What I Wore Wednesday: The Leopard Love Edition

So I may be a tiny, itty-bitty bit leopard print obsessed. Just a touch. I mean I only own two pairs of leopard print pants and 4 pairs of leopard print shoes. Only. That's not bad right? I am not ashamed! I firmly maintain that there is nothing wrong with a little bit of leopard print...in every outfit. No, just kidding. But seriously folks, a little bit of leopard print can change an outfit from boring to a little bit funky, a little bit rock and roll, which is why I think I have always beed so obsessed. Thinking I was so cool and punk rock in high school may have had something to do with it in the beginning too, maybe.

Anyway, when leopard print was coming back in a big way last year, I couldn't be happier and I decided that I absolutely, 100 percent NEEDED a pair of leopard print pants. Where did I go before you could find a pair in every hipster-centric store on the planet? The thrift store of course! I new I could find a workable pair of leopard print pants and then get them adjusted, which is exactly how I got these. This is year two of the leopard print pant for me and do I get funny looks walking down the street? Not as much as I used to. Do I care? Of course not! I look good. (If you're going to be wearing anything that's kinda crazy and verging on tacky, you really have to own it. Really.) Unfortunately, (or maybe very fortunately?) they seem a little big on me this year and I think I'm going to have to take them in a bit again. This means I'm not entirely happy with the following outfit shoot, but I like the outfit in general so I hope you guys do too!

Tuesday Trendspotting: Bikini Season

Oh you know it's here already and if you're a big slacker like me, you still haven't picked out your new swimsuit for the season. I know this isn't a new trend, the retro 50s style bathing suit has been all over catalogs and websites for a few years now, but I still don't have one! ::despair:: Well, I'm changing that this year! Maybe. I hope. Well, it's on my wishlist anyway.

So in preparation of sinking about $100 into a bathing suit that I promise myself I will wear at least once a week this summer - I am horrible at keep promises to myself - I picked out a few styles of retro bathing suits that I absolutely love and would be my dream to find for cheap. Warning: some of these are by no means affordable, I pulled them mainly for their shape and style.

Net-a-porter

Ruche

Ruche

This is actually my current most likely candidate. What do you think? Fun or too maternity? 

Seafolly

Anthropologie

Modcloth

Modcloth

Brown's Fashion

I have to say that this is my dream retro bathing suit and I've been hunting down something like this for almost two summers now. Unfortunately, I still have not been able to fine one like it in my price range. What a bummer.

What do you say? Retro bathing suits: yay or nay?

Monday Design: Handsome English Interiors

Hey all, today's Monday design is a little different as it's a guest post from Joanna of Arcadian Lighting. They were super nice to reach out to me about writing a guest post about English style interiors and I happily agreed! I mean, you want to do my work for me? Who am I to say no? I like the examples she picked out and I hope you guys do too!

Hello, I'm Joanna. I write guest posts for Arcadian Lighting, a wonderful source of lighting fixtures for all styles of decor. I am so fortunate to share my love of interior design with Stranger Than Vintage readers! In particular, I have an affinity for European decor, similar to the designs below. I hope you enjoy this post, which features handsome English style spaces.

Known for their history and tradition, the British bring this aspect of their culture into their interiors. Many homes are a mix of periods and styles boasting a conservative, sophisticated design. These stately interiors never seem to go out of fashion. Below, you'll find a collection of handsome English style rooms.

This eclectic English living room is a mix of styles with its casual and formal elements.

Minty green, florals and stripes dress this formal English living room. Asian-inspired black elements add nice contrast.

A sophisticated living room is divided into two sitting areas with matching English style sofas. Two tall table lamps visually separate the space. A large formal rug ties the reds and gold of the room's accents together.

A more casual English style creates a comfortable and welcoming decor. Stripes, florals and the rug's design works nicely with the neutral sofa and chairs.

A mix of traditional and modern adds interest to this English music room. The abstract art above the piano, works as a focal point bringing the colors of the space together.

An English library gets dressed up with a flowing skirt and ornate arm chairs. I can just imagine spending an afternoon reading and learning in this lovely space.

Another English library features built-in bookcases, piles of books and modern art. The monochromatic furnishings create a comfortable place to spend the day. A light fixture above the table would offer a nice touch to the space.

A formal English space is a dressed up version of the other rooms shown here. It boasts layers of pattern, texture and rich color. A convex mirror acts as a focal point above the marble fireplace surroundings.


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What do you think of these English inspired designs? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to go here for a brilliant pendant light or wall sconce to brighten your home!

Sunday Moment of Zen: How Much I Love This

The only this I have to say about this video is that it is awesome and you have to watch it. The song is really fun on it's own, but apparently Cosmo Jarvis made this video by strapping a camera and a boom box (yes, I just said boom box) to the top of a friend's car and lip synching. How fun is that? I wonder if they were able to get all this craziness in on one take. Enjoy!



Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Photo Friday: Neon and Nature

The following is going to be a very weird sentence: I love that I love these. Does that even make sense? Probably not. But I do because they seem to scream to me in such an obvious and simple way. Obviously because they are very literally neon words, so yes these photos are speaking to you, but also because of this very stark opposition and integration between technology and nature. Art always pits man vs. beast and these neon word installations do just that while very literally speaking to the man. I'm getting too academic her, I can feel it. Sorry all. Obviously, I love this.

The installations were done and photographed by Jung Lee of Seoul, South Korea. I kind of want to know the details behind the logistics of installing neon words into the snowy ground, but I guess that's a project for a different day (yes, my DIY wheels are spinning). For now, enjoy! And I'd love to know what you think of these!

 I adore this one. Not for it's obvious sentimental value, but because I'm wondering who Jung is talking to. This is the English major nerd coming out in me, but I see this photo and I wonder who the speaker is. Is it nature speaking to the viewer? Welcome to my head people, it can get a little intense in here.

Do you love these neon text pictures as much as I do? (It's ok if you don't ;)

Vintage Love: Baubles and Jewels

I love jewelry. It's one aspect of my outfits that I can never omit because I think that accessories really are the topping on the cake. Jewelry, shoes, etc. can make or break an outfit, so I have an absurd collection of rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. And especially since it's trendy to wear tons of these at once, it just gave me an excuse to collect even more. Most of mine is pretty cheap and costume-y, but that doesn't matter to me (as long as it doesn't turn my neck green). Long story short, I love jewelry and I feel naked if I leave the house without it.

Now, I collect a lot of vintage clothes and accessories both for myself and the shop and a lot of times things that I pick up for the shop end up living in my closet (sorry guys!). Jewelry though is something I have never been good at picking up at estate sales or thrift stores, so I really admire vintage Etsy sellers that have a large collection of vintage jewelry. Clothes is one thing, there's almost always a tag to help you figure out what era a piece is from, but with jewelry it's such a crap shoot. I'd love to expand my collection, but I hate putting things in the store that I can't date. So anyway, today I pulled together a collection of vintage jewelry pieces that I though were really awesome and definitely amazing finds. I'm jealous of every last one of these. Anyone know where to find cool vintage jewelry in Chicago?

'Retro Baubles and Jewels' by StrangerThanVintage

Vintage Natasha Stambouli Go... ATestOfTime $55.00	Vintage Necklace Purple Glas... boylerpf $35.00	Vintage Southwestern Tiger&#... antiquario $115.00	Vintage Floral Brooch - Milk... PinkAstilbe $12.00
Lily // Vintage Molded Glass... FunWithVintage $65.00	Vintage Sterling Silver and ... VisforVintageO... $175.00	Sterling Silver Enamel Pheas... Elsewind $95.00	50% SALE - KJL Frog Earrings... BentenDesign $75.00
Vintage Turquoise, Coral, an... VisforVintageO... $95.00	Rhinestone Earrings Couture ... EmbellishgirlV... $450.00	TAKAHASHI BLUEBIRD Brooch H... Cleoras $175.00	80s Dark Purple Square Earri... StrangerThanVi... $5.50
Lovely Deco Pink Star Sapphi... acrazeelady $120.00	Vintage BEAUJEWELS Rhineston... RaeOfLight $9.95	Vintage Gay Boyer 4 Strand G... CherryOrchardA... $65.00	LARGE 14kt Carved Shell Came... vintagebitsbli... $595.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Do you ever buy vintage jewelry? What's your favorite type of jewelry to wear?

What I Wore Wednesday: The Effortlessly Cheerful Edition

There is a little internet kawinky-dink that goes along with today's outfit post. I didn't get this yellow flower dress on Modcloth, but the store I got it from carries a lot of the same brands and styles. So it's not surprising that Modcloth carries it. What I wasn't expecting was to find it on one of my favorite (read: girl crush) bloggers! It was the weirdest thing! I've actually had this dress on layaway for a while at the local boutique I frequent and a few days later I saw it on The Dainty Squid! Well that just made me want to pay it off faster because she looks so adorable in it. Anyway, I finally have it in my possession and here's my version of this very fun and flirty yellow sun dress. There's nothing like new threads to put a smile on your face.

Monday Design: Skull Home Decor

I have an affinity for all things skull shaped. I can't explain why or how it started, I just know that I am always drawn to that shape. In high school I thought it was just part of my "punk rock" phase, but last summer when I was walking around all the craft fairs I realized that I kept being drawn to all the skull sculptures that were painted in different colors - neon, pastel, chalkboard black. Now I know I can't escape it. I think I love the way a skull sitting in a room next to a bowl of fruit reminds me of a still life painting - always reminding you to enjoy every minute. Of course, I'm not talking about real skulls here, that's kind of creepy even for me, but plastic and wax molds I'm ok with. Although, adding skulls to your home decor doesn't always have to be morbid. Just check out these adorable mini skull speakers below! They are sort of cartoon-y but still add a modern feel to the room.

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You could also just do a bowl of skulls like in this picture. This is more on the extreme end of displaying skulls in your living space since they are so bare and exposed. I prefer nestling one in your bookshelf or on your mantle, somewhere prominent yet unexpected.

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This skull rug is another example I love of turning something that can be kind of morbid into a fun center piece.

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It took me a second to notice the skull candle in this picture since it's such a bright white against white, but it's an interesting arrangement of objects.

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Now I know this last one isn't a human skull and it's not really a skull either, but I just thought it looked cool and was an interesting take on the mounted deer head trend. I believe this one is just carved wood. Still pretty intimidating huh? It looks gorgeous against the brick background. 

Would you ever add a skull to your home decor?

Sunday Moment of Zen: Handcrafted Rings

In true me fashion, I've been on kind of a shopping frenzy lately. Well, more of a window shopping frenzy, but still. I've been looking at and lusting over lots of things. In my explorations of the internet, I found this really beautifully put together video showcasing some gorgeously crafted and original rings. The theme here is unusual engagement ring ideas, but I would wear any one of these engagement or no engagement. Anyway, since I've been kind of an absent blogger, I thought I'd share this pretty video with you.

Hope you're enjoying a wonderfully sunny weekend!