Vintage Shopping: Paris Market

I love vintage clothes, but I've been pretty disappointed in my vintage shopping experiences in Florida. Everything is either a horrible fit, way overpriced, or that certain brand of vintage hideousness that no one wants, no matter how cheap it is.

So I was super happy when I discovered Paris Market in the upstairs of Adjectives Vintage Market on 436. They have a a really great selection in great condition. I was looking around for an Easter Dress (which I didn't find), but I got to try on a bevy of awesome dresses.

From the Betty Draper Maternity Line.

This one looked so cute on the hanger. Perfect colors for Easter, but horribly unflattering.

I almost got this one, but I decided I'd rather make one in teal.

I really loved the fit and cut of this one. It reminded me of Peggy's work dresses. I'd like to make several in different colors so I can just throw one on and accessorize. 

I'm super drawn to anything with fringe. This reminds me of Betty's Italy dress.

 Ditto.

 I felt ridiculous putting this on, but YAYFLUFFYPRINCESS.

This one I really love, but I have no immediate use for it. But, when I do need a gown, I'll use this as my jumping off point.

Anyway, even though I didn't purchase anything, it's good to know there's a cool spot in Orlando to slip away and play dress up for an afternoon. I got tons of inspiration to make some new dresses for myself, but if you'd rather buy something than make it, definitely check out Paris Market!

The Lovely Trudy Campbell

For the first few seasons of Mad Men, I really pined for a brunette character with great style to stick around on the show long enough to emulate. Rachel and Midge came and went, and while Peggy is a complete badass, her fashion sense didn't kick in until around the third season, and she still makes some occasional missteps.


It wasn't until season four, when Peggy and super arrogant (but really good looking) freelancer Joey learn that Trudy Campbell is having a baby that I realized...the elusive brunette style icon I've been looking for was there all the time!

As Joey says, "I would get her so pregnant."

I'll be honest. Trudy Campbell was probably my least favorite female character on Mad Men through my first and second viewings. (And she was only eclipsed as least favorite character overall by her ridiculous child of a husband, Pete.) I found her social climbing ambition a little overwhelming and her constant whining about not being knocked up annoying as hell. BUT in all reality, she is awesome. Intelligent, glamorous, quick thinking, immaculate, level headed, loyal, and goddamn it, she wears the greatest hats. (And Allison Brie is really. Really. Beautiful.)

So even though we now have Megan, who is amazingly stylish, you know you can always look to Mad Men's original brunette style maven for inspiration. Even if she does have extremely questionable taste in lingerie.

And if you haven't seen it already, check out Texts From Trudy Campbell. (It's hilarious, I promise.)

My Food Philosophy

My approach to food is simple. The basic idea is that food should:

1. Taste good
I don't think this needs to be explained. Bonus if it also looks pretty.

We make pizza every Tuesday night, and I view it as an opportunity to try wild ingredient combos, because let's face it...it's all going to taste great in melty cheese on crispy dough. But why go the plain sauce and cheese route when you can pile on everything awesome?



2. Be nutritious
I'm not the type to scrutinize labels or do any sort of calculations before I eat (math is not my strong suit). Thus, I think eating foods that don't have labels is the way to go. I'd rather spend 45 minutes making my own granola bars than comparing calories of three different brands.

Salad is one of my favorite "kitchen sink" meals. (I'm also really lucky that I'm with Clark, who LOVES vegetables and salad as much as I do.) This one has all of the ingredients we consider mandatory in our house: leafy greens, salty sunflower seeds, and the ultimate salad topper, craisins. But the addition of goat cheese, strawberries, grapes, and a homemade mustard vinaigrette (and maybe some crusty bread) makes it into a meal.



3. Be fun to make
I don't do recipes. You could even say I am anti-recipe. I also don't measure unless it's completely necessary for the success of the meal (again, math is horrible). Cooking is a creative process for me, and I have a lot of fun planning out meals in my brain and working them out in the kitchen, almost like a puzzle. I feel like anyone who understands the basic tenets of cooking should be able to buy ingredients and execute a delicious meal as long as you don't get too skippy. (Admittedly, this is often my downfall.)

Thai cooking is a perfect example. There are principles and flavors that you have to incorporate to make it "Thai", but every grandmother is going to throw that curry together the way she wants to. I cook my curry by Braille. Depending on the audience, I'll use different veggies, a different proportion of coconut milk to paste, or serve it over crispy fish instead of adding shrimp or chicken. It means I do what feels right, not what a recipe tells me is right.

Jesus, I feel like I'm recruiting for a cult. How do you cook? Do you follow "the Way" or are you a stickler for recipes? Look for more posts on pretty food and Anti-Recipes...I'll convert you all yet!

Things You Should Know Before You Get Blunt Bangs

Let me tell you something about blunt bangs.

Blunt bangs are the world's oldest bangs. They're straightforward and honest. The first woman who decided to spruce up her 'do, whoever she may have been, gave herself some blunt bangs. I promise.

This means several things:

1) They've stuck around for a reason. They are super versatile, and anyone who says otherwise is full of crap. You can wear them straightened, curly, bouncy, short, long, piecey, swept to the side, pinned back, teased up...plus, they add flavor and form to up-dos and ponytails, which is great if you, like me, just wanna tie your hair back sometimes in a messy bun but hate a big bare forehead. You could say that they are a little more high-maintenance than not having bangs, but in my experience, the ratio of looking awesome to effort is considerably better.

2) They are simple to cut. Of course, you can get a stylist to do it for you, or you could spend an hour watching some Youtube videos and get some instant gratification. (But only if you're sober.) The nicest thing is that once you cut them yourself, you can maintain them yourself.

3) I also have to say that people always told me that growing out blunt bangs is a really irritating process, but I've found just the opposite. I loved when they just grazed my eyebrows, but I've found that they make all kinds of fun and interesting shapes as they grow.

4) Also, if you're looking to replicate Joan Holloway bangs, this is the best way. Although her look has changed from season to season ever so slightly, through a thorough examination of her bangs, I've determined that they are long blunt bangs, just styled differently. I realize that not everyone's life revolves around Mad Men, but I know that I searched for the best way to achieve a Joan style bouffant on a regular basis, and this is the best way, no matter what length hair you have.

5) Side-swept bangs are trivial in comparison. In a competition of side-swept vs. blunt, side-swepts are  extremely limited, trickier to maintain, and frankly, look a little 2007.

Obviously, I'm not recommending blunt bangs to you personally, because I don't know what your hair texture is or how much time you're willing to spend getting used to styling them or how handy you are with scissors. I do know that blunt bangs were a really great decision for me, and I fully support the decision to try something new.

But if it ends disastrously, don't look at me.

Moving, Oh My!

Don't you hate it when people people apologize about not posting on their blog? Me too. It's pretty pretentious and self important.

And since I am both of these things,
I'MSOSORRYIHAVEN'TBEENBLOGGINGGUYSIKNOWYOUMISSEDMESOMUCHorsomething.

Anyway, I'm a little disappointed that I've been off my own Project Wagon for 12 weeks! Fortunately for me, I have a shit ton of household-y projects coming up because we are finally moving!

Our new house is a super cute 1930s bungalow in the Sanford Historical District. However, it has some areas that are in need of a little help.

Priority #1: De-Mustarding the Living Room

I'm not sure what the last people were going for, but they ended up with Colonel Mustard with the Grey Poupon in the Living Room.

So obviously we will be painting.
And obviously we've chosen to go with teal.
Trim? Dark teal. Obviously.

Priority #2: Creating a Comfy Paradise Upstairs

The upstairs consists of a big open room with low ceilings, a half-concealed bathroom, and a tiny bedroom. Clearly, this is the most practical place to hide all of my habitually messy activities, like sewing. It's also the perfect place to chill out like a slob where the neighbors can't see.

I'll leave the details for the project post, but in the (text) words of my darling brother: "It will require custom made sheets, wall hooks, something physically interchangeable with a microphone stand, and maybe some string lights."

Priority #3: Making Our Furniture Fit to Sit On

We found a kick-ass source for antique furniture and other odds and ends VERY near our old place, so we'll be resuscitating some new pieces, including a Duncan Phyfe loveseat (could be original!), a very unloved wingback chair and a second non-antique wingback chair that we found free at the dumpster!

Determining a fabric scheme for the upholstery has been a nightmare, but I'll follow up on that sojourn in another post. (#firstworldproblems #hausfraustruggles)

The place is called Groove Shack Antiques, if you're interested.

This is the short list of big projects, but there are many many more small projects, some of which are just being transferred to the new house, including new living room curtains, trash recycling system, new command center, refinishing the coffee table, and of course, all of my clothing projects I'm itching to start.

Stay tuned!