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nyc wrap up

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last week, i promised a little wrap up of my trip to nyc. unfortunately, i didn’t realize how quickly two days would pass right by, so i didn’t accomplish quite as much as was on my list of things to do! i arrived in the early morning after a red-eye and spent most of my first day in a bit of a daze, adjusting to the heat and humidity and enjoying good conversation with jessica over a delicious diner breakfast. then we went back to her place and chatted away for hours while i browsed the internet and she worked on illustrations for her upcoming book!

that evening, i attended the charlotte russe project mannequin styleoff event as one of the contestants. it was a really nice set up with racks of clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories from the upcoming collection, and they served up delicious cocktails and plenty of sushi. i was a bit nervous about the whole thing, but everyone there was very warm and welcoming! for the challenge, we were each given a card with a different prompt and had 20 minutes to style up our look! i was relieved to be given the challenge of styling an outfit for sunday brunch, since that happens to be one of my favorite occasions!

we had to compete with each other to grab our favorite pieces from the selection, so i was a bit slow in snatching up my first picks, but i found this romantic floral dress and layered it with a ruffled t-shirt, a woven belt, and a pair of brown t-strap sandals. the dress had little strands of metallic thread running through it, so i complimented it with a slouchy gold tote. it’s definitely very vintage-inspired and comfortable enough to wear on a lazy sunday. i was quite proud of my look, and i would love to win the contest, so if you have a moment, i would love it if you would check out the site and vote for me!

on my last day in new york, i slept in until an ungodly hour, so i didn’t have too much time before my flight back home. i decided that i should do something touristy, so i took a visit to the metropolitan museum of art after a few people recommended that i check out the american women exhibit. they didn’t allow photography in this particular exhibit, but i did find this video showcasing all of the pieces, so now you don’t even have to take a trip to the museum if you want to take a look!

my favorite looks were of the gibson girls, hands down. i loved their straw hats, high collars, and puff sleeved jackets. in particular, there was an amazing two piece sailor dress that i wanted to pull right off the mannequin and take home with me! i dream of finding pieces like these at an antique shop or estate sale to just hang on my walls and admire.


and that was it! i caught my flight home and kissed the ground in california. i love to visit new york, and hope that my next trip is a bit longer so i can meet up with more folks, but it was definitely nice to get back to the laid back atmosphere and 70 degree weather back home.

fashion

outfit favorites july 18

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i gotta tell you, this week was really good for inspiration. i wasn’t even able to be at my computer nearly as often as i usually am, yet i still managed to find so many great outfits the few times i managed to find the time to sit down and read my favorite blogs! but as per usual, you can take a peek at everything that tickled my fancy by checking the constant flow of inspiration on my tumblr. and now onto the looks:

the sartorialist: on the street… lucia, florence
basically, this picture should be on the cover of scott schuman’s next book. it’s like marry poppins: practically perfect in every way. i love the color palette of her simple summer outfit and the way she tied that cute scarf in her hair with those cute sunglasses.

style is style: try to have some fun and don’t get caught
every time lydia does outfit posts on her blog, i am blown away at her ability to out-do herself each time. i am tempted to post her looks here week after week because they are all so good! i love the china blue dress layered with an easy blouse and cute lil mary janes.

february forehead: woodstock 2010
i am right now on the hunt for a cute little ruffle blouse just like this so i can try to steal this summer look for myself! she looks like a modern day gibson girl!

team peter stigter: aifw streethearts award #1
note to self: make some wacky shoe clips out of all of that yarn that’s been sitting in my work room for ages, and place atop a simple pair of shoes! also, where can i find a cape as amazing as this one? so perfect!

dear beatrice: the way to there
i am finding myself becoming very fond of these monochromatic looks. i love the way beatrice went all the way with her red and white gingham look with a red bow, red sunnies, and the perfect pair of red platforms. so fresh!

growin’ up: library of my dreams!
and while i do love the simplicity of using only one or two colors, i gotta hand it to jessica for this beautiful combination of rust red, peach, and army green. and i am loving the shorts suit look this summer especially!

giveaways

and the winner is…

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shealennon is the winner of a $40 gift certificate to tiger cult vintage! she was selected by the random number generator at random.org. congratulations shealennon!

thank you so much to everyone who entered the contest, but no worries if you didn’t win this time! there are many more opportunities to win great prizes each week thanks to the sponsors of calivintage.

fashion

back pack

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while on my quick trip in nyc, i’ve been thinking a lot about appropriate bags for lugging around all of my stuff! and while i know a backpack can get a bit warm, they’re certainly nice when you’ve got to carry around a big old camera, maps, an extra pair of shoes, a notepad, and all of the random items you might pick up on a shopping excursion, while still keeping your hands free so you can hail a cab or dig around in your pockets for subway fare. so a browsed around and found some fashionable bags so you can be a tourist without looking too much like one!

a.b.k. custom leather craft, fjÁ¤llrÁ¤ven kÁ¥nken mini, kimchi blue canvas backpack from urban outfitters, canvassing backpack from modcloth, fjÁ¤llrÁ¤ven vintage 20l

press

a little project…

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well, i survived the red eye flight, and i am writing this post, bleary-eyed, from my hotel room in new york. and i’m excited to finally tell you what my trip is all about! charlotte russe was kind enough to invite me to participate in a blogger styling challenge that will be streaming live on the web at 7pm e.s.t. tonight! you can click here to watch the event and rsvp to be part of the panel of judges to vote for the winner of the challenge!

obviously, i would love to have your support in watching the video tonight at 7pm p.s.t and casting your votes! wish me luck!

my style

cherry on top

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i had a lot of fun today in my vintage-inspired outfit! what i find so great about these pieces is that they are all new items, but they were all inspired by styles from the past. the nice thing about vintage reproductions and vintage-inspired styles, is that you’ll always be able to find your size! oh, how many times i have found the perfect vintage dress or the most amazing vintage shoes, only to discover that they will not fit! or else the condition is such that i can only reserve those special pieces to be worn on the rarest of occasions. this dress is particularly nice because it is made of a sturdy 100% cotton, so it’s something that i can wash and wear over and over again. and the pretty puff sleeves and sweet floral and cherry print on this dress remind me of styles from the 1940’s, so i thought it would be fun to pair it with my reproduction 1940’s platform heels. and of course, the best way to top off such a cheerful outfit is with the cherry on top: my favorite bright red boater hat.

and in other news, i am excited to announce that this time tomorrow, i will be in new york! i’m only going to be around for wednesday and thursday, but if you want to meet up, let me know! or if you want to give me any recommendations, i’m all ears! i read the forecast and apparently it’s going to be 80 degrees with thunderstorms. i have yet to figure out exactly how to dress for such weather, but i’ll do my best!

hat: the last straw hat in ruby
dress: with flying florals dress courtesy of modcloth
it’s currently out of stock, but you can sign up to be notified when they get more!
shoes: remix vintage shoes ‘rita’ reproduction 1940’s platforms

giveaways

tiger cult vintage $40 giveaway!

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enter to win a $40 gift certificate to tiger cult vintage!

this week, one of my lovely sponsors would like to offer you a chance to win a $40 gift certificate to tiger cult vintage! all of the vintage items in the tiger cult shop have been hand-picked by sadie rose in the sunny lands of northern california. she has a beautiful selection of vintage treasures from the 50’s through the 80’s with styles to suit every personality. so go check it out!

to enter:
-visit tiger cult vintage
-leave a comment in the section below telling us your favorite item in the shop

this giveaway is open to international readers, so anyone can enter. just be sure to provide your e-mail address if your profile doesn’t link to your contact information so that we can send you a message if you’re the winner! winner will be randomly chosen and announced on july 16 at 10am p.s.t.

my style

sunday in point reyes

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yesterday was one of those perfect days where i kinda just rolled out of bed and threw on something comfortable to go for a drive up north to hang out in point reyes with brendan. we were partially motivated by a request from my mom to go collect some kelp for an art project. unfortunately, we didn’t bring anything back for her on this particular trip because we decided to go to a beach that didn’t have many sea plants washed ashore. in fact, the beach was practically deserted in general, probably because it’s not the type of place where people go to lay out and get a tan or go swimming. point reyes is a cape located 30 miles north of san francisco. since the point reaches out so far into the ocean, it’s almost always foggy, and several degrees colder than the surrounding area. with all of the fair weather we’ve been having in the bay area, you’d think we would try to go somewhere sunny, but the beauty of point reyes always brings us back for day trips, hikes, bike rides, and camping trips.

on this particular day, we took the short hike to kehoe beach and laid out on the sand enjoying turkey and swiss on a baguette, and mapping out a short story that we’re writing together. well, brendan is doing most of the writing, but i helped him out with character development and plot! i’m really excited about this latest project and hope we’ll be able to find a suitable place to get it published in a lit mag or journal or something (if you have any tips or hints, let me know)! then we napped a bit before hiking back and exploring an historic dairy ranch in the area nearby. and you’ll have to excuse me, because we had so much taking pictures that this post is going to be packed full!

and since this is still a bit of an outfit post…
jacket: gap belted utility jacket
sweater: american apparel sailor strip pullover
jeans: j brand 210 the oslo
shoes: vintage anne klein flats from pineapple mint
sunglasses: karen walker

(you can click the images to enlarge)

uncategorized

calivintage illustrated

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i am so very honored to have been the subject of several illustrations by avi jacob. avi contacted me a couple of weeks ago and asked if he could use some of the images from my blog as the subject for some drawings. i gladly agreed and patiently awaited an e-mail back, curious to see what he came up with. you can imagine my delight when he sent over so many lovely drawings! i’m so delighted that my blog was an inspiration! avi doesn’t have a blog or website (yet), but he’s always looking for new subjects for illustrations. you can contact him through facebook or leave a comment here to get in touch.

*update: avi got a blog! it’s called lavender scribbles.

inspiration

outfit favorites july 10

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copenhagen street style: boquet de fleurs
definitely my favorite outfit this week, this girl has got the look down to her t. get it? yeaaah. anyway, i love the way she paired the cute vintage floral skirt with a simple t-shirt, round sunglasses, and cute summer sandals. definitely a nice way to keep cool and stylish in the hot weather.

altamira: beata holmgren
this outfit is amazing in it’s simplicity, but also in the key details that make it work. her dress has a subtle floral detail and who ever thought to layer a statement necklace over a scarf? yet it works so perfectly right down to her socks and oxfords.

l’atelier d’une fee: the village
you know me, a sucker for a cute girl on a bike! but i love that she wore a cute floral dress with nerdy glasses, and super tall oxford heels. it’s super feminine with just a touch of the masculine for good measure. i love it!

fancy things: holiday
i love the way she paired pink and baby blue. it’s a color combination i’ve never thought to try, but she definitely balances it out with more substantial brown leather accessories, but keeps it super pretty with a floral headband.

hoy fashion: topshop bandstand picnic
how cool is that little two piece? i’m going to assume it’s vintage because i’ve seen cute little sets like that in vintage shops before, but never dared to try them! but seeing how cool and breezy she looks with just a little teeny peep of skin has definitely got me thinking twice!

les mads: the turban
besides being a sucker for turbans, i also love her play on proportions here. the short cropped blouse paired with the high rise trousers create such a cool and relaxed look. definitely something to try.