A Tale of Two Outfits.

Well, I'm really only excited about one, but to support the catchy title, I'll show you both.  First of all, I'm going to go ahead and acknowledge the wrinkles.  They are numerous and they are huge.  I get a little excited when  I envision an outfit and someone who can wear it (usually my daughter) is close by and pliable enough to get them to oblige me by trying on, taking off, trying again, and posing for pictures.  Today, in the middle of a marathon study session, she took a break and tried on some clothes for me.  This is completely harkening back to the days when I played "dolls" for hours, and started making clothes out of socks for Barbie (sometimes real Barbie, but usually generic) and her friends.  I should have gone into the fashion industry but didn't know I had any real interest until now.  Fortunately, I can still participate and not be the weird lady down the street who still plays with dolls.  I shop tirelessly for vintage and current thrift and estate sale finds, usually for the aforementioned daughter who, because of her size, lucks up on a lot more great outfits than I ever do.  Being her mom, however, I do get a lot of pleasure out of dressing her up and seeing how gorgeous she looks.  So on with the tale:

The jumpsuit has been on Etsy for a long time.  I get lots of inquiries, but so far no sale.  The measurements seem off because while the hips are pretty roomy, and the elastic waist can accomodate up to a size 10, this is still very much a size 6/8.  Sydney is an 8/10, and she's pretty much stuffed into it, so the label is correct.  It's made for a size 6 but the numbers just don't add up.  Until today, I had some bad photos posted of the jumpsuit on a hanger in my living room from last year.  The mannequin doesn't work with slacks, so anything pants-related was relegated to a coat hanger until Syd came home from school, lost a few pounds, and became my full-time volunteer living coat hanger.  These pics are SO much better.  I know the season is technically over, but hey, this is the Midwest and we could get an 80 degree Thanksgiving so I'm hopeful that this will still sell.  Besides which, not everyone lives in such an unpredictable climate.  And people who aren't me go on vacation to warm places.  

After doing an estate sale a few weeks ago, I was given the task of cleaning the place out to get it ready for a new owner.  As much as I sold, there was still so much there.  I resorted to giving things away.  I even called in a service which will haul away for free.  His payment is the "goods" he gets to keep.  Still, after at least five trips there with three guys and a truck, it seemed like I'd never finish.  I loaded up some bags for Goodwill and in doing so, came across this Jessica McClintock red taffeta skirt.  The Twenty-One dress is one that my daughter found early in the sale process.  It never made it to the sale because she "pre-shopped" and snagged about six adorable dresses for herself.  This one turned out to be a little too small but before she was able to take it off and toss it into the Goodwill pile I had an idea.  I'd been focusing on the gorgeous bodice all along, and while I don't personally do "layers" (they make me crazy) I know that they expand your wardrobe choices even further.  Being tiny means that you don't often feel or look overstuffed, thus, layers can be in your repertoire.  The dress worked fabulously as a blouse.  The belt is a match for the fabric of the dress, but I didn't understand the buckle, so I think it was just a coincidence.  While it doesn't work with the dress as a dress, it totally works with the dress as a blouse.  Voila!  

And there you have the wrinkles, which in my excitement, I didn't even notice.  The barely visible shoes are Style & Co., from the same sale.  Can we say under $20?  She's toting one of my finds from last year's "hoarder house" haul, a red and blue beaded bag, and wearing a pair of vintage earrings that I've had for a long time.  Like everything else, they're for sale, but they don't seem to want to leave me which is fine.  I get attached.  To everything.  Know what I'm attached to now?  This awesomely elegant look!  

Celebrate Me Home!

 Another Labor Day has come and gone, and with it, summer.  Sure, the weather is still brilliant, with temps in the 90's here, but the "feel" of summer pretty much ends when school starts, and is solidified with the last real summer holiday.  So what did I do to celebrate?  Absolutely nothing.  Well something.  A lot of things, but nothing celebratory. I didn't plan a cookout, and I was invited to none.  So, my kids and I putzed around the house, finally getting it in order and I can honestly say that I have Moved In and I'm LIVING in my new house!  

This has been a long process, but I wanted to take my time and make sure everything was right before we officially called it home.  In this past week I've had a ceiling crack fixed, stored our winter clothes in the attic and found bedroom furniture.  This alone is reason to celebrate.  I haven't had a bedroom set in a very long time.  I finally bought a bed, but still the right dresser(s) eluded me.  After taking my daughter to an appointment, she wasn't in the best of moods, so we decided to drive home through a neighborhood we hadn't been in for a while. She spotted it first--ESTATE SALE! My children usually try to divert my attention when we pass one, knowing that it means and impromptu stop that could stretch to an hour or more. But she knew  I was in need of bedroom furniture, so she suggested that I stop.  I got stuck in the living room as soon as I walked in because I saw nothing in particular, but I need to make sure I don't miss anything.  I almost missed this because even though my daughter had spotted it, and was trying to get me to come into the bedroom, I kept eyeing things I didn't need.  I took one look and in about 30 seconds it was SOLD!  I was just ahead of another buyer who had, unlike me, cash on hand.  Since this was a private sale, not an estate sale company, the owners didn't take credit cards.  I had to run to the nearest ATM and they were nice enough to wait for me.  It could easily have been sold while I was out because this is a beautiful set.  See??

This set was absolutely worth the wait!

  

The lamp makes the walls look smiley face yellow.  They aren't, really. 

Much needed drawer space and surface for all of my knick knacks.  I am still deciding what to display, but I couldn't wait to snap a few pictures of this beautiful vintage set.  Not shown are the two nightstands, the mirror and the bed.  I really want to use the bed, but it's full size and I just bought a new queen mattress.  And a new queen bed.  It was definitely a moment of mad splurging because everyone knows how much I hate the "R" word.  RETAIL.  A splurge and a treat.  But I like the vintage bed better, with it's very functional headboard that has shelves and doors so you can put important things,  useful things,  stuff in them.  It's so 1960's television and I've always wanted one, so I may be getting rid of a brand new bed.  We'll see.  But back to the pictures above, isn't it a beauty?  Even more beautiful is the "P" word.  PRICE.  I'm used to finding amazing deals, but even I was shocked and elated to find this six-piece set for just $75.  That's SEVENTY-FIVE dollars!  And now you know why I was off and running to the ATM.  For another five bucks I bought another vintage alarm clock (that makes 11) a vintage children's book (which I'll sell) and two amazing vintage wire record stands which I will need to part with, but I'm going to enjoy for just a little while.  

Speaking of enjoyment, I found this lamp at SA about two years ago.  I used it briefly in my old apartment, but since that gorgeous apartment never really felt like home, I didn't enjoy it.  Today, September 1, 2014, I am celebrating HOME and my vintage lamp never looked so good. 

At almost two feet and 10 pounds, this lead crystal lamp
was an absolute steal at $12.  One of those days
that I just felt compelled to make a pit stop at the
thrift store.  Somehow I always seem to know...

With my clothing finally in drawers rather than plastic bins, and the extras safely in the attic, I rolled out the yoga mat onto my newly found floor space and stretched.  I'd been waiting months to do that.  Home,Sweet Home.  And although I spent Labor Day laboring, it was so worth it.  

And just wait until you see the laundry room...Next Time!

The 80's Called...Again!

Quick post!  It's 2 a.m. and I should be sleepy and even though I'm not, I'm going to bed anyway.

But, I couldn't help but notice the similarities between an outfit I posted yesterday, and this one from today.  I love fuchsia and black, and come to think of it, I had a couple of dresses in these colors back in the 80's.  I guess it was a trend...????  I was there, I should remember.

Anyway, I took these pictures of my daughter modeling a shoulder-padded, angular, Dynasty of a dress, and as luck would have it, I had a matching clutch.  

 Yesterday, I posted this jeans outfit.  Remember the neon big shirts?  Yep, it looks totally right for now.  Fashion, nothing really new.

It was a fun week of trying on and taking pictures, and I was super pleased to find something in my closet that I hadn't worn, is vintage, and fits!  I wore this to church and since I couldn't decide on which bag to take, I took them both!  Yeah I did!

My Facebook buds are split right down the middle, which I think means that either one will work.  Feel free to chime in, I need all the help I can get.

I sold my favorite bar cart and have to bid it adieu tomorrow.  I am really attached to it, but I don't entertain #MadMenStyle at all so it's really just taking up space.  Beautifully, I might add. 

I'm done.  Short post, remember??

Cook. Eat. Repeat.

It started last night.  I made spaghetti for me and my daughter, while my newly licensed son went out with friends, driving solo for the first time.  Yes, I was nervous, but I do know that he's a good driver.  Still, it's different when you're by yourself.  Or when you have another teenager riding shotgun.  I sent them off with the following admonitions:  Don't do anything stupid.  Keep your seatbelts on.  Don't play the music too loud.  Don't drive too fast.  Put gas in the tank. Don't answer your phone while driving. Be home by eleven. Don't do anything stupid like take your seatbelts off, play your music too loudly, get a speeding ticket, bring my car back on "E", answer when I call you to make sure you're not answering, or have me look out the window and NOT see my car in the driveway at 11:01.  While I wondered which rule he would break, I ate spaghetti.  While cleaning up, I realized that the two pints of strawberries I'd just bought two days before were already eeking past the "fresh" stage.  When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.  When life gives you overripe strawberries, you make strawberry sauce to put over vanilla ice cream.  

Fresh strawberries, mint, ginger, sugar, sea salt, basil.
Marinate overnight.  You'll be glad you did.

  
This ended the day's eating.  It began with cleaning and getting the house "company ready", all because a contractor was coming by the check out a crack in the ceiling. (Doesn't everyone clean when the contractor is coming?)  I finished early, and decided to make kale chips.  No, I have no idea why.  I still can't get them nice and crunchy like the packaged kind, but homemade is so much cheaper!  In the end, I ate some then gave up due to the lack of crunchiness.  I should have made a salad.  BTW, I missed a party because of the aforementioned ceiling crack, but with the clouds looming, it wasn't looking too good for a barbecue anyway.  

Next up, I finished some photo editing that I'd been putting off all week.  I do sell vintage, you know.  Sometimes I get caught up in other stuff and forget that this is a business.  My daughter is a total trooper who does quick change after quick change so that I can do these marathon photo shoots.  Some of the week's best:

So pretty!  Everything is vintage except for the silver formal and the little black dress.  I'm so glad that I birthed this beautiful child...I live out my fashion dreams vicariously through her.  We even included a tribute to my personal heyday, the 80's:

And she rocked this under $20 look, thrifted, gifted and free!  

Now both "kids" had social engagements this evening, so I was home alone.  The leftover spaghetti moonlighted as today's lunch, so I was without dinner.  Before I let the teenager out with my car, leaving me stranded, I grocery shopped, so dinner really wasn't a problem, I just had to cook it.  Chicken and pasta, with lots of parsley and onions hit the spot.  And then of course, there was dessert...but we already talked about that.  And no, I didn't eat it first.  I just talked about it first.  And I thought about eating it first...

The food made me sleepy, as did the nagging headache I still have.  I started to make chocolate chip cookies, but changed my mind.  But as soon as I started to contemplate sleep, I remembered that I have a potluck to attend on Sunday, and I promised to bring pasta salad.  I have no pasta.  (Remember the spaghetti?)  I do have rice.  And beans.  Gee, I hope no one is too disappointed when they take the lid off my bowl and see red beans and rice instead of pasta salad.  It tastes good, it's filling, and I put the rest of the kale chips in there for good measure because I couldn't figure out what else to do with them.  

So to recap:

Teen gets license.

Mom gets worried.

Mom cooks.

Mom eats. 

Mom eats.

Mom eats.

Daughter tries on clothes.

Mom tries to sell them.

Regardless, mom blogs about everything. 

That about sums up my week.  And how was yours??

My Chariot Awaits! (But they sent the wrong chariot...)

I took a job this summer as a mentor to high school kids.  The plan was to spend the summer reacquainting themselves with riding, learning to build and repair bikes, and have some summer fun.  I was a little leery about this because even though I spent half my childhood on my bike, it's been about 20 years since I've ridden one and my knees are about 40 years older. I'm still not sure how that works. But the pay was good, I'd be forced to be outside and active, and I thought I would enjoy being around a bunch of young people every day for six weeks.  I took a picture of the bicycle above because to me, it summed up my bicycling dreams.  Cruising along on something big and bright and comfy.  Reality was a little different.  We didn't cruise.  The goal was to get everywhere as fast as we could.  The bike was a skinny "boy" bike.  No fenders.  No bright colors.  A helmet.  A hot flash (or two or ten). And a VERY painful seat.  Today the program ended, and while I will miss some of my students, I will not miss the sweat and butt blisters.  Before I ride again, trust that the bike will be modified with a cushy seat and I will find an alternative to the "Colonel Klink" style helmet I wore all summer.  Not chic at all!

Speaking of chic-osity, I took about two hundred pictures today!  Yes, that many.  I finally accepted that I have more clothes than I can store, and I'm not moving inventory fast enough to keep the stash comfortable.  Like the vintage Barbie clothes I used to sell, I just love having them.  It's really hard to find vintage clothing in my size, so while I would love to say that I wear all most some of them, I don't.  My daughter will do the modeling for me, and she even wears some vintage clothing, but for the most part, this stash hasn't diminished in over a year.  Sell one, buy two.  (Something like that).  I've decided to dedicate the rest of this month--since I won't be busy sweating and blistering--to upping my online presence, not because I love being "seen" but because I need some "green"!

I'm really proud of myself for the work I put in this summer.  I am so glad that I got moving!  And I'm really happy to be back behind my camera and my computer, sharing the amazing things I find Every Single Day!
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With a really small family, we have never had a family reunion since we see each other all the time.  That's all about to change with our first reunion this Sunday!  I have no idea of what I should be doing, but I know that food should figure in largely, goofy games are a must, and kids and dogs must be running around everywhere.  Check, check and check!  I will likely be quiet until then.  I have a lot to do.  But can you guess what my next blog post will be about?

Check back with me on Monday and we'll see if you're right...

Just a few more days and the summer job is over.  While I really appreciate the extra money, I really miss being able to get things done, decorate and play.  I'm behind on all my projects and haven't had a photo shoot of myself in weeks.  All my recent thrift finds are in a pile on top of the dining room table.  Next week I can resume showing off my fab finds.  In the meantime, I did find time to snap a few gorgeous pics of my yard:

 I took these photos over the weekend.  It's really shaping up.  Well, not really, but the color is amazing!  There is still the issue of crabgrass and other assorted weeds but flowers are way more important.

 I'm selling a wedding dress, leftover from an estate sale that I held.  My daughter is modeling it.  She's going to make one beautiful bride someday!  This custom made beauty is going online.  It's an 8/10 if anyone's interested!

I've blogged a few times about the way sizes have changed.  These vintage slacks are labeled 17/18.  My daughter wears an 8/10.  They are a tad roomy, but certainly not swallowing her up.  I can only imagine what size I would have worn back then.  I guess I just wouldn't have had any clothes!  Given my clothing obsession, that would have been a real tragedy.  

I did make one itty bitty trip to Unique.  I found these slightly weird rooster pics for $1.50 apiece.  Of course I bought them and hung them up!

I also found the orange slacks and two pairs of red ones.  New with tags, one pair is from Dressbarn (keeping) and the other is from Coldwater Creek (selling).  

I am now mapping out my territory for this weekend.  I haven't been to one yard sale this summer and that's just not right.  My plan is to fix that soon.  Anyone care to join me?

Tea Party Photos!

I can't believe that I got so busy I forgot to post pics!  After agonizing over what to wear, I finally made up my mind, went to the party, had a great time, took tons of pictures, and forgot to show you!  Well let me fix that right now...


First of all, I was the only one wearing anything remotely outrageous, and I really wasn't trying to be.  I was simply embracing the theme.  Y'all know I have a "theme thing"....At least the garden and I had the same idea about going all out with color!  I played it safe with black and white, then I put this on my head:

My first "fascinator".  I had tried a series of flowers and tulle and couldn't
quite get it right.  I found this cutie-beauty online at Light in the Box.  $5 delivered to my door.
The day before the shower.  I'm totally winning the the timing department. 

Greeting us at the door was this cute chalkboard sign:

And then the garden took everyone's breath away.  The house sits on a lake so aesthetically speaking, it was pretty spectacular!

The beautiful bride-to-be (middle) with two friends.

The high-strung, high-energy hostess and mother of the bride,
my childhood bestie, Denise, with the oldest daughter. She's
also the planner, chef and gardener.  She was always such
an overachiever.  I hate that. 

One of the aunts.  Not nearly as high energy as her sister.  Thankfully.

Everyone took home a teacup and saucer.  You know
I scoped mine out as soon as I hit the door.

Another one of Denise's daughters.  She has four.
I know, right?

Sydney was far more subdued than her mom.
That's generally the case.

  What, no food photos?  Hey, I was too busy eating.  One of the young-and-tiny girls saw me eating after the game-playing had begun.  She said "you didn't eat?"  I said "no".  I lied, but I knew the whole idea of Round 2 would escape her.  I didn't get this non-tiny by quitting after one round.  I'm just sayin'...

The party was fun and I was happy to be out and about.  Great food, fun, fellowship, and a not-too-shabby group shot!