Personal Style: Strawberry Skirt

Woah, I haven't done one of these outfit posts since my belly shot round-up! So, this is my 4 months after having my baby girl! I like this skirt/belt combo b/c it does a fairly decent job of camouflaging baby gut.

So, the Goodwill back in Watauga/ Fort Worth that I totally miss has this 'retro' section, where they put all the good, collectable stuff. I got this skirt in that section, it's a reversible, wrap skirt and it's awesome. I taught a lesson to the teens at church this Sunday about healthy living, so strawberries seemed like a good choice. One of the girls told me I looked like a strawberry :) And since cold times are approaching, this summery skirt won't be 'in season' for long.

I made this necklace, and have the last one for sale in my shop. A huge, vintage glass jewel on vintage 1960's brass chain. I love it and got tons of compliments on it!

 I love this belt, a fun, vintage thrift store find that closes with velcro. Awesome.

Seriously, I am a hairstylist. Why did I allow my hair to get this bad?! Maybe childbirth, a month of pneumonia, severe eye infections, painful foot stuff, school starting, moving and all that had somethin' to do with it. HuhIdontknow. I used a mix of 7/7, 7/03 and 6/0 in ColorTouch and 1.9 developer to make this semi-permanent heathery brunette. I only left it on the ends for a few minutes for a light coverage there, so it left a bit of an ombre effect on the highlights. Just what I was going for, perfect for fall and not too different from my natural color. And yes, I do put it on my eyebrows. Gotta match, you know!

 *la camera caught me in a rare mom moment of finger shaking and gentle scolding*
outfit post details on smashion

Homefront: Vintage China Plate Collection

 

I have been wanting to make a little plate wall. All of the plates I find are small little vintage china floral rimed dishes, and though I love them, I would love to get my little hands on some colorful Mable's House bird style plates!

But really, the white satiates my need for a clean uncluttered look, a la Nester Style, and the floral detailing adds a subtle pop of color that I lean to at times. So, it's a win-win, I suppose, with my ever changing mind.

 One last mission, finding plate wall hangers. They elude me no matter where I go, always sold out, on the verge of extinction. Which is interesting as my plate collection tends to multiply and replenish a stack on my countertop. And at 65 cents a dish, it's easy to see how that could happen.

Do you have some type of project or collection that is starting to take over? I think, maybe if I go to my calendar,. and write a specific date on when it should be complete... perhaps it will help me make my goal.

ps.. in case you are wondering about my lovely new table cloth... it is actually a vintage bed sheet that I fold in half and throw on the table. It's so pretty, how could I not? I'll show pics of it in action soon enough.

Homefront: Vintage Cafeteria Serving Trays

Vintage cafeteria lunch serving trays have been popping up all over Etsy lately. I love their weight, and their smoothness. The compartments make me remember to serve fruits and vegetables (no empty spaces here). I just adore them, but they are a little costly online, especially with shipping.

So, when I found these salmon pink trays at Goodwill the other day for 99 cents a piece, I grabbed them up. They are a little lighter weight then most, but who cares, my house is not an industrial kitchen.

I love how they contour to one's body, perfect for maneuvering through a crowded lunchroom. No wildly clapping students for dropped trays with these.

They are so cute... they even make me forget that I burnt, errr 'blackened' the salmon. (it was still good though, and the asparagus and mangoes, divine!)

Homefront: My Very Own Frame Wall

Remember my frame wall rant post? I bought tons of frames with the intention of painting them white and doing a nice gallery wall, and the pile sat there collecting dust, stressing me out, so I got rid of most of them. Here is what this space above my couch looked like before. I love the wrought iron circle I painted in a distressed aqua, and now it's over the tv.

Well... while I was at Goodwill the other day, I saw this lovely painting of this little Native American girl by Bettina Steinke. Really, isn't she just a precious doll? It was in some obscure aisle, and I picked it up and put it in my cart. I walked around some more, and decided, what am I going to do with it? So, I put her back in another obscure aisle (shame on me, I know).

An hour later (yes, when I go to Goodwill, it takes a few hours) I stumbled across this girl in another part of the store and I walked by. By the time I got to the frames, she had been brought back there. By this time, it kept getting harder to walk away, so for $3.99, I brought her home, and my son has named her Sammie.

I also brought home the embroidered flower photo, oil flower vase painting, raccon sketch and the automobile photos. I even put several things back, they just had tons of great vintage finds! Some frames I already had, so I filled them with bits of vintage maps and bookplates of flower sketches. I really need to add more family photos, but since this digital camera age has sprouted, I haven't printed photos off in ages! (sorry Grandma).

Since we will most likely be leaving this apartment in a few months, I figured, why hesitate on the frame wall? If we don't like it, we will be moving so who cares!

All I did, was lay the frames on the floor until I liked the arrangement. Then, I took a picture of it. I picked up the pictures from the ground and brought them up to the wall one by one and nailed them in. If I forgot how one went, I referred to my camera screen. Easy.

But... I love it. I'm so glad I did this. And when I showed everyone my frame placement floor layout ideas, you all persuaded me to make it grand instead of a smaller grouping like I intended. And really, with these high walls, the larger grouping looks best. Adding in the wood letters and smaller pieces helped close in odd gaps and hide nail holes I used when trying to get the placement right.

 

This post is linked to A Soft Place to Land's DIY Day!