Fortunate

The weekend started as a smashing success of chocolate chip pancake goodness.

Bea wore her adorable floral romper (found at thrift town) to the park.

I am so behind on outfit posts and have a ton of new stuff to share. However today I wanted to wear some tried and true pieces from my closet.

dress and shoes: crimson & clover, hat: thrifted
Alaric snagged this amazing bag at the Bows and Arrows sale last week.

It was so nice to read my book. Alaric enjoyed doing his homework al fresco for a change.

Bea finally graduated to a real bed. We still have to set up the frame but it was a most momentous occasion.

The weekend has been incredible so far and tomorrow is another adventure. I think we are going to go thrifting. I am planning on launching an Etsy store this summer, mainly to give me an excuse for frequent vintage searching. Tonight one of Alaric's friends, who is leaving town, gave me a ton of gorgeous vintage clothing in my size and Alaric got a ton of records. I can't wait to post all the finds!

The Green Lady

I finally got a tripod. It is very exciting as my outfit posts will not be stuck in my back yard. These first couple of photos I took at dusk and I love the lighting effect.

These shoes I found quite by accident. I went back to the thrift store to get some lovely flats I was hoping were still there.  Unfortunately someone had already snagged them but I found these absolutely gorgeous wedges instead. I have been on the search for the perfect brown shoes to match this dress and the search is finally complete.

I have to admit I love wearing dresses partly because they require little energy to style. I can look instantly put together with minimal effort.

This necklace my brother and sister-in-law gave me has proved to be incredibly versatile. I love gifts because they make me try styles I might not have tried otherwise.

 dress and shoes: thrift town

This outfit reminded me of the green lady, aka absinthe. It is legal again (since 2007)  although why it was illegal is beyond me. The supposed hallucinogenic effects from the wormwood are negligible so it is really just strong alcohol. It is still quite a tasty beverage. Coincidentally, the song we used for our wedding dance last year by Duke Ellington was called "Absinthe."

The Hepburns

I absolutely adore Audrey Hepburn and when I was a teenager Breakfast at Tiffany's was my favorite movie. Though I felt the male lead was unworthy of the Audrey amazingness.  I re-watched the movie as an adult and although Audrey is indeed stunning and charming in the movie the film itself does not stand up as very good to my shrewd adult mind. Nevertheless Audrey remains a style icon for me. She is the ultimate gamine.

 

Katharine may be slender like Audrey but exuded a powerful personal presence that made her one of the best actresses of her era. I haven't seen quite as many movies with her but find her personal story fascinating. She was extremely intelligent, quick witted and agile  in a time where these characteristics were deemed undesirable for women and she pulled it off with such panache. She was very opinionated and did not act the part of how a leading Hollywood actress (she would often dress in men's attire). Hats off to the two Hepburns. Although these ladies both wore wonderful hats as was the custom of the time (speaking of which I found two amazing hats to add to my collection today!) what stands out most even in their photos that makes them fashion icons is not the clothes but their posture, the look in the eye. In Audrey there is a vulnerability of a beautiful, loving person. In Katharine's stance I see something else more dominant, her non-conformity and strength of mind.

 

 

 

 

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10

The Fabulous Five

Each month I feature five amazing thrifted or vintage outfits from other style blogs. Here are my May picks.

1. Susie of Love Ship. I absolutely fell in love with this dress when I saw it via calivintage and had to put it in this month's edition. I am pretty much obsessed with lace anything right now and this dress is the epitome of what makes lace so desirable. Her blog also happens to be full of amazing, jaw-dropping pieces and the way she puts together outfits is nothing short of incredible. This dress was thrifted for $5!  I am all about amazing steals. It is what makes thrifting so exciting, the thrill of the chase so to speak. I also love how she paired it with black socks and t-straps.

2.Mitzi of Night Lights. I've known of Mitzi's style via chictopia soon after I started blogging and was so happy when she started her own blog. Her dark hair and pale skin give a dramatic backdrop to her stunning vintage styles. She has such a distinctive style and looks she makes the vintage look so current which is my preference. When I saw her rock these vintage trousers I was so taken with this particular outfit.  I am so into trousers right now and I love how she pairs it with white tights and that lovely hat.

 

3. Katy of Kansas Couture.Okay, here we have at least two of my obsessions du jour: high waisted shorts and lace. I'm also partial to blazers and her shoes are indisputably incredible. I was vaguely aware of her blog's existence but recently discovered this outfit via weardrobe. This outfit is 100% thrifted. I am such a fan of that (obviously).

4. Tranish  of Tranish. I found her blog via weardrobe when she was rocking an amazing afro wig. Although I was slightly disappointed that was not her actual hair I was so glad to find her lovely blog. I love this take on the nautical theme. The vintage jumper is incredible. Her blog contains more of her unique take on fashion.

 5. Simone of Shoeless Simone. Her blog is my most recent find via chictopia and it is definitely worth a look. The photography is stunning. She also finds some amazing vintage pieces including this gorgeous turquoise cut-out dress.

The Bins

Today I met up with another style blogger,  the lovely Bella Q of The Citizen Rosebud. It turns out she is friends with my brother and sister which is not too surprising considering how large my family is (I have 6 siblings.) We started out with some morning coffee at a cafe in the neighborhood.

Bea had a lot of fun playing while we chatted.

Bea's coat and shoes: secondhand
shoes and shirt: thrift town
jeans: ebay secondhand

After coffee we headed to 'the bins'. This place is not for the faint of heart. The clothes are unsorted and sold by the pound. I have found some amazing pieces there for next to nothing though and today was no exception. I found an amazing jumpsuit and retro 70's blazer today that I will post soon! It was Bella's first time there and she found a ton of pieces too.

It was great to meet another style blogger. Bella is, as her name would indicate, very beautiful and also a lot of fun to hang out with. We are definitely going to go thrifting again soon.

Interview: Marla Singer of Versicle

 I  love doing interviews and was very happy when Marla won the second portion of the contest as she has such wonderful style and is such a sweet blogger. Her style is very distinctive and innovative yet carefree at the same time. For more amazing looks check out her blog, Versicle.

How long have you been fashion blogging and what made you start?
I've blogged for about a year and I enjoy every second of it. I practically started this blog because I've seen so many great fashion blogs and I've joined some fashion communities like Lookbook.nu and Chictopia.  I decided to make a blog to put more personal things than just share my daily outfits.

Who are your fashion icons?
I'm very inspired by Chloe Sevigny and Zooey Deschanel. Both of them have adorable styles without looking oh-so-trendy or too ordinary either. They're just so unique in their way and very nice to look at. At the moment, I love Charlotte Gainsbourg because she is a beautiful French lady that could pull off masculine look in an amazing way.

What do you do now and what would your dream job be like?

I'm currently a shopkeeper and a stylist in a local clothing store. My dream job would be everything in fashion industry, of course. In a fashion magazine as a stylist or a fashion company as a consultant or buyer or whatever, as long as I could spread my passion for fashion everywhere =D

What are your sources of fashion inspiration?

Ummm.. literally everything! From music, movies, books, or random things. Also, browsing some fashion blogs or street style blogs is also one of my favorite ways.

How would you describe your personal style?

It's a bit hard to explain. I adore vintage stuff  but I love to represent them through my outfits in a modern way. Everything just depends on my mood. While the prominent characters on my outfits are monochrome, matching-color, and layering. The key is just the way I wear my clothes to stand out and  give them quirkiness.

What are some of your favorite bands at the moment?

I'm a huge fan of music. I'm particularly all-ears and I listen to every genre. Some of my fave bands at the moment are the bands I found lately, like Local Natives, The Strange Boys, The Big Pink, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Fucked Up, Coconut Records, Gugun Blues Shelter (Indonesian), or on my playlist this week, like She & Him, The Gap Band, Charlotte Gainsbourg, AC/DC, Cancer Bats, The Trees & The Wild (Indonesian), and of course my all-time fave, Motley Crue. And it would change every week. Hahaha.

What fashion trend  would you like to come back in style?

I want to see more vintage hats like boater, panama, bowler, cloche, etc. They are gorgeous! And as a hat junkie, everything seems underrated at the moment.

What fashion trend do you wish would never come back?

Errrrr.. I don't know. I don't see trends as 'real trends'. I mean, if you like it, just go for it. I don't care if tons of people wearing it too and I don't care about wearing 'it' item makes you an 'it' girl. As long as they feel timeless, that's the reason I go for trends. I mean, you could wear it whenever you like, with your own uniqueness and signature style =]

For vintage clothing what is your favorite time period and why?

50's sock-hop style! Beautiful flare skirts, saddle shoes with white socks, cute scarves around the neck, and cat-eye glasses, they're just adorable. I just think that they're so rock n roll, like Elvis. Haha ;D

What do you do in your spare time?

Typical activities like blogging, hanging out with some friends, watching movies on cinema, or going to some gigs. But I really don't mind to do things alone like secluded-sartorialist type activities such as lazy-reading on the couch, watching the same movies on dvd over and over again, or even going shopping, all alone.

Must have summer item?
Flat sandals! Believe me, I only have couple pairs of flat sandals and I think it's pathetic. Well, I'm a person who goes to work and  to school almost everyday and I find it's distracting if I wear sandals so I always wear shoes everywhere I go. Hahaha. And a wide floppy hat would be nice for my summer wish list.

What are your tips for finding good thrift finds?
Thrift stores have great finds, but great finds mean diligent hunting. Be patient and be willing to browse every rack for a long time through a lot of stuff. Don't worry, treasures are always waiting to be found. You will have to try on or try out what looks promising and see if you can alter it in any way if needed, just relax, don't buy things you don't need or you wouldn't know what to wear with.

I love your blog name, how did you come up with it?

Errrr.. Not sure about it. I think I just flipped over page by page on my dictionary, found a 'Versicle' word and I was just like 'Hey, I love that!' so I've used it for my on-screen username since 2006 and decided to put it up for my blog name, too. It's a bit weird because 'Versicle' means 'a short verse said or sung by a priest or minister in public worship and followed by a response from the congregation' and I have no idea about that. But what's in a name anyway? =D

Black Geometry

top: I don't remember

shorts: Crimson & Clover Vintage

shoes and necklace: thrifted

I've never actually worn the thrifted blue stilettos out. They are pretty awesomely ostentatious so hopefully I will get a chance to soon.

I was tricked into wearing this outfit by the clouds who decided to leave as soon as I was outside at the playground. It turned out to be quite a sunny warm day so unfortunately I was not able to wear these wonderful tights all day.  I love how they pair so well with the pattern of this necklace.

Peaches and Cream

I recently acquired my first two peach colored items of clothing and wondered why it took me so long. The color is perfect for warmer weather and very flattering to my skin tone.  Unfortunately my life is not full of events that require much dressing up because I have quite a collection of formal attire. These impractical dresses are too pretty to pass up. I think I'm just going to dress up more often. Life is too short not to. Here's to dressing up more and the lovely color peach. There are quite a few ways to wear this wonderful 1960s dress. I got it last week at Crimson & Clover Vintage of course.

 Alaric found this amazing 1980s shirt at Crimson and Clover.

This afternoon was spent lounging at the river and watching Bea and her cousin play. The weather was absolutely perfect and it was good to spend some time outside before it rains tomorrow. We spent some time discussing how enormous the oil spill in the Gulf is. It is something that has been on my mind lately. the environmental impact is going to be huge and since nothing like this has ever ever happened all the results are difficult to project.   I am wearing the sweater I won from Rare Treasure Vintage.

shorts and shirt: secondhand

shorts:diy
shoes: thrifted
sweater: Rare Treasure Vintage