Inspiration struck when I found this bottle vase garland on Etsy. I really like blue and green glass. In fact, if there is wine in a blue or green bottle I will purchase that over just a plain clear bottle. I started saving my wine bottles so I could do my own DIY version.
Not only is my way quick it’s easy too. I originally started with 4 bottles. However, one was splotchy and after scrubbing it I wanted to dry it quickly. I put it in the microwave for 5 minutes which I guess was too long. Upon opening the microwave I discovered that the bottle had started to melt so there was a hole in the side of the glass. I was gonna work this though and found it an interesting contrast. Unfortunately I ran the hot bottle under cold water and it pretty much exploded. Oops.
I used rope I had instead of wire to string up the wine bottles. I first hammered a nail on each side of the windows. Use a large, thick nail because you will wrap and knot the rope around it. After you secure the rope to one nail line up the rope in the window to determine where you want your first bottle to be. Then tie and knot the rope like in the above picture just below the lip of the bottle. Continue these steps until you have strung up all your bottles. Finish by securely knotting the rope to the other nail.
Just in time for the sunny season I scored two pairs of vintage sunglasses. I found these lovelies at a church rummage sale this past weekend. I stumbled upon the black cat eye sunglasses first. They were on a table buried under a pile of clothes. They are vintage Cool Ray by Polaroid sunglasses. I first noticed Polaroid sunglasses on Etsy while searching for vintage sunglasses. I was thrilled when I found them at the rummage sale since I could actually try them on to see if I actually liked them on me. I found the oversize vintage 70s sunglasses near the check out along with the jewelry. I have anointed these my absolute favorite pair of sunglasses. When I can conceal half my face with sunglasses I’m a happy person. Did I mention that each pair was only $2? Yep, I scored both pairs for only $4. The joys of vintage thrifting! What’s your fave thrift find?
Everyone has secrets. There are things about ourselves that we hide from others because we feel ashamed by them. I use to eat frosting out of the can…all the time. The whole can. Not at once of course.
It started when I was 14. I really wanted something sweet to eat and there was a can of chocolate frosting in the cupboard. It hadn’t been opened yet, so I opened it and got a butter knife to sample the frosting. I determined that this would indeed fix my sweet tooth and took my new found treat back to my room to continue watching tv. About every 5 minutes I would scoop out a little frosting to eat. When I felt satisfied, I put the lid back on the can and put it back in the cupboard. It took about a week for me to finish a can of frosting. I thought it was so good. And then my mom found out I was eating frosting out of the can. She just didn’t approve of me eating just frosting. “Make a cake, make cupcakes and frost them. Don’t eat just frosting”, but she didn’t get it. I didn’t want cake and cupcakes with frosting, I just wanted the frosting.
Now I had to be sneaky about eating frosting. It was a secret to keep from my mom. This is when I started to feel shame about eating frosting, but it certainly didn’t stop me. I just didn’t eat the frosting that was in the cupboard, instead I ate the extra frostings that were kept in the pantry. You would think if my mom really wanted me to stop eating frosting she would have just stopped buying it right?
Eventually I outgrew my fondness for eating frosting out of the can. I still very much enjoy eating frosting, but now I prefer it on cake and cupcakes. I mean, do you know what is in frosting from the can? It’s basically sugar and hydrogenated grossness. I’m too disgusted to eat frosting out of the can now that I know what that stuff is, but it doesn’t stop me from eating it on a cupcake. It’s all mind games I play with myself.
For now I have found a replacement for the frosting.
Nutella! I shamelessly eat this out of the jar. It was my new favorite thing for a while. It is healthier than frosting. It doesn’t have that sickening sweetness that frosting does that stops you from eating too much at once. Oh, wait that actually may be it’s one real drawback- I can eat almost all of it in 1 day. It only lasts one day *tear*.
Nutella is on to the mind games people play, but I’m not that gullible. It’s not that healthy. Do not take advice on back of jar. Unless of course you are on the diet to diabetes.
Do you have any weird eating habits? I sure hope I’m not the only one.
Ever since I was a little girl I have loved playgrounds. The monkey bars and tire swing are personal favorites that I still enjoy. It’s important for me to embrace my inner child and remember that life shouldn’t be taken that seriously. Making time to play is mandatory not optional.
The dinosaur sweater is my favorite part of this outfit. The sweater actually belonged to my baby brother. I discovered it a few years ago when I was helping my mom sort through boxes because she was moving. When I came across the dinosaur sweater I thought it was so cute I just had to keep it for myself. The dress is a pale yellow with white embroidery I found at a Chicago thrift store. The satin mary janes were also a thrift score. This is outfit is proof that you can wear black and yellow together and not look like a bumblebee.
A dress and heels have never stopped me from playing on the playground. Even as a child I was never concerned with not getting dirty or the fear of other people seeing my underwear. If I want to play, a dress isn’t gonna hold me back.
The next time you feel worried or stressed I urge you to go to a park and swing. Once you sit on a swing and start flying through the air it’s impossible to not give in to the moment.
I like to collect vintage books. Their aesthetic appeals to me. This was one of the books I purchased when hardcover books were 5 for $1 at the thrift store. This book is filled with easy recipes, lovely illustrations, and beautiful photos. Betty Crocker’s NEW DINNER for TWO COOK BOOK was written in 1964 by General Mills. You can pick up your own vintage copy here.
My book came with this adorable inscription written on the inside cover.
Vintage sexism was so charming. “If you are a bride, a business girl, career wife, or a mother whose children are away from home—this book is for you.”
Good menus begin with these 9 rules.
Love the table setting and check out the strawberry shortcake.
America’s native dishes.
When Americans use to sit down and enjoy their food.
Who sets a dining room table anymore?
Life advice: Every dinner should be like a party!
Flowers are essential to a vintage table setting.
Planned Overs and an inspiration shelf in your kitchen for quick meals. For the woman who wants to do it all.
Yellow and green paired with candles creates a simple, yet elegant table setting.
This is my beautiful city Chicago. At times it is overwhelming. Nonetheless the beauty can always be found, even on those awful bleak winter days, if you look hard enough. I spent the other day strolling around museum campus and visiting the Shedd Aquarium. My favorite creatures at the aquarium are:
The blue poison dart frog “wearing” my favorite color.
Since I knew I would be doing a lot of walking I needed to dress comfortably, but of course without sacrificing style. Flats were a necessity. I chose a pair of vintage Nina flats in a bright teal. I wanted a pop of color since the rest of my outfit was neutral.
I wore a vintage navy leotard as a bodysuit. The only drawback to wearing an actual leotard and not a bodysuit is of course that whole having to get naked to use the bathroom. Besides that, the body hugging fit of the leotard balanced the loose, flowy skirt. I don’t normally wear longer skirts, but this vintage Chaus was hiding in my closet. Navy and white polka dots are one of my favorite combinations, a timeless classic.
To play off the polka dots I wore a pair of vintage silver heart earrings. And I had this vintage Bill Blass colored jean jacket to keep me from getting chilly. After all that walking it was nice to just sit down, lean back, and observe my Chicago.
It is not presumptuous of me to declare Sultan’s Market the best falafel in Chicago because IT IS THE BEST FALAFEL in all of the city. Have you had it? I’m sure you would agree. This is my favorite local restaurant for cheap, quick, and healthy food. There are 2 locations, but the Wicker Park locale is near and dear to me. And it’s right off the Damen blue line.
Important thing to know right off, it’s cash only so come prepared. A little bit of money goes a long way here. There’s a large salad bar and it has stuffed grape leaves! What I almost always get though is the falafel sandwich. Spicy, always spicy.
Not only is the sandwich only $3.75, but and this is so important- unlimited refills on tzatziki sauce and sriracha sauce. I love sauces! Ok, that is an understatement. I could almost live off sauces except you know they aren’t actually food. The fact that I don’t have to worry about running out or that they don’t charge extra is glorious. There are lids for the sauces so when you take your order to go make sure to take sauces with you. It’s important to be prepared like a girl scout because you may have sriracha waiting in your fridge at home, but I highly doubt you have tzatziki sauce.
Have I mentioned Sultan’s is BYOB? Or that the baklava is so sweet you’ll get diabetes. On one occasion I had 2 pieces of baklava. Don’t judge…I was super stoned and wanted seconds. A meal is not complete without dessert.
I’ve been wanting a unique pair of hoop earrings for a while now. I’ve also been lusting for a pair of leather earrings. I decided to create a pair myself combining the two. I was able to do it without having to purchase anything new and using supplies I had on hand.
Hello Kitty as a pincushion.
Your only 2 required materials are leather/suede and a pair of hoops earrings. Since I collect leather skirts and bottoms I had left over baby blue suede material from a pair of pants I turned into shorts. I received the hoop earrings from a friend who was spring cleaning her closet. The only tools you will need are a sewing needle, scissors, and manicure scissors.
First cut up the leather into strips. Don’t cut the leather too thin. Remember it has to be able to fit on the hoop.
I prefer the unfinished, rough side of the leather on the left. This is the side I chose to have facing out.
Next you are going to create a hole in the leather strip with a sewing needle. Start the hole a little bit down from the top and pull the needle all the way through.
I then used the manicure scissors to slightly widen the hole. This all depends on the width of your hoops, adjust the size of the hole accordingly.
Then slide your leather fringe strip onto the earring hoop.
I added 12 strips of leather to each earring. You can add more or less. I think it would look great to do the whole hoop in leather fringe. Or mixing in different colors.
Super simple and took less than a hour from start to finish.
I recently discovered this great thrift store in the suburbs of Chicago. It’s so great that I’m not ready to share it yet, but maybe one day I’ll tell you which one it is. It was filled with great vintage goodies.
I’ve been on the look out for a spring coat that has some weight to it since it’s still chilly. I scored with this vintage find since it’s 100% wool. It’s from Avoca which is the oldest handweavers mill in Ireland.
They are known for their colorful knits. Since I love color this jacket is great because it’s a mix of purples and blues. Check out their online store which is filled with beautiful jewelry, clothing, and of course colorful wool blankets.
I love needlepoint, I collect it. Just check out my apartment. Before this dress I didn’t own any wearable needlepoint so I was overjoyed when I found this. It’s perfect for spring and has just the right amount of kitsch. This dress may even technically be a grandma sweater, but pairing it with my grungy black tights keeps it modern.
Who wouldn’t want a pair of suede fuschia heels?! I love pops of color in a fancy shoe. I think it’s the perfect way to brighten up an outfit. These are by Via Spiga and just my size. They were also less than $1! My whole thrift score, which also included a pink silk blazer not pictured, was less than $10 with tax! I love thrifting in Chicago. Wanna go shopping with me next time?
If you know who Gloria Steinem is you probably associate her with the feminist movement and not with fashion. However, she has always been one well dressed lady. I like her style because it is simple yet flattering. She dresses in form-fitting shirts paired with a skirt or jeans. Her signature look is a straight center part with her hair hanging around her face her eyes framed with large glasses. As flattering as this look is on her, the reason it was created by her is because she felt she had fat cheeks and this was her way of hiding them. We can all identify with insecurities, even if we are strong women.
I cannot stress how important I think it is to watch this film. History repeats itself if the current generation does not educate itself. I fear this may happen with women’s rights. The reproductive and abortion rights that were fought for so hard in the 1960s and into the 1970s, are in present day in jeopardy and under constant attack. How can we be moving backwards as a society on equal rights issues?
What surprised me most were the vintage clips of men very vehemently not wanting women in their work place. These men were angry and they didn’t think women were smart enough to do the jobs they were doing. Does this seem like a recurrent theme? Why are women still having to fight to get equal pay for the same job?
The hardest thing to watch was a Larry King clip from 1990. Gloria was being interviewed by Larry and a woman called into the show. What initially seemed like a woman calling in to thank Gloria turned into a slap in the face. The caller “thanked” Gloria for causing the collapse of the traditional family structure of America and ended by telling her to rot in hell. Devastating, but I think it should be pointed out that for every woman who felt liberated by the women’s movement there were and are women who think it was the worst thing to ever happen. There were and are women who are happy to be homemakers, and did and do not want to be told that they should want more or that they need to work outside of the home. Change makes life more challenging, more unpredictable and people like to feel secure. Women should not be judging and fighting with one another about this. Women should be supporting one another’s freedom to choose to stay at home or to have a career.
Watching this film for me was such an inspiration. After I felt like I wasn’t doing enough in my life. Oh motivation, the things you do to me. I’ve been motivated into being an organizer for Chicago’s Slut Walk because it is important to me that women have autonomy over their bodies and be allowed to embrace their femininity instead of being accused of being sluts.
As great as a quote that is, it was not used in its entirety. The last lines are “That’s their natural and first weapon. She will need her sisterhood.” I dream of a sisterhood consisting of women and men-the one’s that get it- supporting and nurturing each other, working towards an equal, kind world.
“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.” ~Gloria Steinem
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