In the Midst of Inspiration

Hey Friends,

I haven't much felt like blogging lately- well, since Sophie's passing- but tonight I am sitting in a place very dear to my heart [Adam Brother's Cafe] on the eve of what I am sure will be a very lovely wedding. . .

And I feel inspired!

My life lately has been a miscellany [a favorite word of mine- also inspiring!] of teaching swimming lessons, filling out applications, and going to job interviews. I've either been in workout gear, pajamas, or my interview suits. A not so interesting, or inspiring, history of outfits. . . The good news, though, is my discovery that aerie carries work out pants, a.k.a. "slim gyms," in their online store.

But, as much as I love wearing work out pants, I didn't find very much motivation to photograph or write about my descent into ultra casual wear, or repeat my many [actually, not so many] iterations of an interview outfit over and over and over again.

But lately, even before I stepped into this cafe, my style has been more inspired.

Here is a sample of one of my latest inspirations:

blinking. . .

As many of you know, I have an Etsy shop, Eclectic And Elegant, that has remained dormant for the past few months- but it is back in business! I've been on the lookout for cool things to add to my store, and this burnt sienna (dark orange?) wool skirt is one of my favorite finds so far! I enjoyed it so much that I decided to take it for a spin before listing it in my store.

The skirt seems to be from the 60s- there's something very Mad Men about its shape, color, and construction. What I love most about the skirt, besides all of the compliments I received while wearing it, is its origin. I had to do a bit of linguistic research via Google Translate, but from the words on the tag I discovered that this darling skirt is far from home! The skirt was made in Bucharest, Romania and somehow made its way to Central Illinois! Woah! 

I think I may need to wear this burnt sienna stunner once or twice more before I list it in my shop. . . so irresistible!

Not blinking! Much better!

Retail Details:
White Cardigan: Abercrombie & Fitch
Floral Top: Anthropologie
Copper Beaded Belt: Anthropologie
Dark Orange Wool Skirt: Vintage (from Romania!)
Dark Purple Cabled Tights: Anthropologie
Raspberry Flats: Old Navy

Who's That Girl? Dress Like Jess! (Step 1)

Hello Readers!

This fall, a quirky show began with a cast of characters who make me laugh every week. What's that show? New Girl! 

Not only do I enjoy the show- I admire the styling choices made for the main character, Jess Day and worn by the multitalented Zooey Deschanel. This blog post is meant to serve as your guide to dressing like Jess.

Step One: Wear Red

In multiple episodes, Jess wears red. Our eyes are drawn to the color red, so it makes sense that our leading lady would wear this vibrant hue. Even though red takes a lot of confidence to wear, it has been my experience that it inspires even more confidence!

Red seems to be one of Jess' signature colors. She wears it frequently, and she wears it well! Here are a few examples:

An orangey-red hue was perfect for the Thanksgiving episode

When possible, pair red with bright colored ballet flats and/or quirky accessories like bells

A great date night gown! Red, ruffles,  and a tie-waist. Delightful.

Clearly confident in crimson

Here,  Jess' students are wearing red and she is wearing bits of red

And here are a few similar looks:

Similar Look: Coincidence & Chance Pleated Tea Dress from urbanoutfitters.com

Gracia Dress by Moulinette Soeurs from Anthropologie

And a few inspirations:

Nordstrom- Only Mine Cashmere Cardigan

Nordstrom- RED Valentino Polka Dot Dress

Red Dandelion Skirt- Etsy

If you need an intro to red, a pair of posts like these would be great! 

Fun in Thrift Stores

Hello Readers,

As many of you may already know, I have an Etsy shop.  And as some of you may have noticed, that shop is currently empty.  Well, I am trying to re-vamp my shop by adding new and improved stock.  To do this, I am in the process of sorting through various sites across the midwest (mostly estate sales and thrift stores) to create a more successful venture.  Here are a few highlights of my search:


1) Red Dress Suit- late 1980s?

I actually might go back for this dress suit.  The more I look at the pictures, the more I am impressed with this red stunner suit from the 80s.  Lace, shoulder pads, hourglass shape, pearl buttons- who could ask for anything more? The main reason I passed on the suit was because the skirt was too short for me- but not everyone is 5'10''. . . so maybe this could be a contender for my shop. What do you think?

2) Pale Periwinkle Party Dress- 1970s?

This dress was a hot polyester mess- literally! I appreciated the detailing around the waist, but the polyester (I'm guessing it was polyester) was hot and itchy and the sleeves had an odd fit. I decided to pass on this polyester disaster. My best guess is that this was a bridesmaid dress from the 1970s.  If this was the case, I wonder if the bride really didn't like her bridesmaids.

3) Pink Whisper Lace Dress- 1980s?

Even though this dress is quite awful, I think that I secretly loved it because of the lace.  You can't tell from the picture above, but the lace overlay had more than one pattern. I had to pass on this delicate beauty because sections of the zipper were rusty- which is why I am holding the dress closed with one hand instead of wearing it zipped.

4) VaVaVa-Shoulders- 1980s or early 1990s

This was a fun dress to try on, but it took a bit of effort to figure out how to wear the strap and shoulders of the dress. It has a distinct shape, but I felt like there are already a lot of dresses like this one on Etsy. My main reason for passing on this dress, however, is because this is a dress that I would never wear- even to a costume party- and I prefer to sell things that I would wear or recommend to a friend. A fun dress, but not for my shop.

Do any of you frequent thrift shops or antique stores? What do you look for? (I have a weakness for antique costume jewelry)

Now Open for Business. . . My Etsy Shop!

Greetings Readers,

I have very exciting news. . . my Etsy shop, EclecticAndElegant, is now open for business! As of today, I have 2 items listed in my shop, but there will be more listings in the near future.

Until then, please feel free to browse the current listings in my shop and send any questions or suggestions my way! I am still very new to the Etsy experience, from the perspective of an Etsy seller- but I am so excited to be a part of that lovely community!

Here is a little preview of my listings:

shoe clips

red suede Escada heels (vintage)

My very own. . . Etsy Shop!

Hello Readers!

A few posts ago, I mentioned an interest in opening an Etsy shop. After talking about this idea with my parents, and a few other people, I decided that this would be a lovely little side project. Nothing too big or time consuming, at least until May 21st (graduation!), just enough of an endeavor to provide a pleasant diversion from the stressors of grad school.

I'm still not ready to "open" the shop officially, but I am happy with my present collection. Three skirts, three dresses, and a hot pair of vintage shoes. I still want to find a few pieces of jewelry, maybe an assortment of accessories, more shoes. . . I'm not really sure- but I look forward to expanding my stock of eclectic and elegant stock!

So far, my search for stock took place within a 30 minute radius of my parents' house in Peoria- but yesterday I returned to St. Louis and I am wildly hopeful about the possible finds that await my discovery in this locale! St. Louis here I come!

I will let you all know when my shop is officially open! :)

Tiffany: The Thrifting Treasure

Merry Christmas Eve Readers!

Last Saturday, on my way to Peoria to finish my Christmas shopping, I decided to stop by the Goodwill by the 150 Bridge to look for fabric for my latest idea. You see, readers, lately I've been playing with the idea of picking up my needle and thread again and starting an Etsy store featuring vintage finds and a few creations of my own. This probably won't happen for a while, but I thought I would get a head start on this idea by visiting a possible source of inspiration: a thrift store.

This summer, for my friend Erin's bachelorette party, we went to this Goodwill to find the lovely old dresses that we wore out on the town (because there is so much out-on-the-towning to do in Peoria). And so, yet again I turned to this Goodwill in hopes that I would find another treasure.

And readers, that is EXACTLY what I found. Peeking out from a stuffed rack of clothes I saw a hint of taffeta and a sparkle of sequins. To my great surprise, both of these eye catching details belonged to the same dress. When I removed the hanger and dress from the rack, I was amazed. Before my eyes I saw a finely crafted dress, with what I believe(d) to be handcrafted details. This was no ordinary dress, and I suspect that it's value may well exceed the meager price that I purchased it for at Goodwill.

Behold: my Thrifting Treasure, "Tiffany":

Tiffany, the Thrifting Treasure

A bit more detail. . .

I tried to look for both brands "Isaacson's Atlanta" and "Jeets" but information is still scarce, which makes me think these brands are no longer in business. Do you know anything about them?

Lace and Silk Taffeta- quite eclectic AND elegant, no?

Finely crafted crinoline/netted tulle

And finally, here I am in the dress! The fit isn't quite perfect for me, but when I open my Etsy shop, I am confident that someone else will love it even more than me!