Dreamer

Bloggers, meet my new baby: Diana Dreamer F+.  I received her in the mail about a week ago & she's given me a little trouble so far, but hopefully my first roll of film will turn out (fingers crossed!). Although the Diana is a toy camera, I have never actually loaded film before , nevertheless 120 format film. But alas, the kind people at Ritz Camera helped me (I was having issues with the slack on the film/not sure if if was actually grabbing the film correctly). So now I'm shooting away & hoping I'm doing everything right?! Only time will tell, but I simply cannot wait to create some dreamy, romantic, vintage-like shots.

thrifted vintage capelet, thrifted Ralph Lauren dress, belt from vintage dress, thrifted shoes, estate sale vintage ring

I've had this vintage sequin capelet for quite some time now & have been waiting for the right inspiration to bring it back from the dead.. so thank you, Diana Dreamer! I found this lovely piece at a thrift store in the dead winter & felt it would be more appropriate with a summer/fall outfit, & my jaw dropped when a few months later I saw the capelet's sister in a post by Rebecca from the Clothes Horse.  A little different shape, a little different color, but same concept!

My entire outfit is vintage/thrifted. The shoes were found at a thrift store & completely reminded me of the amazing printed Miu Miu shoes I've been eyeing. They are about as close as I will get, I suppose! But they are velvet, a fabric I've grown to love after being forced in itchy velvet dresses as a child.

I hope your weekend has been lovely! I went to my cousin's baby shower, took her pregnancy pictures, went mini golfing (although we realized it is FAR too hot outside.. 107 degrees.. and FAR too humid for outdoor activities), lounged in Barnes & Noble reading magazines, & now I'm soon heading to Emily's Mad Men premier party!

Swimsuit Amore

While thrifting a few months ago, I stumbled across this amazing black & white polka dot sweetheart neckline & mesh bathing suit from the 50s or 60s.  It was originally for the shop but once I tried it on, I knew it belonged to me (how many times have you guys heard THAT story?).  I don't wear it all the time (we are a beach city, so I try to go to the beach as often as possible!) because I want it to stay in top condition for as long as possible, but it really is my favorite.  I know there are creepers online so I obviously didn't want to post bathing suit pictures, so I actually wore the bathing suit as a bodysuit, thew on a skirt & heels, voila! 

thrifted bathing suit, Urban Outfitters skirt, thrifted shoes, thrifted earrings

I've been lusting after the Esther Williams suits all summer, but summer is quickly coming to an end & I suppose I will just save extra next year.. I really want a red classy one piece. Do any of you guys have an Esther Williams suit? Any thoughts?

 

Well, I'm off to hunt for my perfect pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers! After going back and forth, I decided a new pair of sunglasses is ESSENTIAL before vacation! We leave in exactly 13 days...!!!

Man, I feel like a woman

Today I want to talk about something a little bit more serious than usual.  I know that you've read about this in every single teen magazine, every health class, and heard the lecture from your mom a gazillion times.  But it's just something that hits close to home for me & this outfit was actually a big step (no laughing). 

thrifted blouse, H&M shorts, thrifted shoes, Forever 21 necklace, thrifted hat

I've always loved the style of pin-ups and adored high-waisted pants, but there was NO WAY I would ever look good in them.  I mean..I have a butt.. and boobs.. and thighs.  I don't look like the Urban Outfitters models that can pull off practically any look. But I'm me and I absolutely love that.

When I was in middle school/ early high school, I had major body issues.  I really feel like that was the toughest time of my life.  Girls at that age are just SO catty & you believe everything they say and take it to heart.. at least if you are sensitive like I am. I still remember this one girl in my Intro to Spanish class that said bullied me & called me fat almost every class! Luckily I had my best friend (who is still my best friend!) in that class to stand up for me, but that doesn't take away the sting.  Looking back at pictures from 7th grade, I wonder what the hell she was talking about because I was literally a stick! And I still believed her!

This isn't the solution or anything, but I really feel like my relationship with Patrick has helped me overcome this issue the most.  I will say that one of the most positive things about going the church I went to a couple of years back is that it dramatically boosted my self esteem, but there were still those bad days where I just thought I didn't look good in ANYTHING and didn't even want to leave the house to hang out with my friends.  But being with Patrick, I don't feel like I have to impress anybody, and although it's a process, I'm starting to do things for ME, not for other people. 

Something that keeps replaying in my head is something Shelby (who took these fabulous pictures, thanks Shelby!) said while modeling this skirt for me last week.  She tried it on and it really emphasized her hourglass figure & she walks out and just goes "Man.. I feel like a woman!" Yes, bringing back Shania Twain's ultimate girl power song. But it's so true! You should feel like a woman, all the time! Embrace your curves!

I'm sorry that this wasn't a post all about fashion, if that's what you came here for.  It's something that's been on my mind lately & I've been really proud of myself for. Generic? Yes. Real? Even more so.

Special Delivery

I got a wonderful package from Urban Outfitters yesterday! A few things for me, a few things for the bearded one.


I also got the pair of Topshop shoes later in the day that I absolutely adore. You will see these items styled up soon!

Is it just me, or after you place the order online doesn't it always seem like you've ordered so much more than what you got? Maybe it's just because I'm not so used to paying so much for new clothes.

Fourth of July

A little late, but how was your Fourth of July? Mine was most excellent.  I forgot to take pictures of a lot of important stuff that happened on my day of Independence, such as sitting in Panera for a hour with Patrick playing Scrabble online, the amazing homemade American flag cheesecake, and a super fun bike adventure. Oh, and I almost forgot, sitting in Patrick's room for another hour playing Scrabble online.  Man, we are addicts.  Anyways.. enjoy!

Step on up, kid

Lately I've been thinking a lot about locations for photos.  It sounds pretty easy to find locations for pictures, but in reality, it's probably the hardest thing about keeping up with this blog.  I want to push myself to be as creative as possible but location is something I struggle with because I've lived in Virginia Beach my whole life & sometimes the most picturesque locations aren't always the ones that first come to mind.. you have to do a little digging.

thrifted dress, necklace gift from patrick via etsy, thrifted belt, Forever 21 ring, thrifted mock vintage Dooney & Burke purse, thrifted clogs

A friend told me about these steps in Norfolk & I thought it would be a fun idea! They are somewhat hidden & aren't off of an actual road, so we had a bit of trouble finding them but apparently it's something a lot of tourists like to come and take pictures by.  Lots of little kids were running around & throwing pennies into the water (make a wish!).  Ah, I daydream about summers when Patrick and I will come back to Virginia Beach for the summers visiting from the coast of Washington (or Oregon or northern California.. any of those will do) and get to show our kids all of the little attractions like these.  The simple things.. how to roll down Mt. Trashmore, the joys of picking fresh strawberries from the fields near Sandbridge, paddle boarding down the bay.  I look forward to sharing these memories with them someday! (Someday in the far, far future.)

After playing on the steps for a bit, the sun reached my absolute favorite place for picture taking.  Wonderful for detail shots. This outfit is almost completely thrifted, with the exceptions of the necklace & ring.  It never really happens intentionally, but I always find some of the outfits I love most were mostly thrifted.  I suppose it helps that my wardrobe is slowly becoming mostly thrifted clothing, anyways. Every now & then, though, I can't resist a splurge, like the ones I just made from Urban Outfitters & Topshop! (More on that later..)

And I had to practically beg & plead Patrick to let me take serious pictures of him so I could get some practice in with the camera's manual settings! He can't hold a straight face, he always wants to do something ridiculously goofy, which is normally fine with me. For a short few minutes, I was a proud woman.

..Until he felt the burning desire to become an Urban Outfitters model...

 

(No offense, any Urban Outfitters models. We love your store.)

Also, for my next post I think I'm going to put up the answers to my Formspring questions. I've been loving all of the music questions! If there's anything your heart desires to ask me about vintage, relationships, etc, feel free to ask away!