In the Kitchen

I took some outfit pics the other day, but the cable that I use for transferring pictures to the computer decided to stop working. So now they’re stuck on the camera until the replacement cable I ordered shows up :(

While I’m waiting though, I thought I’d share some images that have been inspiring me as our kitchen renovation gets closer and closer to completion.

Ah, open shelving, how I love thee!

Light neutral tones punctuated by soft pops of color... wood surfaces and natural earthy elements accented by an eclectic mix of vintage finds… I think that pretty well describes what I’m drawn to when it comes to kitchen décor, probably home décor in general as a matter of fact :)




Skipping through the blogosphere over recent months, I’ve noticed lots of posts about home decorating and renovation, even from bloggers who don’t regularly post on the topics.

There must be some sort of nesting bug going around or maybe I‘ve just been noticing these posts more because I‘ve been busy collecting inspiration (and some thrift finds too!) for my own home.



I probably spend almost as much time collecting home décor inspiration as I do fashion inspiration and I’d like to dedicate a good amount of time this Fall and Winter to getting our house in order they way I‘d like it to be.

We moved in just two weeks before Clover was born and then there was a new baby to focus on and funnily enough toddlers require a lot of focus too, and well, coming up quickly on two years later... let’s just say there is still plenty to be done before the ideas in my head of what I’d like my home to look like are fully realized. On that note, perhaps there will be more of these types of posts in the future!




The inspiration images that I post may or may not contain vintage or thrifted items, though I tend to be drawn to an eclectic flea market-style aesthetic so it’s probable that many of them do. My point being that I mostly like to post them because the images that inspire me and swirl around in my head (both consciously and subconsciously) are largely what guide my thrift eye.

In fact, just the other day I found the cutest vintage breadbox that would fit seamlessly into most of the above pictures. I’m planning to do a home finds post once I get the camera thing sorted out, so stay tuned for that, which will of course include the unveiling of my new breadbox!

[Images via: Design Sponge (1), frillie design’s flickr (2,16), homebug’s flickr (3, 5, 15), Desire to Inspire (4, 6, 7, 8, 14), Suzy Hoodless (9,10), Small Adventure (11), Moodboard (12), black*eiffel (13), kissing her cage goodbye (17)]

100% Thrifted Pick (08.20.09)

, originally uploaded by nemrešpobjećodnedjelje.

I love the vintage movie starlet vibe going on here and her seemingly effortless sense of casual glamour. The dress is absolutely adorable and I think I’d be hard pressed to find a better summer to fall transition dress.

The sunglasses bring both glamour (especially combined with the red lips) and quirk mixing the black and white pattern against the plaid dress. I’m also diggin how those two-toned shoes echo the dress colors so nicely… just an all around brilliant look!

For more fabulous fully thrifted outfits check out the 100% Thrifted flickr group :)

Brownie Points

These pictures are actually from Friday... I've been a lazy blogger, sorry! The vintage romper which zips up the front was an $8 purchase from the flea market about a month ago.

As a fan of the increasingly popular nostalgic incorporation of vintage scout inspired elements into outfits, this romper caught my eye while browsing through a rack of vintage clothing. It reminded me of something a Brownie might wear if Brownies did indeed wear rompers, which I'm pretty sure they don't, but if they did... :)

In keeping with the youthful inspiration, I topped the outfit off with a new find from Angel's Attic. The little red sailor hat ($1.50) is actually a vintage children's hat... yes, I have a small head! I bought it thinking it might be a fun, somewhat silly way to add a little splash of red to an outfit.

My own girl scout history consists of all of about three months as a Brownie in, I think, second grade. I never went on a camp out and I don't even think I sold any cookies, though I do still remember the oath and wearing the uniform with the brown skirt, knee socks, and sash.

I wonder if Clover will take to scouting one day. Did you notice her in the background of that second photo teaching her doll how to climb the tree? She's such a funny kid :)

And now for some topical inspiration... maybe one day I'll take the time to figure out how to make pretty image collages for this sort of thing, until then, happy scrolling ...











How awesome would it be to run into this tee shirt from 1976 in a thrift store?! I want!

(Inspiration image sources: 1, 5-7, & 11. Vintage Girl Scout Online Museum, 2. carbonated's flickr, 3. anja louise verdugo's flickr, 4. nick nacks & ric rac, 8. marcinéma 's flickr, 9. Dear Creatures, 10. Bulldog Vintage)

Sunshine on the Prarie

This David Hamilton photo from the 70's is an all-time-favorite photo of mine. I love everything about it from the outfits to the soft muted colors to the way the road curves and it's dream-like feel.

Last week I stopped into Hot Couture, a local vintage shop that always always has the most amazing array of vintage dresses. In fact, I try not to go in there too often as most of the dresses are outside my current budget and it's next to impossible not to fall in love with at least one every time.

But, with Clover napping in her stroller I couldn't resist just popping in for a little inspiration. While perusing the 70's prairie dress rack I looked over and saw a girl pluck the simple white sundress o' my dreams off the rack while telling her mother it was only $18... as I looked on with what I'm sure was some sort of sad puppy dog face.


Of course I then anxiously lurked around pretending to look at dresses and repeating to myself "please don't fit, please don't fit" as she tried her items on in the dressing room. Obviously, my silent mantra psychically convinced her that the dress was not for her... or maybe it was the faded discoloration along part of the bottom ruffle (not very noticeable, but the reason for the low price... doesn't matter, either way, it's mine now :)

So on Saturday, when I put the dress on to wear it for the first time, it made me think of that photo that I love and had me reaching right away for my big floppy hat.



I rummaged around blogland a bit to find some more dreamy David Hamilton photos from that era. This being a family blog and all, I tried to keep it to the less scantily clad examples ;)

Saturday, which happened to be my mom's birthday, included a morning trip to the farmers' market to put together a gift basket for her, a delicious afternoon BBQ with family to celebrate, and an evening with friends at the Sonoma County Fair Demolition Derby. Yes, I wore this to sit in the stands drinking beer out of a keg cup while watching big beater cars smash into one another until they no longer ran... why, what would you have worn? ;)

Anywho, with Clover napping between the BBQ and the derby I had a chance to sneak out to the backyard to document my outfit as well as be teased by my brother-in-law on the way out: "Hey Sunshine, where's the prairie?" (hi Sam)

I went out to our back fence where the trumpet vine was trumpeting and the sun was hitting at just the right angle for sunflares and that soft graininess that I like so much. Perfect for capturing the mood that inspired the outfit in the first place!

Speaking of capturing a mood, I love how these two photos sort of encapsulate all that is wonderful and good about summer... my favorite of seasons :)

(David Hamilton photos found here, here, here, and here)


Oh, and look how pretty my mom's gift basket turned out! That's Clover's wee rocking chair, the basket is actually quite small and not gigantic as it may appear in the photo. I picked up the basket, bouquet, and some items from a local soap vendor that she loves all at the farmer's market that morning.

When I got home, I wrapped the bouquet in thrifted wrapping paper (it has veggies on it!), added a thrifted vintage apron, and topped it off with a (thrifted of course) vintage basket of fruit postcard complete with birthday wishes! I was so pleased with my last minute gift assemblage that I had to take a picture :)

Flower Power and the $5 Outfit

This outfit post features some recent finds. Actually, it was my sister who found this little 60’s vintage flower power number at a rummage sale for 50 cents… I know right? Lucky for me, it didn’t quite fit her and found its way to my closet where it was welcomed happily with open arms :) I love its shape and the ruffle detail on the neckline. Thanks Val!

I found the leather bag at Community Thrift for $2.50 on a recent day trip to San Francisco and fell hard for those little tooled-leather houses all in a row. I love the smudges of color too!

And that leaves the 70’s vintage brown leather platform wedges that I'm quickly learning to love wearing. I’m normally a flats girl but these beauties were just too perfect to pass up, especially at $2.50 (thanks half-off day at Salvation Army!)

Besides, as platforms go, they are pretty low and quite comfy. They do make me feel tall though. At 5 feet 7 ½ inches, I’m kind of on the tall side of average but on the short side of tall. When I wear these though, I definitely feel bumped up to officially “tall” status which is sometimes kind of fun I guess :)

Nifty Thrift Picks (8.05.09)

Sharing faves from the Nifty Thrift flickr group where people post pics of their nifty thrifty finds. A biweekly spot for me to publicly covet the finds of others :)

elephant bank
Originally uploaded by susannatron

The coin goes on the end of his trunk, then you push the little lever to fling it back into the bank!

Say It With Stitches
Originally uploaded by Artdoodads.etsy

This one kinda needs to be viewed full-size to see just how great that alphabet stitching project is, and c’mon: “Love is a shared umbrella”… so cute! It makes me wonder what other sweet projects are inside.

VINTAGE LIGHT COVERS
Originally uploaded by Cody2009

Aren’t these the coolest?! I love the one with the children’s dancing silhouettes. You can check out the entire set here.

For the Love of Summer

Just a little slice of my Saturday... an afternoon at the fair followed by an evening with friends at a birthday BBQ. I can't believe it's already August, this summer is going by way too fast!