i like sleeves

I tend to like my vintage with a little bit of crazy.

I am built like a giraffe, so why not?

Feast your eyes on my new purchases!!

via allencompanyinc

via barefoot and vintage

and.. sorry, but, this is making me totally happy this morning.

If you don't remember this commercial, we can't be friends. 

a new year

A new trip to the fair. Fyi, I am  sappy and 

TERRIBLY nostalgic. This is why I love the fair

and anything that remotely reminds me of

old stuff. However, I must say that I am usually

protected by my own denial bubble while at the fair, 

choosing to see what I want to see... the cute animals, 

the plants and flowers, the 'crafts', the airbrush tent...

and this year, I was apparently not able

to block out the undesirable fair goers. 

This is the first year that I have seen the fair as 

anything but classy classy. 

When did I get so cynical? sad. 

 Anyway.. of course we revisited the photo booth. 

And, despite the man explaining to us that we had to 

stay as far away from the camera as possible,  

I succeeded in being extremely washed out

and close to the camera, DOMINATING every frame, 

and making really ugly faces. oops!

Of all the fair food, the turkey leg totally grossed me 

out this year. My beloved turkey leg!

I am obviously at some sort of life crossroads. 

Yeehaw still has the best fair paper goods. 

And I love this image...

via maryvican

Wouldn't you love a first place ribbon?

I would. I want a wall of ribbons like this. Does Mary 

Vican have a wall of ribbons?

and I decided this year that my jam/zuccs/pumpkins/

beets are definitely fair worthy.. next year. 

And, I have quasi decided that Ava will be putting the 

rabbits in the fair when she is old enough. Cruel? 

I don't care. 

You know what else I think of when I think of the fair?

40s dresses. AND gingham. 

Oh gingham again. I love you, gingham(right now).

both dresses and many others that I would

 like to buy via AllenCompanyInc. 

If I could just get through Fall Holiday and move 

onto Spring, I can capitalize on my new found love of 

gingham before I hate it again. 

Too bad I am late for work. 

Ps, I am not in denial that we had house guests and an 

incredibly fun weekend, I am just really failing in the 

photo taking dept. 

But I am chatty. Very chatty. 

me likey

howdy.. back from another whirlwind commute up to 

SF for some family time. 

So, I know I have given this shirt some praise before. But, you know..

love this shirt and its accordion pleats. 

Did you know my mom played accordion as a kid? fun fact. 

Accordions are hokey, which we all know I love, and 

too, describe all kinds of folded goodness. 

Some accordion images for you. 

Me and my shirt.. and a smile.

 

Creepy NY accordion player, who according to a friend, 

hoofed it all the way to Central Park from Brooklyn. 

Sneaky!

Some fantastic accordion pleated skirts..

via

via

Sigh, not a single accordion collar to be found. 

You are my main squeeze. 

via

Other accordion folds...love!

via

We had an accordion book for our wedding party and 

It really was fantastic. Something so cool about

opening up the book to one long panorama. 

The best.

 

via

And there is nothing classier than a vintage broach. Hee

via

Here's to starting the week on Wednesday!

wild and crazy

I am a wild and crazy buying machine. 

I am onto holiday and that means SWEATERS! woo hoo. 

I just love sweaters. Vintage sweaters definitely 

quite often fall into the category of campy. 

Check out these that i have purchased for Holiday inspiration...

First of all.. I have NO idea what is up with This teddy bear 

in this first photo... but, love the sweater!

That teddy bear. 

via FromFlorida

and this sweater is so tribal and fantastic... 

but this is as much as I am sharing. 

from individjuli

and behold... the most amazing sweater of the week. 

Batwings and rainbows..sold!

Don't worry, that is not a real person/vampire. It's plastic. 

via FunkyTime

Sorry I am forcing you to look at sweaters in the middle of summer, 

but sweaters are fantastic aren't they. 

oh! Good news. Posting tomorrow. Miracles do happen.

Sadness... then Happiness!

ha. So, I am not usually a jewelry wearer aside from

my gold and diamante necklace and rings... kind of a creature

of habit and don't really stray from that. 

But. This little SODA ceramic guy has been seeing a lot of love lately. 

he kind of hides out and stays close to my skin and 

passively exists, but I love him. 

These necklaces are so thin and delicate like little wafers of 

goodness and I may be a negative ninny, because I often

dwell on just how delicate he is and how he could just snap in half

in one short moment. 

Well, that moment happened. I did it. I broke him in half, 

thus fulfilling my lame destruction prophecy. 

So, this is the 'sadness' part of the story, which did last a 

good five minutes. 

Until.. I finally found the maker of these wonderful gems on etsy

and Amy of SODAbyAmy is making me a new one. phew!

I know a teddy bear on a charm is a strange phenomenon, but something 

about this charm is so totally sweet and perfect. I love it. Did I say 

that already!? 

Anyway, this shop is such a killer resource for inexpensive and totally

wonderful gifts. 

all charms come in these cutest of bags!

she even makes these amazing wedding favor charms!

Now you know. And, I have given two of these as gifts..

so, if you received them, you know just how much I love them/you!!

nautical knots

With all the bday and father's day hoopla, I had *almost* forgotten

about my favoritest upcoming holiday to dress up for. 

Ahem!! So, I have started the hunt for my best boatsman 

americana outfit to be super patriotic in. 

Too - I have already decided that I will be forcing nautical 

flags down people's throats next spring. 

Why am I a clothing designer if not to force people to 

get on board with my silly obsessions??!

Super cute prints, though.. right??

loving this dress..

via midstatevintage

And... all accessories nautical!!

1. shoes via floweronthewall. 

2. pinwheel earrings via krzy4btns. krazy. 

3. chain necklaces! via uncommonvintage.

4. nautical knots via vintageurbanrenewal.

5. cutest hairpin via pin pals.

Um, vintage Escada culottes MAY be in order. 

via tapouillonvintage. 

Let's all get festive!! Happy shopping! 

Happy Friday!

from me and my new high waisted shorts. 

Why? because I can. 

At least I can't wear jumpers. Oh, if I could...

bought from Ramona West. 

Have a good weekend!

whoot!

Read this new blog post Paige did about THIS sweater

from the Split Girl photo shoot

over on her Vintage loving blog barefoot and vintage!!

I know some people always wonder about 

what inspires certain lines of clothing or pieces in the line. 

To start, I am obsessed with thick Granny sweaters. 

Likewise, I am in LOVE(capitals, again) with Cobalt, Navy, 

and Red... and America(kidding.) But, the America 

palette is so amazing to me. 

So, when I stumbled on this sweater in Paige's wonderful 

vintage shop... I was so happy. 

Perhaps everyone remembers it from THIS post??

So, don't let me design a line of clothing, because I will take this 

sweater and run with it!! Get yours in 2011 from Split Girl!

Anyhoot, visit Paige's shop and blog because she is darling and 

you may just find your own special new vintage clothing friend!

Too, you can find out the back story on our super FAMOUS sweater!

Thanks for the blog love Paige!!

(and for being so awesome!)

thought process

My dearest blog, sorry I have been so non attentive. 

I just drank my second Nespresso of the day in hopes of waking up!

There's no time to be sleepy!

So, On the forefront of my mind, aside from mounting bills that I keep 

ignoring - whaaa, is Ava party 2010. 

The preparation process goes as follows = invite. check. 

yes, I blurred the address out again. Paranoia!

Next = pick a theme. Likes of two year old include - drumming, no, 

roller skating, ok - maybe, and Yo Gabba Gabba, yes and yes. 

So, we will have to have a Yo Gabba Gabba/Rollerskating influence

happening here, while respecting the photo boards of the last 

two years, of course. 

P.S. I promise to have some sort of photo gallery of everyone looking

super cool and hip while posing their faces on veggie etc. 

bodies this year. 

Anyway.. next step = decor. 

And I bring you to the evolution of the banners. 

First year banners were micro paper banners. 

Last year, felt banners.

How, oh how, will I update the banners?

I have a couple of ideas... but, you will have to wait and see, as 

I am in complete denial about the closeness of the party. 

In the meantime.. banners that inspire me. 

Some day I plan on having a party that is based around these amazing

paper banners from Aymujer. 

They even have hokey airstream banners. 

If only my lack of excitement for Mexican food wasn't holding me back. 

Oh well. Someday. 

And, I was super inspired by this look in Santiago, Chile.

And it was SophieCuvelier and 'the fabulous garlands' that 

got me inspired in the first place. 

The circles??

How dreamy are her hand dyed colors. Incredible.

And some other fine specimens..

 hearts via fortyducks.

recycled paper/fabric via monkey puzzle.

cut shapes by paperklipdesign.

And if I could only do this! by lmferg1.

And some fun stuff I found along the way...

How cute is this printed taping?

from Marchare.

AND!! People always ask me where to find hanging 

Pom Poms. Well, woo to the hoo, because this shop

has Poms of all colors. And yes, Pom should be capitalized.  

via prostothehost. 

So you can see from these last few posts how much maddening over

analyzing goes into each detail. Save me from my own psychosis!

evolution

So, the birthday stress begins. Time to get out those darned birthday

invites. Let's roll through the memories of birthday past...

Yes, the address is blurred out. I am super famous, remember?

So, yesterday we had an impromptu birthday photo shoot. 

I think it went well. Getting the right shot was touchy. Interestingly

enough, the kid gets more difficult to pin down every year! shocker. 

This one was a little forced. 

Too angry.

Eating Fennel. Put that down!

I think we can work with this one. 

And here are some fun goodies from HeyYoYo to get us in the partee mode. 

Dying over the roller skate excitement because 'somebody'

is getting roller skates this year!

2 of the babe's favorite things...

I want miniature everything!

All images from Hey Yo Yo! Buy some stuff!

And because Hey Yo Yo always reminds me of Martha..

they use all Martha papers for their backgrounds, 

I was super pleased to find NEW papers on the 

Martha Craft website this morn. WOO HOO. 

After what seemed like a 6 month hiatus, the papers are back, people!

And they must be fresh off the design table because there are no 

actual pictures, just creepy cads. 

Although, there were some very pretty pictures of stickers. 

What is it about stickers and collecting them and staring at them 

and never using them? Damn you, Mrs. Grossman, for starting me on 

the path to hoarding stickers in the first place!!

Ha.. what a rant. Anyhow, 3D Butterfly stickers..

And fun felted ric rac stickers. These would be super cute

on packages. HATE ric rac. LOVE felted ric rac stickers. 

Buy stickers and new exciting papers at Martha Stewart Crafts!

And, the birthday train will continue. Don't you worry, I will be dragging

you along on my control freak party planning path.