What I Wore: The Modern Vintage Edition

You're all a smart bunch of people, I'm sure it hasn't escaped you by now that I love vintage and retro style and even sell my own finds on Etsy. Well, when the Internet first starting being a huge shopping hub (wow, that sentence makes me feel ancient even though this was probably only 10 years ago or so), it opened up a whole new world of vintage possibilities! I spent so much time searching online for the perfect 40s style dresses and rockabilly handbags. It was a sickness. Still is, I guess. However, back in those days, your options for true vintage and vintage reproduction were limited and pricey. I would drool over styles from Stop Staring! hoping that I could one day afford something from their collection. And I still do.

Of course, now the Internet has made it easier than ever to find vintage reproduction styles for any price range. It's really nuts how easy it is and I find a new favorite site every day. The dress below is from a store in the UK called Voodoo Vixen that I just discovered a few months ago!

What I Wore: Sheer Vintage Dresses Edition

Oh some days it feels like spring will never come. We'll get one nice day accompanied by three chilly ones. I'm starting to give up hope here. But, it just means that I try to take advantage of the nice days when we have them, like this past weekend. It was the perfect day to test drive this little vintage number. This lilac vintage dress is one of my favorite finds, but it's super sheer so it really only works on warm days. But when it does work, oh it works.

Loving Right Now: Kitschy Vintage Kitchen Decor

I'm still in the process of trying to make my new apartment feel like a home and it's been so hard to focus on just one room. I want to buy everything, for every room, all at once! Anyone else understand this feeling?

Of course, I can't do that because as much as I wish I am, I am not a millionaire. So, I've been doing it slowly — paycheck by painstaking paycheck and cutting corners where I can. Like the responsible human being that I am. Unfortunately, all this has allowed me to do is continue adding items to an ever growing list of "wants". That combined with my inability to focus on one room has created an odd list and caused be to buy things on impulse - making for some very odd, half-finished rooms. To combat this insanity, I've decided to share it with you! Aren't you excited? In an effort to focus, I'm just going to share my wants, my loves, my hopes, and my dreams for my new apartment room by room. Maybe that way I won't wonder why I have an extensive plate collection for the kitchen walls but still no table for the craft room (yes, this is a real problem).

What I Wore: The 60s Shift Edition

Ah, estate sale shopping. That is the life. If my day job could be hunting for gems at estate sales, I'd be one happy camper. Unfortunately, it's just a hobby for now, but when you hit a jackpot it's oh-so-satisfying! I stumbled across a gorgeous collection that belonged to a little stylish lady who travled a lot in her lifetime with her husband. The collection of souvenir plates in their home was out of this world. But, naturally, I gravitated towards the closets and I was not disappointed. This little number is definitely one of my favorites that I picked up recently. So simple, yet so eye catching with it's delicately detailed collar and sleeves.

What I Wore: The Winter Has Arrived Edition

Yep. This is not a false alarm. It's here people. Winter has arrived already and it freaking sucks, already. Can you believe it? Well, actually if you're a born and bread midwesterner like myself, then yes. You can believe it and you think it's silly that I'm even talking about it, but I'll talk about what I damn well please and I hate the cold, dammit! 

Anyway, the point of this post isn't to bitch about the cold, it's to bitch about dressing for the cold. Does anyone else go into a panic when the temp drops below 40? It's like I forget how this works and start putting together some really odd combinations. Anything to stay warm, you know? One thing that is definitely essential is a good winter coat. If you can find one that's cute on top of good, you better buy 10 of them. After several years of attempting to look fashionable in the cold, I just gave up and decided that I need a large collection of warm coats and I'm always on the lookout for a good buy. When it's 20 degrees outside, your best bet at fashion is 2 chunky sweaters, a cute coat, a colorful scarf, and a big hat...under your hood, of course.

Sweet Dreams: 14 Beautiful Bedroom Design Ideas

Well, well, well, it's me again. I feel like this last hiatus I took was longer than most, but with Internet issues compounded by preparing for a trip to Paris, life has just been a little bit of a whirlwind. However, I'm trying to get back on the blogging horse for real this time, with plans for recipes and DIY tutorials in the very near future. In the meantime, to celebrate (or mourn, depending on how you look at it) by return home from a beautiful 2 week stay in the city of Paris, here's a collection of cozy, comfortable, and chic bedrooms!

What I Wore: The Vintage Office Wear Edition

There is something about this style of dress that always makes me think, "70s secretary". Why, I have no idea, but it does. Always. Maybe I watched too many episodes of Charlie's Angels growing up or maybe I'm just crazy. Either way, I love the style of this dress. Every time I find one, I have to pick it up. There are actually a couple more in a similar style hanging out in the Etsy store right now. I know that's really biased of me to do and I should stop, but I can't! I love the way this vintage cut looks on me, so I keep buying them - whether they fit me or not. It's a sickness. I have a buying sickness.

New Meets Old: Vintage and Modern Interiors

I'm always very impressed when someone is able to decorate their home with thrift store charm and new pieces without making it feel cluttered or tacky. I have the unfortunate habit of liking too many things and wanting them all, so instead of a very well curated space, I have a hoarders haven. Now that I'm moving into a new space, I'm trying to be really particular about what I'm buying and keeping so that my space has a cohesive feel. I found this space the other day that masters in secondhand decorating and I definitely need to take a few lessons from this estate sale maven. 

What I Wore: The Pencil Skirt Edition

There are certain things you always need in your closet. One is a dress perfect for your body type that makes you feel great. Another is a pair of jeans that works for errands or going out. And the last thing is a an office appropriate pencil skirt. I don't care what you think about your body type, a pencil skirt makes anyone look hot and classy - that's a dangerous combo. I think my collection of pencil skirts will forever be growing and changing because whether you wear it with a cardigan and heels to work or a t-shirt and boots out to a concert, it always works. Always.

I have a collection of a pencil skirts for every season, but finding a good sweater skirt can sometimes be a hassle. They point of a pencil skirt is that they are slimming and sweater ones can sometimes look bulky. However, this vintage skirt is just the right mix of sensible and adorable.

What I Wore: The Thrifted Sweaters Edition

I know I talk about this every week, but I am so tired of winter. More sickened by it than I have ever been. There was a glimmer of hope with some 40 degree days and then it snowed and the temp dropped again. I'm moving. Enough of this.

Anyway, due to the never ending Siberian weather, I thought I'd talk about my sweater collection. It's gotten a little out of hand. I could probably wear a different sweater every day for a month - unless we're counting cardigans, then make that three. How did I amass such an insane collection, you ask? Easy. Thrifting. One thing I've become great at finding in a sea of ugly 80s sweaters is the 1-2 good ones. 

I buy them too, of course, but when your wardrobe consists of fleece leggings, a skirt, a sweater, and Doc Martins for 5 months out of the year, it can become expensive. So I thrift!

What I Wore: The Wishful Thinking Edition

If you build it, they will come, right? That's how the world works? Following that logic, if I build my spring wardrobe now, spring will come! Soon. Please, dear holy everything, make it soon. We had one week here in Chicago that felt kind of like spring, close enough anyway. So I tried to take advantage of it and pull out some spring gear. Today, it's back down to the tens. As in, we have a high of 10 degrees today. Woo hoo! I'm going to savor this photo shoot and think of better days. Anyway, this is the kickstart of my spring wardrobe! (I can't promise it won't be back to winter next week)

Photo Friday: Colorize Me

I love seeing old photos colorized, mainly because I don't understand the process. I never was a very good artist, so the idea of doing these by hand baffles me. Still, I love vintage photographs and seeing them in color just makes them seem so much more alive - like you could jump into them and across time like Doctor Who. This collection of vintage photographs is particularly interesting because it doesn't focus on a specific subject matter. The subject is people, yes, but people from across different ages, classes, races, and cultures. For a girl who can't get her head out of the past, it's really fun to see this kind of range of vintage photography!

Bright and Cheerful Interior Style in a Small Space

What happens when a graphic designer and an animator combine? Adorableness, that's what. And a home full of fun, kitsch, and color. Matt and Mel's little home in Fairfax, Virginia is exactly where you would imagine an adorable hipster couple living. Don't you think?

What I Wore: The Bomb Girls Edition

It's been freezing in Chicago. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a big baby when it comes to the cold, it's literally been dangerous to set foot outside for the second time this month. As you can imagine, taking outfit photos or wearing anything that doesn't make me look like the Queen of the Bag Ladies has been next to impossible. I am sick of it. I've even been wearing pants. PANTS! What is the world coming to?

The never-ending polar vortex has forced me to discover new shows on Netflix as well, because, well, what else am I going to do? After I finished all the seasons of MadMen (yes, I'm incredibly behind on tv), I had the urge to keep watching a period television series. That's where Bomb Girls comes in. The show follows a group of women working in a munitions factory in 1942 Canada and aside from the drama, the outfits are to die for. These 1940s style dresses have seriously re-newed my love of all things vintage.

New Year, New Start, New You!

Well, we did it folks! One more year behind us. Busy, quick, eye-opening - 2013 was a lot of things, but it's definitely helping me realize what I want 2014 to be. One thing I wish I had done more in 2013 was blog. Somewhere between starting a new job and making new friends, I lost the time and the urge to create. I think now, closer to a new start, I'm finding it again. With that, more blogging and more tutorials!

What I Wore: The Vintage Holiday Sweater Edition

Well, shit. It's December already, huh? Here I am, once again, not prepared for any sort of holiday season. I thought that I would get the apartment decorated this week, have started my holiday shopping by now, and have ideas for what I was getting everyone on my list. Planning is so much easier than executing. #amirite If you're ahead of me at the point, you go guuurrrl! You deserve some sort of expert-holiday-wrangler award or something.

The only thing I have been able to get on top of is planning holiday party outfits - never mind that I have no holiday parties to attend yet.

Interior Design: A European Style, New York Castle

Holy opulence, Batman. This triplex in the meat packing district of New York is mind blowing. It's a picture of antique grandeur. The building was originally built in 1847 as a townhouse and converted into a general store in the late 1800s. From there it became a sausage factory until 1992, then a mother and daughter fell in love with the abandoned space and bought it to turn into their dream home. They tried to preserve the original, vintage elements wherever possible. Old floorboards were cleaned, treated, and reused and they even rubbed coloring into the re-done fireplace to make it look time-worn. And what a project of love, huh?

What I Wore: The Lady in Red Edition

Let me tell you, there is nothing better for the confidence than a little rouge. I am dead serious about this. Feeling blah and don't want to put any effort into your outfit today? Throw on jeans, a sweater, and some red lipstick and you'll see. It really is that easy. I know the color on this 40s style vintage dress is one of the reasons it's totally an instant confidence booster!

What I Wore: The Twiggy Edition

Nothing makes me less happy like an amazing vintage dress that almost fits. I mean, come on fashion gods! Do me a solid? This vintage 60s shift dress is the most adorable thing I've come across in a while and my boobs are just not cooperating. Frustration! 

What I Wore: The Long Skirts Edition

So I have to apologize, mostly to myself but some to anyone who's noticed. I've been in a blogging slump these last few months and I just haven't been able to shake off these blogging blues (cue the acoustic guitar and raspy voice). I've been ignoring my Etsy stores too even though I have been collecting cute vintage clothes and making jewelry again. Still, I somehow could not get myself motivated. But now that warm weather is here and the trees have finally started to bloom, I feel refreshed! 

So here's to getting my lazy butt back in gear and not being a disappointment of a blogger anymore!