Antique Store Finds--March

Hi lovelies!

I hope you enjoy all of these photos. Dang, that was a lot of photos!

March was a lovely month for antiquing. I picked up a set of 6 pin-up glasses, a lipstick holder (I still need to remove tape from it!), and two clutches: one a beauty kit, the other with a matching compact. I love finding these sorts of things at antique stores! They must not be very popular because that tape was on the lipstick holder for a very long time! I'm struggling with removing it. Bleh.

Today was my no class Friday and I picked up a few things from AZ Vintage and Cherry Canary that I will hopefully share with you soon!

I wanted to keep the text short since there were so many photos! What have you thrifted/antiqued recently?

Swirlin' Through a Stormy Wednesday

Hair Scarf: A.Z. Vintage

Dress: The Closet

Shoes: Payless

Hello lovelies!

Today I got to wear this new-to-me dress for the first time!

I'm writing this when I have a paper due tomorrow that I haven't even started and I'm currently under a tornado warning. Weee! Eventful Wednesday.

Last weekend I went home not just for Easter, but to pick up the plates for my new car. I took one of those days and met Calvin in Michigan City. I love the antique market there and my dad had brought me a business card from a vintage clothing shop there. I finally decided to try the place out. It's called 'The Closet'. This name is so fitting because the shop is teeny tiny. I really need to learn to take my camera with me when I go to places like this, but I think it'd be weird to take pictures in a store. I don't know why, but that is out of my comfort zone.

While at The Closet I purchased two dresses. There was SO much good stuff. I was very sad that this skirt with a bow print was about an inch too small.This Swirl dress was one of the purchases from that day. 

I have never owned a Swirl dress before. I definitely knew what they were and wanted one. When I picked up this dress to try on I really only looked at the front. "What's that? Bright blue and a weird British dude on the front?" (later I looked up what a beefeater is. I was highly confused by the price tag that read 'beefeater dress'.) It wasn't until I was in the dressing room getting ready to put the dress on when I saw the Swirl tag on the inside and starting freaking out.

We stayed for quite some time and I just chatted with Julia, the owner. Very nice lady that will be contacting me about any other weird prints that come her way. I think she likes me because weird things are harder to sell, and I love them!

So I made a new friend and I got two new dresses. I'd say that trip was a roaring success.

The Elusive White Squirrel

Details:

Dress: A.Z. Vintage

Brooch (which blends too well with this dress): Erstwilder

Belt: Thrifted (?)

Shoes: Modcloth

Hi internet friends!

Today as I opened my door to take some outfit photos outside I spied with my little eye the 'elusive white squirrel' munching on one of the cashews I had put out the day before. I was able to open my door without spooking him and used my zoom to capture a good photo of the little guy. I love squirrels. I think they're adorable. Then again, I love all animals.

Today was another beautiful day in Bloomington! And today I managed to get the courage to wear a bullet bra to class. Last year I felt uncomfortable wearing a petticoat to class and here I am today going to class with pointy boobs! I have really grown to be comfortable displaying my vintage fashion in public. I feel so much more confident when I wear vintage.

After my classes were over, I needed to go get more hairspray, and the piggies needed lettuce. I decided to take a stroll through the mall just for the fun of it. I actually found at Payless adult sized socks with a lace trim on the top! I had been looking for this kind of sock for a very long time to go with my saddle shoes. I bought two pairs: one white and one pink.

It was also compliments galore today. Someone literally complimented me while they were walking past me on their cell phone. This is why I love Bloomington. Well, it's one of the many reasons I love Bloomington. Here my comments are almost always one of the following: You look cute, your outfit is so cute, I like the pin-up look you have. Back in my home town the comments are almost always: Where are you going? Why do you look so fancy?

Speaking of compliments, the night before I went out to dinner with one of my friends at a Chinese buffet. When the waitress dropped off our check she said to me "You are such a pretty lady." This has just been an interesting transition for me. I'm actually getting compliments instead of weird stares or questions. Maybe I'm just better at 'doing vintage' now or maybe it is the difference between the two towns.

So friends, I have a few questions for you. First, I'd like to know in general what I can do to improve my blog. Second, I've been messing around with the general format of my posts. I'm wondering if you guys prefer the way I did it today, all photos first, text later, or if you prefer when I have paragraphs of text in between the photos. I would really like to improve my blog so that I can grow my audience. I truly appreciate your feedback on not only this, but any of my posts. I love comments. I love all of my lovely internet friends!

Spring is Here!

Hi internet lovelies! Spring has finally smacked Bloomington in the face. It was 70 degrees today on my drive home from class. I haven't had time to post since Spring break because I've had papers and exams. Not very fun, but very time consuming. Also my parents sort of surprised me with a new car over break. I think the picture really is worth a thousand words:

Not exactly a flattering picture, but, hey, I've never been quite that surprised before in my life. I didn't even cry like that when Calvin proposed to me. I've been enjoying the freedom of having a car on campus. So convenient!

Outfit of the Day!

Unfortunately by the time I got out of the shower and took care of a parking ticket that I did not deserve (my permit was entered into the system with the wrong date), I did not have time to do my hair! So, please excuse the boring, natural hair. This dress was a purchase from Cactus Flower vintage here in Bloomington. I've had the dress for a year and have worn it quite a bit. However, it was only recently that I have found that my shoes from graduation match well with it! Instead of wearing my B.A.I.T. shoes with this, I wore my Shelly's London shoes with this outfit today. They match the floral pattern pretty well. Plus, they have bows on them. Bows make everything better.

This weekend I went antiquing all over town and managed to pick up some amazing glassware. I think I will save that for my next post though since I picked up a lot of great stuff at multiple antique stores this weekend. So much good stuff!

Please enjoy the following pictures of Bloomington squirrels enjoying the fabulous weather:

Have a great night!

XxCraftyxX

Hello ladies and gents!

Today I am sharing my crafts with you. The title of this post is both making fun of old Myspace culture and hinting at one of my crafts. (Because apparently I'm just in that silly sort of mood) If you didn't know that I'm crafty, try and guess which crafts I do! It could be a fun game---no? Well, that's okay. I'll just tell you. 

I have decided to add another dimension to my blog. I plan to share progress photos and updates along with any other craft related silliness. If crafts aren't your thing, that's okay. I'll still be posting a lot of vintage clothing! I just didn't want to make a separate blog for my crafts. Two blogs can be a bit much to handle!

So, I have always been an artistic person. As a child I was into drawing. I was actually pretty good at it and if I were to practice again I bet I could become a decent artist again. As a teen in high school, I really enjoyed painting and using colored pencils in my art. Towards the end of my high school career I was introduced to cross stitching in my beginning sewing class. I was the first person to finish my projects, even before the teacher! I didn't pick up the hobby again until my freshman year of college and now it is one of my main hobbies. There is something therapeutic and relaxing about it. I also find great joy in watching a bunch of little colored boxes come together to create a bigger picture. That has always fascinated about cross stitch!

The Progression of a Cross Stitch:

This cross stitch got turned into a pillow and gifted to Calvin's baby sister for Christmas.
The entire family received cross stitches that year.

This horse cross stitch was the most complicated pattern I have ever completed. (But wait until I share my work in progress!) Now I also create my own cross stitch patterns. I haven't ever sold any, but they got lots of love, and I think they're super cute!

This cute hedgehog was the first pattern I ever made!

Last year I took a needle felting class with Calvin. We each made our own pumpkins. I ended up liking his better than mine, but most people seemed to think that mine was more realistic. Since then I have made a snowman and a few penguins. I have been trying to work on a minion from Despicable Me for someone, but because of the large size they wanted I decided to first form the body from polyester fiber fill which, confirmed through an internet search, is supposed to felt just fine. LIES! I have placed this project on the back burner for some time because I cannot get the body firm enough. I guess that's what I get for trying to cut corners.

Which one is mine?
The one on the left is mine.

Even more recently I took a fairly successful stab at balloon art. I haven't done it recently because, well, I'm out of balloons!

The penguin went home with a little girl that I saw at Rainbow Bakery. I took my balloon animals downtown with me one Friday to give them away to children that I saw. Sadly, she was the only child that I saw that day.

There you have it! I'm one crafty lady! Future craft posts will not be anywhere near as long as what this one was. I just wanted to provide a good background of my skills. My next post will be about my current cross stitch works in progress. I'm also thinking about having pictures of where I am currently at with all of my works in progress in the sidebar of the blog. Any opinions on that? Good idea? Terrible idea? Let me know.

I hope you're having a good day/night/week!

My "Femme Fatale" Middy

Hello ladies and gents! 

Today, as promised, I styled my new haircut. What I asked for was a long version of the middy haircut from the 1940's. I want to be able to have Rita hair any day. (Read: Rita Hayworth is my idol.) It turned out beautifully except my usual problem where the back is still wet. I really gave it a long time to dry this time too. Maybe I will have to roll up the back sections when my hair is barely wet. Other than that, my curls rest on my shoulders just the way that I wanted them to. I'm in love with it! I have to thank Katie at Senoj Salon for listening to me and giving me just what I wanted/needed.

This outfit was also brand new. I had never worn this cardigan or this dress before. The dress was a "cheap" under $100, purchase from The Pink Poodle Vintage on Ruby Lane. It fits as if it were made just for me, although I do feel that the length may be a little long on my short 5'5" frame. I couldn't believe how vibrant the fabric has remained throughout all of its years of wear. Such a beautiful blue color! My beaded cardigan is from Cherry Canary Vintage here in Bloomington. And of course I topped it off with my Erstwilder Hyacinth the Hummingbird brooch. My saddle shoes are super cheap and from Modcloth. I really am itching to get a more authentic looking pair. These are seriously costumey. 2/10 would not buy again.

As for my makeup, I was trying a few new products out today. I was wearing one of Elf's baked eye shadow trios, the peach one actually, and NYC's Haute Definition liquid eye liner. I absolutely love the eye liner! It hasn't smudged or feathered all day. The best part? It only cost $2.99! As for the eye shadow, I don't know if it or my Too Faced Shadow Insurance failed me. When I got home I noticed that the color I had placed on the main part of my eyelid was creased. I applied these shadows dry. Maybe next time I will try them wet or without the primer. I really didn't like the sparkly, concentrated lines of color on my eye lids! My lip color is of course, Besame Dusty Rose, and my mascara is Benefit They're Real. My foundation today was the Revlon whipped foundation in the lightest shade that they sell. My blush was one of Elf's HD blushes. I believe it is the shade Headliner? I really love this blush. Great color for pale skin. It gives my skin a magnificent glow!

Have you ever had your haircut in a vintage style? Have you recently tried new beauty products? Let me know if you loved them or hated them! Maybe I'll give them a try.

A Lone Poodle, in the Rain, with an Umbrella (More Cardigan Love)

Well hello ladies and gents! I've been on a small hiatus yet again. This time I swear I have one good reason, (and one not so good reason). My computer's hard drive completely failed. My computer geek fiance replaced it with a solid state hard drive. He said that now I can beat up my computer and that it should withstand the beating. (Well, he sort of said that. Tehehe!) But my bad reason is that I have been an extremely lazy dresser. I look like any other college student out there. It's just been too cold and I've been fighting with my seams on my stockings to remain straight after walking distances. BUT today it was considerably warmer and I have plans to actually dress up for class tomorrow. Let's see if that actually happens. Here lately I have not been waking up early enough for that!

Friday night I wore a whole new outfit out to dinner! I had yet to wear this pastel dress from Cherry Canary Vintage OR this amazing poodle cardigan. I bought the dress a few months ago on one of my Friday no class/bakery/shopping days where I have no classes and spend a few hours at Rainbow Bakery and then shop local. The cardigan was a Valentine's Day gift from Calvin. I'm completely obsessed with the insanity of it. I mean, it's a poodle holding an umbrella in the rain! It's the most amazingly weird clothing item that I own.

On Saturday, I chopped about 6 inches off of my long hair. As you may have noticed, I have been wearing my hair straight for quite some time. This is because it doesn't curl in my rollers very well at all and, even with a wet set, the weight of my hair was pulling the curl out within hours. I had my hair cut into a long version of the 'middy' haircut that was popular in the 1940's. Although, she wasn't able to add the prominent layers that this style entails, my hair was too straight naturally and it would look blocky, she was able to add a few soft layers. I plan to set my hair tonight and see what the outcome is tomorrow morning. Hopefully it doesn't end with me rewashing my hair to remove the styling!