. Good or bad idea?
Everything is really dreamy and the details get lost for something like this, so while I will be using it a TON in the coming months (years), this is probably the first and last outfit photo with it (until we figure out what we're doing).
You can almost see the nude mesh top that makes the shirt so neat!
Here are some more photos from the night:
These were all taken on the way to/during the Thomas Function show at Gooskis. I tried to take pictures of the band, but that was NOT working, so I just played around with the long exposure. I'll share the daytime ones tomorrow! I'll respond to everyone's comments in the next post (thank you all for commenting!). This one is already too long! Add a Comment 6 LA Remix! 04.21.2010
Remember when I said that I didn't have any outfit photos? Well, I just remembered that I hadn't uploaded my pictures from LA yet! I noticed that I was in remix mode this trip. I always forget to pack accessories - so I usually have to get creative.
This little pair of vintage slip-ons found there way to me at a thrift store a few months ago. They were brand new and only $1! I got them because the heels I had on were killing me, haha, but managed to wear them for only the third (and fourth) time on this trip!
They were great with pastel tights and a floral dress!
And easy with a red-trimmed vintage dress and a cardigan!
And this bow belt found it's way to me via a dress I got in my very first ASOS order. I still haven't worn it, but the jersey bow is getting lots of action. Here, I tie it up like a headband to keep my outfit girly...
...and it works splendidly over a cardigan to accent the red in this dress, and adds a little bit of color to all the black. I even managed to wear the cardigan again during that trip:
I wore it to a bar with Sari! Its fun getting to remix - I have such a clothing addiction that it usually takes months for me to rotate something back into an oufit. First outfit: dress - tulle Second outfit: dress - vintage Third outfit: dress by modcloth, cardigan by modcloth. Do you have any pieces that you wear as often as possible? Add a Comment 4 Mother of Earth pt. 2 04.20.2010
Here we go! Part 2 of the shoot. Bobbi is wearing vintage pants, a BB Dakota top, ModCloth shoes and a necklace, and a hat I found at some little store in LA.
Isn't she beautiful! I loved the way this outfit turned out - it looked even better on her than I could have imagined. Tomorrow will be part 3, which is short, I promise! No outfit shots today. For some reason I've forgotten or neglected to shoot my last 5 outfits, even though I've loved all of them. Enjoy the change of pace! I'll any questions from the last post in my next one! And I don't know what it's about yet, BUT I think there may be a feature on one Mr. Caulen. Stay tuned! Add a Comment 2 What's up, Jess? 04.19.2010
Why do I look so confused? Because I don't know how two people can be twin shopaholics and buy the exact same things! Enter, Jess, my coworker and shopping list mirror, three sizes smaller.
We wore these outfits (or at least posted them to Flickr) within 24 hours of each other. Bonkers, right? Check out her photostream, and admire many of the items that I subject you to daily via this blog (only on a smaller, prettier girl, ha!). Here is a bit more of my take on it:
I don't know why I"m giving you a detail shot of the worst hair day I've had in forever. Caulen and I are gonna trim and dye this situation tonight. My fake red is so red you can't even tell I have red hair! HA!
How short is this dress? Don't worry, I only exposed myself while digging in a curb for a little pink plastic seal in a bubble. Can you blame me? Why do I have to ask that so often....? dress - priorities Comrade approves.
Add a Comment 4 Mother of Earth pt. 1 04.19.2010
I know I promised my shots a few days ago from the photoshoot I helped with last weekend, but I was busy! I'm sorry! Without further ado, part one of three of a shoot modeled by Bobbi Wall, styled by yours truly, makeup by MAC, and for real for real shot by Kristin Cofer. These are my shots! Unedited! (okay, a little cropping...)
Isn't she stunning? Kristin's photos are 10x better, and I can't wait to show you her final product. In this look: dress - vintage gunne sax shoes - H&M vest - Mink Pink I'll have parts two and three tomorrow and the next day. Thanks for the kind comments! I'll be posting outfits featuring some of my new garments in the next few days. Hooray! How was your weekend? I drove to Cleveland to see Dead Meadow, slept most of the day Saturday, went to a Tusk Lord/Brain Handle show, and played Dungeons and Dragons on Sunday. What a great weekend!
Add a Comment 1 It's Friday! 04.16.2010 Time for (hopefully) the last "Shit I Bought Friday" for awhile. I'm planning a trip to Iceland in July, and I have to save money. I'm going to see if I can buy only vintage for a month! Hooray! It will save me lots of money and refresh my closet's vintage collection. So here it is, one last time. I had been waiting patiently for these shoes for 6 months now. This company makes INCREDIBLE shoes but manages to cancel every style we order! Hoever, one pair happened to make it's way to ModCloth! And they're beautiful
This pair of perfection from ModCloth is stealing my heart with the tan leather/blue suede/wood heel. How did I dress myself before I had these?
Miu Miu inspired shoes that are of a decent quality, aren't exactly the same (although naked lady printed shoes would be great), and pretty effing stylish to boot? NEED! And finally, and outfit for tonight! A few friends (including the extremely talented artist, Miss Elizabeth Sanchez) and I are headed to Cleveland to see Dead Meadow! I need vacation from Pittsburgh, if even for the night, and I genuinely enjoy the band! Great company, beautiful weather - how could I say no? So natrually, I got myself a chic, travel-ready look to celebrate!
Subtley nautical with out being too cutesy or costumey? Thank you BB Dakota! And finally,
These shorts by Rojas, because I won't be able to sit like a lady for 3 hours. I'm sorry, I just cant! Doesn't hurt that they're too too cute. Hooray! And of course, thank you so much for all your kind words! I'm so grateful to have readers, especially awesome ones. What are you wearing this weekend? What are you doing for that matter?
Add a Comment 5 Hotel California 04.14.2010
Greetings from the O Hotel in LA! I'm cranky, and still suffering from all the mundane issues I bitched about in the last post, haha. In the spirit of comfort, I present my Saturday outfit. I had been wearing insane heels all week, and my feet needed a break. Thankfully, these Shelly's of London shoes came to my rescue in the cutest way possible.
I know - it looks like they wouldn't match anything, but that's precisely why they match everything! Right?
I got this dress from UO simply because it's an essential. A black and white skater shaped twofer? Yes please! It can be dressed up or down so easily for nights when you accidently sleep until 15 mintues before you're needed at a birthday party. Uh huh, thats what happened here, haha, but I think I pulled myself together nicely! What do you think? dress - By Corpus Mb/Mya - The dress is People's Market and I got it on ASOS. I'm sorry that I forgot to post outfit details! Unfortunately, it's no longer on the site, but ASOS always has tons of amazing stuff! Lisa, Kelley Anne and Eyeliah - Why, thank you! Jenni and Maya - Jeffrey Campbell is a genius. We should start some kind of fan club! I'm giving you one more sneak peek into our shoot. Hopefully I'll give you a full set tomorrow! Woo!
Until tomorrow, my friends...
Add a Comment 5 Day at the Office 04.12.2010
I apologize in advance for the quality of the writing of this post - I'm in my third city in three days, I'm sick, it's "that time of the month", and I'm so groggy from the constant stream of dayquil and nyquil that I can hardly think. Someone call the wahmbulance, eh? Anyways - greetings from The O hotel in downtown LA. Yesterday morning, I was in Las Vegas at what essentially was a porn convention (which I may or may not discuss in a later post - my pictures are bordering on NSFW), and now here we are. Phew. This weekend was full of birthday parties, drinks with friends, a photoshoot (!!!), and dinners with Caulen, and I wore this on Friday to get the weekend started off right.
I am IN LOVE with these shoes. I know I can't be the only one out there that feels this way about them.
They are over-the-top cool, are surprisingly easy to match, and are comfortable enough to run in (even for a baby like myself). Friday was a big day at work - Sari and I had a chance to design shoes that may or may not be made, we had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, and then we finished the day by helping to style a vintage shoot. Sooo, I felt this day was worth of the dress I got engaged in! Ah!
I love the cancan dancer print. Can you make it out?
And that's the long and short of it. Welcome to all the new commenters/bloggers! I'm so excited to see the links of bloggers I truly admire having a thing or two to say about my little blog. Thank you! P.S. I can't wait to share shots of a photoshoot I collaborated on/styled over the weekend. It's going to be worth the wait, I promise! Ah! Okay okay, here's a preview:
AHHH! AND THATS ONLY ONE LOOK! GET EXCITED!
Add a Comment 9 Shit I bought Friday 04.09.2010
Wecome to this week's edition of "Shit I Bought" Friday. Still no intervention for me, so I went on a rampage, and I'm going to share my purchases with you. It turns out that I may be able to get a sweet deal on the Superheadz camera I've been longing for, but it's going to take time. SOOOO I bought the above lens to tie me over until I can call the camera my own. At only $60 (!!!!!!!!!!), the Dreamy Diana Lens is said to be able lomo-ize any DSLR. What's not to love? (Well, the fact that it's backordered, but no worries!) Check out the Photojojo store! Seriously! They have whimsical accessories for DSLRs at "WTF are you SURE?" prices! Now...to the shoes...
OMG, right? RIGHT? I love you Irregular Choice. So much so that I also got an old school pair on Amazon!
And, and and and, I got these incredible shoes by Shelly's of London.
You are so jealous of me, right? I'm jealous of me! Okay okay, one more pair.
I actually thought I had taken these out of my cart before checking out, but I didn't. Oh well, guess I have to keep them now! Total MJ knockoff (they even have the heart shaped sole!) but I'll never get my hands on the real thing, so the Poetic License version will have to do! What else you ask? A hat:
Now if only I looked like her. Geeze. And this top:
I have no words. It's beautiful! I got a few other things to be honest with you, but these are the stars. Still looking for that intervention. I seriously have no idea how I'm going to pay the gas bill/eat/live. But at least I'll look good doing it, right?
Add a Comment 6 Another Day to Dress Up 04.08.2010
I must admit - I've fallen hard for the blog Another Day to Dress Up. I read litereally hundreds of blogs each day, and while there is so much talent out there for us to consume, every once in awhile a certain girl will stop me dead in my tracks. Enter Megan.
She is a master of draping, a vixen of vintage, and a princess of pattern-mixing. Need I say more? No, so I'll let her outfits do the talking.
Her wardrobe makes me want to throw everything I own away and start over again. I should just get it over with and stalk her, but I'm lazy, and she's not based out of Pittsburgh. Megan, you are a gem! Keep up the good work!
Add a Comment 6 Today is Different 04.08.2010
Happy Thursday everyone! The weather is still beautiful (at least in Pittsburgh), the birds are chirping, and it's making me so antsy that I can hardly sit still (or stop smiling)!
It's not the prettiest or most seasonally appropraite outfit ever, but that's why I wanted to share it! It's one of my "I can't sit still, let's run through a field!" outfits that I always avoid sharing with the internet. Today was different!
And on days like this, what shoe do I reach for? My Clark's Wallabee's duh! I have four pairs beileve it or not. They are so comfortable! I love them!
I love this vintage skirt, but even more because it's GITANO brand. Anyone remember them? And while Caulen and I took a stroll all over Polish Hill with Ruby, we found free stuff!
We scored an adorable pair of candleabras. Did I spell that right?
And then we headed home, trophies in hand. Aren't they adorable?
Spring is here. Act appropriately! top - silence and noise Megan, Jessica, and Midwest Mayhem, THANK YOU! Megan, I'm so happy you enjoy my blog, Jessica I'm flattered to hear you enjoy my Chictopia, and Midwest Mayhem, welcome! Natalia - thanks for the words of encouragement. I really hope so. In other news: I've already lost them somewehre in my house, haha. Fail. Kelley Anne - THANK YOU!! Add a Comment 2 Another day, another outfit. 04.07.2010
It took me way too long to get this skirt from ModCloth. I'm happy I did though - I'm in love! Two people stopped me at the grocery store to tell me how much they liked it! I can live six months on a good compliment, haha.
Now that spring has finally arrived, Ruby will be a fixture in my outfit shots. It works perfectly - Caulen and I come home, we take Ruby for a little stroll, and he shoots me in action. Brilliant! Thank you 6pm sunlight!
Excuse my hair, it was very windy.
Caulen admitted to me that he likes taking my outfit photos, so we went a little overboard. Why not? The weather was so nice! skirt - bb dakota Add a Comment 5 Blog feature! and I've made a huge mistake. 04.07.2010
Lo and behold, the lovely girls over at Miskabelle featured me as part of their "Everyday Vintage Mondays" this week! I'm so so so flattered to grouped in with such inspiring bloggers (Starr, Annie, I'm looking at you!). Miskabelle writes: "6. solitaryconsignment I'm blushing all over again! Thank you girls! And.....new glasses.
Gah! I kind of hate them! I sort of picked these out because my optometrist didn't have the giant square or round granny glasses I've always wanted...because no one does. Except the dollar store that one time.
Sure, they're clear, so they go with everything, right? Right? I blame not being able to actually SEE when I choose them (stupid dialation drops). Maybe it's like a new haircut that will eventually grow on me. Could I return them? Sure. Will I? No. Why? Because I'm lazy. Oh well, I only wear them on planes or to draw at my kitchen table anyways.
THIS kitchen table! Spring is here and all I want to do is draw. I can't wait to share my newest work with you, dear readers! Thank you all for your nice comments! Annie - Oh man, my bloglovin isn't working! I emailed the administrators and hopefully they can help. Welcome back! Melly - Hmmmm, thanks for the info. I really have my heart set on it, but I can't find reviews, and yeah, $200 is a lot for a play camera. I have some thinking to do! Elaine - Thank you and welcome! Star - I had a dream last night that I was eating candy. I guess my subconsious isn't taking it so well, haha. Add a Comment 2 Easter's Best 04.06.2010
Sorry my posts are so close together! I felt bad about how boring my last post probably was to everyone except me! Anyways... I usually don't put a lot of effort into what I wear to family events. If I do, either I'm too dressed up or I look like Ugly Betty, as far as they're concerned. No worries though, haha. I was so excited about this dress I figured "why not?". I took the plunge and put together a decent outfit for the family.
Ruby wasn't cooperating with the shoot. At all. It was too nice for her to be standing around.
Just look at her!
She's so cute even when she's being difficult. I wasn't pulling her in this photo, it was the other way around.
The print on this dress is just darling. I love Pepa Loves!
I love these shoes, but every time I wear them I ruin them more and more. This time it was running around in the yard that messed them up just that much more. Poor shoes! They're so great! dress - pepa loves Melly - Actually it's a plastic digital camera!!! It's made by a brand called Superheadz. Check it out! Kelley Anne - Thank you so much! The shoes were a bit of a bad choice for walking around, but any good thrifter can shop through the pain! You should try a bird printed dress. They make me feel like a fairy! Christina - Welcome! Thanks for the kind words about ModCloth too. We love what we pick, and I'm glad you love it too! Starr - Thank you. As always, you are FAR too sweet to me. And trust me, I blame my job for having no money. I'm more of an investment - all of my cash goes straight back into ModCloth! Sarah Louise - Treat the 1, 2 and 3 as S, M, L. It fits SUPER well actually, and it's made well. It's out of stock right now but you can get on the email reminder list for if we get it back in! Eyeliah - Glad to hear it! Thank you :) Add a Comment 5 Easter! 04.05.2010
Happy two days after Easter! I hope everyone spent time with their family, pets, favorite foods, or even a good book. Anything that allows you to relax! In this post, I'm going to present a photo rundown of my family's Easter celebration. It's our favorite holiday!
My mother really went overboard with the place settings! Someone put this shit in a life and home magazine, stat.
I love how confused Caulen and Ruby look. Jude had already mastered the art of "being cute for a camera" so this little shoot was no sweat for him.
My brother spent most of the day in the den. He's a super fun kid, but boy does he enjoy his naps/tv/cigarettes. Today was no exception.
Ruby and Jude made fast friends, and were nearly inseparable from the moment they met. Here they are playing t-ball.
Lots of family!
Ruby decided it was time for badminton!
Excuse my face - we were actually playing (no staging here, folks) and I was concentrating!
Caulen is a pro.
After dinner we had feats of strength, a la festivus. And after we were all sufficently exhausted, we went back inside and bullshitted till the sun went down.
And that concludes my way too long Easter in pictures. How was your holiday/weekend? What is your favorite holiday? P.S. I'll be responding to comments and questions in my post later today. I've gotten my fill of sun (its too hot for me already), and will be back to posting regularly as of today. Woo!
Add a Comment 4 Go Outside! 04.01.2010 I've been enjoying the great weather and staying far, far away from my computer, so I apologize for the lack of an update yesterday. I have a post about my first Seder (and how I set it on fire) almost ready, but I hate my outfit and I'm cranky, so today, just a shopping post (because shopping always helps put me in a better mood).
It sold out immediately on the ModCloth site the first time it was launched, to the dismay of almost everyone, but it's back - the When Doves Fly Dress has just been restocked, and I refuse to miss it this time! Pepe Loves makes such great stuff (note: their blog is mostly in Spanish)!
Got the last pieces available for the above two dresses. I love the back of the navy guy:
I've been meaning to get this guy and his Cindi Lauper at a business meeting feel forever. It was almost sold out! I'm going to wear it with bright heels!
And finally, I got this causal Luella-inspired frock:
Five new dresses! I feel better already, and I havent even finished my tea. Of course I had to clear out my bank account the day before I get paid, otherwise the money goes bad (or something). And my outfit from my thrifting adventure over the weekend:
top - dear creatures Because my last few days of outfit photos have failed! I blame Caulen. Is the weather as nice for you as it is for me? Lee Ann - Thank you and welcome! I appreciate you commenting and reading. We should totally compare photos, hehe. Melly - I understand, yet I'm still addicted. I may get one of these plastic digital cameras. What do you think? Mya - It's under AppStore I think! I got it right on my phone. Jenni and Maggie - Welcome!!! Add a Comment 6 Hipstamatic 03.30.2010
Sure, I haven't sent back any of my Holga/Lomo pictures from Europe yet. I'm not going to lie - its hard for me to get to the post office, and I'm so sure that they were ruined in screening, I'm reluctant to get back on the lo-fi horse without even knowing how I did! Enter Hipstamatic. At $1.99, this plastic camera emulator has already given me easily $50 worth of fun, haha.
And the results are dreamy! You're given a Kanimal Mark II, Jimmy, and a John S lens (as well as two types of film, which only change the boarder), and the option to buy a few more (which I did! They were .99 each). I'm addicted!
I have no idea how that one came out in such a strange way.
Sure, I have the means to create "genuine" lo-fi photos without such a hi-tech gadget, but in my opinion, a camera is a camera. If a photo is beautiful, it is no matter how you created it. Anyone know what this squished little guy is? I've seen him in multiple cities.
Hell, I may frame a few, haha. Sure, I lose a little "cred" but eh, did I have any to begin with?
Download it. You know you want to. I want to see what you girls come up with! Until tomorrow, ladies. Add a Comment 3 Maniac Monday 03.30.2010
I may have gone a little overboard with the prints in this outfit, but for some reason it felt oh so right for a Monday.
I love this cute open floral jacket. I got it at a little wholesale shop in LA. The dress is from H&M, when my mother and I headed there. I've had my eye on this grecian dress for almost a year now (I swear I've seen it in different stores at different times). It's so flattering and makes me feel like Spring.
It was fun breaking out the leopard print booties for the first time. I felt so fabulous everywhere I went, haha, which was to the Olive Garden to have dinner with Christina (shhhh, its a tradition).
And finally, the shredded little dot tights from UO. I've had such terrible luck with stockings like this. My blue pair fell apart in an hour. These UO ones were only on their second wear! It's one trend that I love but will never be able to work. Come back later today for a post about my newest love - the Hipstamatic IPhone app!!
It's so money you don't even know how money it is. Add a Comment 4 Oh my darling... 03.29.2010
I am very picky about the store-focused blogs I follow on Google Reader. If the wares aren't quality, I end up with Reader clutter that drives me insane. Huckleberry Vintage of the Feathers and Things blog falls into the "quality" category. I fell in love with this shawl via her blog, and knew that I'd be needing it for drizzles in SF as well as Pittsburgh's summer showers.
Of course, I didn't think to look through the rest of her store until I had already checked out. At $38, I'm VERY tempted by these ankle cowboy boots. I really need a pair of easy to wear shoes in this color. If I don't find a pair online by the end of the day, I may make these mine as well. Not to mention she's on the eyes. She has a very Pandora quality about her. What have you been craving to combat the spring showers (or at least protect your locks)? Add a Comment 2 Tiger Eyes 03.29.2010
Happy Monday everyone! I hope you enjoyed your weekend! Caulen and I both had 3 day weekends, so we spent a lot of it doing things we've been meaning to do. I promised no blog pictures during our Friday super date, but here's a run down. You'll have to imagine thie rest! Lunch - Burmese food at our favorite restaurant (it's offical). We're finally on a first name basis with the cook/owner, and we got to order off the menu! Saw Hot Tub Time Machine. It is EXCELLENT, although one woman and I seemed to be laughing the hardest. I thought it was better than the Hangover. Beer/Makeup shopping - I finally purchased adult makeup for the first time in my life. I got a Bare Minerals kit for foundation/consealer/blush (it was one of the only nicer brands at ULTA that actually had a shade light enough for me). Got Urban Decay mascara and eyeliner. Got a case of Rouge Hazelnut Ale (SO GOOD) and two bottles of Samuel Smith Strawberry Ale, which is too good to be true. Ate dinner at D's hot dogs (which are the best in the city). Watched a Documentary about strange pet owners. Best night evah! The next morning, I woke up and put this on to go try out new glasses and finally get my eyes checked. My right eye has gotten so bad! I'm getting cute little clear plastic frames. I couldn't see after my eye dialiation that I couldn't take a photo. And I got a pair of those AMAZING old men's sunnies. I may wear them again. And this is what I wore:
belted dress - vintage Hahaha, sorry this was so wordy. Starr - Oh man, I am SO excited! You are such an amazing e-friend. You've given me so much confidence in my hair! haha. fiftyseven - after following your blog for awhile, I FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT YOU! Melly - haha, I'm with Eyeliah (thanks for the compliment!) - I adore heights. More fun than scary. Who knows how I got this way? Mari - Welcome and thank you so much! I feel the same way, that place was wonderful but I appreciate having to find those amazing pieces at better prices. It's a thrifting challenge. Maya - I want to hug you, as always.
Add a Comment 4 Windy City, Part 2 03.25.2010
Though my total fearlessness when it comes to heights was a very important part of day two, this post is more about the incredible shops we found while hanging out in Wicker Park!
Don't be fooled by the Bulls jersey, this was no scrub of a shop, and don't let the 50% sale sign fool you either - I couldn't afford a damn thing in there.
Hundreds of pristine pairs of boots in every color and style imaginable lined the walls of the shop, trimmed with vintage designer bags and an extra long rack of leather and fur jackets that would make Liz Taylor cry. I could feel myself becoming irrationally attached to a $500 pair of grey and red boots with heart stitching, so we hightailed it out of there before I called my mother sobbing for her credit card number.
A few storefronts up we came across Una Mae's. They carry a lot of the same brands and styles that ModCloth does (because they have impeccable taste), so as the girls shopped my attention was turned to the decor. A painted TV used as a lamp! How brilliant!
Their sale room decor made me want a broken manniquin. Who knew? This shop also features adorable men's clothing, and we all know how hard it is to hunt that down.
We spent lots of time looking in Reckless Records, which I must admit, isn't as great for me. I only listen to classic rock and shit I find on blogs, but no worries! I spent an equally long amount of time staring at the epic painted doorway that leads to the apartments above. I want that!
We had dinner at place called the Bull and Bear, which looked like a normal pub restaurant, but we didn't feel like walking anymore so we headed in. Thank heavens we did!
Their honey miso salmon with sauteed spinach and potato nest (look at that thing!) was perfectly flavored, and made to my ultra-rare specifications without being gross. I overate because I couldn't put my fork down (although I guess that isn't a shock, thats kind of how I roll). Finally, Christine and I headed for our ultra-tourist destination: the SkyDeck at the Sears Tower (Willis Tower, whatever).
I must admit, it was a little disappointing, because without a fear of heights that rush that everyone seemed to feel upon stepping out onto the plexiglass was totally lost on me, but it was still a stunning view.
So cool! Mya and Melly - if we ever find ourselves in the same city, we'll go on an epic thrifting adventure. There are cheap finds enough for us all! Sarah Louise - Didn't make it to Red Hen Bread, as much as bread is a weakness/hobby of mine. I'll keep you posted on my next trip up there. Maggie - Welcome! Poor little owl sweater! It's hard for anyone to motivate themselves to knit/crochet in the spring. Maybe try finishing it on a blanket in the park or under your favorite tree! Maya - You're totally right. You've inspired me to go spend WAY too much at We Love Colors on pastel tights. My legs deserve perfect paleness! Add a Comment 7 Windy City 03.24.2010
I'm finally home, but of course, I'm still dreaming of my whirlwind 3 days in Chicago, IL! We headed up there for the StyleMax tradeshow, which was neat, but it was the extracurriculars that made me fall in love with the windy city! Day one involved us heading to the show right off of the plane, so a mix of fatigue and excitement meant no photos and a very early bedtime. On to day two!
The show was in a building right on the river, which to my utter delight was still green! Well, to be honest, I'm told that it's never really NOT green, but it's fun to pretend I got to see something special.
We headed to an adorable cafe named Orange before getting started. They had AMAZING orange french toast with rosemary cream and toasted almonds. Ahhh!
They're known for their Frushi, which is exactly what it sounds like. Delicious. We headed to the show for the day, and hit up a few vintage stores afterward.
Lenny and Me vintage homewares store blew my mind! If I could live here, I would. They had a giant store full of antique treasures, and their displays were a thing of beauty.
Seriously, I want to move into this store.
It was really cl ose to the site of the store in High Fidelity. Sadly, it's all boarded up. I found an amazing Penguin coat and Rachel Comey shoes at the Buffalo Exchange for next to nothing! I wore them that evening to get drinks with a vendor.
jacket - penguin via buffalo exchange shoes - rachel comey via buffalo exchange tights - (yes i'm wearing tights) UO scarf - vintage We headed to a bar called Rodan that has $3 Lychee and Champagne cocktails on Mondays. Highly recommend! They played an adorable Italian movie on one wall which added a great backdrop to getting to know new friends. Tomorrow I'll share a few amazing boutiques and Christine any my adventure to the Sky Deck at the Sears Tower. Hope you're having a great Wednesday! Sarah Louise - AH! I wish I would have known. We're home now, but I'll be back in October. We must hang out! Maya and Mya - thank you!!! Add a Comment 5 Four Bar Night 03.23.2010
Hello everyone! I'm typing this from my hotel room in Chicago, eagerly awaiting a trip to the Sears Tower (or whatever it's called now) to hang out in the plexiglass room. Those will be some epic outfit photos, let me tell you! It's so windy here (duh) and cold, that I can't wait to get back to Pittsburgh and to sorting the fruits of my 50 piece thrifting trip from Saturday. Naturally, I'll be posting the details once I get back. Ahhh!
These shorts are just one piece of the haul. I got these in three different colors for only $1 each! They're so perfect!
I love this little belt that I got on super clearance from UO, and I feel a lot more appropriate wearing it now that the weather is breaking. top - everyday or eternal (possibly my favorite top right now) I'd like to welcome the new commenters, and take the time to once again thank the regulars. You guys mean so much to me! I can't wait to share all the amazing stuff I picked up and all the adorable stores I found here in Chicago. This city has the BEST consignment! THE BEST! I've only been here for two days, but I honestly feel like i could stay. Add a Comment 3 Blue Bird 03.22.2010 Hey everyone! Greetings from Chicago! I'm loving it here so far - it's such a beautiful city.
I'm going to start the day with an outfit post. I wore this to get drinks with my girlies the day before we left. I'm sure you all recognize it - it's the light blue Rodarte for Target dress that everyone seems to have picked up (not that I can blame them, it's too good for words). With the weather getting nicer, I finally decided it was time to break it out. I have a feeling I'm going to wear this a lot this summer. dress - rodarte for target You can't see it, but the floral actually matches the tights perfectly. I lost a lot of details in the sun!
I wore it with this vintage necklace that is extra special to me. Why, you ask, is it so special? Because it was the first vintage item I ever bought. It came from Monroeville Mall (yes, the Dawn of the Dead mall, holla!) during "antique day". And that, you have it, is where my love affair with vintage started. Try not to cry too much, even though it's Monday and the weather is pretty perfect all around the country. There will be more beautiful days! How was your weekend? Add a Comment 6 Old family photo! 03.19.2010
I just came across this old photo of my grandmother on my father's side (left) and my great Aunt Dolly. I never got to meet my grandmother, but everyone says that she had a personality that could fill a room, and she was always ready to have a good time. Everyone also tells me I grew up to look exactly like her. People even call me "Tootie" (her nickname" at family parties. I never got to meet her, but all the photos I've seen lead me to believe I would have adored her. Apparently my weakness for shoes may be traceable back to her as well. I wish I could have thanked her in person! Do you have any scans of old family photos? Old photos are so much better with a story. Add a Comment 1 Happy Friday! 03.19.2010 Happy Friday everyone! I don' t know about you, but for me, it's PAYDAY, and I'm going to celebrate by spending all of my money. Need Supply Co is the culprit this week.
I've been meaning to grab a watch for awhile. I don't know why I don't have one. There have been so many amazing editorials lately featuring menswear inspired timepieces. "Time" to jump on the train. (get it?) I have a feeling it's going to be plastered to my wrist all summer long. It is waterproof, afterall.
And of course, no payday is complete without a new pair of Jeffreys. Who isn't loving the clog right now? And lord knows I can't afford Sweedish Hasbeens. These are just a giant sized version of the clog heeled sandals I grabbed last year. I'm sure they'll be tight bros in my closet. What would you girls like to see on my blog? Right now, its just my shopping conquests, outfit photos, and a travel journal. Let me know! Please!
Add a Comment 3 Long Night In 03.18.2010
Last night, Caulen and I celebrated the weather by doing a whole lot of nothing - and it was AWESOME! First, I took some time to curl up with my new mags while he played Call of Duty. Lula is always so inspiring. I can't wait for my next photoshoot with Kristin!
I whipped up some peanut butter chocolate cinnamon cookies (because I am awesome), and had to eat them all myself because Caulen doesn't like sugar, haha.
We played a game of Monopoly (my FAVORITE), and despite trying to help Caulen stay in the game, I kicked major butt. In his defense, I've played WAY too much Monopoly in my day.
Comrade was the banker!
All things considered, I was a bit dressed up to stay in. I can't help myself though, the weather is getting so nice so quickly, it makes me want to bathe in florals. dress - h&m
Daylight savings time is really paying off. Outdoor outfit photos are back! How has your week been so far?
Add a Comment 4 I've fallen in love again. 03.17.2010
So after hours of scouring Etsy for the perfect vintage dress (because lord knows I won't have time to thrift myself until at least this weekend), I came across this girl's shop - Necessity is the Mother. Each piece from her line - Fancy Clothing - is handmade from recycled or reclaimed fabric - and the results are nothing short of whimsical.
Her shop is filled with bow-embellished, beautifully printed garmets in human being sizes (because, ya know, I'm the standard). She's even based in Pittsburgh, so I love her even more! Check out her blog here, and her line's myspace page here (if you're into that sort of thing). I bought the two pieces pictured above. I can't wait till they're mine! Add a Comment 4 Where is my mind? 03.16.2010
Okay, I totally lost my mind. So I found out I got a raise (hooray!) so I went ahead and spent my new money, even though I don't have it yet. Trust me, it was for a good cause - I got two rompers by my favorite moderate price pointed designer right now, Dahlia, via Asos! The above sailor inspired romper is just too cute for words. I know I know, everyone is into nautical right now, but how could anyone not when it looks this good?
And, not to be outdone, this romper is making it's way over to the US as well with its GOLD HEART SHAPED BUTTONS! Sorry, I can't get the detail shot of the buttons to download, but you can kind of see them! I also got two great things from an adorable Etsy vendor that I'll tell you all about tomorrow. How much money did I spend today? Jesus God.
Add a Comment 3 Thanks mom! 03.16.2010 My mother was so impressed by H&M (she had never been there before) that she decided to buy me an outfit from there. Hooray!
This also marks the debut of my new haircut/hair color. Caulen helped me with the back. It took about an hour, all things considered. I love saving money in places I should really really not worry about spending money. Worse this to the Centipede E'est (Caulen's band's) record release show. I got tanked. Tanked. I woke up with bruises all over my legs, no voice, and more than a couple of apologies to send out. Pictures will come soon. I didn't take any. I was too drunk.
P.S. There is a ghost orb on my butt, and Caulen is amazing at getting blurry pictures on a 12 megapixel camera. What a jerk. Add a Comment 2 Spring spree! 03.16.2010
I decided to celebrate spring (and not having any money) by going on a little shopping spree last night, aaaaaaaaaaand I'm going to share my newest duds with you, dear readers! First up, my ModCloth purchases, like the above dress by Japanese designer Scholar. I LOVE the pastels, and the bubble hem seems to not be bothering me. It's a dress that can just be thrown on but still make you look put together. Woo!
I also got these little guys via ModCloth by 80%20. If you've been following me for a bit, you know that I already have these in teal AND in the hurracha version. BUT THESE ARE FLORAL! LOOK AT THEM! And they're so easy to walk in! Ah!
These headphones will be perfect for long walks with Ruby, and will hopefully better deter men from being creepy at me than my earbuds are now.
And finally, I also got this dress by perfectly cute designer Nooworks because - well because it's adorable. ADORABLE! The sleeves will be great for chilly outdoor activities for the next few months. That's just the ModCloth leg of my shopping spree. Details to follow as the develop. Asos managed to sell out of everything I wanted last night, but I'm on a mission. Oh yes, a mission. What can't you live without for Spring? Add a Comment 3 never underestimate a well-placed waterbed... 03.15.2010
So its offical: the rooftop bar at The Standard is more or less amazing. These waterbeds in onion-shaped red thingies next to the pool are pretty much the ideal place to sit around and get drunk. Or makeout, if you're the creepy older man and his lady of the night who snatched the space up as soon as we vacated. So here we are - the day three wrap-up of my latest LA adventure. We spent the first half of the day finishing up at the wholesale district. We found an INCREDIBLE new dress vendor that will be making it's ModCloth debut soon. We had a little extra time, so I took the opprotunity to take a much-needed nap and to enjoy some room service.
I got scallops and some strange couscous salad, which was fine. I've never had mind-blowing room service before though. I wanted chicken and waffles but they didn't make it until after 11pm. WTF? I thought cake would save the meal:
...but they blew their load on the presentation. Oh well. The moral to this story: don't drink 289084308 shots of tequila because you will end up choosing sleep over heading out to a great restaurant with your co-workers. Lesson learned. Then the girls and I headed up to the rooftop bar for some overpriced drinks and some well-deserved r&r.
The pool is heated and BEAUTIFUL. I didn't bring a bathing suit, but Susan said it was like bath water, which is what you need in 60 degree weather.
Unicorn topiaries abound against a beautiful view of the city, although I thought they looked a bit more like donkeys with their forward-facing ears. Maybe thats what they were going for?
From there, Sari and I headed to The Smell in downtown LA to see SoCow, and adorable poppy Irish act.
SoCow himself (on the right) is such a friendly, adorable guy. We actually had met when he played my friend's backyard a few years ago. He considers Pittsburgh in his top 3 American cities, and even dedicated a song to Sari, myself, and Pittsburgh! It's the first time someone I wasn't sleeping with dedicated a song to me! Movin' on up, haha.
I was dressed like a total maniac. I LOVE this cardigan, even though it's skull printed. I don't know what's happening to me. In my defense, Susan feels the same way, and ModCloth will be carrying it soon.
Don't ask me what I was doing - I have no idea. Again, lots of tequila. From the SoCow show, we went to the Gay Ranchero across the block for drinks and a little dancing. I won a CD for being the "hardest partyer" in the place. I cleared the entire dance floor. Sheesh. From there, a creepy guy was touching/dancing with Sari and I. When we made it clear that we didn't want anything to do with him, and were leaving, he wound up and smacked me REALLY hard between my shoulder blades. Haha, and that's the story. And then Sari and I went back to the hotel, where I finally got my chicken and waffles. Hahahahahaha. Yep, my life is absurd. Add a Comment 2 Name-ish Sake 03.15.2010
I just had to share. Sure, these are called the "Look Twice T-Strap" on ModCloth.com, but to the brand we ordered them from, Chelsea Crew, they are none other but the "Lindsay". These shoes didn't have a name when we first came across them, but once our rep noticed my elation for them, he named them after me! So of course, they're bought and paid for and on their way to my closet. They'll always be the "me" shoes to me, haha. Can't WAIT to wear them with ankle pants and/or bright tights! Will be updating later tonight about the homeless guy story, haha. Again, it's not that great, but I will also be finishing up my Cali post set! Hooray! Also - would any of you be interested in a "learn to crochet" blog post/video? Miss Mya has inspired me... Add a Comment 2 Sunny LA, day two! 03.14.2010
Another weekend gone. Blah! How was yours? Remember most of it? I certainly have pieces missing. Welcome to MSC, new readers and commenters. You are all so nice! I blush every time I read what you have to say! Thank you! I'm going to start this post off by answering questions that you ladies have had. First, Mya. Camera shopping is the BEST! Thanks for asking my take on it! I own a good six cameras, but 95% of my photos are taken by the above: the Canon Powershot SD780 IS. I use it on manual settings, so a lot of my photos require more than one take, but I do highly recommend it. Let me know what you end up with!
Kelly - thank you! I started at ModCloth as the 7th person on the team two and a half years ago, when the company was still ran out of Susan and Eric's house. I did a little bit of everything - customer service, vendor relations, description writing, and finally, through virtue of my vintage wardrobe and a little bit of a gamble on Susan's part, here I am! I have my dream job, needless to say.
Day two of LA started with some intense sunglass shopping. I look terrible in sunglasses, but its still fun trying everything on. From there we headed to one of our favorite purse vendors to find this little (well, it's actually pretty big) guy. Yep, you're correct - this is a purse shaped like a horse. Oh yeah, I'm totally getting on e.
We had incredible tacos at an open air restaurant...
...which I destroyed. As you can imagine, Pittsburgh isn't exactly the go-to American city for decent Mexican food. And after a few hours of shopping in San Pedro, Sari and I headed to the Five Star Bar to see Nobunny and TV Ghost.
I met TV Ghost when they played my house a few years ago. The crowd trashed the place, if memory serves. They were just as good as I remember, but granted, I was far less inebriated this time around. Nobunny had a great little outfit on.
After much dancing and many tequila shots consumed at the bar next door (which is all they had to offer, apparently), we headed back to The Standard for some sleep. Here is what I wore for the day's adventure:
Sometimes I wonder if I should chill with the bright colors. And then I decide that I can't. Hot pink shoes!
jacket - vintage dress - from a wholesale shop tights - ASOS shoes - chelsea crew Thanks for reading! What are your big plans for the week? Is anyone as excited to see Hot Tub Time Machine as I am? Stay tuned, tomorrow I'll tell you about how I was slapped by a homeless man after winning a cd for dancing like a maniac. Actually, thats pretty much the store, but I have cute pictures to go along with it :) Add a Comment 3 Standard Offerings 03.11.2010
Hello everyone! This post is coming to you from the lobby at The Standard Hotel in downtown LA (because my room doesn't get the wireless for some reason). So far, our buying trip is an appreciated break from the overcast of Pittsburgh.
All things aside, our rooms are beautiful! Simple decor, an impressive assortment of sundries, and a bonkers bathtub that is pretty much in the middle of the room has me asking the managment to throw a kitchen on one so I can live here full time.
Is it weird that I took a photo of the "toilet room"? It reminds me of something out of 2001:a space odyssey. The focus of most of my pictures from this trip is food. I love shopping, I do, but you can see what we bought for yourself in the next couple of weeks over at ModCloth, haha. On Tuesday we went to the Tiara Cafe in the garment district of LA for brunch.
I love how dreamy the decor is! The food is all organic and locally sourced in most cases. They have an INCREDIBLE lunch menu - highly recommend!
They decorate the front cafe area with amazing vinyl dolls. Ah! Stuff to look at overload!
And then of course we went shopping. We went to a warehouse that was more or less a real life Barbie closet. GET EXCITED! Then a bunch of other stuff happened... and THEN.....
...we went to Botega Louie (an Italian place in downtown LA) and had CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE! The restaurant is known for its' hot waitstaff (at least on Yelp), but this should be the main event. It's incredible. I could eat this until I explode. Honestly. Note: If you do make it there, order it at the begining of your meal - there's a 20 minute lead time. And here is what I wore for our day 1 adventure:
Again with the bathtub. I couldn't help myself! At least my camera matches my outfit. scarf - calvin klein Thanks for all the comments, and welcome new commenters - I really appreciate your support. I'm trying to work out some kind of reader appreciation giveaways - I'll follow with details when I get home! Kristin - GOOD IDEA! I'll find out if we can have a photoshoot there. Libsys - Thank you so much! That means a ton to me. Nikki - Can't wait to read your blog - thanks for leaving a link! I round the corners of my photos using the "1960's" filter in Picnik in Flickr. Hope you're not bored girls, I have lots more LA trip to share in the coming days! Off to the rooftop bar! Add a Comment 4 The Secret City 03.08.2010 Happy Monday everyone! I'm sitting here downing my cup of noodles before we run to the airport to catch a plane to LA, dreaming of what was to come at my and Caulen's very unique Sunday activity: The Secret City.
The Secret City is an interactive game that challenges teams to answer riddles sent to you via text message, using the resources of the Braddock Carnegie Library, the world's first Carnegie Library located in historic Braddock, PA (you may have seen the mayor on The Daily Show last year).
As the town has slowly lost its population, the library has become an archive of the once-great mill town's glory.
We even got to explore the library's gorgeous music hall! I would have taken a panoramic picture, but it was so dark and eerie - which I'm sure was part of the game. This organ had one of our clues!
Here I am reading one of our clues on the stage of the music hall - I felt like I was in a movie!
They had a funny little gym above music hall. We had to assemble a puzzle with these mats, and figure out a formula with the numbers written on it. So strange.
Finally, we ended up in an empty pool next to the main room of the library. What? Well, actually, it turns out that the water was so bad during the steel age of the town, that they had to open a pool for bathing to help out the poorer residents. Our clue was written along the walls of the pool! Unfortunately, my phone managed to break the system after this clue, which means we had to quit early. Blah! We didn't get to see the attic or the ending, which I heard was incredible.Oh well, next time!
This is what I wore to brunch beforehand. I had to lose the hat because it wouldn't stay on (although Anja Louise had a great solution that I'm going to try once I get home), and I had to switch to more comfortable shoes for the game - we were there for three and a half hours and we didn't even finish!
Caulen said I looked like I was going to the county fair!
What did you do this weekend? Sorry there were so many pictures! I had even more that I wanted to share - it really was a breathtaking building. What are your plans for the week? Who lives in LA and wants to go to the Nobunny or SoCow shoes with Sari and I? Add a Comment 8 Cheetohs 03.07.2010
Speaking of Jeffrey Campbell, I decided to track down a pair of his booties that I had forgot that I "needed". The 99 in fur is sold out almost everywhere, but two hours and a headache later, I found them at Revolve!! If you want a pair (or anything from them) use code "tulip" for 15% off! Melly - to answer your question, the red shoes I wore in my last post were from ModCloth. We only had them for a short period of time, and naturally, I had my credit card in hand as soon as they were launched! I'm glad you girls understand my lust for JC. I actually requested my friends have an intervention - I have at least 15 pairs of his shoes, but probably closer to 20. They're just too good! I just had to share! AHHHH! Melly, Kelley Anne, and Maya - thank you again for your support! I seriously e-love you girls! fiftyseven - welcome! Add a Comment 4 Sunday, Sunday, Sunday 03.07.2010
I wore this to ModCloth's work happy hour to benefit Haiti recovery efforts. I won a screenprint, and had a great time hanging out with coworkers that I never see (because I'm never in town). So much fun (minus the stomach virus I found out I had aquired the next day).
I must try these shoes on with every other outfit I put together. They're just so perfect! Jeffrey Campbell finds a way to download the section of my brain that stores "shoes I wish exisited" and uses it to create shoes that I can't resist. So good! cardigan - vintage How is your weekend so far? Going to an Oscar party? I am...although I haven't seen any movie up for anything. Literally. I just watch Twin Peaks and season 1 of That Mitchell and Webb Look over and over again. Add a Comment 4 Anja Louise 03.05.2010
If I really knew what I was doing yesterday, I would have been wearing this incredible outfit from Miss Anja Louise of Clever Nettle fame.
I'm sure you're aware of her amazing Etsy shop, so we can all only imagine what she actually keeps! That blouse makes me want to be a better person! I adore it so much. I feel like I'm falling in love! Anja, if you're reading this, you're a constant inspiration! Also, we recieved your paintings for the ModCloth office yesterday and I'm blown away! Add a Comment 3 Ice Skating! 03.05.2010
Last night, Caulen and I went on a date to PPG Place (Caulen built their website, actually!), where they set up an ice rink during the winter months. Neither of us are very good at skating, but the rink closes for the year on Sunday, so if we wanted to at least try to improve, we were running out of time (especially because we may be living in Cali this time next year).
The rink was pretty empty (even though the weather was nice!) so we (against our better judgement) attempted a photoshoot while careening around in circles.
And it was an extra special occasion because Caulen wore the wool cowl/neck warmer I made for him last year. I've gotten a lot better, so it sort of looked terrible in comparison to what I make now. Didn't tell him that though, he looked cute! Please bear with me on this one, I don't know what happened. How on EARTH do you get a blurry picture on a 12 megapixel camera without cropping it? Caulen found a way.
This outfit was actually really cute, but all the layers I had to add to not have to wear a coat made it incredibly bulky. Oh well! I'm not adding this to any outfit groups though. It's not my best work. hat - ophelie hats
All and all it was a very successful date night! And it's finally Friday! Any plans for the weekend?
Add a Comment 1 Hobby Happy 03.04.2010
I know our blogging community is a very crafty bunch, and I'd like to think that I am no exception! Sure, shopping is my first great love, but crochet and drawing come in at a close tie for second. The weather is still cold, so crochet is my time killer of choice. I just recently finished my favorite project in recent memory for Susan, my boss (and friend).
I should have photographed something next to it for reference, but it's pretty big. I think it should fall around the belly button.
I used Lion's Brand Vanna White collection in whatever colors seemed to look nice together. I have most of her hues in the house at all times - it's cheap, soft, and comes in the BEST shades of everything! According to the label, she's America's favorite crocheter. Who knew?
The little bows are my favorite part. They're so cute and easy to make. I want to attach them to everything! What do you do to pass the time when the weather sucks?
ALSO: I just got Twitter! My name is MySolCon. So far Shaq, Conan, shitmydadsays, and Susan are the only people I follow. I don't get it! Add me, I need friends! I swear I only say awesome stuff.
Add a Comment 3 Polar Opposites, Part 2 03.03.2010 Unlike the last outfit post, these two outfits were designed with the same city in mind. The similarities end there:
I had Hel Looks on the brain when I put this together. Cozy with a pop of color! I think Helsinki may be my dream city.
I may start dressing like this every day. Stretch pants are the new laying in bed all day. scarf - Holy-G And yes, that is my vintage Coach backpack purse that is pretty much the greatest thing since sliced bread.
And I wore this for Caulen's birthday potluck (I came downstairs to ask him if he'd be embarassed if I wore this, because sometimes I embarass him with my "flair"). I was feeling terrible, but this dress definately helped. It fits like a glove!
And I managed to ruin these tights that night. First time wearing them, too. Does anyone else have the same problem with little dot tights? They just don't last! I may bury them in my back yard and say a few words. Maybe a stocking tree will grow. dress - vintage Do you like our new living room? I finally decorated it! It's a shame we're probably moving cross-country soon (WHAT?). Add a Comment 4 Capsule Tradesow 03.02.2010 First let me start by giving a big THANK YOU to Maya, Melly, Kelley Anne, Honey Bunny, hannah, and fiftyseven (let me know if you two have blogs, too) for being such great e-friends. I've been a giant ball of anxiety this week and your kind words have helped more than you know!
What is this, you say? Three floors of high-end indie designer heaven in a venue I'm pretty sure I'd be married in if I lived in New York. Well, yes, that's exactly what it is! The Capsule Tradeshow held at the Angel Orensanz Foundation building in NYC was a who's who of Independent, high-fashion gems that could easily have made me pass out if I was truly ready for it.
Rodebjer, Samantha Pleet (SWOON), Henrik Vibskov (crazy and interesting), MEW (so cute), and my personal favorite, Rachel Antonoff (!!!!!!) were all on hand peddling things that I would murder in cold blood for. (Luckily, ModCloth will be carrying Miss Antonoff's frocks this Fall! AHHHHHH!)
More Antonoff. Do you SEE those yellow shorts? WTF?
Naturally, we spent lots of time at the Dear Creatures booth. Bianca (the owner/deisgner) is more or less the most adorable girl in the entire world. I'd buy a paper bag from her if I thought it would make me even a quarter pixie (I'd say she's around 95% pixie). Their fall line is BONKERS. Your mind will be blown. Fashion aside, the venue itself was swoon-worthy.
It's a repurposed synogogue that had me frantically texting Caulen proclaiming "We're getting married in NEW YORK. Not up for debate. Details and pictures to follow." *** Not actually happening. Pittsburgh all the way.
Even the painted tin ceilling had me scrambling for my camera.
And yes, that is a life-sized green horse lamp. Where on earth do you even find one of those?
In the end, what started as a last-minute trip to NYC to tread unkown show territory left us as happy as fashion buyers in a TopShop. Which we also went to. And it was good.
Add a Comment 5 Polar Opposites 02.26.2010 Two outfits from two very different climates:
I was feeling a little saucy, if you can't tell. It's probably because of the free sauce we got at the Pool tradeshow Party in Las Vegas a week and a half ago. The backdrop of my room was so great, I had to use it.
I could never pose like this sober. That being said - I'm pretty into them. top - UO (lovin' the Chanel-inspired two tone!) skirt - Rojas tights - AA Shoes - Jeffrey Campbell And back to Pittsburgh, where we're getting our fourth major snowstorm this year:
I love dressing like a cartoon character. BRIGHT COLORS OR BUST! cowl - Spratters and Jayne coat - BB Dakota sweater - Industry bag - ModCloth tights - Look From London shoes - Industry I'd like to mention, this isn't the front of our house. We'd take the time to paint our steps! Add a Comment 5 Be still, my anatomical heart (necklace). 02.25.2010
I discovered Lillian Crowe at the cash and carry section at Pool this year. Her delicately intricate jewelry designs took my breath away!
Here's a little known fact for you: when I got my heart shaped tattoo on my chest, I was actually going to get an anatomical heart. Friends managed to talk me out of it (for one reason or another), but I'm still just as obsessed with the shape as I was back then. So naturally, I couldn't live without this copper charm.
I also picked up this ribcage necklace. It's so perfectly proportioned! I went with a antiqued copper for this one, but her designs are also available in silver and 14 carat gold plated! Check out her Etsy shop! Her spine design fits perfectly into the ribcage! Creepy and perfect. Add a Comment 4 Seeing Red 02.25.2010
I'm not going to lie - this has been my favorite outfit in awhile. I ADORE this coat (even though it's currently the most expensive article of clothing I own), these shoes are so much fun, and the hat was so large it started to weigh my head down. I turned lots of heads in Topshop, let me tell you, and good or bad, that's still an accomplishment. hat - assembled by me from various wholesale shop parts Add a Comment 2 Dream Girl 02.23.2010
This is my dream wedding dress. I've found two already, but both have been a 24 inch waist. I could stop eating now, and still not fit into it come October. So help me God I will go Bridezilla if I don't find it, or something similar. Mark my words. IT IS PERFECT. Add a Comment 2 Once again, Audrey-Inspired 02.23.2010
Although my dreams of perfect curly hair have fallen by my very lazy wayside, my obsession with all things Audrey Horne has not.
Naturally, I love her good girl/bad girl shoe transition, but I'm left longing for her "good" shoes, rather than the simple red heels she ditches them for. Enter (surprisingly) Vans.
Sure, they're not quite as cute. And sure, I have thrifted my very own pair of saddle shoes, but they're awful to walk in. I have a feeling these can stand the test of a 9 hour day walking the rows of any tradeshow without leaving me doubled over in pain. The heel is actually pretty cute! At $55, they're not back-breakingly priced, and should go with tons of looks I have every intention of wearing this Spring. Whaddaya think? What are your go-to shoes this Spring? Add a Comment 2 Work it Out 02.22.2010
Armed with a freshly organized closet, I was actually able to pack semi-coherent outfits for Magic/Pool/Project this year. The booths make for interesting and unique backdrops, so I took advantage whenever I could. GIANT CAT PAINTING! AHHH! I got a lot of compliments on both of these outfits, so I knew my 15 mintues of planning went a long way. Above: skirt - vintage
I actually saw the lady from Fables by Berrie while I was wearing these shorts. She was not excited. If you don't want giant-butted girls to wear your shorts, don't make them in larger sizes. DUH. Here I was trying to blend in with the "trends" display. Guess what? Everything is a trend for Fall 2010. Who would have thought? The usage of the word has gotten way out of hand... shorts - fables by berrie And an adorable Japanese girl took a photo of my outfit! In your face Berrie!
Add a Comment 2 Hong Kong Woo-y (see what I did there?) 02.22.2010
As I finally started to unpack my last two trips worth of suitcases, I came across the jewels that were my scores from Hong Kong Vintage in Charlotte, NC. What on earth was I doing in Charlotte, you ask? I was snowed out of Pittsburgh. And although the food was mediocre, the scenery was drab, and the mood was tense (thanks to three cranky girls that just wanted to go home), the thrifting and vintage shopping was memorable to say the least.
I get cocky upon diving into the first rack of almost any vintage store. I'm lucky enough to have a job that requires it's fair share of vintage sourcing, which basically means I'm a very (VERY) harsh critic when it comes to vintage selection and pricing of such botiques (which is why I don't bother blogging about 99% of them - no joke).
So as you can tell by the over abundance of photos (that I'm pretty sure I wasn't allowed to be taking), that I was impressed. VERY impressed. Not just by the incredibly reasonable prices (I didn't consider that Charlotte is probably on par with Pittsburgh, cheap-wise), but the crap-free selection of clothing, accessories, and housewares (do you SEE that Dunkin Donuts thermos? Why am I so in love with it?). And when I say crap-free, I mean it. Everything was quality! I picked up a few choice pieces for myself, even with my almost strict "I can thrift this myself so why get it from you?" policy.
Doesn't the skirt look like it's Poke' ball printed? I was upset when I first found out I was stuck in Charlotte for two days, but after I got over the shitty sushi, realized that everyone in the city is refreshingly friendly, and bought another suitcase to fit my new vintage closet-stuffers, I realized that I very well may be back. Feeling jealous? Check out Hong Kong Vintage's website - they are kind enough to sell stuff online for those of us who don't end up in strange cities thanks to their job. Add a Comment 1 Me-va Las Vegas 02.20.2010
I'm finally back from my second stint in Las Vegas this year. The scene: the Magic, Project, and Pool tradeshows. Here are my highlights from the busiest, most important shows us ModCloth buyers walk.
The view from our Wynn rooms was incredible! We could see the fireworks from the TI pirate shows and everything. Sure, we didn't spend very much awake time there, but it was a nice backdrop for email answering.
There was an incredible shoe section added on to this year's show. Irregular Choice had some BONKERS styles for Fall 10. I know they had a rough couple of years there, but they're back. Holy shit.
Of course I did a little shopping for myself! I ordered this BANANAS Japanese bag. It's hella expensive, but LOOK AT IT! My recent camera obsession wouldn't be complete without it. I can't wait until it ships!
Buying at wholesale prices ends up costing me, but in the end it's worth it. This butter-soft Industry Collective leather jacket stole my heart. It's in the ideal shade of tan, features a super unique oversized knit collar, and is going to look oh-so-right with pretty much everything.
I'm looking forward to going OTT Kawaii with these fur ear hats. I forget the name of the brand - free spirit, spirit hats, I don't know. What I DO remember is how HOT their reps were. I know, it's silly, but silly in the cutest way ever. Laugh if you want.
I fell instantly in love with this Luella knockoff. I know, I know, its exactly the same - but I'll never get a chance to even BUY the original, let alone be able to afford it, so I had to get this little guy.
And finally, the best part of any Vegas trip - THE FOOD! I got to eat a little of everything my heart desired on more than one occasion. If you're ever in the area - hit up the Wynn buffet. You'll thank me later. All and all it was a successful trip. I'm off again tomorrow for New York City for the second time this year. Eventually I'll be home for an entire week, but I'm not holding my breath. Add a Comment 2 A Desert Island 02.17.2010
Magic is insane. We've written over 700 new styles for ModCloth in the two days we've been here...which would explain why it's 8:30 and I'm already contemplating going to sleep. Naturally, I forgot my camera cord, so my ability to update here is very, very limited. But I'm sure you all understand. Lots of amazing pictures to come. Well, amazing to me. Has the northeast thawed yet? Add a Comment 0 Goodnights 02.15.2010
Spent Saturday shopping for a new bed. It's the first time in my life I've had a choice, and it feels GOOD. We picked one that had Vera Wang's name on it. Turns out, she knows what she's talking about. I'm sure everyone could see my butt every time I tried out a bed. Oh well. cardigan - tulle Add a Comment 2 All Snowed Out 02.13.2010
I'll spare you my tales of getting stuck in LA, and then Charlotte, thanks to the bilzzard. Suffice to say that the WSA shoe show was wonderful, LA was alright, and Charlotte was kind of a bust (save a vintage store I'll post all about). I haven't been home for longer than 6 days in the last month and a half! But THat didn't stop me from getting a drink with the writer of my comic. I took the opportunity to step out in a pair of the menswear trend pants I've been hoarding. I LOVE THEM! hat/pants - ModCloth shoes - 80%20 top - Queen of Hearts sweater - Ichi (yes, that is a tag. I forgot it was still on there) P.S. Thank you all once again for your warm wishes! I love wedding planning already, and we hardly have anything planned. I reorganized my closet to pass the time. How have you been dealing with the snow? Add a Comment 1 King of the wild frontier. 02.01.2010
To celebrate Caulen's finishing his record room, I decided that I wanted to take pictures in it, while it still looks like a record store. Thats the long and short of it. And this is how it came out.
My brother and I have both have this hat. Namely because my father would sing us the Davey Crocket song as a lullaby when we were younger. They were made on an Indian reservation.
Ruby just cried the entire time because I wasn't paying attention to her. Or maybe because of how absurd I probably looked.
Thanks to a new dye job and an experiment with sponge rollers, I look a bit like little orphan Annie. Still trying to figure out the curl thing without resorting to a perm. Unsuccessfully. Add a Comment 5 European Vacation, Part 2: Berlin! 01.31.2010
Hello Everyone! Hope you had an awesome weekend (that is sadly over). I managed to do a whole lot of nothing, but at least I have my memories of Berlin! Caulen and I went to Berlin via train two days before Bread and Butter started (a decision we should have made a few days earlier).
We drank lots of beer. LOTS of beer. And were engaged after. (Don't worry, we had enough food that he wasn't drunk. I'm not THAT terrible.) And shopped at the most incredible vintage store:
It's mix of clothing, decor, light fixtures, and books made us tear up knowing we can't possibly bring all of it home.
Caulen was in shock.
It was Caulen's time to return to our little Ruby, but Susan, Sari and I still had three days of Bread and Butter ahead of us!
This year's BnB theme was the wild west (at least as far as we could figure). The cafe' was incredible, and boasted pretty decent food (well, compared to summer's inedible fare). Naturally, the booths were bright and inspiring:
(Someone took a picture of me, taking a picture of a Diana F+ with a Diana F+ with a Diana F+. Work that one out.) And, thanks to high school memories, I thought the lady at the DEPT booth was making fun of my outfit. Turns out she just really liked it. They even took a picture of us:
Please please please excuse my hair...jesus god...
All and all, Berlin was just as beautiful as I remember it, and probably just as beautiful as it will be the next time we make it across the ocean. Plus, it's a very special place now thanks to my soon-to-be husband!
Hope this wasn't too boring! Especially because we still have the final chapter to look forward to: Paris! And with that, I'm off to Vegas for the first time this year. SHOE SHOW!!! AHHHH!!!!! Naturally, there will be updates. And maybe a beauty product review or two ;). How was your weekend? Tell me things! (I always say that and only the lovely miss Maya answers. I really mean it when I say I'm curious!) P.S. I'm glad to see new blog addresses popping up in the (finally spam free) comments sections. Keep it up! I love learning about new blogs and new people! Add a Comment 2 When at work... 01.29.2010
Turns out ModCloth found our trip so interesting that they dedicated a newsletter and blog post to us! Check out the post here. See that Diana F+ I had attaached to my face (I spent most of the trip behind one of three cameras)? Well, I think they went through x-rays so many times that my million wonderful pictures are RUINED. Same with my Golden Half camera. I am such a noob. A really, really sad noob. Add a Comment 1 Champagne taste, anyone? 01.28.2010
Found my dream ring. At Neiman Marcus of all places. Now, quick, someone give Caulen $8500 so he can get it for me! THIS IS IMPORTANT! What a plague of life! I bet he's already regretting proposing... Add a Comment 1 To wear, or not to wear. 01.28.2010
Usually, when I stumble across the Yahoo! homepage, I'm greeted with cringe-worthy errors that even I notice. Surprisingly, yesterday I was greeted with a news story that managed to catch my eye for non-get-an-editor-related reasons. Pro figure skater, Johnny Weir, is catching some flak from the usual suspects about his use of fox fur in his latest costume. That's right, that little tuft of white, requested by the skater himself, is the pelt of one of our adorable fuzzy friends. Here is where the story got interesting for me: he stood by his choice! Usually, when found under fire for animal-related faux pas, stars seem to put their metaphorical tail between their legs (see what I did there?) and slink back to their PR office to e-shop for vegan friendly couture. Not Weir, no sir. “I tend to focus my energy, if there is a cause, on humans. While that may be callous and bad of me, it’s my choice.” Weir said. Now, I can't pretend that I have a clear-cut stance on this issue. I own my fair share of kidskin shoes, but mange to limit my fur intake to vintage-only. But I have to say I respect his ability to stand up to PETA-esque bullies (and lets be honest, they are a bit...something). “Every skater is wearing skates made out of cow,” Weir continued. “Maybe I’m wearing a cute little fox while everyone else is wearing cow, but we’re all still wearing animals.” Again, I have to admit, I really admire his steadfastness. Which leads me to ask - what do you think? This article only proved that I don't know exactly where I stand on the issue. I'm not a vegetarian. I wear lots and lots of leather and suede. Maybe I'm not the most animal-friendly fashion lover on the indie fashion blog circuit. How about you? P.S. If you are an animal-lover and never an animal-wearer, check out this INCREDIBLE knit fox stole (brought to my attention by Susan of my boss at ModCloth fame):
Maybe dropping $400 on this cruelty-free accessory will make you sleep better at night. I'm totally getting my (soon to be) mother-in-law to make one for me. Add a Comment 3 What I did on my winter vacation, part 1. 01.28.2010 Hello everyone! I'm finally back in Pittsburgh, ready to go back to work, and snuggling with my little girlfriend Ruby! This was an amazing two weeks, and I have to say, possibly the best two weeks of my life! If it's not too boring, I'm going to recap my trip. I know I've been gone for awhile, but you'll see that the absence was well worth the memories. First, before I left, I got a new haircut (you know, so I'd look perfect in pictures):
If you can't tell, it was inspired by my new favorite tv show, Twin Peaks.
Because Audrey Horne is perfect. And I wanted to pretend to be Audrey Horne in Europe. Can you blame me? First up, Prague.
We stayed in Prague 3, which is supposedly the bohemian, hip bar area. Honestly, we didn't find too many hip things to do there (or anywhere in Prague), but we did have a great view of the TV Tower (and it's restaurant that closed the day we got there. Figures).
We spent our first night wadding through snow and dealing with a string of not-so-friendly people, in a not-so-great hotel, but on day two, we made the hour trek by train to the Assuary in Kunta Hora. Mind blowing! That's the only word for it. The above chandelier uses every bone in the human body.
It was creepy and beautiful, and Caulen wanted his picture taken in front of everything. Kunta Hora smelled like fresh tobacco, which was actually pretty gross. I blame the Phillip Morris factory less than a mile away. Even as an ex-smoker, gross.
We spent the next day wandering around, which was remarkably difficult because there had been no attempt to clear the massive amounts of snow all over the city. We pulled a lot of muscles. I got a lot of funny looks (and a few snickers) while we were there. I think I was in posession of the only patterned coat in the entire country. It couldn't have been my dress, because my dress was awesome. And so was my hair.
We found a great tiki-themed bar in our neighborhood, that seemed to be a hang out for English teachers. I drank a lot of absynthe, but sadly, did not hallucinate. Lots of people tried to sell us hash, but Caulen wouldn't let me buy any.
We walked around and saw lots of touristy stuff. We couldn't go into shops without getting harassed, blah blah blah.
The graffiti was all really awesome, at least.
So all in all, Prague wasn't exactly what I would have expected, but I spent it with a man I love! We went to Berlin two days early, and thats when things got a tad more blog-worthy. I promise. Thank you for reading! And thank you so much for all the congrats on getting engaged! My ring already bent, so we're looking for a new (real) engagement ring as I type this. Let me know if you have any great vintage or antique jewelry websites! How have you been, internet? Tell me things! Add a Comment 6 A life less solitary... 01.21.2010
Greetings from Berlin! First let me apologize for the obvious spamming going on in the comments section of my last two posts (and probably this one once it goes live). Caulen should be on it asap. In the meantime, enjoy some great deals on male enhancement drugs. Now to my big news - I'M ENGAGED! Caulen proposed to me three days ago after an incredibly romantic dinner here in Berlin. Needless to say, I accepted, and we're hoping to get married this September! It's a beautiful vintage ring that was his mother's. I love it so much!
Excuse how puffy I look, I was crying (out of joy) on and off all evening. He didn't propose in the U-bahn station, it was just the first time I could stop flipping out long enough to consider taking pictures. I have lots and lots of pictures so far, and the other ModCloth buyers and I still have Paris to look forward to! I'll be able to update more frequently now - this week of silence has been caused by a lack of internet! Best week of my life, seriously. 2010 = my year. I can feel it. Add a Comment 9 Lets get ready to stumble. 01.12.2010
So Saturday was the ModCloth holiday party and benefit for the Greater Pittsburgh Women's Center and shelter. As you can tell from the picture above, I got drunk. And puffy. But at least my teeth look pretty white...
There was lots of dancing, karaoke like whoa, and and a great vibe that lead to $1010 raised for the center!
I'm sure it's easy to think that there aren't very many fashionable people in Pittsburgh, but believe it or not, lots of well dressed party-lovers found their way out of the woodwork to attend.
Susan and I both wore the always compliment-worthy Fractal Hat by Ophelie Hats (available at ModCloth.com!). I like it better on her, haha.
From Springsteen to System of a Down (yep!), lots of ModClothers had enough liquid courage to get on the surprisingly well-lit stage (which would generally scare at least me off). I did a rendition of Ace of Base followed by a Journey duet.
Caulen even "dressed up"! Doesn't Kristin look pretty? I even got to talk about the blog with someone who had actually read it! (thanks again for being such a doll. Sorry I was so drunk)
All and all A good time was turned out. I even re-wore a dress for the occasion. I never thought I'd be too busy to shop in advance!
You can check out the rest of the photos at Yinzerparty.com. (for those of you who don't know, a "yinzer" is a person hailing from Pittsburgh that speaks with our very distinct accent. And probably uses the word "yinz" which is our version of "ya'll"). I love working for this company! Add a Comment 2 This is the sleeping bag we took to the museum, isn't it? 01.11.2010
Happy Monday! I hope your weekends were as eventful and productive as mine! As promised, here are my behind the scenes photo of Miss Kristin and my's Margot Tenenbaum-inspired shoot that took place on Saturday.
I dressed our lovely model, Bobbi, in two completely vintage ensembles (sans tights), and scouted a too-cool-to-be-real apartment of friends as the location.
Even their porch is better decorated than most apartments.
I don't know if the snow tips you off, but it was sub-freezing in Pittsburgh that day. Bobbi took it like a champ! Can you believe she's never modeled before?
My best shots veered away from the MT theme, as the lighting in the living room was so incredible that we couldn't help but make use of it.
Again, these are my shots of the shoot. The actual finished product will hail from Kristin's camera, and should be finished in the next few weeks. On that note - I should have the finished shots of our last photoshoot sometime this week! I can't wait to see them all touched up! Add a Comment 0 A different time and place. 01.09.2010
Hello everyone! I hope you had a great week! I know it's been a few days, but between forgetting my camera in Pittsburgh and not being able to access the internet at my hotel in NYC, I simply wasn't able to say "whats up?". But I'm home (despite the weather. It was another amazing Fame show.), packing for Europe (we're leaving for Prague on Thursday), and looking through my behind-the-scenes pictures of Miss Kristin's and my newest photoshoot inspired by Margot Tenenbaum (featuring almost entirely vintage clothing!). The photos came out better than I could have expected, and I'll give you a sneak peek tomorrow. And tonight is the ModCloth Holiday Party to benefit the Pittsburgh Women's Center and Shelter. I still have no idea what to wear, but it's going to be amazing. Free food, free alcohol, dj's, karaoke and dancing - best company ever. I bet it's going to be a lot like adult prom, although I've never actually been to one. I'll take lots of pictures. Now it's time for me to get ready! Enjoy the night. I can't wait to catch up on your blogs! I feel so out of the loop. Add a Comment 1 Naked Underneath 01.04.2010
Hello ladies! Back to work, back to work. I shouldn't complain, I start the work week off right by flying to NYC tonight for the FAME tradeshow. We haven't been on a shopping trip in awhile, so needless to say, I am EXCITED!
I didn't manage to wear anything halfway picture-able aside from the above. I love this coat so much, even though the buttons started to fall off almost immediately. It was only $32, and they didn't have enough for ModCloth, so another buy and I picked up one each for ourselves. I love it so much (although it will soon be replaced with a new and improved version of the best vintage find of my life - pictures to come). coat - from an LA wholesaler And I love this dress so much, I had to share it with you, dear readers:
Don't know how my boobs end up pixelated on a 12 megapixel camera, but go figure. I didn't photoshop myself (aside from the filter) or anything. What gives? I wore this to see Kurt Vile and Caulen's band, Centipede E'est, play at a local bar. I worked the door, which felt strangely powerful (and was a good conversation starter).
You may remember this dress from a post about ASOS a week or so ago. It's just as perfect as I imagined! I cut the tulle out of an old skirt to add a little va-va-voom. I wish I could wear it everyday! dress - ASOS Now to finally catch up on my blogs. I can't wait to see what everyone has been up to! Also, if anyone is familliar with Manhattan, we're always looking for new places to check out. Let me know! Add a Comment 4 Etsy Shopping Guide, Part 2! 01.01.2010 Hello lovely readers! I hope you're pumped - here is part 2 of my 3 part Etsy vintage dress series! All of these beauties are varied in size and era, available for sale, and under $19. Enjoy! This dress is absolutely stunning. Seller compassandsquare offers this small tie-neck dress with retro paisley print and matching belt. Seriously, this is everything a girl could ask for in a dress. $17.
This dainty 70's dress will become a staple come Spring to the lucky girl that buys it. It's in perfect condition, unqiue, and in on-trend colors. Offered by seller Lillyscloset for only $18!
This great secretary dress, at only $18 from therustysuitcase, will be perfect for your next MadMen themed party:
This type of dress seems to be taking over at urbanoutfitters.com and topshop.com, so having a vintage version (offered by ComradeInArms) will earn you so much more cred. Plus you pay less - it's only $18, which is something you can actually be proud of:
If you're a tiny woman, you won't spend a better $16 than this striped dress from aglassjar:
These items all need to find a good, stylish home, so pick them up while they're still available! Tomorrow: Etsy Shopping Guide, part 3: One seller that deals in "OMG".
Add a Comment 3 Here Comes the Sun 01.01.2010
Happy New Year everyone!!! I hope you had a great night, I hope that you're not too hung over, and I hope that you can appreciate neon colors as much as I still do, haha. When I realized that I had both a neon yellow necklace and headband in my posession, as well as a dress that features flecks of the stand out hue, I knew I had an equation for a, if nothing else, fun outfit.
I ended up seeing friends that I hadn't hung out with in quite a few months, and apologized for how much neon I was wearing. I had a feeling it wasn't as easy to look at as it was to wear, haha. At least the pictures came out well! dress – kimchi and blue I'll post all about my new years resolutions (if you care to hear them) tomorrow, but in the meantime, what are you comitting to this year? Stay tuned for Etsy Shopping Guide, Part 2! Maya - The sleeves are what I couldn't resist about that dress, too! I can't wait to wear it! Moni - thanks for commenting and welcome! I didn't post the links to those dresses because I bought them myself! Tonight however, each item is totally available, and I will include not only the item's link, but the seller's entire shop! I hope you enjoy it! Add a Comment 0 Etsy Shopping Guide, Part 1! 12.31.2009 As I've mentioned before - I'm sure my lovely readers are already well versed in the ways of Etsy, but I figured since I had just looked through 292 pages of vintage dresses and choosen my 31 favorites, that I could show you my picks (and all are under $19)! Phew.
This dainty plaid dress will be perfect with tights in the winter, and great in wedges in the Spring. $18! Check it out:
I am always taken with tie-neck dresses, but a tie-neck twofer? I would have gladly paid more than $14 for it:
This 2-piece outfit is SO cute, in a great color, has the perfect print, and WAS ONLY $12! Totally gonna wear it as separates:
Gotta love a $15 prairie dress:
...AND VINTAGE VELVET:
New year, new (old) wardrobe! Stay tuned for my Etsy Shopping Guide, Part 2!, which is full of vintage finds that I simply couldn't afford (or stuff myself into) featuring a variety of styles and eras! Add a Comment 3 Shoely you understand... 12.29.2009 I'd like to sincerely thank all of you for the well wishes. I have the most sincere and considerate group of readers. It means more to me than I can describe - thank you! I told you guys I went a little nuts....
These bad boys are a Seychelles creation. Don't they look SO comfortable? I have a vintage pair that look very similar to these that I wore to death, so when I saw these for $40 on 6pm.com, I had to get them. I'd share the link, but I got the last pair!
I got these shoes by Bertie via ASOS for only $60!! Only the white are still available, but luckily, white shoes are exactly what I needed! They're going to get a lot of wear come Spring (well, a lot for me, so a few wears. So many shoes, so little time).
I got these Poetic License sandals as well (as is) via ASOS for $40 (almost $100 off!). They're so sweet and the heel looks so comfy! Plus, I have a weakness for wicker in my wardrobe - go figure!
These Pink Studio oxfords are coming to me via Amazon.com, which has surprisingly great shoe deals if you know what you're looking for. At $35, they're too good to pass up, although I wish they had the olive colorway in my size.
...and to satisfy my need for green shoes, I bought these Seychelles lovlies. I first encountered these at a shoe show a long long time ago, and although we ended up getting the yellow version for ModCloth, I still had to have the green. I got a half size smaller than I wear (because my size was $25 more. WHAT?), but it should work out, right? Right?
And finally, I picked up a pair of these wedges because they were cheap, I needed navy shoes, and I love tweed (also from Amazon). Need I say more? And all these are on top of the black men's wallabees I got for Europe! Is there such thing as shoe Rehab? I only ask because I want to move as far away from it as possible, because I see an intervention in my future. Don't make me choose between anyone or anything and my shoes, because the shoes will always, ALWAYS win. What did you spend (waste) your after Christmas funds on? Add a Comment 1 Super Hero 12.29.2009
Caulen's grandmother passed away last night (at 94, after a lifetime of chain smoking. A respectable run indeed :). She will be missed.), so while I don't have time for a real post, I can show my super hero-like outfit. What's with 2009? Such a difficult year for living.
Also, I've bought six pairs of shoes in the last two days. I'll share the bonkers deals tomorrow. I will say that I got another pair of these bad boys for Europe. We booked our hotel for Prague last night - so that's it! All we have to do is show up!
Always take the time to tell your loved ones that you appreciate them. You never know how much time you'll have with them. Add a Comment 5 What decade is it? 12.28.2009 a.k.a. guess who found a new filter?
I know I know, it's obviously a filter (60's courtesy of Picnik Premium), but who cares? I love the vintage photo to go along with the vintage dress! I wore this to go to church (yep) and brunch with my step mother. Ruby wanted to dance!
At $24.95 for a year, Picnik Premium (via Flickr) is worth it in my book. It's so much fun to play around with! I know it's flattering, at least a little bit, because people actually paid attention to my first "edited" photo on lookbook.nu, and usually that shit plays out like highschool (everyone ignores me, hahaha). dress - vintage, thrifted belt - modcloth shoes - jeffrey campbell tights - target sweater - modcloth Add a Comment 1 X-Mas Redux! 12.28.2009
As the dust settles and wrapping paper is put out to the curb, I'm left with thoughtful, beautiful presents courtesy of my loved ones. Sure, that's not the meaning of Christmas, but it doesn't hurt! The hood was carefully knit for me by Caulen's mother, Mary Beth. Why this hood is so special starts in the Spring, when Scottish knitter Ysolda was on her book tour, staying with Mary Beth (who is a member of a local knitting guild). We were having lunch together, and I mentioned that I really wanted to make a hood with a scarf that wraps around to the front and buttons, but my very limited crochet skills don't produce such elaborate wares. Well, as it turns out, Ysolda heard my cry and created this Peaks Island Hood with my design in mind! Isn't it wonderful? Not to mention Mary Beth made it in the best color of moss!
And this luxurious lipstick is none other than Russian Red by MAC. When Miss Kristin heard that I wanted to start wearing red lipstick, she wanted to make sure that I wore the best. Oh man, was she right. It's so opaque and vibrant!
This guy was especially great because a) it was a secret santa gift, b) it mixes two of my favorite things - TMNT and Star Trek, c) Donatello was always my favorite turtle! Eric (our CEO) picked me for the second time in three years, and luckily, Susan was there to guide him. SO GOOD! I need the rest of the set. And my mother signed me up for glass blowing classes at the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Learning to blow glass has been on my "to do" list for years now, and I'm happy that I'm finally making good on my recurring resolution. Giving was by far the highlight of the long weekend, but it's nice to get what you want, too. How was your holiday? What did you get? What did you give? Add a Comment 2 Happy Holidays! 12.27.2009
Happy holidays everyone! I hope your weekend was full of family, love and awesome food! Caulen and I have spent every day with family of some sort, food of all kinds, and a warmth and happiness that reminds me why I shouldn't hate Christmas so much. We got some amazing and thoughtful gifts, but I haven't photographed any of them yet, so hopefully everyone can settle for an outfit photo post!
Naturally I was extremely excited to get my brand new Docs on the pavement, so I wore them the very next day! Thankfully, they match this bonkers bunny cardigan that I got a few months ago. Even though it's black and white, it was surprisingly hard to style. You can't tell, but my tights are the exact same shade of hunter green as the belt. Hunter green is my favorite color right now, SO GOOD! cardigan - kensie dress/tights - modcloth creepers - doc martens belt - gabes pin - vintage (and pretty much hidden There will be lots of different posts this week, but I try to avoid the computer at all costs in my free time, so I just wanted to pop in to say "Hi!". And thank you so much for all of the comments on the last post! I'm so glad all of you are here! I've been crocheting almost constantly all weekend, and I plan on using the fruits of my labour for my very first My Solitary Consignment giveaway sometime next week, so stay tuned. How was your holiday?? Tell me everything! Add a Comment 1 Some Further Seems Forever lyric goes here... 12.22.2009
Well, I finally decided on a NYE dress, and it is this little number from Aryn K. I love how "old money" it looks. Their stuff is so well made too. I don't see why Aryn K doesn't get more hype - they're a great brand! And Caulen was nice enough to give me one of my Christmas presents early:
Hooray! Doc Martens! Now if only Urban Outfitters would send me my cherry Doc boots. Three months to ship? Jerks. I love them so much - I'm wearing them right now. I can't wait to wear these all over Berlin! Less than a month! I think they'll look great with feminine dresses or skinny black pants. Europe, here I come! Docs - do you love them or hate them? Add a Comment 6 Time Warp. 12.22.2009
Hello internet! Just an outfit post for you. I wore this on Friday to attempt to get my Christmas shopping done (before the snow). It wasn't really appropriate, as we ended up at Gabes and a failing mall, but I still adore this dress. The color is absolutely perfect! And pairing an asymmetrical bodice with a tie neck? Genius.
I don' t know why I got these shoes. The first time i wore them out, I nearly ruined them after getting in a bar fight (hehe), but alas, they're more or less okay. I don't know what they're a knockoff of, but there are so many cheap(er) versions floating around, I wanted to avoid it altogether. But I didn't. And these worked perfectly with the outfit. dress - bettie page tights - modcloth shoes - pink studio cardigan - gap outlet store belt - gabes
And I know this picture is blurry, but I wanted to explain why I was holding a leash. Have I mentioned that Ruby is my favorite being of all time?
Add a Comment 1 Exploding Dog 12.21.2009
"it only makes me love you more" by sam brown In the spirit of the season, I'm going to share something with you, dear readers, that has been very close to my heart since high school - Exploding Dog. Artist Sam Brown started this site in 2000, drawing pictures based on the titles of emails people send him (in what I can only assume is MS Paint).
"red sweater" by sam brown Some are funny, some are heartwarming, and some are downright soul-crushing. I know it's hard to believe that such a wide array of emotions can be provoked by a computer program usually reserved for drawing captions on pictures of people you don't like, but it can. And it does.
"is there any unhashed drama between us?" by sam brown You click on the title of the name before the picture is revealed, and finding out what type of picture it is can be amazing. Up until some time in 2005 I had seen every single picture that he had posted, but it got tiring after awhile. I even have a tattoo of one of his prints. Unfortunately my 19 year old brain thought it would be a better idea to get a tattoo of a print that would look great as a tattoo, not one that I felt deeply about (and there are more than a handful that fit into that category). It's on my lower left side (well out of tramp stamp territory):
"and...?" by sam brown If you have time to kill, I highly suggest checking out his site. At the very least, you're bound to find an adorable scribble to send to someone you like. You may even find yourself using the titles in everyday conversation (I've been asking people if there is "any unhashed drama between us" for years).
"everyone else is really boring" by sam brown This very well still be my favorite internet gem of all time. And that is saying a lot. Add a Comment 1 It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. 12.21.2009 Happy Monday internet! I hope you had a great weekend! Of course, my first order of business should be posting pictures of my new Rodarte for Target dresses, even though they're probably the same ones you (as well as everyone else) have. But I have a strong feeling that you've read enough about Rodarte for Target today, so I'll spare you. Even though I have the leopoard print dress with the bow back on. SO GOOD! (P.S. Also got the light blue swiss dot dress that everyone now owns, and the black bow shoulder dress).
Although what I WILL talk about is the insane amount of snow we got on Friday and how it styled my Friday night. I dressed up like a slutty lumberjack to go to a benefit for a Polish Hill bread oven (I know, best neighborhood ever). My friend Sara was nice enough to shoot an outfit photo for me. Please ignore the snowflake that makes me look like I have buck teeth. top - modcloth We travelled to Gooskis, and then to Operation Sappho dance party right down the street. They had an adorable backdrop!
And after another stop at the Brillobox, we started home! BUT WAIT!
Sara's car was stranded taking my ass home! Here is a picture of her dealing with it incredibly well (along with a headband I gave her to make her feel better):
So we called a tow truck after realizing there is nothing we could do, and he couldn't even get up the hill to attempt to pull us out!I managed to fall out of the car and slide down this hill backwards. I only mention it because 1. I am still incredibly sore 2. I want you to buy Old Navy tights. I had on their lurex tights and they survivied a descent down an icy hill on my knees. I have so many bruises.
Caulen ran all the way to us even though there was nothing he could do about it. So we trekked back to our house to get some tea and settle in. I managed to spill an ENTIRE POT OF SCALDING HOT WATER on the floor. Luckily no one was hurt. Unluckily, Sara's car was broken into while stranded on the street. AND THEN another car drifted into her. She really took it well. I would have passed out. Long story short, we were stuck inside until Sunday, when we dug out to get some holiday shopping done (and go to Target to get dresses). At least the Steelers won! How was your weekend? Hopefully a bit less eventful.
Add a Comment 2 I finally get my birthday cake today CAULEN. 12.18.2009
This picture is seriously making me reconsider my haircut. As much as I'm loving the short locks, COME ON. I guess I can still sprinkle some tinsel up there and hope for the best. And here is a sneak peek at Miss Kristin and my's first collaboration! Isn't Bobbi (the model) beautiful? This was her first photoshoot!
And that effect? TOTALLY IN-CAMERA! Isn't she a genius? I can't wait to share the rest, but this is what's available for now. I can't wait to style more shoots! The next one is scheduled for January 9th! And now some outfit photos:
This isn't the type of outfit you should wear sans-makeup. And it would have been perfect with my new red lipstick (which is meant for future photoshoots, because Kristin wasn't impressed with it and left it at my house, but I'm still wearing it...shhhhhhhh), but I wore it to work anyways. I LOVE this dress by Motel, even though it makes me look lumpy. I LOVE that I got these JC Frankenstein shoes on the cheap, and I love my wardrobe. What more is there to say? dress - motel And I finally wore jeans yesterday!
I really couldn't figure out another way to wear this Dear Creatures blouse, but I love it so much that I couldn't just NOT buy it! I think the jewelry dresses it up enough to make it okay. AND THESE ARE MY NEW PAIR OF WALLABEES. Now the old ones can be retired. Did you know that they're the best, most versatile shoes ever? Because they are. top - dear creatures I think I'm gonna start wearing red lipstick everyday. I think it adds a little vintage starlet look to the hair. Thoughts?
Add a Comment 3 What's the word, mystery bird? 12.16.2009
Who doesn't like coming home to a handwritten letter? No one! So when Caulen received a cute little envelope a few weeks ago, I was a tad jealous. Despite the felony charges that could have come of it, I opened the card for him. The only problem? He had NO idea who the card had come from. At all. And the seemingly random message didn't help either. And then we started playing Call of Duty or something and forgot about it. Little did we know, we (as well as every resident of the Polish Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh) had become part of an art project by Micheal Crowe and Lanka Clayton. Here are a few more that were sent to the residents of our tiny (adorable, city's best) community:
Yeah yeah, Hannah posted about this on the ModCloth blog a week or so ago, but since I experienced it first hand (out of around 1000 people in the world) I figured I had a right to be able to blog about it too. The first set of letters were sent to every resident of a small town in Ireland called Cushendall. And one day, Micheal saw "Pittsburgh" in really pretty typeface in his mind, and that convinced him to move here (I shit you not). Polish Hill was town #2, choosen because of our realitively small population.
What Hannah didn't tell you, is that Polish Hill is a small, tightly-knit neighborhood that is represented by young, artsy types that are filling and fixing up houses (such as Caulen and myself), as well as lots of elderly people who have been there their entire lives. These letters were meant to promote discussion among neighbors and bring the town closer together. But one group was freaked the fuck out by these letters. Guess which one? A retired SWAT team member even collected a few of these, thinking they were some sort of terrorist scheme!
Needless to say eventually it was all straighened out. I'm excited that we got to be a part of such a neat social experiment. We're going to get the card framed. Eventually, Micheal and Lanka would like to send a letter to every household in the world. Good luck! You can read more about this project (as well as lots of cute and absurd letters) here.
Add a Comment 2 Decor, my dear Watson 12.15.2009
Caulen and I moved into our house in April, and although we've been working hard on getting it up to par for a stylish little couple such as ourselves, we had't yet gotten it to the point where we were ready to decorate. Until this weekend! We finally dipped into our closets full of vintage decor, art, and knick-knacks and found a few choice pieces their rightful home in the house. The above candle holder I got at a community yard sale for $.75! I'll never put candles in it, but it adds a pretty touch to Caulen's (very dusty) dresser. I love colored glass!
This little guy was purchased at a flea market in the middle of nowhere. I don't remember where we were going, but we saw handwritten signs and followed them. I got this lamp that the little old lady vendor had made herself (!), and a stag head velvet painting (!!!) that is sadly still stuffed into a closet. But this lamp can sit on my dresser in the meantime.
Also adorning my dresser are these amazing covered wagon book ends, that I TOTALLY forgot I owned until we unpacked the last of my stuff (in December...yep). I also found this planter! I'll never put a plant in it, because I don't like killing living things, and that's all that comes of me tending plants, but come on - KARATE PUNCH. Who on earth was this marketed to?
As mentioned in an earlier post, I got these antler mounts for cheap cheap cheap at UO a few weeks ago. Well, I finally installed them, and my necklaces finally have a hook to call home. They make me so happy!
This print by amazing Pittsburgh artist Mike Budai found it's way to me by way of a benefit art auction. As a Pittsburgher, I'm spoiled by the abudnance of his incredible band posters, but to have a print? Wonderful! Not to mention that he said that he really liked my stuff, and that I need to draw more the last time I saw him. I can live six months off of a good compliment, especially from someone I respect so much.
This guy is about four feet long, and was last year's Christmas present from Caulen. It's awesome. What else is there to say?
And I'll end the post with this - a quilted work of art that Caulen brought home last weekend. I feel bad rushing up something that we just got while having so much other amazing stuff that has waiting the better part of a year to be hung, but I couldn't resist. It's huge, and it was only $5, and the colors are perfect, and it works so well in our kitchen. What are your favorite housewares? Where do you go for inspiration?
Though the internet hasn't given it much love, I'm posting this outfit because it made me feel so classy. I love this BB Dakota dress so much. The bottom has little white flecks in it - so 80's! Dress - BB Dakota Tights - ModCloth Shoes - Jeffrey Campbell Necklace - Zooey and Sage (it's a Monopoly money bag!) These tights are incredible too. They were a little loose, but no matter. When you look that good you can get away with not fitting properly.
And these shoes are a thing of beauty. They were ultra comfy too, except that I love to sit on my feet at work, and with this many gold pointed studs, they ended up under my desk more than I'd care to admit. And my hair! It's gone! I found that I don't have the tools to make it do what I want quite yet, but trust me, it's a good haircut. I'm just not doing it justice. Tonight - I'm styling a photoshoot for Miss Kristin to photograph. Details to come! Add a Comment 5 Asos, always on sale. 12.14.2009
Now, if you're getting to know me at all, you're quickly learning that I do NOT pay full price for anything. Ever. I'm allergic to it. That's why ASOS is so perfect for me - their vast and astounding sale section! I was leary at first, as they are a British site, and I don't like paying more for shipping than any single item in my order. But when I was informed by an email from them that they only charge $6 to ship to the US, I was sold. SOLD! The above twofer was just too fun for me to resist. As two-toned dresses have taken over every local F21 and H&M, I've made a point to choose mine wisely. This is simple enough to be worn anywhere, but unique enough not to get lost among it's F21 counterparts. LOVE! Just $27, down from $51.
Now, I know I should have found this belt at a thrift store already. Unfortunately for me, despite my rummaging through every single belt in every store for years now, I haven't. Enter ASOS. This Eiffel Tower stud belt is so simple, but is sure to it's fair share of "OMG WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?" squeals. $17, down from $25!
Bright outerwear has been a weakness of mine for as long as I've cared about my warmth (Only since 12th grade or so. Go figure!). Although you can find bright, happy coats with a little luck and a lot of scouring, we must resign to the fact that most winter outerwear is somewhere between jet black and charcoal grey. Thats why fun accessories, like this hot pink knit hat, can help you stand out among a sea of dreariness. $13, down from $20!
And finally, this dress, though a bit cutey-er than I go for in the winter months, managed to make it's way into my latest order. By Laura Lees Bodice, this perfectly adorable Spring dress will have to bite the bullet and make nice with some brown sweater knit tights and an oversized cardigan. I can't wait that long, and Spring takes awhile to get started in the Northeast! LOOK HOW CUTE THE STITCHING IS!
And at $19 down from $76, I can totally overlook that it's out of season and not really my style, haha. I can't pass up deals like THAT! The moral to this story - SHOP AT ASOS. Their sale section is heaven. You'll thank me later (much later probably, because most people are buying for others. My closet is very selfish.) Lots of weekend updates including a craft fair and a very drastic haircut to come! P.S. I'm sorry that there tend to be so many spelling errors on this blog. I honestly don't mean to, but my blog doesn't have spell check, and I'm a shitty proof reader, but not quite as dumb as my spelling should lead you to believe. How was your weekend? Add a Comment 2 FRIDAY IMAGE POST 12.11.2009
This idea (along with all of the pictures) were stolen from my favorite Pittsburgh-based message board that I will not share here. BUT I will share the pictures. Because they are joyus:
I have a very hard time believing that cat is real. BUT WHO CARES?
I for realsies sent this picture to Caulen in a email titled "eventual wedding inspiration". You think I'm kidding about loving this, don't you?
If I had a dime for every time I prayed about THAT. And finally:
OMG I AM JEALOUS! AND IM GOING TO A KARAOKE BONG TONIGHT. I know, you're jealous. Also, just bought these:
You know, the laddered wedge that everyone is losing their shit over FOR $50 ON URBANOUTFITTERS.COM. YOU'RE WELCOME! I know I already said have a great weekend, BUT STILL DO THAT! (P.S. Sorry. I'm in my "late-friday-lets-get-silly mood. And thats pretty much what inspired me to make this blog in the first place.) Add a Comment 0 Friday, I'm in love. 12.11.2009
I had this whole post planned around the fact that Caulen and I have finally started decorating our house - but I seemed to have forgot to upload the pictures (I haven't figured out Iphoto quite yet) except this one of Ruby. She's getting really good at "walking". So my original post will have to wait. But that's okay. Kristin and I have been talking at length about posting in our respective blogs about how thankful we are for our lives. It really got me thinking. As an American - I live better than 99% of the people who have ever walked this earth. Isn't that crazy to think about? I grew up very poor. We had churches deliver us thanksgiving dinners for a few years. Our house had cracked windows that we couldn't afford to fix, but still, I always had what I needed to live, thanks to the hard work of my mother. We never went without, no matter how difficult things seemed. I do fantasize about how my life would have been different had I been born in France or New Zealand, or any of the other countries I long to visit, or even born in another decade, but at the end of the day, I was born in a country and a time where I have lots of opprotunity, despite our obvious shortcomings as a country. And that's wonderful. I have a family who loves me, an incredible boyfriend, my health, moderate intellegence, my dream job, and a beautiful home. Sure, I have days when I don't think I can get out of bed, but when I truly think about it, it's nothing compaired to the love and prosperity I've had in my life thanks to the loving people that have been a part of me and who I've become. I understand that this is a silly post. "My life is so great, blah blah blah", but I honestly believe that I am truly blessed, and sometimes I need to sit back and remind myself that no matter what happens, I've been, and probably always will be, okay. Okay, enough babbling. ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND! YOU DESERVE IT!
Add a Comment 1 Outfit Roundup 2! 12.09.2009 Howdy partners. Time for another outfit roundup!
This is what I'm wearing at this very second (except I have a giant purple cardigan on because our office is freezing). I honestly didn't notice the Christmas feel of the dress's colors until Miss HoneyBunny pointed it out via Flickr, but no worries! If it's a great holiday dress - so be it! I love it, in all it's asymmetrical, barely covering my butt, single strapped glory! dress - trout and pout (via asos)
I finally wore the shoes I begged someone to find for me on the old blog. And guess what? They're just as fabulous and comfortable as I thought they would be. This outfit is prototype that may be used for a Photoshoot Miss Kristin and I have planned for this weekend. It's my freelance styling debut! Stay tuned for details (or, rather, pictures). shoes - matiko
This was my cowgirl-next-door look. I'm finally sporting the MinkPink vest I kind of shit myself over last year, and the Rachel Comey shoes I picked up when I grabbed the Matiko wedges above. This blouse by Priorities is perfection in plaid. vest - Mink Pink And thanks to everyone who continues to comment! Welcome second skin! Also:
Sarah Louise was nice enough to share her fave Etsy sellers, ANDDDDDD the link to her Etsy store, Branch Bound!!! I am IN LOVE with this collar-style necklace. Everything she makes is so feminine. I love it! Why is it only Wednesday?
Add a Comment 6 Soon-To-Be Surprises! 12.08.2009 Not that any of you have a problem navigating Etsy yourself...but I figured I'd post a few of my fave finds to celebrate the imminent gift-giving season! First up - I kind of love this pin by PearsonMaron:
And by "kind of" I mean ADORE! I honestly don't know why. Maybe it's how wonderful the craftsmanship is. Maybe it's the cute-and-cuddly persona they're giving such a gruff beast. I don't know! But either way, I bought one for me and one for my boss! (And they arrived in two days!) The shop has lots of other amazing handmade keepsakes. Do yourself a favor - check out the shop!
If you're a bigger spender (or want to buy me something REALLY nice), this felted shawl by Lithuanian designer Vart is spectacular. Be warned: this is only for the fashion-focused girl, but if purchased correctly, it's a sure-fire way to get a squeal and a few tears. Trust me.
This is another piece of Etsy gold that had me credit card in hand faster than you can say "You don't need that". Argentinian designer macraMe handmakes these macrame owl necklaces in all sorts of colors. They're very reasonably priced, too!
And Pittsburgh-based (hooray!) artist StrawberryLuna screen prints amazing art, calendars, and other adorable items for the adorable-junkie in your life. What are your big Etsy finds? I still have a lot of shopping to do, haha.
Add a Comment 5 ZZ Top Parking Lot 12.07.2009
Happy Monday Internet! I hate taking a three day break from blogging, but it's for a good reason! I hung/opened my first real art show on Friday!
Lots of people came out, I had a great spread from a local middle eastern restaurant, drank almost an entire bottle of sake by myself, and seemed to sell a lot of prints (which should be available on Etsy soon!). The above picture is "Otterman Empire", haha. I have better scans of some of the pieces, and with a little help from Caulen, www.Shamanatee.com should be up and running asap!
These are the glamour stumps, hahahahaha. Chris Beauregard also submitted a few pieces to the show. His craftsmanship is incredible!
Lots of wine was poured. My little brother even showed up! Here is a picture of him with my dear friend, Molly! (I don't know what she said to him, but he's never smiled so well for a picture).
My favorite piece from the show (and the best selling print) was "Lets Be Friends" that I drew for Miss Kristin of Hiss and Hearse!
I have a high res scan of this that I'll upload soon. WINSTON CAME!!!! He's the oh-so-cute mascot of ModCloth.com, and I'm honored to call him a personal friend of mine:
This is me and Curt Gettman, co-writer of the comic I'll have in the 4th edition of Unicorn Mountian (which he is also the editor of!).
I'm sorry all of the pictures are blurry. I just got a Canon Rebel and I have NO NO NO NO idea how to use it. And being drunk didn't help either. Lots of fun was had by me at least. Lots of creepers came and ate the food and drank the wine without looking at the art at all, haha. By the end of the night I was so drunk that I fell out of Caulen's car, and don't totally remember much else, but whatever! I blame nerves. Also: I am eating Rattlesnake for dinner tomorrow.
How was your weekend?
Add a Comment 3 Cozy, Cozi, Coze' 12.02.2009
My last post's plea for an outlet for adorable giant sweaters reminded me that I am a pro shopper, and I should really know where the hell to go for these things. ETSY! EBAY! Why didn't I think of that in the first place? Well, too much money later, I have a few on the way! The above sweater is a typical vintage navy Pendleton sweater from starzMM23! It was only $14, and who doesn't need a great navy sweater? Okay okay, I already have a few of those, but none of them are oversized!
This guy, again, is going to be a staple. Sure, I have a long grey cardigan, but it's the blanket-like feel of a knit cocoon seems appropriate for far different occasions, that I can only assume I'll find myself in this winter. $34 from theauroravintage. LOTS of cute stuff to be had in this store.
I was leery of this guy at first, because the length is getting into duster territory, which isn't what I'm going for, but in the end, thoughts of cozy feelings abound, and I couldn't resist. $17 from digvintageclothing. Perhaps crowning acheviement of the day's shopping, this vintage Dior nearly-dolman sweater:
Look at THAT guy! Did I mention that I love brown? Because I do. WOO! $30 from Brass Buttons.
...and after all this, I feel a lot better than if I had spent the same amount on two cardigans from UO, one being Urban Renewal, and those are just a grab bag anyways. What are you lusting after this fall? P.S. Sarah - YES YES YES YES!!! LOOOOOVVVVEEEE that show! Maya - Oh man, power rangers! I always wanted to be the yellow ranger. TRIIINNNAAA! Zhcsyra - first of all - awesome name. Second, thank you for reading!!! Welcome to MSC! Do you have a blog? Abby - Oh man, sign up for their newsletter. They always have all sorts of bonkers sales! Someday I'll be able to respond to the comment itself. Caulen keeps telling me "its complicated".
Add a Comment 3 Outfit Roundup 12.02.2009 Hey internets! Hope the first half of your week has been amaze-balls! Just a few outfit photos today!
I was SURE that someone was going to hit me for wearing this, but I went to bed thinking I was going to wear this, and woke up SURE I was going to wear it, so what choice did I have? Luckily, the internet seemed to think it worked, and the internet knows what it's talking about! top - BB Dakota
This dress is bonkers. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. So naturally, I bought it, even though I was sure sure sure it wouldn't look right on me. 6 photos later, this is what came out, and although I'm still not happy with the pic, this dress is still pretty perfect. I love you Betsey! dress - betsey johnson (pterodactyls, good dinosaurs to mention to children...anyone get the reference?) This is a detail shot of the necklace, which I picked up on Ebay:
HAHA!!! Isn't it great!? It was a little scratched when I got it, but whatever. Thats what happens when you're saving 60%, right? And this guy was from yesterday:
And basically, I wore this yesterday because I'm obsessed with cozy, oversized cardigans right now. Vintage aside, where on EARTH do you find them? Please let me know. THe usual suspects are letting me down (with the expection of the one I'm wearing) dress - tulle P.S. Does this dress look familliar? Hint:
It's a dress so nice, I bought it twice! I LOVE TULLE! And Melly, HoneyBunny, Anja, Sarah, Maya, Mandy, and Kristin. You seriously make my day. Thank you so much for commenting!
Add a Comment 8 Crazy, Crazy, Crazy Nights. 11.30.2009 Hello Internet! Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend! My weekend was bonkers, and because I left my point and shoot at a bar, I'm going to recount it with googled pictures! Here goes: Friday - we did nothing. Saturday: Caulen and I headed to the Southside works for a little shopping that we (I) didn't need to do. Urban Outfitters was having a half of sale housewares sale, and I grabbed a couple of exciting things:
Two of these guys at $10 each (down from $40). I'm going to hang my necklaces on it!
These suede Deena and Ozzy wedges for $20! I'm wearing them right now and they are SO comfortable.
And a Diana F+ in gold for only $15!!! Woo! We met Caulen's parents (who are the best ever) for lunch at the Pittsburgh Hofbauhaus. Many beers were consumed.
And then we went to the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh. It was Caulen and my first time.
Armed with $50 that Caulen's father gave me (and a $9 half glass of wine - WHAT?), Caulen's mother lead me into the high stakes slots room...WHERE I HIT FOR $1000!!!!!
I flipped out, and while Caulen and I played two cent machines while I caught my breath, I HIT FOR ANOTHER $600!! I had a panic attack right there in the casino. A very happy panic attack, but a panic attack nonetheless. So I got myself a new computer!
I got a Macbook Pro 13 inch, which is wonderful, because I was going to get one financed this weekend anyway. It's much nicer to not go into debt. And finally, we went to an adorable French brunch with Miss Kristin and Miss Richard of Hiss and Hearse, and then went to THE STAR WARS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA!!!!
...which was totally amazing. This is when I really wished I had my camera. There were lots of people running around dressed as characters and the original costumes were on display! All and all, this was the best weekend of my life. 25 is going to be a good year.
Add a Comment 5 Black Friday 11.27.2009 To whom it may concern, Please don't tell Caulen about this post (see also: my bank account is empty and we were only paid today). If you're anything like me, you've been disappointed with the black Friday sales. Not impressed, not impressed. But if you're more than anything like me, that didn't stop you from spending your hard-earned money on shit you don't need. Case in point:
After a heartfelt conversation over lunch about whether or not I needed any more boots, I still came back to my desk and ordered these jerks: Frye Paige Studded Boots in Black. They were on UO for $270 (down from $400). What choice did I have? I don't have any tall black boots! They're not even on UO anymore, so I can't be the only one who saw a good thing and went for it. How was your Thanksgiving? I ate a lot and had to explain to my family why I was in a bar fight. Luckily for me, they all thought it was pretty awesome. Don't forget about the Tulle Black Friday Sale! I just got my first order from them, and guess what? They sent me a free sweater for Caulen (how the hell did they know his size?). Shit is selling out fast - get on it. And now, some outfit photos:
I thought this dress made me look like a tool, but the internet seemed to be more forgiving. dress - kelly lane And I wore this yesterday, to my utter delight and to the dismay of anyone that had to look at me:
Is it me, or am I starting to look like cousin it? top - BB Dakota AND MORE SALES: Shop Nasty Gal has some really cheap indie shit for you. 40% off all sale at Need Supply Co! And it's my birthday this weekend, so expect a lot of out-of-focus, drunken pictures. And maybe a few of me crying for no reason. P.S. Maya and Sarah, thanks so much for commenting so much on the new blog! You guys are amazing! Add a Comment 8 Chictopia! 11.25.2009
I was featured on the homepage of Chictopia today! Exciting because they usually feature skinny, beautiful, model types. Probably doesn't hurt that ModCloth is running a contest with them right now, eh? Haha. Still exciting. Check it out before they change it! Dress is Max and Cleo, and the shoes are Melissa (and SO SO SO comfortable). Lord knows where the tights came from.
Add a Comment 2 Just My Luck 11.25.2009
Purveyors of well-made, adorably vintage-inspired clothing, Tulle has been one of my favorites for ages (I'm wearing mostly Tulle today, as a matter of fact).
AND and and and, FREE GROUND SHIPPING! WHAT? I know, shit is bonkers. But don't sleep on it, supplies are limited. It starts offically at 12am PST. You're welcome, hahaha. Are you privy to any insane sales? I'm ready to shop. Well, I'm always ready to shop. Add a Comment 3 Inspiration 11.24.2009
Greetings internet! I hope you had an awesome weekend! Today, I'm going to gush about this girl I found on Weardrobe - Noel Vallens of Owls Are Not What They Seem. I felt silly because I only had 12 friends on Weardrobe (haven't gotten the hang of that site quite yet), so I was scouring the "Recent" page for comrades in fashion, when I found this picture:
How perfect is that? Feminine yet menswear-inspired, western without needing a "yeehaw!". I'm kind of in love.
I now have inspiration for the week! What did you do this weekend? Who do you look to for inspiration?
Add a Comment 1 Outfit Outfit Outfit 11.20.2009
I don't know WHY, but I wanted to try an outfit photo in my closet (room) today. I know it looks like a trainwreck, but honestly, this is about as neat as it gets (the floor is actually a lot more clean than this picture is giving it credit for). This Gentle Fawn dress is pretty special, and who hasn't lost their shit for the Look From London peacock feather tights? dress - gentle fawn
Is it me or do I look like Sam Weir from Freaks and Geeks in the second photo?
And this next outfit was a little ecclectic for me, but something about the warm fall hues made me feel so cozy.
I know I have the stupidest face in this, but whatever. The hat had an amazing mustard bow on it, but this being the only semi-acceptable picture taken of the outfit, you won't see that, haha. Trust me, it's there. dress/tights/belt - modcloth What are you doing this weekend? Bring me along too. Caulen is playing a show in Chicago, and I don't want to be bored. Add a Comment 9 Velvet Leaf and RSS is up! 11.19.2009 Hello everyone! You can finally subscribe to this blog – www.mysolitaryconsignment.com. Just follow this link: http://feeds.feedburner.com/mysolitaryconsignment And now we can leave wordpress in the dust! Now to the good stuff:
Miss Kristin did me the favor of introducing me to Velvet Leaf today, and my keyboard is covered in drool. It's eco-friendly, sustainable, and cuter than your average wardrobe filler.
If you can't tell, I'm into their petal shoulders, but they have lots of other cute stuff, too. The shit is expensive, I'm not gonna lie, but they're such stand-out pieces that it justifies the price.Like, get-stopped-in-the-street-by-someone-who-may-beat-you-up-for-your-outfit stand-out. (don't worry, I'm not very strong)
To celebrate finding such a gem, I bought myself a dress from UO instead: And by instead I mean I got it an hour before I found this site. But whatever, it'll go well with my new red Doc Martens!It's gonna be my birthday outfit. I think I'm gonna go see the Star Wars Orchestra. I bet I'll be the only one in Betsey Johnson. Have you had any recent splurges?
Add a Comment 2 Ferdinand the Bull 11.18.2009
It's been something like four years, but I finally got another tattoo! Maybe you recognize it because you have a copy of Either/Or by Elliott Smith.
Or maybe it was the cover one of your parent's favorite books, too!
So sure, it's not the most original. I honestly didn't even know ES had the same one until I read the wiki page about the book after deciding to get it. My mother said that my father loved this book because Ferdinand reminded him of me. I'm really happy to have it! Here is the final product:
I had ink all over me! I'll take a cleaner picture once it starts to heal up. My shoulder hurts to bad! Here is the outfit I wore to get said work done:
I totally lost my shit for this jacket when I first laid eyes on it in the Spring. Its kind of a pain to get on and off (lots of holes for the belt to go through), but it's worth it. I have neat shiny shorts on too, trust me. TRUST ME. coat - Aryn K
And since we STILL don't have RSS up and running, I'm going to blog here and on mysolitaryconsignment.wordpress.com so it's easier for you, lovely readers. Do you have any tattoos?
Add a Comment 1 Tattoo Day! 11.17.2009
Hello Internet! Just a quick post today. Busy busy busy! Thank you everyone for checking this new little guy out! The RSS is still being worked out, but it should be up and running soon. In the meantime, please don't forget about me! (don't don't don't no).
Anthropologie had my number when they lauched these Rachel Comey creations. They will be mine, oh yes, they will be mine.
Wish wish wish had the neatest photos today, and I am now kind of obsessed with that painting of the fox family. Someone find me one plz.
And here is a picture of Ruby in a raincoat!
Sorry about the lame post. Hectic day! AAANNNDDD and and and I'm getting a tattoo tonight! It's going to seem emo at first but I'll explain why it's not.
Add a Comment 0 Weekend Redux 11.16.2009 So I figured I'd start off my brand new site with my redux of a pretty badass weekend. First, THE URBAN OUTFITTERS HALF OFF SALE ITEMS SALE! A beacon of hope in an otherwise crowded, parking space-less, teenager overrun shopping area.
The jeans (which ended up not fitting me - I wasn't about to wait in line for the dressing room) and the tank were only $5 each! What? And the skirt was $10. Its amazing what you find when you're fighting hoards of women for deep deep discounts.
And this flannel dress was tooooo big for me, but I got it anyways. I'm wearing it right now and It's comfy as shit. $15? Hell yeah. And the denim floral zip front dress is a little too big, but whatever! I never would have paid full price for it, but I can settle for $15. And finally, the whole reason I went into UO in the first place: I wanted a nice plaid dress for the evening ahead. I was more than willing to pay full price, but why bother WHEN THE FIRST DRESS YOU PICK UP OFF OF THE SALE RACK IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR?
Loving this dress. Miss Kristin Cofer was kind enough to hook me up with some outfit photo glamour shots. I felt silly (as we were at a party), but they were some of the best pictures ever taken of me. dress/belt/necklace - urban outfitters Did you do any shopping this weekend? What do you think of the new site? Stay tuned for Weekend Redux, part 2. Add a Comment 3 NEW SITE! 11.16.2009 ***UPDATE*** The RSS feed isn't working quite yet. I'll let you know when it's up and running! Please leave any feedback you have!
Hello everyone! THE DAY HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! I HAVE MY OWN SITE!
Please update your links or subscriptions accordingly! NEW STUFF COMING SOON!
Thank you Miss Kristin for fixing up my header for me!
And of course, you can always find the archive of my blogging adventures at : http://mysolitaryconsignment.wordpress.com/.
TELL YO FRIENDS.
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