Whirlwind + Jeans

Wow, what a week-- what a month really.

I feel like I have been fully swept into a whirlwind sometimes.  I have always had a low threshold for busyness, and iron boundaries to boot, so this feeling is a new one to me.  Funny enough, it's all good things that are filling my time-- just more than I've balanced before.  This figurative wind has brought with it some literal chill in the past couple days too, so Autumn is feeling quite real (and strange).

Speaking of strange, I wore jeans on Friday! I actually quite like to wear jeans for a change now and then, though I do it seldom enough that the people in my life usually remark when I do.

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{dark wash jeans} - True Religion

{peach top} - thrifted

{cashmere sweater} - vintage 50's, thrifted

{sandal flats} - Modcloth

{green bead necklace} - vintage, gift

{silver watch} - antique, thrifted

9.3.13

Well, hello blog. It's been awhile. These pictures are from yesterday, which was a blessed day of rest!

It feels like time has become liquid of late, my last few weeks have been jam packed and I'm just now getting used to it.  My internship with the lovely folks at Mata Traders has been a wonderful new experience, though I've realized how ignorant I was about public transit!  I'm learning that, among other things. :)

Aside from all the new adventures that brings to the table, I've been working on my shop again, enjoying the last summery weather and trying to be more active about creating. I haven't even touched a peice of leather all summer (which was part of one of my goals, argh.) and just painted for the first time in a few months. Life is passing too quickly these days.

This weekend has been very timely, and has allowed me the rest I've needed these past weeks. Hopefully this week will be a bit more normal in pace.

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{house print dress} - vintage 50's, thrifted

{black lace top} - Kohl's

{cutout oxfords} - Zappos

{turquoise ring} - vintage, thrifted

{bloom necklace} - Seven Finches

{black velvet belt} - vintage 50's, thrifted

Day off Casual

I don't think I ever used to get tired of "dressing up" but now that I work in an office and it's a requirement, my days off look a little more casual than they used to.  I think this also may in part be becuase I can't wear my more casual dresses to work, so I end up wearing them on my days off.  This can be a problem, but I digress.  This outfit is from my day off on Thursday.

Somehow, I've never blogged about these shoes that I made in the fall.  Yeah, I made them.  I have long been interested in leatherworking, grew up making leather bracelets and key chains at summer camp and for a few years have been searching for a way to learn the craft of shoemaking.  At first I tried to become an apprentice to a local cobbler, a 80-some year old man who has been making and mending shoes since stepping off the boat from Greece as a child.  That did not work out (there's a great story there though), but I ended up finding a little place in Ravenswood called The Chicago School of Shoemaking.  I took a two day intensive class, and walked away holding these puppies that I cut, stitched and made by hand.  That was my first exposure to actual shoemaking, and this summer I'm going to attempt to make my second pair (of my own pattern this time)!

And woah, I'm not wearing any vintage in this outfit-- it does happen every now and then! :)

Backroads

I've been working Admin. part time now for only a little over a month and though I enjoy it, I'm so glad I have two days a week off to work on my shop, create and have little adventures-- today was no exception!

My Mom and I often work very different schedules, but every now and then we get an afternoon to catch up.  Today we did so with one of our favorite past times, a drive and a walk w/ our dogs at one of the local forest preserves.  I tend to think of the area we were in today as the back-roads of suburbia; long winding roads with one lane going each way, twisting through farm fields, forests and wetlands.  *sigh* and what a beautiful, sunny day it was!  I do believe spring is well and truly here!

Details

{Dress} Mata Traders - this is an amazing fair trade brand, check them out! :)

{Shoes} Lulu's

{Lace Slip} Vintage, thrifted

{Necklace} Vintage, antique market

{Ring} Vintage, Mom's