The Muse: Spontaneous Leopard

 So this outfit is the result of when I get the bright idea that I want to go out on a whim at 8 o'clock at night, and rush myself. I am a planner when it comes to my clothes, spontaneity is not my strong suit. All in all though I don't mind it, in fact its above the average on the spontaneity curve. These jeans are a bit disappointing however, they have major sagging issues even right out of the wash, by the end of the night they were sagging right off me, I don't normally wear belts with jeans, but I may have to. They are also a more conservative cut which makes me think they may be a go to for casual Fridays, not too tight jeans that still have a fun print. While I was out I went to Charming Charlie's for the first time and picked up this necklace with leopard print mesh and metal fringe, because really can you ever have too much leopard? I also like that it mixes metals just like this headband. I know a lot of people in fashion discourage mixing metallics, but personally I think it makes a piece very versatile, and I'm all about the multi-tasker in my wardrobe.

Blouse: Violet and Claire via Marshall's
Jeans: Ellen Tracy via T. J. Maxx
Necklace: Charming Charlie's
Headband: J. Marcel
Purse: my mother's, no label
Shoes: Karen Millen

The Muse: Featherlight

 Linking up with Marionberry Style's Trend of the Month Linkup featuring, you guessed it, hats. I'm a hat person, always have been. Here are a few hats I've worn on the blog: 1, 2, 3, 4. This hat was one I bought to wear to my step-brother Tom's wedding in 2007. He and his wife rented a house on Martha's Vineyard for the week and the wedding was outside on the house's private beach. The occasion obviously called for a fantastic hat. I included a photo of how I wore the hat for the wedding at the bottom of this entry ( I wore it with an Odile dress from Anthropologie and vintage sea shell earrings). There's just something about a hat that makes you stand up straight and walk more like a lady. This outfit has a similar color palate to the original outfit with cream and peach tones, but I think its also light an airy like the dress and feather accessories.  I've had this scarf, brooch, and shoes all put together for months wanting to wear them, but the hat helped tie them together into an outfit.

Dress: Pins and Needles via Urban Outfitters
Scarf: vintage, Laura Ashley thrifted via Wheeler School Clothing Sale
Brooch: J. Marcel
Purse: gift
Bracelet: Poundland (UK)
Shoes: Fioni via Payless
Hat: T. J. Maxx

The Muse: Country Club

 I may or my not have been illegally trespassing on a golf course when I took these photos. I was on my way home and there it was. It was like I had no control over my car it just shot into the golf course's private road. Besides I figured wearing a polo shirt I could pass for a lady golfer. In truth I was quite an avid golfer in my youth. My father was president of a country club and it was one of the few ways we could spend weekends together. When I was about 10 or 11 he gave up golfing (mostly) and bought a boat, which he named the Usta Golf. WIth that name you would think we were rock stars, whenever he radioed a marina people got unusually excited, mainly because so many golfers usta golf in another life. That and it was cleaver funny name. Once we became a family that spent their weekends boating instead of golfing I lost all my skills, though I wouldn't mind taking it up again, though it is an expensive hobby. Then maybe I wouldn't have to break into the country club anymore to take outfit pictures. On second thought, delinquency is much more fun.

Shirt: Chaps, thrifted via Into the Wardrobe
Skirt: Talbots, thrifted via Wheeler School Clothing Sale
Purse: vintage, via Hall's on Broadway
Headband: Chic 2 Chic
Shoes: Lela Rose for Payless
Sunglasses: J. Marcel

The Muse: Granny Chic

I am not contemporary in my fashion, by any means. I love vintage, and even in current clothing I'm still a sucker for silhouettes of eras gone by. I like to think of myself as fashionable without truly being in fashion. I'm not a sucker for labels, I don't really do trendy, I definitely beat to my own drummer. If hard pressed to describe my style I like classic shapes with and nontraditional style. Pattern mixing, wild colors, unexpected elements. Now that doesn't really fit into one of those neat categories that they give you on a magazine quiz like "preppy" or "girly" or "bohemian". Some days I am those things, more or less. Other days I'm something totally different. I don't know what box I fit into, but I do know what I like and what I don't like, which makes shopping and putting together an outfit in the morning a whole lot easier. And it never fails to amaze me how many people have no idea what they like, they just buy clothes because they're on trend or on the rack at the moment. They must never be very comfortable.

 As for granny chic, toddy I have it all. Floral pattern of a 1960's sofa: check, pearls: check, cameo: check, embroidered carpet bag: check, lace: check, more floral on my shoes: double check. Perhaps the only thing I don't have is a lot of actual vintage, with the exception of accessories my whole outfit is contemporary, but put them together and you better keep you eyes peeled for rogue reindeer on Christmas Eve. Granny chic is sort of like watching the Golden Girls, you're not there yet, but you sort of want to be. The freedom of being able to say pretty much whatever you want with no repercussions and sit around in Florida with nothing to do but gossip. That being said Bea Arthur is not a look I'm ready to try out. That's the 'chic' part talking.

Cardigan: Old Navy
Lace Blouse: Xhilaration via Target
Skirt: Worthington via J.C. Penny
Belt: vintage, via Wright Square Antique Mall 
Brooch: vintage, via Pastimes Consignments
Shoes: Bandolino via DSW
Purse: vintage, Jaclyn, via RI Antiques Mall

The Muse: 4th of July

I took the Fourth of July weekend off, mainly because on Thursday, the atauly 4th of July, I acquired a spectacular sunburn. In my own defense it has been well over 10 years since I had another. I am very pale and take especially good care of my skin, wearing SPF 85 every day, even in the winter. Except apparently on holidays when I have too much beer and take a nap in the sun. I was rather cranky and uncomfortable for the first two days after, but I made sure to use lots of after sun care products and was able to stave off peeling except for a tiny patch at the base of my nose. Its faded to tan now, but I fee like I have to be extra vigilent for the rest of the summer, especially because I had several ugly looking moles taken off this spring. But I'm only human, so hopefully my lapse is forgiven.

I actaully have only a few really bad, quickly done shots of my 4th of July outfit, however I thought you might enjoy some shots of the beatutiful weather and lots of fun we had at cousin Sue's beach house in Little Compton, RI. Its been in her family since the 1920's and sits right on the ocean. they got some damage from the most recent hurricanes, but everything as ship shape and party ready come the 4th. I've spent just about every 4th of July there for as long as I can remember, and the tradition in carrying on the the next generation with my step-brother Tom's two young children, Mason and Ethan.

Ethan didn't risk a sunburn, he had a hat!

Charlotte, my sister-in-law's mother with her granddaughter Lilyana

Lily with her very patriotic outfit, her first birthday was actaully the 3rd of July

Lily's older sister Isabel on the porch swing

Ethan wasn't too keen on swimming so he stuck to being a beach bum with me on the sand

My sister-in-law Natalia and Ethan on the swing, Ethan will be one in a couple of weeks

My step-brother Tom taking Isabel swimming off the private beach down the road from the house

Shirt: Gap, thrifted via Chic2Chic
Tank: Old Navy
Skirt: Rafella via Building 19
Purse: vintage, Dover, via Hall's on Broadway
Shoes: Steve Madden, gift