the one that got away?

we are on break from the quarter at work right now, and i took the first half of my time off and translated it into a road trip to nyc.  on saturday i had to entertain myself solo for about an hour while my traveling companion got a hair cut, so i went vintage shopping.

i hit three shops in an hour, and the last one, A Little Wicked, was by far the best fit for me.  they have great pieces, and they buy (thus stock!) pieces in my size range.  prices we not at all bad for vintage in nyc. sorry nyc, dc will always have better prices for vintage.

i did go home with a yellow gingham number that i am very excited to wear soon, but i have been pining after the dress i left on the rack.  i certainly hope someone as rescued her because she is a lovely thing indeed!

look at those polka dots!!!
i justified leaving her behind because she is probably a size or two larger than what i need, and i was trying not to be a spending nut.  still, i pine.

other shopping highlights include a fabric trip to Mood, a pilgrimage to purl soho, and a last minute purchasing of buttons for my current knitting project at M&J trimmings.  one can buy from all of those places online, but there is nothing quiet like going to the shop in person.

i have a lot of sewing in my future!  the balance of my break, however, we be spent gardening and visiting with family who are coming in from out of town.  good times, indeed.

colorblocks and stripes

Painted Love Heel by Lola Ramona

color is everywhere for spring, and i am thrilled.  

all of the store windows are showing color blocking, polkadots, and stripes.  i was talking with one of my best girls last weekend and we both confessed to be stocking up on the goodies we love while they are in style.  (she is mad for polka dots!)

i put this outfit together last friday specifically to wear those shoes.  yes, those shoes right there.  i know they are crazy, but they stole my heart away.

i purchased them during modcloth's big sale in december and it took me a month to figure out how to wear them.  i consulted my polka-dot-loving pal on that matter.

me: what do i wear these with????

nm: you have to wear these shoes with everything!  because these shoes just don't give a f*ck!

so this was my first attempt.  you must forgive the poor photo.  i am in another anthro dressing room, after all.  the belt and flower are both pink.  the blouse is a billowy silk thing in navy blue with kelly green bias trim edging the flutter sleeves.

top: Odille for anthropologie.

pants: Pilcro for anthropologie

shoes: Lola Ramona for modcloth.com

belt: target

necklace: vintage find from value village thrift store

flower: forever21

oh, and that black band on my wrist is my RoadID, not a part of the outfit.  ha!  i leave it on even when i am not out running so i won't forget to wear it.

if you run, cycle, swim, play a sport, or participate in any other activity that involves you and your ID being apart and any level of personal risk of injury, you should have a RoadID.

layers!!!

Bailey 44 knit dress

i was deeply skeptical of this dress when an associate at anthropologie suggested i try it last week.  it has so many potential problems for me.

1. knits.  i don't wear many tight knit things.
2. horizontal-ish stripes.  not a curvy girl's best friend.
3. tea length. the enemy of the slight of height.

but as this awkward dressing room photo shows, it wasn't half bad!  in fact, the dress was really pretty when walking (not posing and trying to snap a pic) and it is just about the most comfortable thing i have ever put on my body.

too bad it is $178!!
there are many variations on this style that they are selling right now, and if i get lucky, maybe one will go on sale and can be mine.  i have so many shoes that want to be best friends with this dress.

fingers crossed!

my closet isn't that full

i know that anyone who must claim their closet is not that full perhaps protests a bit too much. still, i think i keep it reasonable when i could, if i really wanted to, go much further off the deep end. think Hoarders level--if i let myself.


that said, i have a lot of rules for myself.


1. be picky.
2. never full price.
3. only high quality classics or super quirky "never in, never out" pieces.
4. only dirt cheap trend pieces.
5. maintain and repair the collection.
6. no purchases that do not fit.
7. who cares how cheap it is if you will never wear it.
8. no repeats. (i will never own 12 pairs of blue jeans.)


why am i writing about my closet?


last week i was having drinks with a friend and sharing some dressing room snaps of a dress i am considering. it was suggested to me that i ought have a tumblr of pictures of me in dressing rooms because i take so many. i am not allowed to have a tumblr because it is habit forming. i am lazy about my blog, so i can throw some of that stuff on here.


like this cream puff.

silk organza and taffeta tea length party dress, early 1960s. 

this one was a keeper.  

the color is more of a champagne than off-white and the sash is a deep olive green.

label: "an original jr.theme new york"

store: Polly Sue's Vintage

location: Takoma Park, MD

obviously this is a dressing room photo. (so sad that orange plaid skirt in the background was way too huge to come home with me.)  i will post an outfit shot when i wear her.  i have designs on wearing a pair of red leather heels that are covered in hand tooled patterns.

yum!