building outfits 3

Boy, am I exhausted. It's only 2 in the afternoon but I spent half the morning fretting over curtain rods and above-the-sink shelves. This outfit is going to be easy, breezy, and I hope, beautiful. Har har.

Straw hat from my shop (sorry, I cheated! Too tired!)

1950s pale blue cotton blouse with pintucks from deargoldenvintage

High-waisted culottes from allencompanyinc (I loved these shorts from darlingbrigade too, but they sold a while ago)

Lace-up brogues from revivalhouse

Floral purse from secretlake

i love you ice cream

I LOVE YOU ICE CREAM, originally uploaded by roboppy.

Geoff and I went to The Big Chill on Manning this evening, because it was nice out and because we needed a break from packing. This incredible picture adequately represents how I felt while eating my dulce de leche waffle cone. Best mural ever.

We ate our ice cream, we bumped into some friends. Summer '09 is going to be a good one, I just know it.

from the trunk show

I wanted to get so much more, standing in a room filled with beautiful things, but I tried to be sensible. Some of these have been given as gifts, which I think is very sensible.

Incidentally, we didn't get around to taking too many pictures that day, but Karyn has a lovely set here, if you're interested.

Cat pillow from Lines by Davis

City of Craft tote with design by Caitlyn Murphy

Beautiful, piano-themed vintage apron from Claire of Needlebook (detail here)

Lovely prints by Sarah McNeil (these are Geoff's birthday present): Branch from the White Forest and The Straw Hat

a little rose

I was up really early this morning and felt excited about finishing this pendant that I started working on last night. I copied a rose pattern from a cross-stitched doily that I have, and it was actually kind of tough (there are four shades of pink and one shade of red, plus two shades of green). I am happy with my slightly abstract, off center rose!

cross stitch pendant

I have been meaning to share pictures of the loot I picked up at the trunk show this past Sunday, because I love it all. This week, however, has been gloomy and dark, and I seem to have come down with a cold. I am sad about being sick because I haven't been sick in years and have always felt smug about this (see what happens?).

Last night I lay on the couch feeling sorry for myself and attempted to stitch onto this lovely, wood cross stitch pendant that Karyn was so sweet to give me in exchange for some fig spread. Disregard my stitches; I need to do it over -- I don't recommend stitching while lying down. Isn't the pendant incredible, though? They can be purchased at The Workroom.

lovely surprises

I am a firm believer in the goodness and the kindness of people. Somehow I have been lucky enough to make connections with some of the most good and the most kind.

This week I had two lovely surprises in my mailbox: a Japanese sewing book from Tara-Lynn (my favourite beret and cowl knitter & charming vintage seller at Darling Brigade), and a piece of barkcloth from Claire, who read about how I would like to acquire barkcloth, remembered, and sent it to me.

And look! The fabric and the book go together so well that I am starting to believe more & more in that magic I keep talking about.

bakers dozen update

Hi, everyone... just wanted to let you know that my hoops are still available at Bakers Dozen and that they have been reduced to $30 AUD (roughly $20 USD). Thank you.

holme shop

Alyson posted about Holme Shop last week, and today when Lauren posted about it, I revisited it. I knew the shop was great (my favourite styling of vintage: natural lighting, clothing on hangers, etc.), but today, I have fallen in love with this blouse.

my home style

I was tagged by Lauren to choose a picture that best describes my home decor style. I found this to be quite impossible, so I thought I would post a handful of pictures that I have saved over the past few months. They inspire me, but I'm not sure that the end result of my decorating looks at all like this! I have to make the best of what I already have, and most of what I already have is flimsy non-wood furniture from you-know-where. I appear to love a bit of clutter, pastel colours, loads of natural light, and very old things that aren't necessarily practical or useful.

via a.c.i.
I love pretty dresses hanging about.

via thesnailandthecyclops
I love pretty arrangements of things.

via seashanties
Fresh flowers are essential (I'm not really a plant person)...

via ffffound
...as is a cozy, messy bed.

via jjjjound
Books with pretty pastel coloured edges are wonderful. As long as the books themselves are good books, of course.

via Loveology
A lot of pretty things to look at.
Update: This is from an installation by Sonja Ahlers.

via lenacorwin
Lace, light, thread -- nothing better.

via *Zara
A nice cup of coffee in a sunlight-filled kitchen is heavenly.

building outfits 2

Since some of you enjoyed my last building outfits post, I thought I'd make another! It's fun to build fantasy outfits, especially ones in which I magically fit into them all (I talk about magic a lot, don't I?). I will only stick to Etsy, though.

In my tradition of embarrassing Caitlin through my blog, I'm going to base this outfit on her outfit here, which is her first picture added to Wardrobe Remix! I think she looks absolutely lovely and so perfectly outfitted for spring.

So! Kittens inspired by kittens. A fantasy day:

First of all, the day requires reading material. Fatal Distraction by Sonja Ahlers (who I met yesterday! I got starstruck, dudes) is perfect since both Caitlin & I love her work. Sonja has an Etsy shop too, makeitawesome.

Tiny quilted rose purse from SWANclothing (so sweet!)

Vintage silk Cacharel scarf from shamsandcoverups

Cross stitch rosebud earrings from treefox (they are the cutest things since kittens!)

1950s blouse from thegreedyseagull (um, I bought this)

1950s chambray spring skirt from thirteeneightyfive

White Mary Janes from deargoldenvintage (flats are essential for this day, because heels make me grumpy)

Vintage rose tin from foundvintagestyle (for transporting cookies to the potluck picnic, obviously)

A very happy day, in what I think is a very happy outfit.

gushing

I am so happy, but oh so tired. The trunk show was lovely. I really couldn't imagine a nicer group of sellers, and so many lovely people who said hello! I would type out a list and personally thank you all, but I know I would forget someone and it would make me feel awful. I will probably post about the great things I picked up at the show (because they really are so great!), but later. Right now it is all a blur made up of Karyn's colourful wall of fabric, pretty ladies, lovely frocks, and talkin' about Liberty prints.

I have to add that it meant a lot to me to look around from time to time and see Geoff over at another table, chatting -- my mother yesterday said that Geoff is so quiet, but today he was not.

Thank you all so much, and thank you especially to Karyn and Becky for inviting us to come.

I have boxes and boxes full of things to disperse somehow... I don't even want to look at it! In the meantime I will post this picture of the cookies we made to bring with us. The one on the left is vaguely heart-shaped. I wonder who ate it.

huntin', gatherin'

Today's the big day!

We just finished baking a big batch of cookies and the boxes are in the hallway, ready to go. Now I have to try to figure out what shoes I'm going to wear (it's a big decision).

I hope to see you there, Toronto peeps! If you're not in Toronto, be sure to watch our Etsy shop over the next week because it's likely that what is left over will end up there.

to keep and not to keep

I am just finishing up with last-minute prep for the trunk show so that I can still get to a birthday party tonight; I am sorting through the last pile of things. I have been buzzing around like crazy! I know I'm making a really big deal out of it but it's a big deal to me. I love preparing and organizing and sweating the details and making lists... what can I say, I love the biz. Also, I can't stop thinking about the Brooklyn Flea and how it was a highlight of my trip to New York last summer and how this is similar, but without that delicious corn (please can someone start selling elote on College Street?).

There is so much to bring, to the point where I am kind of embarrassed about it (I am trying to pack/move at the same time, after all, so there is more than there would be under normal circumstances). Because of this, I don't feel so badly about keeping some of the things I found while thrifting today.

Brown suede shoes that happen to fit me perfectly & boudoir slippers (!!) that do not fit me, not to keep.

Silk blouse, possibly too delicate to wear, to keep.

Japanese stacking cups, not to keep.

Beautiful antique embroidery hoops with cork linings, not to keep (reluctantly); many patterns, not to keep.

Pretty pink blouse with button-up back and pretty details, to keep (this blouse makes me think of Lauren).

winner! gagnon!

love is homegrown, originally uploaded by atlantic treefox.

Thank you all so much for entering the Lula giveaway! I wish I could sprinkle some magic out of those unicorn salt & pepper shakers from a couple of posts back so that you could find your own copies.

Announcing winners is bittersweet because while it makes one person happy, it disappoints about 50 others... but I hope you will be happy for the winner, Atlantic Treefox!

(And shucks, y'all. You didn't have to say such nice things about me -- random.org looks at numbers only! But thank you, thank you, thank you.)

storytime

I brought this home today because I thought it would look perfect in the new apartment, which I saw for the first time today. The apartment is so, so lovely! But with a tiny bit of run-down edge? For example, directly across the street there is a once-beautiful, abandoned, old low-rise building, completely gone to ruin. That's our view! I like it. We're signing the lease tomorrow, or at least I hope we are.

Anyhow, I find this picture completely baffling! Has someone just proposed? Over the phone? Why is she wearing a ballet costume? What is going on here? Is that a cake? What the what?

trunk show preparations

I took part of the day today to take care of some things, including a trip to Ikea. Just a tip: these boxes are a good size, inexpensive, and just perfect for packing books; when the books are back on the shelves, the boxes look nice enough to use as decor. They're not archival, though -- just sayin'.

I am also trying to get ready for the trunk show this Sunday. I washed everything that could go in the machine and it's outside in the sunshine right now. As one can imagine, between preparing to move and preparing for the trunk show, my home is a complete shambles right now! Yay!

I am going to focus on the vintage items for the show because I don't think I'll have the chance to make as much as I had intended (although I did make a few floral neckties this week -- just sayin'). Also, I seem to have more of a reputation as a finder of things, rather than as a maker of things, which is fine by me.

Here are some sneak peeks.

building outfits

Sometimes I like to peek through my Etsy favourites and build outifts.

Top it off with a teensy boater from redemptionvintage (I bought this, because I am obsessed. I plan to take the flowers off, though)...

...while wearing this pretty 1950s dress from sacatonjune...

...and a ruffle around my neck from homako (via Jane)...

...feeling dainty in lovely shoes from backthennishvintage...

...while standing next to a rose paint-by-numbers from atticgoods.