the brave boutique

Big news!  I've officially opened an etsy shop, where I hope to sell some of my better vintage/thrifted finds and--not to get ahead of myself--maybe, someday, dresses of my own design!  It is very small and unassuming right now, but I'm really excited about this new adventure!

Visit The Brave Boutique

currently coveting: kate spade

THIS COAT!  

Gosh, I want it so badly... anyone want to hook me up with an extra small?  

Okay, thanks.

in which nobody puts baby in the corner

These pastel blues and pinks remind me of babies.

(jumper/hat: thrifted; chambray tunic: tjmaxx; wedges: tilly's)

I bought this dress several months ago, knowing that it would be perfect for lounging by the river on lazy summer days.  It was enormous, so I had to alter it considerably--it was one of my first successful alterations!  I basically just pulled all of the seams apart and sewed them back together.  And hemmed it.  It's terrycloth, which is such a summer fabric, like a towel :)

I feel like I've been slacking off on my blog lately because there just isn't enough to say.  I've definitely decided to try for more of a quality-not-quantity approach to blogging, and not to post just because I feel like I need to throw something at the internet.  

Why My Life is Too Boring for Blogging

1. K and I eat the same thing every single night during the week. That's not an exaggeration.
2. My daylight hours are spent in a cubicle, not doing crafty projects.
3. I don't have many material desires.
4. I don't have a baby.
5. I don't experiment with hair and makeup.
6. I read a lot, which doesn't photograph well.
7. I don't go to fabulous parties or events.
8. I don't overshare on the internet.
9. I can't participate in Instagram because I refuse to pay for a data plan.
10. I don't travel to interesting places often enough.

So you see my dilemma. ;)
Oh well, life is good, even if it looks boring from a blogging perspective!  Happy Thursday!

in which i try to be classy

Boy, am I pasty. The sun brings it out :)

(skirt: thrifted; love me do dress: modcloth; trench: h&m; shoes: seychelles)

I had a good, productive weekend, with lots of shopping and Starbucks and sewing and sushi (the four s's!).  I've almost finished my ice cream dress--all I need to do is add a lace collar!  I definitely think my sewing skills are improving.  I'm learning as I go, which is the only way I can really handle learning (kinetic, all the way).  I get antsy just watching 2 minute YouTube video tutorials, and while making mistakes is definitely frustrating, I definitely need to be able to jump in and get my hands on a project that excites me, rather than teaching myself in a practical, standard step-by-step way (practicing stitches and the like).  What does that say about me?  I don't know.  I think I'm kind of like that in all aspects of my life.

In other news, in my quest to grow up and become classier, I have made myself a little list of guidelines for

How To Be Classy

1. wear lipstick casually (like today!)
2. stop biting fingernails
3. further to the above, repaint fingernails when polish starts to chip
4. two drink limit
5. exercise regularly
6. get a haircut more than once a year (whoops...)
7. invest in basics (LBDs, quality trench coats, breton stripes, etc.)
8. experiment with up-dos
9. listen to French music
10. keep the apartment clean

Those are good enough :)  Baby steps.  Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go reapply my casual lipstick, which has become rather trampy-looking after my morning cup of coffee...

in which there is lace and there is lace

This outfit post was cursed.  I actually wore this outfit two days ago (how's that for full disclosure?) and it was so sunny that every shot was ridiculously washed out.  Which is not what you want when wearing an entirely white lace outfit.  As soon as I got to work that day, the skies clouded over, but by the time I left the sun was bright and shining again (what the heck?).  I drove around looking for a shady spot, to no avail, and finally gave up and waited for a cloudy day to try again ;)  But then... the sun came out.  Again.  Like, through the tiniest hole of unmoving clouds I've ever seen.  Anyway, I managed to snap at least a few photos under reasonable cloud cover, and that is (finally) the end of that story.

(skirt/shirt/belt: thrifted; hat/slip: urban outfitters; sandals: kohl's)

Last night was Art Club and it was lovely :)  The girls read the first 25 pages of my novel and genuinely seemed to like it.  A lot.  So that was an incredible relief.  They did have a few constructive suggestions, but the reaction was overwhelmingly positive.  I'm so happy :)  It was a really great meeting all around, and we have some big plans brewing that I think could be really amazing!

So, so glad that it is Friday.  Have a wonderful weekend!

currently coveting: totes

With summertime fast approaching, the idea of lugging my oversized black and brown wool doctor-style bag around is terribly unappealing.  I've found myself lusting after pretty printed tote bags--from simple canvas to pricier, reworked feed sacks.

(I like "Beards are Sexy" mostly because I think it would be funny to walk around town with my bearded boyfriend on one arm and that bag on the other...)

All bags can be found on Etsy: (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11)

in which floral meets coral

I'm baaaack!  It's been so long since I did an outfit post!  I've been frustrated day after day by the blinding sunlight, but today I decided just to embrace it.  Coral shorts deserve to shine, after all.

(sweater/shorts/belt: thrifted; socks: uo; shoes: tilly's)

 I bought these shorts last year and hemmed them supershort (really, too short to be appropriate at the office, which is why I wore my trench coat all day). I really love the high waist and bright color, but I do wish I had let them hang a little lower.  They get mighty wrinkly when I sit down for any amount of time.

I feel like I've been so busy this week, but it's really just because I've gone to the gym for the past three evenings in a row (!!!)  I'm really impressed with myself, can you tell?  It's not so bad when I just buckle down and do it.  Tonight is Art Club and the girls are supposed to have read the first 50 pages of my novel, so it will be interesting to see what they have to say (if they have even read it!).

I've been going through a strange phase lately.  I feel like I want to reject all of the excesses I treasured so much before, and strip down to the basics.  I've been wanting to exercise and eat lettuce lately.  I want to take long walks in silence.  I want to get up early and stretch.  This goes hand-in-hand with my need for blogging evolution, I think.  I don't really know how to explain it, but the way I imagine it in my mind is like so: Art Club is like really rich, cheesy, delicious food and red wine, and the Blogosphere is saccharine-sweet, like gumdrops and cake pops.  I feel like I've been overindulging in both, and now I need to step back and cleanse my system, however that might happen.  I realize that I'm saying this while wearing coral short-shorts and sky-high floral platforms (and hair), but I'm still feeling this draw toward the Essential--toward simple productivity and basic, healthy living.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend.  I hope to do lots of relaxing, reading, shopping, and sewing.  I also want to attempt another batch of ravioli, since it's supposed to be rainy and I'll have all the time in the world :)

just for fun: some collages

adore me

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the lovely people at Adore Me, an online lingerie boutique that offers personalized monthly selections for its members--for only $39.95 per set!  That, my friends, is a steal.  I have been looking around for some pretty underclothes, but have always been deterred by the exorbitant price tags, so I jumped at the chance to share this shop with you.

I chose the Grace, but it only came in S, M, and L and I wasn't sure exactly what size I would be, so I wrote to the stylist assistance team with my measurements and received a prompt reply suggesting the correct size.  The pretty package arrived mere days later, and I was delighted with the quality and fit.  I definitely wasn't expecting to be as impressed as I was, and I am really excited to have discovered Adore Me (actually, I guess it discovered me...).  There are so many beautiful pieces on the site that I would love to get my hands on.  

Click here if you're interested in checking out the site.  Your first step is to take a fun little "would you rather" quiz (who doesn't love those??), which helps the stylists at Adore Me pinpoint your personal style and create your showroom.  If you decide to join, your showroom will refresh each month, and you can purchase any item (everything from bra/panty pairs to babydolls to shapewear) in the boutique for only $39.95, with free shipping and free exchanges, always (plus, you get 20% off your first order with the discount code "ADOREME20"!).  If you don't want to purchase anything, you can just choose to skip that month, no charge!

My experience with Adore Me was a really positive one.  You can bet that I will be buying from them again!

(I Adore: Melody/Amalee/Gabriella)

life lately: signs of brightness

1: surprise flowers/collage

2: el cortijo/secret bubbly

3: scribblings

4: steph comes to visit (thai food, ravioli/twilight)

5: springtime sandwich & lemonade

6: holga/ice cream dress

7: sunday breakfast (k makes coffee, i make crepes)

8: baby bananas/big rock candy mountain

9: tree bark

10: woodland wanderings

11: reading by the riverside

12: cloudy day