April Showers

image via Mothic Flights and Flutterings

image via

image via fashionblog.am

You know what they say... April showers bring May flowers.  I'm loving these vintage umbrella pics (especially the first one, with Audrey, of course).

I was on my way home last night and the sky was dark and cloudy and tut, tut, it looked like rain.  I doubt we will actually get any rain (the wind is doing a fine job of blowing all those clouds away), but it still reminded me of wet weather that is sure to come.

I mean wet as in those spring showers, not windy, cold, snowy weather like some of you are still having.

Miss Me floral dress / J.Crew ballerina shoes / Kate Spade kates spade / Kate spade / Lulu Guinness umbrella / J.Crew - Search

So, do you plan on partaking in the floral trend for spring?  If I had my way, that kate spade purse (or any of the others with that pattern) would already be in my closet.  And while I love the J.Crew shorts shown above, the pair I really love are at ZARA.  In the kids' section.  I want them.  I have bought shirts from the kids' section of Zara, but I would definitely need to try on a pair of kid shorts before I tried buying them.  Maybe I'll buy them for the Cat and just live vicariously through her.
Don't forget about the book swap we are co-hosting; my thoughts behind it are
1) I love to read and discover new books,
2) I LOVE getting mail (good mail, that is!), and
3) I would love to connect with some of you out there in blogger land!
I do hope you'll consider joining us!


 And I would like to say that our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the bombings in Boston. xoxo

Vindicated: Mint Green

Spring Must Have Color:   Mint

Months ago, I picked up a vintage mint colored pencil skirt.  I have been waiting until it gets a little bit warmer before I wear my skirt (I am planning on pairing it with a long sleeve black and white striped tee.  Maybe. That''s what I had on when I first tried on the skirt, and it looked cute.).  I also scored  a vintage mint green beaded necklace that I may or may not pair with my vintage skirt find.  

Now that it is warming up, I'll be able to wear my skirt, just in time for spring, where, coincidentally, mint is forecasted to be a huge trend.  In the spirit of me jumping on that bandwagon before realizing it was a bandwagon, here are some more great mint-colored pieces, just in time for spring.

Vintage purse from Lord & Taylor.  Love.
Get it here before I do.

Piazza Sempione

Here's a more affordable version, available at Miss Selfridge

Mint crinkled-crepe shorts from Acne

John Lewis

Mint Enamel Cut Out Bracelet- if you aren't ready to fully
 commit to the mint trend.  This'll get you there.
Buy it here.

~Lori

We Wear Short Shorts

I love finding pretty new things to look at.  And funny things.  And that is why I love it when blogs I like list their favorite blogs that they like, because chances are, I will like them too.  So I was looking at Habitually Chic when I wandered on over to A Lovely Being.  Both are truly lovely websites.  A Lovely Being recently featured the Greenbriar Resort, where they have rooms decorated like this:


photo by Cooper Carras for Matchbook

Vindication!  Rebecca recently did a post that featured that type of mirror -AND- she just chose that paint color for my bedroom ceiling and for my closet.  Love it! (update- if you read yesterday's post, you'll see that Rebecca bought a similar mirror for her entryway.  Love it!)
Anyway, over on the website, there was a post about French pop star Yelle's video, Comme Un Enfant.  She describes the video as "pink," and "catchy," and she describes Yelle as "Audrey Hepburn meets Lady Gaga."  Well, of course I had to check that out.  My favorite thing about the video are a pair of shorts the singer wears.  They are high-waisted, short, black, retro yet modern, and I love them.

If I had legs like that, I would definitely be getting a pair of those shorts.  And they seem to be cropping up all over.  I found another pair on the blog  Anna del Russo.

from Japan Vogue



Rebecca pinned these on pinterest;
you can see them here

Carven Spring ready to wear-
 these are perhaps a little more "wearable"



image via Chad Syme on pinterest, the Natty Gal
Jason Wu Spring 2012

I have a pair of high-waisted denim shorts that I practically lived in last summer, so I am glad to see that this trend is not over just yet.  Not everyone can pull of super short shorts, but high-waisted styles tend to be universally flattering.  You don't have to go super short, but you can wear them shorter because the high waist balances them out.  
I won't be going super short when I sport this look, but I will definitely be wearing some of these high-waisted lovelies when it warms up enough.  Which I'm starting to think is never going to happen, the way these little winter storms keep blowing in.  There's supposedly a chance we'll get snow.  That's the word on the street, anyway.  So later, when it is warm enough that I won't spend the whole day cursing the cold, I will be pairing my high waisted shorts with all kinds of tops, many of which I am sure are still at the stores, just waiting for me to purchase them and take them home to my ever expanding closet.

~Lori

(Some of) the Things I Need for Spring

The weather here has been really weird lately:  Monday it was freezing with gale force winds; Tuesday was cold and windy,but not as bad as Monday; Wednesday morning it was freezing.  Friday was a little windy, but it was a warm wind.  Warm wind is better than bitter cold wind, but that doesn't stop me from hating it.  It's annoying, blowing sand in your face, messing up your hair, making it difficult to wear dresses for fear of having the skirt blow up unexpectedly.  You would think after living in this valley for my whole life I'd be use to it.  Well, I'm not.  Actually, I am.  I'm just full of contradictions today.  I'm used to it, but it doesn't stop me from hating it.  And before you start hating me for talking excessively about wind, let me explain the reason I started complaining about it in the first place: it is making me really look forward to spring.  (Yep- that's it.  You should hear me teach.)  In the spring, it is still windy, but it is a warm wind that blows on a warm day.  None of this waking up to freezing temperatures crap and needing your wool coat one minute and a short sleeve shirt the next.  Now, don't get me wrong, I actually am not ready (not just yet) for spring to be here, because I am still enjoying wearing my winter clothes.  I love my boots and leggings and layers, layers, layers.  And I just bought a really cool pair of vintage wool Navy sailor pants.  What color you ask? They are navy blue, of course.  And they are awesome.  I got them at the Antique Asylum, which is the store that Rebecca talked about in her post with the yellow beads.  I know I should know how to do this myself, but the pants are too short and the hem needs to be let out.  I'm not good with a needle and thread, people; I safety pin buttons back on when they fall off.  Which is better than my friend Heather, who said she hot glues them on when they fall off of shirts and subsequently has to put said shirts on as slip-over blouses from that point on.  Anyway.  Wool sailor pants that are currently residing on the floor of my closet (that's another thing, besides sewing that I just can't seem to get the hang of- putting things away) that are begging to be worn at least once this winter are really the main reason I am not ready for spring to come just yet.

But.  When it does get here, I will be ready for it, with the help of these wants that are currently on my list of "Things I Need for Spring" (it is in italics because this is an important list, and important things should be italicized).  Ooh, and I'll be ready for spring thanks to this really cute vintage jumpsuit (navy blue, go figure) that I got the other day.  It also needs to be altered, because safety pins, even strategically place safety pins, just won't cut it on this one.

Libby Edelman "Liv" leather ballet flats
(available here)
I love the neutral taupe and pop of orange,
and that chain detail-- love!
I actually love them more in canvas,
but they aren't available yet.

Vintage Inspired Purse
from Loveculture

also available in brown!

Pleat Midi Shirtdress, Topshop

This would be perfect to add an extra pop of color
AND keep your hair out of your face on those
windy spring days.  Available at Topshop.
And the main color is orange.  I LOVE orange for clothes.

Harmony Wedge from Modcloth
This shoe combines the lace and clear shoe trend.
(Is there a prettier way to say "clear shoe trend"?)

Black Gingham top.  Wish is were in blue, and
then it would be perfect and on its way to my house.
Available from Modcloth.

~Lori