sans color

It is finally spring! I can wear little flats and not die from the frigid bitter cold! Yippie! Sadly, the start of warm (OK, above 40 degree temps) usually signifies the beginning of baseball season and one crowded Fenway area. Needless to say, this past weekend (the opener) was a crazy time to be running around my neighborhood, but what the hell. It was gorgeous! The photos this week are not the best stylistically. The sun kept dipping behind the clouds, making the light impossible to maintain! UGH.

This little vintage jacket is one of my favorite new pieces. I bought it at one of my most treasured vintage clothing stores in Jamaica Plain, 40 South Street, last fall when my mother was visiting. It is an awkward piece to wear sometimes, I fear. The structure and line of the jacket usually require a "three piece outfit" to be broken up but a few accessories or else I tend to look too androgenous and less like my girly self. The cords are from J Crew, the Jeffery Campbell flats are from Goodwill (!!) and the top is most likely from UO.

Also, I bought a beautiful new bike today. I'm super excited about it and will post soon! Have a wonderful week!

trinkets

The looming, disconcerting, and simply uninviting Boston weather kept me indoors this afternoon. After a short jaunt to Jamaica Plain to my favorite kitchen store Kitchen Witch with my darling friend Leia, I settled back into my apartment to try out my new stock pot with a new recipe. While waiting for my load of laundry to tumble-dry and my chicken stock to simmer, I grabbed my Nikon and snapped some some photos of the collection of dearly loved trinkets that cluster around my apartment. 

My mother is Swedish and was sure to send me off to school with little reminders of my heritage; Tomtes (Swedish elves) and a Carl Larsson tin! Aren't they precious? Also before moving back to Boston for the school year, I had this urge to make a boatload of paper flowers to decorate my room. You know, those ones you made in 3rd grade for May day, or whatever. I ended up buying an obscene amount of colored tissue paper by mistake...Geez.

What are some of your favorite treasures? I love my collection of vintage saucers. I have them in so many colors! A post on those is soon to come... Have a fabulous week!

classical columns

 

This week has been filled with unexpectedly fun experiences. For some reason, a few professors at my conservatory have decided to give midterm exams two weeks early. I wasn't exactly prepared for a whole mess of studying after such a relaxing and warm Valentine's Day week. I didn't want to study, do laundry, or anything productive around the apartment. All I want to do is throw on my headphones and walk. Walk anywhere really. 

I've been exploring Boston further and further this month. I've discovered not only more about the actual city, but have met a smattering of really genuine and interesting people in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and of course Berklee and Boston Conservatory students alike, rushing through the latte line at Pavement on my days off. These photos were taken next to the Back Bay Fens, Boston's very own swamp/garden/footpath/park that is around the corner from my street. The sun was shining so brilliantly at high noon, so my best friend Erin borrowed my Nikon snapped these!

 

I'm wearing my Marc by Marc Jacobs blazer, H&M black skinnys, some UO sweater set, and my $5 thrift store brown leather boots.  The brooch was my very first piece of vintage costume jewelry. I bought it at age 12. It's still my favorite. 

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hotel back bay

Finally! An outfit post. And after this week of apocalyptic weather conditions and a practically empty refrigerator I have finally ventured out to take some outfit photos. I really wanted to take document this blizzard against my poses, but the city has dirtied up the pristine white snow and has transformed fluffy piles into mud colored boulders piled street side.

This green door is pretty great, though. It's on Symphony Road, an apartment building that used to be an old hotel. This garage door was it's valet entrance, I'm assuming. The building still has it's old fashioned bulb-ed awning/overhang where fancy couples used to enter as a young door man greeted them to Back Bay, Boston.

The dress I'm wearing is one of my favorite Newbury Street finds from a few years ago at Soodee, a small women's boutique. I love the little Dutch couples dancing across the fabric! It's such a unique print! My blazer is a deal I scored at Madewell, and my boots are from Lucky. The fur is vintage (You might recognize it from my post last month!), and like always, I'm sporting my white ceramic Fossil watch.

burbank

Boston's Back Bay has some lovely little neighborhood gems. Last summer when I was wondering around the city I walked past this abandoned conviance store. Burbank Street, is actually only a few blocks away from my apartment and I had no idea these boarded up and collaged windows were there. I knew I wanted to use these windows in some sort of photo project. When I was thinking where to shoot this outfit, I imagined my dainty sweater and delicate lace collar would contrast nicely with the faded and dirty mess of outdated posters and graffiti. 

This is the new sweater that I picked up from Goodwill last week and I am in love with it! It is so snuggly and warm and goes with everything. The blue and white striped blouse is from 40 South Street, a small vintage shop in Jamaica Plain. The small brooch is also vintage. Those old black pants are from Marshalls, I think. 

School starts again on Wednesday. I'm ready for some structure in my life, that's for sure. I have some Schubert and Mozart I'm working on for my first lesson and I can't wait to see all of my voice class together again.

My lovely roommate/best friend Erin made some amazing brownies last night. Is it bad to have one for breakfast? ;)

playdate

That blizzard was so entrancing. The snow swirled outside my 4th story window all day on Wednesday, as I watched with a cup of tea in hand. I did nothing but bake cookies, and lounge around finishing my latest Tudor biography (I'm in a bit of an obsession with that English era, lately). Though yesterday, once the road had been cleared and the sky turned back to its lovely shade of blue, I headed out of my tiny apartment and back into the real world. My good friend Molly had never ventured to the neighborhood of Jamaica Plain, so I offered to give her a little tour and hopefully grab some great thrifted items from a few choice shops down that way.  Before we caught the 39 bus down Huntington, Molly and I stopped to snap a few shots of my bright outfit against the new and clean white snow.

These are some of my favorite pieces. Until recently, I really thought that mustard yellow just didn't look right on me, but when I dyed my hair dark brown (no, that isn't my natural color!!), I finally decided that my J Crew blouse actually looked good. The cardigan came from a thrift store in my hometown years ago and has no tag. The red belt and floral skirt came from a Goodwill in Maine, and those tights are probably from Urban Outfitters. I bought that Fossil watch last semester when I was trying to get through finals in one piece, and it really cheered me up!

I found some lovely vintage treasures in Jamaica Plain! A 40s plaid hatbox, a few rose China cups and vases, a bamboo cutting board, a gold painted mirror, and yellowish ottoman, a vintage white knit sweater and a men's sateen shirt I am using for a project all for under $80. I did well, I must say. The swanky shops on Newbury have nothing on Boston's best neighborhood finds! Where are some of your favorite places to thrift/shop vintage?

furs fur everyone

Today, I became restless. Too much vacation. I was tired of sitting in the house all afternoon on my favorite couch by the fireplace, with a new book, and a cup of tea. Though both of my parents were either working or out running errands and I was car-less, so I had no choice but to wait until my mother got home and agreed a trip to the thrift shop was in order. My little town has the queerest little thrift shop. Retired women who volunteer bustle around gossiping, clucking like little hens arranging their eggs. It's a funny shop. Mostly overpriced "antiques" that really should be thrown into a Goodwill and marked with a $5 tag. Whenever I picked up an item and put it gently back down in it's place, a white haired grandma type would shoo me away to organize everything again. 

       

I did find a couple of items that I'm rather proud of. First, a fur shoulder piece with purple silk lining. The second purchase was a small change purse with painted leather and an old brass clasp. (By the way, this outfit is entirely thrifted/vintage other than the tights (LLBean), cardigan (UO), and leotard (Capezio)! Whoa. I never do that lolz.)

After the thrill of thrifting, my mother and I drove to the near by town and popped into one of her favorite galleries for a look around. The Tidemark Gallery sits on a hill off of US Route 1/Main Street in Waldoboro, Maine. (Where I took the style shots above!) It showcases local Maine artists in a variety of different mediums. I couldn't help but snag a few shots. 

 

 

I'm heading back to Boston tomorrow to work at the coffee shop and get things organized for next semester. Good-bye, Maine! I will miss you.

all photos are taken by me and belong to me. the featured art is not mine and can be found by clicking the link above.