the secret garden

The lovely Rachel Coker of Rachel Coker Photography borrowed a 50s prom dress from the shop for a secret garden themed photo shoot. The results are absolutely beautiful.

 

 

 

Check out her facebook page for more fantastic photography, and if you're in the Williamsburg, VA area, you have just found yourself a photographer!

And if you are interested in the dress, it is available here.

PS - This young lady's got more than just photography going on. Google her. She's my new role model. :)

playing catch-up

Hello there! Long time no see. I've been busy keeping up with the shop, but a lot of cool things have been happening that I want to share with you. This week I'm going to play bloggy bloggy catch-up. First up, a lovely blog feature. Love it when that happens! Check out this blog post from Susan's Diary - Vintage Style Meets Heavy Music. Susan has a fantastic vintage style, and I'm so happy she included my seafoam peplum outfit in her spring shopping list. Thank you Susan!!!



Vintage Two Piece Set : SEAFOAM PEPLUM top & skirt set w/ belt - $32



More bloggy bloggy catch-up to come. Stay tuned!

laying it out

I put together this outfit for a trip from Kansas, where it was 5 degrees when I left, to California, with a high of 77. Layering was essential. I wanted to be able to shed the leggings and sweater as soon as I arrived.

How do you pack for a trip? Do you lay everything out ahead of time? Or throw it all in at the last minute?

back to school

Not for me. My kiddos. Both of them.

shirt : vintage ralph lauren, estate sale
tie : vintage, craigslist
shorts : urban outfitters
wedges : eric michael, thrifted

I'm going to miss kicking it at the pool and the lazy days of summer.

Too bad I didn't get a close-up, the tie has tiny pink polka dots!!!

But I'm looking forward to giving the shop my full attention and taking it to a whole new level.

Have I told you I have ties? Like hundreds of them? You need a vintage tie, I'm your woman.

Watch out. It's about to get real. ;)

snapshot

End of July already? Whoa. Well, here is a snapshot of what I'm doing in my life right now:


Finding Inspiration: Chictopia

I need to manage another social media website like I need a hole in my head. But I did it anyway. I joined Chictopia. And I'm loving it. I mean, free compliments, people! What's not to love?! One day someone said I looked like a marigold flower. Made my day.

You can find my ChicBlog here. If you are on Chictopia too, please let me know, so I can follow you! :)

Listening to: Balkan Beat Box

I got the opportunity to see these guys live and it was amazing! It was in a small and intimate venue and they had an awesome stage presence. You can tell they love what they do. And they're good at it. Really good.

My favorite song: Part of the Glory.

Spending my time: Poolside.

With high temps over 100 degrees, the pool is where it's at.

Drinking: Peach Lemonade

Peach lemonade. My new favorite summer drink, by far. :)



Three weeks until school starts around here. I intend to enjoy every minute of it. How is your summer going?

cooked, a la mode

On these "excessive heat" days - which is everyday, it seems - this simple cotton dress has been my saviour. Clothing-to-skin contact is minimal, and I can retain some modesty. Thank you, simple cotton dress, for that.

simple cotton dress : vintage, thrifted
sandals : mossimo, target, a few years ago
(the fairy is thinking about Thoreau, too)

Standing around taking pictures when it's over a hundred degrees ranks low on my priority list, so I don't have lots of pictures to show you. Instead I'll tell you something you may not know about me:

Lurking under the surface of this seemingly sweet, innocent face lies something dark and dangerous.

simple cotton dress, close-up

A fabric obsession.

simple cotton dress #2, sadly in the mend pile

I've been keeping it at bay, because if I dare indulge in it, I will go mad.  I am certain of this.

my daughter wanted to wear her simple cotton dress too, so we could match :)

These tiny floral prints cause waaaay too much excitement for me.

Also exciting - in a less dangerous sort of way - my 50s bathing suit was featured over on the blog, My So Called Crafty Life. Check it out here. Thanks Ashlee! I'm honored to be a part of your lovely collection of vintage finds. :)

And don't forget the summer sale is still going on in the shop! 15% off with coupon code: SUMMERLOVIN.

Finally, the title inspiration: (I can't believe he nailed it - philosophically speaking - 150 years before "climate change" entered mainstream awareness!)

"The luxuriously rich are not simply kept comfortably warm, but unnaturally hot; as I implied before, they are cooked, of course a la mode." -Henry David Thoreau

yikes! stripes! fruit stripes!

I'm starting to be able to spot a Vera Neumann print a mile away.

scarf : vintage, estate sale
Vera Neumann top : local vintage shop (wild man vintage)
jean skirt : blanco, thrifted
wedges : montego bay, thrifted

This is the third Vera piece I've acquired. (The first has already sold, the second is for sale here.) But it's not just her signature scarves and clothing I'm drawn to.

Vera believed that art should be accessible to everyone. That it should not just hang on walls, but permeate life. Wear it. Eat off of it. Sleep in it.

And that's a philosophy I can live with.