To ad or not to ad....

I have sort of been contemplating to do the whole advertising thing on my blog.  I know a lot of you girls do it and it seems like an easy answer considering I do it for a living with a real website.  I mean, I could advertise and even benefit for some crazy SEO but I just don't know if I should.  What made some of you decide to do it?  Just curious.

Anyways this morning I woke up extremely chilly and so I decided my moccasin boots were needed.  As I have mentioned in an earlier post, my office is in "Jeans Month" which, I of course don't believe in.  I own 2 pairs of jeans and honestly, I can't even style one week in jeans much less a whole month! I know it seems pretty simplistic considering you have half your outfit already decided for you but, for me....I just cant do it.

Sweater: Target

Dress: I love Ronson

Belt: Target

Leggings: Hue

Boots: Aldo 

My Mother in 1970s Chicago

My mom was really fashionable.  I can say that with no hesitation.  Even to this day she is always up on the new trends.  But since everyone had recently been posting pictures of their mothers, I thought I would follow suit.  While I was over for Thanksgiving, I quickly scrounged through my mom's completely unorganized photobox for any pictures I found suitable for a post.  My mom actually thought the idea of me posting old pictures of her was cool.  I couldn't find any full length photos but I did find these three that I thought were pretty cool because each is from a completely different part of the 70s.

My mom at 21 in 1971.  Yes, that is my dad and it is probably the only time in his life where he didn't have the same haircut as he has today.  Oh so 70s locks of hair!  And my mom's dress is fabulous!

My mom was an artist and always had a Twiggy obsession (she now has a bathroom in the house devoted to Twiggy and London Style) hence, the short hair.  My dad took this picture. He was a photographer in college.  I am in love with her sunglasses....but I can't pull off aviators!

My father was now well into his photography years as you can tell from this picture which my mom thinks is 1977.  This is proably the longest I have ever seen my mom's hair.

Half of me.  I wonder if I look more like my mom or my dad.... ?

 

ModCloth

So I didn't have time at all this morning to take a good photo of what I was wearing to work and I was just far too tired to do it when I got home.  So instead I started monitor shopping on ModCloth, my favorite site out there.  I love their clothes and especially their accessories.  Sadly, I can't buy much these days or I would be purchasing the following items (hopefully no one from their site yells at me for posting!):

 

the About A Girl Vest and The Weir Sweater

the Fashion Mogul Skirt and the Soundboard Skirt (I have been wanting this for about 4 months!)

the Classic Make and Model bag and the Over The Moon Necklace (this is just the perfect necklace for me!)

The White Straps Belt and The Escher Tights

Not even in the mood to post....

I have just been down over the last few days.  Unfortunately, my husband has been out for work for 6 months and it just doesn't seem to be any light at the end of the job hunt tunnel.  I think it is fairly obvious when I am not exactly happy because I wear jeans to work and I look generally sloppy (ok, totally my own opinion, I know but I feel sloppy).  So I apologize ahead of time for my horrible outfit selection for today.

Top: Thrifted

Scarf: Libertine

Jeans: Edun

Shoes: Faryl Robin 

Baby Doll

So my office has what they call "Jeans Month".  I am clearly not a fan of this.  I own a total of 3 pairs of jeans.  Eduns (that I love), a pair of skinny jeans and a pair that I wear with heels because they are too long.  Any other pairs I own are purely for working on the house.  I am not just not a fan of over-casual outfits.  As a result, I dug deep into my closet with the intent to find the girliest dress I own.  Its pink, its sheer and it has eyelet lace!  You can't negate jeans month anymore than a dress like that....

Cardigan: Francesca's Boutique

Dress: I love Ronson

Leggings: Hue

Boots: Madden Girl

Necklace: Vintage 

A Two Day Post

Yesterday I had the awesome pleasure of going to a place called Cafe Too up by my best friend's apartment on the northside of the city (Chicago).  She lives right by Montrose Harbor so just north of her is a sort of not-so-nice area.  But the good thing about this neighborhood is Cafe Too, a quaint little cafe that serves amazing food that is cooked and served by individuals fighting homelessness.  Its actually a charity that takes in homeless folks, puts them through a 12 week program to teach them hospitality and culinary skills and as a result, all proceeds from the cafe itself go to helping them kick start a new life.  Its a great place.  I have been there twice, one for breakfast and once for dinner, and both times it was enjoyable.  Not to mention, it is BYOB which is always helpful.

Because I was out last night, I have two days of outfits to share.  This one was from Friday.  Friday is always, always jeans day in our office.  I really honestly hate jeans day because I am normally only good at pairing jeans with tee shirts, which I consider far too casual to wear to my office even though others do so.  Maybe it just the way I was brought up.  Luckily, I was searching through a box of (still not unpacked) items from my parents house and I found my amazingly fitting,beautifully hued Edun jeans I thought I lost!  I scored these bad boys when the Lohemann's near my house closed.  I got them for $40!

Necklace: ModCloth

Blouse: Rodan for Target

Cardigan: Francesca's Boutique

Jeans: Edun

Shoes: Crown Vintage London

Today wasn't particularly exciting.  In fact, I only wore this outfit for brief stint in the morning to go drop the above listed shoes at the shoe doctor and to stop at the store for CD I was wanting.  After that I actuallt changed right into jeans and sweat shirt in order to help the Hubby put up Christmas lights outside.  (Which is an outfit only made cute by the fact that I paired it with a beret.... )

Dress: Zara

Sweater: H&M

Leggings: Hue

Boots: Target

Belt: Target

Headband: Vintage 

In Between Thursday and Friday

Sometimes Thursdays for me are hard.  I work so much everyday that sometimes Thursday is just too much like Friday....or at least it really should be.  I woke up and knew....just knew I would wear this tunic top.  I got all set and slipped on my boots and my denim high waist skirt, looked in the mirror and BOOM!  I realized I had a meeting with a client today.  WAY too casual for such.  I glanced at every skirt and dress in my closet and I just could not do it.  Luckily, I remembered I had some thrifted black skinny pants. 

It still should have been Friday.

Tunic: Jonathan Sauders for Target

Skinny Pants: Thrifted

Shoes: Steve Madden

Skirt: I love Ronson

Leggings: Hue

Boots: Madden Girl

Hair clips: Ed Hardy 

Waking up late

So, I woke up really late this morning so I didn't feel put together when I walked out the door.  But as the day went one, I started to like my outfit more and more.  The dress is really something I dont wear very often because it is sleeveless and I hate the way more sleeveless cuts look on me.  But the print is beautiful and everytime I wear it, I am reminded of that. 

Sweater: Thrifted

Dress: I love Ronson

Leggings: Target

Shoes: Steve Madden 

On a Cold Tuesday

This morning was very chilly and cloudy.  There was supposed to be a meteor shower over North America setting to peak at 4am.  Since I get up and 5 am, I got bundled up and ran outside.....only to find too many clouds.  I was so sad.  So, in order to perk up, I wore one of my favorite dresses and t-straps, which I covet but barely wear because they are in bad need of a shoe doctor.

Hat: H&M but embellished by me

Jacket: Lululemon

Sweater: Target

Dress: a gift from my mom

Leggings: vintage

T-straps: Crown Vintage London

Why do you shop at thrift stores....?

I can not begin to explain how many times I have been asked this.  Including today.  I think (and keep in mind, my town has transformed from the small farm town I was born in to an outright suburb) people just relate 'thrifting' to 'poor' which is just honestly the most ridiculous and slightly condescending thing ever.  And the funny part is, this quest is always after a statement; "I LOVE you dress/blouse/skirt, where did you get it?"  and I promptly answer "The Goodwill/Nearly New Resale/Unique Thrift."  Sometimes, although much less that the above response, I get a "I really should try out thrifting."  Oddly this response is almost always by someone why has a sense of style. 

I am not sure where thrift stores got their bad rap.  In fact, it makes little sense at all.  I have donated to the Goodwill my entire life.  And for the most part, I have donated things that I either A: received from a family member that doesn't fit or I dont like or B: something slightly used but due to my ridiculous clothing turnover ratio, must be let go and bought by someone else.  So why is it that people tend to think that thrift store = low income.  It just irks me.

Sorry for the rant.  I promise to post pictures of my fantastic thrifted day dress tomorrow along with the compliments I know I will receive while wearing it!

A day perfect for hunting....

So, oddly, as my last post spoke of frost on the lawn when I woke up, today was quite the opposite.  It was an amazing 68 degrees today; sunny and beautiful.  My husband was out helping a friend move so I decided it would be a perfect day for thrift stores and antique shops.

 

 not sure why the camera was so unfocused today!

Dress: thrifted

Jersey Cardigan: Francesca's Boutique

Necklace: Francesca's Boutique

Leggings: Target

Boots: Madden Girl

Ring: Leonard Spencer with Sacred Buffalo turquoise

I was also on the hunt today.  I acquired a fantastic pair of Ed Hardy sparrow hairclips.  The problem is that they are red, black and yellow.  I own a lot of black but really no red or yellow.  So I really wanted to try and find something to wear with them other than black.  Luckily, the Goodwill was lucky because I found a beautiful yellow, red and blue floral blouse for $2.  There is a small hole on the shoulder but I just fell in love with it.  I also picked up a fantastic day dress.  Its oddly a size 0 but totally fits me (I'm a 4).  The best pair is the sleeves roll up and button so you can wear it short sleeved or 3/4 length.  I am so excited to hem it (its just passed knee length), belt it and put on my brown boots!

Ed Hardy Hairclips

Thrifted Blouse

Thrifted dress

As I mentioned, I also went to the historic district of a local town to shop on Beacon Hill, which is their antique and craft district (I'll take a picture of it one of these days, it is precious).  I found a lot I wanted to buy but due to financial constraints, I only picked up two items: a book for my father for Christmas on the 1933 Chicago Exposition: A Century of Progress and a set of 30s postcards of the Chicago Watertower and the Wrigley Building which I want to frame and put in our office (my husband is an architect).  I am especially excited about the Official Photographs book of the 1933 Chicago Exposition.  My grandfather actually went to it in 1933 and it is amazing to see the pictures of all that was built for it!  And none of the buildings (save about 5) exist anymore.  They were all temporary for the Exposition.

Chicago Water Works Tower and Wrigley Building postcards

 

 

 1933 Official Photographs book from Century of Progress Chicago Exposition: Cover, Cover Page, two photos from inside (wish I could post them all!)

She woke to find frost.....

This morning my alarm went off and I awoke clinging to my husband because our house was so cold.  Even our persian cat, Madeline, hopped up onto the bed mid-night and was cuddled in the down blanket at the foot of our bed.  I took a peak and saw a beautiful frost glowing in the morning sun on my rose bushes...the little dying magenta flowers twinkling back at me.  This winter garden inspired my outfit this morning.  It also made me want to listen to an appropriate song: Eisley's The Winter Song.  I love, love Eisley.  Something about them is exactly how I would have had a band if I had continued on in some indie rock band (lots of my friends followed this dream, to which I am jealous).

Cardigan - Francesca's Boutique

Dress - Target

Leggings - Vintage

Boots - Madden Girl

Eisley

On another note:  I am working on trying to get some better pictures taken.  I feel like they are so blurry and just bad for anyone coming to my blog.  Sadly, I am actually a really good photographer (my dad was one and we grew up being taught) and I just too lazy to try and make them look nice in the morning before I got o work.  Maybe if my blog starts to grow and I know more people are looking at it, I will take the time.  Haha

Dress Up for the Veterans

Ok so I don't actually work with any veterans that I know of and no one in my office remotely recognizes that today happened to be Veteran's Day BUT, I felt that is was necessary to dress nicely for the day today. So, with that (and a little bit of inspiration from my DVR watched episodes of Mad Men) I got all fancied up. People in my office kept asking me why I was do dressed up. You'd think a firm such as mine, in the fashion industry wouldnt think twice about a girl prepping up in a little fashion but, oddly they do.

Cardigan - Goodwill
Blouse - JC Penney
Skirt - H&M
Leggings - My mothers from the 80s
Shoes - Target
Necklace - My mother gave this too me on the day of my Bridal Shower and I just adore it.

No bird soars to high...

“Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings.” - Victor Hugo

From the left top corner, clockwise:
Owl Watch: Urban Outfitters, clearly loved
Sparrow: ModCloth
Three Drop Birds: Forever 21
Circle Bird: ModCloth
Owl Pin: Vintage
Shell Swan: Gift Shop from many year ago...

This is the bird in our dining room that sits on our sideboard. Vintage, inherited from my Grandmother whom brought it from Paris in the 1950s.

Indian Summer Day in November

I could not believe it when I walked outside this morning and it was 65 degrees! Definitely a very late Indian Summer day. We always joke about the weather in northern Illinois and how it can be all 4 seasons in one week but, there is just so much truth to our jests.

As a result, I got to wear one of my favorite dresses today. Its just a cheap JCPenny I heart Ronson dress but I just adore it.

It was very sunny when I was trying to take these pictures and my cat was intrigued by the timer sound on my camera (which is why I am looking down!).

Dress and vest> I heart Ronson from JCPenny
Necklace> ModCloth
Boots> Target
Belt> Vintage

Inspired by The Clothes Horse

I don't follow many blogs (really just the ones listed on my site). It might be because I just dont have the time or maybe because I am just lazy at perusing the blog circut, I dont know but, the blogs I do follow really inspire me. This week, I am truely inspired by an older post of a blog called The Clothes Horse. I am not sure of her name but I love her posts.

Recently she had a post involving a Forever 21 version of Doc Martens. That post really made me think of when I started high school (I have a feeling I am older than a lot of bloggers but this was in 1997). Doc Martens were so incredibly popular! I have three pairs, all in different colors. I had black ones (which I still own), maroon ones (which i also still own) and print flower ones that I ruined from wearing too much. I really got inspired to wear them I just haven't figured out how to fit them into my wardrobe. I shared this inspiration with my husband and he thought I was nuts. I guess they are just a bit too grunge for his slightly metrosexual architecture self. :D

I think the Doc Marten style of late 1990s can best be described in one word: Amelie. Who isn't inspired by her? I think it was Amelie who got me into dresses again

Maybe I will get gutsy enough to wear mine again. They have been with me longer than my cat, any of my clothing and even my husband....I have had my Doc Martens for 12 years...

My oh my, I have missed much

As I mentioned in my last post, I haven't blogged much for some time now. But all for good reasons! I got married! How hectic it is to plan a wedding. In my fashion, it was very vintagy. :) I have posted just a few pics below. Enjoy. (And I promise to blog more!)