It's Just Me

For me, relying on others requires an abundance of patience. I'm profusely independent and I have trouble accepting the fact that sometimes I just can't do it all. Ever since I joined wardrobe remix and started a blog, I've had an excuse I guess you could say, to go out and take plenty of outfit photos in the loveliest of places. As expected, this left me incredibly dependent upon someone elses time. . .

Resolution: Tripod, duh!

I actually bought the tripod a few months back, but after using it just once opted for the easier way out, someone else snapping the shot! I suppose it would of worked out that way just fine if not for my battle with patience and independence, but after seeing that most of you take your own photos, I figured that it really couldn't be as hard as I made it out to be on my first attempt. So yesterday I got dressed up and went out by myself for some shots.
I didn't get to wear this outfit anywhere else, only for the sake of playing with my tripod. Since I work nights at a restaurant, I really don't ever have the need to get fixed up during the day. A trip to get lunch and maybe a thrift store is the maximum amount of fun I experience away from home. It kind of sucks and I think that's probably why I joined wardrobe remix, to give me an excuse to get dressed everyday!


I'm not incredibly thrilled with any of the photos that I got, but I'm getting the hang of the tripod and the self timer button so before long I think I'll be able to get the pictures that I see in my head! I have to say, I'm pretty excited about taking on the tripod as my new assistant. I think that there's something different about a photo that is taken when your alone, seems a little more intimate when it's just you and the camera.

Wool Vest: Goodwill/ $3
Tank: Goodwill/ $3
Shorts: Forever 21/ $20
Shoes: Pangs Etsy/$50

The Old Mill

This is The Old Mill in North Little Rock, Arkansas, officially known as "Pugh's Mill Park." It's not an actual old mill, but a life-sized sculpture by Dionysio Rodrigues, built and landscaped in 1933 as a replica of the real Pugh's Mill which milled actual grain a century earlier. It's a really beautiful garden spot, a popular place for locals to get wedding pictures taken.

Of historical interest at the old mill are some 19th century millstones and a couple of mile marker stones from a road near Dardanelle. These stones were set in place by an army engineer named Jefferson Davis, who later became the president of the Confederacy. The stones were used to mark the way for native tribes being relocated to western lands, thus marking two miles worth of the "Trail of Tears."
Arkansas Road Stories

The Old Mill is famous for being in the opening scene of the 1939 blockbuster movie Gone With The Wind. Although it is not known why David Selznick of Selznick Studios chose the Old Mill, it is believed to be the only remaining structure from the movie.

The Old Mill was honored on the 50th anniversary of the movie in 1989. It was also the site of the unveiling of the Gone With The Wind commemorative stamp. Over the years, stars from the movie such as Rand Brooks (Charles Hamilton) and Ann Rutherford (Careen O’Hara) have visited the Mill.
IgoUgo

Bazooka Birthday Blouse

Shirt: Magpie & Birdie (an early birthday present from my lovely sister)
Shorts: Target $15
Shoes: Vintage/Thrift $3
Oversize Straw Clutch: Salvation Army $3
Conductor Hat: Vintage/Estate Sale .50

All photos by my sister Kristi

Built By Wendy Fall '09

I was going through some different fall collections on elle.com when I stumbled upon the Built By Wendy '09 collection and immediately fell in love! Since my brain is not working right now (for no good reason at all) I'm going to avoid writing as much as I can and just list my favorite things about this line!

- All the red... red lips, red tights, red shoes! It makes for such a classic vintage look, I only wish that I could pull off red lipstick. It just doesn't work with my olive skin tone.

-Prints! I'm in love with all of the polka dot pieces in this collection. With the red lips they remind me of my favorite 40's looks, perhaps something I saw Kate Beckinsale or James King wearing in Pearl Harbor.

-Tights, tights, tights....man have I missed those things! I would wear tights everyday of the summer if it weren't so dang hot, I just love what they do for an outfit. I'm especially glad to see that the textured tights are back since I'm not one to wear the printed ones that have been in style over the spring and summer-- I just can't seem to style those.

Flickr Archives

When I first started using flickr last year I didn't realize that it was a heavily trafficked site. My friends and I used a pro account to share photographs and inspirations, we just never really organized or tagged anything. No sets, no collections, no titles...nothing! Once I realized that flickr is a pretty big deal and that most people sort there photos and maintain a rather organized account, I started to clean up my own.

Boy did I have a mess on my hands!

Since it's a shared account with a couple of different photographers and models, I'm in over my head with content that I can't delete! I'm slowly figuring it out, making sets for each model and collections for the photographers, little by little, day by day, sorting and deleting through a collection of around 2,500 photographs. I've pretty much coped with the fact that it'll never be completely done!
I do have a little fun when I come across photos that I haven't seen in a while. That happened today when I found the group of photos shown above. I think they were taken back in February by my friend Cody at Burn's Park in Little Rock. It was before I had a blog so they weren't used for anything, just taken for fun when Cody and I were out and about feeling kind of bored.

From Betsey (To Cazimi) With Love

Big humongous thank you to the lovely Betsey over at From Betsey With Love for featuring my blog as one of her weekend links last weekend. This really made my day when I saw it, especially coming from Ms. Betsey...I think her blog is pretty amazing! Check it out if you get the chance! :)

Canoeing Hiatus

This past weekend I had the opportunity to explore some of the picturesque beauties of "The Natural State" as I went canoeing down the Spring River in northeast Arkansas. For the past two years my employers over at the Bonefish Grill in Little Rock have funded an overnight canoe trip for all of the employees who have been with the company since it's day one opening in July of 2007. With managers and all there were around sixteen of us either canoeing, rafting, tubing, or kayaking on this four hour long adventure spent powering down rapids and rowing past rustic structures and fascinating wildlife. I wish we could have taken some better shots of it all, but we were working with an underwater disposable camera!
The highlight of the trip was definitely the rope swing that we spent almost an hour jumping from. It was just to the left of that branch you see me dodging in the third photo above. We were so close to falling here that I had to bear hug the branch and grab our canoe to avoid the tip. My stomach hurt from all the laughing!! It was such an exciting and much needed vacation from the routine life and even better because it was free. I wish they could all be this beautiful...and adventurous...and uh-mazing!

Etsy

I think I'm finally starting to get a hang of this etsy thing. It seems so much easier than my days spent on ebay hassling with html. I was seriously close to giving up on it all until etsy changed my mind! :)
I stocked the store with lots of different sizes and styles this week including my favorite vintage camisole that I've been hanging on to for some time. It really doesn't fit me, I just love how romantic and dreamy it is, especially when it hits the light! It's too beautiful to continue hanging on my dress rack so I went ahead and put it in the shop. I suppose I could go on and on about why I love each piece, but I won't do that to you all so here's the link!

Eyelashes

Once again I've been captivated and inspired by the alluring photographs in Lula Magazine. I only own the most recent issue with Chanel Iman on the the cover, so it took the Lula facebook fan page to show me some things that I missed. I immediately fell in love with the photograph shown on the bottom right which sent me on an internet search for anything similar! I was optimistic at first, but then I realized I really didn't know how to search the topic. I tried several different froms of "hippie sequin lashes" and "hippie clown eyes," but there didn't seem to be anything similar. With that being said, I just decided to post some of my favorite eyelash photos from the 70's with the exception of the modern day time altering goddess, Courney Brooke. Her painted eyelashes and retro style are both so enviable along with her self portraits which are the most exquisite photographs I've ever seen.

the home of my dreams

Just weeks before my boyfriend and I moved into our new apartment back in April, I spent every spare second of my time daydreaming about the placement of the decorations and the arrangment of the furniture. We don't own a lot of living room furniture and we certainly didn't plan on buying any in this economy, so I had the idea to stack a few vintage suitcases together to form an end table. The plan was to use two or three which would be held together by a few rubber suckers, but of course I never found the exact suitcase that I wanted and eventually forgot about my diy furniture project.
It wasn't until I stumbled upon these crafty vintage suitcase ottomans here that I was immediately reminded of my idea. Now I'm back on the hunt for the perfect vintage suitcase, but this time I'm going to attemp to make an ottoman. I think they're pretty amazing and great for storing the remotes and proping up my legs! Can you think of some other ways to use a suitcase?

Another thing that I would love to have in my home is a charming little drop light. I've seen a lot of pretty innovative lights including tea cup, vases, and legos, but I think the one with the hats is my favoirte. I've got a thing for bowler hats and I think these pendants would add a great "gentlemen" theme to any room...especially a manly room used for poker or pool! But don't get me wrong, I would definitey hang these in my kichen if I could afford the price.

And if money was no issue at all, this is how my living room would look. I know a lot of people tend to prefer a cozier place to live with knit blankets draped here, stuffed pillows thrown there and lots of things piled everywhere but not me. I love simple but elegant, french victorian with a touch of modern. Unfortuantely I'm poor and I have no idea how to tie a room together as a whole. I'm good at saying "I like this, yes"..."I like that, yes"...do they go togehter, "I have no idea." Thankfully, this is where my sister shines! I do the clothes, she does the houswares. Hopefully with my obsessive internet searches for creative ideas and her knack for finding the best vintage decorating pieces we can make some sense of my place!

And just in case your wondering, I posted the second photo of the dress/shirt because I'm absolutely in love with it, really...in love with it! It's one of Hannah's favorites.

I heart Chloe Sevigny...

....and Coconut Records! I'll be posting for real later, just couldn't resist this fun little viggio.

A Fairy Tale World

All photos found via fffound and posted because they make me smile.

I've decided to be a little lazy with the blog today since I had such a terrible time trying to sleep last night. The thunderstorms that charged the city brought the most ferocious sounds I've heard in some time. I couldn't help but think a tree might fall right on top of me while I slept! Isn't fear a ridiculous thing...

French Stripes

Coco Chanel 1930, Audrey Tautou in "Coco Before Chanel", Rhianon from Liebemarlene, Sadie from Sadie's Wardrobe, Andrea from Lookbook

By now you've probably taken notice to all of the stripes that have graced the pages of your favorite magazines, blogs, and street style sites all over the web. I've seen 'em coming for a few months, black and white striped tees, or navy if your feeling nautical, paired under blazers, dresses, and rompers to recreate that classic look that Chanel had such an affinity for. I'm kind of embarrassed to say it now, but I really hated the trend when I first saw it emerging back on the scene. I couldn't help but conjure up the image of a mime, clad in stripes and face paint trying earnestly to get out of his selfmade box. I don't think it was until I saw the movie trailer for "Coco Before Chanel" that I really started to appreciate the look and now I'm on a thirft store mission. I've only been to a few shops this week, scouring the blouse racks stopping only for the stripes in search of that perfect french striped tee. I haven't had any luck yet, but I'm almost certain that by the end of the week something will have turned up!

One Versatile Dress, Three Different Looks

There's nothing like adding a great versatile piece to your wardrobe. The joy I get in mixing and matching items is evident the second you take a look at my closet floor. Blanketed under cardigans and scarves you'll find tsraps and oxfords thrown about in no orderly fashion. They're shuffled through as I chase after the next idea in my head, brainstorming to form the perfect outfit. Whether it works out or not is a different story, but the mess is a guarantee...surely I'm not alone here?
When I tried on my new (and perfect) dress from Modcloth, I knew I had a winner for the mix and match challenge. I decided to form three completely different looks from one dress to see just exactly how resourceful I could be.

Look #1/Shirt
For this look I chose to wear the dress as a shirt. I paired it with my favorite vintage high-waist skirt and a great pair of knit knee high socks, both thrifted for a grand total of $6. I finished the look with a vintage suede purse, also thrifted, a pair of lace up oxford heels from Target, and some darling heart-shaped sunglasses from Forever 21.
I think this look was my favorite. I really like how the bow (which is meant to tie in the back) brought the eye to the waist and eliminated the need for a belt or any heavy accesories.

Look #2/Skirt
For the second outfit I went with a 50's style cardigan and a pair of t-strap heels, both thrift finds originally from American Eagle. The short sleeved cardigan fit great over the top of my dress and couldn't have been any more perfect for the warm Arkansas weather! I topped it off with a lightweight, vintage Banana Republic purse and some turquoise horn rimmed glasses reminiscent of the one's that were worn in the 50's.
Although it was definitely my least favorite of the three looks, I was satisfied with how it turned out. I think a skinny belt would have looked nice, but with all the beautiful ruffles and buttons on the dress underneath, a belt would have highlighted some unwanted details creating more of a distraction to the look rather than complimenting it. The only regret that I have is hiding that lovable peter pan collar in the second photo! I was without a mirror when I slipped the cardigan on and completely forgot to pull the collar out. We took tons of photos before I realized what I'd done. How could I forget that collar? It's the BEST detail on that dress!

Look #3/Dress
Last and certainly not least is THE dress itself! It's the "hannah dress in summer sunset" paired with the "when the west was cute" belt, both from my choice shop Modcloth. The belt is actually meant to be worn on the hips, but with a few adjustments I was able to secure it at my waist. Combined with a pair of vintage slouchy boots, the look began to take on an indian element which always reminds me of Pocahontas or Tiger Lily, two of my favorite childhood indian princesses!

Photos by Cody Henslee

Which is your favorite look?

Photography Inspiration

There's a bit of magic to these photos . . .

. . .the concept and the colors left me wanting more. . .

My friend showed me these photos recently on a blog that was in a foreign language with no way of translating the page. We were so curious as to who the model was, what the photos were for, and why the lady in the last photo is holding a pregnancy test combined with a look of terror and realization. . . uh, oh.
With just a bit of searching on the web, I was able to find out what this set is all about! The photos are a collaboration between photographer Neil Krug and supermodel Joni Harbeck for an upcoming Pulp Art book due out at the end of the year. I know I mixed the photos up just a little, I only hope that I didn't mess with the story too much!
Seems pretty interesting, definitely eye-catching. . .

Pulp Art flickr set and Pulp Art Website

Fourth of July: Family Farm

I really enjoy going out to the "boonies" to visit my parents house every now and then. It's quite a drive through southern cop town on past the shoe tree and a few country general stores and when it feels like you can't go any further, go ten more minutes and there is my home! It's not the life I would I choose, too far from civilization, but it's perfectly fitting for my parents with all of there animals and children! They moved there just after I left home for college so they could live the country life with tons of horses and dogs running around and plenty of scenery to take in. I had a blast running, and jumping, and swinging, and playing with my best ole' bud Dakota. . .the greatest dog ever! With a pond and a pool and so much land, my sister and I had the perfect setting for taking a few photos. I managed to sneak one of my dad fishing just before I left. . . he's always bettin' on that big catch!

Dress: Vintage/Estate Sale $5
Shoes: Urban Outfitters $20
Flower Clip: Rue 21 $2.50

Coco Before Chanel

I can't stop watching this trailer....c'mon September 25th!

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens....

....these are a few of my favorite things.....

1. These bottles of Seagram's VO and Smirnoff vodka were imported in 1969. They were given to me by a friend who found them with the labels still sealed in his parents attic. The vodka is actually mine and the whiskey my boyfriends who doesn't have quite the appreciation for history as I. It took less than a week for him to pop the label and take some shots.

2. I found these 19th century silhouette book ends at an estate sale for $8. It was love at first sight. . . I could have decorated my whole apartment around these two!

3. The blue skirt shown on the dress form was once a really long maternity dress. I really couldn't figure out what the designers intention for it were, so I just cut it uber short to make a high waist skirt. The length was a bit of an accident, I wish I would have kept it just a little longer, but seeing as there is no going back I just leave it on display in my living room. It's not completely unwearable so I'm sure there will eventually be some photos of me in it.

4. I hit the jackpot when I found this Ah- mazing vintage record player for just $50 at an estate sale. The speakers were closed at the sale so it took a little bit of curiousity to figure out exactly what it was. I had been searching for a great record player for months so I was ecstatic when I finally figured it out. I couldn't believe that it actually worked! The speakers are a little scratchy, but all in all it is probably my most favorite vintage items to ever pick up.

5. Our collection of records has grown to be pretty impressive. Where I spend money on clothes, my boyfriend dumps money on records and I ain't complainin'. I love listening to all the old and new artists on vinyl. Some of my favorites (just to name a few) are Panda Bear, T. Rex, Bill Withers, Grizzly Bear, Dark Was the Night, and Downriver Revival.

6. My magazine mirror almost always sparks the question, "did you make this?" As much as I would love to claim this work of art, sadly I didn't make it... I actually ordered it about a year or two ago from Urban Outfitters.

7. This piece right here is my prized possession! It's a 50's faux skirt swimsuit that's in absolutely impeccable condition. With gold stripes and diamond studs the lady who owned this had to feel like a Hollywood star. It's no where near my size, but I just don't think I could part with it. No price seems to make me smile as much as I do every time that I look at it.

8. A local vintage store owner was holding a yard sale at her home where she sold me a bag of dresses for $15. They all needed a bit of work, zipper repairs here, hem jobs there, but really not too much work at all. In that bag was this beautiful 1930's dress. I'm no good at identifying the fabric, but I can tell you it's lightweight, sheer, and dreamy! The damage on this dress is probably more than I can repair being that it's so old. It's really no big loss since it didn't really fit anyway, so I just leave it there on display with the suit. My two most treasured vintage clothing pieces!

On another note.....
I received the "One Lovely Blog Award" from Mrs. Aya of Strawberry Koi


I just want to take a second to tell all of you how wonderful I think you are. Before I started this blog I never realized how united the blogging community really is. You ladies enlighten and inspire me everyday and I am very proud to be amongst such beautiful people. Thank you Aya for giving me this blog award, it means a lot to get recognized by such a lovely and talented lady!

To whoever started the "One Lovely Blog Award," thank you! I have discovered so many new and fabulous blogs by tracing this award, hopefully we can continue to pass it on. I'll do my part by handing it off to some of my favorite daily reads that I don't think have been recognized yet:

Dizzy Dame, Roseate Spoonbill, Wish Wish Wish, Vintage Found