Lust List: Gold

I'm so glad that fashion is cyclical. Lately I've been noticing all of these amazing metallic hues on the runway, in fashion mags, online. . . And I don't think it's just because it's the Holiday Season. No, gold and silver are back in a big, bold way.  From clothing to jewelry and accessories, home decor, even make-up, I just cannot get enough of this decadent shade!

Luckily, I've been able to indulge my obsession with these hues (gold in particular) while shopping for the site. Anytime I see something sparkly out of the corner of my eye, I go for it!  It seems that this color was particularly popular in the 1960's and early 1970's, so I've found some really great pieces from that era.

Need a pick-me-up when the weather's gray and dreary? Wear gold! It'll make you feel like a million bucks.

XO,

Jess

Thrifty Thursday. . . err, Friday!

Ok, obviously I got behind on my posts because of Thanksgiving. Mine was lovely, by the way-- how was yours? I've been spending the Holiday in freeeezing South Dakota with Josh's family. When we arrived yesterday it was only 5 degrees! Luckily, there's not much to do around here besides stay inside and eat. . . oh yeah, and then there's the best thrift store in the world 20 minutes away.
So, this is our Thanksgiving ritual-- spend Thursday with the fam, stuffing our faces, then Friday ("Black Friday", haha) we bypass the mall and go straight to our favorite shopping center: the thrift store in an old school. I hope you won't hold it against me that I must keep its name and exact location secret. . . You see, in just the last 3 years, since I've been going there, I've seen their prices nearly triple as more and more "hipsters" (well, the South Dakota version) discover its treasures.

Poor Josh, I dragged him (and his little sister!) through every room of this schoolhouse. And we were thorough. . . He got lucky and found an amazing pair of vintage speakers for only $10. I had great luck too, I picked out a slew of gorgeous dresses from the 50's, 60's and 70's, as well as two coats, a sweater, some jewelry, ties. . . I don't even remember everything I bought! I figure, between the Vintage Madison Holiday Pop-up Shop (which is next weekend-- ahh!), and on-line sales, I can justify buying a lot right now. So, you want a sneak peek? Here are some of my spoils. . .

I have beaucoup work to do when I get home!

XO,
Jess

 

10 things to look forward to this winter. . .

Ok, I'm in a funk. This week, it finally feels like winter has made it to Wisconsin. . . The days are so short (it's dark by 4:30!), there's a bitter chill in the air, and I fear I'm on the verge of the usual "change of seasons" head cold. My mantra is "I'm not getting sick. I'm not getting sick." Having moved here 5 years ago from the Sunny South, I still find Winter a bit fascinating, and I do love actually having 4 seasons (in Georgia there's only 2: hot and not-so-hot). But, still, the feeling of being on the verge of 4 months of bitter cold is a little bit daunting. So, to counter-act the beginning-of-Winter-blues, I've made a list of all the things to look forward to about Winter.

1.     Snow days

2.     Hot toddies, hot buttered rum, hot cocoa, hot cider

3.     Holiday Parties

4.     Wool leggings, wool-lined boots, scarves, fur coats

5.     Eating whatever I want because there are no beach days in sight

6.     Walking/skating across the frozen lake

7.     Fireplaces (ok, our fireplace doesn’t actually work, but I plan on finding a restaurant/coffee shop with one that I can curl up next to)

8.     Sleeping in (because it’s just too cold to get out of bed!)

9.     “Indoor Activities” (i.e. sewing, cooking, crafting. . . )

10.  trip to a cabin in the woods


What are you looking forward to this Winter?

P.s.--I'll leave you with some beautiful Winter-themed photos. . .

                a la New York Times

                          a la W Magazine

XO,
Jess

Thrifty Thursday--Back from Minneapolis

Well, I think I've said it before, but Minneapolis is one of my favorite thrifting towns. . .I never spend more than a day or two there at a time, but I always make sure to stop in at least one or two thrift stores. This week, Josh and I went up for a night because he was playing a house concert with our friend Brianna Lane. We had a great time-- our hosts cooked an amazing spread of food, and all of the guests were so nice and welcoming!

Brianna is wearing an adorable 1950's-style dress with a watercolor bird pattern (*she bought the dress from me-- I'm so happy when my clothes find a good home!)

OK, so onto the thrifting. . . On our way out of town, Josh and I stopped at a couple of good thrift stores.  Value Thrift (on Hwy 94) was one of the absolute best thrift stores I've ever been to! First of all, it's enormous! Like a whole thrift store mall. . . Unfortunately, I didn't really have the time to properly devote (like a whole weekend), but in about an hour I was able to the at least skim the whole place. Now, the prices are not as cheap as many thrift stores, but the selection is amazing, the garments are all well maintained, and the place is pretty clean, so maybe that makes up for it.
Here's what I found: boots, boots and more boots! As well as some great leather men's jackets.

 

All of these new goodies will be up on the website soon. . .Promise!

Holiday Lookbook!

So, in preparation for the Vintage Madison Holiday Pop-up Shop, Claire and I decided to have a photoshoot. It was tons of fun! We staged a sort of Holiday party at our friend Alice's house. . . complete with cocktails and very yummy cupcakes. My sweetheart, Josh, was nice enough to "model" for a few shots (doesn't he look handsome in the 3 piece suite--so Don Draper!)

We also had two sweet girls, Erica and Victoria, model for us. I think they had a lot of fun playing dress-up!

I did all the photography myself, and was pretty nervous about it because I had just gotten a new camera (a Nikon D5000 digital SLR-- it's pretty sweet).  So I had to quickly browse the manual and familiarize myself. I think the photos turned out not-half-bad, actually.
Check out the entire lookbook here.

Thrifty Thursday!

I am so inspired and overwhelmed with projects right now! I can't wait to get started! I don't think I've mentioned yet that we're having another Vintage Madison event (following the success of our Fall Fashion Show/Sale). . .This time were doing a Holiday "Pop-Up" Shop!

I'm so excited, because we're able to have it at this great art gallery/concert venue/general-use artists' space called the Project Lodge. This morning, I met with the director of the Project Lodge, along with my Vintage Madison co-sponsor, Claire (of Mamushka Marie Vintage). We started brain-storming display and decorating ideas, and came up with some great ones! Claire is making jewelry and vintage ornaments to hang on our faux-tree. So, I got inspired to make things as well--I'm thinking pillows, for starters.
So, after the meeting, Claire and I went to Goodwill to find more inspiration (and, of course, there was lots of shopping involved!) We found all kinds of cool display items, as well as things to sell. I got an armful of funky vintage plaid fabric to make pillows out of. Claire found a funky red suitcase and several adorable garments. . .

Besides fabric, I found the most wonderful thing-- something I've been looking for for a long time. . .

Yes, it's a birdcage. But Jess, you might say, do you even have a bird?  Well, no. . . but I've always thought that birdcages were the most beautiful items. Now, it needs some work, but I will turn it into a piece of art. First off, I need to spray paint it (probably bright gold). . . I'll post some "after" pics when it's done. 
Time to get crafty!

Guest Blog Post

So, this week I had a chance to do a guest post on one of my favorite blogs: Little Chief Honeybee. It's called "These Are A Few of My Favorite Things. . . " Please check it out!

Also. . . I'm running a little GIVEAWAY on the website. 

Thrifty Thursday!

OK, I have a confession to make. . . I'm a thrift-a-holic! I absolutely cannot control my compulsion to walk inside every and any thrift store that I pass (as well as yard sales, flea markets, etc.) because who knows what treasures may lie inside? What if there's a pristine 1950 Chanel dress for only $4?! I have to rescue it! Well, maybe that's a little dramatic, but you catch my drift. . .
Anyhoo, I thought I'd start a weekly post about my thrifting adventures and conquests-- Thrifty Thursday. I didn't have a ton of time today, but thought I'd share a few pics of what my shopping yielded this week.

This gorgeous black and silver dress is my favorite thing from this week. Originally, it was a full-length dress but as soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to make it a mini. . . It was a bit tricky, bringing the hem up, but I think it worked out beautifully. Unfortunately, it's a bit small for me, so I immediately photographed it and put it up on the website. It's going to make a damn fine Holiday party dress for one lucky lady.

I'm not sure what to do with this one. .. It's pretty cute on it's own-- I love the color and the pleating on the chest. I may take the hem up to make it shorter, or do something with the sleeves. . . Any suggestions?

love this shirt. definitely keeping it for myself :)

I can't have enough mod mini-dresses. . . This one also required a lot of altering, but I think it'll be a great staple for the winter.

It's hard to tell from this photo, but this is a really gorgeous semi-sheer red dress with lovely black floral patterning and funky bell sleeves. Again, not my size, so it'll definitely be up on the website soon!