Dreaming of Dirndls

When I was in Florida last week, my mother suggested that she, my sister and I visit some local thrift and vintage stores. I think this was mostly for my benefit, and I very much appreciated it. There are so many little places to discover there, as well as the large, well-known stores, selling everything from 'antiques' to costume jewelry and vintage clothes. Needless to say, it was wonderful, both to spend time with them and to explore together.

I returned home at the beginning of this week with many finds, but the best of the bunch had to be my dirndl. Ever since Rebecca over at The Clothes Horse started wearing hers, I've had them in the back of my mind, always secretly hoping to see one hanging on the racks of my local thrift stores. When we went into the first store last Tuesday, I couldn't believe my luck when I spotted one not five minutes after we'd walked through the door. I wasn't sure how I was going to wear it without feeling like I was in costume, so I paired it with my short purple sweater and butterfly pin. I feel so lucky that it fits and love the embroidery along the hem and bust.

Shirt: Target
Sweater: Anthro
Dirndl: Thrifted Vintage
Headband: Steve and Barry's
Pin & Ring: Gifts
Tights: Target
Shoes: Clark's

I'm so happy to be back blogging! Thanks so much for your many comments on my last post and I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year's Eve.

Sisters in the Snow

It snowed all last night and through most of today. It was really exciting for my sister, who lives in Florida, to experience the winter wonderland outside. We spent most of the day sitting around the house, watching movies and hanging out, reading and drinking hot chocolate...but together, which was nice since we only see each other a few times a year. And then we went outside to play in the snow and take pictures.

I've had this sweater for several years and it's a staple of my wardrobe year round. At one of my jobs, the temperature is kept in the 50's all year, so I've taken to carrying my oatmeal-colored, wool sweater with me there. The scarf is a new find from yesterday, and has very quickly become a favorite. Kate and I took the bus to the next town over and spent the day shopping, perusing a really amazing used book store that I recently discovered, visiting one of my most beloved vintage stores, and chatting for hours over tea at a local cafe. It was a wonderful day.

Tomorrow we leave for Florida and I still need to pack...and spend a few more hours tonight watching movies with two of my favorite people in the world. I'll be back in a week; I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

Scarf: Vintage
T-shirt: Hanes
Skirt: Thrifted
Booties: Target
Sweater: Thrifted
Brooch: Thrifted
Belt: Thrifted
Hat: H&M

Forcing Sunshine, Breathing Light

This year, more than anything, I've wanted and have been searching for a reasonably priced pair of lace up, victorian-style boots. Alas, I have not found anything that suited me and fit in my price range. Instead, I've opted for a pair of zip-up ankle boots from Naturalizer. They were on deep discount at the outlet and resemble the look that I was going for, sans laces. Today is the first time that I've worn them out and I'm pretty pleased with the result.

Today is also my first time wearing this sunny dress from Q's Daydream Vintage. When I saw it in Quincy's store during her Black Friday sale, I knew that it had to be mine and have been trying to figure out a way to wear it for fall ever since. I just love the bright colors, floral pattern, and silky fabric. I guess I'm trying very hard to bring a little bit of sunshine into this freezing cold, windy day.












Dress: Q's Daydream Vintage
Sweater: Anthropologie
Boots: Naturalizer
Tights: Target
Pin: Thrifted
Hat: H&M

My sister arrives tomorrow to spend the weekend with us before she and I fly home on Monday for Christmas with our parents and brother. I'm going to try my darndest to get a post in on Saturday or Sunday and will be taking lots of photos next week in Florida. Just in case time gets away from me though, I want to wish you all happy holidays and thank you for all of your wonderful comments!

Raggamuffin Me

During the fall and winter months, I find myself drawn to several ways of dressing. The first is layering. I cannot give up my dresses for four months of the year, even when the temperatures drop well below freezing. I just won't do it. So in order to keep warm, I've been collecting cardigans, sweaters, tights and long-sleeved t-shirts and blouses. The clothes featured in Toast have been a great inspiration for this...I know, everyone and their favorite blogger has already written about Toast, but I just love flipping through the catalogs and perusing the website for cues on dressing for cold weather.

The second is something that's just part of my daily wardrobe anyway, no matter what time of year it is. That's color, and lots of it. A mix of cheery colors always helps me combat the dreariness of gray days and 4:30 sunsets.

Well, this morning these two elements converged when I got dressed to walk into our city center to run some errands. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I felt a bit like a raggamuffin...a Floridian out of water who threw together some of her favorite pieces of clothing in an attempt to keep warm. But it worked for me today. Who knows about tomorrow...temperatures are predicted to be in the teens!

Coat: Thrifted Vintage
Dress: Thrifted Vintage
Shoes: Born
Hat: H&M
Tights: Target
Shirt: Target

Hello Again

Hello again everyone. I'm sorry for my prolonged absence. I decided that I needed to take a short break, and then developed a nasty head cold that's kept me from doing much of anything for the past week. Its starting to fade though and I'm more than ready to get back to blogging.

Yesterday, Dan and I went to his parents' house for their family's yearly tree trimming party. While he went to pick up several family members, I stayed and took some photos in and around the house. Its starting to get really cold here and I've had to seriously bundle up whenever I go out. While I don't enjoy being cold, I do love any excuse to pull out my favorite winter coat. I've had it for three years, and just keep on making repairs to it as they're needed. I honestly can't imagine winter without it.

I hope the rest of everyone's weekends go well!

(If you wish to enlarge any of the photos, please click on them:)

Dress: Vintage
Shirt: Target
Boots: Stonefly
Tights: Target
Hat: H&M
Coat: Vintage
Scarf: Portabello Market
Headband: American Apparel
Pin: Ten Thousand Villages