Beaux Cous ICE Sneak Peek!

For those of you who haven't heard me talk about this enough, the Indie Craft Experience (ICE for short), is one of my favorite events to attend in Atlanta. It's the biggest gathering of talented craftspeople under one roof, perfectly timed to kick off your holiday gift shopping.

Here's all the relevant info for you Atlanta locals interested in attending:

And as I mentioned before, I finally got off my butt this year and am participating as a vendor. This has been a very interesting process, and I've learned a lot about entrepreneurship and time management over the past few months. Now that the even weekend is here, I'm almost beside myself. Now what will I do with all of my time?

Here is a sneak peek of the products I'll be debuting at ICE Atlanta this year! I had planned on listing them on Etsy as I finished producing them, but I got really nervous about not having enough product when the first one sold really quickly. Eek!

One of a few foxes! They all have their own characteristics and names to match. This one has a scarf. Yes, sometimes you need a scarf for your scarf. Fox babies start at $58.

I love this big snood cowl thingy! This is the Grosse Echarpe, and is tall enough to wear as a hood! Super warm, made out of the coziest merino wool to keep you warm. I've got these in a bunch of colors for $48.

I luuurve these! It's a big loopty loop, perfect for wrapping twice for snuggliness. Made of a gorgeous wool blend, and smooth on both sides. The Grande Boucle, only $38!

And I couldn't help but fall all over this yarn, so I made a few special edition Grande Boucles in this pretty tweedy yarn. I only have three, so don't fight over them! $48, and are the most unisex scarves I have.

And this is my favorite part of everything I made for ICE: I splurged and got custom labels made. I think it makes all my pieces feel extra-special.

While you're there, don't forget to check out the other vendors! My crafty pals fattycakes handmade, MaryRebecca, racing snail press, Painted Oyster, Fallen Arrows, PonyUp!, and so much more awesomeness will be there!

Outfit details:

• Madewell silk high tea blouse (shop silk blouses)
• AG Stevie ankle in sulfur plum (shop pink jeans)
• Madewell knot bracelet (from last season, try stores!)
• Wooden Ships hair bow (similar here)

Happy Halloween with Pumpkin Pants

Halloween at the office is a much more subdued occasion than I'd prefer. I didn't want to come dressed as a zombie to find out I'd be sitting in on any important meetings! So I went just an eensy bit festive with pumpkin colored pants.

I've been dying to join in on the colored jeans trend, and I finally went for it with Shopbop's most recent coupon promotion. Instead of the bright cobalt blue or cherry red many of my blogger friends went for, I opted for rusty orange. I'm still in fox colors mode for my palette and the yummy pumpkin pie shade was too good to pass up. (Besides, what better to match with my blush and rust colored clothes than orange?)

I made it somewhat Halloween-y with the addition of a black leather jacket and leopard bedroom loafers. And I kept this Hello Kitty bow in my bag all day for when I needed that costume dress-up boost!

And gosh I almost forgot to mention the scarf--Madewell currently has this really interesting line of scarves right now. Dubbed the "storyteller" scarves, they each represent little stories or snapshots in history, and so each giant square has a different theme or vignette. My favorites are the map ones, since I'm obsessed with anything map print, but this one really caught my eye. It's got cutesy bee-themed script around the edges, with a giant beehive printed in the center. Very Pushing Daisies. Very very.

Hope you had a fun and safe Halloween! I'll share my weekend costume with you once I track down some proper photos.

Outfit details:

• J. Crew Vintage Bateau top (shop breton stripe tees)
• Madewell Storyteller scarf (shop printed scarves)
• J Brand 811 Mid Rise skinny pants in Terra Cotta (shop J Brand colored jeans)
• Anthropologie leather jacket (shop leather biker jackets)
• BC Steeplechase loafers (shop leopard loafers)

Halloween Atl and Knitting Marathon: the Saga Continues

My last batch of yarn arrived a few weeks ago! I'm starting to feel like a production line. I've been ignoring my social calendar and forfeiting 8 hours of sleep to make scarfy goodness around the clock.

Seriously, I feel like my life is being invaded by yarn...

All these balls of yarn are very quickly turning into these: piles of ruffles, infinity scarves, and giant cowls. I went a little crazy when shopping for supplies: every one is a different color. No two are alike.

My favorite is this super soft infinity scarf: the loop de loop. I'll be selling this version at ICE Atlanta for $38. Those that are averse to wool-acrylic blends, I have some yummy tweedy all wool versions too.

And uhh, how ready am I to get my costume on this weekend? For you locals without set plans, I will be at the Modern Masquerade at the High Museum. DJ'd by Kathleen Hanna. (!!!) Uhh, teenage dreams come true, thank you.

If the riot grrl reference isn't enough to whet your appetite, maybe the art will be. The current exhibition "Picasso to Warhol" features several incredible pieces on loan from the MoMA (one of my favorite places in the world). Here's a taste from an event I attended earlier this month:

Have a Happy Halloween! I'll be back to share my special alter ego costume later this weekend.

Happy (Belated!) Oktoberfest

Working in downtown Decatur has its perks--there's always a watering hole to meander over to after work. But best of all is festival season. (Okay so maybe it's not a limited-time-only set of festivities.) Festival season is year round, and I'll take any excuse to dress to a theme.

So this year when Decatur Beer Fest rolled around, I needed a German/beer wench outfit. Instead of going for the traditional dirndl, I decided to wear this vintage calico dress. Think Little House on the Prairie meets Oktoberfest.

I've always always wanted a calico Gunne Sax dress, and when I saw this number on Etsy, I didn't think, I just acted. I love the perfectly fitted bodice, whimsical flower buttons, side ties, and poufed sleeves. And oh! The skirt! I was swishing around town and twirling through the store all day.

I can't believe how quickly we're cruising through fall! Only 23 more days until ICE Atlanta! Wait till you see how many things I've knit up for the event. It's going to be pretty epic.

Outfit details:

• Vintage Gunne Sax dress via dollybirdsvintage
• Frye Melissa Riding Tall boots

It's About Time...

One more thing I love about October: it's my birthday.

So there is ice cream cake, a relegated me-day, and usually a birthday dress negotiated into the mix; it's all icing on the cake with the changing seasons, costumes, and bulk candy I so enjoy. Of course Anthropologie didn't disappoint this year. I had my fingers crossed all month for this little envelope.

The anthro program has never failed to make me feel special.

So cute! It's like a golden ticket to your favorite store.

I squealed in glee when I pulled the band off!

How cute is this?! It's a little watch bracelet with the hands pointing to "me time" and of course a sweet 15% off a purchase. They get me.

Okay now I'm back off to knitting! It's the final countdown to ICE Atlanta!! 

*text blurred to deter the sneaky, and to avoid pissing off the elves that send me these goodies!

The New Girl

So as I mentioned earlier this week, I started a new gig as an intern. It's in an office environment, which I can't really say I have much experience dressing for! In fact, I got rid of most of my business attire when I finished my undergrad degree and realized I wasn't pursuing an engineering position.

And so I'm embarrassed to admit that getting dressed was a bit of a challenge for the week! At the boutique, we have a very loose dress code, and it's very laid back. So hemlines can be shorter, I can wear jeans every single day, and a crop top or off the shoulder tee are fine for any day of the week.

But I can't help but want to feel more polished in a professional setting. And what says Office Girl more than a pencil skirt? Luckily the unspoken dress code at the office is fairly casual too. Just not quite crop top and harem pants casual. One part pencil skirt, another part quirky print, and a little bit of whimsy with the heart pocket made this feel all me. 

It's going to be interesting incorporating all of these pieces I purchased during my heaviest phase of Anthroholism, using the excuse that I was planning to wear them "to my big girl job."

And ready to make repeat appearances on the blog, here comes Miss Rosie. Look at this little sneaky stinker! It's almost like she hears a shutter snap and sprints into the frame.

Have a great weekend!

Outfit details:

• J. Crew I heart Chambray shirt (similar shirt here)
• Anthropologie Stable skirt (similar: equestrian feel frock, equestrian print midi skirt) 
• Frye Dorado Slouch boots (similar current Frye boots)
• J. Crew Timex traveler watch

Knitting up a Storm!

Of course, as usual, I grossly underestimated how much of my time would be allocated to school once classes were in full swing. That and my growing list of personal hobbies and projects were enough to keep me away from blogging for a minute. As much as I seem to whine about it, I love the challenge of layering in new friends, activities, or obsessions to occupy my time. It's the adjustment period I don't like quite as much.

Well, I picked up a ton of knitting supplies back in June, right off the heels of the summer ICE Atlanta show. I finally finished all my prototypes in time to apply for the holiday show in November! I've always wanted to participate in this craft show, and I finally got off my butt this year and made some products so that I could apply.

This is my favorite yarn to work with. Twinkle's Soft Chunky.

Thanks Fabulous Yarns for the speedy shipping!

For now, I'm listing items as I complete them on Etsy, as a sub-brand under the Bunny Day shop name. I chose the name "Beaux Cous" (pronounced the same as "beaucoup") because it means "pretty necks" in French, and all of the items I am making are neck warmers and neck adornments. And gee, I sure do love a good play on words!

Yes, that last one is a fox! I'm making calico cats and bunnies too!
I'm hoping to sell these goodies and more in November!

As a long-time spectator, first time crafter (well, for profit, anyway!) at this event, I was nervous about having to shell out the fees and create enough stock to fill my own booth. Luckily, my most excellent crafty friend Jordan of Fattycakes Handmade was generous enough to split a space with me!

So add that layer, plus school starting back up, plus this rad internship I just started, and the adjustment period seems to just keep spreading itself out over an increasingly extended length of time. My free minutes are spent in a flurry of knitting while plowing through my Netflix queue. As the panic over having enough stock subsides (I work in a store, so more always seems like more!), I fully intend to get back to a reasonable amount of blogging.

And for those of you curious about selling at local fairs and shows, I'll make sure to recap what I've learned from selling vintage as well as what I'm figuring out now.

*Sorry kittens! The little foxie is not for sale. However, the pattern is available here, and you can find the designer's other amazing patterns here.

Alexa Chung for Madewell

It's that time again! The newest collaboration with Alexa Chung and Madewell has finally made its way online and to stores today. I'm trying to be good and resist all of the buzzy exciting shopping temptations lately (I did skip the Missoni for Target thing), but I keep pausing at this collection. I feel like all of the pieces could integrate into my wardrobe seamlessly.

Here are my favorite pieces! Click on the piece to shop it. Some of my favorite pieces are already sold out--I definitely want to investigate that palm tree dress in person. And that last outfit? Going into my inspiration archives.

I have an evening class tonight, so I'll have to skip the party at my local Madewell. Does anything catch your eye? Did anyone grab those fun leopard boots before they went away??

Back to School Prep

The first day of classes is long past, but I can't help but feel like this is just the perfect back to school outfit. There's finally a nip in the air, and I can finally add a third piece to my outfit without wanted to immediately rip it off.

I've missed you, bloggy land! My schedule is starting to settle down with classes and working, and I hope to be back on track soon. For now, enjoy these outtakes featuring our little neighborhood cats.

The little one circling my feet is named Rosie. Sadly, she was lightning quick moving around and kept fussing with the autofocus on my camera. Otherwise this post might have ended up being called "Ring Around the Rosie." Gosh, she's a riot!

Outfit details:

• Madewell Shrunken Stitch-Spot boyshirt
• J. Crew Jackie Cardigan
• Levis Legging
• Bass loves Rachel Antonoff Matilda oxfords
• Vintage Coach Willis satchel

Little Ankle Booties

Heavily influenced by Alicia's recent post on the holy grail Isabel Marant Dicker boots as well as Annabel of Blushing Ambition's growing collection of ankle booties, I am jonesing for some little booties for the fall.

As much as I wish I could be a big wedges and heels girl all the time, my lifestyle dictates that I wear a practical shoe that's kind to my feet. Enter the low heel and laidback style these little beauties offer. Now the only problem is deciding which ones to get... I mean, these are all different enough right? Does a girl really have to choose just one?

Click on the boot of your choice to shop.

Endless Summer

I'm a sucker for anything with a nautical theme. And lately I've realized (despite my inner teenage rebellion) that I love anything with some prep injected into the style. Sure, I'm all about wacky novelty prints, but lately it's only within certain ladylike silhouettes.

This little skirt is one of my favorite endless summer pieces, but since it is mostly white (black and white are both non-colors and no fun!), it doesn't get out much. As I've grumblegrumbled about on the blog, I'm making strides to amend that. The functional wardrobe/dehoarding project is still coming along quite slowly, but I think the final results will be well worth it.

Hope you are having a fantastic Labor Day!

 Outfit details:

• Anthropologie vneck tank by Deletta (now on sale)
• Anthropologie Sailboat skirt (circa 2007? 2008?)
• Dolce Vita Jaquie clogs

Guest Post at What the Frock?

Hey friends, I'm doing a favor for blog pal Dana. Skip on over to What the Frock? to see my post while she's away.

Free People Atlanta: Yes and Yes

So my friends have suffered from my excitement and enthusiasm regarding the Free People Atlanta store for the past several weeks. Upon overhearing a mere rumor that the brand was going to branch into my fair city, I started drilling everybody I knew for more details. When? Where? Do you think you'll have these 80 things on my wishlist?

I started hoarding all of my favorite pieces from work in order to be properly Free People'd up when the magic day finally arrived. And the store did not disappoint, friends--I wanted to see and touch and try and wear everything.

(Click here to see the rest of this post.)

Free People Atlanta!

I've been keeping my mouth shut about this event because I thought it was top secret! So sorry to those of you who have been in the dark. As the flier above implies, the first Free People store in Georgia is finally here! In the main "strip" of Lenox Square mall is going to be our own personal destination for all things bohemian, rock 'n roll, and vintage-inspired.

The soft opening pre-party is this evening, and I've made it my business to attend! Hope to see some of you lovelies out there! I'll be the one alternately squealing in excitement and snapping paparazzi photos of the crowd. 

FP Atlanta Event on Facebook

Free People Atlanta Facebook Page

Vintage Days: Sweet Sixteen blouse

I know I've discussed my dilemma of not having anything to wear before on the blog. Okay, it's not that I'm ever without anything to wear, it's more that I am a crazy person and only am excited to buy bright colors (that never match each other) and prints (that never seem to match the aforementioned bright colored things). My shopping resolution for several months has been to incorporate more basics and tame colors that go with everything.

Enter this blouse. I'm just a sucker for a prim collar. And gosh, the pearl buttons and little bow tie at the neck really make it adorable as all heck. This one's gonna be another one that's hard to let go of.

For interested parties, this top is by Rio Blouse from the 80's (80s does 50s/60s steez) and is a size XS/S. I'd be more keen on keeping it for myself if I wasn't trying not to pop buttons open in these photos! Not for the even slightly busty, I suppose. Sigh, such is vintage treasure hunting. Not everything is always the perfect fit. Oh, and priced at $28.

For those of you I won't see on Saturday, don't forget to enter the giveaway! There's prizes for out of towners too!

Outfit details:

• Sweet Sixteen Blouse, Bunny Day Vintage
• Anthro's plenty by Tracy Reese Decade-by-Decade skirt
• Madewell the Journal sandal

This post is part of a Vintage miniseries leading up to my participation in VAMP. A little more fun than my everyday outfit posts, but this is more about playing dress-up since I did not wear these in my IRL OOTD. So you vintage mavens, don't worry, I didn't wear this around all day in the sweltering heat before offering it to you! Just for the photoshoot :)

Vintage Days: Mod Squad dress

As a hoarder of things and also a seller of things, can I just say how hard it is to give things up, regardless of how many other of the same thing you already have? Case in point: this dress. Sure I have enough dresses to fill even the largest closet, but there's just something about that kicky pleated skirt and the chelsea collar that make me want to snatch this back and say, "MINE MINE MINE."

If there are no takers this time around, I think I'll finally alter this to fit me and let it stay in my closet as its forever home. She didn't get a second glance at the Athens sale, so there's hope for that!

Approximately a size small/medium, will fit sizes 4-8 depending on your body shape. Priced at $58. I'm willing to negotiate on most items, but this one I'll put up a fight for.

For those of you I won't see on Saturday, don't forget to enter the giveaway! There's prizes for out of towners too!

Outfit details:

• Mod Squad Scooter dress, Bunny Day Vintage
• Bass loves Rachel Antonoff Alice oxfords
• Kate Spade Small Scout in carribean

This post is part of a Vintage miniseries leading up to my participation in VAMP. A little more fun than my everyday outfit posts, but this is more about playing dress-up since I did not wear these in my IRL OOTD. So you vintage mavens, don't worry, I didn't wear this around all day in the sweltering heat before offering it to you! Just for the photoshoot :)