artichoke hearts

calivintage: artichoke hearts

last week, i went on a little photo shoot for the style resolutions series on the modcloth blog. we headed out on a stormy day to try to get some shots, but unfortunately, we only got a few snaps before it started to rain. and i couldn’t remove my hand from my head for fear of losing my hat in the wind! but this was my outfit for the day. almost all vintage except for my jeffrey campbell heels and my trusty satchel. i’ve been meaning to get back to wearing more vintage lately, but with a very busy schedule, it can be hard to make it out to the thrift shops, especially because it takes a lot of digging to find just one prized possession. but i’m trying to remember to take more time to do the things i love, thrifting included!

in fact, you can read more about it on our latest modcloth post, style resolutions: round two! and a very special thank you to kristin cofer for taking these photos!

hat: vintage wool hat from mars mercantile
blouse: thrifted vintage silk blouse
sweater: thrifted wool sweater
skirt: vintage halston artichoke print skirt from pretty penny
tights: tabio 110 denier tights
shoes: jeffrey campbells from modcloth
bag: cambridge satchel from modcloth
lipstick: ysl rouge pur in le orange

calivintage: artichoke hearts
calivintage: artichoke hearts

mendocino part two

calivintage: mendocino part two

after exploring the cliffs at sunset on our first day in mendocino, we headed over to the local grocery shop to stock up on supplies for the evening: champagne, food, champagne, dessert, and more champagne.  then we made our way back to the cabin to drink said champagne in the hot tub and generally enjoy the serenity. it was one of those evenings that i won’t soon forget and i’m very happy that it worked out so nicely.

the next morning, we woke up bright and early with high spirits despite our pounding headaches.  blame the champagne.  we headed over to a local spot and got breakfast overlooking the ocean. mimosa required. then we explored another epic cliff and snapped some pictures. as you can see, we got a bit carried away since the views were so beautiful and the day was so bright and shiny! it was so nice out that we decided to take highway one all the way back home, which is the scenic route that winds along the california coastline.  it brought back memories, since the last time i had seen that portion of the coast, was when we went on a bike tour a couple years back from arcata to bodega bay.

we stopped along the way at various little towns. some that we’d visited before, some that we’d never explored. but the rest of the way, i left the camera tucked in the car, so i guess those parts will have to live in memories!

hat: vintage wool hat from mars mercantile
sweater: j.crew dream cardigan
top: asos pussybow blouse
jeans: silence + noise high rise flares
shoes: kork ease bette wedges

calivintage: mendocino part two
calivintage: mendocino part two
calivintage: mendocino part two

calivintage: mendocino part two
calivintage: mendocino part two
calivintage: mendocino part two
calivintage: mendocino part two
calivintage: mendocino part two
calivintage: mendocino part two
calivintage: mendocino part two
calivintage: mendocino part two

festivus

yaaaawn! i am so sleepy today! but i think that’s just because i realized how much i have to do before i leave for vacation on monday. i’m going on a fun little trip to monterey for a few days with my boyfriends’ family, and then i’ll be off to my hometown in southern california to visit family for a while before returning back to the bay area for the new year. i’m actually really really happy and excited to get a break. i just want to lay around and eat junk and do some knitting projects without a care in the world. who knows? maybe i’ll even enjoy a good book (that wasn’t part of an assignment for school)!

so this is a very casual outfit, fitting for a day of thrift stores and target and the grocery store. and planning what to pack for my vacation! plus, i’ve been writing all of my blog posts in advance so that i can continue posting while i’m on vacation and sans computer. i stay at my grandma’s house and they don’t have internet access, let alone a computer! maybe i should tell santa that i want a laptop for christmas…

anyway, i got to try out this fancy pants vintage saks fifth ave cardigan i got from v for vintage in the mail yesterday. i have wanted something, anything with a peplum for what seems like forever, and i finally got one! it is definitely a nice upgrade from wearing a simple t-shirt. in fact, i think i need to get more statement pieces for my wardrobe. they really help on those casual days when you really can’t be bothered to think about your outfit. and who says you have to sacrifice fashion for comfort?



wearing:
vintage saks fifth ave peplum cardigan, v for vintage on etsy
high rise skinny jeans, j brand
vintage coach purse, thrifted
vintage salvatore ferragamo flats, estate sale

nerds

how to get out of a funk 101: go to the thrift store, dudes! i found both this vintage sweater and this vintage ascot polka dot blouse on a much-needed thrifting run yesterday evening. amazing how two pieces can open up a wardrobe. thanks to these two items, i got the opportunity to pull out these old huaraches from hiding and i rediscovered my old glasses which i hadn’t worn since i got those phillip lims. but most importantly, i finally figured out how to wear this beautiful steven alan skirt i recently acquired.

i’ve said this on my blog before: my ideal wardrobe would just be a mix of vintage and designer. but since i can’t really afford designer clothes, it’s a mix of designer and high street for now. but thanks to the gilt groupe sales, i might finally have my opportunity to incorporate more designer pieces into my wardrobe. if you haven’t joined, you can use my invite code. totally worth it, even if you just want to do some “window shopping.”

but moving along, since i’ve been offering you some little-known facts about myself lately, i’ll add something else into the mix: when i was in high school (from ’97 to ’01 for reference), i was totally into looking like a complete nerd. since i have really bad vision anyway, i always wore this silly pair of thick rimmed cat eye glasses and a calculator watch, and all of my pants were high waters. no joke. it was right after my punk phase and i started listening to silly post-punk emo-pop like the get up kids and mineral and the promise ring and joan of arc. phew! that was actually pretty embarrassing to admit… but i blame ian mackaye.

anyway, my high school self would have been pretty proud to know that my 26 year old self was wearing this today.



i had to include this shot. the sign in the background is the back of the grand lake theater in oakland, ca. it opened in 1926 and used to hold vaudeville and silent movie showings. they still play movies there today and it’s right within walking distance of my house!


wearing:
vintage prescription glasses, thrifted
vintage burnt orange sweater, thrifted
vintage polka dot ascot blouse, thrifted
steven alan skirt, courtesy of gilt groupe
merino wool tights, wolford
vintage huaraches, thrifted
vintage coach purse, thrifted

black and blue

well, the holidays are approaching. i don’t know quite what it is, but i can certainly feel it in the air. my outfits are getting more casual, i’m losing the motivation to get work done, and today i’m blogging from my boyfriend’s parents house! we’re here to relax and hang out for the evening. my almost-day-off got me thinking: i’m going to be out of town for several days coming up, and i might have to actually pull away from the internet and leave the blog on vacation! it’s probably a good thing because now that the semester at school is over, i really do need a good break. and what better way than to enjoy a big thanksgiving dinner with family?

so in fitting with the mood, i dressed very casually today. no frills. and i was entertained by the way it came out: i’ve got black and blue, highs and lows, silver and gold. almost my entire outfit was vintage found in thrift shops for a few dollars each, except for my fancy pants j brand jeans. and i’ve had this men’s watch forever, but i hardly ever wear it! in fact, i think i’ve had these boots for 2 years and i never wore them until today. it’s kind of amazing how i still struggle to think of an outfit to wear some days when there are so many items in my closet that i haven’t even worn yet. but sometimes i’m just waiting for the right opportunity to wear it. does that ever happen to you?



wearing:
vintage navy blue puff sleeved blazer, thrifted
vintage plaid blouse, thrifted
high rise skinny jeans, j brand
vintage justin roper boots, thrifted
gold and silver timex watch, target

big red

oh, hm, let’s see. right on the heels of that post about red, i’ve already rediscovered a little something in my closet that just happens to fit in! definitely inspired by the spring 2009 luella collection. it was love at first sight, and i knew that i would need like a million of these for my own personal collection. good thing for me, you can find them for very good prices on ebay, and i usually see them here and in the local antique shops. the only sad part is that i often forget to add a hat, so most of mine are just collecting dust in my closet. you should have seen the little cloud of particles that went flying across my room when i picked this up today!

and can you tell? i was so cold today that i actually wore pants. in one of my recent posts, rebecca of the clothes horse asked me, “how cold could it possibly be over there?” and well, i have an answer. this is the forecast for today:

i should really never complain, right? but seriously, i don’t have a point of reference. i only visit the snow on day trips to mountainous areas. how cold does it get where you all live?

ok, enough with the small talk about weather. i’m like a little old lady over here! instead i will tell you a little something about red that i should have included in my last post. when i was a little kid, i used to tell my mom that red was my favorite color because it is the color of ketchup!

wearing:
vintage red velvet bow hat, ebay
cashmere cardigan, j.crew
lark and wolff by steven alan sailor tunic, urban outfitters
bullhead solana extreme skinny jeans, courtesy of pac sun
woven platform sandals, steve madden