Vacation - Paris!

I was supposed to be off to Paris and Rome for two weeks, but was bested by the volcano. We are still off to adventure, so things will be a little quiet around here. I'll be back in May with pics to share!



(image via Ruffled)

DIY: paper award ribbon

MLE has a pretty great collection of vintage horse ribbons - you know the kind - colorful, with a big rosette medallion in the middle. We always talk about how she was way ahead of the game on prize ribbons, since now I see them as decor, brooches, en masse in the Camper Store window display in London, etc.


(images via Jessica Grindstaff and Mark Lund)

I still always vote vintage, but I stumbled on a tutorial the other day with instructions on how to make your own ribbon out of paper, and it was too cute to pass up.

How to make make a mini medallion:


1. Cut a 3/4" strip off a piece of 6" origami paper and accordian fold it to create tiny pleats.

2. Join the ends together with a bit of glue or double-stick tape.



3. Cut a couple sizes of cardstock circles to layer for the center.

4. Press the pleated circle flat and glue your center circles onto it. It will want to pop back up, so set a quarter or something lightweight on top until it dries. Or hold it down with one hand while you surf the internet with the other, my chosen method.

5. Cut more paper into ribbon tails and glue them to the back.



To make larger medallions, cut wider paper strips and splice several accordian-folded pieces together.

(via How About Orange)

Vintage Inspired: Oh My Cavalier Brooches

Love these vintage inspired brooches from Oh My Cavalier. One of these would dress up any blazer.

DIY: Lace Fingernails

Spied this tutorial for lace fingernails over on Behind the Seams the other day, and immediately wanted to start shopping for 80s prom dresses to rock these lace fingernails with.


DIY your own rockin' fingers!

Supplies you will need:

* clear top coat (top coat is designed to dry hard and protect your nails from scratches and chips, so don't just use any ol' clear polish)
* scissors
* toothpick
* black LACE
* a little patience

Step 1: Measure and trim the lace to fit each finger nail.



Step 2: Polish a single layer of top coat.



Step 3: Apply the trimmed lace on top of the wet polish.


Step 4: Firmly press the outer corners of the lace with a toothpick.

Step 5: Let the polish and lace dry for a few minutes

Step 6: Finish with two more applications of top coat.

Low Fi Ad Cuteness

Loving what the winners of Amazon's Kindle commercial did!

Buy It/Make It: Headboards

I missed a chance to purchase a wonderful golden velvet vintage headboard at an estate sale a few weeks ago (with matching bench - sniff) and have been kicking myself ever since. I love the look of a big tufted velvet headboard (though noone looks better in front of it than the lovely Betty Draper ...)



I know that there are new alternatives out there, so if I can't have vintage, I can at least look at my other options in another round of Buy it/Make it:

Padded Velvet Headboard:


Buy It: Urban Outfitters
Make It: Tutorial from Three Men and a Lady

Faux Headboard:


Buy It: Removable vinyl wall decals from Carefreesigns
Make It: Paint your headboard right on the wall (image via the now defunct Domino Mag)

Patterned Headboard


Buy It: Anthropologie
Make It: Wallpaper Headboard from Wallpaper Projects

Shop Preview: Cape Escape

I. Love. Capes.

I think they make for perfect spring wear. Coming soon to the shop:

'Les enfants sennuient le dimanche (The children are bored on Sundays)

They've been previewing Oliver Peoples' 2010 Campaign since last September, but I just barely saw this short film 'Les enfants sennuient le dimanche (The children are bored on Sundays), directed by Autumn De Wilde. It is basically a commercial for glasses, but I always like when art seeps into advertisements.

Featuring the dashing Elijah Wood in a sharp lookin' suit and a sultry Shirley Manson. Soundtrack perfection by Zee Avi.



Things to love:

- Coordinated head tilts.
- Big red hair. Big glasses.
- She is taller than him.
- All that sexual tension.
- That shot in the pool.

I can't seem to get the format right for the blog for some reason, so you might want to watch it over at youtube.

Trend Alert: ankle socks

I have yet to really embrace wearing ankle socks with heels, because I always feel so twee, but it seems like a perfect half-way point between tights and totally bare legs. These Cynthia Rowley styles spotted this morning on Gilt reminded me that it can be a cute look.




(all photos from Cynthia Rowley Legwear sale at Gilt through 4/7 9PM PDT.)

If you've never shopped Gilt before and need an invite, click here.

Animal Head Art - Retro Whale

Stumbled upon the art of LA artist Retro Whale, whose shop is filled with "random cheesy, cutesy, artsy stuff." You'll find lots of characters with animal faces among the 70’s and 80’s influenced design, rap lyrics, and other oddities.

Vintage Inspired: Jessie Steele

Jessie Steele offers a bevy of colorful and cutesy vintage-inspired aprons (for you and the tiny tots), towels (with rick-rack), oven mitts and stylish rubber gloves so you can channel your 50's housewife and run a kitchen in style. (For the retro hairdressers out there, she also has a line of smocks ...)


Plus, through April 16, get a whopping 25% off everything in the store with code JSSPRING25 at checkout.







(via BussBuss)

Vintage Shopping: 115 Suitcases

MLE found this etsy listing for 115 fabulous vintage suitcases. If you can drive out to Michigan and pick em up, they would be yours for a mere $700.


If you don't manage the decor in Anthropologie stores, what do you think you could even DO with that many suitcases???

A few suggestions:

1) Suitcase Furniture , ie chairs and ottomans



(via maybeproduct

2) Pet Beds



(via Vintage Renaissance)

3) Storage as cabinets or vanities




(via homedosh)

Though with that many suitcases, you could probably glue them all together and make an entire house out of them.