Drive-in Date.

I love the drive-in. Despite all the things that could go wrong with it (ankle-biting mosquitos, stale oversalted popcorn, sound that may or may come through clear, backaches if you didn't bring enough pillows), it always ends up being that nostalgia-tinted summer-night activity that feels pretty hazy and dreamy while you're still in it. I wouldn't want everything to be picture Kinfolk-perfect (and goodness knows I eat that vibe up like so many seasonal picnic dinners) because the cheesy off-kilter kind of crappy parts are the whole point, aren't they? I'm lucky enough to have three drive-ins in the area (varying distances, of course), but it's one of those things I worry about going away!

Last year we went to the drive-in late, not until late August or September, but did manage to pack in several visits into fall weather (which is kind of ideal in it's own right, when the nights get cool and hardly anyone remembers that the place is even open). This year we started right on time, and if you follow me on instagram you saw some of these snaps a little while ago. 

On me--Dress: Laura's Vintage, Shoes: thrifted. 

On David--Jacket/Jeans: both vintage (thrifted), Sunglasses: Eddie Bauer

We like to dress up for the drive-in. It's kind of a pointless activity because it gets dark, and then you sit in your blanket nest and no one sees you, and I have to say most of the time my outfits of choice aren't super suited to lying around snacking on sour patch kids until I feel sick. But that's part of the whole fun right? And kind of, I mean, the point of this whole blog (that trudges on, a funny little collection of outfits through the years, updates sometimes sporadically and with varying levels of interest). 

I had a totally different outfit planned for this day, but with some time to kill in the area I of course stopped at Laura's Vintage. Glenn's Falls is a halfway point for us, so it's a good spot for dates, and gives me an excuse to hang out trying on dresses for an afternoon if I get out of work early! 

This is the second time I've left the shop in a dress different from what I went in wearing! I thought this was a bathing suit at first---the neckline and ruffle detail somehow gave me that impression--and it looked pretty small but, something told me to try it on anyway (also, Laura was sure it would fit). I zipped it up and knew there was no way it was staying behind, that I couldn't even bear to take it off to leave the store. 

Plus, it was perfect for drive-in night! This added to the fact that David had managed an absolute steal on a vintage deadstock Levi's denim jacket earlier that same day. The vintage stars aligned just in time for two kids who cite The Outsiders as a formative years book/movie to live the dream. 

And we're off to the races, places.

There are a few activities that I really like over-dressing for. I mean, to be honest I like doing it for almost anything, looking for any occasion to pull together an outfit or don a favorite dress is practically a habit at this point, but there are a few things that I really like to specifically wear something a little extra fun for, and it's most likely to happen if it's a classical summer event. 

One of them is visiting the racetrack up in Saratoga. I haven't been terribly often, even though it's not particularly expensive (I guess that part depends on whether or not you wanna bet on horses, or splurge on an inexplicably pricey hot dog) or out of the way but this year and last I was invited to be one of the judges for 'Hat Day', a competition where people get all dressed up with outrageous hats and enter a contest! It's a lot of fun, and of course I use it as an excuse to get a little dressed up. So up I drove, joined by my boyfriend and best friend, for a day at the races! Considering we've spent the better part of two years since Amy moved back to the area listening to Lana del Rey's song of the same occasion, it's baffling that we forgot to put it on in the car. In our defense, it was only a few minutes drive and we know it by heart anyway.

Dress: Dethrose Vintage on Etsy, Shoes: J. Crew Sardinia Wedge Espadrille summer 2012, Bag: Aldo Outlet 2011, Pins: Vintage, Hat: Forever21 years and years ago.

Not that most people do. It's a lot of bringing a blanket and snacks and enjoying the summer weather, but I do like that kind of old-fashioned vision of going to the track that includes a straw hat and something a little bit special, even if casual wear is what most people go with (and honestly, that's okay! It's hot and sweaty and crowded). As usual I just love a good vintage vibe, especially if the activity in question lends itself to such a thing!

My hat isn't anything terribly spectacular--although it is one of my favorites--just enough to keep the sun off my face, vaguely 20s inspired in it's shape, straw with a ribbon. My mom snapped up a few vintage hats at an estate sale earlier this week but of course I ended up in an old standby--I think I've been wearing this one since 2007 or so, one of those mythical forever21 finds that was under 10$ but manages to last longer than anyone ever would have anticipated. 

And of course, a white cotton dress. I managed not to spill anything on this one (a slurp of iced coffee almost made it to the skirt while driving, but landed on my arm instead--sigh of relief), even after eating chicken wings (my face was not as fortunate but that's what napkins are for).

I've started the practice of throwing one extra pin on before I leave the house. The snap-decision forces me to choose without over-thinking it, and I kind of like that it's the opposite of that oft-quoted 'take one thing off before you leave' fashion tall-tale. I've been pretty pleased with the results, a kind of mish-mash of jewels that somehow comes off as less precious because of volume. 

Now that we've gone once, I'm sure we'll make at least one more effort before the season is over, with functional sun hats and shorts, so we can sit on the ground and gorge ourselves on Shake Shack (oh yeah, we've got one here! but it's only at the track during the summer) and round the corner into the deep days of summer. 

Soft Serve Summer.

It isn't summer yet, not quite, but that hasn't stopped me from already eating my fill of soft serve from my favorite little spot not too far from home. I like to go vacuum my car across the street (something that it needs often because I am a champion car-snacker) and then reward myself with a baby cone of chocolate soft-serve with rainbow sprinkles (promptly dropping a few on my nice clean car carpet). People are really particular about soft-serve in this area (maybe in every area, but there are lines of battle drawn in the ink of nostalgia in these parts especially), so I'm pretty loyal to Jim's Tastee Freeze. Partly because it's less than ten minutes from home but also because look at totally amazing ice-cream sign!

I've also had visions of an outfit post for this dress with ice cream and sprinkles for probably two years now (yeah I've been sitting on it and not wearing it for that long. But it needed some mending, and honestly when I bought it I was slightly more svelte than my natural self tends to be, so, you know) , but it depends on cooperative weather and my ability to drag someone with me instead of standing out there with a tripod in the middle of the day, running back and forth with a melting cone like some kind of selfie-obsessed lunatic (note: nothing against selfies, I love them, but after all these years I still really hate taking my own shots in public spots). But anyway, something about it just looked ice-creamy. I got soft-serve vibes from it, nipped-in waist and demure little bow collar,  it's a pony-tail drive-in milkshake kinda dress. It wanted sprinkles. Yesterday promised warmth and sun, perfect for an ice-cream soft-serve lunch. 

There might be nothing as strange and mildly embarrassing as having someone take pictures of you eating an ice cream cone. Partly because it takes about 45 pictures to find one or two decent mid-bite images, and partly because it's just, I don't know. Maybe I did it to myself with the heart-shaped ode-to-Lolita glasses. Whatever (forever).

Like I said, I've had my fair share of soft-serve so far this year, but I'm glad to get all dressed up and silly for it, and to go with a friend instead of just as a reward for myself for keeping my car clean(ish). I feel like I can start summer for real now, or at least, complain about how I want it to be while we occasionally dip back into 55 degree days. 

Dress: Vintage (funnily enough, it has a Jonathan Logan label sewed into it, but appears to be home-made, so, there's one for the vintage police), Jacket: J. Crew, Shoes: Thrifted, Pin: Laura's Vintage

Thank you to my friend Eden for snapping these! 

Bad Dress Dreams.

Every weekend my boyfriend obligingly takes me up to Saratoga, usually on Friday or Sunday, and I drag him around to all the antique and vintage places there and on the way. Sadly, I think I've just about picked my way through most of them for a few weeks (even though I still faithfully return the next weekend to see if they've gotten anything new in) and will have to mosey off and save my pennies for a while.

Generally what happens is I see a dress, don't buy it, and think about it for a week before going back and handing over my pennies. Like this one:



Oooh, boy, did I hem and haw over her. I loved it, it's blue. It has little flowers, is old, little snaps, cloth covered buttons, and all that. But just look at those sad-eyed droopy tears! She was still a pretty penny, even with the rips, but I had a horrible dream that someone else bought it! It was terribly. Just about the worst nightmare ever, so that very day we drove out to Saratoga and I got my grubby little hands on it.

Since then I've just been staring at it. Such a dilapidated little dress, with little holes. I suspect some spiders or other variety of insect was living in it for a while (oh, ew) because of the little spun-web type things lurking in some of the folds and a few tell-tale holes that I surmise were nommed upon.



I tackled the tears since these pictures, but it just doesn't look right. I need some kind of little bit to put over it, to help reinforce the threads and cover up the odd-seam. I just don't want it to look thrown on, like it is hiding an obvious defect!

In the meantime, I left a pair of 1950s Montgomery Ward overalls at Divinyl Revolution (formerly Last Vestige). They were adorable from the front but a heinous crime from the back. But, you know. It's been 3 weeks, so I might just have to suck it up and wear them all droopy, or hope the tailor can help me out.

Scowling at Winter.

I hate to be so typical, but man, I have spring fever quite bad. Lots of us do it seems. We're very short with winter this year, and the internet is no help--it's very hard for me not to throw a fit and be depressed for hours after reading all manner of spectacular blog posts from places where it is warm. Blast winter! I live in a place where it seems like it's winter most of the time, where we all know we're not in the clear until at least April. At the moment I keep turning around and glaring at the window as though if I looked at it hard enough, it would be just kidding.

I've never had the winter blues so bad! Normally I can't wait for summer to end, I dread those hot sticky days, deflating hair and my crispy skin, freckles, the suffocating heat. But of course right now it's all I want, or at least I want mild days where bare arms are acceptable. I've stopped buying winter clothes and have started stockpiling summer dresses like a little clothes-obsessed pack-rat.





For now though, it's all sweaters and tip-toeing around puddles of freezing cold slush.

I'm also back on a vintage kick. I find that I go through cycles with it. I always love it, but sometimes going through etsy or rummaging through a thrift or vintage store is the last thing I can stand to do. Then, a few weeks later, it's all I ever want to do. I love scrounging around and finding old things, wasting away in front of etsy until I think I might have seen every single dress there.



I've been vintage shopping like mad. Lots of summer things, like the most adorable pink dress that does not fit, blouses, dresses, aprons. The blouse above is something I bought at the end of the summer last year and totally forgot about. It's completely divine. I feel like it looks sort of nefarious, like little horns or something. In a drama set in the 50s or 60s at a college, this is the blouse that the catty girl in literature class wears. Or something. I bought it with a 40s crepe dress in pretty sad condition, but the lovely woman selling them let me tote both away happily for $12! I've been trying to salvage the dress, and it's not too bad except I think someone tried to wash it once, because it's really, really, really short. Oh well.