darling darling visits and an outfit

oh, hi guys! i’m just chillin on my roof with none other than the super awesome and totally adorable diane of darling darling. no big thing. she comes over sometimes to visit and get her hair cut by my friend and hairstylist, shannon dean of indie industries. we hang out and drink beers and talk about blog stuff. you know, the usual.

anyway, i thought it was a nice coincidence that we were both decked out in furs yesterday. i had actually already done a photo shoot for my outfit post before she came over, but when i saw how well our outfits went together, i dragged her up to the roof for more pictures. so yes, this post will be very heavy on the images. i couldn’t help myself! also, i hope diane doesn’t mind that i’m writing this, but i am going to tell you a fun little fact: you might think that i am tall looking at these photos, but i am only 5’5″. diane is 4’10”. many of us bloggers are a very small and rare breed.

so onto my outfit: i have still been slowly recovering from winter vacation/ a gnarly cold/ excessive new year’s festivities/ etc. and whenever i’m feeling less than capable of getting dressed, i find myself digging through my boyfriend’s closet to look for something comfy to wear. i am currently in love with his vintage levi’s blouse, and have been styling it up in slightly androgynous and super comfy looks. at the last minute, i decided to throw on this vintage raccoon fur that my mom gave me for christmas. i was a little hesitant to wear it at first, but it’s vintage, and i have to say it is the warmest and most comfortable thing i have ever wrapped around my neck.

oh yeah, and in other news, i got a new haircut. i guess it’s more of a trim, but i’m prepping myself to try out more of a bowl cut and then possibly transition into a pixie cut. i haven’t really decided. for some reason, i have the hardest time committing to a new cut!

wearing:
vintage raccoon fur, thrifted gift from mom
vintage j.crew blazer, ebay
cashmere cardigan, j.crew
vintage levi’s blouse, my boyfriend’s closet
custom high rise skinny jeans, courtesy of indidenim
platform ankle boots, payless

almost back

so technically i’ve been back home for a few days, but today marks the day when i have to admit that while i still have a few weeks before the new semester at school starts, i no longer have any excuses to slack on the blog. which is unfortunate, considering that i slept for like 11 hours last night and woke up in a strange fog, having dreamt of an almost full day of productivity: i had written and prepared several posts for the blog in clear detail while sleeping. you can imagine my disappointment when i hobbled over to the computer to discover that none of these things had happened in reality.

so while i continue to recover from this cold that just doesn’t seem to want to quit, and from the weekend of partying despite my condition, i bring you some silly photos of me at a bar on the first day of my vacation. i thought it might be fun to post these here because i’ve really only ever posted outfit shots. so this is what i look like having a grand old time at mr. bings after modeling at a photo shoot for shannon at indie industries with jennie of going west and joey de ruy. (more on that later…)

the photos were shot by natalia becker.

wearing:
sailor stripe shirt, rodarte for target
high rise skinny jeans, j brand
woven flats, pineapple mint on etsy

top ten of two thousand and nine

well, it’s the last day of the year, and it looks like a little countdown is in order! these are my top ten favorite outfits of 2009. i tried to keep them generally in chronological order so i could see the progression from when i first started posting my outfits through now. to be fair, i don’t think i actually started blogging my outfits until sometime in the early summer, but i did post daily outfits on chictopia starting in february. i had a fun time browsing through my first images taken with my little point and shoot on my back porch, reminiscing about what was happening in my life during those times.

aw shucks. i guess i’m getting a little sentimental here. i have to say i’m really glad that i stuck with blogging and that i have met so many awesome people, both friends and acquaintances. i’ve been inspired in different ways by each and every one of my readers, whether from a nice comment, from browsing your blogs, or just knowing that you’re out there, taking the time to stop by. it’s helped me to grow in many ways and i’m truly excited to see where else it will take me in the new year!

alright, now wipe your eyes and go enjoy the holiday! i’m ready for more.

a needle pulling thread

one of the many christmas surprises i received this year was quite unexpected but wholly appreciated. my mom gave me a brand new sewing machine! i’ve been talking to her about vintage patterns here and there; i always look for them at thrift stores and estate sales. i love vintage dresses, but it can be a huge challenge finding them, let alone in my size! especially when it comes to cotton house dresses from the 30’s or 40’s. they’re already very rare to find because these are the types of dresses women would have worn on a daily basis until they got holes and were tossed out. then, once i find them, they’re rarely in my size. solution: find a vintage pattern and make one yourself!

i actually have a sewing machine, but it’s seen better days. it’s my mom’s sewing machine from the 70’s. a very simple singer model, which has done me well for years. but sadly, i think it’s finally slipped past the point of repair. i guess i talked about it a lot, since my mom remembered and gave me a new one. so while i don’t tend to think too much about new year’s resolutions, i think that i’ll just have to resolve to start sewing more clothes in 2010. so besides all the vintage patterns i hope to begin acquiring, i’m also inspired by the patterns offered at colette patterns and built by wendy for simplicity! they’re vintage-inspired with a modern twist. ah, a whole new world has just opened up.

calivintage on modcloth

what a nice surprise on my first day back home after the holidays! my most recent outfit is featured on the modcloth blog! who says this powdery hue is only reserved for the springtime? i think it’s perfectly lovely for the winter and it’s (probably) what i’ll be wearing for my birthday party on january 20. so go check it out!

anyway, i’m a huge fan of modcloth, so this is quite an honor! i think i might have to blow some of my christmas money on a new pair of shoes from them right now…


i’m gilty

hi guys! i’m not quite back from my vacation, but i finally got the chance to stop in for a moment to tell you about my feature on the gilt groupe blog wearing a wool herringbone steven alan skirt from gilt. they were kind enough to call me up and do a little phone interview about my thoughts on shopping and style, so you should definitely check it out! i am such a huge fan of that website that i have to keep my browsing to a minimum just to protect my poor wallet! and if you aren’t a member of the site, you can sign up with my invite code to gain access. such good sales!

in other news, i’m still in southern california with family, sans internet connection most of the time. i promise to answer all of your emails and inquiries as soon as i get back on dec. 30th! but for now, i’m going to go on a little field trip to remix vintage shoes in l.a.! if you haven’t heard about them, i highly recommend that you check out their website. they have the most incredible selection of vintage repro shoes ever. i guess i know where my christmas money is going…

ok, i’ll be back soon and i hope you’re all having a nice holiday!

i did it again

alright you guys. dress up day two! i was just too excited not to try out the other dress i got. this one is definitely going to be my birthday dress, which is exactly one month from today. (weee!) anyway, i could have shown you my real outfit for today, but i’m not actually going to be wearing one! no, i’m not going to be naked, i’m going to san francisco to do a photo shoot for indie industries. so maybe technically, i’ll be wearing so many outfits, i couldn’t post them all here. but i will most definitely show you where to find them once they’re up! and then tomorrow i’m leaving for my vacation! so sadly, this might be my last outfit post for the next 8 or 9 days. i will continue to do blog posts, and if everything goes as planned, i’m also going to be doing one of those silly countdowns where i show you my top favorite outfits of 2009.

but for now, i really must be going.


wearing:
swiss dot dress, rodarte for target
spiral lace tights, courtesy of tabio
vintage salvatore ferragamo flats, estate sale

where it all began

you guys, i just realized that i never posted about the collection that got me into fashion! prada, fall/winter 2000! i was a junior in high school when it came out and it was the first time that i became completely enraptured with a collection. i mean, i spent my fair share of time browsing through the standard fashion magazine offerings at the grocery store in suburbia, so i was well-versed in the trends, but i wasn’t one to follow trends at that age. i had already cultivated a fine sense for vintage and had a serious habit of visiting the thrift store by my house several times a week. not to mention the countless weekends spent cruising around looking for estate and yard sales with my friends. in short, i didn’t think of myself as being into fashion.

but thanks to the internet, i soon found myself browsing through collections on firstview. back then they had free access to way more content than they do now. i had seen the prada spring/summer 2000 collection with the lip prints and thought they were pretty cool, but when this particular collection came out, i almost died. in fact, i did die, and a new person was born. it will always stick in my mind. the chiffon dresses, the tucked in scarves, the fur stoles, and grosgrain ribbon belts… i was particularly obsessed with the dress in the first column, 3 down. i even went to south coast plaza to see if i could find it, convinced that i might actually go to prom if that were the dress. um, yeah. that never happened. i don’t regret that i was never interested in actually going to prom (and didn’t), but i do regret that i never got my hands on that dress.

anyway, this being a style blog and all, i figure many of you are probably into fashion. do you have a notable collection that got you inspired?