anyway, this is just a little documentation of a walk to the mountain view cemetery with diane and brendan. we strolled through piedmont ave on the way and stopped in a book store where i got brendan a first edition copy of ghosts by paul auster. part of the new york trilogy. that little shop is cool because they have used books and antiques. you could even buy cowboy boots there. then we headed into the cemetery and found a spot with a good view to sit and talk and drink wine out of a water bottle.

i have to tell you, i can’t recommend this swimsuit enough. i tried it on immediately after it arrived in the mail and actually kept it on and just walked around the house wearing it because it made me feel so good. a lot of swimsuits are just too flimsy for me to feel comfortable, but this baby fits like a dream and is very supportive.

anyway, i felt pretty shy about showing pictures of myself in a swimsuit, so i decided to break the ice with a list of things you probably didn’t know about me, since we’re getting so intimate today!

1. i’m a middle child. i have an older sister who’s about to turn 30 and a younger brother who’s 23. i look up to both of them.

2. i come from a working class background. when i was growing up, my dad was a truck driver for frito lay and my mom worked as a part time 1st grade teacher’s aid and art teacher at a small elementary school. she sometimes worked up to 3 jobs at a time, for which i am very thankful!

3. when i was in high school, i tried out my first pixie cut. soon after, i experimented with dying my hair cotton candy pink, dark pink, purple, turquoise, orange, and firetruck red. i also remember one summer when i was 15, i wore a ninja turtles muscle tee, a bandanna as a headband, and men’s levis 501’s almost every day.

4. i became vegan at age 15 and stayed that way for about 8 years. now i find it hard to be strict about anything. in the words of maude from harold and maude, “it’s best not to be too moral, you cheat yourself out of too much life.” it’s obviously more complicated than that, but that’s the short story.

5. harold and maude is actually one of my favorite films. i never talk about it on my blog, but i’m really into movies! some of my favorites directors are federico fellini (le notti di cabiria), jean luc godard (a bout de souffle), wes anderson (rushmore), spike jonze, (being john malcovich) hayao miyazaki (totoro), tim burton (beetlejuice), the cohen brothers (raising arizona), stanley kubric (a clockwork orange), todd solonz (welcome to the dollhouse), david lynch (wild at heart), the list is miles long… hit me up if you ever need a recommendation!

scarf: vintage silk scarf from my mom
sunglasses: karen walker
swimsuit: bathing beauty one piece in wine courtesy of modcloth
flip flops: long’s drug store

over the weekend, i found myself browsing through all of my favorite fall collections to get outfit inspiration for transitional outfits and beyond. one of the collections that really stood out to me was peter jensen. it’s one of those collections where i seriously wish i could have every single piece and just wear them all winter. but since i don’t think i’ll be able to afford too many designer pieces come fall, i decided to have a bit of fun putting together a little “look for less.”

j.crew jackie cardigan, old navy women’s perfect tee, american apparel hampton shorts, j.crew large madaket tote (you can also get a similar tote from l.l.bean for much less, i just couldn’t find a good picture of it), tic tac toes celine t-straps, revlon super lustrous lipstick in fuchsia fusion, almay liquid eye liner.

i’ve actually been making a lot of collages lately, so if this is a feature you like, expect to see more in the coming weeks!

it seems as though lately i just can’t get enough of wearing polka dots! i think this may have something to do with my need to constantly wear my new karen walker sunglasses. i keep playing off their shape when i get dressed, so before i know it, i’m wearing teeny tiny polka dots and a big puff ball at my collar. i actually got this skirt at a thrift shop ages ago with the idea that i would hem it up to a mini length, but i kinda sorta never got around to it. but as i think forward to fall, i’m appreciating longer hemlines, so i guess my laziness worked out in this case!

being a mere 5’5″ (if i was talking, you’d sense sarcasm because i know that 5’5″ isn’t short), i’ve always shied away from longer skirts and opted for mini lengths with this idea that i would look bad in a maxi length. but honestly, that’s just silliness. i know i’ve brought this up before, but i think it’s worth repeating: it’s too bad that we’re constantly getting messages that the only way we should want to look is long and lean, or super sexy. why should anyone be made to feel like they’re not allowed to wear certain clothes just because of their body type? it’s kind of amazing how that kind of “advice” can make almost anyone feel bad about themselves if they believe it. so basically, the moral of the story is: go get a maxi skirt. or a skirt that cuts you off at the widest part of your leg. it’s really not a fashion don’t.

haha, ok, enough with the pep talks and onto the outfit:
blouse: thrifted vintage silk blouse
skirt: thrifted vintage polka dot skirt
shoes: seychelles platform clogs
sunglasses: karen walker
pin: loft raffia pin

i had a lot of fun today in my vintage-inspired outfit! what i find so great about these pieces is that they are all new items, but they were all inspired by styles from the past. the nice thing about vintage reproductions and vintage-inspired styles, is that you’ll always be able to find your size! oh, how many times i have found the perfect vintage dress or the most amazing vintage shoes, only to discover that they will not fit! or else the condition is such that i can only reserve those special pieces to be worn on the rarest of occasions. this dress is particularly nice because it is made of a sturdy 100% cotton, so it’s something that i can wash and wear over and over again. and the pretty puff sleeves and sweet floral and cherry print on this dress remind me of styles from the 1940’s, so i thought it would be fun to pair it with my reproduction 1940’s platform heels. and of course, the best way to top off such a cheerful outfit is with the cherry on top: my favorite bright red boater hat.

and in other news, i am excited to announce that this time tomorrow, i will be in new york! i’m only going to be around for wednesday and thursday, but if you want to meet up, let me know! or if you want to give me any recommendations, i’m all ears! i read the forecast and apparently it’s going to be 80 degrees with thunderstorms. i have yet to figure out exactly how to dress for such weather, but i’ll do my best!

hat: the last straw hat in ruby
dress: with flying florals dress courtesy of modcloth
it’s currently out of stock, but you can sign up to be notified when they get more!
shoes: remix vintage shoes ‘rita’ reproduction 1940’s platforms