In + Out

You know how they say that Spring “comes in like a lion and out like a lamb”?  That may well be true in my native Chicago, but not so much here in the Sonoran Desert.  Truth be told, it’s April 11th and Spring is long since over.  Temps in the 90’s, sleeveless-ness, ice cold beverages and serious AC are the new normal until at least September here in Phoenix.  While I, the usually frozen vampire girl, love this, I do occasionally find myself longing for rain, crisp breezes and the enjoyment of budding trees and new plant growth.  Back home in the midwest, consistent “springy” weather would often hide its face until well into May (if not June), leaving the truly hot “dog days” of summer until July.

And so, with this abrupt passing of spring, I realized I hadn’t a chance yet to post any outfits from the truly “spring” weather that we briefly had from about January to March. Sweaters are now all abandoned, my closet cleaned out of anything with more than a tee sleeve, but still these looks needed documenting.  Hey, at least this is seasonally appropriate for the vast majority of anyone that would be reading this. 😉

Spring Look #1

{ sweater } – thrifted

{ skirt } – vintage 60’s, available in the shop!

{ socks } – ?

{ shoes } – vintage 70’s, thrifted

{ necklace } – handmade, Seven Finches

Spring Look #2

{ dress } – Fair Trade, Mata Traders

{ sweater } – thrifted

{ boots } – Fiorentini & Baker

{ necklace } – handmade, Seven Finches

Spring Look #3

{ dress } – fair trade, Mata Traders

{ top } – thrifted + upcycled

{ necklace } – vintage 40’s, inherited

{ boots } – Frye

Spring Look #4

{ dress } – fair trade, Mata Traders

{ cardigan } – vintage 50’s, via Rabia Y Miel

{ tights } – ModCloth

{ boots } – Melissa

In the future, I’ll try to keep up to speed a bit more.  Bring on summer, I suppose, because it has certainly arrived in my neck of the woods!

Little Bit ‘o Spring

My Spring fever is far more advanced this year than one would expect after a move to such warmer climes (Chicago transplant to Phoenix if you are just tuning in!), so I’m taking advantage of any and every nod to warmer weather that I can– especially now that it’s March!

Of all of the decades of recent fashion history, I have to say that the 60’s and 70’s really take the lead in warm weather wear– I can’t think of sunshine and iced tea without a bright print mini coming to mind.  I currently have several adorable dresses in the shop that fit this description, and will be listing one or two more in the coming week.  Check ’em out!

One of my favorite ways to sport this coy style of dress in early spring is paired with knit tights for warmth and layered up with a sweater and jacket– this makes for a super comfortable and sharp look when the weather is a bit chilly yet for bare limbs.

Outfit Details

{ dress } – vintage 60’s, in the shop!

{ sweater } – U.O.

{ tights } – Modcloth

{ jacket } – vintage 50’s, in the shop!

{ heels } – vintage 70’s, thrifted

New Thing

Belated as it may be, I’ve been meaning to write and document some thoughts for this new year of life before it passes me by– January is already half over as it is!  As you can see, I have liked white for New Years day ever since I first had the inkling— there’s just something audacious and fresh about white in winter!  Perfect for welcoming in a New Year.

This New Year has been my first as a wife and my first as a Phoenician (fancy for dweller of Phoenix), really this entire season has been one of firsts.  Change is a wonderful, but sometimes wearying thing, bringing with it new breath– sometimes in the form of balmy breeze, and other times a gale force wind.

I know that God is “doing a new thing” in my life right now, but specifically what lies ahead, I don’t know.  Funny how this impatient culture that we live in, breeds us to demand to know what’s ahead, so that we can control the outcome.  Truly, I find it an amazing relief, in this season of newness, that I do not need to be at the helm of where my life is going.  Despite that and the excitement that this new season brings, I know that in 2018 I’ll need to be on constant guard against my flesh and that easy pitfall of desiring to control my future.  For some that might be anxiety, fear or apathy.  My personal brand of natural sin patterns are frustration and discontent– these are my shortcomings that flare up in times of uncertainty, and I’m doing my best even now to surrender them to Christ.

Oh, the hopes I have for this year!  Some realistic and so close that I can touch.  Others (true to my nature) are quite far fetched and would/will only be realized through divine providence.  I’m learning to engage with both of these kinds of hopes, reaching but keeping only a loose hold– not gripping too tightly, even to the seemingly tangible.

Who knows?  This year may grow my Enneagram work: allowing me to help more people identify and dismiss lies that plague them, and return to their identity in the grace of Christ.

Maybe this year I’ll actually allow more of my mind to flow out on paper in the form of artwork– and have the courage to share it when I do.  Maybe I’ll stop hiding from this and other creative gifts that God has given me, investing them the way I was designed to do.

Maybe I will finally write here more regularly.

I have great hopes for friendship (both old and new), limitless learning, and continuing to grow in contentment and purpose right here where and when I am.  Each year it seems that God underlines the importance of that– finding contentment and joy in every circumstance.  Oh, I am still growing in my natural proclivity towards this, but it gets easier with time– easier to laugh at inconveniences, less hesitation when something goes wrong before I switch gears and allow God to show me the lemonade behind the lemons.  It’s amazing how beautiful this life is when I choose to live in the knowledge that the God that I serve, redeems all things.

D e t a i l s 

{ dress } – vintage 30’s, coming soon to the shop!

{ cardigan } – thrifted

{ shoes } – thrifted via Poshmark

{ bracelet } – gift

 

Catch + Release {purple}

I have always enjoyed seeing potential in things, and have been told that I’m pretty good at “picking ’em”. This often includes people, situations, places and (yes) clothing– especially in regards to ethical style gems via second hand shopping.  Pertaining to the latter, this can be quite a bittersweet thing, because there is just too much good out there!  Over the years, I’ve often found amazing clothing pieces at great prices that are not my size, and felt a sadness at seeing a great deal go to waste. So recently while searching Etsy, it hit me: I should totally be sharing these not-my-size pieces here on my blog, and maybe somebody out there would score a sweet piece!

So, without further ado, here are some awesome garments (from my ferocious search habits and private Etsy favorites) that I wish were my size! I’ll group these posts around specific color, print or styles and share the gamut of items that wouldn’t fit me (but might fit you)!  PS- I’m kind of a cheapskate, so good prices only will be represented here. 😉

1. 50’s lavender western, metallic rick rack midi skirt – $54 (currently on sale!)
2. 50’s lavender gingham cotton dress with floral details – $69
3. 50’s lavender bucket pocket full skirt – $38
4. 80’s-does-40’s purple pocket detail wiggle skirt – $42
5. 50’s lavender cotton day dress – $62
6. 60’s lavender tulip embroidered pencil skirt – $60

7) 70’s Lilac beaded day dress -$62

8) 80’s Metallic Lavender Sheath Dress – $39

Don’t know your measurements or why they matter?  It’s a practice I have gotten into over the years because of the fickleness of vintage-vs-modern day sizing, but all in all is the smartest way to shop!  Why?  Because sizes may vary, but measurements are standard from brand to brand and decade to decade– 29″ inches is 29″ inches.  Got me?  This little bit of info is usually pretty liberating, especially for ladies who normally dread online shopping.

More where that came from next time, as I am always combing for unique and affordable pieces.

Blue skies + time flies

Occasional white puffs in our usually solid blue skies, chillier temps and pumpkin-mania has reminded me lately that time is passing.  Thanksgiving is around the corner, and Phoenix is starting to feel like home.

For some reason, I’m the kind of person that compiles ideas and content, yet never posts it.  Why?  Something to do with being naturally bad at action, and finding musing to be quite a bit easier than moving. 😉  Alas, here I am trying to mend my ways.  I’ve documented a few outfits lately, intending to post them here, but have been wondering if there’s a better way to do so.  Once upon a time, I read this blog called Dear Baby, and found its’ author to be such a humble and genuine person– even in the way she posted outfits (an admirable feat, in my opinion).  So, at least for awhile, I’m going to try to follow her method of posting: not dominating an entire post with just one outfit, but posting a week of outfits together in one post.  Truly, this sounds great because there is so much more that I want to write about than style, yet it’s such a natural way to include it– making it clear that these are actually clothes I wore this week, not an outfit that I put on just to photograph.  That kind of realness matters to me.

And so, this past week:

O N E

I really enjoy re-purposing things, and though sometimes I joke that it’s because I’m a cheapskate, it’s really because I love to see the potential in things (and people alike)!  This “dress” is one that I wore as a 10th grader in my dance studio’s annual Grande Ballet– I unearthed it recently and thought what a pretty skirt it had.  A pair of scissors later and I have another great (leotard-less) dress!   PS- These awesome faux Victorian booties are for sale at Novel Nellie, size 7!

{ dress } – old ballet costume, turned dress.

{ cardigan } – thrifted

{ necklace } – handmade, gift

{ booties } – vintage 80’s, for sale at Novel Nellie!

{ bag } – handmade, Rachel Elise

T W O

Though I went with “early 40’s”, this vintage cutie of a dress just doesn’t contain enough dating info to be certain of anything more than “late 30’s – early 40’s”.  This period of the 20th century is my favorite for fashion history, so I was pretty smitten to find this dress– even despite it’s sun fading.

Every year, early in the fall, I really enjoy wearing chunky socks with ankle strap vintage heels and bare legs, before the weather gets too cold.  It’s been pretty wonderful this year to be able to extend that (because in Phoenix it never gets too cold), and abandon full length tights all together.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the addition of legwear to an outfit, but I’m really enjoying a departure from the necessity of the climate I’ve long known.

{ dress } – vintage early 40’s, thrifted

{ necklace } – handmade, Etsy

{ bag } – handmade, Rachel Elise

{ socks } – old favorites, unsure of origin.

{heels} – vintage 70’s, thrifted.

Dame of the Desert

This move to Phoenix has introduced me to such natural beauty of a different kind than I am used to, and over labor day weekend I was treated to seeing so much more of it! Saturday morning, Mister and I headed north towards several beautiful Arizona gems: The Painted Desert, Petrified Forest and Canyon De Chelly.  Jon took a solo trip to see all three a couple of years ago, and was about busting at the seams in excitement to show me– you know it’s good if someone who has been there is that stoked!

It would be impossible to share (or even capture) all of the beauty that we saw, even over just a 2 day trip.  Still, I felt it would be worthwhile to start documenting our little adventures here.

My love of both style and the outdoors has sometimes seemed to confuse people, but to me, they both involve the appreciation of beauty– how could I love one and not the other? Even when hiking, as on this trip, I usually find it pretty easy to sport something fun (and sweat worthy).  It was kind of funny to get looks from passersby, all in uniform “activewear” though.

This trip was wonderful in so many ways!  We spent time in the Navajo Nation (where Canyon De Chelly is located), which was such a cool opportunity to learn more about their history and way of life as a people.  I still have things that I need to Google! 😉  All three of our destinations were also so chalk full of the fingerprints of God– Jon even thought to read from the Creation account in Genesis while we took in one of the overlooks of the canyon (*swoon* reasons I love this man)– such beauty, design and hugeness was overwhelming in the best way, reminding me in so tangibly of who my Creator is.  He values both order and authenticity, as there are few straight lines in his handiwork.  He is bigger than we could ever imagine, which means he is blessedly in control.  Seeing the vastness of God has a wonderful way of making me feel small– of reminding me that all of the frustrations and bumpy patches of road that I deal with in the everyday, don’t matter at all.  Seriously, when you witness a breathtaking sunset, do slow drivers in traffic matter?  When you stand before the rushing ocean and recall that the same Creator who made it, sees you and has good plans for your life– does a wrinkled shirt matter in light of that?  Ah, no.

I am so thankful twofold: 1) that Jon and I live so close to this kind of strange and breathtaking beauty, and 2) that wherever you live (I know because I’m from Illinois), God’s awe-striking handiwork in creation can be found in abundance.  See that small flower growing up through the pavement?  See that night sky full of stars?  Creation speaks of the glory of God.

 

{ Outfit Details }

50’s Pinafore – vintage, thrifted

Tank top – UO

Necklace – handmade, gift

Sunglasses – Poshmark