I adore this dress, but man is it wrinkly! You would think because it's thick tablecloth-like fabric that it would hold up to a little bending, but no sir. Oh well, from far away it looks fine. Plus, I don't think many people notice that kind of stuff :).
I got about 15 new dresses for the shop yesterday! I even found a 1940's brown plaid dress with 3/4 sleeves. It's too big for me, but I'm pretty sure I have a friend who would fit into it perfectly ::wink, wink, Lindsay::.
Oh! And I found a teal oversized, round train case. It's hard not to keep this one guys...
So, it's 55 degrees out !?! This is by far the weirdest winter I've ever experienced; and it's definitely taking a toll on my allergies. But, on the other hand it's nice to be able to open the store and not be freezing for the first couple hours!
I FINALLY started reading the newest Patti Smith book 'Just Kids', and it is seriously awesome. I can't put it down. I'm so glad I sucked it up and shelled out the $16; it's worth it alone to own the pictures the book contains. I'm just through the first half, which focused on her childhood/early 20's/and her on and off again relationship with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe. So good!
All my pictures came out kind of blurry today for some reason. Ahh, electronics.
Indian Inspired Choker -Faux Bone,Faux Tooth,Metal- (Made by me)
1990's Brown Dress (Thrifted, $3)
Nude tights
Brown Combat Boots ($26)
Friends!
Wow, what a whirlwind last week was! But I can say with confidence that this is the first day I've felt back to normal. The wedding was an absolute blast! I can confirm that I danced for 6 hours STRAIGHT. I can't wait to see the pictures. :) The wedding itself was beautiful, and went off without a hitch. Everyone looked so pretty; I really do love seeing everyone dressed up!
On another note, since you saw me last, I've become OBSESSED with French pop, have been on a mad search for vintage Egyptian fabric (oh, yes), and have starting studying 'Atlantis' & 'Lemuria'. Oh yeah, and continued my reading on Eleanor Roosevelt. <3
I feel that I've turned a major corner in my mental/emotional development, and I couldn't be happier about it. I now feel confident in the things I care deeply for, and feel no shame sharing them with others.
I have to admit, I'm not one for small talk. I never have been. Plus, I'm terrible in groups; I'm more of a one on one serious talker :). I think that scares the people; not everyone of course, but the 'on the surface' small talkers. I used to feel ostracized for being this way; but not anymore. I've never really fit in, and I'm glad to be honest with you.
So, from now on, I will always speak from the heart, and I will always express my feelings about the things I feel deeply about. Animals, people, and the environment.
"Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you'll be criticized anyway.
You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't."
-Eleanor Roosevelt
I made this necklace about a year ago, and finally found it!!!
So glad I did :)
So 'Picnik' is closing. Boooo. I use it basically everyday, so I'm not too pumped about finding another program. Shoot.
They are letting you use the premium features for free though, so below is me thinned & tanned to the max. Hahaha, ewwwww...
:::The 'Snow Bros'::::
A picture of the Groom on his own :). Love this pic!
And of course the Bride! So pretty :).
I hope you guys have a great day, and tell someone you love them!
Jimmy's brother is getting married Saturday, so it's been busy, busy, busy. Plus, now that I'm doing more work for Fit Bodies Inc., my time is a little more limited (until the wedding anyway).
I woke up to 'The Beach Boys' this morning, and let me tell you; it's hard to have a bad day when it's on. Seriously, feeling down? Throw in the Beach Boys greatest hits and you'll be good to go :).
I'm pretty pumped for this wedding to happen! It's always fun to have a reason to get dressed up and dance. I got an awesome draped 40's Velvet burn-out (repro) dress off of Ebay to wear to the ceremony. It's coming in the mail today and I can't wait to see it! It's been a long time since I bought myself a nice dress :). And I've already devised a way to shorten/alter it if need be.
Unfortunately, my rapid brain activity has taken over any instinct for me to get dressed in the morning, so its been jeans everyday. And, trust me, you wouldn't want to see any of that! Anywho, when we were in Chicago I went into the Levi's store (which I never, ever do), and actually walked out with a pair of jeans! I've been looking for a good pair of lack jeans for ages, and wouldn't you know it? They were on Clearance! Just what I like to hear. I'm still no Levi's convert, but I do enjoy these :).
Ohhhh, look at those shoes! I also got them in Chicago while we were there. Animal print creepers? Yes please! And, once again, NOT an animal print convert, but I am enjoying these shoes.
Next weekend (the 27th to be exact), I'll be opening up for Cowgirl & Sweet Ray Laurel at the Crazy Fox in Newport. Woohoo! I'm so happy to be getting back into the acoustic thing. I love to sing, and I think alot of nuances are lost when you sing in a full band. I love both- they are just really different. Plus, since I'm a singer first, it's nice to be able for people to actually hear my voice clearly. Remember those power chords I've been learning? Well they finally feel natural! ----sigh of relief----
If this week's posts are sparce, I apologize! Things should be back to normal next week, and I have some awesome outfits stored away for the occasion :).
I've been listening to 'April March' nonstop for the last couple days. She's a french singer, and I love her!! A big thanks to my friend Steve for bringing her into my world!
Since it's rainy & depressing out today, I thought I'd do something a little different!
I know what your thinking; "why do I care what products you use?"
You probably don't. BUT, I think it's along the same lines as wanting to look in someones house, or their diary; we just like to look at other peoples crap. :)
So, behold!
A couple years ago I did research on every area that the media tells us we need a "product" for. Let me tell you, it was incredibly insightful. It's a great way to spend an afternoon, and a huge eye opener to boot.
Anyway, after much research, the next step up from using straight sea salt or baking soda for "toothpaste" is 'EcoDent' tooth powder. I'm addicted! I love the natural mint taste. Plus, if I'm ever out (eek!) and have to use Jimmy's 'Tom's' toothpaste, it feels like I'm brushing my teeth with a lollipop. Yuck.
Sugar+teeth= bad news.
And to think it's usually the 2nd or 3rd ingredient in most toothpastes! Ha! Talk about a racket!
I love to floss; which wasn't always the case. Now that I'm in the habit though, it's hard to go a day without. I love tea tree oil, so this 'Desert Essence' is a perfect fit. Plus, the name is awesome to make skits/little ditties up to while your flossing.
Now to Shampoo!!
I used to use massive amounts of conditioner on my hair. And, my hair was always dry (I dyed it constantly). Either way, once I started researching shampoo/conditioner, I found that main stream products have tons of alcohol (which dries out your hair), or other chemicals that give your hair a really funky texture. UNLESS, you use their conditioner.
This 'Soignee' shampoo is a little pricey, I'm not going to lie. But, I literally use a pea size amount, and don't have to use conditioner ever; so I think it works out. :)
Plus, it contains MSM which is awesome for hair, nails, and the like. It's usually broken down into a powder form, and is found in the earth. You can actually take capsules of it (but, you should probably research that and form your own opinion).
Ah, glorious, glorious Coconut Oil. I've used it for everything for years. As lotion, chapstick, on static-y hair, etc. A word on lotion: Normal lotion basically sits on the top of your skin, making it necessary to use it over and over; what you need is an oil that penetrates the skin. Plus, your skin sucks up everything, so slathering on chemicals kind of defeats the purpose (because your skin wants to expel it asap).
When using oil on the skin, always buy high quality Organic (and hopefully raw) products. Make sure they are always food grade!
Every morning I make a green smoothie; packed with fruits, greens, and some sort of algae.
I won't go into this, but man, it makes you feel great. Make sure you try to rotate your greens every few days. Collards, chard, spinach, kale, wild lettuce, etc. And don't add anything but fruits, greens, water, and maybe a little ice! You want it to be a healthy shot to the body; by adding yogurt/milk/even soy milk, you're making your body have to sort through the good and bad. You want it to be the easiest digestible meal of your day!
The 'Blendtec' blender is the best gift I've ever received (when it comes to daily use). It seriously blends up anything you throw at it! I use it at least every day, and it worked just as good as it did 2 years ago. Yes, it is expensive. Very expensive; but you will have it forever, and the health benefits of making raw smoothies, soups, etc. are priceless in my opinion.
Oh yeah, I'm addicted to Chamomile tea right now, so had to add that!
I generally make a big vegetable/lettuce salad for lunch, and I LOVE 'Ume vinegar'. It's actually not vinegar, but a brine, and is made from umebashi plums. Throw in a smashed ripe avocado, and drizzle some Ume, mix it all up, and you've got a flavor explosion! If you're lucky, you'll have some raw pumpkin seeds, which give the whole thing a bacon-y like taste (don't know why, but it does!). Oh yeah, and to take it to the next level, dice up some raw dates, and sprinkle on some dehydrated raw onions. YUM!
Oh yes, beauty.
I don't use deodorant anymore, but when I feel like I need something, I use 'Scent of Samadhi'. It's an Indian powder that, I think, smells awesome. I've had the tiny canister for over a year, and still have one left for the next month or two.
Eh, makeup isn't anything special. I do choose to use 'Make up Forever' lipstick specifically because the quality is noticeably better than any other brand I've ever used. The liquid liner I've used since middle school, so it's hard for me to use anything other than a felt tip!
And there you have it!
One giant rant, haha. At least I didn't food- then you'd be in for it!
Tonight Jimmy and I are playing an acoustic set at "The Crazy Fox". Well, he'll be playing majority of the time, but I'm joining him for about an hour :). Wish me luck, and have a great day (in spite of the terrible weather). ally.
A couple weeks ago I received an email from 'Zapora Strange' to take part in an interview! Of course I said yes :). Click on the link below to read said interview, and check out her awesome blog while your at it!
Yesterday I decided to face my fear of saving money. I know this probably sounds ridiculous, but I've always been pretty terrified to face the fact that I will have to be responsible for saving the money I will live on when I'm old and grey. Even typing this makes what I just said sound even more silly, but hey, it's therapeutic right?
Anyhow, I devised a lifetime savings plan (yes, there is a graph), and I feel as if a 100 pound weight has been lifted from my shoulders!
I'm no longer scared, and actually, through the course of the day I realized how fun it can be to "organize" money. (Note to self: repeat this over and over until it becomes true.)
There is a picture of me organizing the refrigerator when I was one. Geez.
I should find it and post it! It's so funny. :)
I had a dream about 6 months ago in which the "Flaming Lips" were my favorite band. And in this dream, I was thinking to myself, "why did it take me so long?".
I remember hearing "She don't use Jelly" for the first time on the radio when I was around 6, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing! It's the first "weird" song I ever heard, and I was immediately struck. That, and "Instanbul" by They Might Be Giants (I heard it on a commercial around that age). Oh yeah, and "Puttin on the Ritz" by Taco. I was intrigued by the 'oddness', and the underlining darkness (especially the Taco song). I had to hear more!
These are the songs that originally got me into rock music.
Plus, thankfully, my mom was into Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, etc., so I was surrounded by good music.
Thanks mom!
One of my next posts will be about my favorite bands from 1st grade on- yeah, I'm feeling nostalgic, can you tell? haha
Ah, look at that glorious oil necklace!!
I was obsessed with oil jewelry, oil stickers (remember those?), and the like in Elementary school.
This is one of the necklaces Lindsay gave me from her childhood jewelry bag of goodies!
Thanks lady!!
:)
It's sunny today!
Now I'm off to go get some awesome vegan greatness that is 'Park & Vine' lunch. Yum. I'm starving.
Hope it's sunny where you are, and have a good day!
I made this dress New Years Eve, and have been itching to wear it since. It's made from a 70's bed sheet that was thoroughly worn in- and it is SO comfortable. Wearing a bed sheet seemed fitting since I had such a hard time leaving mine this morning :).
Last night Jimmy and I had some wine and watched the new Pearl Jam documentary- which was AWESOME! Pearl Jam 20 is the title, and Cameron Crowe is the director. He's been following the band from their start, and it's so cool to see their major songs being written. Plus, you get to see their second show ever, which will never let you question why they are so famous ever again. Really, even if you hate Pearl Jam you will enjoy this doc. So good.
Of course, with watching any music docu, afterward all I want to do is play music. Thank god Jimmy has the same mind set, so we played guitars into the night.
Yesterday morning I watched the 2nd episode of Portlandia (weird, huh? Sneak preview I suppose?) on Hulu, and Eddie Vedder was in it. Full circle kind of day :). Oh, and the episode is only on the website for another 2 days, so get to it!
On another note- it's freezing!!! The store only has one base heater that we can't turn up too high or it will burn the skirts (geez).
I'm currently working on Jimmy's brothers fiance's Rehearsal dinner dress (mouthful, eh?). It has a gorgeous scalloped neckline, and nipped waist and a full skirt. I'm so excited to see it finished!!! Thus, you probably won't be seeing any creations this week.
