Simplified.

Shorts: J. Crew summer 2011, Shirt: Vintage, Shoes: J. Crew summer 2011

Every few months I start to feel weird about my clothes. It's a little bit of what I expressed in yesterday's post--suddenly I can't be bothered with cloying things like belts and fussy jewelry. I waffle between wanting to dress and be ridiculously girly and that cool, effortless almost tomboyish thing. Maybe it's the impending heat.

I've been throwing on my favorite shorts and some variation of a blouse lately, going back to my tote bags instead of purses (I think I said that already, yesterday) and wearing the same grungy flats just about every day. I've only gone back to wearing my usual swipe of eyeliner in the past two or three days, and I've been letting my hair go straight instead of clinging to my curls. I switched to a makeup with a little less coverage after seeing some pictures and feeling a little too done. I've started using my summer blush every day, now that it's warm out and the light is all apricots.

I wouldn't say this funny shirt is the catalyst for such kind of behavior, but it's one of the recent purchases that is enforcing it. It needs a better soak than the one I initially gave it, but a little wear around the edges and discoloring hasn't ever stopped me from wearing something before. I've got a weakness for nautical details, and this was one I left behind at my favorite vintage haunt so that I could bring these two tops home instead. It was waiting for me a week later, and now I've already worn it three or four times. 

So we'll see. Looking through the archives (which I've got to buckle down and organize more soon!) this seems to happen every few months. Dresses for ages, ridiculous pinks, curls, lace and then all of the sudden it's cuffed jeans and button-ups. I try not to think about it too much, and just wear what feels right for the day, because there isn't anything worse than getting dressed and realizing halfway through that it's all wrong.

Puppy Days.

I know, a puppy, on this blog! I generally categorize myself, and am categorized by the world at large, as a cat person but that isn't to the exclusion of other animals. My dear, long-time, once-internet friend Amy moved back into my area recently, and after a few while she and her husband procured the sweetest little corgi puppy! Of course this means I need to run up to her neck of the woods as often as possible so that we can be unabashedly girly in our outfits, eat delicious meals and snacks, and hang out with the little corgi puppy named Sansa.

I've been struggling lately with accessories. I'm suddenly sick of necklaces, belts, all the extra bits that I normally love so much. I just want easy summer dresses and blouses with minimal frills (but a few, because I feel so unlike myself without something of a bow somewhere) and flats. I'm back to tote bags instead of little beaded things, and my hair is staying either down with minimal curl (who can be bothered when the threat of humidity is around every corner?) or plopped in a ponytail. I've forgotten how to do things like belts and jewelry.

 Kater- Dress: Cumulus Laude Dress c/o modcloth, Shoes: Urban Outfitters circa fall 2010, Hat: Forever21 circa 2009

Amy- Dress: Vintage, Shoes: random mall store in Japan, Belt and hair flower: Forever21, Necklace: gift

Like this dress, I kept trying to belt it or put things over it, but nothing really felt right. It just seemed better on it's own, with a sunhat, with some simple flats.

I was really excited when Amy moved back to the area after being gone for ages, partly because we were friends in high school when I didn't have a car so even though she wasn't that far, neither of us could drive. But it's really nice to have a gal-pal to hang out with who has a defined personal style and always looks adorable. 

Things devolved into silliness about ten pictures in, because we're girls incapable of being totally serious and graceful.

Hopefully this is only the first of many posts together! I'm still getting the hang of the self timer in more public spaces, and of course of posing with other people, so we'll have to do more posts to practice!

Sponsor All this Happiness in June!

Where did May go? Something is happening to time, and it isn't just me because everyone I talk to is as shocked as I am about how fast everything seems to be going this year!

Anyway, if you're a shop or otherwise awesome person who is interested in advertising with this here little blog please send an e-mail to alllthishappiness@gmail.com!

Image found here.

Instagram.

Ages ago I posted a bunch of the pictures that were collecting on my phone, but haven't bothered much in recent months because it seemed like the kind of thing everyone was doing, and I don't want it to seem terribly repetitive for people who've already seen them. But then, there a lot of little bits of outfits and accessories that don't ever make it onto the blog, so I thought it was high time I threw them on here. 

It's a lot of flowers and food, especially these days!

 -Some of the goodies I snatched up at an estate sale last weekend

- One of my favorite things is when I can flip to the new month in my lunar calendar (from KinOfKin on etsy).

- Snapping some outfit and hair details before leaving for work.

- Picturesque logs hanging out and waiting for next winter.

- Watching Downton, again, and staring wistfully at Michelle Dockery's perfect eyebrows.

- All gussied up in my favorite shorts and antique blouse to go gallivanting with some gal-pals (including a trip to Target, of course).

- Minnow inexplicable climbing into my closet and hanging out in my shoe collection.

- And climbing in and out of hat boxes.

- Flowers in the driveway.

- Snapped an outfit picture on my way out of work, wearing my new shoes out of the store!

- A look into the life of Minnow.

- Another outfit picture, things I should probably blog properly but never seem to get around to doing. And I also wear this dress about 4 times a week.

- Splurged on some nail polish (Chanel's 'June') and took some quality claw-hand pictures.

- Bloggin' snack wrappers and some cat tchotchkes on my desk.

- Deliriously pretty 1920s beaded dresses at the museum.

- Pancakes for dinner!

- Lily-of-the-valley bush that we didn't buy while flower shopping.

- Making meringues at work.

In the past two days I've managed to take almost nothing but pictures of flowers, since it's been so humid and hot here that everything is just oozing petals all over the place. We got hit by a bad rainstorm tonight so I ran outside and grabbed handfuls of roses and peonies, worried that they would be pelted to bits, so we're surrounded by them at the moment. My username is katerspie if you'd like to follow, or you can just watch on instagrid! Someday I'll make some non-internet friends and they'll be in my feed, but until then it looks like I'm best friends forever with flowers and cats!

Something on my Head.

Dress: Vintage, Necklace: Vintage

I feel weird if I don't have something on my head. Hair, it seems, is not enough. I don't wear hats all that often if it isn't to protect from cold weather or the sun, but I'm fond of barrettes off to the side and a pony tail is almost never left on it's own--it must have a ribbon. If I've got a scarf on my head it's usually because I felt I was missing something, or because I had little idea of what to wear that day and I always feel 50% more fashionable if I have a scarf on my head.

Last week I met up with Jess for a game of catch-up over lunch and macaron purchasing before heading to a nice little park area for a shoot so that Jess could get to know her new camera and photograph some hats for her shop. You can see a bunch of shots on her blog, and most of the hats are now listed, but I thought I'd post some of my favorites from the day! She captured some of the more fun aspects of my rather simple outfit for the day, so I'm sharing those as well.

My new favorite necklace, this is one of the things I spent my pennies on at Brimfield a few weeks ago. I've been calling it my Lady Mary necklace, because it's long and beaded and has a strange, thin and willowy look to it. As an added bonus it matched my nail polish (Chanel's 'June', which I totally splurged on but it's already become my favorite shade and, I'm convinced, goes with everything for summer thus far). I don't normally like to be so match-y, but in tiny doses it makes everything feel properly aligned.

This hat isn't listed yet, but I will update the link when it does go up. In the meantime, keep an eye on the shop if you're interested in it!

1940s straw hat

1950s veiled teal hat

1950s veiled headpiece in blush pink

I love this hat a lot. It's pink, it has flowers, and a veil, and it fit my head. Someone needs to have this hat, I don't have a dress for it, but I know someone out there does.

I don't know that my dress particularly goes with these hats, but it's quickly turned into my grab-and-go summer weather solution. I bought it last October, just when the weather was starting to turn chilly, when my mind was fixed on sweaters and tights and I didn't care if I never saw another sun dress as long as I lived. But in that one moment I was given the gift of foresight, and I snatched it up and tucked it away for the long winter. I've already worn it about six times since it's gotten warm out, and am thanking my lucky stars I thought ahead, for once.

  1950s satin rose headpiece

1950s triple strand pearl necklace

There ya go! Now that I have subjected you all to more pictures of my face, head on over to Jess's shop to see more details about the hats (and a few extra items, I only picked a few!) and take a peek at all the goodies she has over there!

Giveaway: honey talk vintage!

Hello and happy Friday! I'm pretty thrilled to be hosting a giveaway from honey talk vintage on etsy! The winner will receive a 40$ gift certificate to this lovely shop.

The weather is finally cooperating lately, I can even justify the few rainy bits we've had because the peonies are going to pop any moment, and the grass is really inviting (when it isn't covered in worms), so I ended up with a decidedly spring-on-the-brain color scheme when picking my favorite shop items to highlight. It was entirely unintentional! I guess lately I'm enjoying getting dressed up like a plant:

1950s pale pink party dress// 1960s green lace wiggle dress

1960s floral wiggle dress// 1960s fern green pumps

Green wool gloves// Fawn locket

I'm kind of coveting this brooch as well. All you lucky ladies with tiny feet are going to go crazy at the fantastic shoes she has in this shop! Not to worry if you're blessed with not so tiny feet like me, there is plenty to choose from!

The giveaway will run starting today (Thursday May 24th) through next Friday June 1st and is open to US and international entries.

Please visit honey talk vintage and leave a comment on this post with your favorite item to enter!

For additional entries, follow honey talk vintage on blogspot and/or facebook and please leave a separate comment for each letting us know where you followed!

Gone Dotty.

All J. Crew, except the sunglasses which I got at Faces. I try not to wear an outfit from entirely the same place but, well, it happens.

I've been waiting ages to post this dress! Honestly, I've been waiting a while to wear it at all, and I had quite a different plant worked out for how to wear it (there were even more polka-dots involved originally) but it's nearing 90 degrees these days and most of the extras were just too much. Anyway, I feel like this is the kind of dress that is best left alone. I didn't even wear earrings!

I got it a few weeks ago when it went on sale, on a day when Jen was also in the store and we had a nice, quick little visit! I'm only just this moment remembering that this was the day I picked up the scarf as well, so I suppose they're meant to be worn together. It was a pretty exciting day!

I loved the dress, but it's seemed a bit long, especially to wear with flats. My mom hemmed it up just an inch or two a few days ago, and it made all the difference in the world. I still feel a little bit puffy and cupcake-y in it, the waist hits in a strange place so I think it looks a bit like a child's dress, but there was no way I could leave it behind! I suspect it'll be making a few appearances this summer, with different belts and other patterns, but somehow I like the first wear to be, in a phrase of immense pretension, about the essence of the dress.

 

I've been second-guessing myself a lot these days about my outfits. Suddenly I'm concerned with standing out and seeming too over-done. I feel a bit exposed these days, but maybe I'm just raw from big changes and break-ups. Red with black and white seemed a bit obvious here, but I just couldn't think of anything else I wanted to wear! It's the shoes really. I tried other ones, strappy and flat, other colors, but nothing really worked quite the way these persimmon colored kicks did. I suppose I'll just have to keep going with it until something else springs to mind!

Late Bloomer.

I always feel, when it has been a long time since an outfit post, that I should come up with something spectacular for it when I do finally post one. Then I put it off and off because I'm not in the mood to dress up that day, or it's raining, too windy, or I just don't feel quite right in the kind of outfit I had hoped to post next. After that it's just awkward. 

I've been living on the edge and rocking a frizzy-curled side pony for the past few days. Things were starting to feel a little too horsey with a centered one day after day.

I got this little jacket in an antique store while on vacation last summer (along with a dress I have yet to alter so it will fit). It must have had a matching dress that has long since gone missing. I probably wouldn't have ever worn them together anyway, but in my imagination it's the most perfect dress of all time. I missed most of the flowering trees this spring, staying inside from pollen-colds and heartbreak, but dresses and things with blooms will do for the next best thing.

Dress: H&M circa 2011, Jacket: Vintage, Bag: Vintage, Shoes: Anthropologie 2010ish, Pin: Vintage, Glasses: Random gift shop

I'm still on a mission to find a vintage version of this dress. Several perfect ones have popped up on etsy recently, but most of them are just tip-toeing out of my price range. this one is just fine for the moment, although the lining keeps doing this weird thing where it decides it is a good idea to be longer than the lace. Someday I'll hem it a bit so this problem is alleviated, but you've seen my mending pile so who knows when that fix will happen. 

The Mending Pile.

I tried to muddle up the bother to get dressed in something exciting today, but everything I want to wear calls for pools of sunlight and we've got very little of that at the moment. It's really the kind of day for staying inside and doing practical things, like laundry and dusting. Or, struck but a sudden bolt of productivity, for attacking the mending pile.

Everyone's got one, but I think if you tend to shop thrift or vintage it's usually larger than the average. I can't leave anything behind, I feel bad for it, so I've ended up with a funny pile of sweaters and skirts with more holes than should probably be acceptable. I always think I'll fix them soon, and then don't. There's a blouse I own that has a tear in the back for years that I've never fixed. It's quite a big one too, but I've found ways around the hole by throwing a sweater or dress on over the thing. 

My pile is a mixture of damaged goods (that were both acquired that way or torn through my own hard-on-my-clothes way of life) and things that need to be altered. I've finally started hemming on my own, but for the more complicated and difficult items my mother works her magic. These are just a few items, my favorites I suppose, the things I keep wanting to wear before I remember I can't. The whole pile is an overflowing laundry basket kept hidden in my closet.

The polka dot and blue floral dresses up there need to be taken in, while the pink striped one has a large tear near the zipper (it doesn't exactly fit, but I can get it on and it looks acceptable). Downstairs there is a dress hanging on a door that needs to be hemmed in a more complicated way than I'm equipped to do, and another not pictured that I bought with an unfinished hem two years ago not realizing it was also more of a complicated job than I anticipated.

This little lace vest is one of my favorite to-mend items. I got it during a thrifting trip with Jess that we have yet to top (you know that thing where you piqued one week and since then it's never quite lived up to that day? We're struggling with that) over the winter and have been thinking of ways to wear it ever since. The lace has a hole in it at the back, but thankfully that's an easy fix if I ever get around to it. I've been good with this one and not worn it for fear or tearing it more. 

I still call this my favorite slip even though I haven't worn it in about 5 years. It's stupid really, because it's the easiest of fixes and yet there it sits, blue flowers languishing. 

This dress (nightgown, thing) from last summer isn't torn anywhere, but I spilled tea on it and now it's got to be removed or dyed with more tea to hide it. In the meantime, until I get to it, I've hung it on my wall along with my Lawrence initial kechain that I've been wearing as a necklace. 

Today I'll do it. Some of it, the easiest bits. The laundry will stay on the floor (floordrobe) and there are teacups everywhere, but mending is a much more rewarding chore for the moment.

Sponsor all this happiness!

Brought to you by Minnow being a creeper-cat in a window.

Hello everyone! all this happiness is now accepting sponsors! I've dipped a toe in for the last two months, but seeing as this is the last day of April it seemed appropriate to make a quick post about it! 

You can check out some details here, but as this is cutting it pretty close to the beginning of the month I will be offering slightly discounted rates for the month of May. 

You can help me do responsible things like still being able to make my car payment while working a few less shifts during the week so I can do some honest-to-goodness blogging! I'd love to work with shops, other blogs, or just about anything that fits into my little corner of the web here!

Please e-mail me at allthishappiness@gmail.com for rate information this month if you're interested!