This is Antelope Baby

Going Ons

2011-11-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been M.I.A., I'm adjusting to working seven days a week again and getting a lot settled at the new Wanderlust lot.

I'm also trying to figure out the 'future' of this blog. I have been wanting to do more fashion and outfit posts and less handmade and home decor. I'm not sure if that means I'll stay at Antelope Baby or maybe create something else. We shall see.

In the interim, here's a shot from my studio where I've been going near daily to work on inventory. Eventually it will all be set up and I'll share a tour of it here. Well, maybe!

Playing Dress Up: Halloween

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of Halloween. This year was fairly tame because we've just been so busy but Saturday nite our neighbors had a party and we went as caterers from Party Down which was totally fun and ended with three of us trying to open a coconut with a hammer at 2 in the morning. Whoops!

For Halloween itself, we didn't dress up. Instead I ran errands all day after opening up the Wanderlust online shop. Then we hung around home all nite with a large bowl of candy (I like Reeses peanut butter cups and tootsie pops!) which was pretty much perfect for a 'grown-up' Halloween.

So, although I didn't dress in costume for Halloween, I wore a pumpkin colored skirt with a Fall inspired ensemble. I can't believe it's already November, can you?

Here's what I wore: Hat: H&M / Sweater: Anthropologie (on sale a million and a half years ago) / Necklace: gift / Skirt: thrifted / tights: I have no idea! / Shoes: Walmart

Living Room Upgrades

2011-10-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

I must apologize for falling off the face of the earth at the end of last week. I have so many projects going on right now, it's a bit overwhelming. I am meeting a lot of goals and crossing things off my to do lists though and that feels fantastic. I wanted to show you photos of the house we stayed at in Bandon but it turns out that none of my photos of the place turned out.

I thought instead I'd share one of my '10 before 30' items in progress. Re-doing our living room! I went to my favorite October tradition, the antique expo, this weekend and picked up three new things for our living room. A vintage dental table, an oversized lowercase 'r' (for my maiden last name) and another vintage pendant, this one for the circus!

It can be so overwhelming at a large antique show or flea market. I find that focusing on one area of my house or having a short list of the types of items I'm looking for (small tables, love seat, wall art) helps me focus. I have a tendency to get overwhelmed and fall back on picking up small knick knacky items instead of stuff I could really use in my home. Staying focused really helps.

I also try to stick to the old home decor advice to 'buy what you love'. I considered passing on this dental table because I wasn't convinced it would 'go' with the rest of our living room. I decided to trust my gut and take it home. Once we set it down and threw some records on it, it was like it had always been there. Don't buy something because it's safe, buy something that will make you smile every time you see it.

Playing Dress Up: The Swedish Bunkhouse

2011-10-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

The day before the wedding we went to a huge crab feed with wine, a photobooth and a fun after party! Beforehand, I had the boy snap some photos of me in the sunroom at the 100 year old house we stayed at, called the Swedish Bunkhouse. It had all this exposed, unfinished wood and great furniture, we really loved staying there and I love how these photos turned out!

What I'm wearing: Hair pins: Anthropologie / Necklace: Forever 21 / Cardigan: Target / Dress: Modcloth / Tights: We Love Colors / Shoes: Walmart

We definitely want to go back to this place and stay with a group of friends. It was so inexpensive and could sleep 6-8 people. I have a few snapshots of it I'll share tomorrow, although I wish I had taken some better photos of it. It was such a special place to return to each evening after every fun wedding event!

Playing Dress Up: The Road to Bandon

2011-10-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to one of the most fun weddings I've ever been too. My lovely friend Erin (my boutique soul mate who runs Lodekka, a vintage shop in a double decker bus) married her hilarious partner in crime, Brian. We made the trek to a town called Bandon on the southern Oregon coast Thursday, stayed in a 100 year old house for three days, and got home Sunday evening exhausted but happy.

This is what I wore on day one of the trip, Thursday, as we made the drive and then later karaoked with other wedding guests. We took I-5 down to Eugene and then cut across to the coast on a small highway. That's where we took these photos. We slammed on the breaks when we saw this teeny old one bedroom home placed precariously atop a train bridge. How amazing is that! Once we reached the coast we drove another two hours through dunes and past gorgeous ocean views to get to the wonderful town of Bandon. I've got more to share about this trip, including a couple other outfit posts, coming this week too.

What I wore: Necklace: Forever 21 / Dress: Tucker for Target / Cardigan: Target / Leggings: H&M / Boots: Steve Madden

FxCamera

2011-10-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that I'm an unashamed Android phone user. Even though our house is an 'Apple products only' place, Tmobile has been my cell phone carrier for 10 years and I'm just not ready to quit them. Unlimited internet on my phone is a plus too.
Anyway, in a story too unbelievable to tell in detail here, I recently got the MyTouch Slide phone for free. A $500 phone for free. I am awesome.
And what's the first thing I do with this phone? Download the FXCamera app. And although I am sort of against these sort of apps on priciple, being the Lomography/toy/analog camera lover that I am, they sure do make a snap shot look good.
All of a sudden we're not just 'sitting at lunch hungover'. No, no, no. The photos make it look like we jumped out of 1976 and onto your computer screen. We look like cool kids, our photos suddenly look more interesting. Alright, alright- you get the picture (haha! pun!).
This is all my way of telling you I have cute photos to share! Horray!

My only complaint is I keep seeing these cute books and magnets you can instantly create with the Instagram app and that's not available for Androids yet. I would love to create a little book of my cell phone photos but first, I should do one of all the boy's fun Diana mini shots. Just so I'm not a complete sell-out.

Photoshoot Weekend

2011-10-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I signed a lease on a studio space. It houses my back stock of vintage clothing, and soon, my sewing machine and some of my sewing supplies. I've been spending a lot of free time painting, unloading clothes and otherwise rearranging (although it's not perfect yet- see above. This weekend I took my friend Jill over there for a photoshoot. We used my studio as a styling/changing room and then walked the three blocks down to the water and shot some great photos.

It was a pretty fun way to spend a Sunday morning. After wards we were starving so we headed over to La Petite Provence for lunch (Jill's only requirement for eating- french onion soup).

Mainly I loved having a spot to go through my backstock of dresses, purses and other accessories and come up with a variety of outfits to shoot. I'm on the search for a more stable table (I currently have a flimsy Ikea version) so I can finally bring my sewing machine down there.

There's something so refreshing about organizing a new space, don't you think?

Fashion Dream Board: Ocober 2011

2011-10-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to get my colder weather fashion together. Lots of sweaters, leather shoes and tights! Today I was day dreaming about putting the perfect, cost doesn't matter, cutest dress ever, outfit together and this is what I came up with.

I found Dahlia Fashion through another blog earlier this week and their dresses are amazing. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get one at some point. Where have you been buying your Fall and Winter essentials at?

Outfit details: Dress / Coat / Shoes / Tights / Purse

Tour With a Band: 10 before 30

2011-10-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

I think if you would have asked me at 15 if touring with a rock band is something I would be interested in, you would have received a hesitant 'yes' from me. Sure that sounds like the coolest thing ever but I could never be in that type of band and I'm too nervous about my singing voice anyway.

Since meeting my husband six years ago (plus a month! woo-hoo!) he's shown me what it means to be a musician playing music just because you love it. And although I know he cares, in a way, if people enjoy it or not, he seems to play mainly for himself. It's been inspiring to see music approached this way and it's encouraged me to want to sing with him, which has turned out to be one of our favorite things to do together.

All of this has made me quite a cheerleader for his music and in various incarnations of his live band, I've always told him he should tour. For one reason or another that's never happened but when he released his solo album last Spring, which is about his time at college in Athens Ohio, he couldn't stop imagining that he'd go there and play these songs live.

I really just forced myself into the live lineup. Dan had written a lot of these songs slightly out of his vocal range and having another person back him up was insurance. Once he'd heard word from his favorite musical companion, also named Daniel, that he'd come out to Ohio and play these songs with him, I got sort of 'thrown in' to complete our line up. I couldn't be happier about that.

All the coffee shop shows Dan and I had done together over the years sort of came together. We worked out vocal arrangements for each song over a couple months this Summer as the tour fast approached.

Dan worked really hard to book all our shows (with the help of some buddies in Ohio and Tennessee) and it was shocking to see how quickly things could come together and also how fast things could get cancelled or moved around. In the end, we played four shows, plus a bonus show for the college paper in Athens (video here!) which ended up being the perfect amount.

I'm pretty pumped to do another tour. Maybe next year? A lot of my anxious-ness about my voice has gone away as I've grown up and when you're enjoying yourself, playing music you really enjoy, it's easy to get caught up in that and forget that you have a bit of stage fright.

I'm really glad that I did this in my 29th year. It's not something I could have done at 15 and thinking about that makes turning 30 seem more like an accomplishment than a death sentence.

Do It Yourself: Cute Notebook!

2011-10-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! I'm back with a cute DIY today. I came up with this yesterday and I'm planning on using up some of the contact paper I just can't say no to at estate sales and make a pile of these notebooks to sell at Crafty Wonderland in December. I thought I could share with you how to make one of these yourself in case you've got a large stash of contact paper too!

For this project you'll need moleskin (or other paper covered) notebooks, contact paper, scissors and a cutting mat and rotary cutter if you're picky about your sides being straight. I also brought a pen to make cutting marks but that's optional.

A quick tip on measuring your book, add a quarter inch on all sides. You can trim it off at the end but this allows you some wiggle room when you put the contact paper on your notebook.

I used my rotary cutter and this part went really quickly. Just make sure if your contact paper has an 'up' and 'down' side, that you cut the paper so it will appear right-side up on your notebook.

Pull off the backing of the contact paper slowly and press the notebook cover to it. I found it best to keep the notebook closed when putting the contact paper on. If you lay it flat, it creates a gap on the spine of the notebook. The contact paper pulls off easily so don't be afraid if you mess up, just start over!

And you're done! Now you have an adorable place to put your Fall goals, ideas for Halloween costumes, grocery lists for that pumpkin pie and maybe even (gasp!) your holiday shopping list. Is it too early for that? I never know since I'm one of those people that shops year round for Christmas.

I hope you enjoyed this little rainy day project!

Shopping on Tour

2011-10-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

Don't you love a good brick and mortar shop? We did a lot of browsing and peeking our heads in at different shops on our tour. It was so inspiring! My favorite shops were in Nashville. There were so many great ones, but here are three of my favorites.

The first shop is above, it's called Local Honey. It's in an old bungalow house and I saw some gorgeous dresses there, but the boy was the one who really scored. Their men section was one of the best I've ever seen. The layout was tremendous and the selection was fantastic.

This one was called Hip Zipper and it was the best selection of women's clothes I saw the whole trip. I refrained from going absolutely bonkers and just picked up one dress but I could have bought so much more. There were 3 circle racks of dresses and then a whole wall of shirts, cardigans, skirts and more. They have men's stuff too but I was too enthralled with the women things to take much notice :)

And finally we went to a high-end retail shop called Imogene and Willie and although every single thing was out of our price range, we had fun looking at their displays and dropping our jaw at $270 belts.

I highly recommend checking out any of these shops if you're in the Nashville area! I also had a chance to meet the lovely Kaelah and peek at her Honeybean shop on wheels. We've been emailing about her new business so it was great to see it in person. It was dark so I didn't get any good photos of that!

Tape Candle Covers

2011-09-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

Before I left on my trip I stopped into Target for the big Missoni hoopla. I managed to grab a few things (although most of the housewares were gone, which was what I was really interested in!) Anyway, I also grabbed a couple Fall scented candles. I knew right away that I was going to want to cover up the sticker on the front and so I came home and went to work creating this cute little DIY.

You'll need glass candles, I prefer soy candles because I think you can smell the scent better when they burn. You'll also need colored tape. I had some of the Japanese masking tape (from here or I got mine at the Japanese bookstore) and Shurtape from the craft store.

I use this tape for wrapping gifts, decorating cards and all sorts of other stuff. I highly recommend it! It comes in a ton of colors and patterns and the rolls are pretty big so they last a while.

Line up your tape with the bottom edge of the candle and start wrapping. Go one line at a time. I used the part where the sticker was on the candle as the back and started and ended each line of tape in the middle of that sticker since the tape won't completely cover it. When you're done, just put that back part towards a wall.

With the solid tape, you can wrap it around on top of itself a couple times so it's more opaque or just let it be translucent so light shines through. Make sure to go slowly so you don't get any bubbles or creases in the tape. I also had fun lining up the pattern on the tape as I went around to make a thicker stripe. Mis-match colors and play around. The nice thing about this tape is that it pulls off easily if you make a mistake.

This is a really simple project but I think it's a great way to make something bland super cute. I see doing this is browns and golds and adding them to a Thanksgiving table or blacks and oranges for Halloween.

I always burn more candles around the house in the Fall so I'm excited to try this project on wider or taller candles too!

Playing Dress Up: Tour Edition

2011-09-26T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from tour! And I'm absolutely exhausted. Our flight landed at 11pm last nite and it was so good to sleep in my own bed. During our trip, we drove around three states, slept in four different beds, in four different locations, saw so many awesome and wonderful things (more on all this to come) but of course, all I want to share today is one of the cute outfits I wore.

I wore this as we walked around Franklin Tennessee during the day and then played a show at a bar called the Bunganut Pig that evening. We stumbled upon an antique shop which, of course, I had to go into. And then we proceeded to take silly photos of ourselves on different pieces of furniture.

I was a little nervous about traveling with the boy (who I travel well with actually) and another person, particularly someone I don't know that well, in a car for 9 days, but it was so much fun! We all have the same sense of humor and wanted to go to similar places during the day when we had time off. It was one of the most fun trips I've ever been on!

What I wore: Dress: vintage (from Montana!)/ Bowtie: vintage (stolen inventory from Wanderlust- ha!)/ Shoes: Mervyns/ Ring: thrifted/ Bag: Show Pony

2011-09-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

I see these lists on other blogs and I thought it would be a fun thing to do for the year before I turn 30. I must say a few of these things are already in the works! Is that cheating?

My goal is to complete each of these things and share it here on the blog. I'll explain why it was on the list and how I went about completing it. I wanted to do '30 before 30' but that seemed too daunting. These 10 goals are actually doable and I don't like setting myself up for failure.

Obviously I'm completing #1 this month which is a great way to start off. Some of them (like visiting France) probably won't happen until right before my 30th (for my birthday maybe?) but somehow, in the next year, I'll complete them all.

Making lists is such a great way to get some clarity on your goals and complete them. I make lists near daily- sometimes it's work related and other times it's just things I want to look for at estate sales. Do you make lists? What type of things do you make lists for?

Montana Part One

2011-09-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

On the first day of our road trip vintage extravaganza we picked up this little plastic piggy bank, named him Bitchez (pronounced 'Bee-shez'), and proceeded to take photos of him in front of a bunch of different places during our trip.

Here's us waiting in line, ready to purchase this little guy. We were in Yakima after staying the night Thursday. We spent the morning doing some 'speed shopping' at the thrifts there before heading on to Butte.

On our way through Spokane we got stuck in a nasty traffic jam and distracted ourselves by taking funny photos of Bitchez.

We arrived in Butte and the next morning got up early to get a start on shopping. We were lucky enough to stay at a friends family's house. It was a great place to come home to and have a glass of wine or two on the porch.

We drove all over the state of Montana stopping in small (and not so small) towns to do shopping. Sometimes we made appointments with people we'd heard had fantastic vintage to sell and other times we just popped into the nearest Salvation Army.

In Billings we stayed a night at this lovely house. A friend of Erins is from Billings and it just so happened that her mom was in Portland visiting while we were in Montana. She offered her beautiful home to us and although it was sort of strange to stay in the home of someone you've never met, it was great to not have to drive back to Butte that night.

And here we are driving back over the Columbia River back into Oregon. It was quite a trip! I discovered that when I'm really exhausted I tend to be overly energetic. I think I'd be rather good at a marathon. It was only when I'd arrived back at my home and was in my pajamas that I was finally able to take a deep breath and go 'I'm ridiculously tired!'
Thanks for reliving my trip with me (and Bitchez!) I have a few more fun photos to share this week too before I'm off on another road trip. September is turning out to be a busy month over here!

Playing Dress Up: Wanderlust Anniversary

2011-09-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

I had a terrifically busy weekend. Wanderlust's one year anniversary, in-laws in town and just as I'm recovering from Montana, I'm getting ready to leave for tour with the boy.

For the anniversary on Sunday, I wore this pretty 1950's party dress I picked up in Billings. I actually found four different dresses at one place that all fit me perfectly. This one was a little unbreathable for the 95 degree weather but it looks so nice up against the shop.

I still want to share photos from Montana and show off our new car (a Volkswagen Beetle!) before we head out on Friday. The end of Summer is going pretty quickly so I'm just trying to enjoy every last bit of outdoor drinks and sunshine that I can!

I'm Back.

2011-09-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

And I'm so exhausted. I'll be back next week with road stories and to share some of the things I bought for myself! Happy weekend.

Quick Shopping Post

2011-09-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

And one more thing- I just bought this adorable dress from Red Velvet! I was lusting after a lot of their Spring line and didn't take the plunge but this time I did and I'm glad because just 45 minutes later it's sold out in my size. Eek!

Isn't it perfect for Fall? I also picked up a cute tie for the boy! I'll be sure to share them when they arrive.

Alright and now I'm really off to Montana. See you next week!

Road Tripin'

2011-09-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

I'm off to big sky country- Montana. Or 'Tana as I've taken to calling it. This trip is really just to hunt for vintage in small towns, but I think it's going to be so much fun.

First- looking for treasures is one of my favorite things to do.

Second- I'm going with my pal Erin who is hilarious and awesome.

And third- we're meeting Julia and her family in Butte Montana where we'll get to 'come home' to every nite, drink wine on the porch and hopefully go over all the amazing things we found that day.

We're driving back Wednesday so it'll be silent over here until then.

I'm taking my Canon point and shoot camera, Diana F+, Flip video-camera and my Fuji Instax mini to document the trip so I'm sure there will be plenty to share when I return.

Happy long weekend!

Fall Fashion 2011

2011-08-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Sources: one, two, three, four, five , six

It's that time again! I always have fun thinking in different color palates as the seasons change. In the Fall I usually tend towards cream, burnt oranges/reds/yellows and, of course, browns. Here are a few things (some vintage, some not) that I'm already getting inspired by.

What about you? Anything you're lusting after for the colder months?

Playing Dress Up: Birthdays!

2011-08-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Eek! The end of the week sort of slipped away from me and I didn't get to do my last '28th Year' post unfortunately. I think I'll try to find some time this month and still post what I was going to. It's good to document these things!

In the meantime today I'm sharing my birthday outfit (different than my birthday suit- ha!). I worked up at Wanderlust all day Saturday and when I came home the adorable dress I was wearing was all sweaty. I had to find another dress for our evening festivities quickly! I've worn this dress a few times but it had this funny bottom piece that made the dress go below my knees. It looked a little dated (even for vintage) but luckily the dress was built in a way that cutting off that bottom piece was easy and voila- I had an adorable mini dress!

The boy planned to have all my friends come over to our house/courtyard for my birthday. He made a cheese plate, bought carrot cake from Pambiche (delicious!) and we drank vodka lemonades and chatted until it was time to head to Rum Club where I ate an amazing wedge salad and drank a few too many cocktails.

It was so fun! So far 29 feels just like 28.

What I wore: Headband: Giant Dwarf/ Dress: vintage (thrifted)/ Belt: vintage/ Camera: Parisian edition Diana (birthday gift from the boy!)/ Sandals: Mervyns/ Flowers: Anna Mara flowers

Playing Dress Up: New Hair

2011-08-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, after I finished up my work day, I headed over to Holiday Hair Studio and the ever-talented and amazing Robin cut what she approximated was '6-8 inches' of hair off my head.

Let me just say, I have had my hair short before. Short short, in fact. Like a shaved head. I also had a pixie cut for years. I'm no stranger to short hair. But the fact of the matter is, I've had fairly long hair for about 4 years now. It wasn't a quick process growing it out and I had done something I promised myself I wouldn't. I grew attached to it. About a year ago I started fantasizing about cutting it and I guess it just took me a while to just go for it.

I love it. No regrets, except maybe that I didn't do it sooner.

What I'm wearing: Shirt: H&M/ Belt: thrifted/ Skirt: thrifted/ Sandals: Mervyns ($13!)

I'll be back tomorrow with my final '28th Year' post!

28th Year: Friends

2011-08-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

This year I really came to value my friendships. I've had several really good friends move across the country in the past 14 months and it's been really difficult, maybe more than I can put into words, to put time into a friendship only to see it sort of disappear as distance creates so much difficulty. Each friend has had to move away for good reasons but it's still so hard to see a friend leave. The friendships I have been able to keep and cultivate this year have been invaluable.

I haven't always known how to be a friend. In all honestly, while I was a teenager, I was probably a rather crappy friend to a lot of people. I didn't understand how important it is to listen to your friends, and be there for your friends. And understand that everyone screws up or doesn't have time that week for you but in the end a friendship is just like a romantic relationship in a lot of ways. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Forgive your friends the small things and they'll forgive you the inevitable annoyances you cause them. I like to think that many of the friendships I've developed this year will be life long.

As we get older I realize that successful friendships give my life so much fulfillment. When something exciting happens, I can't wait to share it with them and when they've had a bad day and need someone to drink a bottle of wine with, I'm happy to be there.

Today I read this lovely piece on Hello Giggles by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Karen Elson. They really hit the nail on the head. My friendships make me a better partner to my husband and I long to have the sort of solid and forever friendship these two have.

28th Year: Business Decisions

2011-08-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest things that happened in my 28th year was learning how to make business decisions. Learning to trust myself and learning that being scared and stepping out into the unknown is the only way to see success or to fail and try again.

There's no way to make a decision for your business or even in your life and know 100% that it's the right one. This year I found myself staying up until 4 in the morning wondering if the email I'd written said the right thing or the money I'd just committed to spending wasn't going to waste. Sometimes I screwed up. Sometimes I made a big ole' stink about something just to eat my words weeks later. But the important thing is that I was learning.

I have found so much fulfillment from my little business venture (more on that later in the week) and none of that would be possible if I hadn't made some tough decisions. Nothing I chose to do, even if it didn't end up exactly how I pictured it, was end-of-the-world disasterous and I've learned to adjust my expectations and continue moving forward. In the end there have been so many more triumphs than tragedies this year.

Every decision I had to make taught me something and my hope for next year, and beyond, is that I don't repeat my mistakes and that I continue to trust myself enough to take risks.

28th Year: Trips

2011-08-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of the past year has been all the fun trips we went on. Even though I was working hard, I still had time to get away a bit.

The first trip was to Ashland for Thanksgiving, as far south as we could get in our rental car with unlimited mileage. It was such a special trip and we got to stay at the wonderful and darling Peerless Hotel.

The next trip was a family vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. We got to stay in my dad and step mom's condo and enjoy the holidays in 70 degree weather. I can't wait to go back!

In March we headed to the South by Southwest music festival in Austin Texas. We visited with good friends, saw the in-laws and listened to a bunch of great music. It was our third time at the festival and maybe the best! It's awesome to go back year after year as we get to know the city and how the festival works.

Our most recent trip was to Mcminnville for a night to celebrate our anniversary. We ate delicious food, enjoyed each other's company and got to do some wine tasting on our way home.

I love to travel and remembering all the fun adventures I went on in the past year keeps me motivated to keep on traveling. I already have 2 trips scheduled for the Fall and we're hoping to take a BIG trip in February. One of my life goals is to keep exploring and experiencing new things and this year I was lucky enough to continue to do that.

Playing Dress Up

2011-08-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

On Friday the boy and I went down to Bunk Bar and saw Richard Buckner play. It was so much fun but I may have drank one too many frozen margarita slushies.

Anyway, this is what I wore:

Apologies for the sassy pose- a lot of these photos came out fuzzy for some reason so I had to use what I could!

I wore: Dress: thrifted/ Shirt: H&M/ Watch: from the boy's grandpa's basement/ Purse: thrifted/ Shoes: Minnetonka

I also wore my new favorite purse. This guy was in the shop for a while but when it didn't sell after a couple weeks, I had to bring it home. The tiger on the zipper pull is my favorite!

This week I'll be sharing some awesome memories of the past year as I say 'goodbye' to 28. I'm looking forward to picking out photos and writing about how special my 28th year was. It's amazing to me that I accomplished so many things this year and it makes me really excited for 29! There's still so much I want to do!

Happy Friday!

2011-08-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

What a week, I'm pretty happy this one is coming to an end. Lots of stuff to do as Summer comes to an end and Wanderlust's time on Alberta comes to a close. We'll be there through September but I'll be gone so much next month that I think I'll only be running the shop 3 days in September. The boy and possibly a part time employee will be filling in the rest of the days.

I went to a woman's house this week to do some buying. I really wasn't expecting much but it was maybe the most surreal vintage buying experience I'd ever had. It was like American Pickers. This woman had SO many amazing pieces and I got to sort through the upstairs of her house where it was all organized (by waist size!) and then down to her musty basement to dig through boxes and garbage sacks of items to find some wonderful treasures.

I've been invited back and, honestly, I was sort of heartbroken to part with some things that we just couldn't come to a good deal on. You never know where you're going to come across treasure and this place was a pleasant surprise.

Have a lovely weekend! I'll be running the shop, picking up my car from the mechanics (long story! Any one want to buy a 1994 Honda Accord wagon?) and enjoying my last week of 28. What a wonderful year it's been! I think I'll be back next week with highlights of the last 365 days of my life.

Cute Portland Shops- I'm Yet to Visit.

2011-08-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

I really need to get my (local) shopping on! There are a couple shops here in town that I'm dying to visit!

The first is Alder & Co. They carry homewares and everyday-goods, a clean and fantastic inventory. I'm dying to check it out!

The second new boutique I can't wait to see is Eden. This shop is by the ladies that own Flutter (a classic Portland favorite!). It seems somewhat influenced by the Biba stores, which is awesome!

Which shops are you dying to check out?

Vintage River Trip

2011-08-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

We got another trip to the river in Friday. The boy and I headed out early and our friends Jill and Brandon joined us a couple hours later. I used my new-to-me cooler and we brought along our transistor radio and metal beach chair to complete the look. It's always fun to me when I bring along vintage accessories like this on journeys. Just like using vintage floral suitcases or old cameras.

I hope your weekend was lovely. I have a busybusybusy week ahead of me so I should get to it. I'll try to pop in here again before Friday!

Playing Dress Up: Summertime

2011-08-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a bit since I've shared an outfit on here but I was so excited about this get up, I thought it was the perfect time to bring back the 'Playing Dress Up' posts. My dear friend Julia (Hi Julia!) took these photos for me. I found this dress at an estate sale in June and debated selling it, but in the end the darling pink color and fantastic flowers won me over. I also love that I can wear it as a shift for a more casual look or belted like I have it here to make me feel less frumpy. This is a pretty typical 'Summer' look for me, just a dress and some accessories to pull it together. I try to take full advantage of being able to wear outfits like this in Portland as it's only a couple months a year that I can.

Outfit Details: Headband: Modcloth (free with purchase!)/ Necklace: Naughty Secretary Club (free gift bag swag from SXSW)/ Dress: Vintage/ Belt: Vintage/ Sandals: Aerosoles

Instax- Anniversary!

2011-08-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm on an Instax kick this week, as I have some cute ones from our anniversary weekend that I never shared.

Summertime really is the perfect time to use instant cameras, the light is really great and I tend to be out exploring and having Instax-worthy adventures.

Today I'm working and getting excited to see The Shins tonite at the Doug Fir (A favorite Portland venue, just blocks from our house). One of my all-time favorite musicians, Richard Swift, is now in their touring band so I am EXTRA super excited for this show.

I also have a super fun project in mind that I'm brainstorming for (can't share details quite yet) and it's the Alberta Street Fair this weekend so the shop should be busy. August is looking like a lot of fun right now!

Instax on the Bridge

2011-08-09T16:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to Brunch on a Bridge, an annual event where they close the Hawthorne Bridge, put grass down and let you eat lunch and hang out. There was a mimosa bar, lawn games and some food carts too. We mainly laid about on the grass and people watched.

Here are a few Instax photos we took while we were there. I want to go back next year with a huge picnic lunch and a big group of friends. It was a fantastic Summer activity that could only happen in Portland.

2011-08-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

Sofa search. Here are a few that I like but I'm still looking. I'd love to get a used one, so we'll see how patient I can be. These would all go with our new chair which is great. I love the tufted velvet look with ornate wooden feet. I've also been searching craigslist but the right thing hasn't popped up yet.

Happy Friday!

2011-08-05T14:19:00.000-07:00

I started this overcast Friday morning off right with a trip to an estate sale about 20 minutes from my house. I scored some really special things for the shop and a couple things for myself too.

This 1960's Saks Fifth Avenue coat, which I'm actually still on fence about. I'm still not sure if it'll end up in the shop or in my closet.

And then this kick ass chair, which was a STEAL. It's going in our storage space for now while we figure out what we're doing with our living room but I think the colors of this chair will really inform the new colors for our downstairs.

Not bad for a Friday morning! I said no to a few things I'm regretting but I'll get over it. Estate sales are so fun and every time I have a good experience, like today, it makes me anxious to go to more!

Tomato Salad

2011-08-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

I was excited to do something delicious with these heirloom mini tomatoes I got at Trader Joes. I cooked up some quinoa, seasoned it and added a bit of olive oil. I washed and cut up the tomatoes and added those along with some crumbled goat cheese. The boy and I took it out to the park and had a light dinner while we read and enjoyed the beautiful weather we've been having.

Parisian Prints

2011-08-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

I found these two prints at a thrift store the other day and fell in love. They show the Eiffel tower and the Arc De Triomphe in cute little scenes.

The boy and I just saw Midnight in Paris (and loved it) so these seemed to be the perfect little find! They were only $10 a piece and even the dinged up frames seem to add character.

I moved some other prints around in our home and now we have this cute little nook with a bunch of different prints. Each of them is special to us in some way. I still have a long way to go to get our living room where we want it but unfortunately I don't think I'll have time for the complete makeover I'm dreaming of until October. Little updates like this will have to hold me over until then.

Food Cart Dinner

2011-08-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

The boy and I stopped by a food cart pod last week for dinner. We had some super delicious thai food and then the boy had mango and sticky rice for dessert while I went for the homemade fudgesicle.

Excuse the face. It was delicious.

love.

2011-07-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

Anniversary Weekend in Photos.

2011-07-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

It was lovely. We headed down to Mcminnville, stayed at Hotel Oregon and then work up the next morning and had shakes at Alf's and walked all around the town. On our way back we stopped at a winery and did a tasting. It was a fantastic time, I just wish we could have stayed longer. I didn't want to come home!

New Dress.

2011-07-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

Today was a day for retail therapy. I picked up this pretty dress from Modcloth today. I can't wait for it to get here!

Have you bought anything pretty lately?

DIY Paint Your Shoes

2011-07-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

I bought some shoes from Rite Aid on a thrifting road trip a couple weeks ago. I thought they were calling out for some detailing.

I only needed a few things to work on this project. Some pretty acrylic paint (I used Americana's Spa Blue), a small paint brush and some thin painter's tape.

I used the painters tape to create stripes (you could also create shapes or other designs). I painted between the tape and pulled the tape off before it dried. Then I let it dry and, voila, 1 hour later I had some pretty striped shoes.

I love them!

Anniversary Dinner

2011-07-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

excuse the blurriness!

We had a perfectly lovely evening yesterday. We dressed up, went for a delicious cocktail at Beaker and Flask and then headed to dinner at Le Pigeon. It was a perfect meal from beginning to end. The arugula salad we started with was probably my favorite. Olive tapenade with buffalo mozzarella. Yum.

After dinner the boy came up with the brilliant idea to head over to Produce Row for one last drink. It's where we had our wedding reception and it's one of our favorite bars in Portland. It was a wonderful way to end the evening. I love celebrating relationship milestones. When we were first dating, the boy always made fun of me for wanting to celebrate how many months we'd been together. I just saw it as an excuse to get dressed up and go to a fancy dinner! Now that we've been together so long, that seems so funny but I love it.

Two Years Down.

2011-07-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

The second year of marriage was so much more fun than year one. We seem to have found a rhythm to who we are as a married couple. We fight less and we talk more. Things seem easier.

Two years ago I stood up in front of our family and promised to love and grow with this person for the rest of my life. It was one of the best things I've ever done. Married life is absolutely wonderful because I've found such a fantastic partner to spend my days with.

I took this photo of the two of us exactly one year ago as we ate a delicious dinner in Minneapolis to celebrate one year of marriage. Tonite we're going out to dinner and then really celebrating Thursday. I've been told to pack an overnight bag! I can't wait to see what my surprise is.

Bag Printing

2011-07-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

On Sunday it poured rain until after 4pm. It was horrible and made for a slow day up at the shop. Luckily I'd brought my Gocco printer along with me and decided to (finally) print our logo on our bags. They turned out awesome and it made me sad that I hadn't done it before. No mind, these babies are ready to go and I'm happy to finish up small details around the shop when we're slow.

It also makes me so sad that I have just a dozen or so screens/lightbulbs left for my Gocco. I have to treasure each one!

Happy Friday!

2011-07-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

This morning I'm recovering from seeing the final Harry Potter movie at midnite last nite. It was wonderful! Check out this adorable photo of us waiting in line.

I just sent the boy off with a bunch of road snacks and a fishing rod. He's going to Leavenworth for a fun weekend while I have to stay back and man the shop and get some other things done. I have a couple fun things planned though, a BBQ tomorrow and a cocktail hour with friends tonite.

Here are some wonderful things I'm loving around the internet this morning to send you on your way to a great weekend.

A favorite blogger making a move after my own heart.

Stitched kitty postcards!

An awesome DIY to use up those doilies.

A perfectly wonderful outfit.

Sewing Project: Vintage Dress

2011-07-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

I've been working on some dresses for the shop that need some slight alterations. I'm a moderately good seamstress when it comes to garmets (I'm much more adapt at accessories and such) but hemming is fairly easy.

This was a floor length 1960's dress. The fabric is so adorable and the cut on the top is perfect, it was just the length that was a little off. I thought a just-above-the-knee length would be perfect for this.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I cut some length off, double folded it and pressed the seam just a bit. I found some coordinating thread and did a blind hem stitch by hand.

Now it's ready to hang in the shop. I've got another dress I need to do this same thing to and yet another that I'm shortening the sleeves on. I try to make sure I haven't spent a ton on the dress before I cut into it just in case I completely screw it up. A pretty good rule when you're trying to expand your sewing prowess.

DIY: Metal Shell Chairs

2011-07-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Remember these chairs?

I can hardly believe the difference some spray paint can make!

I started out by getting some steel wool and doing my best to scrub down where any paint was flaking off (I wasn't completely successful in this, but I did a good enough job). Then I took a Rustoleum primer spray paint and sprayed a heavy layer on both the chairs.

Half way point

Originally I thought they'd be cream colored so I did a couple layers of cream colored spray paint but when I wasn't getting the coverage I wanted, I grabbed some bright lollipop insipired colors and went with that instead. I still want to do another layer or two of the green, but they look 'good enough' for now. It's so satisfying to look at the before and after shots! Before they were garbage and now they look adorable (and comfy) in front of the shop.

Playing Dress Up: Fourth of July

2011-07-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

I realized over the weekend I never shared by ADORABLE (if I do say so myself) Fourth of July outfit. I wore this in the evening, once we were back from the river, as we ran around downtown drinking and watching fireworks.

I wore: Headband: Giant Dwarf/ Dress: Vintage (estate sale find)/ Watch: the boy's grandfathers/ Tote: Show Pony/ Shoes: Target

I love this dress. I originally bought it for the shop but when a fairly minor stain on the back didn't come out in the wash, I decided it was mine to keep! The details at the top are my favorite and I love that it's a mid-thigh length, which is shorter than I usually find but wonderful for Summer.

When I came downstairs dressed in this, I asked the boy if I looked like a firework and he said 'yes'. Good enough for me!

Breather.

2011-07-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

I had a pretty tough week, which explains my absence from here. Nothing a little Say Yes to the Dress marathon on Netflix instant can't fix though.

We're getting ready for the Mississippi Street Fair tomorrow, one of my favorite Portland events and this year Wanderlust will be there! I can't wait.

I'll be back next week with some awesome vintage finds I want to share.

Fourth of July

2011-07-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

This post is a bit of a photo dump. Yesterday was a busy day but so much fun. We started out going to the river with a car full of friends and a cooler full of delicious drinks and snacks. After coming home for a late day nap, we jumped on the bus downtown where we met some other friends for champagne cocktails followed by a jello shot (hello stomachache!). Once it started getting dark the boy and I headed over to his work where they have a gorgeous view of the fireworks. We stood 16 stories above the river and watched the display. I felt completely spoiled, it was an amazing way to experience the fourth.
As we walked home people were still letting fireworks off everywhere we turned. It was pretty crazy, especially since it was a Monday nite and you know everyone had to work today, including me!

Happy Fourth!

2011-07-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

We've got potential river plans, fireworks plans and maybe even some jello shots thrown in there somewhere. I hope your Fourth of July is absolutely wonderful.

It's finally feeling like Summer around here and after a tough week, I think I can see a point where I'll have time to think and breath a little bit. At this point I'd just take a time where it doesn't feel like every decision I make is life or death. Anyway, things are looking up and I'm proud of myself that I've stayed positive through a tough business decision I had to make earlier this week. Now it's time for cold drinks, sunshine and popsicles.

River Trip

2011-06-29T18:22:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday it was over 80 degrees here and I took a road trip with some friends to a river about 30 minutes outside of town. It was beautiful, even though the water was still cold. I brought a camping chair, my favorite Strawberry Shortcake blanket, a book and some beers. It made for the perfect afternoon.

I've got some terrific Instax photos from our journey too but I haven't had time to scan them in yet. I can't wait for more river adventures this summer!

Bubble Tea

2011-06-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

I had bubble tea for the first time this past March, when we came up to Alberta to look at the new space for Wanderlust. I hate tapioca so I always choose fruit jellies, which it seems everyone else hates! They remind me of gummy bears. YUM.

The boy brought me bubble tea this weekend at the end of a long day at the shop. I worked all day Saturday prepping and sanding these metal chairs my step mom gave me. One of them is looking pretty good now but the other needs a couple more layers of paint. I'll be sure to share an 'after' shot when I'm done.

This week is super busy with work stuff, My Morning Jacket (tomorrow nite at the Edgefield!) and Last Thursday on Alberta. Tonite we're headed to a late happy hour with some friends at our local pizza joint. Delicious.

Summer Hair Cut

2011-06-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

Today I walked my cute new-to-me thrifted leather sandals over to Holiday Hair Studio and got my hair did. I love these shoes. I picked them up yesterday at a thrift on my way to Seattle. Rainbow leather? Yes please!

Here I am before my hair cut in Robin's adorable trailer! Every little detail is perfect including the bird cage and vintage tins and cigar boxes she has everywhere.

Here's my hair after, I got some cute feather hair extensions too!

Fashion Favorites: bows

2011-06-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

From here, here, here and here.

A favorite fashion trend lately is bows. Tied around the neck, on the head or around the waist- I think it's a wonderful girly detail to add to an outfit. Here are some great bows from around the internets.

I tried to find a photo of Sarah Sophie Flicker (always a fashion icon of mine!) in a bow, but google failed me so you get her BFF Karen Elson instead. The rest of these are from some great fashion blogs I check regularly. What's your favorite fashion trend right now?

Yum.

2011-06-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

We finally tried out Sunshine Tavern last week. It was awesome. I loved the atmosphere and the food was amazing. They also have micheladas on their drink list, so I'm in. I can't wait to go back with a group of friends, of course just the boy and I is always nice too!

It looks like a little bit of Summer may be heading our way but with the way Spring was I don't want to get my hopes up. I have a couple cute father's day photos from last weekend I want to share too, so I'll put those up tomorrow.

Dad.

2011-06-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

So this weekend is Father's Day and I'm lucky enough that my dad and step-mom are coming down to Portland tomorrow night so we can see each other! I think we're going to dinner at Accanto and then we'll do brunch Sunday morning before they come check out Wanderlust and bring me some super awesome metal chairs for ultimate lounging up at the pod all summer.

My dad is one of the most important people in my life and I'm so thankful to have in my life and pretty close by! When we moved to Portland four years ago, one of the hardest parts of that was not being able to see my dad regularly. I rely on him for advice in all aspects of my life and he always supports me in my decisions. I'm so lucky to have such an awesome and supportive dad.

Playing Dress Up

2011-06-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Outfit details: Top: from Ross forever ago/ Pin: Oh My Cavalier/ Skirt: Forever 21/ Tights: unknown/ Shoes: Forever 21

I had a very slow morning today but managed to pull together a cute outfit for my busy afternoon. Lots of chores to do and errands to run, as well as a very over due trip to Goodwill to drop off donations.

I'm also in the market for a new washing machine. The one that came with our condo when we bought it is pretty much done. Monday it started to smoke and make crazy sounds so we know it's really broken. I've never bought a new appliance before, so this seems like a milestone of sorts. Exciting!

Framed.

2011-06-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

After I rearranged our bedroom a while ago, we needed something framed above our bed. My mother in law had given us some doilies that belonged to the boy's grandmother and I thought one of them would look lovely framed. I put some vintage wallpaper I already had on hand as a background and then framed the doily over the top. The only thing I had to buy was the frame, which was just $20 at Ikea. I love it, romantic and simple, perfect for our bedroom.

Estate Sale Finds

2011-06-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

I've shared the good word about estate sales before on this blog but this past weekend I had such amazing luck, that I wanted to share again! I went to two, one first thing Friday and another first thing Saturday and was reminded that going early on the first day of a sale, is best way to get the most amazing things. However, if you're just looking for the best deals, Sundays later in the day are the best time to go. Since I'm usually willing to pay if the selection is out of this world, waiting in line for 15 minutes until the door to opens, seems like an ok deal to me.

This weekend I found some wonderful things for my personal collection, including Tammis Keefe and Peg Thomas hankies for a quarter a piece (they go for $15 and up on etsy/ebay).

And of course I found some stuff for Wanderlust, which is the reason I'm usually at estate sales these days. At the Saturday sale I walked away with 15 dresses, each more beautiful than the next, including this one which was a STEAL at $5.

I put it on a hanger when I went to open the shop after the estate sale, and it was sold by the end of the day.

I love shopping estate sales so much more than thrift stores, especially in Portland. There are so many re-sellers here that the thrift stores tend to be pretty picked over and estate sales still give me a thrill. You never know what's lurking in that closet or down in that moldy basement. I also still find things for a quarter, something thrift stores apparently don't do anymore. I usually find estate sales on craigslist but some of the best ones I've been to, I just drove by and decided to stop. What's your favorite way to find vintage items?

Gifts from Japan

2011-06-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had lunch with my friend Jill, who just got back from Japan. Along with other goodies (stationary, hello kitty goods and treats!) she brought me this awesome magazine. The layouts are so wonderful and every outfit is absolutely fantastic. Here are a couple favorites so far:

Anytime I've traveled abroad, I've brought back magazines. It's great way to get inspired by different styles that aren't 'popular' yet in the states. This is the first Japanese magazine I've had though and it's really special. Thanks Jill!

Slip Up

2011-06-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

I love vintage slips! We carry them in the shop and when I hung these ones up to dry, the lace looked so beautiful together, I had to take a few photos. It can be difficult to find cream and white full slips in good condition with pretty lace but I happened upon these all together yesterday at a thrift. What luck!

Loving....

2011-06-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

Here are some delightful things I'm loving right now...

Coasters from Uncommon.

Recipe cards from Mary Kate McDevitt.

Swimsuit from Ruche.

Flowers from Anna Mara.

Hello Summer.

2011-06-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

photo by paper pastries

We finally had a gorgeous weekend, weather in the 80's, just perfect! We were so busy with Wanderlust related stuff but I stole moments away to sit in the grass and drink a beer.

This week I'm taking care of a sick husband, restocking the shop and cleaning up our home. I also need to make time to sew some more bow headbands and I've even come up with a way to incorporate lace into them, one of my favorite current trends!

I hope you're having a lovely day.

Happy Thursday

2011-06-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

It's supposed to be an awesome weekend here in Portland, perfect for the Head to Tow show I've been working on!

I've been thinking a lot about traveling lately, probably because between my day job and running the shop I don't have any time to. I'm thinking 2012 will be a year of big trips for us and a return to Europe is at the top of that travel list. I know it seems silly to talk about 'next year' in June but, what can I say, I'm a planner. In the spirit of travel I thought I'd share one of the postcards we have from the boy's grandfather. This one's from Venice but we have a small collection of them from all over the world. He traveled a lot and seeing his cigar box full of passports was a big inspiration to me and has inspired me to want to see as much of the world as possible.

Have a lovely weekend, where ever you are.

Memorial Day

2011-06-01T16:35:00.000-07:00

I hope you had a lovely memorial day! As I mentioned, it was the boy and I's first day off together in months and he planned some lovely things for us to do. My day started with coffee in bed, something I dream of but rarely get. With that, I was ready to start the day. We snagged an outdoor table at Bridges Cafe and I got grits, with veggies and poached eggs. Delicious!

After our bellies were full, we went to Rerun where I picked out a soft serve ice cream ceramic cookie jar and then on to my favorite store in the world, Flutter. I picked up some awesome roll on perfume from MOR and a candle for our bedroom.

We spent the rest of the day on Mississippi street, shopping and drinking beers as tall as our heads at Prost!. Before we left, we split an ice cream sandwich from Ruby Jewel. We picked chocolate chip cookie and caramel with salted dark chocolate ice cream.

We felt like we were on vacation in our own town and after a late afternoon nap, it all ended with dinner at Farm, a place we hadn't been in forever but absolutely love. What a lucky lady I am to have such a wonderful husband to show me an amazing day.

Playing Dress Up: Return of the Cardigan

2011-05-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

Don't blame me for wearing this cardigan two dress up posts in a row. It's new and I sort of love it. Anyway, I wore this to my day of surprises yesterday. What an absolutely perfect day and the weather was gorgeous! I'll share more details about the day tomorrow.

What I wore: Cardigan: Target/ Dress: Tulle/ Pin: Oh My Cavalier/ Braclets: H&M/ Tights: Target/ Shoes: thrifted.

Happy Long Weekend

2011-05-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

The boy and I are over the moon to have a day off together on Monday. He's planning something special since it will mark my first day off in 2 months and I've been told to expect surprises! I'm feeling particularly blessed lately and I know it's a result of working really hard. It's tough to not have weekends but I also see the awesome results of having the shop open regularly and still being able to pay my mortgage. I don't know how long I'll be able to juggle both of these things but I feel like I'll know when I can't do it anymore and right now, it's still super fun!
I hope you have a fantastic long weekend, I'll be back Tuesday to share whatever surprises my day off held.

Playing Dress Up

2011-05-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

Two outfit posts in two days? YES. I had to come up with a cute outfit today to combat my sadness over the weather. This Spring is the ultimate tease. It cycles between 2 or 3 days of awesome 70 degree weather and then 5 days of rain. I'm not complaining exactly- at least we're getting the nice weather occasionally- but it sure makes it hard to plan an outfit.

Here's my outfit details: Dress: Anthropologie (on sale about 3 years ago)/ Cardigan: Target/ Belt: picked it up in a clothing exchange about 10 years ago/ Tights: Target/ Shoes: Nordstrom

Do you find it difficult to dress for Spring weather? I just end up throwing a cardigan and tights on with everything! I'm already stock piling my Summer dresses, preparing for the 3 months I'll actually get to wear them bare legged and with no cover up necessary.

Playing Dress Up: Wanderlust Road Trip Edition

2011-05-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

Here's an outfit from a while back that I forgot to share. I wore this on our road trip up to Puyallup a little over a week ago. It was such a fun trip and I love looking at all the photos we took.

Here's the outfit details: Dress: thrifted/ Cardigan: Forever 21 (a current favorite!)/ Necklace: Moth (gift from the boy)/ Leggings: H&M/ Shoes: Target

In other news, I'm scrambling to get new inventory for the shop tagged and ready. I'm also SO excited to have Monday off with the boy! We haven't had a day off together, with absolutely nothing to do, in just about forever. I can't wait.

Prototype

2011-05-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a headband for the shop. I've had the idea of velvet bows for a while and after stumbling across this on Etsy today I decided today to just go for it!

This is the raspberry red one and I've got supplies to do a blueish-grey one too! They're attached to a elastic band which makes the bow form to my head a bit, which I really like. Deciding what type of headband the bow would go on was the hardest part but I think the elastic was the best choice! I'll be sure to keep you updated when I put them in Wanderlust. We've needed some new accessories for a while and can't you just picture this headband with a cute vintage dress?

Good Morning!

2011-05-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

After a long weekend, I started my Monday with peanut butter and banana toast. Delicious. Peanut butter toast is one of those things I have really vivid memories of eating when I was young. My sister and I would dip it in hot chocolate which is really the best combo ever. And although it's the type of snack that's best on cold weather days, it does it's job on these slightly overcast May days too.

This week I'm practicing with the boy for a show we're playing next Tuesday at Mississippi Pizza and crossing my fingers we get some more sun around here!

May Times

2011-05-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

This weather has been a little too nice. After 4pm it's hard to do anything but sit outside and drink a beer with friends. Tough life, right? Our neighbor and I have done this thing before where we just grab all the random beers in our fridge and take them to our courtyard for drinking. You end up with stuff like Name Tag, which is the most bizarre and amazing beer name ever. It's supposed to be nice all weekend, so I'm looking forward to wearing dresses with no tights and maybe getting some sun on this skin!

Busy Beaver

2011-05-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

I'm really hoping that I won't have to continue to wear this wool coat into June. Here I am at the shop on Sunday, where it was stormy and cold for most of the day. It doesn't seem fair to have to wear a scarf in May, although to be fair, this one was silk and not that heavy duty.

Anyway- I'm about to hop downtown and help the boy pick out a new light weight jacket. All jackets he owns eventually get holes in the elbows, something I find adorable but for some reason he finds completely annoying. Ha!

New Zipper Bags

2011-05-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make some Springy zipper bags for the shop, and when I found this vintage linen inspired fabric at Fabric Depot, I knew it was the perfect print for what I had in mind.

I bought some trim for a Wanderlust photoshoot that never ended up happening, so I just added that to these little bags.

It's always fun to make stuff to sell in Wanderlust because I get to the do the cute little hang tags too. For these, I took vintage wrapping paper and sewed them to a shipping tag and then stamped on the back side.

All but one of them sold last weekend (mainly to family!) so I may need to make a trip to the fabric shop and whip out some more. After the weekend we had, Monday is hitting me particularly hard. I'm just trying to recover from three crazy busy days and get back on track with some work from the end of last week.

We had a super fun time on our road trip with the shop and I'm going to recap it all on the Wanderlust website in the next couple days, so check there if you're interested!

Playing Dress Up: Ballet Practice

2011-05-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

I'm really loving the bright red hair. Just this week I had a random guy on the street tell me that my hair color was 'hot'. I don't think he meant it in a 'punny' way (red- hot- get it?) but I thought it was hilarious. I think this outfit looks like an updated ballerina. I just wore it to run some errands and while I sewed up some new stuff for the shop, no ballet practice for me.

Did you take ballet as a child? I did and they were super strict about what we had to wear to class. All pink, from our tights to our shoes. And we had to have our hair in a tight bun. I've always been a pink fan, so the restrictions didn't bother me. I loved taking dance classes when I was little!

What I'm wearing: Top: Thrifted/ Skirt: Forever 21/ Leggings: Forever 21/ Shoes: Thrifted/ Hair Flowers: H&M/ Watch: belonged to the boy's grandpa/ Necklace: gift from the lovely Julia Crain

This is probably it for me this week, but I'll be back next week to share some cute things I made for the Puyallup show and probably some photos of our adventure too! Happy weekend.

Birdie House

2011-05-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

I made these little bird houses for the shop to use as display. They sell these little unpainted wooden bird houses at Joann's fabric for just $1 a piece. I picked out some cute paint and then used my never ending supply of ric rac as trim.

I want to hang them from the ceiling but I have to figure out what the best way is to do that. I'm thinking staple a string to the top of each and then tie that to a hook screwed into the ceiling. I'll be sure to share when I decide!

This week is pretty crazy for us, we're heading up to Puyallup early Friday morning for the Funky Junk Sisters vintage show. It's pretty exciting to tow the shop up to Washington for the first time but I'm also a little nervous. I've got to make sure everything gets packed away so they make the journey safely.

Playing Dress Up

2011-05-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

I wore this outfit last week and someone asked me if I dyed my hair to match my shirt. Um, no. Anyway, I wore this out to meet some friends for a little bit of outdoor beer drinking, which is always a sign that Summer is just around the corner. We went to a place that has 'lady's night' and so the girls drinks were .50 cents off. So funny! There were two packed tables of women next to us, drinking their Cosmos and complaining about work. I'm not sure I completely understand the theory behind a 'lady's night'. Are we supposed to get drunk and then be easier to pick up? If so, uh, that's gross. And where are the 'dude's nights'? Amiright?

Alright, enough of that. Here's what I wore: Headband: Giant Dwarf mini starlette crown/ Top: H&M/ Pants: cropped skinny jeans from Anthropologie

And the adorable Ms. B makes another appearance. She's trying very hard not to attack my hand, but it's so hard for her. She's 10 years old and she still acts like a kitten.

Happy Friday!

2011-05-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

Enjoy your weekend. I'm off to see some music at a new venue tonite and then closing the shop early tomorrow to check out the tail end of Crafty Wonderland. Sounds pretty perfect to me.

Friendship Braclet

2011-05-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid I was a real fan of what I'll call 'small crafts'. Making things that don't take much time or skill but yield a quick result. Friendship bracelets are one of those, lanyards are another and I loved origami.

Yesterday I was thinking about how fun and quick friendship bracelets are and I whipped this one up really quick. I think I'll make a couple more and stack them on my wrist.

To make your own, just gather 4 or 5 different colored embroidery threads together and go for it! A totally simple small craft.

Playing Dress Up

2011-05-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

OK. So the hair is finally done and I love it! Bright and cheerful and it looks awesome with the gorgeous green trees in my backyard. I wore this yesterday, a decidedly sunny day that I wasted away mainly indoors, working. In the evening we went to Nostrana for their happy hour- $5 wood burned margarita pizza.

The Outfit: Top: Forever 21/ Sweater: ancient cardigan hand embellished by me/ Skirt: United Colors of Benetton (ages ago)/ Necklace: estate sale/ Feather headband: made by me/ Shoes: thrifted

The Elephant in the Room

2011-05-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

I picked up this little trash can at an estate sale a while back. The woman had travelled a lot and just had the most unusual stuff. I don't know for sure that this is from 'abroad' but I know it's handmade because some of the felt was coming off the can and when I went to glue it back into place, I could see some sort of original image that this covered up. It's seen better days, but that's part of the charm.

I originally bought him for the shop, thinking even if no one bought him but he'd just look cute but then I set him down in my office and kind of got use to seeing him everyday. I will be pulling him out for this show we have in Puyallup in a couple weeks. I wanted to sell small rolls of vintage wallpaper and he's the perfect thing to hold them all. I fully plan on bringing him back home though! I've become a little attached.

Playing Dress Up

2011-05-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

We had a gorgeous weekend here in Portland. Both days were sunny and Sunday the temperature rose to over 70 degrees (which is practically like Summer here). I wore this outfit Saturday, to run the shop all day and then to the boy's DJ set that nite. I had an hair dying mistake Friday nite, which lead to only the front part of my head being the color I had intended. I had to wear this Rosie the Riveter type scarf to keep it looking normal. It ended up looking so cute, I think I'll be trying this look more often, but without the hair dying fiasco mixed in.

The outfit details: Scarf: vintage Oscar de la Renta/ Shirt and Cardigan: Forever 21/ Skirt: Anthropologie/ Knee socks and Shoes: Target

All in all, it was a lovely weekend. Sunday was a much slower day at the shop, so I really just enjoyed the sun until some friends showed up at the end of the day and we got drinks at a bar next door with a big outdoor patio. I also picked up some more hair dye, so cross your fingers I have better luck tonite and my hair will be all one color again!

Sunglass Bling Tutorial

2011-04-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to put this tutorial up on the blog forever so last nite I finally got all my supplies together and just went for it. These are really simple instructions to bling out your sunglasses, but you could apply it to all sorts of stuff (phones, cameras, watches or even a purse if it was made with a stiff material).

Supplies:
- Aileen's tacky glue or any type of glue that dries clear
- 3mm round rhinestones in the color of your choice
- An old pair of sunglasses (I got these last winter at Old Navy on clearance for .99 cents)
- 2 small wooden dowels (or q-tips with the cotton tip ripped off)
- A surface you don't mind getting glue on (like cardboard or cardstock).

Squeeze some glue onto your surface (I was using cream cardstock). Empty out the rhinestones onto your surface next to the glue pile. Take one dowel and dip it into the glue, being careful not to get too much glue on it. Take the glued-up dowel and find a rhinestone in your pile with the back side facing up, dab the glue on and the rhinestone will attach. With your clean fingers, carefully take the rhinestone off the dowel and place it onto the rim of the sunglasses. Use the second dowel to press down on the rhinestone to make sure it stays. Repeat, going all the way around the glasses, using your the second dowel to keep the rhinestones straight.

This project will take a couple hours, I put on a movie from Netflix instant and the time flew by. By the time you're done the glue will be mostly dry and you'll be able to wear your blinged-out sunglasses within the hour.

I can't wait to try this with pink rhinestones or on my old heart shaped sunglasses. I love the look of these so much and it's a perfect way to reuse something you've got around the house. Next time you get the itch to go buy a new pair of sunglasses, just try this out on some you already have. You'll instantly feel like you've got brand new pair!

Playing Dress Up: Spring Green

2011-04-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

I know I've shared this dress before, the print is one of my favorites. I just realized this weekend that this cardigan I embroidered matches it perfectly! I wore this to Wanderlust and then Easter on Sunday.

What I'm wearing: Dress: vintage/ Cardigan: Target with hand embroidery/ Bracelet: H&M/ Necklace: gift from the boy (handmade)/ Tights: Hue/ Shoes: Minnetonka

I love finally being able to wear dresses! I can't wait for the weather to really warm up.

Easter Festivities

2011-04-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

We went to our neighbor's for Easter dinner. It was lovely. She cooked dinner and I made a bunny coconut cake with cream cheese frosting. It was huge so I made the boy take it to work today so I didn't end up eating cake for 3 days straight.
As a non-religious person, Easter is really more of an excuse to eat some delicious food, drink wine and play games with friends, which was exactly what I needed after such a busy weekend.

Vintage Patterns

2011-04-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

Just popping in to share some pretty patterns I've found lately on vintage pieces. The first one is from a pretty floral suitcase. I love this thing so much and it's in great condition. I think I haven't used it yet because it's just SO special to me. I was looking for a small cloth suitcase with a floral print for so long and this one came my way at an absolute steal.

The next two are from recent Pyrex finds. I still can't decide if these beauties are staying with me or will end up in the shop but in the meantime, they're so pretty to look at.

A big part of what attracts me to vintage is the patterns. They're so vibrant and unique. I have some really wonderful older things recently gifted to me by my mother-in-law that I can't wait to share here and all have really special patterns. If we keep having gorgeous days like today, there will actually be enough lite to shoot photos of them!

Craft at SXSW

2011-04-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

I was looking through some photos today on my computer and realized I never shared the cute crafty things we saw in Austin. One of the day shows we went to also had a little craft show happening next door. We went to the bar, picked up our complimentary vodka soaked Arnold Palmer slushies and then headed to the craft show to browse while we waited for Sleeping Bag to play. Two of my very favorite things combined- crafts and music! And drinking (wait- that's three). Anyway, here are a couple super special things I didn't pick up but loved from afar.

I also had a chance to chat with the lady running the Sublime Stitching booth. She'd lived in Seattle for a while so we talked about our old hood as I lusted after the too cute scissors they had on display.

And the boy earned some points for patiently browsing with me. Maybe it was those slushies that kept him happy or the Texas sun. Whatever it was, this was probably my favorite day show we went to all weekend.

Happy Friday!

2011-04-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

Lots to do around here this weekend. Small piles that need to be put away everywhere. I'm desperate for this weather to clear up, entire days of rain are really starting to wear on me.

Spring Time Living Room

2011-04-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

We've been doing some re-arranging downstairs. Moving stuff around, creating space for new things. It feels so good to do this come Springtime, doesn't it?

We're looking for some new special furniture pieces and getting rid of others. I feel like our home is always a work in progress and it's fun and refreshing to change up our living spaces.

As I continue to clean up and change things around, I'd love to share more photos here. I have some larger projects I want to tackle, like finally sanding and repainting our hutch and maybe changing up the wall colors in our living and dining room.

Playing Dress Up: Sunny Days

2011-04-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

I wore this outfit Sunday which was actually NOT a sunny day but it is today. This is what I wore. Shirt: Target/ Skirt: Forever 21/ Leggings: Target/ Necklace: from an estate sale (I paid $2!)

I'm loving florals and stripes together. I think as long as you don't use outrageously bright colors, you can totally blend patterns. I'd been due a new skirt for quite sometime and when I found this one last week, I picked it up instantly. It's versatile and I can't wait for summer when I can wear it without leggings!

An Outfit for April

2011-04-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I shared a dream outfit. For this one, I took everything from TopShop. I've actually never shopped there but everything looks so lovely and this outfit would be perfect for the type of weather we're having right now in Portland. A big sweater is a must but the weather is getting nice enough that the dress and cute shoes could be added too!

I hope you had a lovely weekend, mine was good. Lots of family and friend time. Happy Monday!

Cat Day Afternoon

2011-04-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry for all the cat photos on here recently. I can't help it. She does things like this:

And then when I try to move her so I can (ahem) work, she slides sideways and does this:

Also, see that shirt layering? I'm loving lace and floral prints lately. I've had that lace shirt for 5 years, I bought it at H&M in Paris, and I've been this-close to getting rid of it a ton of times, but suddenly it has new life. I don't have to wear it over things (as it's designed to do) I can put cute sleeveless shirts over it. Brilliant (if I do say so myself).

Happy weekend, I'll be offline most of the day tomorrow dealing with some family matters. See you next week!

Spring Walk

2011-04-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

On Friday I had the most beautiful Spring walk. It was literally the most gorgeous day we'd had in Portland in a very long time. Lovely flowers blooming everywhere and it all ended with a tall vodka grapefruit at the sports bar. It was the start to a super weekend too. I love when we actually get Spring weather here. So often it just goes from rain to sun in an instant and we don't actually get a season of transition.

Special Things

2011-04-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of running Wanderlust is the shopping. Finding special old things is something I enjoy tremendously and then choosing if I should keep them or sell them is the hardest part!

Like these little forks with writing on the back.
I just love this little box so much and even though I bought it with the intention of reselling, once I took these photos and set it up on a shelf, I couldn't dream of parting with it.

Playing Dress Up: Another SXSW Day

2011-04-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

Still had a cute outfit to show you from SXSW!

What I'm wearing: Dress: Tucker for Target/ Stretch pants: Target/ Shoes: Minnetonka/ Bag: Thrifted/ Necklace: Moss/ 4H pins: gift from my mom

Tonite I'm off to watch some baseball with the boy and then head to his photo show with Artichoke Collective.

A Day To Ourselves

2011-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

We woke up the other day and our cat (Ms. B) was like this:

In the bottom drawer of my armoire, just chilling out. NO big deal. I almost died from the adorableness.

I ate some delicious lunch with my favorite lunch companion later that day, this guy:

Yum.

Playing Dress Up

2011-03-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

I got interviewed yesterday for a local website who wanted to mention the new pod Wanderlust just joined. Of course I spent way too long picking out an outfit that ultimately, I wore a coat over because it was so chilly. Excuse the pilly-ness of my sweater!

So here's what I wore:
Jacket: H&M/ Sweater: Anthropologie (about 10 years ago!)/ Belt: Vintage/ Skirt: Thrifted/ Tights: I can't remember!/ Moccasins: Minnetonka

Weekend

2011-03-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

Most of the later part of today has looked something close to this:

I took this photo a few days ago, but you get the idea. Browsing online, avoiding responsibilities (taxes? what taxes?) and hanging with Ms. B.

This is after a hard weekend of trailer related stuff. We towed the shop up onto the sidewalk, which was kind of awesome!

People couldn't miss it! And the event was pretty fun, lots of crafty ladies and yummy snacks. Not enough foot traffic, but it's hard when the weather is as bi-polar as it was yesterday. (Hail! Rain! Sun!)

Anyway, I'm taking it easy. The boy and I had our standard Pho soup followed by frozen yogurt date tonite and now we're off to watch some guilty pleasure tv. Taxes can wait until tomorrow, right?

Gettin' My Nails Did

2011-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Last night I got together with 2 of my favorite lady friends and we did our nails. Let me explain- we had drinks and dinner before hand so we didn't just get together to give ourselves manicures. Also, I had these Sally Hansen nail strip things I really wanted to try out. It ended up being really fun- especially since sometimes you need a friend to put polka dots on your right hand when you can't.

Anyway, I'm so happy it's Friday, even though this weekend is going to be a toughy. Lots of Wanderlust related things! I'm busting butt through work today so I can go to the hardware store and grab some things I desperately need for the trailer. Happy Weekend to you!