The Muse: Fringe Element

 After discussing some of the pains of outdoor photos in yesterday's posts I decided to post some photos I've had hanging around for about a month that I did break down and take indoors. I will admit a major isse is my house, first it is very small, like stand in the right place and you can see every room small, which limits where photos can be taken. Second the wall colors, while pretty tend to reek havoc on camera. Like the gold walls of the living room and hallway, especially when you're wearing all brown. Its like a bad afghan from the 1970's. If you foo around with the bloue exposure enough however it does lend itself to semi-normal photos, however I have to admit I long for  the outdoors nonetheless. That being said these boots and this vintage dress were too good together to ignore.

Dress: vintage, Shelton Stroller, thrifted via Wheeler School Annual Clothing Sale
Tights: Merona via Target
Boots: Amanda Smith, thrifted via The Bargain Box
Pearl bracelet: J.C.Penny
Pearl Earrings: vintage, via Top Shelf Flea Market
Ring: vintage, my grandfather's 1949 class ring

The Muse: Stupid, Silly, Snowy

So if you live in the Northeast you probably woke up to several (and by several I mean nine) inches of snow this morning. I confess I've been a bad blogger, I have let the cold weather keep me inside, and to be honest I don't really like to take pictures inside. They are ten times the work of photos taken in natural light because indoor ambient lighting turns everything yellow. As much as I have a burning desire to look like one suffereing from a liver disease, vanity prevents me from taking such photos. HTen again taking photos outside has an equal amount of drawbacks, especially for someone who takes their own photos. Case and point you wind up with photos that look like this:

Where you are blown to hell by the wind and your teeth are chattering so bad that you end up with jowls and a double chin in every photo. Its easy to see why I opted out of posting photos that particular day. I f the weather is wet using a timer to take photos can be tricky because you need to protect the camera, and when its cold you don't really want to take of your coat and leave it off as you run back and forth to set the timer on the camera. Alas that is my lot as a blogger and I do enjoy the experience greatly no matter how I may grumble. That being said I paid my penance ten fold when i decided to ditch the coat and do something really stupid. Take outfit photos in a blizzard around five o'clock last night in a parking lot. Needless to say towards the end I was getting a little punchy, silly, and not to mention frostbitten. But its all for you my friends.  

 Blouse: Merona via Target
Jeggings: Jessica Simpson via Marshall's
Necklace: thrifted via Wheeler School Clothing Sale
Shoes: Rampage, gift
Purse: no label, possibly homemade, thrifted via The Bargain Box
Hair Clip: Anthropologie
Coat: Jones of New York via Marshall's

Jumping for joy even when it captures you in a rather unflattering light? Yes definitely frostbite setting in

So then I skipped back to the car and dried off...sort of

The Muse: Harvest

 One of the biggest challenges, I think at last, about wearing vintage, is how to wear it so you don't look dated/like a granny. As the Sassy Gay Friend says, "Honey, it an't vintage if you've been wearing it since it came out." Now this skirt has a  vintage pattern and color palate, its cut is definitely longer that most skirts you see today. I think I pulled it off wearing a more youthful top and fun pumps and the enormous feather pin also draws the eye up. That being said I like the skirts retro feel, and love the colors especially for the winter and fall. It probably wasn't a cheap skirt when it was first made, and it wears well, it just takes a little creativity to make it shine rather than get sucked into a time warp. Either way it felt right for our family pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving soiree to celebrate the real harvest.

 Dress (worn as a top): Karen Millen
Skirt: vintage Orvis, thrifted via The Bargain Box
Feather Pin: Poundland UK (similar to Dollar Tree)
Shoes: Dexter via Payless
Purse: vintage, Lewis, inherited from Great-aunt Connie, similar here
Coat: Kardashian Collection via Sears, gift
Gloves: Marshall's

Thanksgiving Leftovers

November was a bit of a mix, and old modern standby J.C. Penny and a new thrift store, The Bargain Box at St, Mark's Episcopal Church in Southborough, MA. Southborough is a rather wealthy suburb on Rte. 9 perhaps best known as the home of St. Mark's and the Fay School two old and prestigious boarding schools. Bill Cosby's kids went to the Fay School back in the day. Because it is a well-to-do suburb the quality of goods tends to be better in thrift stores there.

J.C.Penny, Emerald Square Mall, North Attleborough, MA

For Veteran's Day weekend all sale items were an additional 30% off, while the skirt was still full price,  the blouse and skirt are both listed as their lowest price.

1.) Worthington blouse with silver sequined Peter Pan collar, $7

2.) Worthington floral pleated skirt, $25

3.) Olsenboye Indian print purse, $7

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Total: $39

The Bargain Box, Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, Southborough, MA

Working with my new boss has become a thrifting battle of wills. From the time I started I would often tell her about what a great deal I got on a particular piece of clothing. Now I love to shop, I shop in a diverse variety of places, wear many different styles, and have a wide range of qualities of clothing in my closet. I am equally comfortable in both new and vintage clothes and I could care less if I am 'in style' or even come close to matching. Now Diane my boss only shops at one thrift store, and she only shops twice a year when they have their half off sales. Now don't get me wrong, she dresses nicely and always looks professional but her clothes do have a dated air about them and when she shows me shoes she's had since before her son was born (he'll be thirty in May) they look their age. I personally think its great to thrift and buy vintage, but you have to wear it in a way that is current and doesn't always hint at the clothing's origins. Sure a skirt for $2 is a deal, but you don't want to look like you walked out of Arsenic and Old Lace. Needless to say I was leery when she told me that her thrift store's semi-annual sale was coming up Veteran's Day weekend, but I bit the bullet and tagged along. I got some great stuff for really cheap, but a lot of what they had was dated, i confess even a few of the items I picked up will have to be carefully remixed to avoid looking dowdy.

4.) Cambridge Dry Goods Company Indian print maxi skirt, $2

5.) Vintage Orvis skirt, $2

6.) Josephine Chaus navy nautical blazer, $3

7.) Vintage 1980's plaid and floral print flannel (yes I know its hideous, but I can't help but love it) Alison J. Petites $4.50

8.) Vintage 1980's era Diane von Furstenburg dress with jeweled Baroque print and detachable belt (not shown) , $5

9.) Vintage rabbit fur jacket circa 1960's,

 no label but a 'made in Hong Kong' tag is sewn into the neck, $20

10.) Kasper and Co. black and white silk print blouse, $2.50

11.) Oriental print purse with wooden handles, no label, possibly homemade, $1

12.) Amanda Smith tan suede boots with fringe detail and stacked wood heel, $5

13.) Belma New York gold, brown, black, and white print cotton skirt $2 (in the wash when I took these pictures)

14.) Beaded abstract cummerbund style belt (no pictured) $0.99

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Total: $47.99

Other

15.) Suits Us white polka dot dress with a full swing skirt. Over the summer the last time my grandparents were visiting from Florida, they went out to lunch with some friends of theirs that still live here and the woman gave my grandmother this white dress with black polka dots and a sheer rayon shirt to go over it. My grandmother then hung it in the hall closet at my aunt and uncle's house here and went back to Florida. On Thanksgiving when my aunt asked her about it she said it was too big for her. I tried it on and it fit me, so it come home. The blouse that went over it was a little to old for me, plus it was only a medium so I let my aunt have it.

16.) Fabio Rusconi white leather flats, Charlotte, my sister-in-law's mother does my hair, and the last time I was getting it cut she had a box of shoes she was getting rid of and I snagged these

J.C. Penny : $39

Bargain Box: $47.99

Other: $0

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Total: $86.99/ 16 items

Cost per item: $5.44