A dear friend who shares my love of Audrey Hepburn and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” was married this weekend. During the reception, the movie was projected outside. Lovely.
Zen Place on a Chain
My favorite vintage items are the ones that I’ve had before they were vintage. I’ve had this beach scene charm since I was a kid. Closing my eyes and picturing the beach is the trick I use to calm myself. This is like wearing my zen place around my neck.
My Lin Shirt is Cuter Than Yours
I gave my NY Knicks Lin shirt — with “Linsanity” printed on the back! — the Miss Stefanie upcycling treatment. I cut out the neck to make it scoop, added a braided denim neckline from a recycled pair of jeans, and cut and rolled sleeves.
J’Taime Shirt
Je T’aime Shirt: a recent vintage find.
Game Day Look: True Blue
My Super Bowl look: Something old, something new, something upcycled, something blue. I took a NY Giants shirt and recreated it by cutting off the sleeves and adding details to the neckline with a strip of denim from a thrift store pair of jeans and fabric from the cut-off sleeves. The necklace is was made with a string of glass beads from a broken chandelier purchased from a yard sale.
Groundhog Day: New Day for the Vest
It’s Groundhog Day and the movie of the same name has been airing on cable TV. Andie Macdowell’s character wears a pink baggy sweater over a blue button-down shirt for most of the movie (not appealing), but I like the white shirt and vest she wears in the dinner scene with Bill Murray’s character. In the ’80s and ’90s, this look would be paired with high-waisted and pleated (gasp) jeans or trousers, but I would like it with skinny jeans and booties.
Converse All-Stars: High, Low
I’ve been thinking about a new pair of Converse All-Stars in red and recently spotted this pair in the Waraku shop window on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice, CA. I like a good wedge, but think I’ll stick to the classic Chuck Taylor style this time around.
Fashion Flashback: High School Rings
During a recent family visit, I found the high school ring of my cousin’s husband and suggested that my cousin wear it on a chain as a necklace. That’s when I wished I had my own high school ring. I wore rings in high school and had already developed a fondness for jewelry, but I had no interest back then in a high school ring. Then Mr. MVP told me he didn’t get one, either. So this sent me to Ebay and Etsy to search for castaway high school rings. I found this one on Etsy and chose it for its color (iridescent blue, so dreamy) and high school name (Pleasant Grove High, which sounds like the name of a school in a book that would be made into a dark indie movie with a really great soundtrack). The Etsy seller wrote that she purchased the ring with a lot of others from an estate sale; it was dirt-cheap and now I have it hanging on a black cotton string made from a recycled T-shirt, with two other childhood rings.
Good Old Days: Fitted Shoes, Only $3.50
Photo taken at the Abbot Kinney Fest.
Retro Style: Band Buttons
When I was a kid, I loved wearing band buttons on my denim jacket. With news of R.E.M. calling it quits, it felt like a good time to bring out my R.E.M. buttons.
Style Inspiration: Mom’s Stripes
Our parents influence us in countless ways. Looking through old family photos, I see where I got my love of stripes.
Then & Again: Fair Isle Sweater
There’s a chill in the air and I want to bundle in sweaters. On my wish list: a Fair Isle sweater like I had when I was a kid.
Style Souvenir: Cowboy Boots from Nashville
During a trip to Nashville several years ago, I found these Justin roper boots in teal at a thrift store full of stylish treasures. They were on back wall with shelves filled with pre-owned boots in various colors, styles, and sizes and I walked right up to this pair, drawn to the spectacular color. Talk about luck: They were my size. (They were my size!) I bring them out for special occasions and wore them out this weekend for a birthday party at a western bar. They’re good for dancing, too.
Style Crush: Florence in My Dreams
Today I’m dreaming of being Florence from Florence and the Machine, after finding myself mesmerized by “What the Water Gave Me,” the new single (and video; stills from it above). It begins with wanting to rock like she does. Then I would also like to get lost in her closet and her jewelry boxes full of fabulous trinkets….
I Love Lucy: Funny, Stylish, Timeless
I love so much about Lucy and have been recently obsessed with catching re-runs of “I Love Lucy” on TV. I love the show for the overall hilarity of the writing and performances; the chemistry between Lucy and Ricky; the friendship between Lucy and Ethel (and Lucy, Ricky, Ethel, and Fred); the shenanigans that usually involve Lucy’s shameless desire to be on stage and screen with Ricky; Lucy’s facial expressions and her unmatched gift for physical comedy; and the fabulous fashion. Oh, all those sweet bows, polka dots, scarves, coats, hats, purses (above, bows and polka dots together!)…. Check out Google’s homepage for a tribute to Lucille Ball today, the late star’s 100th birthday.
Denim Lover: Pet Rock
I have loved upcycling denim since I was a kid. Here is my childhood pet rock with a DIY denim hat.
DIY: Key to NY
I found an old key to a NY apartment and was inspired to make it a necklace. Simple DIY decoupage job: I tore words from the yellowed pages of a thrift store paperback copy of a favorite book (“The Awakening” by Kate Chopin) and glued them on one side of the key. The key is hanging from a chord made of a strip of black jersey from an old T-shirt.
Words on the Seams
Not Halloween, A Wedding: Ode to Angus
At a recent wedding, Matt’s ode to Angus Young of AC/DC was a standout. Suit separates, including the jacket with too-short sleeves, were purchased from a thrift shop.
Love in the Park: Husband and the Handbag
Love walks by; a gentleman holding his lady’s handbag at the Portland Japanese Garden.
Stef McDonald Communications 