so long, Picnik.

1970's Gray, White & Pink Silk Scarf  (Thrifted, $1)

1970's White Eyelet European Dress (Ebay, $16)

1970's Bass Sandals (Thrifted, $6)

Well, the day has finally come; Picnik.com D-Day.  I guess the company was bought out by Google?  Either way, I checked out google plus editing, and I'm not really feeling it...  Luckily, a friend suggested a website to me, so we shall see how that works out.  But for now, you will find me editing All.Day.Long. 

I've been waiting weeks for it to be warm enough to wear this dress!  It's such a beauty :).  The flounce at the top really gives this dress personality.  And, I can't lie, this dress definitely changes my mood the second I put it on.  I love it, but it's a corset, so it is SO tight!  Sitting is going to be mighty interesting today :).  It's been so long since I've worn a dress with boning; it certainly takes some getting used to. 

Did anyone ever watch 'Pete & Pete'?  Do you remember the episode about the kid that sat behind young Pete and chewed those pink dental pill/candy things?  Check out my teeth in the top pic- hahahaaa, it's all I can think about, lol.  I loved that episode; that kid was so awesomely gross!

Just so you know, I come up with all kinds of *important* things to talk about throughout the day to share with you, but then I get on and just word vomit my stream of consciousness all over the place. :)

On an outfit note- I really do dig the idea of my blog; the 'what do I wear to work everyday, blah blah'; but I do come up with my best outfits when I'm going out at night (who doesn't really?). 

Plus, I really, really don't like putting on makeup during the day (which is why I usually just do lipstick so that I look somewhat awake and photogenic).

So, I've been trying to find interesting places to photograph, but it just isn't panning out.  Here is my question to you:  do you want to see pictures from outside of the store?  Perhaps some pictures of my well dressed friends thrown in? 

Now that I've typed the question, I've decided that the answer is yes.  So, look forward to some new scenery :).

 

My Jamaica trip is coming up!!  Woohoo! 

I can't wait. 

I've been sewing some beachy-summery looks from the 40's and 50's, but I think I'll wait to photograph them until I'm on the beach :). 

Ahh, sunshine, fruit & relaxation..

Oh yes.  I've been meaning to mention this for ages. 

::::Men, avert your eyes::::

Have you ever heard of 'Party in my Pants' cloth pads?  I know, the name is a little silly (and it's PIMP abbreviated), but they ROCK.  I tried out several different kinds, with not so great results, until I landed on these.  I've been using them for years, and I will never, ever go back  to anything else.  Not only are you saving tons of resources every year, but you are saving tons of money as well.  Plus, you don't have those nasty chemicals in or against your body. 

Oh yeah, and they come in all kinds of cool patterns/fabrics, which does more for a pick me up during those days than you'd think :). 

http://www.partypantspads.com/

Well, that's all for me today folks.  Have a great day, Ally.

Painted Lady.

1990's Jean Jacket (Thrifted, $4)

-Painted by Me-

Orange Lipstick

Tshirt Dress ($7)

Orange & Pink Socks (?)

Orange-y Keds (Thrifted, $ .50)

-Please avoid staring at my blotchy ankles.  It's cold in here, geez...-

A few weeks ago, after dreaming all winter of multiple tshirt dresses adorned with vintage t-shirt transfers, I threw down the necessary funds and purchased an 1970's Transfer book.

Well, the transfers don't work (shame, shame), and my tshirt dress idea didn't quite turn out as planned.. but behold the result:

Ahh. 

I hand copied my favorite transfer out of the book (yes, this took a while, lol) with a black sharpie, and finally got around to painting it last night.  I'm in love <3. 

I've been looking for a customized jean jacket for months, so why didn't it occur to me sooner to just paint on my own??  Who. Knows.

Finding the perfect fitting jean jacket did take HOURS of running from thrift store to thrift store, but I found it, and it couldn't be more of what I wanted :). 

Anyway, I am probably going to be making about 50 in the next couple weeks- so watch out!

The possibilities.

'Oh! Darling Vintage' s 1st year anniversary was on Saturday!  Of course, it stormed ALL DAY; but it went really, really well overall.  We got a ton of new customers (which we wooed with vegan cookies & cupcakes), and lots of happy purchases. 

So many purchases, that I had to go out and replenish on my days off (no complaining here!).

While I was out, I found these awesome orange 70's Keds at a new (to me) thrift store for $.50.  With thrift prices skyrocketing lately (grrrr.), it's nice to still be able to get a deal sometimes.  Seriously, I went to one thrift store that was selling a Mexican circle skirt (with a stain on it) for $50.  Jesus christ.  I mean, come on people. 

So excited that it turned out!!!

I'm going to see the 'Punch Brothers' tonight! Pumped! They are playing in the town near where I went to high school, so I'm meeting up with some old pals and doing dinner and then the show. :)

Have a great day, and see you soon.

ally.

 

Sweetheart.

 

1950's style Sweetheart Dress

-made by me-

(materials: $8)

Black Sandals ($9)

 

I finished this dress yesterday, and it has now become my favorite handmade dress yet! 

I've been searching for a 'Sweetheart' neck dress for a while now with no luck, so I decided to make one.

Have you noticed that even in the past year vintage clothing has skyrocketed in price?  It's getting a little annoying; especially if you're someone who liked "vintage" in the first place because of cheapness and originality (me).  Sewing has created an amazing outlet for me to capture that feeling without the hassle- I can make exactly what I want, and no one else has it :). 

Not being able to find a sweetheart neckline dress pattern for under $30 (yeah right, lol), I took an existing bodice (my tried and true pattern), and drafted a new neckline.  I'm so happy with how it turned out!  I used a thick paper so I can save it, although I already want to make it a little more extreme (angle wise). 

The fabric is soooooo soft; and it you see it in person, the black looks faded and washed out, which I absolutely love!  All in all, this dress has given my sewing inspiration the kick it needed.

I've been riding my bike to work everyday, which does not meld very well with blog post worthy outfits, haha. 

Have I posted since our show?  WELL, if not, it went great!  I'm so happy to get back into playing shows, and to have some new people who add some fresh perspective. 

Truth be told, I have been playing my guitar instead of sewing as of late; and I even have a new guitar to show for it!!!  Ahhh, it's a beauty...  (I'll post a pic at the bottom of the post).  It's a sea foam green pearl Telecaster :).  It sounds awesome, and feels so smooth.  I've always been an acoustic player, but have wanted an electric for ages.  So glad I took the leap- no regrets here. 

I will be joining Jimmy's family on a trip to Jamaica May 15th (!!!).  This knowledge has thrown me head first into creating my summer wardrobe!  I have so many ideas, and I'm happy to have some sort of deadline to work torward :).  Inspiration:

Sweetheart necks, Banana Hair clips, Ruffle crop tops, Novelty shorts/pants, B & W sundresses, Landscape patterns, Daisy's, Ruching, Embroidery.

 

Last night we started watching 'Life's too Short', which stars Warwick Davis, Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant.  Oh my god, it is so hilarious- I was crying in the first 30 minutes, haha.  I love Ricky and Stephen, but man, Warwick Davis is so funny!  There are also walk ons by other celebrities like:  Johnny Depp, Laim Neeson, Helena Bonham Carter, Cat Deeley, etc.  If you like comedies, check it out!!!  I can't believe it took us so long to start watching it. 

I have to post a bunch of things on Etsy today, so I must go...

Have a great day!  ally.

I'll leave you with this baby:

1990's, I'm Bias.

1990's Ditsy Floral Bias Dress (Thrifted, ?)

1960's Earrings (Yard Sale, $0.50)

1970's Platforms (Ebay)

2 Gold & Green Rings

As you may know, Picnik, the photo editing website will be closing soon :(.  So, I'm taking advantage of all the effects I can while they're still around!

I did a major clothing ousting in the shop yesterday.  A spring cleaning, if you will.  I got rid of all the pieces that have somehow made it through the year without much notice.  Can you believe it's going to be a year soon?!  Craziness. 

Anyway, this dress was about to be donated, when it occurred to me that I had never even tried it on!  I've been wanting a dress like this for a couple weeks, so I decided to give it a go.  And what do you know?  It's turned into my new favorite dress overnight :).  I think the reason I didn't try it on in the first place is because there isn't any closure on the dress- so on the hanger it just kinda looks like a rectangle (an unattractive rectangle at that). 

But, it's bias cut, so the second you put it on it forms around your body nicely.  I'm so glad I gave it a second thought!

I found these earrings at a yard sale last weekend.  They were clip-ons, so I replaced them with posts, added some extra chain for other discarded earrings, and voila! 

Today was my second go at the 'Baking Soda Hairwashing', and I must say, I'm never going back.  My hair still feels awesome!

I didn't mention this yesterday, but through the last couple years I've tried a few things here and there.  The worst being coconut oil- don't do it!!!  It made my hair look WET for about a week.  It took washing it about 10 times to get it back to normal...  Sure, put some on the ends of your hair, or rub some into your hands and run them lightly on top of your hair to give it some shine.  But for the love of god, do not get in the shower and put a handful in your hair!!!  I had read multiple articles advising people to do this. 

The others either left a slight film on my hair (which I really dislike), or had a smell (eesh). 

Last night, Jimmy and I walked to the levee and saw the movie 'Wanderlust'.  It was funny overall- a little lacking in the characters (it's a big budget H movie, so I expected as much), but there was some really good slapstick humor throughout! 

This week is turning out to be a busy one!  We have a dinner party to go to tonight, Indian style (yuuummm).  So, I'm going to out and look for some bindhi's for everyone to wear :).  Hopefully I can find some!  It occurred to me last night that I haven't seen them in a long time, although, I haven't really looked since high school, haha.  It'll be such a great surprise though if I can find them!

The band I'm in, Good Night Noises, has a show next Tuesday at 'The Comet', which we are really pumped about!  It's the first time we've ever played in Northside (a neighborhood in Cincy), and it'll also be our first show with our 2 new members, who we are SO happy to have.  So many firsts!

Have a great day, ally.   

Daisy.

1960's Velvet Daisy Shift (Cherry Bomb Vintage, $16)

1960's Bias Slip (Thrifted, $1)

1970's Pink,Olive,Yellow Hair Yarn (Gifted/Thrifted)

1970's White Bass Sandals (Thrifted, $6)

On my last trip to Louisville, I found this AWESOME dress at a vintage store on Bardstown Rd.  They didn't have too many vintage pieces, but the ones they did have were definitely quality.  And how can you beat $16? 

I had to find a nude slip -that didn't look like a slip- to wear under this baby, which proved to be slightly difficult.  But I finally found a nude bias cut slip yesterday while thrifting, and it is a keeper :). 

Unfortunately, as you can see, this dress is WAY small on top...  I knew it was true, but didn't want to believe it...  But you can't really disagree with a picture!  So onto Etsy it goes :(. 

It's made of a semi-sheer yellow cotton adorned with white velvet daisies.  :::Sigh:::

At least this dress will make someone out there a very happy lady!

This being said, I am ALL for recycling vintage.  If you don't love one of your pieces, put it back out into the world for someone else to enjoy! 

Plus, it ups your thrifting-karma 3 fold (proven fact).

I know I have probably talked about my dislike for commercial "beauty" products here before, but yesterday I found the mother of all substitutes!

Shampoo was the last product that I just couldn't seem to shake.  I found a great shampoo over a year ago- it felt fantastic, had as few chemicals as I could find, and made my scalp/hair feel a lot healthier.  Plus, it eliminated the need for conditioner ( if you find a quality shampoo, you don't need it one bit!). 

In the past couple weeks, my 'great' shampoo started having the same effect on my hair as the others I had upgraded from.  I knew I had to find a natural alternative.

I searched the Internet far and wide, and found lemons to be the best option- but still didn't quite feel that living in Kentucky and using 1-2 lemons every time I wanted to wash my hair any more sustainable.  Yes, healthier for my scalp, but not for poor old earth. 

Soooo...

I found the solution:  Baking Soda!!

I put maybe 1-2 Tablespoons into a glass, and poured some warm water over it, and stirred it to dissolve.  I WISH I would have measured it out.  I would think that I poured about a cup into the BS, and dissolved. 

Anyway.  Then, while in the shower, I bent over a little, parted my hair, and poured the solution until it was gone.  The coolest thing, it that I could feel the shampoo residue running out with the water- making the water feel soft. 

It's funny, but my hair actually felt squeaky (as in squeaky clean) while rinsing!  I over rinsed, since it was my first time, just to be sure to get all of the solution out (I wasn't sure what would happen, haha).  When towel drying, I did get a little nervous, since the texture felt a little different than normal.

I couldn't wait to see the results, so I got out the ol' blow dryer, and seriously, my hair felt great!  It was actually fluffier than usual!!

I touched it all night long, :).  Upon waking, my hair feels soft, and my scalp feels extra clean and happy!

Outcome?:  I will never, EVER buy shampoo again.  Which rocks.

-BTW, I went to Whole Foods and got their Baking Soda.-

I was so excited to take some pictures today so I could see my hair- and it's probably just in my head, but it seems even shinier than normal!  And I actually got some hair compliments when I went out last night :). 

Oh yeah, and I quit coffee while I was gone too!  I'm coming up on a month.  I'm so glad I did.  Yes, it was a little difficult, but totally necessary for my health.  The first week was the worst- now it's just a craving here or there.  Perhaps later in life I will be able to enjoy a cup every once in a while- but for now I have found the negatives to FAR out way the positives.  I'll stick with my tea. 

Have an awesome day, and I will see you soon!

ally.

T.G.I.S

Yellow Dress (U.O, Gift)

Felt Daisy Choker (DIY)

Bass White Sandals (Thrifted, $6)

Beaded Felt Bird Purse (DIY)

(My camera is on the fritz- beware of the blur)

Oh my god, it's finally Spring!

Thank you universe!

Today should be the template for every perfect day here on out :). 

In more interesting news, I finally finished my purse this morning.  I love it- but I definitely learned what to do/what not to do with the next one.  I'm in love with the beading, and strangely I want to bead everything!  Honestly, I never understood how someone could take the time to bead clothing/accessories, but I'm totally into it now.  It really doesn't take that long at all.  But beware: it is totally addictive. 

Monday we went and saw 'The Lemonheads'!  It was an awesome day; vintage store shopping, vegan food, and great music.  The drive is only an only and half, and left me wondering why we don't go more often?  My favorite vintage store that we visited (by far) was called 'The Nitty Gritty'.  They had a great collection, and ever better prices! 

Honestly, I don't even bother going into vintage stores if their prices are higher than ours..  I'm a thrifter all the way, so paying $100 for a dress is just not going to happen (yes, there are circumstances, but not on a normal shopping trip). 

Ohhh, this dress rocks.  It's not vintage one bit, but I already want to buy it in 50 different colors and wear them all at the same time :).  Jimmy got it for me for Valentines Day and it just arrived last night.  So. Comfy.

The purse! 

I really dig tiny round purses- and have been wanting to copy my yellow one for years.  It's starting to wear out, so I want to have the logistics down before it bites the dust.

I'm not going to lie, the bird is there for no other reason than the fact that I really wanted to bead a wing.  :)

I found out yesterday from the landlord that they have to open a wall to repair a pipe.  EEK!  I'm so nervous that we are going to have to close for more than a day...  But being able to bike in the sunshine would be a fine trade <3. 

Spring Green.

1960's Neon Green Sweater (Thrifted, $?)

Opal Necklace (Etsy, Gift)

1990's Cotton Crop Top (Ebay, $2)

1990's Black Skirt (Thrifted, $?)

Velvet Flats

Spring!

I have been waiting to wear this top for AGES.  It came in an Ebay lot I bought in the dead of Winter, and has been sitting in the closet patiently.  It's made of cotton, and has no closure, which makes for a very comfy top! 

I can't believe I've never worn this sweater in a post before!  Hands down, my all time favorite sweater.  I've had it for years, and can't for the life of me remember where I got it, but I was immediately in love.  It's even more neon in person :).

This morning Lindsay & I went to see 'My Week with Marilyn'.  It was great!  I've seen every Marilyn movie (I am in no way a crazy fan of MM), and I can say with gusto that this one is by far the best.  Michelle Williams does a great job, as does everyone else in the movie.  I think it really helped that the plot had a discernible beginning and end, instead of trying to span her whole life.  And of course the clothing was gorgeous.  Worth seeing!

The sun is out today, thank goodness. I needed it! Last night we went out to our favorite bar with a friend who is leaving the state for a few months. We had a great night; finished off with some (very) late night guitar playing/singing :). I love when Jimmy and I play music together on the fly (especially when wine is involved). It makes for some interesting developments.

I've been making a purse the last few days, and was so excited to show it today!  But, alas, I forgot to buy fabric for the strap, so hopefully you'll see it tomorrow.  It's my first foray into beading by hand, and I have to say, I'm hooked!

Monday we're going to Louisville to see 'The Lemonheads' :).  So. Pumped.

Have a great day!  Ally.