by the lovely Julie of Sixes and Sevens!
Seven thing about me:
I like lima beans.
I love androgenized dress.
My favorite composer is Mozart.
My favorite opera composer is Massenet.
I think Edward Norton is absolute perfection.
I don't like the cold.
I love Tucson!
People I would like to link: Deep in Vogue, Le Blog de Betty, It's Her Factory, My Head is Full of Soap, Molly Likes to Draw, The Mo and Minikille dressing, Enjoy Your Worries
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Fresh Apples
My Mom visited me a couple of weeks ago and we went to some apple orchards around Indiana. We got bags of honey crisp apples (most amazing, delicious apples on earth), fresh apple cider, and apple pie. We also got some butternut and acorn squash (which I will be using to make dinner tonight) and a baby pumpkin which we used to make fresh pumpkin pie. I got some local honey for my allergies. All organic, all local, all deliciously fabulous. Here are some pics (I am not wearing makeup and I look a bit scary, sorry).
I am wearing: an American Apparel hoodie, Paper Denim Jeans, white high top Chucks, a JCrew puffer vest and my favorite thrifted clutch (from Lauren Kingston of course)
My adorable Mummzy is wearing: J Brand jeans, Three Dots shirt (bought second hand), Banana Republic sweater, and Hobo International purseIf you are interested in this kind of adventure but don't know where to start, visit your local farmers market and ask the vendors about farms and orchards in your area. Happy Eating!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Ethical Fashion Awards
Izzy LaneThe worlds first ethical fashion awards just went down in London. This is such a huge step towards worldwide conscious consumerism. This statistic thrilled me: "in 2007 a survey by TNS Global found that 60% of under-25s said they bought what they wanted, regardless of where or how it had been made. This year that figure had dropped to 36%..." I included links to the websites of some of my favorite winners.
PachacutiThursday, November 13, 2008
Diane Keaton
This woman is absolute perfection. Of course, I fell in love with her during my first viewing of Annie Hall which became an instant favorite. She makes androgynous dress look completely feminine and incredibly sexy. Her wardrobe in Annie Hall inspired me to pair down my closet to neutral basics with masculine highlights like collared shirts and vintage blazers.
She has left me in awe once again, I just finished watching "Manhattan" and I have fallen in love all over again. Highlights in the film include a perfectly tailored tan blazer paired with an ultra feminine floral print dress, and a navy/black blazer with high-waisted jeans and a crisp collared shirt (the film is in black and white). On top of Diane Keaton's fabulous attire, the movie is full of clever Woody Allen banter and a completely romantic soundtrack.
For these reasons I will be vintage and thrift shopping this weekend with Diane Keaton on my mind. I will be on a quest to find a floral dress and a tan blazer to add to my collection. If you have not seen "Manhattan" or "Annie Hall", you absolutely must. I hope for inspiration for you all.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Ebay Tips:
In one of my more recent posts I mentioned that Ebay was a great place to purchase recycled goods. I realize that shopping on Ebay can be very overwhelming and intimidating. For this reason I asked my best boy friend Nicholas Jett of Enjoy Your Worries (who is quite the Ebay expert) to send me his suggestions for shopping on Ebay. Here are his suggestions:
When shopping on Ebay, check a seller's "feedback rating" before buying. If a seller has sold 2,500 items in the past and their feedback rating is 99.5%, they are most likely a trusted and extremely experienced seller. Every now and then, however, you might run into problems with sellers like these (i.e. slow shipping due to high volume of items sold, poor communication, etc.). For the most part though, these are the best kinds of sellers to buy from because of how experienced and reliable they are.
If a seller's feedback rating is low (like 66%) and/or they've only been involved in 4 transactions before, be weary of buying from them. People often sign up to sell items on ebay for short periods of time in hopes of scamming as many ebay members as possible. It can be unfortunate for new members who've never bought or sold anything on ebay before because other members sometimes approach their business with skepticism. Occasionally, sellers will ask that their bidders have at least 1 positive feedback rating before bidding on their item to prevent fake or problematic bidders from tampering with their auctions. Likewise, buyers have also completely abstained from bidding on multiple great deals because the seller was a new member that had a rating of 0. Don't let this stop you from signing up though: once you buy/sell an item or two and begin to establish good feedback, buyers and sellers become more than happy to work with you. Besides, it's not all that common for sellers to ask that you have prior buying/selling ebay experience anyways. Feedback is what establishes trust between buyers and sellers and is therefore the best measure of honesty and ensuring good service that Ebay can offer.
Another good thing to do when shopping on Ebay, is to check which payment options a seller offers. This varies from seller to seller. Paypal is always the most secure option and also the most common. Go to paypal.com for an explanation of how using a credit/debit card with paypal works. If a seller only accepts a check or money order, be cautious and contact them before using this option. If they only accept cash for some reason, do not bid on their item.
If a seller/store has multiple items that you're interested in, ask the seller or check their shipping options to see if they offer combined shipping. There are a lot of great deals on Ebay that can be ruined by high shipping costs. There are also a lot of sellers that specialize in selling certain types of things (i.e. antiques, books, memorabilia, etc.) and there's a good chance that they might have an assortment of things that you'd be interested in if you've already found an item or two of theirs that has sparked your interest.
To get an idea of how much things sell for on ebay, you can check "completed listings" from the search options page to see how much an item has sold for in the past two weeks (the amount of time each item is archived on ebay). Check the "completed listings" box and then search for a style of video camera or another item that you are interested in so that you know how frequently the item is listed on ebay and how much it typically sells for. Some items, like a specific type of camera, might be listed a dozen times each week while other items might only come up on ebay once or twice a year, in which case, you might not find a record of (if it was sold more than two weeks prior to your search).
There is also a helpful option that allows you to search for items being sold "worldwide." If looking for a French book or a Japanese painting, you might want to use this search option which will almost always yield more items than the typical search comprehensive of items only located in the U.S.
Also, when searching for an item, keep your keywords relatively broad. If searching for a cell phone, (in which case you might get a list of 10,000 items), it's best to type in the name of the manufacturer and the model, although it's not necessary to also write "cell phone" (for example, "Verizon 4.0"). If searching for a record or CD, it might be best to just type in the band's name, rather than typing in the specific record since sellers often list items using vague terminology and a broad search will always yield more results which you can then sort through. If searching for a bike, again, type in the manufacturer ("Masi") and leave out the model name, year, etc. Some of the best deals found on Ebay are from using broad searches because sellers sometimes fail to provide good item descriptions. As a result, things that should sell for a lot more than they do, can sell for much less because a lot of potentially interested buyers typically search for items using only specific terms.
Lastly, try not to get addicted to Ebay. Believe it or not, it's pretty easy to do. If there's something that you're looking for that may be rare or hard to find, it's a great source to track things down. If your eyes are bigger than your pockets, on the other hand, it may not be the place for you. Whatever the case may be, enjoy it; it's a great resource.
I also liked the post on Sea of Shoes that includes many suggestions for shopping on Ebay. Good luck!
When shopping on Ebay, check a seller's "feedback rating" before buying. If a seller has sold 2,500 items in the past and their feedback rating is 99.5%, they are most likely a trusted and extremely experienced seller. Every now and then, however, you might run into problems with sellers like these (i.e. slow shipping due to high volume of items sold, poor communication, etc.). For the most part though, these are the best kinds of sellers to buy from because of how experienced and reliable they are.
If a seller's feedback rating is low (like 66%) and/or they've only been involved in 4 transactions before, be weary of buying from them. People often sign up to sell items on ebay for short periods of time in hopes of scamming as many ebay members as possible. It can be unfortunate for new members who've never bought or sold anything on ebay before because other members sometimes approach their business with skepticism. Occasionally, sellers will ask that their bidders have at least 1 positive feedback rating before bidding on their item to prevent fake or problematic bidders from tampering with their auctions. Likewise, buyers have also completely abstained from bidding on multiple great deals because the seller was a new member that had a rating of 0. Don't let this stop you from signing up though: once you buy/sell an item or two and begin to establish good feedback, buyers and sellers become more than happy to work with you. Besides, it's not all that common for sellers to ask that you have prior buying/selling ebay experience anyways. Feedback is what establishes trust between buyers and sellers and is therefore the best measure of honesty and ensuring good service that Ebay can offer.
Another good thing to do when shopping on Ebay, is to check which payment options a seller offers. This varies from seller to seller. Paypal is always the most secure option and also the most common. Go to paypal.com for an explanation of how using a credit/debit card with paypal works. If a seller only accepts a check or money order, be cautious and contact them before using this option. If they only accept cash for some reason, do not bid on their item.
If a seller/store has multiple items that you're interested in, ask the seller or check their shipping options to see if they offer combined shipping. There are a lot of great deals on Ebay that can be ruined by high shipping costs. There are also a lot of sellers that specialize in selling certain types of things (i.e. antiques, books, memorabilia, etc.) and there's a good chance that they might have an assortment of things that you'd be interested in if you've already found an item or two of theirs that has sparked your interest.
To get an idea of how much things sell for on ebay, you can check "completed listings" from the search options page to see how much an item has sold for in the past two weeks (the amount of time each item is archived on ebay). Check the "completed listings" box and then search for a style of video camera or another item that you are interested in so that you know how frequently the item is listed on ebay and how much it typically sells for. Some items, like a specific type of camera, might be listed a dozen times each week while other items might only come up on ebay once or twice a year, in which case, you might not find a record of (if it was sold more than two weeks prior to your search).
There is also a helpful option that allows you to search for items being sold "worldwide." If looking for a French book or a Japanese painting, you might want to use this search option which will almost always yield more items than the typical search comprehensive of items only located in the U.S.
Also, when searching for an item, keep your keywords relatively broad. If searching for a cell phone, (in which case you might get a list of 10,000 items), it's best to type in the name of the manufacturer and the model, although it's not necessary to also write "cell phone" (for example, "Verizon 4.0"). If searching for a record or CD, it might be best to just type in the band's name, rather than typing in the specific record since sellers often list items using vague terminology and a broad search will always yield more results which you can then sort through. If searching for a bike, again, type in the manufacturer ("Masi") and leave out the model name, year, etc. Some of the best deals found on Ebay are from using broad searches because sellers sometimes fail to provide good item descriptions. As a result, things that should sell for a lot more than they do, can sell for much less because a lot of potentially interested buyers typically search for items using only specific terms.
Lastly, try not to get addicted to Ebay. Believe it or not, it's pretty easy to do. If there's something that you're looking for that may be rare or hard to find, it's a great source to track things down. If your eyes are bigger than your pockets, on the other hand, it may not be the place for you. Whatever the case may be, enjoy it; it's a great resource.
I also liked the post on Sea of Shoes that includes many suggestions for shopping on Ebay. Good luck!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
Recycling is one very important way to cut down on personal waste. Since most of us are in a constant state of updating our wardrobes, it is important that we keep the earth in mind while we are filling our closets with new duds. This may sound intimidating, but there are several easy and fun ways to recycle your wardrobe. If you are lucky enough to live in a city with a Buffalo Exchange, head on over and trade in your unwanted clothes for clothes that others have recycled or just walk out the door with cold hard cash (you can get paid to recycle! pretty sweet!). You can also donate your old clothes to thrift stores and in some states you can get tax returns for your donations. Thrift and vintage stores can be sources for one of a kind, amazing and cheap purchases. Another place to find great vintage goods is at estate sales. Or, take a note from Karla of Karla's Closet and explore your local flea markets. Another great recycling center is eBay, you can sell your unwanted clothes and look for special stand out pieces from all over the globe. For great vintage finds on eBay, try Treasure Chest Vintage which is run by Rumi of Fashion Toast or try Liebemarlene Vintage. Enjoy Recycling!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Makeup Making a Difference
I love mac cosmetics, not only because of their incredible variety of colors and products but also because of their desire as a company to make a difference. Since 1994 the MAC AIDS Fund has raised over $128 million dollars to help fight AIDS. They have a line of lipsticks and two shades of lipsglass called the Viva Glam line. All the proceeds from the purchase of Viva Glam products go directly to the MAC AIDS Fund. The Fund uses the money for grants and special initiatives. MAC cosmetics is also committed to helping the environment, for this reason they reward their customers for recycling with their Back to MAC Program. For every six packaging containers you return to MAC, you receive one lipglass or lipstick. I asked an employee what the company does with the recycled packaging, she told me they use the recycled materials to make play ground equipment for schools (although I am not sure if this is correct). The company also uses minimal packaging and vegetable-based inks for printing. they also use recycled paper and paperboard in their offices. This is a company at the forefront of popular cosmestics that is doing their part to create a better world. Some of my favorite products from MAC are mineralize skin finish and studio fix applied with the small buffer brush (which is also the perfect size for traveling) and the lip balm with SPF 12 (they usually sell these in seasonal scents and colors, which are always fabulous). Do it up!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
My Favorite Panties
I was introduced to these adorable panties by my Mummzy. Hanky Panky makes super comfortable, very sexy panties that are made in the USA. I prefer the low rise thong but if you like a higher rise go for the original thong, they also make a boy short that is very cute (although I have never worn this style). This company sources all their panties, bras, etc. in the US which means they did not have to travel as far to get to you (less fuel, less resources, healthy earth). They also make a thong from organic cotton (grown in the US without pesticides) and a thong for breast cancer awareness. I know they are pricey but I think they are worth the investment. I usually wait until Nordstrom is having one of their big sales and get them then or I ask for them for my b-day/Christmas (I have slowly built up my collection). They wash very well, I run mine through the washing machine in a lingerie bag and line dry them. My mom washes hers by hand with the Nordstrom's lingerie wash (a great eco-friendly alternative) and then hangs them to dry. Hope you enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
