4 Fun DIY Home Projects

I have been in a bit of a DIY project / reorganize everything in your house / rearrange all the furniture mood this week. I finally printed out a bunch of photos I had been wanting to frame and the house feels so much warmer with them all around. Next up are some little projects for around the house to add a little character. Here is a little roundup of some fun DIYs I found around the web - I especially like the lap desk for drinking tea and reading a magazine in bed. Hope your weekend was fab! 

1. Pom Pom Wall Hanging - A Beautiful Mess

2. Copper Clothing Rack - Cupcakes and Cashmere

3. Spray Paint Marbled Planters - Vintage Revivals

4. Wood & Hairpin Leg Lap Desk - The Merrythought

Wore : Vintage Denim Bows Top

Yesterday I wore my new favorite vintage top I got from The Getup Vintage in Montpelier (if you remember from this post). I am getting excited for fall guys. Falling leaves, boots, soccer, carving pumpkins, sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes, plaid shirts, cute hats, hikes, apple picking, crisp mornings, the new fall T.V. lineup, football, new beginnings. Isn't it the best? What's your favorite part of the autumn season?

Weekend Recap : Girls' Day

A little late weekend recap from this Saturday. My sister Kelly and I had a "girls' day", and it was so wonderful. She is getting married next summer, so we did some wedding dress shopping in the morning at a local shop. She looked amazing in so many of the dresses that it was seriously hard to pick. There was one contender, however, that was stunning and looks like it might be "the one". It made me want to get married again just so I could pick another dress! (Justttt kidding, that was enough work the first time hah) Afterwards we walked around the Burlington Farmer's Market and got brunch at Magnolias, a favorite restaurant of mine. I got the lemon ricotta pancakes and she got the lime Belgian waffles, and we both got grapefruit juice mimosas. SO. GOOD. It was great to have a nice morning off together as we've both been so busy with work that we haven't been able to see each other very much lately. Happy hump day everyone, and plan a girls' day for yourself soon, its good for the soul!

P.S. She vetoed the dress below, otherwise I wouldn't ruin the surprise ; )

Happy Tuesday : Favorite Links

A few of my favorite links to bring you into the new week. Lots to share this week so stay tuned!

1. A DIY easy wooden frame that looks awesome with black and white photos.

2. I somehow just discovered San Francisco based Camp Collection, and am now obsessed. I mean, their motto is "blaze your own trail". Come on.

3. Sydney's family trip to Idaho looked fun, and as always beautifully photographed.

4. I love the variety of rugs in this Parisien loft space.

5. Digging the new lace-up trend. 

Roundup : My Favorite Vintage For Fall

Can you believe we are nearing the end of August? This summer has flown by. I have to admit that even though I love the rest of summer, August and September are my favorite months. They have such a relaxed vibe to them and the anticipation of new things is in the air. I maybe can do without this insane heat wave, as I am sitting here sweating to death even though a box fan set on high is a foot away from my face.

One of my favorite things about August is anticipating what my fall wardrobe will be. I am not in school anymore, nor do I have a traditional job I go to every day where I need to get dressed, but I still love imagining the new pieces I will add each year. Especially when I buy the "September Issue" of Vogue (right?!). 

I put together a little roundup of some of my favorite vintage items I want to get for fall, from a few of the raddest vintage shops on Etsy. Enjoy!

Jumpsuit - PowerPlantShop

Denim Jumper - TimeWarpBR

Suede Skirt - DaisyFieldVintage

Oversized Cardigan - GeronimoVintage

Paper Thin Tee - NOIROHIOVINTAGE

Silk Scarf - zaama

Leather Boots - OldSchoolSwank

Long Sleeve Maxi - SurfandtheCity

Introducing OldSchoolSwank Bandana Scarves

I am so excited to announce that today I will be launching a line of hand sewn bandana scarves in my shop. I have been working on this idea for a while now, and am so happy with how it came together. The scarves are made in both vintage and new fabrics, focusing on retro style prints. Each one features the new "OldSchoolSwank" logo printed on a small white tag on one side. They are perfect for the fall transition time paired with a simple tee or a leather jacket (see below for some styling ideas). I will continue to post new styles/fabrics as I source them, so check back to see whats new! 

You can find them HERE starting this afternoon.

Happy Monday : Favorite Links

A few of my favorite links from this weekend to bring you into the new week, again. Maybe I should just move this series to Monday ; ) Hope your weekend was fab!

1. Love these cute sketches.

2. A modern looking, quick craft that would add some cute style to your home.

3. I love when tie-dye is done right ; )

4. This Victorian home is amazing.

5. Cross back dresses get me every time. So adorable.

A Farm Wedding

A few weeks ago my family and I went to my uncle's wedding in Walton, New York. My mom grew up here on a dairy farm, and the reception was held in a field on top of a hill overlooking the farm and the expansive valley views around it. It really was beautiful, even though it downpoured on us the first ten minutes (check out the dark, ominous ski picture below). Luckily it cleared up quickly and everyone had a great time drinking beer, playing games and eating delicious smoked chicken. The ceremony was held in a gazebo in a park beforehand, and the wedding party showed up on a hay wagon on the back of a tractor. They had camouflage bridesmaid dresses and the guys all wore camo hats and their work boots. So awesome! All in all it was a fun day catching up with family we don't get to see very much and celebrating their marriage.

Recipes : Acai Bowl Recipe Roundup

Yesterday for breakfast I jumped on this whole acai bowl bandwagon I've been seeing all over the place lately, and let me tell you I am happy that I did. As an avid smoothie drinker, this is a nice way to mix things up and acai fruit is supposedly packed with tons of antioxidants so its super healthy as well. I'm not going to lie, probably the most fun part about it was decorating it with all my toppings. Silly, I know, but look how pretty it turned out on my first try! Hah.

For mine, I mixed one frozen Sambazon "superfood pack" with half a banana and a little bit of almond milk and blended them together. Next time I want to go for a bit of a thicker consistency, so I think I'll use a frozen banana and a bit less almond milk, but it was good anyways. I topped it with hemp seed granola, chia seeds, sliced almonds and mango. Pretty darn good breakfast.

There's a ton of options for toppings and ingredients to blend with the acai, so here's a little roundup to get you inspired.

Acai Bowl Recipe Roundup:

Acai bowl with coconut and pomegranate seeds

Acai bowl with mango and pineapple

Acai bowl with banana and peanut butter

Acai bowl with oats and berries

Style Files : Off-The-Shoulder

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Exploring : Sterling Falls Gorge in Stowe, Vermont

Yesterday Owen and I went for a little hike around Sterling Falls Gorge in Stowe, Vermont. It was our two year wedding anniversary, and it was great to get outside and get some fresh air after a long weekend at the restaurant. The falls were so beautiful and peaceful, and we just hung out next to them while Owen took some long exposure photos again with his new filter. I jumped in once, and it was FREEZING but very refreshing. Afterwards we stuffed ourselves at an awesome dinner downtown. I am recovering today and listing some new vintage this rainy afternoon. Everything in the shop is 20% off right now, so if you've had your eye on something now is the time to grab it! Happy Tuesday everyone.

Happy Monday : Favorite Links

A few of my favorite links from this weekend to bring you into the new week. Because I didn't have time Friday ; ) Happy Monday!

1. How to make wholesome grain bowls. A nice way to mix it up.

2. How to create a productive work space. I'm all about organizing lately aren't I?

3. IKEA's new catalog is out! I frickin love IKEA more than I should.

4. An Elle South Africa editorial. I want that plaid coat so bad.

5. An interesting and honest interview with the owner of textile company Herron, Dee Clements.

Revamping My Closet

Last weekend I took on a daunting task that I have been wanting to finish for about a year now - revamping my closet and moving towards a more minimalist approach to dressing. I had been reading about other people creating "capsule wardrobes" this year, first coming across the idea when I stumbled upon Caroline's blog, Unfancy. A capsule wardrobe for Caroline is "a 37 piece wardrobe that includes tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear, and shoes" for each season, with a lot of pieces carrying over between seasons. She blogged outfit posts showing how she combined those pieces into a ton of different outfits, proving she didn't need more than that for a fashionable wardrobe that didn't always feel like the same old thing.

For me, only 37 pieces in my closet would be a bit too extreme, but the idea of it is awesome and my goal was to pare down what I had to at least half.

I have always had a messy closet. If you asked my family, friends, especially my husband, everyone would agree wholeheartedly. No matter how many times I go through and weed out clothes, or how many moves I go through where I get rid of things, my closet somehow always ends up overstuffed with clothing of which I probably wear about 25% of. Really, though, I would say 25%.

Part of this may be because I own a vintage shop, so I am constantly on the hunt in thrift stores and garage/estate sales. This means I come across a lot of great clothing at great prices, which is hard to turn down. The problem comes when I get it "just because", even if it might be a little bit too tight, have a slightly unflattering cut, or the pant legs need to be hemmed. Even with my good intentions to work on it, it ends up sitting in my closet unworn. 

My goal, along with paring it down to at least half, was to only keep what I have actually worn in the past year, what aligns with the style I have now and what actually fits well. I used this wardrobe planner worksheet from Caroline to help me. You can see photos of the trainwreck below haha, it took me three hours!

After I went through it all, I was left with a clear idea of what I had, and of what I actually needed to buy for my wardrobe to make it complete (new camisoles are top on that list). And it feels great to have a closet I can walk into and clearly see all the choices, and know they fit correctly. I highly recommend this as a fun weekend project - throw a good movie on and go for it! You'll feel great after : )

Vintage Inspiration 21

Look 1: Image source, dress, necklace, purse Look 2: Image source, bag, loafers, sweater

Exploring : LaPlatte River

Owen and I spent part of this afternoon relaxing at LaPlatte Nature Park in Shelburne, Vermont. He brought along his birthday present he received last week, a new filter for our camera which allows him to take longer exposure shots. He has been experimenting with moving water this week, and the flowing river at the park with its many small waterfalls was a perfect place to test it out. I figured I'd share a few of the photos as I think they turned out pretty awesome. Hope everyone had a great weekend!