If Valentine were alive.

Sometimes, while I'm drawing my women, I can't help but think of them as real people; what do they wear, where do they live, how do they decorate their house, what does their voice sound like...  I thought maybe it would be fun to bring them to life in a way by showing a little bit of who I think they'd be!

This is Valentine (because of the pink heart on her lips).  One thing I know about her is that she's classy.  I can see her being the type of girl to never leave the house with her hair in a ponytail, the type to always wear heels, and they type to always have (and know how to do) glamorous makeup.  I don't think she will ever get married, but instead, be a chronic dater since she's the type of girl every man wants.  Here's what I think she'd wear on a date with a sophisticated and gorgeous well-to-do man...

These items can be found here:  Valentine print, Dress, Hat, Cape, Ring, Shoes.

When you're drawing or painting, do you ever imagine the world in which that person, landscape, or whatever the subject is, exists?

untitled XXII: art and clothes

a few months ago i said that every now and then i wanted to do an outfit post, but rather than just showing you what i wore, show you what i wore and the artwork that inspired it.  oh, and i thought i'd come up with a great idea, but i found out it was already a thing, so i'm just hopping on the art and outfit bandwagon!

denim jacket: american eagle // dress: asos // tights: target // booties: target // bracelet: gift, vintage // bag: gryson // earrings: dinosaur toes

the painting that inspired my outfit, Untitled XXII, was done by one of my very favorite artists - willem de kooning (and his wife elaine is another of my favorites, but she doesn't receive nearly the level of recognition and appreciation she deserves).

makes my heart go pitter pattern

so i think i've come to some sort of realization.  as much as i've tried to make myself think otherwise, i believe i like patterns more than solids.  i've always felt like i'd prefer solids, and i used to tell myself that it was just more difficult to find solid colors, but i'm finally taking the first step and admitting that when given the choice, i go for patterns (and especially patterned shoes).  whew, i can't believe i just said that.

blouse: TJ Maxx // skirt: target // belt: vintage, thrifted // shoes: chelsea crew via modcloth

the weather is beautiful, and while summer clothes still suit the temperatures, they don't suit my mood.  but, i can't exactly put on cozy cardigans and boots without the guarantee of smelling like an armpit.  so that's why i loved this outfit; sleeves and closed toed shoes, but still lightweight and comfortable and no offensive armpit odors.  win!

a little bit hippie

a little forewarning: for some reason i couldn't manage to take a single normal picture!  sometimes i just really, really don't want to be serious.  i won this dress on ebay a while back, and after seeing the pictures, i think i am going to go ahead and shorten it a few inches, but aside from the length, this dress encompasses all of my favorite things in a dress: it's from the 70's, it's off-white, it has crochet detail.  so basically what i'm saying is - put me in a VW bus on my way to san francisco and i'll be a happy girl.

 dress: vintage, ebay // bag: vintage, purchased at an SPCA yard sale (because i love helping animals!) // sandals: kork-ease via ebay // jewelry: vintage, from grandma's jewelry box

and as if my vintage outfit wasn't making me feel 70's enough, i had the three best songs ever recorded in the history of music on repeat - this one, this one, and this one.  well, i actually have them on repeat pretty much every day, but it just added to the theme of the day.

so how was your weekend?  and are you doing anything for labor day?  i am - cleaning out the bathroom closet.  fun, fun!

when you're waiting on fall and out of ideas

guys, i'll admit it, this is one of those posts that i'm regretting posting even though i'm not even finished typing it yet.  i always think that it's better not to post something, than to post straight up filler.  well, this is filler.  why?  because look at how boring this outfit is.  i mean, correction there, i do like it, but i just think it's too plain to post.  so why share?  because i don't want for my blog to look like it's been abandoned!  i have better things to share, but making and shipping art prints has kept me busy since we've been back from vacation!

shirt: banana republic, thrifted // skirt: target // wedges: payless (i about died when i saw these were only $12.99, so i knew i had to have them) // necklace: dinosaur toes // bracelets: vintage, SF street vendor

the weather was not at all right for a 3/4 sleeve shirt and a dark color skirt, but what can i say, I'M READY FOR FALL!  so that's it for now, but i'll try to have something better for you tomorrow!  so how have you been?  i feel like vacation put me so far behind on keeping up with you guys!

turtle pee

do you have that one thing (or maybe a few things) that you love so much you can't pass up; no matter how much you already have, you just feel like you can't get enough?  that thing for me is lace dresses.  but something i haven't worn before is a lace dress with turtle pee...

jacket: american eagle // dress: h&m via ebay // leather belt: vintage, thrifted // sandals: kork ease // sunglasses: tumbleweeds // necklace: dinosaur toes // turtle pee: c/o eastern box turtle

if you've been reading my blog since last summer, you already know that i stop and get turtles out of the road.  this little girl is the absolute smallest i've ever saved from cars, and i almost didn't see her!  good thing for the tailgating state trooper behind me - i was forced to drive slow.  she probably looks big in the picture thanks to my infant sized hands, but her shell was only 2" long!  she was so cute i couldn't even remember where i put my key or how to start the ignition.  and she was so cute i wasn't even worried about the fact that she peed on me - twice - and left a little puddle of turtle pee on my dress.

also, i'm so happy with the way my necklace turned out!  i made two, and since i can't part with one, the other will be added to my shop sometime soon!

hoochie dress

i don't know about you, but to me the word hoochie has always been hilarious.  it just seems like the perfect non-dirty word to describe an array of things... like this dress.  as with most forever 21 "dresses" - and i use that word very loosely - it barely covers the belly button, much less the unmentionables.  good thing beca got me these awesome pants...

dress: forever 21 // pants: old navy, gift from beca // necklace: vintage // shoes: kork-ease via ebay

do you have trouble with dresses being entirely too short?  i'm only 5'2" and i often feel like i need to layer a longer dress underneath just to cover up, so i can't imagine how frustrating it must be for people of average height!

non-sweaty layers

i have one problem with a southern summer, and it's this: i can't wear layers like i want because it's too hot and humid!  honestly, if i'm not wearing layers i feel kind of naked, so i try to find the lightest weight clothes i can.  sometimes though, i'm still not so sure about the outcome...

tank: vintage, thrifted // dress: vintage, thrifted // necklace: vintage, thrifted // sandals: aldo

i love loose-fitting tanks, but it can be difficult finding them small enough to fit me, so i was beyond ecstatic when i found this one!  it's sheer, it's small, and it's so lightweight i don't know i'm wearing it - the definition of the perfect tank.

also, after i posted my last moody rant, i felt really bad and almost deleted it, because i don't want to be known as a negative and angry person.  but, because i personally don't like blogs whose authors never have a bad day, and argument, bad hair, or pms, i felt like it was okay to be upset for a day.  i have good news: our house aired out sunday night and through the day on monday so we couldn't smell the skunk anymore, and kona was bathed enough so that, while i can still smell the bitterness if i put my nose to him, i can it beside him and rub him without dying or smelling like skunk myself!

last, if you are in or around the lynchburg, va area, i wanted to invite you to join me and a few hundred others for the 2nd annual rachael's paws & purrs 5k & 10k benefit run!  chris and i ran in the first one and had so much fun, and i'll be there again this year (he may or may not thanks to a bad knee).  if you didn't read my blog back in april of 2011, i blogged about rachael (the run's namesake, and chris' second cousin) and her husband aaron being killed in an apartment fire.  i still think about them and the tragedy on a near-daily basis, but am happy that, because of so many people and their generosity, rachael's legacy and love for animals lives on.  to find out more about the race, the fund, and rachael, visit their site!  and let me know if you're planning to race on september 22!

unbalanced

do you have days when you just can't seem to walk upright?  i have them more than i'd like to admit.  luckily these shoes aren't clunky or skinny or hard to walk in, otherwise i probably would have ended up on the ground!

blouse: express // skirt: target // belt: vintage, thrifted // bracelet: little tree vintage // shoes: kork-ease via ebay

i was glad chris wasn't home when i got there because i did this weird teetering thing in the driveway where you're sort of in limbo for what feels like forever - will you fall or will you remain standing?  luckily i didn't fall.  i'm just going to blame it on the stuffiness in my head.  i mean, it's got to be affecting my balance, right?  RIGHT?!

rain or shine?

we were so lucky last week.  it rained (a lot) AND temperatures were only in the 80's!  i was so excited to be able to wear sleeves again that i didn't even know how to act.  the only problem: which sleeved items do i love and miss wearing the most?  easy.  this yellow sweater...

sweater: thrifted // dress: c/o oasap.com // sandals: kork ease via ebay // necklace: vintage, thrifted

do you ever wear an outfit that you never want to take off because you just love everything about it so much?  this is that outfit for me.  i can't say enough about that dress from oasap.  the color is perfect and matches with everything, the fabric is so soft you almost can't feel you're wearing it, and the back has the prettiest sheer and button detail (which i'll show you later this week).  also, i'm a kork ease lover for life.  i've heard people talk about how comfortable the sandals are, but now i'm a believer.  so i have a feeling you'll be seeing A LOT more of those shoes!  and the necklace i think is gaudy in the best way.  it's so bold and gaudy that i think it's the perfect necklace for plain clothes.  all in all, i plan to wear this outfit a lot.  a whole lot.

so how was your weekend?  and what did you do?

feeling manly

sleep eluded me last night, which means this morning i feel like a zombie.  so i have a feeling this post will be riddled with mistakes (because no, i do not proofread my posts before i publish them) that i won't find until later when i'm so embarrassed that anyone saw.  having said that, good morning!  i decided to wear shorts the other day, and although i'm over those years of refusing to wear them no matter how hot it is, i still feel funny in them...

silk blouse: vintage, thrifted // shorts: i've had them for so long i can't remember // shoes: payless // ring: c/o oasap

i've never liked my thighs.  side note:  someone chris knows once cooked for his grandma and labeled each container saying what the food in it was.  one container was labeled "CHICKEN THIGS" and ever since then, we've been saying thig instead of thigh.  it makes things funnier, and it also makes it hard to type thigh then i'm thinking thig!  anyway, i've always wanted skinny thighs, but genetics says otherwise, so although i no longer refuse to wear shorts, i still feel funny about my THIGS.  wouldn't it be nice if we all loved and accepted all the parts of our body?

i don't usually wear tailored or masculine clothes as i'm a dress girl through and through, but i just felt like wearing something different.  it probably won't happen often  because i felt sort of masculine, but at least i didn't have to think about sitting ladylike.