AUTUMN CRAVINGS (AND YES THEY INVOLVE CHECKS AND TARTAN)

I don't really often (as in nowadays never, almost) post about shopping, and I don't do that much shopping myself now either, but I really like this autumn collection and styling from my old fav Tara Starlet , so I just have to say it out loud a couple of times:

Yes yes yes and yes.

Ah, that's better.

Also now at xxx:am it feels like my life would go much more smoohtly in a pair of wide legged checked pants. My next morning sense, visa-card and chairdrobe might not agree though.

PREP O'HOI!

It always feels like a small victory when it's warm enough again to take out the spring jacket and tuck away the winter boots! And that time is here now. Yes.

The suit and bag are vintage and the sailor top is from Tara Starlet a few years back.

On another note, every now and then I get this issue with outfit posts and posing and posting about it. Sometime wonder if I should just start doing them all like this...

...or then maybe not.

BLACK AND BLUE AND RED ON YELLOW

Putting my new wool skirt in action in a rather elementary color scheme and timeless vintage fashion.


Also. Stop the press! You saw it right - I am actually not wearing my black beret but a red one. I decided to sport a little variation this winter.

PS. The shoes are the autumn wedges I got myself this fall. I only wore them twice to notice they were way too big for me so I bought a smaller pair. I still got the larger barely used ones - that would be a size 38 - and will be selling them at some point. When that one beautiful day comes when I put up lots of stuff on my sales blog they will be there; but if someone wants them now already let me know.

HOUNDSTOOTH AND STRIPES

I was planning to sew myself a checked warm wool skirt for winter. Or, for autumn already actually, but it wasn't happening and the days getting colder so when I happened to peek in a little on the Tara Starlet sale during Christmas I realised I'd get away a lot easier if I just bought one instead.  So this blue-and black houndstooth skirt came home to me a couple of days later (I have to say, Tara Starlet's deliveries are always super fast! This came in less than a week even though ordered during the holidays!)

The blouse is a basic high street one that I sew cuffs and a collar on.

ONE SCARF, ONE BERET, FIVE MINUTES, SIX LOOKS

(Here's the baby as part of the outfit once again as it needed a dash of colour. You gotta do what you gotta do.)

Yesterday I kept a lecture on vintage inspired styles and styling. My thesis being, as you may know from here, that you can do very much with very little; manage to add a flair of certain styles or eras wearing pretty much anything as long as you acessorize it right; it is how you wear it and what you wear it with. Do note that dressing inspired by something is not the same thing as dressing up to something; it is not re-creating an outfit form a certain era, just playing with the vibes from it.

I planned to demonstrate this subtly during my talk by changing a few details in my outfit, which I wanted to be rather neutral, both retro and timeless, for it to work. But as I went on babbling I kind of forgot to do it properly and on time.

So I will go for it here instead - sort of 20'ish onwards! Five minutes, five more looks:

There you have it, easy as whoah!

The blouse and skirt are both from Tara Starlet. I folded the waist band down in half as it rises too high to look good on me.

And no, my child is not really in the pic just to balance out the soft shades with his red suit. But it sounded like a more fun and less shouty of a reason didn't it?

CHECKS AND PASTELS, CAPE & COATS DILEMMA

I have a new wonderful little cape. It came with a skirt, but I'm saving it for later.
(Like when I can button all hree buttons in the waist and not just two :)

I've always loved the idea of wearing a cape. I have not had one before for the very reason that they are rather unpractical in a climate that allows you to wear a short sleeved jacket for about four weeks of the year only; two weeks in autumn and two weeks in spring. Sort of. I however almost got myself this one last spring already but came to reason, but somehow I managed to come up with an idea why this cape would be a genial solution for fall. I just can't remember that the idea was anymore. (And no, cuteness does not count.) What I actually should have gotten would have been a practical trench coat or so as I in the heat of the moment (you know: Closet space! Letting things go!) sold the blue one I had at a flea market last spring...Damn.

But alas, just now as I had started settling for the thought of knits and hats and mittens the weather turned surprisingly warm, so I might get to wear my little cape for more than a fortnight after all!

On a totally different note; it is funny how dark your hair turns when combed in another parting than usual, not with the "sunny side up".

Also, it apparently takes an outfit post to notice your hemline is broken. So there is a point to all of this!

(The cape is from Tara Starlet and the skirt is Zara from a couple of years back that would not go over my hip a month ago. But now it does.)

THE SECOND CHALLENGE

Wohoo, an outfit.
The skirt is from Lindex, it's the stretchy one that I wore a lot during my early and mid pregnancy. The top is Tara Starlet and the belt (which is a bit hard to see as it has sunk in between the squish) is Vivien of Holloway.

Anyway. I'm going to tell you two things - many commented on the fact that I "still had the strenght to make an effort and dress up" while I was pregnant. Or now with the baby. And what I'm going to tell you first is this: it takes the same effort to put on a plastic bag, something nice or a pair of leisure pants. In which most of the cases I'd go for the "something nice". As you may remember, I often point out that nice can also be comfy! Most of my clothing is rather comfy actually. (The pieces that are not, are the ones I wear more seldom, you know, special occasions. And yes, it is of course also a matter of what you are used to and prefer.)Also, if you're not sure weather you are feeling that nice yourself it's certainly not going to make you feel worse by wearing something pretty rather than just whatever.

I actually enjoyed getting dressed during those nine months since it became something of a challenge to come up with what to wear; my body was changing and growing all the time which kept the challenge going. I wasn't sure in the beginning how it would be later on, but it was rather fun all the way until the end.

Now it's yet another challenge to find items to wear. Items to fit in as well as items that will work while breast feeding. And I have to say, it's a bit less nice of a challenge, as this time my body is not changing in the same sense that I'm expecting something big to happen - I'm just waiting for things to get "back to normal". Neiher is it any fun now to buy new items as I'm just hoping to start wearing my "real" clothing again. However, the second thing I was going to tell you is that even though I may sound a bit cracked up about this, I'm not! It's merely three weeks since I gave birth and I've only been up from bed for about five days, so I'm not really taking any stress about anything bodywize. (Yet, hehe. )
It just comes up when talking about clothing, that's all.
Toodely-doo!

THE HOUSE-WIFE...

 ...who can not button her shirt all the way down-look.

And yes, as you can see the dress-to-be fabric is still on the parade place in the living room (my study is too messy to fit the doll right now); I so obviously did not turn it into a dress before May 1st... I just didn't have the time!

(Well as you know I wore the blue one and it was just as fine. But unless I want to turn this one into a nursing dress instead I better start cutting!)

I did however have the time to stand next to the dress-to-be and pose for outfit pictures instead.
But that's of course a totally different thing.

The seersucker shirt is Tara Starlet, the rest H&M maternity wear.
Headscarf BooBoo Kitty Couture and jewelry vintage, shoes Andiamo from last year.

23 WEEKS BEHIND

 ...17 to go.

For some brief moments I almost forget that there actually is a little somebody living inside my belly (really, only for a short while as the little one moves around quite a LOT). But then I look down and there the little bump is. And then I see it in photos and it looks huge! Although it ain't that small anymore, it IS getting pretty big.  And will still double in size. Or somehting. Whoah.

BABY BLUE, PASTEL YELLOW AND PALE GREEN

(Dungarees from Tara Starlet)

OHOY!

I hve a new sailor top form Tara Starlet.

Sailor stuff always makes me go a little wild. Hey ohoy!

And see, as soon as the sailor hat is gone I'm all nice and calm again.
So I left it at home and put my beret on again for outside (I think I'm going to have to do at tag called 'my beret' soon).

(Had to leave the red shoes at home too and go for my winter boots too as that damn snow still hangs around.)

THE VERY GOOD DAY DRESS

(Outfit post.)
Even though I with the headline made it sound like a dress from ModCloth, this one is from Tara Starlet. Indeed a very good day dress, comfy and suitable for most occasions. The pockets fit a lot of stuff which is practical but they are getting a bit floppy though.

But why the hell am I posing in it in my attic?
Don't know really. But the light is pretty filmatic up there.

The tiny suitcase, which works well as a second handbag if one needs to carry a lot of things around during the day, is from ebay.

DREAMING ABOUT SHIPS, LONGING FOR THE SEA

My photos from this shoot in January.







Sailor Cherry / Burlesque Doll
Photo : Mirva Thil / Post Production: me
Make up, hair & Styling: me

Corset: Corsets UK, Top: Tara Starlet, Frilly Knickers: What Katie Did, Shoes: Minna Parikka

I've had that sailor monkey, Plyti Apan, since 1982.

SLIGHT TROPICANA OR SOMETHING TOWARDS SPRING

Springtime may be (forced) in the air everywhere except for actually being there - spring/summer collections here and there in shop windows or dropped as brochures and leaflets trough in mail and sent to my inbox, but for real it keeps on snowing and getting colder again. As pretty as it is with snow crystals on the window and a bright sun making it all sparkle I am adjusting my mind towards spring, a warmer sun and just all that is to come after that.


This in a pale green cardigan, coral lipstick (makes me feel kind of tropical. Like think of papaya and such) plus a huge flower in my hair. It's a small start. Even though it will take some time to be able to kick of the boots and kick in the heels...

Our team did a come back at the music quiz yesterday after a brake of many months (the reslut not being too bad - we were 4th!). And what better way to do it in than in a musical note skirt? (From Tara Starlet.)

WELL YOU'RE A BUNCH OF LUCKY GALS!

I have such great news for you all:
One of my all time favorite labels, Tara Starlet, is doing a give-away right here, right now!


One lucky reader will win a pair of what I find as one of their most desireable products, the Sailor Slacks! I've dreamed about these sailor styled pants with a super high waist, wide legs and contrast coloured buttons a long time myself already. ♥ Oh ♥

I will as usual let Miss Fortuna decide by randomly choosing a winner on Monday September 28th! That means you have ten days time to try your luck - all you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on this post. Feel free to spread the word. OH yeah and if you don't have a blog account remember to leave me your email!

Tara has also started a blog for an inside view of a fashion studio! You can read it at tarastarlet.blogspot.com.

MAGIC, WELL KIND OF

Remember this post and it's one-of-a-kind bag?


Well abracadabra, now it's mine!


(Dress - Tara Starlet, Bag - Viivi Vein)

CANDY STRIPE SAILORETTE

Sailor Tie Top - Tara Starlet (I love love love), Culottes - old H&M,
Lace kneesocks - Norlyn, Shoes - Fabbri

My dear friend K just turned 28 and held a tea party today with lots and lots of cakes, macaroons and mini cupcakes. All home made, all delicious.

K loves pink and candy so I gave her a gift with pink and candy on my mind. And I dressed up thinking pink and candy. And 1930's, sailors and sailorettes.

OH HOW I LOVE THESE SUMMER EVENINGS

You know what's really nice?

When hot day cools down but still is nicely warm and you slip in to a pretty dress and put some darker lipstick and higher heels on and go out to enjoy the evening. So - now we're off for some sushi and white wine in the evening sun with K. Ta-ta!



(Dress - Tara Starlet, Bag - Vintage, Shoes - a total bargain from Andiamo last summer, Hair flower- Ansa)

MORE OF THOSE ROSES

I have a dress that has spring written all over it. Or, it more of shouts SPRING and therefore had to wait in my closet for months until it finally made it's premier. (Now I'm going to start listening for small cries of summer from the closet to see what to dig out next.)

40's shirtdress from Tara Starlet

I'M NOT SAD, JUST THINKING (BUT SOMETIMES THAT'S THE SAME THING)

You know that 90 % of the time you come to my blog the first thing you'll see is me and my face. Ha! Me me me me me. Well, it's my blog of course. But if you think about it, it's a little...funny. Especially since I talk about my blog as concerning things I like. So then it would seem I like myself quite a lot. But then again I do like myself, most of the time at least. And you should too you know. Like yourself. Narcissism ahoy!



Well enough on the blogsistential crisis and back to business. And since I had nice colours on me today, here's even more pictures! (wohoo.)



(Some years ago I considered brown stocking to be too grannylike, but nowadays they've even beaten the black ones for me.)

Tara Starlet dress, old H&M jakcet, quite new ModCloth shoes and a newly thrifted bag.