Florals + Stripes

I saw this skirt sticking out of the rack at a thrift store and immediately knew I had to have it! The floral print reminds me of a watercolor painting and it has pockets, so how could I resist? I was originally kinda bummed about how long it is but I bought it anyway with the plan to hem it to a more “flattering” length. But instead of shortening it, I happened to just throw it on when the weather turned cold again for a day and I couldn’t find any pants—I ended up loving it and haven’t taken it off since!

My necklace also has a story with it: I got it from one of the workshop instructors the summer before last when I attended Arrowmont. These pictures don’t do it justice but it is a beautiful handcrafted piece! People always think it’s some kind of rock or crystal but it’s actually kiln-fired glass.

This will actually be my first summer away from the art school in 2 years and honestly I am a bit bummed about it. BUT the silver lining is that I am here doing what I love and also working on having a space of my own where I can put everything I learned there to good use.

So cheers— to trying new things (maxi skirts!) and to new beginnings with every season!

shirt: target / skirt, bag: thrifted / shoes: plato’s closet

Ps: These pictures were taken on the deck of my new house! I am so excited to have a couple of private places to take photos in . . I guess people think it’s a little strange to set up a tripod in the middle of a field and snap photos of yourself with it! 

Flowers & Cut-outs

I finally had a chance to explore my backyard for the first time since moving! I snapped a few outfit photos and I am excited about them because:

• Nearly everything I am wearing is thrifted!
• I live next door to a park!
• You can see the batman building from my house! (first picture, top left!)

That first picture was initially an outtake but I am so happy about the view of downtown Nashville from our new place that I just had to include it, even if no one else recognizes it!

I love the oversized flowers on this dress but my favorite thing about it has to be the back! Each side comes up to kind of make a “W” shape out of the hemline. It reminds me of the way I used to draw ladybug wings when I was little. Although it’s cute, it is a bit revealing, so I donned a pair of bicycle shorts to ensure full coverage ;-]

dress, sweater, shoes: thrifted / shorts: target

Do you have any favorite views of your city? Now that I live in Nashville, I am on the hunt for the best places and angles to see the city from!

My (Possibly) Lucky Sweater

I’m not a superstitious person. I’m generally not even a little stitious (ba-dum-chee!) but I can’t help to think that this sweet Old Navy cardigan I thrifted is some sort of good-fortune magnet. Evidence: I’ve worn it to the last three interviews I’ve had and subsequently landed each job— the most recent being offered to me within the first ten minutes of meeting my (now) new boss! 

So by now you’re probably asking:

“Don’t you think hard work and experience is what gets you a job?” or

“Wait— don’t you already have a job that you love?” or even

“Why is this your third job in eight months?”

To which I would reply:

No. Absolutely not. It is completely reasonable to empower inanimate objects with magic instead of taking credit for your hard work, dedication, and talent. Or

Yes, I do have a job that I love— which is what has inspired me to accept a job I think I will love even more! Or

Because a girl’s gotta live! Duh! Or, more honestly, because I finally decided to pursue what I love full time!

So here’s the details: In a whirlwind of fate, I discovered the Nashville branch of the bakery I work for was hiring. So although I LOVE my current job, I decided to at least entertain the idea of applying/interviewing. (I mean, after my love affair with the city, how could I not?) I put in my resume and everything else is kind of a blur. I talked to my boss about transferring and although she would be sad to see me go, she was extremely helpful and let me know I had her support.

purse: Mom’s from the 90′s 

A few days after that I got a call to setup an interview for the next day. After talking to the manager in person for ten minutes, he offered me a full-time baking position on the spot! I tried not to squeal with delight as I penciled my start date into the calendar, but I am sure I was still beaming from the inside out!

The next day, my partner got offered the job he had been waiting to hear back from. So in one week’s time, my entire world got turned upside down and all our plans went out the window! Now we are furiously trying to tie-up all the loose ends here before we can make our much anticipated move to Music City. 

locket: vintage / gift from my mom 

Even though all of this has been a stressful process the last few weeks, at times I can’t help but think about how lucky I am. But just stating that makes me so upset because it really does negate all of the effort I have put into actively pursuing my dreams. Landing this job was not something that just fell into my lap— it was a conscious decision. I decided I wanted to work at a bakery. I sought out and learned the necessary skills to get an entry level position. I continually asked for feedback and criticism from my boss and coworkers. And then I decided to pursue an opportunity for vocational, personal, and financial growth.

shirt: thrifted / belt: kohl’s / corduroys: GAP / wedges: Ciao Bella from DSW

 Although it can be nice to think that luck has something to do with success, I know this outfit probably only went so far as to influence my confidence when I interviewed. Even if it’s cheesy, the quote “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it” really applies to my life lately. I’m really excited to see what the future holds and I’m ready to own my accomplishments. I’ll just save my “luck” so I can test it on something just as crazy— like the lottery!

See It —> Make It

In case you haven’t noticed, florals are EVERYWHERE right now. Obviously, I am thrilled since this means I don’t have to update my wardrobe! I think it’s a combination of my interior design background, my love for vintage, and my obsession with Elaine from Seinfeld, but I LOVE floral. Chairs, pants, cakes . . . I’ll take it! I even scored miles of custom floral drapes from an estate sale once and considered making a dress out of them. But of course, I hung them proudly instead.
I’ve talked before about my bad habit of thrifting clothes that are “almost” perfect— an extra button here, an altered hemline there. . . I have this problem where I only see the potential of something and not what it is. So I kind of have this little stock pile of clothes that need random “mending” to be wearable. Enter the above dress: a vintage piece, irresistible due to it’s flower print + great collar. The only problem was it’s length. . . so for just a few bucks, I decided to take it home anyway. Then I promptly forgot about it. . . Until I came across the Tea and Scones Dress from ModCloth. I love the overall look, but I am not a fan of elastic waistbands. I’m also on a self-induced shopping restriction, so I knew I would have to do a little upcycling to get what I wanted. I pulled the dress out of hiding and couldn’t be happier with the results!It’s not pink— but it’s darn cute! The main elements are all there: floral, lace collar, sleeves, and buttons up the front. I just made a few alterations to get there. I started by removing the shoulder pads. Most are only attached with just a few stitches, so they are a breeze to get rid of.
After I removed the shoulder pads, I tried the dress on to mark where I needed to cut. I know maxi dresses/skirts are “in” right now, but I am too short to pull them off. Plus, I feel unsafe biking in long things, so I felt no remorse snipping away.
I didn’t worry about cutting it perfectly straight, but I did make sure to leave a good amount for a hem and any mistakes/mind changes about length I had.
After I shortened the dress, I folded over a new hem and ironed it where I wanted. This is the part that makes hemming a dress WAY easier than you ever expected. Seriously: just iron, pin, and try on until it is the right length.

I actually had to  do this part twice because the dress ended up being too short in the back where I had pinned it the first time. So after I tried again, I was ready to stitch. I don’t have a sewing machine, so I decided to hem mine by hand. This is the most intimidating part for a lot of people, but just watch this video and I swear you can do it!

You can practice on the extra piece of fabric you just cut off if you feel really nervous about trying to hem something by hand. As long as you don’t make your stitches too close together then you will be just fine. This is what mine looked like before I realized my stitches were too close together (also, I used a contrasting color on purpose, yours will be more subtle if you use thread that matches):

So I stared spacing them out more, and it looked something like the picture below. You can see where the stitch length changes because I was too lazy to go back:

So eventually my stitch did turn into a blind stitch!

This is the first time I ever hemmed anything by hand, and I am really happy with how it turned out! After you’ve tried it once, you’ll never be able to resist those outdated dresses at the thrift store! So many great patterns and collars just waiting to be turned into something modern again!

dress, broach, belt: thrifted / shoes: Plato’s Closet / purse: gift from a friend

Altering vintage is one of my favorite things to do. Have you ever tried? It’s SO much fun! It’s also quick, cheap, and much easier than you might think! If you give it a try or have in the past, send me a link in the comments! I love to see how others upcycle and alter things!

Springtime Free Style

I’m still amazed by the warm weather here in Tennessee! I have been prancing about sans cardigan or tights for the last week. On Tuesday I even biked to work at 5 am in just a t-shirt and jeans (and then went to Rock Island and laid out in a swimsuit, eep!)!

Speaking of work, I have to keep my hair pinned back and up (apparently people don’t like hair in their frosting!?) so for the first time in about 3 weeks I wore my hair down and even surprised myself with how long it’s gotten! It’s kind of ridiculous I’m even trying to grow it out since I usually only feel like myself when I have a pixie cut. (Side note: We just finished re-watching Freaks and Geeks so of course I decided to go with an extremely heavy, unflattering middle part just for kicks!)

dress, purse: from Ricki / shoes: gift / scarf, brooch, belt: thrift / tights: target 

At least I can always throw on a vintage dress and feel like myself again. Sometimes I think my mom and my friends know my style better than I do. They give me awesome clothes all the time that are just right on the money! I remember looking down at one point during the day and realizing I spent less than $10 on this entire outfit thanks to my friends. Are you easy to shop for? Every now and then my mom gives me something totally out of left field but for the most part I am one lucky gal!

Thrift Store Dream Coat

This post is my way of letting you know I failed at not buying any clothing for a year. But HOW FABULOUS is this jacket?! I was doing so well at avoiding thrift stores until I promised to help a friend with a fashion project . . . and the rest is history. Even if I counted this as an accessory to make myself feel better, it wouldn’t matter because I found an incredible vintage dress that day, too!

shirt, skirt, jacket: thrifted // tights: target // flats: DSW 

I read this post by Georgina Swan about cost per wear and it couldn’t have come at a better time. By no means do I spend tons of money on clothes only to wear them once, but I am guilty of buying pieces I love in the dressing room only to get home and have complete “what was I thinking moments?” where I realize I have nothing to wear said piece with. So here’s to focusing on better quality items with timeless fits that I can stretch further than my current wardrobe! Do you have any shopping habits you’re trying to change?