Thursday, July 31, 2008

July Inspiration

it's that time again! here are just a few of the inspirational photos i've been saving over the month of July. lots of glitter, taxidermy, dried flowers, photomicrographs, and dusty dresses. as much as i love the sunshine and the summer, i definitely cannot wait for fall, with it's tights and cardigans and layers, oh my!















Wednesday, July 30, 2008

politics

so when this blog was in it's first stages, as in, when it was simply a tiny plan hatching and growing in my head, i had big plans. i mean, this was going to be the best blog around! the finest blog in the whole wide west! and so one fateful fay i registered a name, i made a banner, and finally, i even made a first post. and as things went, summer lethargy started to set in almost immediately - i was either too "busy", too "tired", or to "hot" to take good photos, to make a worthwhile post, etc. But i've come here to day, no more of that! so far i have blogged simply about fashion inspiration or, occasionally, what's going on in my own wardrobe. but from here on out, there will be much more to look forward to! some ideas that will be put into practice sometime in the hear future:

♥ weekly etsy shop highlights! etsy is probably the best place on the internet these days, in my honest opinion, and there are some shops i've stumbled across that are far too good to keep to myself!

♥ weekly fashion inspiration posts! this has already been happening, but expect more!

♥ daily, semi-daily what-i'm-wearing posts. this summer, a combination of heat + no money have made me into quite the boring dresser. but this is a fashion blog, is it not? therefore i should start putting forth the effort to dress well & document it!

♥ blogger of the week! i will start sharing some of my absolute favorite blogs that i read on a daily basis, so you can read them too!

this post is more of a self-reminder than anything else, but now at least you know what you may have to look forward to!

PS: this is going to seem like a silly question, but i am still a semi-n00b to the blogger world SO: can anyone tell me how to reply to a comment? i've had so many lovely comments left for me lately and have had no way to respond!

thank you, dear readers, and happy blogging!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

bow tie

so i have a thing for bows. especially big, inordinately sized, ridiculously fluffy bows. but i also love small bows, and medium-sized bows, and everything in between. I've been known to tack them onto dresses where others probably would think they don't belong, but i can't seem to help it! i love them dearly. and i love the idea of wearing bow-ties in feminine ways, so every since i picked up a handful of amazing vintage bow-ties a few months ago i've been brainstorming all the ways i could prettify them. first, i wanted to make them into headbands - which i may still do. but THEN i got the idea of making them into little necklaces. i love jewelry that mixes medias, and i love the aesthetic of the hard brass chain mixed with the soft vintage fabric. but i also love the idea that making these bow-ties into necklaces has stuck true to their original intent while still feminizing it! i've posted these 3 up in my etsy store, and they are certainly one of a kind, so grab them while you can!





also, i've spent the past few days covering myself in fabric dye, fabric paint, spraypaint, and a myriad of other hard-to-wash-off substances in an attempt to make some t-shirts for my boy's band - so far they're coming along quite well! if all goes according to plan i will be selling them at his show in LA tomorrow night! pictures of the process, and the finished result, coming soon!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

cream puff

the last few days i've been a good little girl, and spent most of my time toiling away at the sewing machine. i've been finishing up some custom skirt orders, and making a few to sell! as much as i sometimes complain about sewing, i have to admit i've really loved seeing how each different weight and texture of fabric drapes once it's all sewn up into a skirt! here's a few photos of the skirts i've made, for custom orders and, of course, for the shop!

mustard cotton


navy cotton


black linen


black satin


natural linen



i'd like to make a few floral print skirts soon, for the tail end of summer, but i've also started thinking about fall colors and patterns - i'm definitely thinking some nice wool or flannel plaids would be comfy and amazing for autumn!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

kids on holiday

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this week i've been on vacation with my family, and it's been a true southern california vacation. san diego sun, the boardwalk, and the beach right outside our back door! plus fireworks every night over the bay, it's honestly been amazing. i have to admit, lately i've felt like a) my lack of funds and b) the hot summer sun have been stopping me from dressing well, in fact, most days i get that feeling where i just want to throw all my clothes in the trash can and start over, become one of those girls who can wear a t shirt and jeans every day, life would be so much simpler. ALAS, i am not one of those girls, and so i continue to try to come up with new combinations in my tired old wardrobe.

today's outfit:
sun hat: thrifted
striped tube top: urban
skirt: you know where
sandals: urban

dreaming

what i WOULD be wearing today, if i had a bit more money at my disposal:


justin roper boots


led zeppelin tee from vinvan77 on ebay


american apparel raw denim circle skirt

or perhaps this:


forever 21 floral dress

this is definitely how i'd like to be dressing, plus a pair of strategically ripped up tights, come fall.

edit: a polyvore, because i can't get the ghost-world-90's-punk-spring-luella (so sue me) thing out of my head.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

separation anxiety

this summer i sublet my apartment in san francisco and stuffed all my "necessary" belongings in a single suitcase, in order to live the nomadic life for the summer. unfortunately, this also means i had to leave lots of beloved items, clothing and otherwise, behind. one of the things i miss most, and cannot WAIT to be reunited with, is my dear, dear serger.



i still have my sewing machine, thank goodness, but i can't seem to stop daydreaming about making lovely things that only my serger could assist, with, for example, i'd love to make a dress inspired by this photo, complete with body-conscious silhouette and amazing tribal pattern:



oh serger dearest, distance really does make the heart grow fonder.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

pin up

lately i've felt like, due to the summer heat and my empty bank account, my daily outfits have been much less than exciting. however, the other day i got dressed to run some errands and spend some time at the bookstore - i wore my brand new thrifted dress and i actually bothered to put on some red lipstick so i took a couple quick pictures!

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black & white polka dot dress - thrifted
red belt - thrifted
black kitten heels - payless

ALSO, this bag is pretty epic! my boyfriend's mother found it for $5 at the thrift store and as far as i can tell, it is an authentic gucci! i'm not usually big on labels but i love this bag to death!

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Friday, July 11, 2008

black tulips




i definitely have to admit that i am one of the many adoring fans of miu miu's spring 2008 line. the fabrics, the textures but most of all, those silhouettes! for nearly a year i've been daydreaming of tulip-shaped mini skirts and jewel toned lolita dresses. of course, there is no chance in the world of me being able to actually own a miu miu (ha!), but i realized long ago that all i really needed to do was spend an afternoon with a few yards of fabric and my sewing machine. it's taken me a while but today i finally got a chance to put my creative juices to work and a couple of hours later, voila! i have my very own tulip shaped circle skirt!








this one is made of a nice, shiny, drapey floral-embossed black polyester. i also managed to get my hands on a few other weights and textures of fabrics from the fabric warehouse the other day, and i can't wait to see how they're going to drape!

(pssst, this skirt is up for sale on my etsy, and i'm also taking custom color/size/fabric orders!)

buffalo exchanging



i've said it before, i'll say it again: thank god for secondhand shopping. i haven't bought a brand new item of clothing in years, and i plan to keep it that way! thrift stores suffice for most wardrobe items, but Buffalo Exchange is definitely a lifesaver for things like designer clothes or more expensive items! i was so excited the other day to find this pair of black natural comfort wedges in my size! after selling a few old items from my own wardrobe and using my store credit, these puppies (which are originally $100 shoes) ended costing me a mere $7! i've been lusting after a pair for years, and i can't wait to work them into my outfits! and the best part about natural comfort is that they won't KILL my feet in the fall when i'm trekking around san francisco on foot!

Monday, July 7, 2008

the living dead

if you are in or around the Los Angeles area this summer, please make sure you find a way to attend at least one of the screenings at the Hollywood Cemetery! this event, put on by Cinespia, is definitely one of my favorite southern California summer activities! first of all, the cemetery itself is absolutely gorgeous and full of old Hollywood names. Last year my friends and I arrived early, waited in the long (but so worth it) line, wound our way through the beautiful grounds of the cemetery and finally sat down on the lawn as the sun was setting. my friends and i brought a blanket and food, some people brought their whole dinners! when it is finally dark enough, the movie is projected on the wall of the mausoleum! the summer air and the crowd of amazing people and the atmosphere of the cemetery, it's honestly something you can't miss. plus, there are two incredibly AMAZING, very fashion-inspirational films coming up in the next few weeks!


VALLEY GIRL
JUNE 13TH



A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
JUNE 19TH

check out the Cinespia site for more info!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

lady lovely locks



as i get older, i'm realizing how much of my fashion inspiration stems directly from the books i read when i was little, and the characters that ran so rampant in my imagination. For example, one of my very favorite books when i was younger was story about a character named Lady Lovely Locks - she was a beautiful girl with long, gorgeous, golden hair, which she combed every day with a golden brush while she sat in sunny fields. and she lived in a magical land where every living creature had long, flowing, luxurious hair in every color imaginable, and some of these little critters would crawl into her hair, their long tails adding pinks and purples and blues and greens to her shining golden tresses. i mean really, how amazing! To this very day, i long for and dream of rainbow-hued, princess-long lovely locks.

what were some of your strongest fictional fashion inspirations from your childhood?

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

BRB

dear e-lovers,

today i am in the middle of packing my car full (and i mean full) of crates and boxes and suitcases, in preparation to make the drive from Phoenix, Arizona to Orange County, California. that's right, it's time to make the pilgrimage back home after nearly a month of cavorting around arizona with no job and no purpose in life except to be YOUNG and ADVENTUROUS. but the real reason for this post is for me to apologize for the extreme lack of posts recently, and to let you all know that as soon as i am settled back safely in California there will be daily-ish posts once again! hopefully you will all forgive me for my short little hiatus, and trust that i will be back as soon as possible!

as a very wise theme-song once said,

We've been on the run
Driving in the sun
Looking out for #1
California here we come
Right back where we started from


see you soon,

ashley