Tag Archives: Vintage

Etsy Love: Men’s Edition

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*Every Wednesday, I take a look at some of the beautiful items found at one of the best places for buying and selling hand-made and vintage: Etsy.  Buying hand-made and vintage lets you own beautiful, unique objects with character.  It keeps things out of the landfills and supports artists and small businesses who are trying to make a living doing what they love.  If you have a particular theme you’d love to see, drop me a line and let me know. *

While shopping for my man, I found a pretty good selection of awesome stuff on Etsy.   I’ve always found shopping for guys kind of tricky, so I put together a set of guy-friendly awesomeness I found on Etsy.

Note: I know that creating a gendered list can create some issues.  Please note that I’m not saying all guys will like these items, nor am I saying that women should not like them.

Alien Invasion Men’s Glow-in-the-dark Tee, $18

Northwest Shirts

Wooden iPhone Dock, $25

WouldWorks

Sandalwood with Aloe Vera and Rhassoul Clay, $5

Beautiful Soaps

Mid-century Modern Clock, $16

Look Back Vintage

50′s Navy Striped Silk Tie, $22

Hold The Wire

Vintage Grey Fedora, $29

Bright Wall

“She made her home in between the pages of books”

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Even librarians have to let their inner rockers out every once and awhile :)  And what better way to do that than wearing the boots I stalked eBay for months to get?

This is one of the reasons why I love fall – my sad, neglected boots get to come out of hiding and shine.  Even if it’s only for a few months, it’s still glorious.

Tunic: Tulle (via Penelope T)
Vintage Slip: Sherry’s Yesterdaze
Leggings: Target
Boots: Frye 8R (via eBay)
Necklace: Self-made
White Clutch: Thrifted

Quote: Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 2), Maggie Stiefvater

“Further proof that librarians should run the world”

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Oh, Fall.  I knew you would get here eventually.  And yet, as the months wore on, I continued to doubt that the temperatures would ever drop below 60.  But I know that you never show up before November.  And this weekend, you stopped in for a visit, with temps down to 45!!!  It feels so good to wear layers and boots again.  I had been feeling stylistically blah for awhile now, but now my style senses are being refreshed, and I can’t wait to put together outfits again.

Thank you for finally arriving Fall.  I missed you.

(The quote has nothing to do with Fall.  I just love it because it’s true :) )

Striped Tee: J Crew (via eBay)
Cardigan: Minimalist (handknit by me)
Black jeans: Levis
Boots: Dansko Nena (via eBay)
Scarf: Anthropologie
Cuff: Vintage
Purse: Morelle Slouch

Quote: Tenth Grade Bleeds #3: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, by Heather Brewer

“A new experience for her”

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As you may know, I generally shy away from primarily neutral outfits.  I love color – bright, bold, saturated, etc.  Wearing an outfit of navy, brown and white with just a little turquoise is a bit of a stretch for me.  But at the same time, I absolutely love how this outfit turned out.  The neutrals all work together perfectly, and they created an outfit that is both simple and chic.

I found it interesting that this outfit contains an unusually large number of non-secondhand items for me.  But what I also love is that each of these items was chosen and purchased with care, and have served me through many outfit remixes.  I can’t even count the number of times I’ve worn that cardigan – it works great with just about everything.  That turquoise necklace always makes for a fantastic pop of color.  And my Anthro belt always adds some extra interest to outfits.  As I’ve said before, I’m not against buying things from larger, corporate stores.  It’s always about balance and buying things that you love.

Dress: Soprano (via Li da la)
Cardigan: LOFT
Belt: Anthropologie
Shoes: Dansko Sally (courtesy of Dansko)
Necklace: Express
Bracelet: Vintage

Quote: No Talking, by Andrew Clements

“I turned on the light”

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I made this tunic over a month ago, but I didn’t get around to incorporating it into an outfit until last week. It’s so hot and muggy right now, that long sleeves and leggings are usually too warm.  But my school has a new a/c system now, and it’s freezing, so I get to wear clothes that aren’t completely seasonally appropriate.

This re-con really turned out beautifully, but I wish that the empire waist was just about an inch lower.  It would be a lot more flattering.  Unfortunately, because of how it’s designed, it’s something I can’t really alter.  Eventually, I’d love to make something like this from scratch, so I could correct that.  That is, whenever I actually have some time for from-scratch sewing.

As I’ve said before, I absolutely love my job, but the summer made me forget just how little free time I have while working.  I didn’t do any blog reading all week last week, and my projects and to-do’s pilled up.  I know I’ll relearn to budget my time again, but right now it’s a bit stressful.  Once I get into a routine, I know it’ll be a lot better.

Tunic: Re-con made from Target tunics by me
Leggings: Target
Shoes: Easy Street
Cuff: Vintage via Sherry’s Yesterdaze
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels

Quote: Don’t Bump the Glump!: And Other Fantasies, by Shel Silverstein

Shopping Plan: Weeks 29 and 30

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*Weeks 29 and 30 of My Great Shopping Plan of 2010, where I attempt to stay on a budget and fill out my wardrobe*

Ann Taylor LOFT capris, $18 on eBay
So, life’s been busy since I started back at work, and I missed posting last week.  These capris were the only thing I bought that week, because I was still waiting for my first paycheck.  They’re cute and comfortable, but I’m going to be altering them a bit.  I don’t like capris to have wide legs, so I’m going to taper them.
Blue raincoat: $5
Grey Sheath: $5
After finally getting paid, I went to a fantastic vintage sale at one of my favorite local shops: Sherry’s Yesterdaze. I bought a $10 ticket to go to the early bird sale, and I’m glad I did.  It was less crowded, which made me feel more comfortable shopping, and it gave me first dibs.  I found these two gems above: the funky, pale blue raincoat looks awesome with my grey and purple wellies, and it’s got a really interesting construction.  The grey sheath is absolutely amazing – I feel like I’m in Mad Men when I wear it.  And it goes to show that sometimes, it’s okay to break your own rules.  I generally never buy polyester, but I decided to make an exception with this dress  It looks so amazing on, and it was only $5.  I would prefer to find something similar made of wool or another natural fabric, but I still love it.
They also had $5 jewelry grab bags at the sale, so I got all this jewelry:
Vintage jewelry: $5
I probably won’t keep all of it, but there’s a couple items in there that I really love.
Now that I’ve gone back to work, I’ve come to the realization that I really need to come back to my original focus of filling gaps in my wardrobe.  The past few months, I’ve ignored my gaps list, and basically just bought whatever I happened to find.  Now I’m back at work and realizing that I have no slacks that fit me, and only so many blouses and dresses that are work appropriate.  It’s about time for some back to school shopping for me!

“Some fun things are hard”

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Whew!  My first week back at work was exhausting.  My school was having the a/c replaced over the summer, and the construction isn’t quite finished yet, so it’s been very challenging getting ready for the beginning of the school year.  I love being back at work, but it will take a few weeks for me to get used to the schedule again.  I missed posting yesterday because I simply didn’t budget my weekend time well.  I might be missing a couple posts here and there as I’m re-adjusting, but hopefully I’ll get back in the rhythm of things before too long.

I discovered this tiny little park about three years ago.  I’ve been meaning to take photos down here ever since then, yet somehow, I’d never gotten around to it.  Since I really liked this outfit, and since it was my first day back at work, I decided to finally get down here and take some pictures.  The park has a little tiny bridge right on the Hillsborough River, and it’s just gorgeous.  I hope I can start getting down here more often.

This photo is my shout out to S. of Simply Bike, who recently wrote about panda shots, which are photos you take of yourself while riding your bike.  This was also my first time riding a bike in a dress and heels.   It was only for a few blocks, and it wasn’t hard at all.  Maybe next time I’ll trek out a little farther.

Dress: Soprano (via Li da la)
Belt: Vintage (via Sherry’s)
Cardigan: J Crew (via eBay)
Shoes: Fluevog Malibrans
Bracelet: Vintage (via garage sale)
Earrings: wear+thou

Quote: It’s Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel, by Jamie Lee Curtis & Laura Cornell

“Walk as proudly as you can and the world will look up to you”

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Well, summer has been a lot of fun.  However, irregular sleep patterns (sleeping past 5am!), irregular eating habits and a little too much snacking has taken its toll on my body.  I’ve gained a little weight, which is leading to most of my jeans and slacks not fitting well (hence why I’ve been wearing the same pair of black shorts about 75% of the time lately).

These Gap Curvy jeans were too loose on me at the end of the school year, but right now, they fit perfectly.  I’m happy with my body, and I’m not freaking out and going on a crash diet or anything.  I’m working on making some small changes in my diet, and I’m pretty sure things will regulate themselves once I’m working again.  For now, I’m just happy that I didn’t get rid of these jeans.  I think that it makes sense to hold onto at least a few items of clothing that are either too large or to small on you, because weight generally fluctuates.

The important thing I’ve learned is to always be kind to yourself.  Beating yourself up about weight fluctuation and getting depressed only makes things worse.   A shift in weight doesn’t stop you from being a  beautiful person, but having a foul attitude about things will.

Blouse: Coda (via Revolve)
Jeans: Gap Curvy
Flats: Easy Street
Earrings: Garage Sale
Necklace: Chocolate Cake Jewels
Bangles: Vintage (via garage sales and Sherry’s Yesterdaze)

Quote: Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, by Patty Lovell

“Tweetily-tweet”

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I think it’s true what they say about haircuts, that they usually look better about two weeks after you get them.  I was feeling a bit frustrated with my new hair cut when I first got it, but now it’s really starting to grow on me (no pun intended).

My jewelry was quasi bird-themed with this outfit.  The cuff has engravings of birds on it, and the earrings are shaped somewhat like feathers.  And I even found a blue jay feather on the ground while taking these pictures.  I used to love collecting feathers like this when I was a kid, and I fancied myself quite the birdwatcher.  I even made a “camouflage” cover out of an old green wool blanket, thinking that the birds wouldn’t notice me if I cut holes in it and watched them from underneath.  Needless to say, that idea didn’t work very well, especially in the Florida heat.

Tank: Soma (thrifted)
Cardigan: J Crew (via eBay)
Shorts: Ann Taylor LOFT (thrifted)
Sandals: Clarks Rime
Earrings: wear+thou
Cuff: Vintage via Sherry’s Yesterdaze
Purse: Morelle Charlotte

Quote: Jazzmatazz! by Stephanie Calmenson

Shopping Plan: Week 27

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*Week 27 of My Great Shopping Plan of 2010, where I attempt to stay on a budget and fill out my wardrobe*

After last week, I was very much on track with my budget.  I still had $173 left for the month of August.  I didn’t buy very much this week either.  Since I work in the school system, my money has been limited during the summer, and it’s starting to get a bit low.  I go back to work in two weeks, so I’ll be fine, but it means that I’ve had to tighten my spending a bit.  I still managed to get one vintage jewel this week:

Vintage Cuff: $15 at Sherry’s Yesterdaze

I went into Sherry’s looking for some cool vintage housewares for my kitchen, since I’m currently obsessed with them.  I ended up coming out with this gorgeous cuff.  I love silver cuff bracelets, and I couldn’t pass up one with such beautiful engravings.  I think that the birds on this bracelet may be quetzals, or at least, that’s how I’d like to think of them, since quetzals are one of my favorite kinds of birds.

That was all I bought this week, so I still have $158 left for the month. Once I start getting regular paychecks again, I’m sure I’ll be doing more shopping.

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