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Monday, December 24, 2012

A Merry, Colorful Christmas!

     The Holidays are undoubtedly one of my favorite times to get all "decked out".  Pull out the faux fur, the glam jewelry, the metallics and bright tights; and this year was alllllll about it (metallics everywhere!!).  I was excited to find this gold bow dress at Forever21, and by this time I've collected quite a few colorful rhinestone necklaces that I thought would be fun to pair with it, along with a set of neon pink tights.  Add in a pair of glittery gold shoes from Payless and voila;  you've got a glitzy holiday number worthy of the paparazzi!  Well...not exactly, but worthy of great family fun is nice too.  By the end of the night I was feeling quite full from all of my holiday indulgence, but this dress did a great job of glossing it over for me. ;)  Merry Christmas everyone!!! I hope you all had a great time this past week and are ready to have even more fun tomorrow!  What outfits did you put together this Christmas?  Did you go for sequins, lace, velvet, jewel tones??!


Necklaces:  H&M, Anthropolgie, Kohl's.  Dress, sweater, ring- forever 21.  Headband-Nicole Rae Styer, tights- Hot topic.

<3    <3    <3   <3 

I hope you all have a cozy and beautiful holiday season, and more importantly, that you get to enjoy it surrounded by people that you love.  I am so thankful for my family, friends, and the beautiful memories I get to share with them every Christmas; and of course Jesus, the most precious gift of all!  I wish you all the love and happiness that life can offer!



Merry Christmas! <3

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Factory Chic: Some Oldies but Goodies!

     Well, hello!  It has been a tiny while since I last posted (shame, shame).  Winter weather is upon us- getting outside for clothing portraits has been unusually difficult as I have worked the past few weekends and daylight has become harder and harder to come by! (Dark by 4:30??  C'mon!!)  However, to fill in the gaps, I decided that now would be the perfect time to share some old photos that I really love.  These photos were taken in Philly in an old button factory turned art studio and photography space. They are part of a fashion shoot that we did for the boutique I manage, Clothes in the Past Lane.  We had a fabulous time dressing up in different looks, posing for the pictures and braving the cold weather (this was back in February of this year).  
     The incredible lady behind the camera is Kate Callahan of Kate Callahan Photography and she did an absolutely lovely job with each and every one of them.  My favorite has got to be the fun primary colors in the dress below- available here at ModCloth.com (since my store has looooong since sold out) as the Feelin' Refreshed dress.  Super fun!


This has got to be my favorite photo- who doesn't love a good jumping pic?!?

All clothing provided by Clothes in the Past Lane, headband by forever 21, bangles are vintage

I love the soft, almost etheral touch that the flower crown gives this floral party dress.  It instantly transforms it from party girl to wood nymph, the perfect bohemian touch!



Dress by Clothes in the Past Lane, floral wreath from etsy.com, necklaces are vintage

This number is a little trickier to pull off- beaming straight from the late 60's in a bright and bold polyester blend, this dress was super fun to pose in, and even more fun to twirl in!



Dress and bracelet are vintage pieces from Clothes in the Past Lane

Seriously, if you want to look and feel gorgeous, Kate is your girl for photographs!  She is amazing!  This shoot was so much fun, and I am really glad that I got to reminisce with these photos tonight.  Do you have a favorite outfit?  I felt comfortably me in all 3, but the first one is probably my pick!  

I hope every one is doing well during this busy season.  I am looking to shake things up on my blog over the coming weeks, so stay tuned and hopefully I will stick to it!  This weekend I will be escaping to NYC to visit some friends (woohoo) and then I turn 25 next week (eeeek!) wow, a quarter century!  Times are busy and changing, which is good, it keeps things fresh and innovative, and that's exactly what I am looking for right now.  I am not a friend of stagnancy and am at my happiest when I am constantly learning, discovering, creating and trying new things.  Even simple things, like taking a new route to work, discovering a new neighborhood cafe, or riding the bus can shake up your "normal" routine, try it, you might be surprised at what doors those simple changes can open up! So until next time- enjoy, explore, discover!

xo, 
Alyssa

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Ombre, Floral, Mint & Coral


I am one of those girls that wears spring and summer all the way through the fall (and winter), and this year is no exception.  This autumn season I find myself drawing inspiration from romantic corals and mints, bold floral prints and amazing ombre scarves, dresses, and accessories.  Mmmmm it's like I can already taste Thanksgiving dinner, can't wait! :) xo

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Fashion Faves: Vintage Bib Dresses!!

           
              
     Vintage Bib Dresses are one of my ultimate fashion faves.  These playful polyester pieces have been in my wardrobe for years, and I never get bored of mixing and matching them with different tights, leggings, and skirts.  I love the look of the bib dress- it became popular in the 1960's during the edwardian revival (they were originally from the Edwardian time-period) they flowed into the 70s and even made a few appearances in the 80s.  Sometimes the bib dress came in the classic babydoll shape (like in the green and blue dresses above) with a sash to tie around the empire waist.  Other times it came adorned with lace, cameos or buttons.  Whatever your style- you can cater the bib dress look to you.  Make it a little edgier by pairing it with a leather belt, jacket and studded jewelry (a cool juxtaposition), or soften up further with floral tights, candy colored necklaces and a lace headband.  Although bib dresses are by their nature very feminine, there are tons of different ways to dress them up! And the funny thing is- I have seen bibs cropping up in different modern styles, just like other fashion trends in history- the bib is cyclical, and they are making their comeback!


Blue bib dress- Etsy.com, Owl necklace- Nicole Rae Styer, Bow- Clothes in the Past Lane, Leggings- Imyourpresent, Shoes- Irregular choice


Dress- Etsy, headband- Clothes in the Past Lane, Necklace and ring- forever21, Tights- Urbanoutfitters 

     This bib dress is one of my favorites.  It was upcycled by a girl on etsy who added the word "Kiss" on the skirt, along with a little heart on the back left shoulder and "Love" across the empire waist.  The mint color and lace pairing make it a really romantic piece that goes great with a pair of floral tights.



Dress:  Goodwill, Hair Wreath:  Etsy, Belt: Francesca's, Tights: JCPenny

This pink bib dress was a great find at Goodwill! I cut up the sleeves and the hem to make it a little more modern and flattering- it's not perfect, but works just fine for me! :)




Hat-H&M, Dress- Etsy, Tights- Welovecolors.com

You've probably noticed that in general, I like to pair pastel colored bib dresses with floral tights or leggings on the bottom.  Solid colored bib dresses however, I love to color block and match with contrasting colors.  I loved doing the "not quite primary colors" with this outfit.  Yellow, orange, and green coordinate with each other similar to red, yellow, and blue.  They are different hues but are in similar position to each other on the color wheel so both sets of colors contrast nicely!



I love the over-the-top laciness (basically tackiness) of this bib dress.  And how better to pair it then with blue and mustard for a full set of primary colors?! <3

I hope you enjoyed one of crazy fashion favorites!  Have I inspired you to try out the bib style for yourself?  It's so fun and versatile, you won't regret it!  Another great thing about these dresses is that the high neck makes them comfy and cozy for cooler temperatures (so there is an upside to the "unbreathable" nature of polyester??)  So I know I'll be bringing mine out more as the winter approaches!

xo

Thursday, November 1, 2012

     Virginia is for Shabby Lovers <3

Two weeks ago Daniel and I visited Orange, Virginia for (what we like to call) our second honeymoon :)  It was fabulous, but absolutely too short!  While we were there we visited one little boutique in particular that was just too cute.   In the little town of Orange, surrounded by woods and little outcrops of strip malls and historical sights was a boutique called "Shabby Love".  Inside was a whimsy of beautiful hand-painted and refurbished furniture, handmade jewelry and hair accessories, and other fun little shabby chic goodies.  I left with an adorable owl cushion, and I know I'll be back for more next year!  If you are in the area this boutique is a must-see, and the cafe next door (The Light Well) makes delicious lunches and desserts, (they're curried chicken salad is THE BEST) and they use a lot of local and natural food which I am a huge fan of (Daniel even tried their homemade veggie burger and loved it)!

If this shop were in my hometown, my wallet would seriously be suffering...
This bold citrus necklace was also found during my stay in Virginia. Just before dinner I stumbled upon an adorable little boutique called "Darling" in Charlottesville.  The green earrings are from "Cha-Cha's" a cute little novelty store chock full of fun quirky gifts and colorful jewelry and accessories for a truly affordable price.  I am a huge fan of Charlottesville, and love visiting all of the little clothing stores and independent vintage shops.  The city also has a wide variety of restaurants and cafe's, so there is sure to be something for absolutely everyone. One night we ate at a restaurant in the city called "The Local" that served only local dishes and drinks, and the food was outstanding.  Where else can you find quinoa and goat cheese stuffed acorn squash with cranberries and almonds? "The Local" has awesome food and a great atmosphere, we highly recommend it!

I really played up the citrus tones in this outfit.  Lemon, lime, and orange have always been one of my favorite pairings.  The dress really tied it all together with the extra punch of pink and blue to keep it from being too "matchy-matchy." 
Last but certainly not least is this little gem we found among the rocks- a little lunch time and catering cafe called "Real Food".  We found this awesome little shop just across where we stayed our first night in orange, and it was literally only a quarter mile from our B&B. It is such a kitschy and charming little nook- housed in an old ice cream stop- fully decked out in groovy 70's decor.  Their 70's trimmings go well with their food philosophy of keeping their offerings as close to nature as possible with whole food and naturally made menu options.  Daniel loved his ham and cream cheese sandwich on homemade cornbread, and I enjoyed my goat cheese salad with nuts and pears.  And with prices that range from $1 to less than $10, their affordable lunchtime menu is one you simply cannot beat!

Daniel Cheesin' :D

The little touches in this place really make it a simple yet charming place to sit down for lunch!



Authentic 70's chairs and trimmings- in perfect fall colors!

My brother used to collect these fans- they work amazing but don't put your finger in one!

So glad I could share my recent traveling discoveries with you all!  Have any of you visited Virginia lately or have any favorite spots there? It is such a beautiful place in the fall!  Hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween! :)