Brooches

Brooches (Grandolly's Costume Jewelry)
Flannel (Church Thrift)
Dress (Free People)

Upside down Cheshire Cat

The one thing I have always had a hard time with is what to do with brooches. I don't ever really know what to do with them.

Well tonight I thought I would give my jean jacket a rest and throw on an oversized flannel but the problem with that is...well they're oversized. I decided to shorten the sleeves of this one by pinning brooches on both the cuffs.

Beaded to Perfection

Maxi Dress (Marshalls $10)

Earrings and textured bracelet (Grandolly's Costume Jewelry)

I got this dress last summer on one of my routine rummages through a discount department store. It's made by Steve Madden (who knew they made clothing?) and since the weather has finally decided to stop drenching us in sweat and I can now bare to feel fabric on my legs I thought I would take this lovely piece out for a spin.

As you can see in the last picture, the beading is pretty impressive for a clearance rack purchase.

True Costume Jewelry

Grandolly's Clip on Earrings

Wedges (Marshalls $20)
I never wear heels but these are the absolute best
I had them on all night!

Grandmother's Goddess Coin Ring
I'm enamored by Grecian culture and mythology
so this is a new staple for me

Grandmother's Diamond Baguette Ring

Island Moving Company Soiree Gets Underway

With the Mamasita!

Too many dances and drinks later...

My Great Grandmother's costume jewelry came in the mail a few days ago and my sister and I have had a ball sifting through all the gems. From the stories we've been told about Grandolly, I must admit she was quite a remarkable lady when she was our age.

I just hope some of that wonderful energy has been preserved in these fantastic pieces.

Tea Party

Revised Shirt (Goodwill $5 Past Blog)
Glass Bracelet (Buffalo Exchange $8)
Earrings (Hand-me-down from Great Grandma)
Jeans (BDG)

trying desperately to be graceful

This shirt has actually shown up in a previous blog on my beautiful friend Ariana. (check out Ariana here) but it never really worked on me so I thought I would cut off the sleeves and see what happened. I wore it out in Newport this week...it makes the perfect party shirt!

Fog

Artsy Shot

Top (Zara 9 Euro)
Clutch (Basement Find)
Earrings and Bracelet (Grandma's Jewelry)

Bright Shot

It is one of those days where the fog is so thick you wake up with heavy eyes. Not the best day for shorts and t-shirts.

Instead I brought out a classic french piece that I got in Nizza.

Hazy lazy day ahead.

Monday Madness

Blazer (H&M Garden Collection $29)
Silk Tank Top (Old Navy $10)
Earrings (.50 cents St. Matthew's Church Thrift Store)
This blazer is so soft and fits like a glove. I highly recommend going by H&M immediately!

Leopard Leggings (Miley Cyrus for Wal-Mart $10)
I am almost positive that I have a chronic condition when it comes to leopard fabrics. I hone in on it wherever I am. Disturbing...I know.

My grandmother's beaded necklace (rummaging through old costume jewelry)

My great grandmother's turquoise cuff (Got this yesterday from my great aunt. I love thinking about what she may have been doing when wearing this. such history!)

So as you all know, I went to New York this weekend. It was a beautiful trip filled with much reminiscing and amazing dusted off stories that had never been told before about all of the beautiful, eccentric and brilliant women that tread before me.

As Olive and I drove back up to Boston yesterday I got a little teary thinking about love, loss and everything in between. The weather definitely didn't help (torrential downpour can definitely put a damper on the day).

Anyways, I decided that I needed to turn it around. This weekend was a celebration of life and I want to express myself by wearing whatever the hell I want! Life is too short to be huddled in a corner with a t-shirt that blends into the wall. Nothing should be off limits and as a result, madness transpired on this wonderful Monday!

TGIF Newport Bound for Puppy Playgroup

Silk Top: .20 Cents Garment District
Square Diamond Earrings: .50 Cents St. Matthew's Thrift from Easter Adventure
Olive: $75 Vintage Mutt Potter League

Now I may not wear this particular top while running after little O at the Potter League's weekly playgroup but I thought it would be a nice top to show since the weekend is coming up and everyone is prepping for Saturday night attire. I actually flipped the shirt the other way so the v-neck was accentuating my back. I have a feeling this will be stowed away in my suitcase for the Cannes Film Festival (coming up in four weeks! ahh so excited!)

And as you can see, if you have been following my posts, I am absolutely obsessed with my dog Olive (who also responds to Ho Cake and Pooka Shell) and though I've had interventions from friends, family and my boyfriend, I don't think there will be any change of heart in the near future.

DIY: The Oh So Trendy Vest

the inspiration:

(in case the type above is too small it's repeated below)
Final Product: The Girly Badass
Paired with Old Navy Tank, Citizens of Humanity Jeans, Jeffrey Campbell beaded flats, Grandma's earrings and bracelet

Every September I come across the same setback. What happened to my pants? The problem is that right when it starts to get even the slightest bit warm out, I line up all of my FAVORITE jeans and with my magic wand (aka scissors) I turn them into my FAVORITE shorts! It's a severe issue...but this is the first summer, where I think that another item of clothing in my closet may be at a greater risk. My jackets! Dun dun dunnnn!

So as I am sure you all know, the new trend this spring is the jean vest and though I must admit, many of my friends have been a fan of this look many years before, I am finally catching on. Here I bring you through the process of turning a blah jean jacket into my most fawned over piece of clothing this summer. Enjoy!

ALSO, as you can see I made a bracelet with the cuffs of the jacket. I love wearing scarves as bracelets and this is a great alternative. You can use any kind of fabric and I am terrible at sewing so as long as I have a hot glue gun, staples and safety pins I'm all set!