Channeling Taylor Swift on a Boat

A few months ago I cleaned out my closet. I got rid of several garbage bags full of clothing. If an item hadn't been worn in a year or more, it was out. With the exception of two swimsuits, my entire swimsuit collection went into the donation bin. I haven't been on a proper vacation in years, and when I tried my swimsuits on (maybe it's my super pale winter coloring), I felt silly. Tiny bikinis that worked for California vacations five years ago suddenly looked skimpy and made my late thirty something self rethink my approach to swimwear. Vintage swimwear is adorable and so flattering, but the line between trendy and matronly seemed like it could be fine. 

I started to look for vintage inspired swimsuits on ModCloth, Urban Outfitters and even Roxy's collaboration with my beloved Pendleton. They are way too expensive for my frugal budget - plus, how often would I be wearing a swimsuit? It was snowing outside when I was conducting my search, after all. Then, I remembered my brief obsession with a Catalina Swimwear one piece from Wal Mart last year. It was navy and had anchors all over it, but was also sold out and virtually impossible to track down - even on eBay. A quick search of Wal Mart's site led to a few retro style swimsuits that seriously channel tswizzle on a boat with Haim. I ordered two (a navy two piece with palm trees all over it and a black one piece with polka dots) thinking I would only keep one, but they both fit so well that I am keeping them both and might buy a third. The best part? They were only $32 each. LOVE. Can't wait to wear them this summer!

Vintage Pendleton Cape

For years, I have been irrationally obsessed with all things Pendleton. The Portland Collection's Penobscot Poncho (mine at long last) is to blame. Within the last few years, their collaborations with brands like Dr. Martens, Crosley, Ariat and Nike have only increased Pendleton's accessibility and mega cool factor. I'm all in. 

As a resident of the northeast (about to experience a second subarctic blast in temps in one week), my recent unstated mission has become wearable warmth. Aren't all clothes wearable warmth? Excellent question! The answer is no. Most major retailers have significantly cheapened their materials (sorry, Gap! I used to love you, but your cheap acrylic sweaters are pilly and don't keep anybody warm). So, I ventured to trusty eBay to find some vintage Pendleton at an affordable price. I scored big with this vintage cape from the 1960's. Shockingly warm and so cute. It's just like wearing a blanket, which is pretty much exactly what I'll be going for on Friday morning when it is -18 outside. 

Stay warm out there, and if you're in a warm climate, please refrain from sharing those details. Jealousy doesn't look good on anybody. 

What's In My Bag

Surprisingly, I actually don't have a lot of purses and usually carry the same bag to work everyday. That being said, there are days when I want to take more (or less) with me. Today, I didn't feel like bringing a lot with me, so I took my Cambridge Satchel out for a spin. I have the 11-inch satchel from their classics collection. It's a gorgeous dark brown that can easily work with black as well. It goes with anything! To prevent thievery, it was embossed with my initials. It's perfect for an everyday bag, and my work necessities were a just fit. Here what I had to take: 

Missing from photo: my cellphone (used to take the picture)! Here's how I wore it:

I paired my bag with a Limited wool sweater dress that features a drop waist and pleated chiffon skirt, black tights and my reliable old Talbots heels. Also, a keen eye may notice I now have short hair. I always had short hair and then grew it out six years ago. Time for a change and I jumped on the textured bob bandwagon and love it! 

So, About My Globe Problem

Everybody who knows me knows that I have a weird fascination with maps and globes. You may remember my posts about my vintage black globe and my vintage pull-down world map (just like your favorite teacher used to struggle with at the front of the room). I think it's safe to say that my fascination has officially moved into collector territory, which, let's face it, is hoarding. I am a globe hoarder. 

I have been searching for a vintage globe on a stand in excellent condition for ages.  The reasonable price is obvious in my case. This pretty much is an impossibility for this item. Still, I would periodically search. And then search some more. Until one evening in December I found an Etsy seller who had one listed for $35. Shipping was $13. I sent him a million questions, which he patiently answered. I thought he had forgotten to add a one in front of the $35, but no, he actually sold it for $35. Because sometimes saints have Etsy stores. Because of global warming (I'm punny) and horrendous weather issues, I wasn't able to retrieve the globe from my parent's house until this weekend. Completely worth the wait! The metal base has no marks. The wooden stand is knick free, and the globe is absolutely beautiful. 

I can't wait to get home and add it to my collection! P.S. I believe this dates to around 1990, because the globe still says  USSR, but shows that Germany has been unified.

Happy Holidays to Me

This holiday marked a pretty big moment for me. I have been struggling the last few years getting back on my feet and any money gifted to me at the holidays has needed to go directly into my bank account to pay bills. Not very exciting! This year, I was actually able to treat myself with  some presents. Unlike what you would imagine, I had no plan for my money. I could have saved it, but I actually wanted to treat myself. Because I'm light on the material these days, I'm breaking this post up into a few parts. First up, my Kris Jenner "Omish" dress from Ann Taylor, since today is back to work day for me.

Following New Year's plans, I had to drive several hours into Pennsylvania to pick up my dog at my parent's house, and made a pit stop at the Crossings Outlets in Tannersville to break up the trip. I never go in the Ann Taylor store, but they had the most perfect Kris Jenner "Omish" dress in the window. Black and fitted with a white collar and wrist detailing, I decided to see if they had my size. Miraculously, after a quick sweep only turned up only extra small petites, I finally found a small petite, which somehow fit (that's a rarity for me with petites).

It's cute, right? So Kris. Anyway, it's perfect for work, and I've been trying very hard to increase my work wardrobe. Now, here is where things get brilliant. The original price on the dress was $129.99 and the sale price was marked $99.99. The entire sale section was an additional 60% off, so I paid exactly $40 for the dress! Major score and a great work staple. Definitely a new favorite that will make the first work day of 2015 brighter! 

How I wore it:

Black tights: Target, $8

Heels: Talbots, super clearance, $32 (old)

Faux pearls: Target, $8

  

Frye Riding Boots on the Cheap

I wasn't even in the market for new boots. Really, I wasn't. Then 6pm.com sent me a promotional email about Frye boots being 70% off and I made the executive decision to "look." This began a rapid descent down a footwear purchase shame spiral that seemingly does not have an end. My Frye collection is well documented (and by well documented, I mean in my head, on my blog and on my Instagram account) and I won't bore you with details (even though I'm dying to). Just know that I don't own riding boots, nor do I have any real vice (ehem, Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Bun ice cream) on which to spend my money, so when I found $698 Frye back zip riding boots for $179 (seriously, they're still on the Frye website at full MSRP), I justified this purchase with the swiftness of a hoarder discovering a liquidation sale. Or of somebody who really likes run on sentences.

Glorious, are they not? I apologize for the photo of my computer screen, but what happened next can only be explained as fate. I saw the boots and snapped pictures of them. I immediately posted the collage to Instagram to encourage enabling and proceeded with the purchase. Then the price of the boots, which was really low even for 6pm, went up. $247. Then $349. Finally, the price increased stopped at $479, where it's currently resting comfortably. Did I find some magical glitch? It wasn't even a major holiday shopping...um...holiday? It was just a random Tuesday in December. That kind of savings in a few hour window can only be described as fate, and the magically discounted boots arrived yesterday (at my coworker's house because the post office can't get it together in Philly). She is awesome and put a note from Santa on them. 

They are super hard to zip up in the back, and I have skinny legs. Knowing my other Frye boots, these will quickly stretch out and it won't be a problem. Anyway, I love them.

And check out the fancy embroidered logo! 

Oooh, ahhhh. Fancy! Welcome home 12. You make a mighty nice addition to my collection.

If you're looking for Frye boots (to treat yo' self or to treat somebody else for the holiday), check out 6pm.com. It's Zappos' outlet and has amazing deals on a bunch of name brands.

Blank NYC Vegan Leather Leggings

I have been on the quest for affordable leather leggings for the better part of two years. Real leather, for the record. Along the way, I have purchased leather pants, leather skirts and leather coats (all thrifted or from eBay, which is just another form of thrifting in my world), but never leggings. Admitting defeat is tough, especially when my fashion spirit animal Johnny Weir is always looking drop dead amazing in his leather leggings. The quest began and soon, I found Blank NYC's vegan leather leggings. Having secured a 30% off coupon code from Piperlime, I splurged on the Pussy Cat style and sized up after reading about 6,000 reviews on various sites. They are honestly more comfortable than any cotton blend leggings I own (and that's a lot).

Let me digress for a moment, when did pleather stop being a word that people used? Faux leather and vegan leather sound nice and all, like a consolation prize, but most of it is crap. I usually mock the vegan leather classification, but stand on record as defending Blank's version. They look and feel just like leather. The reviews do not lie. If you're trying to make up your mind about trying this brand, don't hesitate to go for it (but I highly recommend signing up for Piperlime emails and getting a coupon code). Also, I love these so much that I also bought a second pair from eBay. Go me! Here is how I wore them:

Sweater: Rag & Bone for Neiman Marcus at Target (old)

Oxford: Uniqlo, sale ($1.90)

Pants: Blank NYC, Piperlime (used coupon code, $68)

Heels: Talbots, old 

Top: Chiffon tie blouse, Forever 21, $17

Pants: Blank NYC, Piperlime (used coupon code, $68)

Heels: Talbots, old

Also, a follow up, I wore my poncho and it was everything I had hoped it would be and more.