Is bigger always better?

So I worked today at Dynamite, a local vintage/recycled/new clothing store. I work here every Saturday for a little extra dough, and b/c really, what else do I have to do w/my time? Recently we started selling vintage eye wear (i.e. frames w/out the lenses). Some of the eye wear is colorful, some are dull, all are ginormous, but mostly they have a retro feel and are meant to be fun. Well, I've been scouting around for a pair and I haven't found anything that doesn't swallow my face whole or scream "my grandma gave these to me b/c she thought they were too ugly to wear herself." So why, might you be asking yourself, am I still looking? Well, I like the look on other people and I think the glasses convey a "hey, I'm quirky and don't take myself too seriously" kind of feel. Besides, every spring the pollen reeks havoc on my eyes, sinuses, and lungs and I can't wear my normal contacts. I like getting a new pair so I'm excited about wearing glasses the whole season.

I thought I was close to finding a pair the other week but I needed that extra boost of confidence from a friend. I asked my friend (we'll call her C) if she liked the glasses and she responded w/out a pause, "No, I hate them. I don't know why pretty girls insist on wearing ugly glasses." Well, ouch. Needless to say, I didn't buy them and I'm glad I didn't b/c they weren't the "one." C got me to thinking, why is it that cute girls (and let's just be honest, you don't see unattractive women wearing horribly unattractive frames) are all of a sudden wearing gigantic, child molester-ish eye wear? But then I see a picture like this and I think, "that's the inspiration I need." I mean, look at this girl; she is not only pulling off amazingly big, red hair, she also has the glasses I'm looking for:

source: The Sartolrialist

Here are some that are a bit more basic:

source: American Apparel $50

The following are from Franny's Frames in NYC. They offer frames from every "vintage" decade. My male friend K (and he always wears cool frames) gave me a head's up on this site:

1960's "Millape"

1970's "Pathway Neon" $50 (whoa that's a lot of color!)



1980's Christian LaCroix $125

B really likes these for him (even though he already own a pair that look strikingly similar):


1960's "Veteran" by Vanity Optical

K also told me about this website Mascot.com which claims to "faithfully reproduce" the designs from their original era.


"Miltzen" in Crystal $179

"Hyman" Tortoise $179

So I guess the question remains, is bigger always better? Should I opt for some funner, louder frames, or should I stick w/the trusted shapes I've already invested in?

Making an entrance

So let's talk about entryways for a second. I've decided that this is an often neglected, sort of hodge podge area in the home (at least in mine) that needs greater attention in the future. The entryway in our new home is very special in that it centers the house and you have to go through it from room to room. It's hard to explain and I don't have photos of it, yet, but basically we'll be living in the upstairs area of an old home. The staircase winds around until it finally ends in the entryway and from the entryway you can enter the bedroom, living area, or kitchen. It's really like anything I've ever seen; the whole house has a curious layout. So for my future entryway, I'd like to see a coatrack:

Urban Outfitters $68

A bench:

Urban Outfitters $240 (it's a bit out of my price range)

Beacon White Bench w/Rattan Baskets @ Overstock.com $144.99
I like the benches w/storage since we always seem to need a little help w/organization.

This one is perhaps the closest to our price range:

Broadway Back Twin Size Small Cubbie Bench $99

I'm thinking I could find a cushion for the top to spruce it up a bit.

This one we saw at Target the other day as we were trying to take advantage of the Home Decor sale they have going on right now:




Bench-Antiqued Gray $125.99
(cut from $179.99 and currently qualifies for free shipping)
But, I'm not gonna lie. I really wasn't impressed w/what Target had to offer this go round. The bench, in person, is a really nice gray, but for the quality, we just wouldn't pay the price. (See, I told you I was cheap, I'm not lying!!)

B is under the assumption that we can find a cheaper coat rack. Well, I've looked and looked and can't find anything I like or would even be willing to repaint. Now, I could just be stubborn b/c once I find something I'd really like, it's hard for me to give it up. However, that's what this is all about: Turning over a new leaf, looking for other options, and going w/the best bang for my buck. I'm crossing my fingers that the coat rack will go on sale. Did you know that there exists a Coatrock. com b/c I didn't?
Here is a "retro" coat rack for the minimalist at heart:

Retro Coat Rack $72 (on sale)

I kind of love this kid's coat rack in red:

Kid Kraft Madison Coat Rack $37.98 (on sale)
This might be a good gift for my fabulous four yr old niece.

So what do I want my entry to look like? Well, don't know the specifics yet, but I want it to set the tone for the rest of the house. Maybe something like this?

(I'd take the cow if I had room.)

Note the bench and the framed artwork

Something w/color and seating. (source: Domino)
Ok, gotta go to work. That's enough daydreaming for one morning.

When worlds collide

So, as I mentioned before, B and I are moving to a new house the beginning of March. I really hate moving. In fact, I once read in a psychology class that moving is the second most stressful thing in life right under losing a child. Moving may suck, but even I recognize it's not THAT bad. The study does get the point across that people, in general, do not like to uproot and start again. If you're anything like me, the thought of packing and carrying and unpacking is enough to give me a migraine (and I'm actually quite sick w/a cold so it's a possibility I'll get one anyways). The good thing is we're not moving far away, only a couple streets down as a matter of fact. Athens is a small town so there's no need for a moving van plus my biceps will thank me later. I think part of why I don't like moving is the complete and utter feeling of disorganization that comes when you can't find your stinking toothbrush or a fresh pair of underwear. I don't like boxes around and it makes me extremely happy when I can find something I'm looking for, so in other words, moving is simply not for me. But, alas, it is time to inhabit a new place as we have clearly worn out our welcome here. (Thank you neighbors that have giant keg parties and live bands all hours of the night).

I am looking forward to decorating the new place but I'm hesitant. I'm hesitant b/c moving takes money, period. And I'm not the type of person to take things slowly. I want things to be in their place quickly and I want a home to feel like a home, not a makeshift storage area. So, I've really had to temper myself, financially and stylistically. The other part of the scenario in this is having a boyfriend/roomate that doesn't see eye to eye w/me on all my "great finds." I've told B that I'm only going to buy things for the house that we BOTH love, which I'm coming to find out is a bit more arduous of a process that I originally thought. Well I was so confident with this find that I didn't bother checking w/B before buying b/c I just knew he would love it (I need to stop making assumptions).
It's a vintage door knocker from etsy:

Artsy Dove $9.99

I love the worn look of this piece and we could use it as a door knocker or in the bathroom as a towel holder. Either way I found it pretty promising. When I showed it to B, he didn't really respond. After some prying, he admitted that he didn't like it because it's pink. "Is that all?" I asked, much to my horror. He stated that we could repaint it and I told him if he wants to repaint it, that's all him b/c I like the pale pink. For some reason I assumed a pink lion wouldn't be as bad as say a pink coverlet. But no, pink is pink and for B, pink is bad. Needless to say, I'm having to practice some patience on finding things we'll both be happy with. Lucky for me, he did like the yellow vintage lamp I picked out, also from etsy:

My Southern Lace $15.00

I figure w/a gray lampshade, this piece will fit in perfectly. I was surprised, nonetheless, to hear him say he liked it b/c I thought it would be too feminine, but apparently pale yellow isn't a girly color after all.
I'm kind of in love w/Etsy so I'll be referring to it A LOT.
We both also love this Robin's blue vintage chandelier:

My Finch's Studio $67

First of all, this chandelier would look fabulous is our new pale yellow kitchen and the seller is an Athens native so we wouldn't have to pay shipping and it would be 10% off. It's too bad blue chandeliers aren't in my budget this month. I'm crossing my fingers for a lighting fixture miracle.
One of the things we are going to try to incorporate in this house that we lack in our current house is framed artwork. I want the walls to be covered in images that will add character and life to the rooms. We've agreed on these prints below b/c the colors are wonderful and the images are funny and appealing:

berkleyillustration $15 for 8x10 print

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I want a completely feminine apartment w/no input from B. B has really good taste and definitely has his own opinions about what looks good. For us, it's about compromise and about narrowing down what we think will make the biggest impression on the space with the least amount of financial damage.

Let's Blog Away

Hi! Just to begin, I'd like to say that if you're looking to read about "high" fashion from a pretentious designer or other certified style related professional, this will not be your cup of tea. I am not a professional designer, decorator, curator, or writer. I am, however, someone that daydreams a lot and happens to have more time on my hands than I'd like...so with that said this blog will really be about my personal insight into living a stylish life. See, the thing is, I don't have a lot of money and the money I do have goes to pay for all those lovely bills that accumulate every month, without fail. The great thing about style though, is that you can't really buy it. I mean sure, you can buy all sorts of nice, expensive things, but are you really stylish? I'm not even sure I would call myself a stylish person, at least not in the celebrity, highbrow sort of way. I'm certainly uneducated about many fashion-y things, but I try to keep up (not with the Joneses mind you). As for blogging...I'm also highly inexperienced in this area. I didn't even like blogs until most recently when I changed jobs and had way more computer time that I'd ever dreamed possible. I've been looking at a lot of blogs and I've stumbled across quite a few that I find creative, quirky, and sometimes inspiring. At this point you might be wondering why I'm taking this leap into the blogging world and I'll tell you a few reasons:
1) I want to exercise my brain b/c some part of my body needs to benefit from activity and I know I haven't seen a gym in quiet some time.
2) Creative expression-I have a studio art degree that I haven't used and am looking for a creative outlet (and this is free!)
3) I want more of a record of myself b/c I have terrible memory and I can't even keep track of all the things I run across that I love b/c I forget them in 10 seconds flat.
Twist Image outlines more of the benefits for an individual who blogs my favorite being "there are 3 sides to every story." I couldn't agree more and that's why I'm here to offer a simple, albeit sometimes naive perspective on living a w/style that won't throw you into debt for the rest of your life.
So, I think I have a few good reasons to share some things. Let us begin.

What was that the Bible said about money...it's is the root of all evil or something like that? Well, I don't know about it being the root to ALL evil, but it certainly does consume most of us and if you don't have it you wish you had more and if you do have it you may be surprised at how little joy it brings you. Not that I have any real idea on having it, but I'd like to think there is some burden in having too much.
I received my third paycheck at my new job yesterday and almost started crying at my desk (not very professional). I immediately sent my boyfriend a text message stating, "I can't live on this, omg, wtf?" After I regained some control, I decided to stop being so dramatic and figure out a way to MAKE it work. B/c what choice do I have, really? I already work two jobs (one of which is salaried w/benefits) and hoping to start graduate school in the fall, which my job will thankfully pay for.
So I went to my handy financial tool at Mint.com and reviewed this months financial spending which was not great. There were three purchases in particular that put my frugal budget over the limit:

I bought my boyfriend "B" a striped Lacoste shirt at the local vintage shop where I work for $25.00, which as you know, is a good deal for a Lacoste shirt.

source: www.bergdorfgoodman.com
(this is neither my b-friend, nor the shirt, but you get the point).

I also bought a Head Dress NY headband for $15 which was definitely a splurge:

source: www.thisnext.com
I'm not even sure why I bought it since headbands hurt my head and I've been prone to headaches lately but I'm growing out my pixie cut and I thought a headband would help. The saddest part of all: I haven't even worn it.

I also bought my much beloved copy of Domino's The Book of Decorating:


Who wouldn't want this if just for the amazing cover??? I have looked through and marked up this book already and have gotten a lot of new ideas for our (gasp) new house which we are moving into in about a month (it's a rental so I'm only allowed to get so excited).
Speaking of Domino...I am unbelievably sad that the magazine is closing and the LAST issue will be out in March. I don't know what I'm going to do w/myself, really (ok, see there's the drama again). I suppose it makes sense since the housing market is so ugly right now that the dwell magazines will suffer too, but still, Domino? I don't even have words.
So, my lesson learned this month: don't buy $15 headbands that you aren't going to wear but do buy design books which will last and can be shared. Definitely worth the investment.