A quilt

This post is for my dear friend Chelsey, a lady I sorely miss and one who shares the same passion for vintage, thrifting and well, granny chic. She had asked me to take a few pictures of this quilt which an incredible local quilter made for me about a year ago, after it appeared several times on my Instagram. The fabrics are a bit of a hodgepodge of textiles that I'd collected over the past several years though there are a few newer batiks that I picked up to allow for the king size. All florals were originally vintage sheets. My inspiration was this image and I've found that my version looks pretty with the chevron pattern laying in either direction, so I change it up every once in a while. As you can see, the deep blues eventually lighten and change into sunset colors, ultimately "fading" again into blues. It's not easy to get a good shot of it in its entirety but I tried to at least show some of the detail. Enjoy Miss Chels! ;)

 And modeled by Ro who didn't need much convincing to snuggle under this mountain for a picture. :)

I'm eager to have another made (and another). I would love to try one in black and whites. Something like this perhaps? Or this! And this is stunning! There are so many unbelievably talented women out there and it is so cool to be able to see what they do and to get those little peeks into their homes via Instagram. Look forward to trying that video option soon too.

Anyway, happy weekend to you all!

Crafty Thursday {a bejeweled collar}}

I broke out the ol' needle and thread this morning, attempting to recreate a little something I've sorta loved for a while now (this collar at Crewcuts). I'm not all that good with a needle and thread, but you really don't need to be and I was pretty chuffed with the results!

I found this stunning collar and cuffs (from the 1950's!) at our local antique mall for just $23. They're seriously beautiful, so you can imagine my excitement over the notion that I could possibly make my very own "modern" collar, similar to the one I'd goggled at many times before. 

Here is the set as I bought it. 

I found a couple of thin velvet ribbons. Well, actually I cut them off of an old jewelry bag that I wasn't using. But they were delicate and adorable and perfect for the job. 

And the result!

Wouldn't it be perfect over a flouncy little black dress? 

Meantime, little "smarty pants" E sipped OJ and soaked it all in, nodding his approval. 

Now for those cuffs!

Hot Pink Vintage

 I love it when vintage pieces come together in a more modern way + I had so much fun wearing this outfit today = all around perfect! I've had this dress for at least 8 years now and have never worn it. It was another thrift find and I fell in love with it's 60's hippie charm but was a little intimidated by the bold color combined with the sheer amount of fabric. It was just too over the top for me. So last night I grabbed a seam ripper and removed the sleeves, a statement all on their own - lacy, wrist length, belled, fringed ... incredibly impressive. And because there was no time to finish the edges, I added this sweet little lace vest to cover up the mess I'd left behind. It's actually my mother's from the 80's, something I grabbed from her throw out pile of clothes once. Thank goodness I rescued it, as it's become a favorite outfit topper!

 

{vest - mother's closet, necklace - Besselli (GB), dress - Goodwill, purse - Target, bracelets - Express, Banana Republic and South Africa, shoes - Nine West}

Love from Etsy

I recently discovered Kiamichi7, an antique jewelry store at Etsy. Their treasures are just beautiful and at incredible prices, with a bonus of free US shipping. There's probably something perfect for you there, so go check them out!

$20

$20

 $25

$14

 $32

 $21

 $22

$10

 $15

Fancy Pants

 Morning friends. Hope you're feeling fresh and sprightly after your weekend. I'm not much of a football fan but ... the Packers are going to the Superbowl! Pretty stinking fantastic.

Let's see. This weekend I ... 

~ froze my hiney off, though I spent no time outside except in passing from one mandatory spot to another. So it was short and not too awful. But everyone else complained of the cold! My little men went sledding in it, supremely bundled, and never really wanted to come in when they were called. We made them take a hot cocoa break every fifteen minutes - not such a bad deal, I think. Daena and I watched with our noses pressed to the windows (every 5 minutes ... as our nails dried ... and we licked the donut creme off of our lips).

~ went to a surprise party. My first. It was a little nerve wrecking waiting not-so-quietly in the dark and hoping to goodness it was pulled off splendidly. She seemed surprised if not slightly scared to see figures lurking in the dark. And once the trembles wore off, very excited to celebrate. Sweet lady. Whew. Happy birthday Lisa!

~ was scolded for my outfit choice. Ha. I wore my denim cutoffs with a pair of thick polka dot tights. Let me assure you that my legs felt nice and toasty, quite possibly more so than if hidden under my skinnies (the other bottom option). But this is Green Bay, my friends, and there are understood and expressly followed rules for dressing in winter. No shorts allowed! Ugh ... I could go on and on, but I won't (I've already erased a bunch so as not to bore you). Let me instead draw attention to the fancy PANTS I frolicked (not in the snow) in yesterday. But most importantly, the clogs! I've wanted a (leather/appropriately-high-but-not-uncomfy/swedish-inspired/sweetly detailed) pair for some time now and finally took the plunge when a gorgeous + well reviewed pair went on sale at Urban. Can't wait to play with them more (dresses & shorts?). Yippee!

{blazer - American Eagle, blouse - (Cynthia Rowley from) T J Maxx, necklaces - (vintage) Somewhere in Time & Loft, ring - vintage, belt - grandmother, pants - Express, clogs - (Seychelles from) Urban Outfitters}

My little dudes had to get in on the action. Such fun!

I even persuaded my biggie to give me an eskimo kiss. 

Rock it boys! 

Monty will ONLY wear mismatched socks ... and I let him. I also let him wear his Transformers shirt 3 days in a row (plus nights) if it tickles his fancy. I do wash it when I can. Not gonna "stunt" this kid's style. Whatevs buddy, let's make it happen. 

 Ah huh.  

{On boys}

{P: shirt - overseas (London), jeans - Gap

M: shirt - overseas (London), jeans - Old Navy

E: onesie - overseas (South Africa), vest - Gap, pants - (Knucklehead from) Sweet Peas, boots - Robeez}

All the Girly Details

You may have noticed by now that I'm a bit of a romantic at heart, so dousing myself with unapologetically girly flowers & bows was not too difficult for me. I started with a much adored vintage dress, one that boasts the most lovely peter pan collar I've ever seen (and a decoration I'm very fond of at the moment) and in the prettiest ice cream pink palette. Quite possibly intended for a stroll through a spring garden, but just as good layered underneath a deep grey sweater for winter. It all felt very soft and romantic, perhaps even more perfect for a day only weeks away (full of reds & pinks, kisses & chocolates). For now, a January day ... 

{dress - vintage from Somewhere in Time, sweater - Gap, belt - J. Crew, ring & tights - Charlotte Russe, heels - Aldo}

70's Bohemian {is my fave}

Good morning friends! I feel like it's been a while since I've posted any outfit pictures, but it's simply because I've not had my photographer home with me until it's dark enough outside that any indoor shots would have looked awful.  So yesterday morning I tried some self timed pics, with Monty ducking behind the couch each time the photo snapped, as if it were a mini bomb going off. Then he'd pop back up to see the results and tell me where to move to. Anyway, here are our sometimes-less-than-focused images ...

I'm certainly in the mood for a spring-y twist to my everyday (aren't we all?).  Nothing too drastic - I'm happy to throw on my cozies and cuddle up to a glowing fire. But just a hint of floral feels so feminine and the boho feel of soft, flowing chiffons and floppy hats, paired with the (trendy again) flare jean are all exactly what I need right now. Usually a spring/summer fave, but also a great pick me up in the dead of winter.  

 I popped into Gap on Wednesday, armed with my Christmas gift card, aching to spend it on the menswear inspired button downs in their silken fabrics (very much reminded me of the looks at Madewell) or the sheer blouse with it's sweet little neck tie. And the wide leg denim was all over, in every wash, and extremely cool. But I dutifully made my way to the sale racks, as the signs boasted another 50% off! And there were incredible leftovers. I picked up this pair of jeans, a "vintage flare" according to the label. The best part, they're very similar to their brand new stock but were only $15. Thrilling! And the cardi was one of about 9 color options and also $15. So run along everyone and get yourself a little something too. 

 {hat - Banana republic, cardi and jeans - Gap, necklace - downtown antique (Somewhere in Time - GB), blouse - Aerie, ring - Disneyworld (!), shoes - Payless}

Wishing you all a totally fab weekend! Don't forget to wear something pretty!