yeh yeh girls

Fun with Converse

2009-09-24T17:11:00.007-04:00

I decided recently to order some new sneakers, as my old Converse and PF Flyers seemed too chunky to wear with skinny jeans, their colors were faded, and I felt I just needed a change. After searching the Internet for a new brand and coming up dry, I revisited the (now Nike-owned) Converse online store to see what I could find. Maybe I'm behind on this trend, but I had no idea I could design my own shoes for the same price as purchasing a regular pair! You can choose everything: the color of the shoe, back stripe, tongue, lining, stitching, laces, toe cap, and even the stripe that goes around the shoe. I decided on an "all star light," which is just like the regular model except lower, lighter, and just plain better in my opinion. I chose a slate blue color with bright green stitching and lining, etc. Pretty conservative, but I'm happy.
This sounds like I'm shilling Converse, but I really love them! Here they are:

-Maura

Brooklyn Flea

2009-09-19T17:22:00.011-04:00

Today I went to the Brooklyn Flea Market in Fort Greene. Though I didn't buy anything (there's lots of vintage stuff, artwork, etc. but it's all a little expensive), I did eat a delicious hot dog from Asia Dog - it was a hot dog with pork belly on top. SO GOOD. Then me, Matt, and our friends walked around the neighborhood a bit and ended up in Fort Greene Park, which was really lovely. Here's a pic from the park:

Today I decided to wear this dress I got on sale from Tulle. I like the dress a lot, but it reminded me how tall models are because on the Tulle website, the dress fell to about the model's mid thigh... whereas on me it goes to my knees. If only one of the girls from the cycle of ANTM were on the Tulle website, I could have seen how long the dress really would be on me! Oh well, I still like it.

I felt a little dressed up, but I liked the outfit and I love this little yellow shrug, which is from Forever 21. Here's the detail on the shrug (Blogger is driving me crazy and not letting me put the pics in the order I wanted them!) and after that the pics of the whole outfit. Happy Weekend everyone! - Jenna

Steel City Big Pour & the Magic of Etsy

2009-09-15T14:26:00.008-04:00

This weekend, I attended Pittsburgh's annual Steel City Big Pour, an event at which Pittsburgh food vendors and area breweries gather under one roof for a festival of sorts, serving those of us willing to fork over $45 all the food and beer we can stand for three hours. Though we were all drunk and bloated by the end, it was great fun trying all the beers and small snacks, and generally supporting Pittsburgh businesses. There was even a cheesy dad-like rock band playing Band covers, an arts and crafts booth, and an outdoor biergarten area. Favorite beer: Southern Tier Black Ale. Favorite food: beef tongue nachos from Six Penn downtown.

I also got to wear a recent purchase from the awesome Talynvintage on Etsy: a 1960's schoolgirl-style dress with orange ascot.

Shoes from Etsy, tights from J. Crew

What better way to enjoy an evening of beer and food with my boyfriend and a group of awesome friends? Robert was clad in American Apparel as usual:

-Maura

Like a Fine Wine...

2009-09-15T14:07:00.003-04:00

When I look at my wardrobe, there are few things left that I've had nearly my whole adult life. First of all, I'm slightly larger than I used to be (as I should be), and secondly, I tend to buy not-so-expensive clothes that either wear out or go out of style. There are a few shirts, and a few dresses, however, that have managed to stick with me over the years. I'm reminded of an American Eagle plaid jumper, purchased in 1997 (when beginning 9th grade), that I still wear; a madras blouse purchased from the Gap in 1998, and this black and white sweater dress, bought for $15 at Bergner's department store circa 1999. To prove I'm not too old, I even remember the details of the transaction: my mom found the dress on the sales rack, and instantly knew (with he excellent fashion sense), that it was right up my alley. I've been loving it ever since, and even wore it to work recently:

Dress: "French Twist" via Bergner's, shoes: Etsy

Maybe it's a little 90's, but to me it seems pretty timeless.

-Maura

Getting Over It

2009-09-11T16:35:00.007-04:00

A few weeks ago I put up a post about how I wanted a pair of Oxfords, but how I wasn't able to bring myself to by used shoes. Well, a little bit after that, I started looking at shoes on ebay, and I managed to get over my fears and bid on a few pairs. I did win one, and I tried them on yesterday with my outfit I wore to do some errands. I have to admit, though, I didn't actually end up wearing them out. They were described as being in "vintage used" condition, which means they're definitely worn in and I'm worried about them falling apart on the tough streets of New York!

I might see if I can get them resoled or something, but I just love the look of them AND they were under 20 bucks (maybe for good reason)! Anyway, I'm sure I will wear them out sometime soon. They're just so cute!My outfit - the tank top is H&M, the belt and sweater are thrifted (I kind of love short sleeved cardigans. They're surprisingly useful!), the jeans are Levi's. Oh, and the orange socks are also from H&M!
- Jenna

Modlife Appearance

2009-09-09T17:47:00.003-04:00

They posted my fave find today on the Modcloth blog! Here's a screen capture. I just figured out today that I can do screen captures on my computer, so forgive the strangeness of the amount of screen that I actually captured...- Jenna

Labor Day (feeling wordy)

2009-09-09T14:14:00.006-04:00

I keep getting Labor Day mixed up with Memorial Day, though the sentiments surrounding the two are quite different. They both seem to be holidays, however, whose original meaning has been lost. Memorial Day has become nothing more than a time for barbequing, drinking, and dusting off the ol' speedboat, ready to usher in a season of Kid Rock-esque cavorting with chicks in bikinis. Do we ponder about wars past or present? Do we think of who died and who is dying and why? Only enough, it seems, to don an American flag speedo or break in a new set of Confederate mudflaps.

Labor Day works in much the same way. Created as a means of showing support for the labor movement, unions, and workers, it now serves as a mere marker of the end of summer: a time for barbequing, drinking, and putting the cover back on the ol' speedboat, ready to usher in a season of paper-pushing, football, and dread. Of course with Wal Mart et al. raking in the dough, unions don't really mean much anymore. And a lot of the blue collar workers that this holiday is supposed to celebrate have to work through it.

I've gone through different attitudes toward Labor Day in my life. As a child, of course, Labor Day is an ominous holiday, a black cloud that hovers just beyond August. There it rests, disguised though it may be by the promise of back to school sales and pipe dreams of newfound popularity. We always started school before Labor Day, which made it even worse. Once I got to college, Labor Day became an exciting time: the long-overdue expiration date on my summers of stifling boredom. And now? It means little to me, apart from some vague sense of betrayal on behalf of the struggling labor movement.

So what did I do this Labor Day? Well, I went to two barbeques, of course. I drank beer. I mourned summer's end. And I watched some damn fine reruns.

And because this is sort of a fashion blog, here's what I wore to said barbeques:

Shorts: Urban Outfitters (last year), t-shirt: Forever 21 ($5), headband: Forever 21 ($1.50 for 2!), shoes: Steve Madden, belt: thrifted.

-Maura

The Word is Love

2009-09-07T20:21:00.004-04:00

They've been playing the Beatles Anthology on VH1 Classic the past few weeks, I guess in preparation for the Beatles Rock Band that's coming out soon. I don't care about the video game at all, but I was really excited to watch the Anthology - I don't think I've seen it since I was 12 or 13 (maybe since it was on the first time?) but it totally started an obsession for me. I was Beatles Crazy from 6th to 8th grade or so.

Watching the Anthology again has been fun - it's funny to see how, even though I haven't been Beatles obsessed in oh... 12 years or so, I still feel that same interest and excitement I felt when I watched it in 1995.

Anyway, with all this anticipation of fall and cool weather, I thought this album cover was appropriate to put up here. Doesn't it make you want to hang around in a lovely park with leaves falling and four adorable British lads?And, OK I'm going to throw in this later pic too, just because I always loved Paul and, though George, John, and Ringo look a little ridiculous in their fur and brightly colored clothes, I think Paul looks so stylish and cozy in his suit here.All right, enough revisiting the obsessions of my twelve year old self...Hope everyone had a lovely long weekend!

- Jenna

Reading on the Subway

2009-09-04T09:54:00.006-04:00

So, this is not particularly fashion-y, but I wanted to share this article I found in The New York Times this morning, which just made me smile. It's all about how people read on the subway, what they read, and how they do it despite the crowds. It made me happy to see a little slice of New York life that rings so true to me. Here's a snippet from the article:

"These days, among the tattered covers may be the occasional Kindle, but since most trains are still devoid of Internet access and cellphone reception, the subway ride remains a rare low-tech interlude in a city of inveterate multitasking workaholics. And so, we read.

Even without a seat, even while pressed with strangers into human panini, even as someone plays a keyboard harmonica and rattles a cup of change, even when stumbling home after a party."

The article goes on to talk about specific people they saw on the subway and what they were reading. My favorite was the kids coming back from a camp field trip who were required to read their books whenever they were lucky enough to get a seat on the subway. I liked that story, too because one of the little girls they mention was reading a Babysitter's Club book and boy, oh boy, was I into those when I was a kid.

Maybe because I'm going to New Jersey for the weekend, I'm thinking a little bit about NYC this morning and what I love about it. Sometimes taking the train can be awful and crowded and smelly, but sometimes it can be so relaxing and exciting to find your own little mental space to read in the midst of the crowds of strangers.

Have a great Labor Day!

- Jenna

Retro Bridesmaid

2009-09-02T16:32:00.006-04:00

In July, my brother announced that he's marrying his girlfriend next March in a destination wedding at Sandals resort in St. Lucia. Because it's going to be a small wedding with just family and a few close friends, we're able to avoid the cheesy traditions of buffet dinners, wedding reception DJs, and, best of all, matching bridesmaids. There's a dinner before the wedding, and otherwise it's all frolicking around a tropical locale with my family and my boyfriend. I've never really been to a tropical locale before, and the only ocean I've seen has been during trips to frigid Ireland and Maine, and a shark-interrupted Florida beach visit. I'm excited to purchase a retro swimsuit for the trip, but I haven't found the perfect high-waisted two piece yet (any suggestions??).
Though it's still early, I wanted to find a dress for the wedding before winter hit and my options narrowed considerably. While trolling Etsy during work yesterday, I landed on the perfect dress from SmallEarthVintage :

At $140, it was a little more than I would usually spend, but it is a special occasion. I'm also going to two other weddings next summer, so where's the harm in a little re-wearing? This dress has such a Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby vibe, I can't stand it! I'm so exicted for it to arrive in the mail. After a tour through many Pittsburgh department store dress sections and boutiques, I've learned vintage is pretty much always the way to go. Surely no one else will be wearing the same dress.

-Maura

Shrugs and Loafers

2009-09-01T10:50:00.010-04:00

Well my parents were here again this past weekend, so I haven't had much time to keep up the blog. However, I wanted to share one of my favorite work outfits from last week:

Dress: Fashion Dictionary Dress from Modcloth, Shrug: Target, Shoes: thrifted

It's been unseasonably cool here, which is partly a bummer but also an excuse to wear cute sweaters, like this orange shrug from Target. I'm a big fan of shrugs, even if they're not in style that much anymore. Like the bolero of yore, it's a way to keep warm without looking like Old Mother Hubbard.

Last week I also finally received the shoes I purchased for just $12.50 from The Lovelys vintage shop on Etsy:

I love these little Twiggy-style loafers! What a bargain! They're very comfortable, and seem to go with everything. I broke them in on Thursday, when my boyfriend, a friend and I went to the Andy Warhol Museum to see a show by noisy girl group rockers Vivian Girls. They rocked, of course, and a great band I hadn't heard of called The Beets opened. If you get a chance to see them I recommend it highly--like Half Japanese only less deranged. Anyway, here's what I wore:

Blouse: $5 at H & M, t-shirt: Up Six Vintage (St. Paul, MN), skirt: Avalon Exchange (Banana Republic)

I wore the shoes again yesterday for the first day of school, meaning I work slightly harded and have slightly different hours. It was freezeing yesterday, so I tried them with tights. Magic!

Sweater: Banana Republic, Skirt: $10 at the Limited many years ago, Tights: J. Crew sale for $3

-Maura

Little White Lie

2009-08-31T22:35:00.008-04:00

OK, so it wasn't really a lie that I said I was going to wear that cute blouse/skirt/belt combo that I posted last week. How was I to know that it would be strangely cool today and that the thought of facing a room full of undergrads would make me run to my number one comfort item: my black skinny jeans!

So, I survived my first day of teaching and here's what I wore. The blouse is vintage and silk and much more turquoise than it looks in these pictures (I took them tonight when I got home at about 9 and the energy efficient light bulbs in my living room make things kind of yellow-y) and the bag is a new fave - a vintage American Tourister bag that I bought in at the Mall of St. Paul in Minnesota (not to be confused with the Mall of America. It's an awesome antique mall).

I also dropped my camera on the ground while taking these pictures and it was doing a weird thing when I turned it on for a while! It seems to be OK now, though. But just so you know, I suffer for our blog!Does anyone else have an item of clothing that acts as a security blanket a la my jeans?

- Jenna

Back to School Dress Up

2009-08-27T15:45:00.008-04:00

Maura's many delightful new outfits in her Parent's Weekend post made me want to play dress up too! So I put on a few outfits today that I would possibly wear for my first day back to teaching on Monday. Of course, the truth of the matter is that 1. I was doing this in order to procrastinate on the work I should have been doing on my syllabi, course planning, etc. and 2. it's going to be hot hot on Monday, so most of these outfits (well, at least the ones involving tights and a corduroy skirt) are probably not in the running.

But hey, who doesn't love a little procrastination and a little dress up!

Dress: Modcloth, Boots: Steve Madden, Cardigan: thrifted, Belt: thrifted
Dress: Modcloth, Boots: Steve Madden, Shirt: vintageShirt: thrifted, Skirt and Belt: H&M, T Straps: AerosolesBlouse: Gap, Skirt: Old Navy, Belt: vintage, T Straps: Aerosoles

The last outfit is probably the one I'll wear, but it was fun to try on the other ones, too. I liked mixing up one piece in a few different ways and also dreaming about fall, when I can wear my clothes without sweating!

- Jenna

Modlife Appearance

2009-08-27T08:51:00.002-04:00

I happened to meet a writer from Modcloth at a party recently, and she told me about a feature they run on the Modlife blog called "My Favorite Find." The deal is, you send in a vintage or thrifted item that you feel lucky to have found. I sent in mine, a vintage dress scored in St. Paul, MN. Today it was posted: http://blog.modcloth.com/2009-08-26-mondrian-meets-maura#comments
I love Modcloth, and since it's Pittsburgh-based, to me it feels like a local boutique. I'm happy to be on their blog!
-Maura

Parents' Weekend Shopping Spree

2009-08-25T09:50:00.007-04:00

My parents were visiting this past weekend, and that usually means my mom and I will spend one day at some sort of mall, shopping 'til we drop (and my dad will sit on many different benches). Because we don't see each other too often, we usually save up our collective shopping energy (and money) so we can buy outfits together. So Saturday we hit the Ross Park Mall in Pittsburgh, ogled expensive clothes in Nordstrom, and I managed to find a lot of great new work and casual clothes. Just because I'm not going back to school doesn't mean I can't go back to school shopping! Just for kicks, I tried on my new clothes and styled a bunch of new outfits:

New item #1: gray Joan Holloway-inspired dress from H & M, with seafoam green lapel flower from NY & Co. Paired with Modcloth mary janes and my mom's earrings.

New item #2: Gray high-waisted skirt with belt from H & M. Paired with Banana Republic Blouse and H & M pumps.

New item # 3: Flowly black miniskirt from H & M. Paired with H & M tank, Delia's belt and oxfords from Etsy.

New item # 4 (and my favorite): Boyfriend blazer from the Gap. Paired with H & M tank, Express Jeans and Indigo by Clarks flats.

New items #5 & #6: Ribbon-collar top from J. Crew, skinny black pants from Banana Republic. I have been looking for pants like these for years, and they are perfect! Paired with vintage pumps.

New items #7 & #8: Checked blouse and electric blue sweatervest from NY & Co. I never really liked this store, but this is a cute combo! Paired with Delia's jeans and Payless Saddle Shoes.

So there you have it. One busy Saturday, and an exciting new back to school wardrobe!

-Maura

Thanks Bubbie!

2009-08-19T17:53:00.010-04:00

A few years ago my bubbie (grandma, that is, for you not familiar with Yiddish) decided to clean out some things from her house and on one of my visits upstate she asked if I wanted any of her old costume jewelry. I have to admit, I'm a sucker for costume jewelry. I guess I like real jewels all right, but give me the fake stuff any day! So, of course I said, yes please! Anyway, since my outfits have been boring all week (I have just been rotating tops and wearing that same black American Apparel skirt since Monday or so...) I thought I would share some of the items my bubbie was sweet enough to give me.

For now I'll start with the bracelets. I'm not always so inclined to wear bracelets, but I still love these... I think some of them probably need some polishing, but here they are anyway. Oh! And I gained a new found respect for hand models, as I attempted to take some pictures of myself wearing these bracelets and my hand just ended up looking limp and disembodied. George Constanza really did have a special gift!
I have to say, I think this one above is my favorite. I love the little gold leaves and the light sea greeny color.
This one came with matching clip on earrings, which I don't even attempt to wear!OK, so this is just another pair of clip on's that I sort of love, but I thought I throw them in since they were lying around near the bracelets!

Have you guys had any great vintage finds courtesy of your grandmothers?

- Jenna

Distressed Dress

2009-08-19T13:21:00.005-04:00

When deciding what to wear to work today, I dug an old dress out of my closet that I haven't worn in probably over a year: This Pepto-Bismol and brown striped dress with appliqued flowers, a little belt, and righteous shoulder pads. The brand is Carole King, one of my favorite vintage brands. Many years ago I bought a perfect little red dress by this same label, though it has since become impossible for me to squeeze into. I've tried to figure out when these Carole King clothes are from (60s? Early 70s?), but a google search always yields far too many nostalgic musings on the album Tapestry.

Anyway, I purchased this dress at an estate sale in my hometown in 2003 for $2, I believe, though I've only worn it on select occasions. One problem is there are quite a few stains on the skirt of the dress. I have attempted to get it cleaned, but have been warned against this since it is crepe and will probably end up looking worse. While small stains wouldn't typically bother me, I felt that showing up to work in a stained dress is a level I'm not ready to sink to. Another problem with this dress that has only presented itself more recently is the sleeves. Apparently, I have gained weight in the arms since 2003 and it now cuts off the circulation. That seems like it will be easy to fix, so I might ask my sewing-literate friend to try and let them out.

I love this dress and it makes me sad to retire it, so I'll fight for its survival, even if it will never make its debut in the office.

-Maura

Two weekends, three outfits

2009-08-18T11:55:00.007-04:00

I haven't been wearing that many cute clothes lately, as the summer heat has been forcing me to change into my pajamas immediately upon my arrival home from work. I don't look too photogenic in my striped lady boxers from Target, but I did manage to put together a few cute outfits this past weekend and the weekend before. The weekend before last, I was slated to play a show (I'm a singer-songwriter) Morning Glory Coffeehouse in Pittsburgh. Well I got all dolled up and went down there with an army of friends, only to find that the other band's van broke down and the show was cancelled. This was actually a good thing, considering it was ungodly hot and the venue is sans AC. However, I did play a few songs in my friend's backyard on what turned out to be a lovely night. Now on to what I wore:

This isn't the clearest photo of my dress, but it's a cute flowered H & M day dress that I found recently at Avalon Exchange in Pittsburgh for quite cheap. I'm wearing it with the same oxfords from Deborah Jean Vintage on Etsy that I've featured before, and carrying my favorite leather purse from a market in Florence (also, my guitar).

This past weekend I had Friday off, and I went to see (500) Days of Summer for the second time with my friend Amy, who hadn't seen it yet. Afterward, we had outdoor cocktails and giggled like fools over celebrity crushes and gossip. On Saturday night, my friends had a party on the back patio of their new house, where we hung out, sweat, and drank beer. Here are my outfits from those excursions:

On the left is a old (from high school) tee shirt from the Gap, layered over an Urban Outfitters tank. The shorts (a few years old) are from H & M, and the shoes are my favorite oxfords from Modcloth! The bangle was purchased over 10 years ago at the Galesburg Salvation Army.

On the right is a dress from some department store (Bergner's?), thrited Ann Taylor blouse, tie from Lula vintage in St. Paul, MN, and those same damn oxfords from Deborah Jean Vintage.

I did my best to sweat in style!

-Maura

Black and White All Over

2009-08-17T12:08:00.004-04:00

I'm basically melting in the heat today, so here's the only outfit I managed to make work. The tank top is from H&M and the skirt is from American Apparel. I attempted to accessorize - I tried earrings, necklaces, even brooches, but this outfit rejected them! It's just too darn hot for anything but total simplicity! And you can blame Matt for the weird angle of this pic... I suppose I can't blame him since he's nice enough to take pictures of my outfits whenever I ask him to! Though today is pretty low key, my Sunday was really fun - we went out to Westchester to visit some friends and went to the beach and swimming in the Long Island Sound! After being in the ocean a few weeks ago, the Sound was kind of disappointing - no waves and soooo many snails that you stepped on when you were in the water, but it was still really fun! Then we got back to the city just in time for the Mad Men season premier! (Photo from the AMC website)

- Jenna

More Oxford Love!

2009-08-15T11:10:00.007-04:00

Since Jenna posted about Oxfords, I couldn't resist adding my own post. I've been having a love affair of my own with the oxford lately. While it's true that I've purchased three pairs of oxfords in the last six months, I've also got pairs dating back as far as high school. I've always been a fan of the menwear look (until Avril Lavigne ruined ties for all of us for awhile), and these compliment that pefrectly. Without further ado, I give you my oxford collection:

Clockwise from bottom: vintage brown spectators from Sophie Joe's in St. Paul, MN (bought in 2007?), Saddle shoes with red sole from awesome saddle shoe manufacturer Muffy's Enterprises (purchase this year), classic saddle shoes from Payless.com (purchased 2006), suede Hush Puppies from my high school years (1998?), Wood Street Shoes from Modcloth (this year), and vintage oxfords from Deborah Jean Vintage on Etsy (this year).

I'd like to take the opportunity here to also profess my love for saddles shoes, which appear to actually be making a small comback. For my money, though, Payless can't be beat for the simplest and cheapest saddle shoe (I think mine were around $15). I get compliments on them everywhere I go. Also check out the aforementioned Muffy's, which has every style of saddle shoe you could ever want, made with loving care.
The brown spectators featured are probably my favorites, however the sole has worn through and I need to get them fixed. I'm wary of the cobbler in my neighborhood because they told me they couldn't fix a broken zipper on a boot. Can they really be trusted with soles, then?

I think I have enough oxfords for now, but this fall I'm coveting a pair of lace-up booties with kind of a new wave flair. These from Urban Outfitters are perfect, though annoyingly expensive:

-Maura

Ogling Oxfords

2009-08-14T16:15:00.014-04:00

I have two shoe-related confessions to make. The first is that, though I love the look of heels and own a few pairs, at the end of the day I'm really a flats kind of gal. And the second is that I just can't bring myself to buy vintage/second hand shoes! I think this has to do with the fact that my mom always told me never to wear other people's shoes... so, though I love the looks I see on many blogs (and on Maura!) I feel compelled to buy new shoes and mostly flats.

So, I've been really excited about oxfords coming into style. I spent a lot of last year searching for an alternative to ballet flats to wear to work/teaching that were still somewhat professional and oxfords seem like just what I was looking for!

Here are a bunch of oxfords I found on the web - some in my price range and some just wishful thinking. I'll have to narrow it down, or just take my chances with DSW or some such place to find a pair for myself!

- JennaFrom Steve Madden: the Tuxxedo Oxford $79.95
From BCfootwear: Thunder in Nutmeg $55From modcloth: Architect's Spectators in Stone $84.99 (Are these actually oxfords? I'm not sure, but they're really cute!)From amazon.com: Penny Loves Kenny Cloud Oxford $23.98 (What a deal!)From zappos.com: Taryn Rose Burda Oxford $253
From urban outfitters: Jeffrey Campbell Cutout Oxford $128
From urban outfitters: DRU NY Oxford $148

Baby Blue

2009-08-13T13:25:00.006-04:00

Today I pulled out the vintage button down shirt I bought when I was home in Rochester this weekend. I was excited about it because 1. I love the Peter Pan collar - and this one actually can button closed to create a round collar that goes all the way around and 2. because it was only $3! I also decided to wear the little bird pin that I brought back from my parent's house.

When I bought this shirt, I thought of Maura (it seemed like something you would like!) and now this post makes me think of her post about tomboy style. But maybe it's just the vintage shirt/shorts/sneakers combination that makes me think that!

Here's the detail on the shirt!- Jenna

Home Shopping

2009-08-11T11:52:00.010-04:00

I went home for a couple of days to visit my parents. While I was home, I did some real shopping - I revisited my favorite thrift shop from high school, the vintage shop where I got my prom dress, and Marshall's - but I also did some "shopping" in my parent's house and rediscovered some items that were sitting around in my old bedroom, abandoned for years.

First there's this pin, which I think was bought my some relative of mine at the Cincinnati Art Museum, I have no idea when! But I kind of love it.Then I found this belt, which I think I bought at a thrift shop during college, but had totally forgotten about.Last was this vintage cardigan, which I believe a high school friend of mine bought for me on a family vacation. It's funny how you can totally forget the history of clothes you have hanging around in your house (or your parent's house). Anyway, I think in high school it seemed too fancy or lavish to wear, but I think I'll find a use for it now!I'll post more about my actual purchases I made at home, but it was sort of fun to add to my wardrobe for free! Do you guys ever find items you've forgotten about when you head back home?
- Jenna

Fashion inspiration: the Duckman

2009-08-11T10:42:00.021-04:00

In tribute to John Hughes, I purchased and watched Pretty in Pink for the umpteenth time this weekend, including all of the 20th anniversary special features. As usual, I found myself gravely disappointed by the re-shot ending in which Andie, the smart girl from the wrong side of the tracks, ends up with Blane, a rich kid with little personality, ugly pants, and a name that says "major appliance." In the original version of the film, Andie shows up to the prom with her best pal Duckie, and they celebrate their friendship and individuality by dancing to Bowie's "Heroes." How sweet would that have been?
Pretty in Pink is a fairly formulaic romantic teen movie, but one factor screws the whole thing up: Phil "Duckie" Dale. Every time I watch the movie, I find myself more taken with the uniqueness of this character. Duckie doesn't fit the stereotype of the school nerd (he's failing) or the geek (no weird obsessions except for his love for Andie), but he's also not depicted as dark and depressed. He seems to have even less money than Andie, though we only get glimpses of this, like the shot of him in his bedroom, slumped on a matress on the floor. He loves Andie, but it's not a crush from afar: he knows her better than anyone else. Oh, and he also listens to the Smiths and knows all the words to Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness."

Thus, I'll state definitively that Duckie is my favorite John Hughes character of all. (On a side note, I'm also strangely in love with Jon Cryer after hearing his hilarious and charming comments throughout the special features). One of the things I love most about Duckie is his fashion. His style is crazy and out-there, yet it doesn't define him: in fact in the film, no one even comments on it. His look combines the 80's trends of pattern and layering (vests over patterned shirts, layered striped socks) with rockabilly touches, like bolo ties, sport jackets and, of course, those white shoes. I've tried to compile some Duckie-inspired items available now, for women who didn't identity as much with Andie (and wouldn't be caught dead in that baggy pink dress).

Blazer from Urban Outfitters ($48), Bolo tie from Alan Goldin Jewelry on Etsy ($20), Flats from Urban Outfitters ($38)

Bowler hat from Urban Outfitters ($28), Polka dot suspenders from Im Your Present on Etsy ($10), Vest from Since 1985 on Etsy ($10)

Leg Warmers from Modcloth ($11.99), and White oxfords from 1ThingLeads on Etsy ($45)

Legwarmers can substitute for scrunchy socks, and cute white flats for the famous Duckie shoes. All that's left are some vintage patches for your jacket, rolled-up black pants, and an attitude, and you'll be ready to "plow." -Maura

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

2009-08-10T10:12:00.005-04:00

My boyfriend Robert is mainly an art historian, but he's also somewhat of an artist. I commissioned him to paint something for my new office that had a mod flair to it. I wanted something inspired by popular shapes and patters of the '60s--specifically sunbursts and diamonds. I've noticed that mod design incorporates a lot of diamond patterns, and his painting turned out to perfectly capture that. I liked it so much that we decided to hang it in our living room, where it fit the theme:

With a relatively cheap canvas and some acrylic paints, we've made the space above our TV more mod than ever! It's the perfect accompaniment to a cocktail and a Mad Men marathon.

-Maura

Weekend Wear

2009-08-10T09:37:00.015-04:00

This weekend was a hot one (for a change), but I have been so into fashion recently I was still somehow motivated to try to put together some cute outfits, and resist the lure of a tank top and shorts. On Friday night, I went with my boyfriend and a friend to see The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq war film. It was interesting yet uneven, and the shaky-cam made my friend so sick he had to close his eyes for a lot of it! But here's what I wore to the film and The Cage, our favorite local dive:

Shirt: Avalon Exchange (Hollister), Skirt: Avalon Exchange (Banana Republic), Belt: UPMC Women's Thrift, Shoes: UPMC Women's Thrift

I'm proud to say this outfit was completely second hand! Avalon Exchange is a Buffalo Exchange--type Pittsburgh chain. I actually picked up a few cool items there this weekend that I'll post soon.

Here's my outfit from Saturday night, when I went to see a friend's band play at that holy grail of Pittsburgh dive bars, Gooski's in Polish Hill. I tried to find something light, as it was HOT in there:

This is the same old $1 belt from the UPMC Women's Clothesline, and the dress is a few years old from Urban Outfitters. These crazy shoes were purchased at the now-defunct Pittsburgh vintage shop Crimes of Fashion. They are dance shoes that appear to have once had taps on the sole. These are so pointy, I can't imagine anyone being able to dance in them. They're silly, but I love them!

-Maura

Home Cookin'

2009-08-05T11:15:00.002-04:00

My fashion hasn't been too exciting the last few days, but my dinner last night totally was. We discovered this seafood shop in our neighborhood that is really fresh and pretty cheap, too. So last night I cooked up some shrimp and pasta and Matt seared some scallops... And here's the end result!Oh gosh, it was delish!

- Jenna

Yet Another Work Outfit

2009-08-05T10:27:00.002-04:00

Here's what I wore to work yesterday, while I slumped in front of my computer in boredom, awaiting the return of students for the fall semester:

The dress is a vintage find from Beacon's Closet in Brooklyn, and the flats are from Steve Madden. To spice up the simple dress, I used a headscarf that I bought for a dollar at the UPMC Women's Clothesline thrift store here in Pittsburgh. I think it works nicely as a sash!

-Maura

(500) Days of Fashion

2009-08-04T14:48:00.028-04:00

This weekend I went to see (500) Days of Summer, a clever, funny, cute-but-realistic look at modern love. The main reason I wanted to see the film was because I love its two leads: Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been a major crush of mine ever since the underrated movie Brick, and I idolize Zooey Deschanel's haircut and style (in addition to loving her in David Gordon Green's All The Real Girls). Throughout the film, Gordon-Levitt rocked a series of sweatervests and meaningful Joy Division t-shirts (from Unknown Pleasures at the beginning of a relationship to "Love Will Tear Us Apart" towards the end). Deschanel, on the other hand, kept her style pretty much like it is in real life: slightly prim and seriously '60s. The stills I've been able to find from the film don't really do it justice:

I've set out on the web in search of some Summer-like pieces for the average gal. To get Summer's look try high-waisted trousers (which I couldn't really find this time of year), 1960s-style day dresses, tie-front blouses, swing coats, and long-ish denim skirts. Here are some of my picks:

Of course, if you want to be old-fashioned like Summer, you'll need this pink donut phone from jessjamesjake on Etsy. We can't all look like Zooey, but at least we can dress like her!
-Maura

Blast from the Past

2009-08-04T12:49:00.008-04:00

So, at first I didn't think I was going to share what I'm wearing today because I got dressed mostly with thoughts of avoiding anything rubbing against my (still!) sunburned stomach, rather than being super stylish. But when Matt saw what I was wearing he said it was totally 90's and ran to grab his 1997 high school year book to show me a girl whose outfit reminded him of mine today! So I'll show you part of my outfit and the yearbook picture. I am not actually wearing a baby doll t-shirt under my dress, but I guess I can see what Matt is saying. I'm kind of delighted by my 90's-ness. And also it's just so funny to look back at old yearbooks...

Also, since my outfit is not too exciting today, I thought I'd share a couple of recent thrift finds that I haven't found the occasion to wear yet! I had put up pics of this skirt and blouse earlier on the blog but you couldn't see them up close.I really like the shape of this white skirt and the swingy/pleated-ness of it, too. I will have to find a reason/place to wear it!This top looks a little big and blousey, but it has little loops on the sides for a belt and I really couldn't resist it because of the flower details at the top:I guess me and my 90's self will go back to eating and couching and fondling the remote now...

- Jenna

Saturday on the Town

2009-08-03T14:23:00.018-04:00

This Saturday was Pittsburgh's first nice-weather day in a while, so Robert and I decided to have lunch in the lively Strip District, followed by record and vintage shopping. I wore one of my favorite shirtdresses, this aggressively striped number from Brooklyn Industries, with some comfortable Frye t-strap flats.

The cool mural behind me is painted on the side of a Japanese grocery, I believe. we perused the outdoor markets before settling on cheap Peruvian food at Chicken Latino for lunch. Some sights from along the way:

That's Robert there on the right, stylishly making his way through the fish market. The Strip district markets have everything, from food to jewlery to Steelers paraphenalia. They even had this:

We then made our way over to Eide's, home of awesome records, Cds, DVDs, and helpful weirdos of all stripes. We passed one of my favorite Pittsburgh sites along the way:

We also took home two exciting LPs:

I love the Shirelles, and this Stones record, 1967's Their Satanic Majesties Request, is one of the few of their good albums we didn't yet own. It features "She's a Rainbow," one of their greatest songs. I was very excited to then head over to Crown Antiques, an apparently insane shop housing five poorly organized floors of, to put it bluntly, old crap. Unfortunately, the fact that the man who runs it is a rabbi didn't mean much to us until we arrived to a "closed" sign. As Walter Sobchak would say, Shomer fucking Shabbos. Anyway, we'll go next week.

Instead, we headed over to Shadyside for some vintage shopping. I was extremely disappointed to find that Hey Betty!, which used to be one of my favorite Pittsburgh vintage stores, has downscaled. It's now only one floor and has less merchandise. So sad! I did, however, get lucky at Eons Vintage, which was having a sidewalk sale:

On the right is a nifty little green number from the 1950's, which was $10.

This red sweater on the right buttons up the back and is perfect with a pencil skirt. On sale, it was only $5

All in all, it was a perfect summer day! I finished it off by taking in a screening of the charming (500) Days of Summer with some lady-friends. I plan to post shortly about my enjoyment of the film and its fashion, but this seems like way more than enough for now!

-Maura

Red in the Face

2009-08-03T11:10:00.013-04:00

This post should actually be called "Red in the Everything" because, though I had an awesome time at the beach this weekend, I came back totally sunburned! Matt actually is much worse than I am, he's basically a lobster. Sigh. This is what happens when city folks go out to the countryside... we're not made for the sun!

Here's what I'm wearing today. This dress is from H&M last year or so, and was good for today because it floats away from my body and therefore hardly touches my sunburn. Ahhh...

Anyway, despite the sunburn, this weekend was really fun. The house we stayed in was right on the beach and we got to sit on the beach and swim in the ocean and ride the waves... It was so fun to get out of the city and pretend to be someone who has a summer beach house for a weekend!

Matt and I got to stay in the master bedroom, which had a little balcony that looked right onto the ocean. Here's the balcony:And the view from the balcony:Here are a few of the other houses across the street. The town was full of beautiful (and huge!) beach houses:It's good to be back home now. I'm planning on going to the Starbucks in my neighborhood today to get working on my syllabi for the fall and also some fiction... I'll probably carry my computer in this messenger bag that I bought from Modcloth. I used it for school all of last year and it was such a great size and I love the owls!

It's scary to think summer is almost over! Oh well, I won't think that way for now. I'll just try to enjoy myself, sunburn and all.

- Jenna

My Favorite Dress

2009-08-01T11:48:00.007-04:00

Last night, I went to a party at my friend's house, and I decided to try and once again squeeze into my favorite dress. I purchased it at Topshop in 2004 while studying abroad in Dublin, Ireland. I have always loved shirtdresses, and this struck me as perhaps the best I've ever laid eyes on. After a year or two of feeling like it didn't fit, I tried it on and was surprised to find that it worked just great!

This dress always reminds me of my boyfriend Robert, pictured, because I was wearing it a lot during the time I met him and when we started dating. This dress holds many fond memories: two unforgettable nights dancing out on the town in Dublin, senior year festivities in college, a kick-ass Stephen Malkmus show, and a trip to the UFO museum in Roswell, New Mexico. What a dress!

I paired it with an old belt from American Eagle and these mary janes from modcloth:
-Maura

Friday Outfit

2009-07-31T17:05:00.008-04:00

Today I had another lunch date! I'm really turning into a lady who lunches. I headed back to Fort Greene, Brooklyn to have burgers with my friend Nadia. I got a hamburger topped with goat cheese and pickled onions. We split an order of curly fries. Yumm.

Here's what I wore, though I actually ended up untucking the shirt and taking out the belt. It was one of those days where I tried on a million things and nothing quite suited me! But I went with this outfit because this mini skirt (it's denim and from Old Navy a few years ago) is one of my summer go-to items and I also love this tank top, which I got at a thrift shop in my neighborhood a few weeks ago.You can also get a glimpse at my messy office here... Here's another shot of me, sitting this time! I actually love the chair I'm on - it's Matt's desk chair and vintage, he got it (for $25!) at the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market, actually when Maura was visiting in March. So it's extra special that way!I'm also quite excited now because Matt's friend Marc invited us to drive down to the Jersey Shore with him tonight and stay at his grandmother's beach house for the weekend! Matt was down there a few weeks ago and said the house is lovely and right on the beach! I'm very excited and will be sure to take some pictures to post here! Have a great weekend!

- Jenna

Dotted lines

2009-07-31T14:45:00.004-04:00

I've been at my job almost a month now, and trying to find workwear that is comfortable, professional, and fashionable is a struggle. Here's what I came up with for Thursday:

I wore my old-standby black pencil skirt from the Gap, pairing it with a puff-sleeved blouse from Banana Republic. I tried to jazz up this plain buisness casual look by adding a polka-dot belt from a shirtdress handed down to me from my mom. To contrast with the polka dots, I wore my white buckle flats from Nine West. Far from flashy, but with just enough flair to get me through the day.

-Maura

The Movie Version

2009-07-30T15:15:00.006-04:00

Today I trekked out to Jackson Heights once again to have lunch with my friend Beth. This time we did get Indian food - actually a lunch buffet that was delicious! Plus it gave me an excuse to wear my owl skirt, which I got at the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market and which, as I wrote about here, I had to bring to the tailor to have a new zipper put in. I love it, weird little shorts lining and all!I also finished The Handmaid's Tale, which I bought at a thrift shop in my neighborhood last week. I had read it before, but what a great book! I finished it last night a while before I went to bed, but I seriously had to tell myself not to think about it before I went to sleep because it's so powerful and haunting and... well, frightening! But great. I also was looking stuff up about it online and came across the fact that there was a movie made of it in 1990 starring Natasha Richardson. And, with the magic of Youtube, I was able to watch the whole movie online! Oy. Not good. So many changes were made from the book, which I suppose is necessary, but it's just so hard to take a book that is entirely made up of a character's internal thoughts and make it into a movie! You wind up having to make changes to the plot that make the main character more active, but that end up diminishing the creepy, totalitarian feel of the book. Here's the poster, even that is cheesy looking!But then it made me think about movie adaptations of books in general... they usually are pretty disappointing. I read all the Harry Potter books, but have mostly avoided the movies (though recently I have started renting them) because, though it is fun to see all the things you've been imagining in your head while reading, it does in some way ruin your own vision of the book to see another person's interpretation. And it's always sort of heartbreaking when big changes are made to the plot!

I can think of a few really good adaptations from books - Sideways is a much better movie than book (I listened to the book on tape one time) and About a Boy is a great movie, even if it does deviate from the novel.

Anyway, there's my thoughts on the movie version of things. Oh, and I swear I do read books about things other than dystopian societies! I guess I just haven't recently...

- Jenna

Tomboy Style

2009-07-30T15:03:00.009-04:00

Sometimes, I get tired of pencil skirts, uncomfortable belts and form-fitting dresses. Sometimes, I just want to dress like a boy, or at least a pre-pubescent boy from the '50s who's not opposed to wearing short-shorts. This look is what I wore to our local bar for a weeknight of drinks celebrating my friend's visit.

This is one of my favorite t-shirts, a 1950s vintage piece I purchased at my favorite vinatge store, Up Six Vintage in St. Paul, MN. Forgive me for having a crappy camera, but I love the high collar and stripes on the shoulders. The shoes, also purchased at Up Six (for $7, might I add), are Superga sneakers that I've been told resemble "Mickey Mouse shoes." I'll take that as a compliment. It may not be a glamorous outfit, but I still like the throwback vibe it has.

-Maura

Birthday Dinner Outfit

2009-07-29T22:23:00.005-04:00

So last Friday was my boyfriend's birthday, and we chose to celebrate it at this little Pittsburgh bistro called Legume in the Regent Square neighborhood. We've been there quite a few times now, and it's always good French-Heartland fusion. Here's what I chose to wear:The dress is one of my favorite Modcloth purchases, flattering even after a big meal! The shades and bag are both old and not that interesting...coincidentally, they both cost $3!
I just recently bought the shoes from Deborah Jean Vintage on Etsy--they're perfect! I love a good oxford, even if I have numerous similar pairs.-Maura

Movin' Right Along

2009-07-29T10:50:00.008-04:00

Last night Matt and I went to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) to see a special screening of The Muppet Movie. It was so fun to see it on the big screen! I just love the Muppets. Plus it was great to see the movie with a whole audience laughing and cheering along.I also remembered right at the end of the movie that at my 8th or 9th birthday sleepover party we totally rented The Muppet Movie. So many good memories!

Before the movie we got dinner in the neighborhood (Fort Greene) at this lovely little Mediterranean sort of place. The best part of the dinner was that they gave us complimentary baklava and yogurt for dessert. Sweet!

Here's my outfit for the evening. It gave me an excuse to wear my new turquoise vintage skirt that I found at a thrift shop in Astoria last week. It fits quite well and I also love that it came with its original belt - somehow that felt like a rare occurrence to me. Plus I can use the belt with other outfits, like I did on Sunday!The shirt is from Urban Outfitters a few years ago.
And the skirt
Here's BAM! Overall it was a great night, though the movie started at 9:15 and we got out around 11:30 and I realized I'm totally an old person - I was so tired! Haha oh well... it was still worth it to drag my old bones out to the movies!

- Jenna

A Sunday in Pictures

2009-07-26T23:02:00.017-04:00

I took a bunch of pictures documenting my Sunday, which wasn't particularly eventful, but was still nice and relaxing.Matt and I were a little lazy about getting out of bed this morning, though Matt did jump up to get a pad and marker to draw me a picture of what the skateboard he had as a kid looked like.
Then I got dressed. Same skirt as I wore Friday, but different top and different belt.

We crossed Queens Boulevard and had brunch at Quaint.On the way home we stopped by a thrift shop that sells books outside. These are the books we bought.

I did some laundry.

Fame was on TV!
Matt and I had a little sing along.Then we got distracted by Youtube and looking up 90's singers/music videos.Tonight it turned stormy. Here's the view from my office window - that's a car driving by.

And there's (most of) my Sunday!

- Jenna

Dinner Last Night

2009-07-25T10:23:00.007-04:00

Last night I went out for Korean food with my friend Arielle. I wore one of my finds from thrift shopping yesterday - this oh-so-90's skirt that really took me back. I felt like an updated Kelly Taylor. Shirt: H&M, Skirt: Thrifted, Necklace: Forever 21

Belt: Thrifted, Sandals: Clarks (from Shoe Mania)

I'm not usually super into sandals, but I really love this pair. They're comfortable and sorta stylish. Maura actually turned me onto the fact that Clarks does make some cute shoes for the ladies!Here's the detail on the skirt and of course my new fave skinny belt!

- Jenna

British Bird Hall

2009-07-24T16:12:00.006-04:00

I went thrift shopping today on Steinway Street in Astoria. There's a giant Goodwill there (I think the biggest in the city) that I usually stop by, but today I also went to a smaller Goodwill down the street, which was surprisingly chock full of vintage clothes! I made out with a few great pieces, but for now I'll just share the framed poster I picked up at the giant Goodwill.
- Jenna

Grandfather's Clocks

2009-07-24T15:19:00.011-04:00

Because I'm relatively poor and live in a small apartment, most of my vintage houseware and furniture desires must go unfulfilled until I have more money and a larger living space. For this reason, I seem to have become slightly fixated on modern clocks. I didn't realize it was a collection until I already had at one vintage clock in every room aside from the kitchen, with two in the living room. So I thought I would share my clocks with you:

These two are my living room clocks. The first was purchased from the Galesburg Antinque Mall for $5, and I was very pleased to see it worked! It reminded me of the type of solid piece one might find in the Draper residence. The second is one that Robert got me for Christmas. I love, love, love this style of clock, though I'm hoping to eventually move this one to the kitchen and purchase another like these, my fantasy clocks:

Here are more of mine, my two bedroom clocks:

I got the small Timex clock for $1 at a Pittsburgh estate sale. Sure, it's nothing too special, but I love the seafoam-colored second hand. The pink clock is a new version of an old clock model from the 1950s. For some unknown reason, L. L. Bean was selling them a few years ago and my parents got me one. The great thing about it is that the alarm provides a pulsing light for 5 minutes prior to wake up time. I almost always wake up to that, which is great. The only bad thing is, the alarm itself sounds like a school-bell and will make you jump out of your skin. Hooray for clocks! If anyone else has cool clocks or knows a good place to get cheap ones, please leave links in the comments section!

-Maura

Weekend Party

2009-07-23T15:35:00.006-04:00

This past weekend, we had a joint birthday party for my boyfriend and one of our friends. On the day of, the weather was wacky and provided us with this beautiful rainbow:I also love having parties, because it means I get to bring out all the exciting dishes I have! It sounds silly, but I kind of love retro dishes. Anyway, I just thought I'd share these pics of our refreshment table, featuring some 1960s "comma dishes" I picked up earlier this summer at the Mall of St. Paul in St. Paul, MN. In the pick on the right are some vintage shot glasses my parents got me at the wondrous Galesburg Antique Mall in Galesburg, IL. The mod swizzel sticks in the first pic are from Rite Aid--not too exciting, but cute!

The Details

2009-07-23T11:44:00.023-04:00

Matt's parents were nice enough to frame this poster that Matt got when a play he wrote a song for was in the Humana Festival in Louisville this year. Here's the poster hanging nicely framed above our TV:
Having a new poster on our wall made me think about the various details we have in our apartment. I like incorporating some vintage elements in with our hand-me-down furniture and Ikea finds.

I got this typewriter at a rummage sale up in the Adirondacks. It was supposed to be like $20 but my godmother bargained it down to 5 bucks! I love that it brings some color into our living room and it makes me want to start collecting typewriters.... but I suppose they won't all be $5, so I'll hold off for now.I also like including some old books on the bookshelves in our living room. Along with the books that I actually read, they make for cool little additions to the shelves.
Matt bought this little Mozart figurine when he was ten and obsessed with the movie Amadeus. I like it next to this book about Robert Moses that his dad bought us at the library book sale last week.

We found this mirror in the alley next to our apartment. It looks kind of heavy and detailed, but I think it's just spray painted and made of... wood or plastic? A great (free!) find!
I guess this Beck poster is not technically vintage (it's only from 1997), but it's from a concert that Matt went to in Philadelphia and we were both obsessed with Beck in high school (I saw him in 1998, but unfortunately do not have an awesome poster from the show). Matt's sister apparently saw this poster in the window of a record store and asked them to give it to her. Now it hangs in our bedroom!

This poster is also hanging in our bedroom - Matt found it in the basement of his old apartment building. It's actually the front of the box for this toy, "The Visible Woman." Coincidentally our friend Marc is related to the guy who designed the toy.

We have a few of these album frames around the apartment, but this one is my favorite. "How to Succeed" is one of my fave musicals and I love having it over my desk - it evokes all that Mad Men 60's office stylishness and I think is just a really cool album cover.
I bought these postcards at the Galesburg Antique Mall when I took a trip with Maura to her hometown! Now they hang in our (purple) kitchen.OK, the last detail I'll put up - this light switch that's in our front hall. It was here when we moved in and it's such a small detail, but I think adds to the old charm of our apartment.

And there you have it! A few (perhaps too many) of the details that I love in my apartment.

- Jenna

They Call Him Mellow Yellow, Quite Rightly

2009-07-20T11:21:00.004-04:00

So I have been listening to a lot of Donovan lately. Despite his hippy dippy reputation (and his tendency to overuse that most vexing of '60s trends, rock 'n roll flute), Donovan was a precocious mod who evolved from a Dylan-like folkie to a swingin' party anthem purveyor. My favorite track of his has got to be "Season of the Witch," with its Zombies-like beat, cool-as-a-cucumber verses and blaring chorus. Love it, love it, love it.
I'm trying out this new site, Blip.fm, that lets you embed tracks in blogger. So let's see if it works...
Donovan - Season of the Witch

Shared via AddThis

For more on my love of Donovan, check out this review I wrote of his box set years ago, when I wrote for PopMatters: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/donovan-tryforthesun/

Thrift finds!

2009-07-18T14:08:00.003-04:00

So today I went with my friend Alicia to the UPMC Women's Clothesline, a thrift store in Pittsburgh. Alicia swears by the place, but I had never been. It turned out to be great! I bought this entire outfit for under $10:Perfect for work or anything else! The blouse and skirt are Ann Taylor, and the belt and the shoes were just random. The shoes are my favorite:Happy Saturday! -Maura

Flowers

2009-07-18T08:22:00.012-04:00

I'm getting an early start today - I have a haircut in Brooklyn and then I rush back home (and pick up my owl skirt, which is ready at the tailor's!), then Matt and I run back into the city and hop on NJ Transit and head to South Jersey. I know a lot of crap is talked about Jersey, but I kind of love it. There are so many pretty, old towns and beautiful houses and I always have a lovely time with Matt's family... I have to say, I think Jersey gets a bad wrap!

I wanted to mention one little decorating hint that is obvious, but true - flowers liven up the apartment! I have a few bud vases that I picked up at the dollar store and I also cleaned up a couple of glass soda bottles and use them as vases on my window sill. - Jenna

Casual Friday

2009-07-17T11:38:00.008-04:00

So here's the outfit I chose to wear for casual Friday at work:

Top: Express, $15, Jeans: Express, $80, Shoes: Steve Madden, $20

First of all, I have to sing the praises of Express jeans. Because I'm not the type to spend over $80 on jeans, I find Express works well. I love these in particular because they're fairly high-waisted and actually are the right length for me, which I rarely find at 5'2". I love black and white stripes of any kind, so the top was a no-brainer. I'm also wearing a headband From H & M and earrings handed down from my great aunt Madeleine, who was a total fashion plate.

Now the weekend is here, so it's time to break out the short skirts and unprofessional combos! I recently purchased Mad Men season one and am watching it through a second time, which has caused my love of '60s fashion to reach new heights. Lately I've been enjoying the odd greyhound while watching, because who can watch Mad Men and not want a cocktail? It's the simplest drink ever:

2 oz. vodka

5 oz. grapefruit juice

Pour over ice, and stir:

Easy, pink, and boozy! The recipe recommends a highball glass, but I just love drinking out of these '50s-era argyle glasses I bought at an antique store.

-Maura

Dolls and Dress Up

2009-07-17T10:52:00.008-04:00

I have to start out with a bit of fashiony kind of excitement - Clinton Kelly from What Not to Wear was in the audience of Matt's reading yesterday! So random! I sat two seats away from him and he seemed to be enjoying himself. Also, he apparently asked the woman from the production company putting on the reading what he should wear and if shorts were OK. I thought he would ask what NOT to wear and give a list of options like... just my underwear, a velvet robe, etc. etc...

Anyway, today Matt and I are supposed to go to the American Girl doll store to get a gift for his niece, Talia who is turning 9 today. Matt's parents bought her the new American Girl doll, who is the first Jewish historical doll they've had. I think, per Matt's mom's suggestion, we're getting her Rebecca's accessories. I have to admit, I'm a little bit excited to go to the store. I was totally into American Girl dolls when I was Talia's age. I had Molly. Oh, memories...

In the spirit of dolls and dress up and all that I decided to post two pics of outfits I've tried on recently, not really sure where/when I would wear them. And, since I mentioned yesterday that I wasn't really happy with the outfits pics I had taken for the blog so far, these were two pictures that I actually kind of liked how they turned out!

The one on the left sort of makes me think of Peter Pan, for some reason... the top is thrifted and the cropped stretchy jeans are from Forever 21. My friend Kevin said the pic on the right should be the cover of my first novel. I suppose I would have to crop out the piles of laundry on either side of my dresser first. Whoops! The top is from H&M (I wore it on my Jackson Heights adventure the other day) and the skirt is thrifted.

- Jenna

A Reading/What I'm Reading

2009-07-16T11:35:00.019-04:00

Maura and I were emailing today about a question of blog etiquette - is it lame for us to comment on each other's postings? Is it like patting ourselves on the back for our own blogging? Would it make us blog losers or "blosers"(a term I have to give Maura credit for coining)? Well, rather than commenting on Maura's earlier post, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and just say it - hey Maura, I thought your work outfit was adorable! Especially because it can be really tough to figure out cute outfits to wear to the office. I know at many an office job I had, I wore the same black pants like... every day. So I admire your bringing your vintage style to the office!

I've been thinking about workplace style for myself - I'm teaching for my second semester this fall and I'm hoping to move away from the shirt/cardigan/skinny jean combo I basically wore all semester in the spring, and which led to me being mistaken for a student by at least one cleaning lady who was cleaning my class room when my class was supposed to start. So, we'll see how that goes in the fall! But more about prepping for the fall later.

First I have to talk about what's going on today at the Jenna/Matt household - Matt is having a reading of his new musical Love Trapezoid at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Exciting! Here's Matt getting ready to head out for rehearsal this morning:And here's what I'll be wearing to the reading:

Skirt: Urban Outfitters, Shirt: American Apparel, Shoes: Steve Madden (from DSW)
Necklace: Forever 21, Earrings, Graduation Gift from Matt's parents

Here are the details (especially because I still have not figured out how to take a great/clear picture of my outfits!)

And for my second bit of reading news, I just wanted to share the book I'm reading right now, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. This is probably the fourth time I've read this book and right now I'm preparing to teach it in one of my courses in the fall. It's a fantastic book, told from the point of view of Kathy, a woman in 1990's England remembering her time growing up in a boarding school. It's the kind of book that totally wraps you up in its world and the way Ishiguro gets into his characters' heads is so close and so real... it kind of makes me feel like there's no hope for the rest of us aspiring writers!
OK, enough of this overly long post! Off to read a bit more before I head out to the reading!
- Jenna

Warehouse Sale

2009-07-15T12:24:00.024-04:00

So, I have to preface this post by saying that usually, I don't really care about labels. I'm not somehow who buys designer clothes or even really follows what designers are up to. But, when I have the opportunity to buy clothes with a label I recognize (even if I only recognize some of the names from the designers' appearances on Project Runway) for say... $1 an item? I'm there.

Last weekend I ventured out to the Housing Works Warehouse Sale. Housing Works is an organization that works to fight AIDS and homelessness and they have a bunch of thrift shops around the city, which are known for having some high end stuff. Through some web perusing I discovered that their main warehouse is just a few blocks from where I live and that a few times a month they open their doors and have a warehouse sale, where you pay $20 for as much as you can fit in a paper bag they provide. By warehouse sale, they really mean warehouse - the building is on an industrial looking street and takes place in this big storage sort of room filled with bins of clothes. As soon as the doors open, people start literally grabbing clothes out of the bins, piling them on the floor, and shoving them in bags.

Luckily, I enjoy the hunt of thrifting/digging through piles of clothes, so I spent a good hour or so sorting through some gross things (used underwear!) and some designer things (Anna Sui, Calvin Klein, etc.) and everything in between. Overall, it was a really fun experience, though not for the faint of heart. People are serious about their bargain clothes at this sale. I found it to be totally worth it, though, as I got a bag full of stuff for $20, which basically evened out to me paying $1 a piece!

Some of my purchases:

This brown pencil skirt from Henri Bendel's was probably my favorite find. It fits beautifully and is made of this lovely soft wool.

Catherine Malandrino sweater vest and Nanette Lepore blouse.

Banana Republic and Uniqlo wool sweaters

"I can't decide if it's ugly or not" sweater and lacy tank top

I also got a couple of things for my boyfriend Matt. The first is this plaid shirt, which just seemed so delightfully 90210, I had to add it to the bag. I also thought of it when I saw this Vintage Found post - I think with the return of the plaid shirt, the 90's are back for guys too!
The last item I'll post (because there were many more things stuffed in my bag - another sweater or two, a few tank tops, a pair of jeans...) is this sweater vest I grabbed for Matt. It's a nice deep red and vintage, from the Bloomingdale's Men's Store.

So, though it took a lot of energy, a lot of sweat, and the balls to push past people/piles of clothes to grab what I wanted, the Housing Works Warehouse Sale was totally worth it! - Jenna

Work Outfit

2009-07-14T18:07:00.006-04:00

I recently began my first real, salaried full time job. It's actually pretty great--I like where I work and I get benefits and lunch breaks! One thing that changed for me was the dress code. I've always enjoyed dressing up, but I've realized it's hard when you have almost no pants that aren't jeans! Luckily, I have an addiction to vintage dresses and skirt & sweater ensembles. Because I work in the athletics department of the university, my colleagues are mostly into sports and the clothes that go along with that whole culture. I often get comments that I look nice, but I'm not sure they understand my wardrobe choices. Today, for example, my male coworker joked, "I have that shirt in brown. I wear it on the weekends." The following is what I wore to work today:

Shirt: H & M, Pencil Skirt: Gap, Bag: Bergner's for $60, shoes: $10, Galesburg Antique Mall

The shoes and watch are the only true vintage parts of the outfit, though the shirt from H & M is my favorite (I love a good little necktie) and the Gap pencil skirt is awesome and comfortable. The shoes were a true find in my hometown of Galesburg, IL, and the watch was my grandmother's. It doesn't work anymore, but I plan to get it fixed. I like going to work with a bit of retro flair, even if my office isn't like the one on Mad Men.

-Maura

Queens is the Future

2009-07-14T14:46:00.024-04:00

Today I went to meet my friend Beth for lunch in Jackson Heights. Though it's just a few stops away from me on the 7 train, I've only been there once or twice. It's especially known for having delicious Indian food... though both of us were hungry for eggs, so we decided to go with a diner. Oh well, that just means I'll have to venture back out there again!

My favorite thing I saw today was this big mural in the playground of a school. It's cool and also kind of hilarious. Where is that subway car flying off to?! The future, I suppose.

And, what I wore on my journey
I love this skinny belt, I just got it last week at a thrift shop in my neighborhood. The necklace was a gift from my grandmother. The cut offs are my handy work. Just the right outfit, I think, for a Queens adventure! - Jenna

Postcard Wall

2009-07-13T19:51:00.008-04:00

Sometime in the last 5 years or so, I became an avid postcard collector. I didn't do it on purpose, it was just that everywhere I went, there were exciting postcards to be had: antique stores, bookstores, rest stops, museums. Add those to the ones people actually sent me, and I developed quite a pile. My boyfriend Robert, with whom I share an apartment, also shares my affinity for postcard art. So what to do with them all? When we moved into our place three years ago, this was our solution:
We've kept it the same way ever since! It's a great way to fill a blank wall, and we didn't have to choose a select few to display. It reminds me of the cool photomosaic on the cover of Talking Heads' More Songs About Buildings and Food, except, you know, not as cool. -Maura

The Motorcycle Boy Reigns!

2009-07-13T17:58:00.012-04:00

Like many others across the world, I fell in love this past Oscar season. I fell in love with a man who has made many mistakes, some involving his career and others involving his face. That man, ladies and gents, is Mickey Rourke:

(Mickey as "the motorcycle boy" in Rumble Fish & now with his dog)

I guess it all began with his insane and hilarious acceptance speech at the Independent Spirit Awards. But then I dug further into Mickey's oeuvre (and press), finding him to be not only a once-gorgeous and still exceptional actor, but an endearingly eccentric pathological liar who is obsessed with chihuahuas. Part of Mickey's charm was his touching reaction to his beloved dog Loki's death, an event that inspired me to write a song. My obsession grew to the point that my friend Amy and I took to commandeering the ladies' room chalk board at The Cage, our local watering hole, filling it with testaments of our Rourke-love. I'm lucky, however, because one day my crafty friend Alicia made me a Mickey t-shirt of my very own! Artistic gal that she is, she made her own stencils of Mickey and Loki (complete with halo) and painted them onto an H & M t-shirt with fabric paint. What a friend! Now I can discreetly keep Mickey close to my heart:
-Maura

Skirt Alert

2009-07-13T14:30:00.010-04:00

Yesterday I went to the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market. Among the tables of housewares, clothes, jewelry, posters, vintage hats, etc. etc., I found this adorable skirt

It was tagged for $30, but I asked the guy selling it if he would take $15, and he said OK! (Which of course made me think I should have offered him $10.) One thing I didn't notice before I bought it was that the lining is made up of little shorts. At least I know that my modesty is assured when wearing this skirt!

Tragically, when I got home to try the skirt on, though it fit, the zipper wouldn't pull up. So, I asked Matt to help me and... the little tab that pulls the zipper up broke off. Ack! So now I must find a tailor in my neighborhood and ask them to salvage my skirt. But, I still wanted to share it because it's cute, even though it is now broken.

- Jenna

First Post

2009-07-13T11:57:00.002-04:00

I was going to start off our blog with a post about my awesome style, but that would require me actually showering and getting dressed. Yes, it's noon on a Monday and I am still in my pajamas, but such is the life of the (temporarily) unemployed.

So, instead I'm putting up some pictures of our homemade Breakfast of Champions artwork that hangs over the table/pseudo mantel in my living room.

Matt had an old copy of the book that was totally falling apart, and so we took some of the pages that had pictures on them, bought six cheapo picture frames and created artwork for our living room.

I'm not usually an advocate of destroying books, but I really love the way these pictures are unique and literary and work as art.

Here's our entire "mantel" area

So, with a little creativity and some (slight) literary destruction, you too can display your love for books in a whole new way!

- Jenna