the vintage slip

Vintage has been a cherished theme and idea for pretty much my entire teenage years/adulthood.

Vintage weddings, parties, clothes, dishes, decor. Antiques. 

Perhaps it stems from that long-time love of all things Jane Austen, and the generation that fell in love with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy is finally growing up and getting married and decorating things. 

It could also just be the inevitable infatuation with nostalgia, which every generation seems to have in common. (I will always love you, 90's.)

Some bloggers out there are experts at thrifting and shopping vintage clothing and accessories.

I must confess that I have little to no experience in this area, mostly because I have trouble not knowing the history of an item -- in some cases it can be romantic, like a chipped china teacup or a bit of lace trim. 

But with clothes, I'm always nervous and my most germophobic self comes out in all its irrational glory. 

I have no idea where that item has been...I seem to recall some incident where I tried on an old hat once, and someone yelled at me that it could have lice in it, for all I knew. Maybe I was traumatized?

Whatever the cause for my aversion to vintage clothing, I finally had a must-have moment in an antique store. For a slip, of all things.

I've seen this trend, where a particularly fancy lace-trimmed slip is used to achieve a lengthened skirt, or to simply add some flair. Ruche has a nice collection of slips to choose from, and their winter lookbook Once Upon a Time even featured an outfit with one.

When I saw the vintage slip for a mere $9, I couldn't help myself. I had to get it!
It was something I had been wanting to try, but couldn't bring myself to spend a lot of money on.
I was surprised by how much I loved the way it turned out.
What do you think? Would you wear a vintage slip?

then a fox you shall be

One of my all-time favorite Fall trends is the fox sweater.

The fox anything, really.

Now that the weather has begun to cool down, and the pumpkin spice latte is back at Starbucks, I've started looking around online for the perfect fox sweater. 

I still haven't found it, but I won't stop looking until I do. It has to be the perfect balance of trendy, simple, classic, cute, and affordable.

It's a difficult bill to fit, but I'm hopeful that it can be done. 

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 

Honest talk: am I being too picky?

These sweaters are adorable, and yet none of them are the one. 

I think if I had to choose one, it'd be the scarf-wearing fox, because it's almost like an ugly Christmas sweater gone right, but I didn't realize this until it was too late: it's for babies. And I am not a baby, nor do I have a baby to live vicariously through. It's a lose-lose situation. 

(PS: sorry if I teased you with that sweater. I guess misery likes company. Maybe buy it for your baby, or any other baby.)

I'm also planning on attempting this awesome shoe DIY asap:

I think I like foxes for two reasons:

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox

I saw this on a tour bus once with a friend, having no idea what it was, and let me tell you...we were weirded out. We may have even booed the guy who chose it. As soon as it was over though, something strange happened inside me, somewhere in my soul, and I suddenly realized I loved it more than any other movie ever (except Ever After). #applejuiceflood

2. Heath Ledger in A Knight's Tale

Does anyone else have the urge to say "my foxy lady" any time you see fox-related attire, like my fox purse? Just me, then? Alrightcool.

What's your favorite Fall trend? If you spot any superb foxy lady sweaters, please let me know! 

I'll be on the lookout. 

invest in a vest: outfit 3

Introducing outfit 3 from my 15to15 challenge!

So far I haven't needed to re-wear any items, other than the shoes. I've started with all the separate outfits, and in a few days I'll start creatively re-wearing items from the first few days!

Yesterday was a very misty day. It lightly sprinkled throughout the morning and afternoon, never culminating into a full "rain" but definitely attempting it. 

Through having to park far away from work in the morning and having to walk back to my car that afternoon, by the time I got home and took a few outfit photos my hair was definitely a little worse for wear. 

Exhibit A:

Other than a rather fabulous fur vest, I don't think I've ever worn a casual vest in my teen or adult life. 

I've seen a couple vest outfits that I've really liked, from Melina at The Caffeinated Closet (outfit 1 and 2, I love!) She does the denim vest trend very well. 

Then there's the slightly dressier version, over at M Loves M. 

As you can see, I finally made the plunge and purchased a great white denim-y vest. 

I'm still completely unsure about wearing it sleeveless, even though this is the first time I've worn it and I just went for it. I tend to like vests a lot more when they're layered over a 3-quarter/long sleeve top or dress. 

I think my only real reason is that I tend to avoid sleeveless altogether. (Is it a female condition to think our arms are fat and unseemly?)

Top/Skirt: LOFT, Vest: Kohl's (shop!), Necklace: Francesca's, Shoes: Zulily

Today I have been jotting down my To Do list, which expires Sunday night. I must get everything done by then. I even included dinner dates and mediocre daily activities at work so that I can feel really accomplished when I cross off multiple things every day. Sometimes you need to give yourself a boost of confidence - make the success of your day a sure thing.
"Get dressed? Check! Go to work? Check! Drink coffee? Check! I am on a roll!"

It's Wednesday and I get to leave work a little bit early, so the weekend is looming and I'm ready to conquer my To Do list. How about you?

the mint dress: outfit 2

There's nothing more basic and delightful than a favorite dress and a soft cardigan.
This is yesterday's outfit, number 2 in the 15to15 challenge!

I love the length of this dress. It's one of the first longer dresses I ever purchased, and it has remained a favorite of mine. This week has been cloudy and muggy, and having this dress be a part of this challenge was a great choice!
I also happened to wear this dress on a snowy day in Paris.
I almost always wear an extra layer on top of what's necessary during the summer, because my office is always pretty cool. So while I probably wouldn't wear this cardigan with this dress during the hot summer weekend days, it's perfect for work!

Dress: Ruche, Shoes: Zulily

Today I took two huge bags of clothes down to our local consignment shop.
I had never consigned before, but I took a bunch of jewelry and lightly worn clothes there a few months ago and had a lot of luck! So I decided to do another thorough sweep of my clothes this month, and made the trip. It feels so great to clear out my closet of clothes I love but just don't wear anymore.
There's always that classic rule of "if you haven't worn it in a year, toss it!"
While I definitely don't follow that on a regular basis, I really did a clean sweep this last time and feel great about saying goodbye to the clutter. I don't know why I have such a hard time parting with things, because as soon as I do I feel lighter. Never once have I jumped into a panic saying, "I can't believe I got rid of those pants! They would go so great with these shoes."
In fact, most of the time I find myself having trouble remembering what could possibly have filled those two huge bags of clothes.
Out with the old, in with the new. A constant recycling of clothes and furniture and decor, it's the way life goes! The bottom line? Don't weigh yourself down by assigning value to things that isn't there. While some things may have sentimental value (I have had my fair share of prized possessions that may seem completely trivial to others), at the end of the day they're just things.