ensemble friday...

i've been so busy these past few days catching up on adding lots of new goodies to my shop, that i haven't really been able to do any good blog updating. *slap on wrist* i wanted to keep todays post nice and simple with a little ensemble update. i enjoy doing outfit posts so much, that i think i may just make them a regular friday occurrence.

i'm itching for spring so badly these days and here in the south we just got another blast from old man winter. that won't hold me back from busting out my floral prints and denim short though! i'm a huge fan of layering and one great way to keep warm in the winter when you're dead set on wearing shorts is tights, tights, tights! i'm actually sporting two pairs here just to keep extra toasty...

ahhh, this blazer, another all time favorite. i get some of my paint supplies at the wal-mart that is about 2 minutes from my house and every so often something will jump out at me from the clothing dept. i'm certainly not about to pass up a good deal! i know wal-mart is terrible and all, but how could i pass this up? it's actually made of super comfy cotton jersey material and i had to have it! it was 12 bucks! i mean really, 12 BUCKS, come on...

i know i've spoken of these boots before, but let me just say again how much i love them! being vegan, it can be pretty darn difficult to come across awesome non-leather boots. these keep my legs so nice and warm, and i can even still wear knee high socks with them in addition to tights. did i mention that it's really cold today? they even look pretty darn close to real leather. usually vegan shoes have this plastic quality about them that is so not cute. these look all worn and legit. it's not the look of leather that i'm against after all, just the ingredients!

i've also decided to work on growing my hair out a bit. just the front part, so that i can either have so cute bangs, put it behind my ear, or perhaps curl it up when the mood strikes me. it's at this really odd point right now where the front wants to grow straight out. not pretty! so i'm trying to be strong and not trim it up. for now the straightening iron will be my best friend. we'll see how this goes...

shorts- rodarte for target

floral shirt- urban outfitters

blazer- wal-mart

tights- target

boots- ebay

floral brooch- handmade by yours truly

a little interview...

hey there! just wanted to give a heads up about a little interview that i did recently with andreas over on the blog Brothers by Choice. feel free to hop on over there and have a read. he and his wife are so super sweet, they purchased a few cast iron goodies from my shop and then contacted me to see if i would like to do a little write up for his blog. of course i would! you can read it HERE.

enjoy!

on a completely other topic, i just finished editing some photos from our weekend in atlanta and i came across this one i took of my parents new kitten. good lord is she cute! just wanted to share it...

the classic red lip

kinda lovin' the look of some classic red lipstick these days and debating as to whether or not i could pull off such a look. it's a fairly bold statement to don a red lip and seeing as i don't even wear much makeup to begin with, this is a big stretch for me. here is a nod to some of my favorites...

the red lip is such an accessory in itself that you really don't really need much else to go along with it. i love that it can be kinda trashy or absolutely classy depending on the rest of the ensemble. if i do decide to try and swing this look i promise to post some pics. for now i guess i've just got red lip envy...

*all photos found browsing tumblr*

feelin' kinda naughtycal...

this title is a stretch at a poor pun. perhaps it's due to too much paint fumes in my brain. who knows.

anywho... ya ever get one of those outfits that you just want to live in all day everyday? it's super comfy while still being somewhat put together. well this little nautical number is my new go to ensemble!

i've always been obsessed with hoodies and this one just feels like a more grown up version that i can get away with outside the comfort of my home. it's made of terry cloth and it feels like i've been wrapped up in a warm cozy blanket. ahhh, good stuff!

the boots i got a few months back and they are pretty much my everyday shoe. so super comfy, and nice and warm for this surprisingly chilly southern winter we've had.

exactly how many days in a row can one get away with wearing the same thing? i wonder...

top- target

jeans- target too!

tank top- mens hanes wife beater

boots- ebay

handmade gift giving...

as some of you may recall, a few weeks back i promised myself that i was going to learn embroidery this year! no if's, and's, or but's about it... this was going to be the year of the stitch! i scooped up a great book, embroidered effects by jenny hart, and i started studying. after reading and rereading that fabulous little book, it was time to try my hand at some stitching. my nieces upcoming 6th birthday was the perfect occasion for me to get in gear and get to work! here is the finished product which i gave to her at her birthday party this past weekend...

the little birds were iron on transfers that came with the book and the rest of the design i did myself. having the birds already drawn out definitely made this project less overwhelming...

95% of it was done using the "split stitch". the little red berries were made by using the "french knot" technique. which, by the way, i'm in love with!

i hand painted and distressed the embroidery hoop as well, so that it too is part of the art...

all in all i think it came out pretty darn ok. it was my first attempt and i loved every bit of it. not every stitch is perfect, but i put a whole lot of love into it, and after all, that's really what gift giving is about, isn't it?

the lovelies!

oh yay! i woke up to some sweet news this morning. my good friend lydia over at pierogi picnic nominated me for the Lovlies! both my blog and etsy shop have been nominated and if you agree that they are indeed Lovely, then you can go ahead and vote for them here (blog) and here (shop)...

it's super easy. you can either leave your vote in comment form, or just hit "tweet tweet" at the bottom and it will twitter your vote. thanks in advance for any votes!

also just wanted to wish everyone a happy weekend. evan and i will be heading down to atlanta until monday to visit my fam. it's supposed to be snowing there today and i'm kinda stoked about it. perhaps another sledding adventure is in our future?

also, if you're a regular reader you may remember me saying that 2010 was the year i was going to learn to embroider. well i actually just finished my first project. it's a gift for my nieces birthday and i'll be giving it to her while we're down in atl. i'll share some pictures of it when we get back...

happy weekend and happy valentine's day too!

yippy!

amazing news first... yesterday evening etsy's handmade wedding story about MY wedding was posted. they had contacted me shortly before christmas to see if i would be interested in doing a little write up about our wedding for their blog. OF COURSE i would! it's so exciting to see a story about evan and i in the same place where i read so very many other amazing articles. there might have been a few happy dances around the living room...

this is a favorite shot of mine not in the article. it's the pierce/trimboli family photo. evan is the youngest of 8 kids so about 75% of this photo is his family. i just love how relaxed it all is... ahh what a day! you can read the article HERE...

in other admittedly less exciting news, the shoes that i ordered about 2 weeks ago finally arrived yesterday! i had been on the hunt for vegan saddle shoes for many a year and finally found them online at payless! i was so excited to get them, i immediately put them on and snapped a few shots to share in my joy. check 'em out...

i do believe they will be making appearances in my ensembles fairly often these coming days. so super comfy and way cuter then a pair of sneaks... i'm stoked!

so all in all yesterday was a darn good day. etsy feature and cute shoes... i couldn't be happier!

top ten... for the dudes

my husband and i don't really make a big thing of it for valentine's day. we may go out to dinner or make something extra special at home, but we definitely don't feel that pressure to spend loads of money and make a big show of our love on this one particular day. with that said, if we did have the previously mentioned "loads of money" to spend on each other, here are my top ten valentine's day gifts for the gents...

this bike wheel clock from pixelthis is a great gift for any riding enthusiast! it would finish off our bike room perfectly!

there are so many great original gift ideas from brooklyn rehab, it was hard to choose just one. i'm just in love with this simple key key ring! who wouldn't be?

it's kinda hard to say if this pick from junkyard finds is more for my guy or for me. perhaps it's one of those amazing gifts that we could both enjoy! why oh why did they have to do away with the polaroid?!?!

these cuff links from crimson king are a great gift for any dapper gentleman. so incredibly snazzy for a night out on the town. makes ya wanna hit up a speakeasy!

i love love love all of the ties from toybreaker. they use microfiber instead of silk which is great for all of the vegan fellows like mine! definitely a must have!

i'm a firm believer in more guys wearing hats! this one from tractor dog is one that many a man could pull off and look absolutely dashing in!

don't even get me started on glasses. i love 'em! this classic horn rimmed pair from elksme would give your beau that "nerd boyfriend" look that is so very fantastic!

this accordion music print from roadside is just too adorable for words. what guy wouldn't love to hang this on his wall, and what girl wouldn't love to have him do so!

perhaps your man likes something a little tougher. nothing says tough like a grenade around your neck! this impeccable little one from white metal should do the trick!

picking one item from high street market is a near impossible task. so many amazing vintage finds in one spot, it's a little slice of heaven here on earth. i know that my hubby, along with any man worth a dime, would be super stoked to receive these!

so, there ya have it, a top ten for the mr. this almost makes me wish we did exchange gifts on v-day...

feeling springy... shop update

perhaps i'm getting a bit ahead of myself with it only being early february and all, but i can't help but feeling like spring is just right around the corner. perhaps its the daffodils (planted by the previous owners of our new home, thanks!) beginning to sprout in the backyard, or the fact that i just purchased a pair of super cute shorts yesterday, but spring is in the air... and i'm loving it!

with that said, i've been working my butt off for the past few weeks on a new spring line of accessories to add to my etsy shop. inspired by the floral wall decor i had added in january, these lovely floral brooches are my newest obsession. so much fun to make, and wear, i just can't get enough. i'm kinda having a hard time not keeping them all for myself...

here's one i made a few weeks ago during a fashion crisis. i had just purchased this oversized shirt dress and when i went to wear it out one evening i realized i didn't have a belt to go with it. flower brooch to the rescue! i had made this little plaid one for myself earlier in the week and had yet to wear it. i attached it to a simply bit of black ribbon, and voila... instant belt! i think it did the job perfectly...

rain, rain, go away...

it's raining buckets here in charlotte today, and my local weather man says it's going to continue to do so for the next few days. booooo! i know that all this rain will eventually lead us into spring, but it's hard to see that silver lining when i'm finding it tough to get out of my pj's. i went on a bit of a virtual rainy day shopping spree this morning in an effort to make the best of this icky weather that will apparently be here for awhile. he's what's in my theoretical shopping cart...

i love this little print from kecky. if i could look this classy on a rainy day i just might not mind this weather.

this super cute little necklace from lanyapi can spruce up any rainy day attire!

or perhaps this one from japonicas. i love the little brass umbrella charm, so very beautiful and romantic.

this lovely print from ellamoss pretty perfectly captures the feeling of a dreary day like today.

i do believe that if i had this classy vintage trench coat from secret lake, i wouldn't mind going out and braving this weather!

pair it with these super snazzy rain boots from jessjamesjake, and you've got a rain ensemble to be proud of!

and these simple little rain drop inspired earrings from emma jewelry would finish off the outfit perfectly!

but let's all be honest now. in this yucky weather wouldn't you rather be inside hiding out?

perhaps sporting this uber cozy looking pair of cropped pants from branch handmade...

and sipping on something warm and yummy like these coffee treats from katherynmd. they certainly look like they would do the trick!