monday monday





as i was setting this shot up to do for jane's flowers in the house post this morning,
i realized how lucky i am that i get this kind of light in my living room/dining room.
it only lasts for a few minutes each morning and i was lucky to catch it today.
the garden is in a restful state at the moment.
the flowers have all been deadheaded and hopefully a new batch will be blooming one more time before summer ends.  so i just cut some greenery and put it in a clear glass vase.

but the real star today is the light.
monday, monday
so good to me.

xxx
janet
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42

keeping a classic






so this is the third piece of vintage clothing that i own that i purchased new.
it is a part of my small wardrobe.
i believe i purchased this ann taylor halter dress in 1986.
i've kept it all these years b/c i thought it would never go out of style.






i wore it to a friends birthday luncheon the other day.
26 years later i think it is still current.
that is the beauty of classic design.







the simplicity of this label is a thing of beauty.

so lesson learned?  if you are cleaning out your closet and come across a classic.
keep it.  26 years later you won't have to go shopping.



be kind this weekend b/c it is just so much easier.

xxx
janet

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72

owning your style - part 2





today i'm continuing the discussion on owning your own style and if you are even slightly interested in the subject you are in for a real treat today.  today vix from vintage vixen is sharing her thoughts on the subject with us.  i adore vix and admire her commitment to thrift and how that commitment actually makes her life and style richer.  i must have read her blog for about a month before i made my first comment b/c our styles are so different.  i wasn't sure what she'd think of me but in true vix style, she was as gracious as could be.  in this huge blog sea of sameness vix stands out like a shining psychedelic star.   her authenticity overwhelms me with each and every post she writes.

so before you read what she has to say, let me tell you a little bit about her.  vix makes her living selling vintage clothes on ebay.  she makes it look easy, but i know from experience it is a lot of hard work.  she and jon love travelling to the beaches of india often w/o any advance reservations at all.  they really are free spirits.  they save all year long, carry no debt (not even a mortgage) in order to follow their travel passions and to attend music festivals all summer long.  a penny saved is a penny toward the beach!  she makes clothing out of vintage drapery and drapes out of vintage clothing.  i'm not kidding!  plus she is a vegetarian.  i'm very honored to call her my friend and very grateful to her for taking the time to answer my question.  vix you are awesome!




so vix, what are your tips on owning your style?

I've been pondering on this all weekend (with a break for booze and shopping, obviously)! 

Where do I start? To own your style you'll have to find it first. For me this came about by ditching buying retail completely and only shopping second-hand. Buying from fashion stores limits your choice to what the buyers consider fashionable (the same shaped pants and skirts, in-season colours or "it" prints)  whereas charity (thrift) shops are a hotch-potch of absolutely everything and you just have to learn to trust your eye and instinct. After six months of limiting yourself to thrift shopping you'll soon get a taste of what you're attracted to.

Regularly cull your wardrobe (closet) and give away/donate/sell anything that doesn't make you feel fabulous, if you have to ask others whether something suits you then it needs to go.





My trademark style includes statement pieces of ethnic jewellery, aged denim & vintage leather or suede and bright colours and loud prints. Including just one of these elements to any outfit means that everything I wear always looks and feels like me. 

Never allow an item of clothing to "wear" you, own it by adding tried and trusted pieces so that the real you shines through.  A necklace fiercely haggled over in an Indian village, a 20-year old denim waistcoat roughly patched together, a tote bag hand-made from a curtain salvaged from a relative's rag bag or a top remade from your boyfriend's old band tee shirt add personality, substance and texture to any outfit I dress in.










thank you dear vix for sharing your thoughts.  besides being so fabulous, you make me think and rethink just about everything i do.  

pop over and say hi wouldya?

vintage vixen

xo
janet





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61

eco natural soap giveaway!








a few weeks ago i was contacted by eco natural soaps.  they wanted me to try a few of their products and kindly offered to sponsor a giveaway.  well guess what?  their products are wonderful.
they are made entirely of natural organic ingredients and are super luxurious.  don't let the simple packaging fool you!   so if you'd like to get in on a little eco natural goodness, all you have to do is pop over to their website and take a look around.  come back here and tell me what product you'd like to try and i'll pick a winner on saturday morning.  the winner will receive 2 body bars and 1 body balm.

good luck!

eco natural soap 




heidi carrens you are the winner!


congratulations.



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83

owning your style - part 1




thank you everyone for all the great questions on my last post.  i still have more to answer  but i thought this next question posed by wwm would need a blog post of its own.  her question was this...

"How have you managed to so completely "own" your style, both within the cottage and vis-a-vis your wardrobe? Has this been a natural evolution or were you just thusly inclined?"

well first off i'm very flattered that anyone would ask this question of me.     i just don't see myself as that stylish.  i see myself as more of a basic dresser.  but i've given it some thought and this is what i've come up with.
































i was influenced as a little girl by uniforms.  my mom was a registered nurse back in the day when nurses wore all white, including white stockings and a little white starched hat with a hatpin in it.  i loved that uniform and can remember counting and arranging them in her closet.  oh lord,  counting clothes started early! then i attended catholic school and became fascinated with the nun's habits.  i would study the layers of black and deep chocolate brown fabrics set off by bright white cuffs and collars. oh and those shiny black beads of the rosary at their hips.  and to top that off my middle sister and i would help clean the convent on saturdays.  polishing the shiny wood floors and minimal furnishings really began to shape my eye to an uncluttered look.  we would also get to go into the walled garden and sweep and tidy up that space.  it really was a heavenly experience!  and to top it off i wore a uniform that consisted of a black and white houndstooth skirt, white peter-pan collared blouse, a red sweater, and black and white oxfords.  i've mentioned it here before that most girls rebelled and hated their uniforms.  i remember karen borges burned her uniform and put it in a jar and brought it to school on our last day.  i just didn't get that.






all of this obviously had an effect on me. today, no matter what i'm wearing i can guarantee you that it won't be fussy.  that is probably my number one fashion rule.  and it always has been.  i adore accessories...mostly on other people.  when i was in my early 20's a neighbor woman asked me why i always dressed like a man.  i remember knowing she was being mean but i decided to take it as a compliment.  gosh, i'm going on too long here.  but i think you get the point, i believe my personal style comes from the experiences that have shaped me. and i think that is how a person finds and owns theirs.


i am planning on doing a series on this very question.  i have a couple of great examples already lined up and you are going to love them!


enjoy your day and be kind.

xo
janet

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55

peach crisp and other recommendations on the 4th of july





happy 4th to you!

before you fire up the grill and make hot dogs for your kids today,
don't because they are gross.  read this here article.


but if you need an easy dessert, try this one.  

fresh peaches are practically falling off the trees around here so i've been making this...

just mix together

2 lbs of fresh cut up peaches (or any fruit)
2 T sugar
place in 8" pie tin

in a separate bowl combine with your hands or pastry cutter

1/2 c oats
1/4 c flour
1/4 c brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/8 c earth balance

spread over top of peaches
bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until brown


have a sunny day and sparkly night

xo
janet
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51

random things




while looking around the internet for inspiration, i came across stella mccartney talking about why she doesn't use leather in her clothing line.  click here and see what she has to say.
isn't she beautiful?!




this is me on my way to see
moonrise kingdom, which btw, was fantastic.
this silky tunic top was made by the webster miami for target.
it is on sale right now for $15.
it reminds me of the wallpaper at the beverly hills hotel.
so if you like wearing wallpaper, then go get one.







and i could not agree more with this...

“I wish I cold tell you it gets better, but it doesn’t get better. You get better.” — Joan Rivers


see you soon.

xo
janet
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30
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