Redefining Spaces with Optical Illusions

Happy Friday!
You probably needed it to be Friday just as bad as me huh? Well, the weekend starts tomorrow and I'm going to catch up on some much needed sleep. In the meantime, here's a little optical illusion to get you through the day!

Swiss artist Felice Varini has created a fantasic spin on optical illusions for interior design. I don't know if any of you would be able to get away with this in your homes, but I'd love to see this in person in a large building. From one angle, it's an oval with many miniature ovals. From another, it looks like someone did a really bad paint job. From up close, one wall of the room has been painted in a very artistic manner while the others were left white. I love it. All photos via FreshHome.

Messes with your head a little doesn't it? I think it would hurt my eyes to look at if I wasn't looking at it head on constantly.


So what do you think? Would this be practical in a home or is it better off as an art installation?

Tutorial: Golden Birthday Necklace

So I wouldn't necessarily call myself "crafty", but if I envision something in my head that I want and I can't find the right thing in stores, sometimes I will try to make it. Now, it almost never comes out how I imagined it in my head, but I'll at least like what I made...sometimes. This was one of those times.

I am no expert in metal jewelry making by any means, but I decided to make this necklace last year for my golden birthday. I know, I know, it's mostly silver, but that's because at the time I wasn't a huge fan of gold. Instead I decided to just be "metallic" for my golden birthday and I needed a big statement piece to go with it. I wore a silver strapless jumpsuit with a big gold, bronze, and silver beaded belt and grey shoes. This necklace fit perfectly.

Anyway, I saw this shape in a lot of necklaces last summer, but none of them were the right color so I made my own and now you can too! I still wear it all the time. I wore it in my very first outfit post over the summer and promised a tutorial.  So here you go!

Golden Birthday Necklace Tutorial

What I Wore Wednesday: The 50s Housewife Edition

As my blog title suggests, I love all things vintage. Like many girls nowadays, I sometimes feel like I was born in the wrong era, which is one of the reasons why I started my Etsy store. I would go thrifting and shop garage sales and find things that didn't fit me, but I bought because I thought they were cool anyway. I don't know what I thought I was going to do with this growing pile of thrifted stuff. At some point the idea of starting a vintage Etsy store popped into my head and Stranger Than Vintage was born!

Okay enough of that, on to the outfit. My outfit post today is vintage inspired but all of the pieces I'm wearing are new. (I'm a cheat I know.) I love full midi skirts, they are so fun to wear. This skirt is a pretty heavy  canvas fabric so I paired it with a light sheer top. Wouldn't I make a good 50s housewife? I need to work on getting that 50s hair though.

For anyone who thinks this outfit is too costume-y, the roommate and I...er boyfriend and I (he does not approve of being called my roommate) went out shopping after this and I got a ton of compliments on the outfit. Just goes to show you Nike was right, just do it.

Tuesday Trendspotting: Dainty and Sweet Cameos

First off, Happy Valentine's Day! I swear I didn't plan this post to go with the holiday, but it totally does so go me.
In other news, we are in full swing of New York Fashion Week and even though I'm not there (like many of us are wishing we were right now), I've been reading enough articles, tweets, facebook status, and blog posts to feel like I'm sitting front row. Gotta love technology huh?

Anyway, it's easier and faster than ever to see the trends that are popping up all over the runway, making it about impossible to choose one thing to write today's trendspotting about. Everything for Fall/Winter 2012 looks amazing, but I'm shivering over here in Chicago wishing for days of sunshine. SO, I decided to focus on the season coming up and zero in on something that I will need to start stocking up on for this Spring: Cameos.

Cameos are part of that Victoria/Romantic trend the starts to come around about every other spring. Something about blooming flowers and twittering birdies (I mean the noises not social media birdies) is just such a natural transition to lace, pastels, and delicate details. Well guess what, this spring is the spring. Bust out your lace dresses and dainty lace-up heeled boots ladies! What? You don't have those in your closet? Well here's your excuse to get shopping! One thing I love about the Victorian trend making a comeback are the new take on cameo pieces because I've always been a big fan. Take a look at some favorites I found:

Cameo Love by blacknblue featuring a cameo brooch

I want to know! Dainty and Sweet: Love it or hate it?

Ok, now that I'm done with that, a couple side notes:

I scored the most amazing vintage Singer sewing machine over the weekend! The roommate (read boyfriend) and I dated it to 1917. I plugged it in and it will work with a good cleaning. The motor is running, the gears just need a good greasing. I want to make something with it when I get it up and running, just to say I did. Any ideas on what it should be?

Last thing, (geez when did I get so winded) the Refinery29 style blogger challenge is still going on! If you haven't submitted your vote yet, please do!



Monday Design: The Classiest Bachelor Pad

Today's design feature is actually a showroom not a living space. The showroom belongs to avant-garde design collector Alketas Pazis and it's a fantastic collection of furniture, rugs, and other design pieces from 1900 to 1950. Pazis's showroom is located in Athens and he has spent his career collecting pieces that have been used in countless movies, magazines, and t.v. shows. 

I about lost it when I stumbled across this place. What I'm wondering is how do I get this job? I love collecting old and obscure stuff. Who wants to rent it from me for their movie? Anyway, when I first gimplsed this showroom Pazis put together or his vintage collectables I thought, "This is how I would design the ultimate bachelor pad if I were a designer." This would have to be the home of one worldly, stylish, and endless interesting gentleman. The dark, rich colors on the walls and the brown accents always make me think of manly design. 

 Considering it is entirely styled from vintage design pieces dating between 1900 and 1950, it might be more appropriate to call this a vintage-loving man's can. Either way, I love it.

What do you say fellows? Would you live here? Ladies, what would you think of the man that lived here?