daughteroftheRiver

..summertime..

2011-05-31T22:30:00.001-05:00

Ahh, the days are warming and the sun is beginning to shine, the fish are biting, it must be summertime!

My husband and his brother spent some time this past month, clearing out some places around the pond in the front field. It has been decades since it has been in use, so we were excited to get down there with some lines and bait. We drug down the flat bottom boat and wasted some time floating around. Didn't catch a thing, but I didn't mind a bit.

to the 2011 grads!

2011-05-14T23:23:00.001-05:00

to the 2011 grads! by daughteroftheriver featuring gold jewelry

..sharing some goodies!..

2011-05-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

wow, I know it has been a while, sorry for my absence, but it has been a heck of a month, and unfortunately my blogging didn't top my priority list :(

But, apparently my love of vintage and giveaways was the kickstart I needed. I am sharing with you an awesome giveaway hosted by Twitch Vintage. She is teamed up with Rock Paper Vintage to giveaway $150 worth of vintage!!! Super awesome right? So do head over and check it out!

Click the pic for a direct link and be sure to enter before Fri 5/27

..what I wore..

2011-04-13T22:19:00.000-05:00

I have said before that I really love olive green and that I don't own enough of it. So, I took an opportunity to add a bit of the lovely green shade to my clothing collective. I found a lovely pair of skinny ankle-length cargos at JCPenney and have been wearing the heck out of them. They are totally cute and comfortable.

Here is a version of my favorite outfit to wear with them so far. Though most of my outfit is thrifted and the pants are I <3 Ronson. I also threw in my favorite new blush, which I won from Lucky mag and Tarte!

my new favorite by daughteroftheriver

..brrrr..

2011-03-29T00:37:00.000-05:00

Alright, where is my Spring. I had to get my wool coat out again this weekend, boo. I suppose it could be worse though. Last year this same weekend there was a huge amount of snow, which is extra crazy for Arkansas. Anyway I did brave the unseasonable weather.

..rain or shine..

2011-03-27T23:07:00.000-05:00

I love a good floral print dress for spring. And with the weather this time of year constantly changing it up on us, it is good to be creative with mixing, layering, and accessorizing.

come rain or shine by daughteroftheriver

..under my umbrella..

2011-03-13T15:29:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago we went for a drive in the country. It was a nice day, but a bit overcast with the threat of rain, luckily I recently found this pretty new umbrella at a local surplus store.

Now all I need is a trench coat and some galoshes and I'll be ready for some spring showers.

..were I a butterfly..

2011-03-07T23:40:00.000-06:00

..I might be inclined to befriend a beetle.

clap if you believe by daughteroftheriver on Polyvore.com

..you've got red on you..

2011-03-01T00:58:00.000-06:00

I will go ahead and explain that I pretty much only ever wear red lipstick. And, I only wear it when I have on something else that is red or at least something else really bright. I am weird, I know, but I feel really odd if I know that my mouth is so noticable. Besides, I am always making goofy faces.

Today, I embrace the red. This sweater is so bright that only a large amount of silly face making will overpower it...

BTW, this is my favorite winter hat this year.

And, yes that is a cute puppy on my sweater :)

..thou shalt not hibernate..

2011-02-21T23:23:00.000-06:00

About a week and a half ago there was a big snow that wrapped most of the US in a blanket of snowy snowness. So, I grabbed up my husband and my big fluffy coat, and went to explore the rescently resurfaced terrain.

Oh, and speaking of winter wonderlands, I posted about a polyvore contest that I had neglected to respond to two months ago. I figured that they had just gone on without me, but I went ahead and replied anyway. Apparently, they had not finished judging yet, and I won 3rd place!!!! Yay!

..olive you..

2011-02-14T21:04:00.000-06:00

And so it is Valentine's Day. But I have already done one of those. Instead you get me in my favorite new(thrifted) absolutely most comfortable sweater ever! I found it in the mens section at the Goodwill. I am a bit smitten with the olive green, which isn't news, as it has been a fave of mine for many, many years, though I sadly don't own much of it. I even love a good dirty (olive filled) martini. I am just an olive lover all around!

Oh, I had to show off the new addition to the family, our cute little Scion :)

..super snow..

2011-02-09T22:10:00.000-06:00

Yay! We had a lovely snowy day today! I even got off work early and came home in time to do some playing in the snow. We ended up with about 5 inches of fluffy snow at our house.

I love having such a beautiful backdrop so when I got home I decided to play dress up, even though I wasn't going anywhere, so I could take some photos in the snow..

I love how lots of tiny birds fluff themselves up and go play in the snow.

..V Day..

2011-02-07T22:42:00.000-06:00

I am not big on the big commercial holiday that is approaching, rapidly. But, I still buy into St Valentine's Day and I do love love, don't you? And, I am still a little girl at heart, and would take flowers anytime. I was feeling a bit whimsical and was feeling a bit inspired by the loveliness of the traditional gift of the day, roses. So romantic...

be my valentine by daughteroftheriver featuring a cotton knit cardigan

..wooden it be nice..

2011-02-01T13:50:00.000-06:00

Lately I have really been digging things that a hand crafted from wood. I am such a dork, I even like the old station wagons that have the wood panels, like....

or better yet...

Couldn't you just see me rollin around in one of those?

Well, here are a few other translations of this current infatuation of mine that I have found on etsy.

click on the pic to link to the sellers page

..what hivennn is givin..

2011-01-25T00:20:00.001-06:00

Hello all! I have been a bit busy lately. I bought a car this weekend!!! And now I am so ready for a road trip, but that will have to wait a while. As you can see, I am already gearing for summer, but I have a while to wait for that too. And, just to let ya'll know, what prompted me to make this set was a giveaway from the lovely blog, hivennn. There are two winners, one will win a pair of Jeffrey Campbell shoes of their choice, and another will win a Club Monaco ring! This giveaway will be going until Jan. 30th so get over there and enter! There are so many amazing shoes to choose from, this is just one of the pairs that I would love. I am totally feeling the 60s & 70s vibe this year.

what hivennn is givin by daughteroftheriver featuring a leather bootie

..aww man..

2011-01-12T23:50:00.000-06:00

Doe!!! Homer Simpson said it best. So, I went to check on my Polyvore account to see if there are any sets that might be good to share, and I saw a message from 29 days ago from Anthropologie that I was a finalist in a contest that I had entered to win, do you even want to know, a $500 gift card from them. I totally missed the opportunity by not responding to the message they sent. I guess I will just tell myself that I probably wouldn't have won anyway, so please don't tell me how awesome this set is :) I am in love with the olive green coat featured!

winterland lady by daughteroftheriver featuring a military style coat

..adieu 2010..

2011-01-05T21:54:00.001-06:00

Wow, another year gone by. It's hard to believe. As I was looking back though my blog from last year, I was surprised at how long ago some of the posts were made, they felt like just yesterday! It was a good year with some highs and some lows, and I tried to enjoy it as much as possible. Here is a look back at the year that was.

....and back around! I can't wait to see what this new year will bring.

..Happy Holidays..

2010-12-28T21:45:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas this year. I sure did. I am lucky to be surrounded by really loving and awesome friends and family, so it doesn't come as a surprise. This year Mike and I even put up a tree. Actually, we dug up a tree so it can be planted back later, and I made and borrowed most of the decorations. I made some super cute paper mache & wine cork mushrooms and a star for the top...

borrowed my Mom's nesting bird..

bought a short string of pine cone shaped lights, and ta da!

Ain't it cute, obviously this pic was from before Santa came : )
And I thought I would share the Christmas gift that I painted for Mike's grandmother. It is of his grandparents when they were just teenagers. I was really happy with the result, and she seemed to really like it! I hope to do more painting this year, though I always say that after I finish a project, but this time I really mean it
(again).

And here is an outfit post for you're enjoyment that I have been too busy to post for a while.
I can't wait for the new year, don't forget to start thinking up your new year resolutions now!

*sweater&skirt ~ jcpenny

*shirt&shoes ~ target

*tights ~ walmart

..loving layers..

2010-12-15T22:05:00.000-06:00

I know, don't we all. One of the things I miss right away in the summer months is the ability to comfortably add several pieces to give an article of clothing new life. I love this little boy plaid shirt that I thrifted. I need to add more of these classic plaid shirts to my wardrobe. I find myself gravitating towards the 'boy's club' look. I have always had a bit of tomboy engraved into me :)

purse, jacket, scarf & shirt- thrifted vitage

cardigan- delia*s

jeans- old navy

shoes- target

necklace- from Mom

Oh yeah, here is my Holiday Movie pick for today..."The Shop Around the Corner" with Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, who's style in this movie is too cute. If you aren't familiar, this is the movie that "You've got Mail" was based from! And, if you can't put you're finger on it, the shop owner is, of course, the Wizard of Oz.

..stripes & florals..

2010-12-09T22:33:00.000-06:00

I am a huge fan of mixing floral and stripes, so cute. I made this collection a while back. Thought I'd share. Add a pair of tights to the mix and I could wear these items all year round.

Click on the picture if you want to see where you can get these items. Unfortunately it is mostly out of my price range, c'est la vie.

..short hair & catching up..

2010-12-07T22:12:00.001-06:00

I can't believe I have gotten so far behind. Umm, actually I can. We have some hectic weeks behind us, and probably more ahead. And, Oh, on top of everything, my laptop has failed :( Needless to say, it has put a hitch in keeping up with my cyber life. I admit it, I am an internet junkie. However, last night was the first time in a while that my hubby and I had a computer-free night where we could snuggle and watch a movie without making room for my typing arm or getting a crick in my neck. Tonight I am going old school, and retreating to the old PC. Not quite as efficient, but I have got to get some stuff going on here.

A couple of weeks ago I felt I needed a change of style, so I grabbed the scissors and started chopping and here is my outcome. I am always a bit out of my league when cutting my own hair, but I think I did alright, I have gotten lots of compliments anyway, so not too bad, huh?

..etsy sale!.

2010-11-20T23:53:00.000-06:00

Hey all! I am clearing out some inventory, so everything in my shop is 20% off for a whole month! Stop by and see if there is anything that that you like or that might make a good Christmas gift.

..favorite fall skirt..

2010-11-12T23:22:00.000-06:00

A while back I did a collection on Polyvore for a contest entry, and I felt like I had surely already shared it on the old blog here, but I think I may have gotten sidetracked before I did, oops. I was just looking at some of my saved Etsy favorites and I was reminded of that collection where I fell for the colorful plaid pleated skirt. The particular one featured sold quickly, but I found a few others that are contenders for my heart as well.

Here are a few of my favorites from Etsy

Happy Friday!

..mustardo..

2010-11-05T00:10:00.000-05:00

I am in love with this golden mustard color. I made a scarflette last year in the same color and I have worn the heck out of it. And, I finally get to flaunt my new cardigan that I got from Delia*s! Yay!

I don't know about you but I freakin' love zombie entertainment. If you are like me in that way and you haven't yet tuned in to the new Walking Dead series on AMC, then get your butt in gear, because so far it is really fantastic, just to let you know.

..busy, busy..

2010-11-02T22:02:00.000-05:00

Wow, Lately I have been a bit overwhelmed, but in a good way. I just recently changed from part-time to full-time at work, which has led to less free time and much earlier bedtimes. And, lately I have been getting the sewing itch. I made my husband a halloween costume, did a few little diy accessory projects, and have been finishing and rehatching old sewing projects. Here is a super cute little makeup bag I made out of fabric scraps, for a friend.

...and, also my apologies for being such a slacker on outfit posts lately, and though I don't have much for ya today, here is a little bit to hold you over.
I am gearing up for fall weather and finally getting to pull on some cozy jackets and scarves!

Ahh, and here are the beginnings of the pencil bag that preceded the makeup bag. I followed the directions here from the lovely Design*Sponge blog. I love little quick, easy projects like this, I am all about instant gratification! It is really easy to adapt to whatever size you want. My tip for this project is, don't sew the lining too close to the back edge of the zipper, this will help keep the lining from getting caught in the zipper.

..historical hike..

2010-10-13T00:42:00.001-05:00

I ended up having Monday off! So, we took a short drive south to a town called Heavener whose claim to fame is Runestone State Park, a park showcasing a 12 foot tall viking runestone that is speculated to be dated at AD 600-900. Mike and I made the short hike down to the stone then back up the long way so we could get some much needed exercise and enjoy the weather.

We were a bit worried that we might get caught out in the rain when a nice breeze came up and the thunder started rolling in, but by the time we came back up the hill the sun was just beginning to set and we had an amazing view of rain pouring on Poteau Mountain just North of us. Pink rain was a first for me, it was so cool! Unfortunately, the camera batteries died before we even got started, so we used Mike's cell phone camera the whole time. Sorry for the low quality. But what a great view. I definitely recommend going up there if you want a perfect spot to watch the sun set or take a short hike or have a picnic. There is even a little playground.

..home on the range..

2010-10-04T01:58:00.000-05:00

First of all, I just want to apologize for the infrequency of posts lately. I have had to reprioritize my time a bit, and unfortunately outfit posts are not topping the list. Actually it seems like I have been seeing a trend among some of my fellow bloggers having the same issue. I guess life catches up with everyone every now and then.

Today the weather was really great. We get so few of those perfect days in this region so my husband and I took advantage and went for a walk on the family land. It is kind of hard to believe, but I have lived here for 4 and 1/2 years and this is the first time that I have gone the full length of the property. It is also a bit hard to believe that I have owened these boots for about 4 months and this is the first time I have worn them. Hope you enjoy these photos because I really enjoyed taking them.

This is me at the very farthest part of the land. Our house is at the top of the hill that is in the background.

We barely made it back before sundown but still had time to stop and say hello to Jupiter on the eastern horizon. All the items I have on are thrifted vintage except for the jeans, they are from Target. Take care till next time.

~DotR

..fall fashion foraging..

2010-09-24T02:38:00.001-05:00

Oh my, the past week has been filled with lots of car shopping, not my favorite thing, but it must be done. Unfortunately, it has been eating up my blogging time and my enjoyable browsing time too, bummer. So I thought I would squeeze in a bit of the fall fashion that I had started rustling through last week.

Here are a couple more collections that caught my eye..

Angelo Marani

I like the subtle hues and layering in this collection. It really makes me look forward to cooler weather. I love the crochet pieces too, so romantic.

Cacharel

Obviously, I am a sucker for vintage style. I love these classic cuts. And, the print that is carried through is really nice, like a perfect blend of a floral and an animal print.

..wedding weekend..

2010-09-19T01:24:00.001-05:00

Today Mike's cousin Sara got married! And we are so happy about it. She and her new husband Gene are totally great together. The wedding was really pretty and perfectly casual, and I have to say they picked the best wedding time (Monday is our anniversary: ) We didn't take a ton of pictures because there were so many others who were, but here are a few pics of my attire for the wedding, Mike being the music man, and of the lovely couple.

..work is done..

2010-09-18T01:50:00.000-05:00

Finally, the weekend. I am in need of some serious de-stressing, though I don't think that is really going to happen very soon. However, a three day, wedding anniversary weekend may help, hopefully, a bit. I took some after work pictures the other day and since I don't have anything else to tell today that is not complain-y, other than watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall again cus it is so funny, here is a work outfit to wrap the week up with.

*hat, sunglasses, skirt- vintage

*shirt- elle

*shoes- villager

*belt- handmade

*bracelet- vintage(from Mom)

..fall fashion foraging..

2010-09-12T21:49:00.000-05:00

Normally, I don't spend a lot of time worrying about what is coming down the runways for the season. Other than the occasional feature in a magazine I read or a television show, pretty much the only exposure I get is the trickle-down through the lovely blogs I follow. I even feel weird about categorizing my blog as fashion because I feel like it is more about personal style. I rarely make any real reference to the world of fashion, and I definitely can't afford to make high fashion a part of my wardrobe. However, for some reason this season I got a notion to get acquainted with what was going on on the Fall 2010 Ready to Wear runways. So here are the humble beginnings of a segment where I bring to you some of the current fashion that appeals to me.

So far I have found 2 that I really like, so here are a few of their looks..

Alexa Chung for Madewell

I really like the casual feel of this collection. It has all the right pieces for a super cute wardrobe. I am absolutely smitten for this collection!

Basso & Brooke

This is a more dramatic collection, but it is totally ravishing. I love the texture printed fabrics. And some of the looks make me thing of some of my favorite Gustav Klimt paintings.

..follow the yellow brick...wall

2010-09-12T14:31:00.001-05:00

I went thrifting to try to find a new purse the other day and found 2! I also found a couple of great blazers and a pair of sweet cutout oxfords, all of which will probably be showing up soon in outfit posts. And, while we were out I also spotted this great wall downtown and couldn't resist stopping to take a few pics.

..decor I adore..

2010-09-08T11:35:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I have always been a huge fan of pop culture. Like so many others I find myself drawn to images in a style that brings to mind Andy Warhol, and immortalize the things that have shaped and entertained our lives. I recently found a Parisian boutique called Teo Jasmine that specializes in just this type of decor and then some. They have some really great items, so I got a little bit of information from Sophie over at Teo to share with you.

Teo Jasmin is an interior design company founded by Angéline Bailly in 2001. They started by specializing in digital printing on wall canvas then later on expanded their range of products with cushions and classic furniture, still using the same digital process on them.

Ever since, they have gotten more and more creative. New collections are launched twice a year. The superheroes of DC Comics (a personal favorite) are the stars of the new collection 2010 along with Coca Cola and famous Doggy rider, and previous collections such as the Beatles, NYC, London and Paris are still around and going strong! They have a little something for every one from floral to graffiti to the beautiful Brigitte Bardot. And some of the collections are available in super cute bags and purses!

And my personal favorite is the collection featuring images from the classic Little Nemo in Slumberland comic.

Hope you enjoy the shop as much as I do, and if so happy shopping :)

..ready for fall..

2010-09-02T01:11:00.002-05:00

Today, the weather was so refreshing. For a change, it was cloudy with some light rain and about 20 degrees cooler than it has been for several months now. Aside from the breath of fresh air that the cooler temperatures bring, fall is also a time that I really love because I enjoy the natural color pallet the re-addition of scarves, tights, and all of the other cozy garments. This season I have already gotten a feel for what I am sort of gearing toward in my wardrobe. Though my tendancy is to wear a ton of neutrals with gray, black, and brown, I really feel the need to incorporate a pop of color, and I really love muted but bold colors for fall. I am keeping an eye out for mustard yellow, burgundy, dusty blues and pinks, dark teal, and so on, so forth. Since the weather was so lovely today I went ahead and implemented my plan.

While I am on the subject, here is another example of my fall inspiration. I was over at one of my favorite blogs, Calivintage, and she is hosting a giveaway in correlation with the amazing vintage shop, clever nettle, which challenges you to make a set on polyvore using some of the items from her shop. Let me tell you that there are so many great items that it was hard to narrow it down to just a couple. There is only one night left for the contest, but there is still a discount offered for Calivintage readers until Sept 7th! Here is what I came up with...

The skirt and hat are the items I chose to feature from the shop. I wish I really had this outfit =)

Follow my blog with bloglovin

..a girl can dream..

2010-08-31T00:53:00.000-05:00

Okay, okay, I can absolutely not complain at all. I had my dream wedding on September 20, 2008, which my Mom and I planned and did so very thriftily, I might add. However, I still love the idea of weddings, and how beautiful they can be. So, when I came across a Nordstrom challenge on Polyvore a while back, I could not resist. The challenge was to make a bridesmaid feel beautiful too. In my opinion, the collection I put together would be equally if not more suited for the bride, but I really liked this dress the most out of all of the options. I found myself being inspired by the color pallet in a set of bangles in this set. I can just picture a lovely wedding in some exotic eastern location, on a lantern-lit patio at dusk, surrounded by lush plantlife.

..like candy..

2010-08-28T21:12:00.001-05:00

I have been putting off doing any additions to the shop lately. I get really aggravated trying to take photos lately. The combo of working with the self timer, trying to adjust the settings, and trying to balance the the camera at a decent angle (I don't have a good tripod) gets a bit tedious. I did finally reshoot the purple suede skirt that was one of the first items I listed on etsy. And, continuing to think about tattoos, I did a little doodling on my arm to see how I would feel about having one that I would actually see. It kept on growing after this shoot, and I seem to actually like catching a glimpse of it from time to time. I really like the placement, though possibly a bit more to the inside of my arm would be ideal. And I finally got to shoot one of the shirts that I have been living in this summer. I love this red stripped vintage shirt. It is so comfy and cool in this hot weather.

*shirt- thrifted vintage

*skirt- thrifted vintage (buy it here)

*shoes- target

*earrings- thrifted

..under the needle & knife..

2010-08-24T02:04:00.001-05:00

Though I have just recently spent some time under knife in a negative sort of way, I never find myself deterred from wanting to find myself back under the needle. I have one tattoo. It took four, five hour sessions to get finished. It was quite an undertaking. I am not financially anywhere near putting any cash toward something so frivolous, but I think that it is best to really mull over what I might want anyway, so my wheels are always turning. In the meantime I love finding inspiration among others who have been beautifully inked.

All very inspiring! Images via weheartit.

..on the mend..

2010-08-18T00:03:00.001-05:00

I had a rather eventful weekend. I had planned on having a nice three day weekend, but instead I spent the three days in the hospital! I was having some very painful problems with ovarian cysts, which led to me having laparoscopic surgery and finding out that I had endometriosis and some internal bleeding. Luckily I have an amazing family that has seen me through my first ever hospital stay.

I am back home now and am on the mend, slowly but surely. I likely won't have a lot of posts coming up in the next week, so here is your heads up and an outfit post intended for last week that will have to hold you over for a while. Until I am feeling better, happy blogging :)

..traveling in style..

2010-08-05T17:57:00.001-05:00

Though financially, I am no where near being able to travel overseas to any of the amazing places that I have on my every growing to do list, I still get the travel bug from time to time. I feel the need to research imaginary vacations and dream of hassle free visits and perfect weather conditions. Well, it may be a while before any of those plans come to fruition, but when I was posed with the challenge of styling this lovely dress from Modcloth for a Clothes Horse blog giveaway, I just couldn't resist the urge to work it into a European vacation filled with lots of sight seeing on rainy days. The website we were asked to use to style for the giveaway is called Polyvore. It has been quite a while since I have been to Polyvore to put together a set. If you have never been there it is pretty fun. You get to build your own outfit or really any kind of collage from a huge selection of pictures, accessories, clothes, music, and decor from lots of different stores. Here is what I came up with.....

..A Beautiful Day for a Picnic..

2010-08-03T01:07:00.000-05:00

I made my first Etsy Treasury today. I have been daydreaming of nice weather and picnics a lot lately. Just wanted to share :)

..breach of 100..

2010-08-02T21:57:00.000-05:00

The temperature here has been getting up over 100 degrees for the past several days. Today it got up to about 106! This heat has absolutely been draining my energy. All I want to do is lounge on my couch in the AC. And, yeah that is a lot of what I have been doing. However, I did voluntarily brave the heat this weekend a bit, and I have the pictures to prove it. Sunday was my Grandpa's and cousin's combined birthday party, so we headed over to the grandparents' house for some pizza and cake. As the evening drug on and we were about to embark on our journey back home, my brother started getting ready to go down the road to a new dirt bike track to ride. My brother used to race regularly when we were younger, so I spent a lot of time at tracks growing up. So, Mike and I headed over to watch him ride before we headed home. Unfortunately, the water truck was broken. It felt like we were in the dust bowl. And in that heat we were pretty sweaty. Needless to say we didn't stay too long and we hit he showers as soon as we got home.

I pulled out a vintage vest that I have been sitting on for a while and stuck with simple and minimal for the day so I wouldn't get to horribly uncomfortable. Hope everyone is staying cool!

..do it yourself..

2010-07-30T02:43:00.001-05:00

A very long time ago(December 31, 2009 to be exact) I posted an outfit with a shirt on which I had hand painted the Zelda eagle/triforce symbol. I wrote down the diy instructions and promised a step by step post with pictures the next time I printed something. Well, here it is! The antiscipation is finally over. The other day I made some custom designs and put them on some onsies for my friend, Amanda, who is having a baby next month. They turned out so cute, and I can't wait for little Emily Jo to get here so she can try them on.

Materials:

clean tee or other garment

fabric paint (I don't recommend puff paint for this project)

paint brushes

freezer paper (w/ plastic backing)

exacto knife

iron

piece of cardboard

extra clean scrap fabric

and maybe ruler, chalk, and tape

1. First you need to get your design onto the freezer paper. I have used multiple methods to do this and they all work fine. You can draw it directly on, trace it through, or print from your computer.
2. Then tape down your design and cut out the areas that you will be painting. I taped mine to the back of a sketchbook cover. *Be careful to save any interior pieces such as the inner part of the letter 'e' in the design below*

3. Next you need to get your design aligned where you want it. This is where chalk and a ruler can really come in handy.
4. Iron the freezer paper without sliding so you don't catch any of your edges, and make sure not to pull or stretch the garment while ironing. Check to make sure than the paper has adhered well to your garment. *Don't forget to put down those inner pieces and press them into place also*

5. Okay, now you need to put a piece of cardboard in between the layers of fabric so the paint won't leech through, and you can get to painting. Get a good, solid layer of paint down, but try not to get it too thick, which can make it too stiff.

6. Now it is time to be patient. Let the paint dry thoroughly. Check your paint instructions for the recommended drying time. Sometimes I use a blow-dryer to help speed this process along.

7. After the paint is totally dry, carefully peel off the freezer paper.
8. The last step is to set it. Get a piece of clean scrap fabric, put it across the top of your design, and go over it repeatedly with the hot iron for a few minutes.

Yay!! You are ready to rock your new cool design. A few tips that I recommend are to wait a couple of days before washing to make sure that everything has totally set and to always turn the garment inside out when you wash it for added longevity.

..my little black dress..

2010-07-22T02:47:00.000-05:00

Usually about once every week or two, I find myself reaching for the same dress in my closet. It's the one with a interesting history, the one that fits so perfectly, and the one that is ever so versatile, of course my LBD.

I actually bought this dress for Halloween 2004. I went as Holly Golightly and the dress was actually a little bit too big then. I bought it at the best vintage shop that Fort Smith ever knew, Old Vogue, which was owned by a lovely woman who obviously loved old things as much as I do now. Unfortunately, Old Vogue has long since closed its doors, but I will always remember sifting through those great vintage clothes and wishing I had the guts to wear them. I only have one other thing from there, a cool '60s sweater that I need to get out and do a few repairs to.

Luckily, I have developed a tiny bit more curves since 2004, and this dress now fits like it is meant to. I have contemplated using it to make a pattern for more dresses, but have yet to get around to it. It has probably seen better days. I have made many repairs through the years so it will eventually be disassembled and moved on to that higher purpose.

Until it does fall apart I will keep wearing it. Right now my favorite thing to wear with it is this vintage Dior belt that I got at an estate sale, my goto Melani heels, and whatever scarf that I am feeling at the moment. Today I also threw in this funny pair of '70s sunnies that I got a few weeks ago.

For those of you who don't know the area, these pics were taken behind one of the local WalMarts right in the middle of town. I was really surprised at what a good location it turned out to be. And this is the first run with the camera that my Grandpa John gave me (thanks!), and it seems to be handling well!

..and now for something completely different..

2010-07-17T02:07:00.000-05:00

There are some things that, though they are finished, will never be over. One of those things is the Dodo, the always remembered martyr for extinction

and another is of course Monty Python

And today I share my love of the Monty Python crew. I actually even have what I call a 'time travel crush' on Michael Palin...

He's a lumberjack, and he's okay :)

I know I'm am a dork, but how could you not laugh at this stuff..

The Fish Slapping Dance

(do watch, short but perfectly silly)

Or be inspired by this stuff..

The Life of Brian Altro

'When your chewing on life's gristle, don't grumble, give a whistle'

Words of great wisdom and musical genius, you must admit.

<3 Monty Python

Also, I added this super cute vintage cross stitched owl to the shop yesterday!

..short & sweet..

2010-07-14T01:55:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to share a outfit post and some of our farm livin'. I went out to check on the chickens and one was just finished laying this odd egg, weird huh? She was totally back to normal today, thankfully. And, we haven't gotten many peaches this year, so I was excited to pick these two! My short are the ones that I altered to be short-shorts, and I the orange enameled brooch was an estate sale find.

..hair today, gone yesterday..

2010-07-11T20:57:00.000-05:00

Okay, so for a while now I have been thinking about doing a post that shows how short I had my hair a few years back. I think it was about three years ago that I started letting it be long again because I wanted it to be longer for my wedding day (which I also need to do a post about sometime in the future), and I had it short for a couple-a years. It grows so fast that I can barely keep up with the maintenance when it is short, but during these hot summer months it sure is tempting to hack it off again. Unfortunately, there aren't very many pictures of me from this time frame, at least not many good ones, but here are a few that I was able to track down.

Above, we were in Ohio for Mike's 10 year reunion, which was '06, not long after the initial cut.

And, down town Fort Smith in the picture below.

And these pics are at my Grandparents' house when my Great Aunt Lukie and my cousin Teresa were visiting from California. They are the ones sitting on either side of me and Granny and Papa are on the right of the one above. My Granny is who a lot of my really amazing vintage clothes are from.

..creative cucumbers..

2010-07-11T00:17:00.000-05:00

If you've ever grown cucumber plants, then you know how hard it can be to find new and exciting ways to keep eating them. They are actually nice to snack on with some dip or just salt and pepper. And, we make refrigerator pickles which takes a big chunk of them, but I have also been trying to add them into our meals in not so traditional ways. I added them to a weird version of stir fried veggies and noodles that I make which wasn't too bad, though I think I have perfected that meal without them. I plan on making a beef, shallot, and cucumber salad that I have been eyeing in my Thai cookbook. But for tonight, I tried a recipe that comes up on page one if you Google 'cucumber recipe' and is called Spago Cucumber Salad.

The recipe (found here) is actually pretty much the same as Wakame seaweed salad,

which I absolutely love,however I found that it called for a lot more vinegar than I think is necessary. Even half the amount would be more than enough in my opinion, but to each their own. It actually turned out pretty yummy, and now I am inspired to make my own seaweed salad next time I can make it by the local asian market to buy some Makame!

..pretty things..

2010-07-10T00:37:00.000-05:00

I am obviously not the only one that feels this way, but I love Etsy! I find myself purusing on a regular basis. As I was looking back at some of the things in my favorites list. I figured I would share some of the lovely things that I would love to have if I had the available cashola.

And this stuff isn't sold yet, so please relieve me of the temptation ;)

Have a great weekend everyone!

..good ol' U S of A..

2010-07-06T02:04:00.000-05:00

Today, we had an extended celebration of Independence Day. We didn't actively celebrate last night other than sitting out in the yard watching everyone else around us shoot off their fireworks. So, today we went to my Grandparents' along with a bunch of the rest of my Dad's family. We swam a bit, I shot our shotgun and my Granddad's handgun for the first time. I like to think of it as zombie practice. It was actually kind of fun and I found that I preferred the rifle, it was not as loud and I liked that I only had one shot at a time. It is definately nerve racking to have a loaded gun in your possesion, yet I am glad to have the experience. Later on we continued our family tradition of blowing stuff up, and then we cooked hotdogs and brats, Yum! I also made another carrot cake, which went over really well!

My cousins Jon, Jessica, and Allen getting together our fireworks while I have target practice :)

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T11:34:00.000-05:00

Three day weekend, cookouts, family, and pretty explosives! What more can a girl ask for, :)

..drumroll please..

2010-07-04T02:38:00.000-05:00

Shop update!

Finally, I know! I have really been putting my shop on the back burner. My little digital point and shoot camera has progressively been developing problems. It stresses me out just thinking about trying to get pictures done for the shop. I am making saving for a new camera my top priority. So, if anyone has any reasonably priced suggestions feel free to share.

I went ahead and did my best though, with the help of Picasa. Unfortunately I had a hard time getting shots that were clear, but it will just have to do for now. I have been adding items tonight and I will continue to do so over the next few days.

Vintage 1970's patriotic striped bowtie blouse

Vintage 1980's long, royal blue knit vest

Vintage 1980's Santana Knit St John sweater jacket

Vintage 1980's coral corduroy pants

Vintage 1980's multi-color pinstripe uniform shirt

Vintage 1980's red & grey pinstriped wool skirt

I also went to an estate sale today and found some interesting little things and a set of plates! It is always fun any gratifying to get a good deal on really neat old stuff. I'll have to do a post soon to show off my finds!

..jean jeanie..

2010-06-30T01:48:00.000-05:00

I was looking for a pair of sturdy shorts to wear the other day, and I found myself gravitating toward a pair of nonexistant jean shorts. I realized that I haven't had a pair of comfy and cool cutoff jean shorts in a really long time! I wouldn't stand for it! So, I took one of the six identical Old Navy jeans that I recently inherited from my Grandma Sharon, a pair of scissors, and voila, new pair of shorts. My cat Mogget was being a camera hog :) What a cutie.

And here are a few other lovely ladies sporting their cute cutoffs..

images via we heart it

..sweet summer..

2010-06-27T01:31:00.002-05:00

This weekend has been absolutely lovely so far. Last night I finally made a carrot cake that I have been thinking about for about a week. I got the recipe when I was browsing the Dujour Magazine blog. I pretty much followed the recipe but I added some fresh ginger to the cake and some lemon juice to the icing. It turned out fantastic! It is really moist and yummy.

Today, Mike and I did a little work around the house, then we sat around most of the afternoon. It was the perfect day to be lazy, hot and humid with thunderstorms on the horizon. It is kind of nice not to do anything sometimes. Mike made us a huge meatloaf for dinner last night, so we had leftovers for lunch and dinner. We make a mean meatloaf so I don't really get tired of eating it repeatedly. I will have to share our unique recipe in the blog sometime.

I started to get restless after a while so we decided to go thrifting. I found some pretty good stuff at both shops that we went to. I got a couple of table cloths, one for a kitchen curtain, and one for a picnic blanket. I am pretty excited about both, though I am not yet sure how well the one will work as curtains. I also found a handful of other goodies; a bunch of scarves, a summer sweater and dress, a couple of belts, and a local theater tee.

I got to add a few new things to my wardrobe recently. My shirt is yet another from my Granny's old closet that I so frequently raid. And, these shoes were my Grandma Sharon's. She was a stylish and beautiful woman. I am lucky that I have had such lovely women in my life.

I finally cleaned off the front porch, so that is where Buddy and I took my pictures today. By the time I got around to taking photos those threatening storm clouds I mentioned had already made their way to the house (yay for rain!). We got intermitten rain and sunshine and ended up having a big rainbow. Sorry no picture of it. I didn't want to get the cmera out in the rain.

..wistful weekend..

2010-06-18T01:17:00.000-05:00

Ahh, that all weekends were long ones. I took a paid day off on last Monday to extend the weekend and ended up with Tuesday as my day off this week! So, I had a lovely four day weekend. Saturday we drove up to Eureka Springs for our friends' wedding at beautiful Blue Spring. Congrats to Jason and Julianna! I was amazed by the park, it was so cool, the pics don't do it justice. Other than the blazing Arkansas heat, everything was lovely.

We stopped on the way home to feel out how hard it would be to transplant some local wildflowers. Next trip we will bring a shovel.

By this point I had shed a few layers, and my heels :)

Since Mike has been getting into growing things that are indigenous and useful, we have decided to start keeping an eye out for some hardy plots of Echinacea, so we can transplant and/or harvest seeds. Echinacea is a natural immune system booster and can be used for mild localized pain relief. If you have any of the plants handy it is actually kind of cool to test out the latter. You take a pinch of freshly harvested seeds and chew them in between your front teeth for a few moments then spit them out. The tip of your tongue will have a strong tingling sensation. Unfortunately, at this point in the summer it seems that much of the plants are starting to succumb to the heat.

On Sunday afternoon, Mike and I headed out to Cove Lake to camp for the night. Somehow the weather was just perfect and we had a really nice relaxing time. My stupid little camera has been flaking out a bit, so we didn't get many good photos, but you can take my word that Cove Lake is really nice. The swimming area is well maintained, there is concession most days in the summer, and they have bathrooms with showers in the concession building. Sounds a bit luxurious for camping I know, but don't get your hopes up too much. The actual camp sites don't have individual water spouts and they don't have electric hookups. I kind of prefer roughing it a bit at least.

So, we tried to fish, swam a bit, made hotdogs and smores, then hit the sack. In the morning we had a early swim, packed up our stuff and hung out on the grassy beach a while before we headed back home. And, yay! on our way home, we found some echinacea that we were able to take a few starts from and plant at the house. I love them almost as much as all the butterflies and bees do.

..all around the mulberry bush..

2010-06-12T00:35:00.000-05:00

This summer my husband, Mike, has been on a mission to find anything edible out in the wild. The land we live on is quite expansive. We found a good amount of blackberries growing around the bottom of the hill, we have located several hickory nut and pecan trees, and by a stroke of luck Mike found a Mulberry tree just yards from our house! Ahh, this is so awesome we have had fresh blackberry/mulberry cobbler two nights in a row. Mike went down the hill with the lawn mower too, so we can get down to the blackberries with ease. The lovely flowers are what he picked for me while he was mowing. What a sweetie.

..good day sunshine..

2010-06-07T20:37:00.001-05:00

I have really been into yellow lately, though I don't have a lot of it. I did find some pretty sunny yellow seersucker material that used to be a sheet, and I was thinking of making dress or skirt. I also have a couple of shirts that I found at the Goodwill store a while back. This one is really cute, and it is the first time I have actually worn it. I rolled and tacked the sleeves to make it a bit more casual. I ended up with a primary colors theme going on though a bit light on the red. I found my beaded Native American headband and have been wearing it as a bracelet.
This weekend is really flying by. Mike and I spent a lot of time in the pool the past two days, and it is definitely starting to show. We are both very pink today. I think pale is beautiful, but I can hardly resist lounging in the a bit pool when the hot summer days get here.

..green acres..

2010-05-31T02:21:00.001-05:00

When I was editing these pics, I had the Green Acres theme song running through my head. This weekend the field was being cut and baled, but it is still green and nice. I haven't really watched the old sitcom very many times, but since the last time I have watched a handful of movies with Eddie Albert in them and I really like him. For me, his character really made Roman Holiday. He gets best line for, "Hit him again Schmittie!" Well, I may have to keep an eye out for reruns.

For today's outfit, we get the first run of a shirt I had been eyeing for quite some time. I saw it in the fall on Urban Outfitters site and really liked it, and then a few weeks ago it popped up on their $5 sale. I couldn't resist, and until today I hadn't found the cojones to sport it. Something about being covered in sparkles is a bit daunting for me though I really like it. So, I played things down a bit and all was well. At least after the weird look that my husband gave me pertaining to my unusual sequinedness :)

Here is a little bit of pretty stuff. I went down yesterday and cut some of the wildflowers. The photo doesn't even do them justice. And, we have some lovely Chamomile growing this year.

*hat & jeans- target
*vest, belt, & shoes- thrifted
*tank- urban outfitters

..a fair day..

2010-05-30T03:09:00.003-05:00

In all my years of good intentions, I had never actually gone to the Renaissance Fair that is held in Muskogee, Oklahoma just an hour from where I live. It is held every weekend in May and this year Memorial Day, too. So, you still have two days left if you haven't made it yet! Our friend Stinky Pinky had been talking about how much he wanted to go this year, being a weapons connoisseur and history buff. Even though we have been relatively low on funds, we decided that
..the time had come to put on fancy garb, and travel not too very far, to watch and dance and laugh and eat and roam Castletown in the hot May heat. We all had a very nice time! Our friend Shawn was actually very reluctant to leave, he was asking for job applications. I am already looking forward to next time we go!

I theoretically learned how to milk a cow..

Some armour was tested.

Some leg of turkey was enjoyed.

And some more lessons on belly dancing are probably needed.

Amazing beautiful birds of prey.

we met Gandalf!

The dress I wore is one that my Mom wore for Homecoming in '77. It works perfectly as a medieval princess gown too.

..sears in the 70s..

2010-05-26T23:39:00.001-05:00

I have been neglecting my picture taking lately, which includes outfit posts and shop updates. I guess I was kinda burned out. So, I better get back in the swing of things. Here is a long overdue, week later outfit post. This dress was my Granny's. It is a rockin' early 70's polyester shirtdress from Sears. I love the summery vibe, and apparently summer has decided that it is its time.

*dress- vintage sears

*belt- vintage

*shoes- gianni bini

*earrings- SimplyDifferent on etsy

..making rural waves..

2010-05-19T00:28:00.000-05:00

This has got to be one of my favorite times of year. From the rolling thunderstorms to the gusty sunny days. I really love when the field in front of our house is fully grown. I absolutely love the bright and cheery wildflowers some of which I usually harvest for my kitchen table before they brush hog and bale. I also love when the tall grass rolls like waves under the wind. Ah, I am looking forward to tomorrow's sunshine already.

Last Sunday I got to enjoy both the thunderstorms and sunshine, intermittenly. We had storms in the morning, sunshine all day then storms in the evening. So, during the sunny time I got out and took some really lovely pics with some of the local wildlife or should I say tamelife.

I have had this vintage skirt for about a year now and this is actually the first time I have worn it. I could never get the styling quite right to suit me. Then the other day this outfit just popped into my head and amazingly it actually worked in reality! I rarely get to wear my sunglasses, so I opted for contacts and donned my newish vintage sunnies.

*shirt- ?

*belt & skirt- thrifted vintage

*shoes- antonio melani

*sunglasses- urban outfitters vintage

..last week's fun..

2010-05-17T00:37:00.001-05:00

This week it was really difficult to get back to the routine. We drove back from Ohio Sunday. Fourteen hours in a car was definitely hard on the bum. And after a week of having to get up at a decent hour to get back to work, I was having a hard time getting around to sifting through and editing all the photos we took on our trip.

Today has actually been quite a productive day. I caught up on some much needed sleep, then got up and took some outfit pics which will probably go up later on, then I worked out in the garden until the sun went down while intermittently chasing down my cat who desperately wants to catch himself a cute little bunny.

Well, I finally compiled some of the pictures we took one day when we went into Frankfort. We went to the local Amish Market. I love that place! Mike was picture happy. We got some dry goods and snacks to take home, then Mike got some bacon cut from slab while I got us some made to order sandwiches. We drove downtown to the little park by the creek to eat and waste some time. When we made made our way back to the house we had to stop and look at the adorable tiny lambs. I can see why Lisa Simpson went vegetarian after she saw one. They were actually cute enough to make me squeal a little with glee :)

I recommend the Mustard Pickled Eggs, Mmmm.

Above is some of Historic Frankfort

Northfork Creek

So many sheep, makes me sleepy.

..sunny days in Ohio..

2010-05-07T02:09:00.001-05:00

After the rainy weekend that wrecked havok on most of the middle of America, it was nice to see some sunshine. Mike and I have been visiting his family in Ohio this week and though we are in small town central, we have been able to find some interesting things to do. Tuesday, we went for a drive in search of one of the many Amish markets in the area. The one we were in search of was one we had never been to, outside of a town called Bourneville. Mike couldn't resist getting a picture with the horse and buggy that was pulling in with a cartload of traditionally dressed, straw hat and bonnet bearing kids.
After we picked up some goodies at the market, we stopped at the Seip Mound State Memorial and hiked around a bit. There were a lot of lovely wild flowers in bloom and they had the pathways pleasantly mowed. I was really nice!

Then the next day we took a little hike down the road to the creek, with Mike's childhood friend, Forrest. We treked through the woods and found a couple of spots where the guys could try to catch some fish. I just wondered around looking for photogenic flowers and rocks :)

..good 'ol red white and blue..

2010-04-29T01:18:00.001-05:00

I wish these pictures would have been at a better exposure. I love wearing this outfit. It feels so classic and it has a kind of subtle sexiness that I feel comfortable wearing. I have just recently decided to wear red, white, and blue together. I really love the combo, but I feel so cliche in them sometimes, like if I wear green and red together, and I get told I look Christmas-y. So annoying. I will try for better lighting next time I wear it so everyone can see my patriotic duds :)

We will be leaving on vacation this Saturday, so my posting may get even more sparse, but I will try to take lots of pictures to share. Mike and I are going to Ohio to visit some of his family that live up there, I am looking forward to it, but I will miss my cute kitty.

shirt, skirt, belt- vintage

tights- walmart

shoes- gianni bini

..silence in the library..

2010-04-28T02:25:00.001-05:00

With the new season of Doctor Who on, we have been really nerding out lately. Not that that is unusual in any way; but, anyway I was thinking about an episode called Silence in the Library that was few seasons back which was set on an abandoned library planet . It was a great and creepy episode, and I love the idea of a planet of bookshelves. I was inspired to put together some of my favorite items from Etsy with the library theme. Enjoy..

Well, I think I may go do some reading now :)

..the making of a daydream..

2010-04-26T01:18:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was perusing some of my favorite blogs, and I came across a link to a site called Polyvore. It made me think of when I was young and I was in love with the software that could change your hair style and color. But, with this you get to do some major window shopping. There are practically endless clothing, accessory, housewear, and beauty products to pick through, along with a bunch of purely decorative photos. You can add your own images and text if you want too. So, this is kind of fun to me. Today, as I sit here on my bum with a horrible crick in my neck, and not much to do, it was the perfect way to kill some time.
I went with a contest theme they had going of pastels for spring. I guess I was daydreaming about being somewhere warm and sunny.

by the sea by daughteroftheriver featuring JLo accessories

..chatty neighbors..

2010-04-21T01:14:00.001-05:00

I wanted to take this time to share with you some of the furry folks in my life. A few weeks ago we noticed that there were some brave and cute squirrels frequenting our front porch. Then one morning I saw a fluffy tail hanging down through a crack. Apparently they had made a nice new little home in our front porch roof! So, we are working on their kindly eviction, though if they don't leave I have a feeling they my be more forcefully persuaded.

And here are our sweet little kids. This is Buddy, he's our sweet old man. He will be twelve this year!

And this is Mogget, our cuddly chubby little one year old.

They are both sweeties!

..fort smith find..

2010-04-18T02:02:00.001-05:00

I have been a bit of a slacker lately. I haven't been feeling like doing outfit posts or spending a ton of time on my blog. However, I have had a few other marshmallows in the fire (sorry I like them better than irons). I have been working on getting my etsy shop organized. I finally cleared a regular spot for taking pictures and it has inconveniently been filled with our old mattress and boxsprings. So, alas I am already getting behind on my shop updates from where I'd like to be. It is pretty cool to see feedback on items, even if people are not committed to buying, which I totally understand, or are as penniless as I am, they can still show their love by adding Favorites!

I have been trying to get back to basics this spring. By that I mean the basic things that make me happy. I am trying to pry myself away from the winter habit I developed of spending hours on the computer every day. This time of year I feel the need to be out and about embracing the world. I am so ready for a camping trip or a day hike. Well, in these photos it may seem like I am out in the wilds, but only in a small way. Mike spotted this spot one day. It is actually a road to nowhere, totally dead end except a couple of access roads to businesses. It was a really awesome location right on the edge of town.

*hat & belt- thrifted vintage

*bag- gift from Kim

*shirt- american eagle

*jeans- target

*shoes- antonio melani

..a walk in the park..

2010-04-09T01:03:00.000-05:00

I have been so ready for spring for some time now. I love to be able to be outdoors in the sunshine, and I do not like the cold. I really don't deal with it well. I have circulatory problems and end up spending most of the winter curled up under a blanket, sitting on a heating pad, surrounded by my pets to keep me cozy. Yeah, that doesn't sound too bad, but it really isn't good for productivity. We have still been having some chilly nights, but I am so glad to be able to actually enjoy my days.

Mike and I were able to take advantage of one such day. We packed a snack picnic of pickle eggs, crackers, cheese, kippered herring, and juice, and headed down to the Janet Huckabee Nature Reserve. We were keeping our eyes out for some fauna to go with all the flora and we spotted a lone deer crossing a path. Other than that is was all lovely blooms and green grass.

*sweater & shirt- vintage

*belt- handmade

*jeans- old navy

*sandals- naturalizer

..happy birthday to me..

2010-04-01T23:59:00.000-05:00

Wow! Hard to believe that I have been alive for 25 years :) And, they have been great years! I usually don't do anything big on my birthday, but really that's how I like it. I took the day off and had a really nice day the weather has been so perfect. Mike and I slept in a bit, then we got up and went to meet my Dad for sandwiches, yum. We hung out for a while then Mike and I headed over to the antique mall. I was kind of looking for some vintage horn rimmed glasses to turn into sunglasses, but I didn't find any. Instead I found a really pretty spring necklace. We headed over to Mom's after that for dinner. We had some super yummy fish tacos and blackberry cobbler. We stayed and visited for a while. It was getting late but we made one last stop by Mike's Dad's house to see his step brother, Chris and step sister, Catherine and nephew, Jack. And, while we were there I was lucky enough to get to pick through Mike's stepMom Mary's vintage eyeglass collection. She let me have a really awesome pair that seem like they will be suitable for adding new lenses!

Well I had two outfits picked out for today, but I didn't wear either. I saw this skirt that my Grandma gave to my Mom to give me a few months ago, and decided that it would be perfect for today.

Mom's garden is already looking great. The horses are Mom's neeighbors :)

*sweater- KellyShoestrings Etsy store

*belt & skirt- vintage

*shoes- soda

..inherit goodness..

2010-03-30T01:54:00.001-05:00

Spring is finally making its way and everywhere there is an emergence of color. This is also happening in my wardrobe. Not that I was evading color, but I do feel like being way brighter than my usual. I have been wanting to wear this dress which is one of the ones my Granny made and wore. So, after several months of letting it hibernate in my closet, I was finally ready for a major dose of color. I freaking love this one! It is so pretty and comfy.

If you haven't noticed, I am slowly building up my etsy shop! I am trying to add new things every day so keep checking back, and if you have never explored the whole of Etsy you really should. It is full of tons of amazing things. I actually got the earrings in this post from an etsy seller, SimplyDifferent.

*earrings- SimplyDifferent

*scarf & belt- handmade by me

*cardigan- old navy

*dress- vintage heirloom

* tights- walmart

*shoes- target

..weather or not I like it..

2010-03-26T00:38:00.000-05:00

The weather here is classically very, very unpredictable. But, come on! This stuff is really over the top. Here is last Thursday..

I got to wear my new shoes! I love these puppies, they are surprisingly comfortable. They were more than I usually spend on shoes, but (yay!) I had a Dillards gift card so they only cost me $20!

Shaping up to be a lovely spring, right?

Ummm, think not. Winter was not quite finished with us yet. It started snowing Saturday night which we all figured would soon melt away.

I mean it was in the 70s two days ago. The ground was totally warm. However, that did not deter our little blizzard. It kept on snowing all night and all day and it was really sticky, wet snow. Perfect for building snowmen, and also perfect for breaking tree limbs and apparently chicken runs. Our electric went out several times through the night and then stayed out early Sunday. We have well water at our house which has an electric pump, so when we woke to a cold house and no water we were not very happy. We went to the gym to shower then went to Cracker Barrel for some much needed comfort food.

When we got back home we had to deal with the caved chicken run.

I was not thrilled to spend my day off shoveling poopy snow.

This picture really sums up my feelings for the day. My back still hurts!

That was more snow than we have gotten here in years, too bad it was such bad timing.

Spring outfit

*head scarf & necklace- gifts

*shirt- kohl's

*skirt- handmade by me!

*shoes- antonio melani

Winter outfit

*hat- thrifted

*navy coat & jeans- old navy

*snow shoes- sketchers

..wagons ho!.

2010-03-19T02:39:00.000-05:00

I am rolling out into new territory.

Wow, took me long enough, but I finally got some stuff listed in my etsy shop. So far only a few items, but I am starting to get the feel for it. I will try to get it filled out more this weekend, cus I really need the closet space :) I am still a little daunted by the shipping, it scares me a bit. I have never shipped anything, so I was compulsively checking shipping prices and comparing, and checking and comparing. As you can tell this went on for a while since I was planning to set up shop at the beginning of the year. Hopefully, things will go smoothly and I can drum up some business.

So, check it out, and if anyone has any suggestion, I would love to hear from you.

..une petite fille..

2010-03-15T23:03:00.000-05:00

Ahh, how I once dreamed of traveling to the French countryside. It is such a beautiful place, one that really feels old. Of late, I would love to go practically anywhere in Europe, with a few exceptions. I actually took some French in high school, though there is really little use for it in my region. Not very practical but I like the language, even if I am not very good at it, or any other foriegn language for that matter.

It wasn't intentional, but after I took these photos I was getting a French vibe looking at them. I made this skirt last summer. It is a circle skirt, so it is really fun to spin in circles and not so good on a windy day, I had a few Marilyn moments :)

From the top..

*earrings- local $jewelry shop

*crochet choker- gadzooks circa '97

*jade/aventurine necklace- ERMoriginals etsy shop

*rosary- gift

*cardigan & shirt- old navy

*belt- thrifted

*skirt- handmade by me!

*shoes & purse- target

..no technicolor here..

2010-03-10T23:16:00.000-06:00

Lately, I have been really tired and run down. I actually get worn out doing posts, though that is probably because I tend to do so right before bed. I probably just need some exercise and iron supplements, and a dose of bright colors can't hurt either.

*sweater- reconstructed old navy

*secretary blouse- vintage thrifted

*jeans- thrifted

*shoes- soda

*coat- tjmaxx

*Buddy- the pound :)

..finding florals for spring..

2010-03-09T00:36:00.001-06:00

I really love the embracing of floral, pretty girly things, and nautical for spring. I have found some really great pieces in my scouring of the thrift stores lately. I found a calico tie at the bottom of a bin in the men's section of our disabled veteran thrift town a while back, and I finally decided to wear it now that spring is drawing closer.

I also got ambitious this weekend and started a sewing project! Prompted by the warm weather, I got out a pair of amazing shorts that I got on the same thrifting run. They have a great fit, but I want to shorten them for a 50's tap short feel. So far so good, I got most of the way done before I ran out of light. All I need to do is to pleat in the hem and add the cuff back on. I probably don't do things the technically correct way when sewing, but it works. I am always learning.

*earrings & tie- vintage thrifted

*vest- vintage hand-me-down

*shirt- gift

*pants- old navy

*shoes- vintage liz clairborne

..nicely, nicely..

2010-03-06T22:19:00.001-06:00

So, I am playing catch-up this weekend. I have been a bit inexcusably uninspired lately. I haven't felt up to being creative enough to write anything remotely interesting. I think I just need some time off occasionally. I have a lot of unfinished projects, and crafty intentions.

Anyhow, I wore this last Tuesday on my day off. I was feeling a little bit punk rock. I got some jewellery from Mike's stepmom, Mary, which is cool, because it is stuff would probably not normally buy, but it is fun to try new stuff and step out of my box. I really like the girly toughness of this necklace. Yay, I love days off. Mike and I went to a local antique store and found some really cool stuff, pictured below.

The roundup; awesome hat, 2 pretty scarves, a lovely hankerchief, alligator/crocodile glasses case, coin purse, and the reason for the expedition a vintage juicer. I actually got some cute vintage buttons too, but forgot to put them in the picture, oops. We got a gym membership a few weeks ago too, so we went to the gym afterwards. Mike has been doing awesome and going everyday, I'm so proud of him, that takes willpower.

*coat- old navy

*necklace- gift

*scarf- handmade

*sweater & purse- thrifted vintage

*jeans- rue 21

*shoes- target

..pleated and tapered and green, oh my..

2010-03-06T16:53:00.001-06:00

Well, I really never thought I would like pants that tapered in at the bottom, but I gave these a chance and amazingly, they are really cool and comfortable. I feel a European inspiration when I am figuring out how to wear them. I am really looking forward to spring weather. They look really cute rolled up a bit with strappy sandals. Last weekend, I put together this outfit and it works so nice that I wore it twice!

A couple of these are taken at Mom's when I went to visit and others are at the house. We are finally starting to have a semblance of a kitchen!! We are functional again, just a handful of finishing touches and decorating to get back to normal.

*scarf- gift

*shirt- george

*belt- banana republic (thanks Dad:)

*pants & purse- thrifted vintage

*shoes- naturalizer

Wait! Not quite done yet. I wanted to brag on my latest purchase from Etsy. I have been loving the style of a fellow blogger kelly shoestrings who also has a vintage shop on Etsy. Here is what I bought. I can't wait till it gets here!

..downtown..

2010-03-01T01:05:00.000-06:00

It has been quite some time since I have been downtown. I can't even remember the last time. At least several months, crazy. I had not realized that much time had passed. Friday Mike was doing backup for Timm Tayshun at Hero's Bar, so downtown is where headed. I was hoping that the weather would be nice, but alas it was oh so cold again. The show went well. Short but sweet, so to speak. We are such old homebodies lately that we were glad to be heading home before 1.

I love the old buildings in the area. So we took advantage of some of them.

*blouse & purse- goodwill

*coat- tjmaxx

*cardigan and jeans- old navy

*scarf- vintage thrifted

*shoes- converse

*earrings & necklace- vintage gifts

..the fifth season..

2010-02-23T01:15:00.001-06:00

Saturday, we went to the Darklight Tattoo 3 year anniversary party. Fun times. While we were taking a breather, Mike and I wandered the halls of the Fifth Season Inn taking pictures. A much enjoyable night.

*earrings- Simply Different on Etsy

*cardigan& blouse- old navy

*belt- vintage

*purse & scarf- vintage thrifted

*jeans- rue2 thrifted

*shoes- soda

..yellow..

2010-02-22T00:21:00.000-06:00

I am really loving pale yellow lately. I don't a lot of yellow in my wardrobe though, so I have working on building it up. I have, however, had this cardigan for a long time and I love wearing it. I found a nice yellow silk blouse at the Goodwill the other day, so I can't wait for warmer weather. My dress was bought from a local vintage shop about 5 years ago for a Halloween costume. It has been my go to Little Black Dress since then. I love the fit of 50s clothing, makes me fill very feminine.

*cardigan- old navy

*dress- vintage

*tights- jcpenny

*scarf & belt- thrifted

*shoes- villager

*earrings- vintage gift

..chinese-thai to go..

2010-02-16T23:49:00.001-06:00

Mmmmm, yesterday for dinner we went to eat at Chinese-Thai To go on Midland. We have been there a few times and they have amazing chicken wings which we usually get for a appetizer, but I decided to mix things up and get a spicy squid salad. It was so good! I want some right now. And the red and the curry entrées were good too, classic and good.

I got to sport my new scarf and sweater too. I love this scarf, the colors are really vibrant and pretty. I found the sweater in the men's section, it is really soft and comfy. Reminds me why I never overlook any clothing section.

I had intended to wear a skirt, but changed my mind at the last minute because I was so cold.

*sweater & scarf- vintage thrifted

*pants- old navy

*tights- delias

*shoes- villager

..my valentine..

2010-02-14T19:56:00.000-06:00

My husband is my Valentine of course. Enough said!

*jacket- thrifted

*dress- forever21

*tights- jcpenny

*shoes- villager

..another brick in the wall..

2010-02-13T22:41:00.000-06:00

We went into town and went thrifting the other day. I got a few really cool things! So, while we were out I asked Mike to get a few pics for the day. He directed us to this 'tobacco free' wall mural over on the north side. Not a bad spot. We picked probably the worst time to go there though. A nearby Jr High had just let out, so there was way more traffic than the norm. One chick stopped in the middle of the road to complement me and watch the 'show.' However, she was in the way of the wide shot that Mike was trying to get. Too bad the camera ended up on the wrong setting. I really had to tweek these to make them look okay. Eh, there is always next time.

The t-shirt I wore was given to me by my Dad when he went to see Pink Floyd in the mid '90s. It reminds me of a time when oversized shirts were a staple for me. Speaking of the '90s, my hat was a purchase made at Gadzooks back in the day, probably in about '96. Ahh, the good old days :)

I have to brag on my scarflette. I learned to knit a few years ago so I could make 'em. So, I have quite a selection, but this little gold one is by far my favorite, with it's little wooden buttons. It goes with everything.

*hat- gadzooks

*tshirt- gift from Dad

*cardigan- ??

*leggings- walmart

*shoes- target

*scarf- hand knit

..casual friday..

2010-02-12T22:59:00.000-06:00

Today was the second Friday of the month, and that means we can wear jeans at work. We actually do so to to raise money for United Way. So, donate to a good cause and wear jeans, not a bad deal. Yesterday I had the day off and was able to hit up a thrift store! It had been a while. I found a few cool things. Among them was a hunter green, wool suit. I will probably never wear it all together, but as separates, I love it. Today I wore the blazer, and I added some bright earrings for fun. Twas a casual, cozy day.

*earrings- juicyglassjewels etsy shop
*scarf & blazer- thrifted
*sweater- walmart
*jeans- old navy
*shoes- target

..when we pretend..

2010-02-09T23:36:00.000-06:00

Today I discovered Need Supply Co., a lovely clothing website that I would love ton spend some money in if I had any to spend :) Some of their items are actually very affordable, even for me. And, just about everything is adorable. I love that some of their models have tattoos, too. It makes them feel like real people. So, for the sake of spreading the word (though I am usually the last to know) and for the fun of window shopping, I picked a few wishlist items that I would love to wear together. So, here ya go, in my imaginary land this is what I am wearing today :)