DesignThrift

Resolutions and To Do Lists

2012-01-22T15:25:00.001-05:00

I know January is coming to an end and I've made one post the whole month. My reasoning for this is simple...I've been trying to accomplish a few of my New Year's Resolutions while also trying to ignore the life-threatening surgery my dad will be having in a few short days. Some people like to make one big goal to accomplish as their resolution, me on the other hand...I like to make a To Do List of sorts of a lot of little things that are very attainable and for some reason, hard for me to acomplish due to some kind of adult ADD and lack of focus. I find that making lists greatly helps me stay focused and keep my head straight, also having music playing in the background really helps me stay focused on whatever task i'm trying to complete. Another trick i've picked up over the years is to set my kitchen timer for 20 minutes and to run around the house doing things without stopping until the timer goes off. Then reset and repeat and you'll be amazed at how much can actually get done in 20 minutes when you stay in the zone during these little 20 minute intervals.

Items with red checkmarks have been accomplished. I am currently tackling the "re-organize studio/office" section of my list and it's been 3 days into it and i'm close to finishing. I will post a studio tour once it's complete. So here is my 2012 To Do List in all of it's mundane glory.

I'd love to know what you guys do for your new year's resolutions along with how you keep track of your to do lists. Any tips or tricks to staying focused and completing tasks?

A peek into my world - On turning 30

2012-01-09T03:34:00.000-05:00

That is probably the first bathroom mirror shot I have taken since I was in my early 20's. Ironically I took that picture on my 30th birthday as I was getting ready to go out to a bar to celebrate mine and my mister's 30th birthday. (we are less than 2 days apart.) Why did I take that ridiculous photo you might ask? Well it seems that just the act of turning 30 has caused me all sorts of insecurities that I never had before. Who knew that a number could hold so much power. I must have spent a good 2 hours getting ready that night, I meticulously did my makeup, did the black cateye with the liquid eyeliner, painted my nails some kind of reverse french manicure, and purposely gave my limp, flat, hair those waves that most girls have naturally. The whole time I was getting ready I kept asking myself if I was too old to be wearing what I was planning to wear that night, and if I had too many frown lines and eye wrinkles to wear my makeup that way. Never mind the constant checking of my body in the full length mirror in my bedroom to see if my ass looked 30 years old. So I took this photo to kind of see what the camera would tell me about myself. To see myself through someone else's eyes, and do you know what this picture told me? It told me that age is just a number and you are only as old as you feel. Well folks, I still feel about 25 so i'm not gonna let this new decade in my life get me down. I'm still going to wear what I want and not what society tells me I should be wearing simply because I am a mama in my 30's.

Dear Santa: I Want the Chocolate + Vanilla Blythe dolls

2011-12-10T06:03:00.000-05:00

I'm going to start this post off by stating that this is a "here's what not to do" list for any Mama out there who can't afford to buy her kid Blythe dolls. These are the step by step mistakes that I made this past year, which led to me having to part with $180 for my not quite 4 year old's christmas present. It's kinda like the book If You Give A Mouse A Cookie in the sense that what seems innocent at first turns into a snowball effect.

Mistake #1: If you buy your kid any of the Littlest Pet Shop Blythe dolls she's going to fall in love with them and ask you questions about them.

Mistake #2: This will lead to you stupidly going to Ebay and showing your child pictures of the original 1972 Kenner Blythe dolls, which of course she falls in love with. After you explain to her that these vintage Blythe dolls go for $1500 - $3000 and they are not for 3 year olds to play with, she will start to cry "because she really, really likes them."

Mistake #3: Of course you feel bad, so you decide to go on Flickr to show her pretty pictures of all of the Neo Blythe dolls by Takara Tomy in Japan and you tell her that these ones cost less money but are still expensive. You sit together at bedtime looking at all the pretty pictures of the Blythe dolls instead of reading a storybook, and with each picture that you look at together, she gets more excited about them and more obsessed. You start to realize that you've opened up a can of worms, but it's too late. You decide to go to Ebay once more to see what's the lowest price a Neo Blythe doll goes for.

Mistake #4: Lo and behold, you can "buy it now" a set of 2 Blythe dolls called Simply Vanilla + Simply Chocolate for the price of one. They cost $150 plus $30 for shipping and you get kinda excited and forget who you're talking to and go "look Mia, these two come together." and then it's all over for you, at that point you've already put your own foot in your mouth and there is nothing left to do except listen to your daughter talk about "the chocolate and vanilla Blythe dolls" for the next 6 months. And she is a smart little one, she knows that if all she ever asks for is those dolls when anybody asks her what she wants for christmas that she is bound to get them. She even words it right so that you feel obligated to get them because you don't want to break her little heart. She says "all I want for christmas is the chocolate and vanilla blythe dolls, I'm not going to ask santa for anything else because those are what I really want the most." She even asked me to write a letter to Santa for her and on the letter she drew a picture of the dolls. Here is what she asked me to write:
"Dear Santa,
Please bring me the chocolate + vanilla Blythe dolls for christmas and please make sure you go to the right house. I've been trying to be a good girl so you will bring them. Make sure you drink the milk and cookies.
love, Mia"

Mistake #5: The dolls arrived today. Both my parents, the mister and I all chipped in to pay for them together. I don't know if it's a mistake or not but I couldn't bare the thought of my little girl being dissapointed that santa ignored her letter and got her something else instead. So, that will be all she's getting for christmas in the toy department. I did also get her 2 sweater dresses, 2 pairs of knit tights from H+M, and a cozy pair of slippers but that's it...i'm done.
What would you have done if you put yourself in the same situation? do you think i'm crazy? i'd like to know and won't be offended, I have a sense of humor I swear.

Found it for less - Jeffrey Campbell Litas

2011-11-30T02:33:00.002-05:00

Well it's that time again, time for me to help you save your hard earned money by purchasing a look-a-like version of those Litas everyone on the internet seems to have on their feet. While I know some people are all "Oh my gaawwwd! Jeffrey Campbell is the best!" I'm sure there are others like me, who like some ( I mean it when I say some, holy crap some of his shoes are just so ridiculous i'm sorry, they are, just admit it.)of his designs, but don't require his name to be on the shoe, for it to be enjoyed.

So for the "OMG Jeffrey!" fashionistas we have the original Jeffrey campbell Lita boots on the left for $159
and for the thrifty chicas we have HotTopics look-a-like version for $44.50 on the right.

With just a slightly different heel and less platform in the front, the cheap version actually appeals to my aesthetics a bit more. I feel they are less "clown shoe" and more sophisticated but to each her own. Which ones would you pick?

Mimi - Style: army green and florals

2011-11-25T18:31:00.000-05:00

Mia will take any opportunity to wear a dress, doesn't matter the weather outside, thankfully that's where I step in. If it were up to her she'd step out in the snow with a summer dress and sandals. I let her indulge in her dress wearing habit on this particularly warm fall day though. Lately we've been having battles over her letting me brush her hair and untangle it, on this day she obviously won. Poor girl has her mom's thin scraggly hair texture that gets easily knotted. She is 3 1/2 and has never had her hair cut, but I think it's time to go get a trim and some bangs.

Outfit Details:
H+M shift dress thrifted from Goodwill for $1.50 (similar style here for $6)
Baby Gap cropped military jacket thrifted from V.O.A for $2.99 (similar style here for $25)
SmartFit gold ballet flats thrifted from Salvation Army for $1.50 (similar style here for $27)
Total outfit cost: $6!

Jonelle Maira gets a site re-design

2011-11-14T16:19:00.006-05:00

It was less than 6 months ago that I launched Jonelle Maira Jewelry and almost immdediately after I did that I felt the need to re-do the website. I'm much happier with the current state of affairs as far as the website is concerned now. The new site has social networking buttons and a mailing list built in which does wonders. So, if you visit the site, please be sure to use the facebook like button and tweet buttons on the front page and join the mailing list to be notified of promotions and new collections.

I'm also loving the slideshow on the lookbook page. I've only got the first collection lookbook up now and i'm in the process of working on the second one. Here is a peek at some of the lookbook pictures.

What do you think of the new site? which piece of jewelry is your favorite from the complex geometry collection?

Outfit of the day - The Cape

2011-11-10T23:04:00.002-05:00

{ Mod dress Forever21, Socks from ASOS, shoes from Forever21, Necklace by Betsey Johnson, long gold ring Forever21, Diamond Bracelet c/o Anjolee, Feather hoop earrings (worn as bangles) by Betsey Johnson, cape is vintage}

Just a quick peek at one of my latest thrift store finds, ye old lady cape. I really liked the colors of it and the scalloped edging. But the cons are the collar kept popping up even though I did not intend it to be that way. Capes are ever popular at the moment, if you don't believe me just look at Keiko's blog, she's the queen of capes. I'd like to think that I could keep this piece for myself but the weather is already getting cold enough here that this cape won't suffice, so look for it for sale on Sunshine+Fringe this coming week.

In other news, I finally got sick of trying to grow out the red hair dye in my hair and just covered it all up with what I think is my natural color. Next step is getting some kind of haircut, but don't hold your breath as i'm not really that high maintenance and I probably won't get around to it for another month or two.

Mimi - Style : sun + strawberries

2011-11-10T19:21:00.000-05:00

This is the only Mimi-Style post we made all summer so I just had to post it even though it's now late fall. The point of these Mimi-Style posts is that they are meant to inspire moms when it comes to dressing their kid stylishly on a tight budget. Mia is 3 1/2 now and I can't tell you how many boxes of clothes and pairs of shoes we've already gone through since she's been born. They grow so fast and sometimes only get to wear certain things once or twice before they outgrow them, because of this I can't justify spending more than five dollars on any one item (with the exception of shoes and coats because they get worn daily.) In this particular outfit her shoes were a splurge at $10, but they were her one and only pair of sandals all summer so we got our monies worth out of them.

(Tip: when thrifting sundresses, if the straps are too long for your child, simply cut the center of each strap and re-tie the ends together into a little knot like i did to Mia's dress above.)

Outfit Details

dress, thrifted from the goodwill for $1.50

sun hat - from H+M clearance rack $1.99

sandals - by Seven got them at marshalls for $9.99

Total outfit cost = $13.50

Photo Diary - Overdue Summer

2011-11-04T13:26:00.003-04:00

These are all photos from the first half of the summer that I had meant to post before Summer ended, but I did not get to it, because of my blogging hiatus. So i'm posting them very late, but i think better late than never at all.

photo 1: Me and Mia standing on top of a cliff overlooking Lake Ontario at sunset.

photo 2: sunset on Lake Ontario

photo 3: me and Lake Ontario (see a pattern? yeah we spend a lot of time at the lake.)

photo 4: my mister carved our old tags into a picnic table

photo 5: Ontario Beach Park at sunset AKA charlotte beach

photo 6, 7 + 8: me and my brother standing on a pier at sunset (if my brother looks a bit "eccentric" that's not even the half of it but i can't get into that on here.)

photo 9: my mister had my picture tattooed on his chest, of course the artist decided to take a few liberties with my boobies, although in his defense the picture he used was one from just after i had Mia and i was breastfeeding so maybe they wern't that far off.)

photo 10: the mister and Mia riding a carousel

photo 11: Mia being a ham

photo 12: asleep after a clown painted her face

A serious note on my blog absence

2011-10-31T00:56:00.000-04:00

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't been keeping up with the blog posting much these last couple of months. I try not to get too personal on this blog, but every now and then something personal comes up that I feel i'd like to talk about. Maybe I am doing this because i just need to get it out there and off my chest more than anything else.

My dad who Mia calls "Papa Jon" is 55 years old and just retired from his job last March. He worked at that job since he was 18 years old. He was a hardworking blue-collar father, the only time i can remember him calling in sick was when we had a bad ice storm here in Rochester when I was in 3rd grade and he literally could not drive to work because trees and powerlines were laying all over the roads. He was always up at 5am and off to work by 6:30am, and he'd come home in his dirty workboots and workclothes and it always amazed me how he could keep trucking on, everyday rain or shine, 90 degree heat or below 0 windchill, whatever the weather, he was outside working in it even in his 50's. His perseverence always showed me how strong he is and how much he must have cared about his family in order to stay at the same job almost his entire life, despite how much he hated it. He put food on the table and we had a small cape cod roof over our head. The bills would get paid, and he always drove a jalopy of a car to save money. Our idea of a vacation was to go tent camping for 2 weeks in the 1000 islands. We never went on planes or visited other states, or went out to fancy restaurants, I wore mostly hand-me-downs. My dad always made sure that me and my brother were taken care of, but never spoiled us. He was a good father.

All his life he was looking forward to his retirement, when he could finally rest and enjoy his little house and beautifully groomed backyard and hang out at the lake and fish. So when he finally retired 8 months ago, I was so happy for him, I felt relief to know that he would not be outside working in our harsh winters anymore. But then came the first problem, at first the retirement checks that he was counting on, weren't coming. Unfortunately my dad hadn't saved any money on his own for his retirement, he was depending on his retirement checks from the job he'd worked at all his life, to live off of. He still has a mortgage on his house to pay every month and yet his money was being delayed. Finally after a month or two he started getting checks but they were only a 3rd of what they should be. His money was being held by the retirement system. Apparently what they don't tell you is that when you retire you are going to have to wait a good 8 or 9 months before you start getting your full retirement checks and you should be prepared to fend for yourself in the meantime. Well, my dad wasn't prepared for that, so for the last 8 months he's been living off of a 3rd of his retirement income. So it's been a struggle financially. He had to cancel his life insurance because he couldn't afford it.

Then comes the truly tragic part. Sometime after he retired he started noticing that it was hard to swallow certain foods, especially chicken. He didnt really think anything of it until about 6 months later, which would be mid-August. He went to the doctor for something else and mentioned to the doctor, the difficulty swallowing. After some tests, the doctor concluded that my dad has Esophageal cancer. The day that I got the phonecall from my dad, my little world kind of crashed down around me as he told me "i have the bad thing." and I said "what bad thing." and he said "cancer." Then he got more specific and told me what kind of cancer and I immediately assumed it was from smoking cigarettes and wanted to blame him for smoking (because i'm always telling him not to smoke)...but it wasn't. Apparently there is a thing called Barrett's Esophagus which is like acid reflux and he has had that for a long time and not known it. Over time, the acid from his stomach has been eating away at the lower portion of his esophagus and caused the cells to mutate and become cancerous.

So for the first few weeks we had no idea what stage the cancer was in or if it had metastasized (spread to other areas) or not. He had to wait for a couple more tests to be done in order to know the specifics. During this time, I cried a lot and just generally didn't feel like blogging, I love my dad and him and Mia are extremely close...I think she loves her Papa more than she loves me. She spends a lot of time with him and i've never really seen a more loving grandpa. It was killing me to not know how much time we'd have left with him. For all I knew it could be a few months or a few years or maybe 10 or 15.... all I had heard about Esophageal cancer is that it's one of the more rare types and that it's very hard to beat and the surgery for it is very serious and could result in death. So, I neglected blogging and much of my regular daily activities to spend more time with my father and take long drives and nature walks and do all of the things that he enjoys doing these past 2 months. We did eventually find out what stage it's in at the beginning of October. It was very good news, somewhere between stage zero and stage 1 and it hadn't metastasized yet. So I think we all took a big temporary sigh of relief to know that his chances were much better than everyone had initially thought. So he was given a course of action. Chemotherapy once every 3 weeks for 3 times, and to take chemo pills daily during those 9 weeks. Then he will have surgery which is the scariest part that we haven't gotten to quite yet. Tomorrow is Halloween and also his second round of chemotherapy. During all of this he has stayed really strong and hasn't stopped doing the things he loves doing and I've realized that to put everything in my life on hold like i had been doing wasn't the best course of action. Life must go on and I promise that I will be blogging a lot more from now on.

As far as the surgery goes, it's going to be a really big deal. It's going to be 6-8 hours long. They will be opening up his chest to remove the lower half of his esophagus and take his stomach and bring it upward and use one end of it to form a new esophagus. It's a very serious surgery and the recovery is long. He will have to eat through a feeding tube for a while, once he can eat again, his meals will have to be like baby sized portions because the stomach will be more like a tube and very small. He will lose a lot of weight and he will never be able to sleep laying down again. He will always have to sleep elevated like in a hospital bed. I know that my father is scared of the surgery and so am I. So we have a big hurdle ahead of us, financially, mentally and physically. And it does feel good to talk about this, because i've been keeping it kind of bottled up since I found out about the whole thing. So if anyone has any words of wisdom or has gone through or knows somebody who's gone through esophageal cancer i'd appreciate the comments. If you have any success stories i'd love to pass them along to my dad as well...he needs the positive outlook that they bring.

Thank you for listening, or reading rather and I promise i'll blog more from now on.

The Dainty Arm Party

2011-10-11T20:28:00.000-04:00

While the "Arm Party" has been running rampant all summer long, now that it's Fall, perhaps it's time to class it up a bit with a few more delicate pieces layered into the mix. Go for a mix of high and low to balance out the look. Try a tennis bracelet or 2 mixed in with a few delicate close to the wrist cuff bracelets or bangles in silver or gold tones. It's perfectly fine to mix silver and gold as long as you use pieces that compliment each other. Anjolee, a jewelry store that specializes in diamond bracelets for women sent me this Diamond box link bracelet to try out and i'm loving that little delicate and dainty air that it lends to an otherwise edgy outfit.

Sunshine and Fringe

2011-10-03T19:28:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in this post one of my side projects is a vintage shop on etsy called Sunshine & Fringe. I obviously have a love for thrifting and naturally sometimes I will find amazing vintage pieces that I myself don't always need, but just cannot bare to leave behind because of their greatness. So Sunshine & Fringe was born. I Just added a bunch of items to the shop (some of them pictured above) and I will be continuing to add more items little by little every week. So "heart" or favorite Sunshine&Fringe on Etsy or just add it to your bookmarks and keep checking in to the shop to see more highly coveted vintage pieces each week.

Outfit of the day - Leopard Spots

2011-09-30T01:26:00.003-04:00

{ vintage slip (worn as top), dress (worn as skirt) from H+M, shoes from Forever21, Belt Forever21, long gold ring Forever21, large druzy ring Claire's }

A recent outfit on one of the hotter days as of late. I opted to forgo a top and wear a vintage 40's slip instead. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but after viewing these pics, I don't think i'll do it again. On another note, my hair is in dire need of some kind of style. Any suggestions?

50% Off Sale

2011-09-02T22:17:00.000-04:00

I am having a sale over at Poison Apple. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is 50% off with discount code "STUDIO". But hurry, it's only on until the end of tomorrow. The main purpose of this sale is to try and clear out a lot of pieces that i've had up for sale for a long time and also to raise money toward a down payment on a studio space to work out of. I've already found a great space and i'd love to be able to move into it so that I can run all of my projects, (including this blog) out of one place and get everything out of my home. I've got so many different shops and projects going on that i'm starting to lose my mind a little bit because they all have different e-mails, different blogs, facebook pages,tumblr's...etc. Let's list them shall we?

http://jonellemaira.com/ - my eco-friendly jewelry line.
http://poisonapplenyc.com/ - my one of a kind, higher price point jewelry line.
http://sunshineandfringe.etsy.com/ - my vintage shop on etsy (which desperately needs to be updated and i have all of these great vintage pieces to add but they need to be photographed)
http://designthrift.blogspot.com/ - this blog
and another side project that is in the wee stages right now. So i won't give that away just yet.

So as you can plainly see, I really NEED a studio space.

Five Summer Outfits Under $300

2011-08-01T00:12:00.005-04:00

I had fun putting together these five budget friendly summer looks on polyvore. All 5 of these outfits is easy to wear and also relatively easy on your wallet. The first two looks are under $200, the 3rd and 4th looks are under $250 and the 5th look is under $300. I realize that these prices might still be out of some readers price ranges but it does give you an idea on how to create a look around the main pieces of the outfit. For instance you can buy the dress and then re-create the rest of the look using items you already have in your closet. You can click the picture or the links to be taken to the items on polyvore and find out more about them. I hope you enjoy and i'd love to hear which outfit is your fave in the bunch, let me know in the comments below. My personal favorite is outfit #3.

summer picnic outfit (under $200)

Ichi, €18
G by Guess wedge heels, $70
H m jewelry, £3.99
Gathering Eye drop necklace, $25
Beanie hat, $17
SR SQUARED by Sondra Roberts AC21633 Mini Cross-Body, $40

summer outfit under $200

White day dress, $25
Armani Exchange bow shoes, $39
Street Level shoulder hand bag, $49
Forever21 beading jewelry, $6.80
Low Luv x Erin Wasson Aztec Ring, $38
Goorin brown straw fedora, £28

summer outfit under $250

Lace shirt from Delias, $20
Twenty 8 Twelve high waisted jeans, £59
Michael Antonio wedge heels, $30
The Cassette Society tote handbag, $50
Forever21 antique ring, $5.80
Chain necklace, $17
Sun hat, £13

summer outfit under $250

Long maxi dress, $45
High heels, $89
Minnetonka cross body handbag, $50
House of Harlow 1960 antique ring, $31
Floppy straw hat, $17

summer outfit under $300

Cut out shirt, $46
Dorothy Perkins high waisted short shorts, £13
Seychelles shoes, $60
Nine West straw handbag, $24
House of Harlow 1960 coral gold ring, $45
Sequin long earrings, $40
John Lewis Women straw sun hat, £23

Spotlight On - Moonshine Hill

2011-07-20T11:34:00.000-04:00

These are some of my favorite vintage finds from my sponsor Moonshine Hill's shop. Everything in the shop is under $50 so it fits in perfectly with this blog and it's thrifty ways. Go take a look.

I'm in Love...with Seychelles Gypsy sandals

2011-07-19T14:01:00.000-04:00

I have been having extreme shoe lust over the Seychelles Gypsy sandals in the red color ever since I first laid eyes on them in the early spring 2010 Urban Outiftters catalog. (pictured below)

i've been a very patient girl, which is incredibly hard for someone with a shoe fetish to my extent. But nevertheless, I finally tracked down the last pair in the red color in my size at DSW and got them on clearance. I strongly suggest ordering a half size up if you purchase them beause they run narrow and short in length and your heel will hang over if you don't. But anyway, they are exactly as pictured in the photos and I love them so much i'm strongly considering buying them in the nude or gold color as well. I can't wait to show them in an outfit post!

Mimi - Style: Patriotic Native

2011-07-18T16:26:00.004-04:00

I decided to add a new category to the blog. So i'm introducing you to "Mimi Style" where my lovely little Mia will be showing off her outfits. It occured to me that most of my best deals and favorite vintage finds and thrifted scores are things that I've purchased for Mia, so why not show them off in the same manner a grown-up outfit post is done. Plus being a momma is a huge part of my life and I'm proud of her and like showing her off, lol.

We took these pictures on a grassy cliff overlooking Lake Ontario, it's a spot that people go to watch the sunset and sit at picnic tables and barbeque. Mia made friends with these 2 little girls that had just gotten off of a boat with their family.

Outfit Details
dress, thrifted from the goodwill for $1.50!
Sunnies, mia found them on the ground long ago
moccasins, by Minnetonka
tiny little silver happyface ring, vintage

The Find - Thrifted Artwork

2011-07-18T00:04:00.002-04:00

Recently I had a garage sale and as I was donating leftovers to the ABVI Goodwill, I of course had to go in and see if I could find any treasures inside. The very first thing that caught my eye was this very large framed serigraph. At the time, it was hiding behind a stack of uninteresting frames and as I flipped each one forward to see what was in the next frame I stopped when I got to this one. The bold, graphic 60's style and colors caught my eye and as I looked closer I noticed that it was signed and numbered and appeared to be in it's original frame with the sticker from the gallery it came from still stuck to the back.
I decided that it was worth the $11.99 price tag and took it home with me. As I googled away trying to find out more about this print, it took me awhile to figure it out, but the artist is Warren Woodward who was big on making these serigraphs in the 50's and 60's in Los Angeles where he once had his own gallery called WW GALLERY. As far as I can tell the going rate on ebay and elsewhere for his serigraphs are between $200 - $500 dollars so I'd say it was a pretty good find. I may sell it if I can't find a good spot for it in my home, I haven't quite figured it out yet.

Found it for less - Mara Hoffman print

2011-07-11T17:05:00.001-04:00

Okay this post has me a bit torn, because on one hand we have:

A. the fact that the retail giant, Forever21 blatantly rips off designers work and sells it for a much lower, more affordable cost to me, the consumer.

And

B. the fact that I and many people are "Thrifty" and probably loved the original dress by Mara Hoffman which sold for $195 (which is now pretty much sold out everywhere.) but could not afford it and when presented with this $14.80 Striped Geo Burnout Tank by Forever21 with an identical print with an only slightly different colorway and fading, (rather than the original dress which had very vibrant colors) we will probably buy it because as much as we love Mara Hoffman and think it sucks that a company can so easily rip off her work, we still can't afford her dress and this is the next best thing.

Now my only question is this: Forever21, why didn't you just go all the way and make it into a maxi dress?

And to my lovely readers: What are your thoughts on the topic?

Recent Acquisitions - Natural Elements

2011-06-18T15:52:00.000-04:00

These are some of my latest acquisitions. Everything in the picture was acquired for a grand total of less than $50.

My secret to being a thrifty shopper is:

A) to keep in mind the pieces that i've been lusting after, in this case a druzy ring, and one of erin wasson's rings from her latest collection, a pendleton blanket and a great pair of vintage sunnies.

B) the second step, is to refrain from buying the pieces I want until I find something similar for less money.

In this case, the blanket was an ebay score for $5, No it's not a pendleton blanket but it serves the same purpose and has the same basic design. The Brown druzy ring is from claire's for $9 and it looks identical to some of the handcrafted ones i've been wanting that start in the $50 price range. The long brass ring with native pattern was $5 at Forever21 and is very similar to some of the Erin Wasson rings i've been wanting that also sell for $50+. The sunnies on the left are 70's vintage that I found in my mom's kitchen, score of the century. The ones on the right were $4.50 at Forever21 and look similar to some more expensive ones i've seen around. The earrings and sandals are also from Forever21.

(Please excuse the chipped nail polish. Eww I know, i was in a rush and forgot to take it off.)

Behind the Scenes - website update + a lil dream

2011-06-14T13:09:00.000-04:00

I've been working diligently over the past week to update all aspects of the website including the homepage. Hopefully the whole Summer 2011 capsule collection will be up by tonight if I continue to work through the rest of today. My "collection", "stockists", and "press" pages need work but unfortunately i'm probably going to have to hire a web guy to do that because I want them to be perfect and I don't have the coding expertise to get them the way I want them. What do you think of the homepage design? Constructive criticism is appreciated and I do not offend easily so please be honest.

(Photos by Shae Acopian Detar)

Also, i'm looking to work with a photographer for my lookbook photos. I would love to work with Shae Acopian Detar because her style is pretty much the sum of all the things that have been inspiring my jewelry lately. The 70's southwest, folksy vibe of a lot of her shoots is exactly what i'm picturing for my lookbook shots and I know she would do an amazing job. If you haven't already seen her work, you have to check it out because she's truly an inspiration. Anyway, if i could fulfill one dream for this new website I would start by working with her.

Outfit of the day - Laidback Plaid

2011-06-07T17:25:00.000-04:00

This weekend was all about laidback clothes and lounging around the yard, eating freeze pops, getting sprayed by mia AKA "water girl" with the hose, watching her play in her kiddie pool which is really just a turtle shaped sandbox that we filled with water, eating lots of brown rice with stir fry, late candle lit nights, filled with the gentle sound of windchimes coming from my dreamcatcher/windchime hybrid that i got at the drugstore for dirtcheap, on the front screened in porch reading chuck palohniak's Snuff on the kindle which is really not a kindle, but a thing called "Nextbook", which was my mother's day present from the Mister, eating a delicious but horrible for my cholesterol bacon cheese dog and cajun fries from Five Guys Burgers and Fries before laughing my ass off at Hangover 2, and then spending all day saturday at a cabin in the boonies for a 50th wedding anniversary for my aunt and uncle where I unfortunately ate 3, no maybe 4 cannoli's. Summer is right around the corner and i'm loving these long days and looking forward to some camping trips and picnics.

Outfit Details

pearl snap plaid shirt, thrifted from goodwill, last seen here.
shorts, from Alloy,
Grey wedge booties, by We Who See
Fringe bag, from H+M
braided belt, vintage
necklace, vintage,
bangles, vintage
rings, vintage
earrings, from H+M

Outfit of the day - Leopard + Lace

2011-05-30T17:21:00.000-04:00

Here is an outfit from last weekend that I wanted to post earlier but I've been caught up with other things like getting ready for a garage sale and working on the Jonelle Maira website update. This was the first time I got to wear this lace dress, that I actually thrifted last fall for $5 at the Goodwill. It's the perfect comfy little shift dress and it doesn't need much else to dress it up because of the lace detail. I decided to pair it with these jeffrey campbell knockoff leopard wedges from Forever21 and my favorite long necklace by Betsey Johnson. My little Mia went for a 90's grunge look with her flowered dress, granny sweater and black boots. What's funny is that at age 3 she actually put this look together on her own with no help and managed to channel my junior high years perfectly. The addition of the goofy bug eyed sunnies and sippy cup was her inner 3 year old coming out, but if you ask her she'll swear she's 16.

Outfit Details
On Me:
lace dress, thrifted from goodwill,
leopard wedge booties, from Forever 21,
necklace, by Betsey Johnson,
gold ring is vintage

On Mia:
dress, from H+M,
sweater, thrifted from goodwill
boots, from Old Navy

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-29T22:25:00.002-04:00

Happy Memorial Day everyone! Hopefully the weather wherever you are is better than the weather here. We are getting calls for thunderstorms and rain all day. Above is a peek at the yummy and patriotic looking strawberry shortcake I made over the weekend.

Sneak Peek - Old Souls Necklace

2011-05-29T16:40:00.000-04:00

Here is just a sneak peek at one of the new designs that will be part of my Summer 2011 capsule collection. The collection will be up on the website by next friday june 3rd at midnight.

Outfit of the day - Sunshine + Hats

2011-05-27T00:39:00.000-04:00

(Outfit Details: hat vintage, striped t-shirt F21, skirt Alloy, Harness necklace Jonelle Maira, black wedge shoes by Volatile)

Forgive me for looking so gross in these pictures, it was one of those no makeup, bad hairday, just generally feeling icky and humid types of days. We lazed about in our yard, while Mia chalked on the driveway with her daddy and I tried to teach her hopscotch.

I am wearing a new breastplate/harness hybrid necklace that I just finished designing for my summer 2011 capsule collection. This is the first sample of it, I hope to get the collection up on my website by the end of next week. If you want to keep up with all the latest news on my jewelry line, then follow me on tumblr to get sneak peeks at any behind the scenes info and photos.

I found that old sun hat in my attic, in a trunk with some of my grandmother's stuff and i'm at the age (29) where i'm paying attention to crows feet and frown lines to the point of obsession lately. I have a tendency to get easily sunburnt on my face despite my mostly Mediterranean and Native American heritage so i'm avoiding sun for the rest of my life I guess.

All the beautiful orange poppies are blooming in the garden, if you want to get into gardening but don't have a greenthumb and are afraid of the upkeep then I suggest poppies and tiger lilly's. They come back up every year in more and more abundance with low maintenance.

Mia wasn't sure which one to set down, the sidewalk chalk or the sweet smelling lilly of the valley flower in her hand.

A rest after her and the mister chalked up the entire driveway with a list of everyone Mia loves.

Creative Shoe Organization

2011-05-25T15:31:00.000-04:00

As I was trying to come up with a plan for organizing my growing shoe collection that both keeps my shoes neat and organized and also puts them on display, I came across these envious shoe display images. Because, let's face it, I am a woman with a shoe ~~fetish~~ obsession and to be in a room surrounded by my own carefully selected collection of wedges, peep toes and heels would be very aesthetically pleasing to me. (As long as it's done stylishly.) Above we have the typical run of the mill shoe rack tucked into the bottom of a closet which is what most people opt for, while below we have a few shining examples of shoe organization perfection.

Enjoy the little things

2011-05-25T00:20:00.000-04:00

I found this quote/photo online and I found it to be so inspiring that i printed these 3 photos out and matted them into a vertical frame that has 3 photo slots. These were two of the "little moments" in my life that I felt like the quote was talking about. The mister and mia sharing a "fishy face beso" over a bowl of cereal and the bottom picture is of me and Mia playing dress-up in her room when she was 2.

Designer - Frocks + Feathers

2011-05-17T15:41:00.001-04:00

My latest discovery of indie designer goodness is Frocks + Feathers out of the United Kingdom. They create hand printed clothing described as "perfect for this summers festivals." Reminds me a bit of thief + bandit but with a concentration on feathers. They just opened up shop on etsy and are so fresh that they only have 4 sales. So drop by their shop and show some love.

New Project

2011-03-12T11:41:00.002-05:00

Introducing the beginning of my new project, my namesake jewelry collection. I am still working on the website but for now you can shop some of the new pieces at Etsy until I work out all the kinks on the new website and get everything up for sale over there. So now I have the joy of running two completely different jewelry lines, Jonelle Maira signature line and PoisonApple by Jonelle Maira on one website neatly packaged under one roof.

Jewelry inspirations

2011-03-07T16:14:00.003-05:00

These are just a few of the very many jewelry styles that are currently influencing my new collection that i've been working on.

Recent Acquisitions- of the EBAY variety

2011-02-19T15:55:00.000-05:00

My latest acquisition due to impulsively bidding on items that have low prices on Ebay. Scored it for $4.50 and it's a size small so may not fit me in the chest area, in which case I will re-sell it in my vintage shop on etsy. I just loved the floral pattern and the color combo and figured that my $5 bid would have gotten beaten out but I was wrong.

Lust List - Black Fringe Dresses

2011-02-19T15:37:00.002-05:00

I couldn't help but swoon over these two dresses from American Gold while perusing the latest arrivals at Pixie Market. While the first one appeals to me for it's unique cutout shape and flattering fringe sleeves, making it the perfect dress for a warm summer night out. The second one, reminiscent of something my old bohemian jewelry designer boss jude would have worn, ( she had a strong penchant for burn out velvet and long fringed bedjackets) it's been updated in a younger silhouette with the un-even shorter in the front hem and I love how versatile this piece is due to the fact that you can choose how much skin to reveal basd on what you pair underneath it.

(First dress found here, 2nd dress found here.)

LIVING ROOM INSPIRATIONS

2010-12-02T19:19:00.000-05:00

As far as living rooms go, mine is in dire need of a makeover. For 3 years now I've been pining over just the right end tables, area rug, sectional couch, arc lamp, bookcase, wall art and curtains. I've even got the paint color picked out so what's been holding me back? The simple answer is my budget. I'm planning on having a grand ole garage sale in the spring where i'll be selling off about half of this households possesions (most of which have been sitting in the attic, garage, and basement for years)and hopefully will finally be able to afford to makeover the living room. So for now, here is a peek at a few of my favorite living room inspiration photos i've been hoarding on my computer.

(source: unfortunately I cant remember the source on any of these because they've been on my computer for so long. If you know the source please let me know and I will gladly add the credit.)

Lust List - Pixie Market Gems

2010-11-21T15:38:00.001-05:00

My pockets are not very deep and thus I usually end up lusting over items for months rather than purchasing them. Above are some of my most covetable picks from Pixie Market , especially that Navajo print skirt and knit shawl. *Swoon* In a perfect world I would have all of these pieces hanging neatly displayed on a garment rack in my bedroom, but having pictures of them on my blog will have to suffice for now.

(Source: Lace print maxi dress, Navajo skirt, Slash back vest, Navy sheer blouse, Suede leather poncho, Burgundy Leather skirt, Crochet Prairie Dress, Cable knit cape scarf.)

fall photo diary

2010-11-20T01:46:00.001-05:00

(My daughter Mia timidly entering a corn husk teepee at Bauhmans Farm market in Rochester, NY.)

These photos are late...very,very late. But I feel like better late, than never, so even though Halloween is over, here's a taste of some of the fall adventures me and my little family went on this October.

photo 2: Mia eating a frycake and sitting on natures best stool.

Photo 3: mia's feet and my feet at a pumpkin patch

photo 4: Mia and her trusty sidekick mow-mow entering a hay maze.

photo 5: mia and some indian corn

photos 6, 7, and 8: mia running through the hay maze

photo 9: mia riding a train

photo 10: a really cute sheep at the petting zoo of a local farm market

photo 11: an indoor beehive behind glass

photo 12: the sweetest pygmie goat that i wanted to take home with me

photo 13: Me and my daughter Mia (notice i'm wearing the pearl snap plaid that I thrifted in this post.)

Outfit of the day - Menswear/Dandy inspired

2010-10-13T14:50:00.001-04:00

Recently Glamour Magazine asked me to put together a look inspired by menswear and dandy style to possibly include in an upcoming article. I find it hard to wear in the ways shown on the runway because i'm not much of a blazer paired with trousers and oxfords kind of girl! I had enough of the suit wearing life during my early days working at ZARA in our head to toe, black suit uniform. So this is my girly interpretation of dandy/menswear style.

I decided to layer a sweater tank over a long cowl neck tunic, add in the polka dot scarf and tie it in a bow for that dandy bowtie look on a much bigger, softer scale. I added the fedora of course to give it that menswear edge and kept it subtle from the waist down with black leggings and suede boots.

(outfit details: green sweater, black tank sweater, fedora and leggings are Forever21, scarf is vintage, rings and bracelet are vintage, earrings are self-designed, boots are Kimchi Blue.)

A peek into my world

2010-10-12T02:19:00.002-04:00

my favorite corner of my bedroom, a vintage owl perfume bottle from avon and a vintage one from paris.

just a peek into one of the drawers in my jewelry studio.

My red nails and a pile of sparkly baubles on my desk.

My most recent thrifted items. Pearl snap plaid, leopard furry scarf, ruffled sleeve polka dot dress, and feather print brown dress. All 4 pieces for $20 total! Sure to make an appearance in upcoming outfit posts.

A handful of my favorite vintage rings paired with nude nail polish.

a "lucky corner" in my studio featuring the Lucky Protection Bib Necklace.

and some of my finished jewelry designs on display including the Jeweled Heart Bib Necklace.

Found it for less - heart suspender tights

2010-10-06T01:03:00.002-04:00

So i've been on the hunt for these heart suspender tights (pictured above) from topshop (which are sold out) and finally found their look-a-likes (pictured below) for half the going rate including free shipping at ASOS.

(source 1, source 2, source 3, source 4, source 5, source 6 )

one of these things is not like the others - leopard wedge booties

2010-09-29T14:04:00.001-04:00

Let's play a little game shall we, before clicking over to polyvore to see who makes each of these shoes and how much it is, can you actually tell which one of these shoes only costs $25 and which one costs over $1000? This is just a little experiment to see if cheap items actually appear as cheap as they are to the untrained eye before reading labels and prices.

Please post your guess in the comments before clicking the picture to find out the correct response. Let's see how many people can actually tell the difference.
Should be fun right?

This Week's Eye Candy

2010-09-28T14:20:00.000-04:00

Spike ring looks like a good DIY project.

I've been craving a fringed bag.

love the way a hand full of rings looks.

I NEED a floppy hat. like really really need one.

and a fur vest is on my list of must have fall items.

(Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, Source 5 )

Found it for less - lace up granny boots

2010-09-27T14:23:00.000-04:00

Lace up boots are quite the trend right now, ranging from grungy doc- marten-esque styles to more victorian granny styles. Either way, it's hard to find a good pair for less than $100. I compiled a bunch of granny boots from polyvore in the collage above. Prices range from $140 - $650.

Or you could just buy this pair for $15 at 15dollarstore and be done with it. As we all know, trends end just as quickly as they came in and in a few months when this style has died down you can be glad you didn't throw a few hundred dollars down the drain. Cheap as these might be, they really only have to last you through the trend and if they fall apart at the end, so what they were only $15 dollars!

Outfit of the day - modern day grunge

2010-09-26T22:56:00.004-04:00

(outfit details: sweater, t-shirt and hat are Forever21, bootcut jeans are H+M from 8 years ago, necklace Betsey Johnson, Rings vintage, boots Forever21 )

I've been very laid back with my dressing lately, so this is me in all of my make-up-less glory on a day where all I did was run errands and wanted something comfortable to wear. I know some bloggers are very into makeup and they even post tutorials, but I on the other hand am one of those rare birds that really only puts on makeup if I am going somewhere important like on a date with my fiancee or someplace where I know I will be seeing people I know.

because i'm a dumbass

2010-09-25T21:02:00.001-04:00

So, I happen to be the worlds worst procrastinator. And because of this I missed out on my chance to enter the Jeffrey Campbell My Way shoe design contest on Chictopia. Anyway even though I didn't manage to enter my design in time I thought i'd share it here. (please note that i drew this in about 10 minutes and really didn't put a whole lot of thought into it, so i'm sure I could do a whole lot better if i decided to finally take some initiative for once in my life. Professor Rizzo from FIT would be so dissapointed if he saw this sad drawing. lol.)

The Find - Military Surplus Outerwear

2010-09-16T17:56:00.006-04:00

So I've been seeing tons of the olive green, army,military,surplus, outerwear trend lately and I happened to stumble upon this little linen jacket at the goodwill the other day. It fits right in with the whole trend and I scored it for $6! It just needs a quick run with the iron and it will be wrinkle free and ready to go. I'm thinking of pairing it with an off white crochet dress and some tough boots or booties.

Lust List - BB Dakota Blanket Coat

2010-09-13T22:12:00.005-04:00

While flipping through the latest Urban Outfitters catalog today I was relatively unimpressed until I came to this page and saw this amazing coat by BB Dakota. It's so beautiful to me, the pattern and mix of colors and the fur hood. This is now officially my ideal coat for the season. Although it's made of wool and i'm one of those people who can't stand the scratchy feeling of wool. The description of it on the website doesn't say if it's lined with anything and in order for me to wear it, it has to be lined. So if anybody has seen it in person and can tell me, please let me know.

A look back in time - NYC 2001

2010-09-12T15:00:00.002-04:00

I haven't adresses this very much on my blog, but I have had a long time love affair with NYC since I was a teenager. I moved there when I was 18 in august of 2000 to go to college (FIT) and remained living there for years (until sept 2007)out of sheer stubborness and will. Many things happened to me during my years living there, due to me being poor. Many things which I cannot go into detail about, because I intend to publish a book about my NYC mis-adventures. And so getting back to the point, my heart lies in NYC and even though I now live in Rochester, NY I will always desire to move back to the city and dream about the day that I can make it a reality. I visit the city often, yet it's just not good enough for me, I want to live there again. Although this time I don't intend to move back until I feel financially stable enough to live in a good neighborhood in a cockroachless building because now I have a little one to worry about and I do not wish for her to sleep with cockroaches or worry about wether the cereal i'm pouring her has any cockroaches in it. (yes, this is a real concern of mine. People who tell you it's not that bad, are the ones who live in good neighborhoods, in $2000+/month apartments.)Anyway, my experience there wasn't sugarcoated by money and the luxuries it can get you, nor was it the type of experience that left me hardened and mean...it simply made me appreciate the little things in life a lot more like being able to take a hot bath in a tub that's big enough to stretch my legs out in, or having some counterspace in my kitchen to actually cook on.
Once again i've digressed, This being the anniversary of september 11th, a time which I lived through and experienced first hand...I felt it was fitting that I post some photos that I took from that year 2001 and 2002. Unfortunately they are small and the original files are lost forever, these were taken with an old SLR film camera when I first started getting into photography. I happened to stumble onto these when organizing some folders on my computer and figured it was the perfect time to share them.

Photos:

1. man in times square shouting that god was in the phonebooth. August '00 2. Times Square August '00 3. Squirrel in Central Park July '01 4. Woman with snake in Coney Island July '01 5. N train into manhattan from Astoria Queens july '01 6. Trains passing Queensborough Plaza July '01 7. Man napping in Central Park july '01 8. Bum named chris union square 2002 9. Flatiron Building 2001 10. me on a fire escape 2002 11. friend in union square 2002 12. marc jacobs window display august '01 13. cockroach kitchen at the riverside inn 2002 14. bum named freddy in union square 2002 15. me union square 2002 16. friend in front of sin sin 2002 17. lonely parking meter 2001 18. my brother astor place 2002 19. sad downtown 2002 20. sad downtown 2002 21.skateboarding union square 2002 22. spirit union square 2002 23. water bubble riverside inn 2002

Designer - Lauk handbags

2010-08-22T14:29:00.003-04:00

All I can say is Holy Crap, these leather bags by Lauk Accessories are beautiful! I love the 2 color fringe and uniqueness of these bags, while still managing to fit in with whats current in fashion. Ranging in price from $79 - $290 depending on the size, these are well worth the money because each one is handmade and the attention to detail is amazing.

Found it for less - Miu Miu's bird print shoes

2010-08-19T20:08:00.003-04:00

(the real thing via miumiu.com)

If you're anything like me, you may have swooned over all the bird printed crystal embellished shoes that Miu Miu put out in their spring/summer 2010 collection. The shoes particularly became a big hit and were featured in just about every fashion blog at least once, even turning up on bloggers feet in their outfit posts. Well, I accidentally stumbled on these look-a-like shoes while perusing Ebay. They look very much like the real thing and for those who dont want to shell out the $500 - $1000 a pair for the real thing, you can grab one of these cheap versions (pictured below) for $54.99 on ebay from seller FromtheHeel.

I dont know about you, but they look pretty close to me. What do you think, would you wear a pair of these look-a like's proudly or would you worry that somebody will know they are not the real Miu Miu?

new necklace: love my soldier locket

2010-08-04T14:21:00.001-04:00

I just got done adding this new necklace, the "love my soldier" locket to the boutique. The locket opens and closes to keep a picture of your loved one and the flat brass link section can be custom engraved with their name on it.

Outfit of the day - forest dweller

2010-08-02T00:08:00.001-04:00

Today was all about hiking through some rough terrain and woods with my younger brother, finding all kinds of interesting fungus, flowers, and getting bit up by mosquitos. Although maybe I was trying to channel some of my inner Iroquois with my moccasin shoes, they did not turn out to be the best hiking shoe for this event. Some places were muddy and I was afraid to get my shoes dirty the whole time. This outfit was not really well planned out for hiking and next time I will wear some wellies or hiking boots so I can fully enjoy the trails. There is nothing like the lush greenery of upstate New York, especially that beautiful Sumac in the background. Native Americans used to use it to dye things that red color and whenever I see it I cant help but think about all the Iroquois Indians that used to live all over this area.

(Outfit details: headscarf vintage, top H+M, shorts vintage from my mom circa 1975, Moccasins Boutique 9, Turquoise and jade necklaces vintage, rings vintage, bag H+M )

change up

2010-07-31T17:49:00.002-04:00

A peek into part of my studio and a glimpse of my new hairstyle. ( I basically just took scissors to it and halphazardly cut bangs, but it gives my limp flat hair more body so I like it.) I apologize for my pouty mean face, but I dont seem to know how to take pictures without looking this way and if I smile I look a bit like the joker or the chesire cat, so it's a lose/lose situation either way.

p.s. more in depth studio post coming soon.

Recent Acquisitions- of the internet sale variety

2010-07-27T19:21:00.001-04:00

I've been withholding my desire to buy things since April. This means that I have not bought myself a single item of clothing since then and I finally decided that my need for a new bathing suit is a legitimate one and thus broke my no shopping streak. So I began to shop on-line with the intent to buy a new bathing suit and ended up getting, a new pair of sneakers, 2 pairs of shorts, some wide leg jeans, 3 t-shirts, and of course the bathing suit. The damage is above. Although in my defense, every single one of these items was heavily discounted, from the clearance sections, and then I applied discount codes from retailmenot.com on top of that to get the best deals possible.

(items are from Delias and Alloy )

Outfit of the day - stars and stripes

2010-07-14T10:04:00.001-04:00

The weather has been so ridiculously hot and muggy here in upstate New York that it's been hard to want to wear anything at all. Most days i've been opting to just kind of forgoe the rules of fashion and throw on some jean shorts and whatever lightweight tanktop I can find. I did manage to squeeze this Baja dress from Shabby Apple on during one of the more bearable days recently. (Shabby Apple has a very cute selection of bathingsuits that you should check out for that vintage glamour kind of style as well.)

This is definitely one of the softest, more comfortable dresses that I own. The fabric is nice and stretchy so it kind of conforms to your body shape and ends up looking like it was made just for you. I was a bit nervous how this dress was going to look on my body because the mix of vertical and horizontal stripes is hard to pull off unless you have a very defined waist, but I think it worked out for me as long as I dont eat a big meal while wearing it. Overall this dress is very easy to wear, it doesn't wrinkle, it's soft (like favorite t-shirt kind of soft) it's not very sheer so finding undergarments for it are a breeze and it has a nice classic kind of look that won't go out of style.

When it came to picking out my accessories I admit I was at a loss for what to pair with this dress. I went with the brightest, most cheerful shoes I own...my red peeptoe bow wedges and I borrowed my fiancees fedora. Next time though, I think i'm going to try breaking up all those stripes with a belt or a long statement necklace.

These are the rings I wore with the look. I do realize my silver rings clash with my engagement ring, but whats a girl to do in this situation?

{ Outfit Details: Baja dress courtesy of Shabby Apple, red wedges from Forever21, Poison Apple Black Dahlia necklace, H+M fedora borrowed from my guy, vintage sterling silver rings, tiny engagement ring }

Vanity Inspiration

2010-06-26T15:23:00.001-04:00

I've always been one to believe that a peek into one's vanity or dressing area can tell you a lot about a woman from what kind of perfume they wear, to how much foundation they put on. I think the vanity area is one of the most interesting spots in the home and thats why i've been searching for some vanity inspiration photos to help me make my own vanity area a little more special.

{ images via flickr.com }

At Long Last - New jewelry Collection at Poison Apple

2010-06-18T12:09:00.001-04:00

In the past i've focused on making one of a kind and limited edition jewelry for my line Poison Apple. Recently I decided to branch out and come up with a collection of pieces that I could remake over and over so that I could finally offer my jewelry to boutiques for wholesale. This new collection is a work in progress meaning I will be adding pieces to it over time, ever so slowly expanding the catalog.

These are some of the new designs that I have recently added for sale on the website and for wholesale. There are lots more on the way that just need to be photographed and added. I will be getting to those shortly.

It looks like mostly earrings for now, but I assure you lots of necklaces and bracelets are on the way as well.

So as I am working on getting all the new designs photographed and listed I am also seeking out boutiques and shops that would like to carry my line. If anybody can think of a shop in their area that might be interested in carrying my line please comment with the info.

Thanks for looking!

Outfit of the day - Like mother like daughter

2010-06-13T17:58:00.000-04:00

So my daughter is in that phase where she likes to copy everything that she see's me do. Combine that with the fact that she is a very girly girl and loves to wear dresses and jewelry and she loves to pose for pictures. So I basically have this pint sized model that follows my every footstep like a tiny shadow. If I wear a dress, she has to wear a dress, if I wear a necklace, so does she and you get the picture. Take notice that she is mimicking every pose in each photo.

So with all this dressing up and posing she likes to do, i'm thinking I should find her an agent. She already tells me she wants to be on "top model" and she's only 2. Lol, what do you think?

See? Same pose every time. It cracks me up. Does anyone have any advice on delving into the world of child modeling? Please share your stories if you do.

{ Outfit Details: H+M leopard sundress, vintage bangle and necklace, shoes can't remember, oops! }

Outfit of the day - Beach attire

2010-06-13T16:56:00.000-04:00

First and foremost I have to apologize for the lack of recent posts. It's been a combination of trips back and forth to NYC and me working on my first collection of jewelry that has kept me busy lately(which will be available in large quantites for wholesale as well as for sale on Poison Apple).

Anyway, here is a recent outfit from a day at a lovely little beach town in upstate NY called Sodus Point. It's full of cute little cottages and beachy places to eat with carved wooden pirate statues on their rooftops. That's Lake Ontario in the background which was surprisingly warm.

For me a simple sundress, shades and minimal accessories are the perfect look for such an occasion.

{ Outfit Details: H+M sundress, sterling silver bracelets Laila Rowe, Goodwill Sunglasses }

Outfit of the day - Thrifted Gangster

2010-04-13T14:42:00.000-04:00

The weather in upstate New York is crazy. One minute it's 90 degrees and im getting sunburnt without meaning to and then the next day it's in the fifties and hailing. So i've learned over the years to never hide away my winter and summer clothes when out of season, because here I never know when i'm going to need them and you can experience 3 different seasons weather all in the same week.

So, with cooler temperatures this past week, i've turned to my latest thifted item for warmth. Not only does it fit me like a glove, have all the vintage details i've been looking for in a coat, and have a laidback trench kind of vibe because of the color and fabric, but it was only $4.00 at the Goodwill! My favorite thrifted item yet.

I had been craving a simple white button down collared shirt for a while and then I found this one on the Forever21 website for cheap and decided to go for it. I liked the length, the pocket details and the cuffed sleeves.

I kept everything pretty simple with the main focus being on the belt and hat. Some oversized hoops, skinny jeans and boots felt appropriate for the look.

My daughter was clutching onto those chips for dear life... she's addicted and I think we must have an intervention soon.

{ Outfit Details: thrifted jacket, Knit Fedora F21, Jeans BDG, shirt F21, Belt F21, Boots Urban Outfitters, feather hoop earrings Betsey Johnson }

Spring Trend #2 - Florals

2010-04-11T16:39:00.004-04:00

If you haven't already invested in a few, then your Spring/Summer 2010 shopping list should include…a floral print (dress, crop top, romper, leggings, stockings, shorts etc.)!

The spring catwalks were bursting with pretty petals—from prim jackets to sexy minis made of tiny floral prints to flower-inspired jewelry. These flirty and playful pieces are a manifesto of feminity and they forecast a joyful summer ahead.

Here are some of my favorite thrifty floral pieces all for $50 or less:

1. Rose Print Romper $26.00 at Charlotte Russe 2. Floral Halter Romper $26.00 at Charlotte Russe 3. Printed Lace Floral Tights $30.00 at Topshop 4. Spring Flowers Tights £8.00 at Miss Selfridge 5. Floral Smocked Short $26.90 at Alloy 6. Flower Cluster Rope Necklace $24.00 at ArdenB 7. FULL TILT Floral Womens Romper $22.99 at Tilly's 8. Strapless Floral Dress £ 12.99 at Cute Japanese Fashion 9. Floral High Waisted Scrunch Skirt $48.00 at Free People

Spring Trend #1 - Ruffles

2010-04-08T12:14:00.005-04:00

Tiers of feminine ruffles continue to be a hot trend. Whether you wear them oversized or soft and subtle, ruffles will add a flouncy feminine touch to your look for the spring /summer season.The Spring 2010 runways were taken over by ruffles of all shapes and sizes from long boho-chic ruffles that fell in tiers down a gauzy gown to flouncy tutu-esque skirts with tightly ruffled layers. Ruffles can be easy to wear whether you consider yourself girly or not as long as you follow a few simple guidelines.

(images via style.com)

Fit Tips:
Ruffle’s usually flare outwards adding volume, so make sure yours are strategically placed and avoid placing them on any area of your figure that you don't want to emphasize.

For apple-shaped or busty girls, try wearing a ruffled skirt or garment with the ruffle detailing on the lower half of the body to balance out your top half and let the ruffles work in your favor.

Slight ruffle detailing like ruffled cuffs work for any body type as it just adds an extra little feminine detail to the garment.

Pear-shaped women would benefit from tops or dresses with ruffles up above as a way to draw the eye upwards.

Something as feminine as ruffles can even look edgy if worn in the right way, (for those who dont want to appear so overtly girly). The idea of juxtaposing something girly like a ruffled mini skirt, with a tailored jacket, and fun T-shirt can be refreshingly unpredictable.

Here are some examples of real girls incorporating ruffles into their daily looks:

(Image source: from left to right, StyleLustPages, VestedBee, MitziCocoa)

(image source: Chictopia user FashionSheSays)

Here are some of our favorite thrifty ruffled picks of the season that are easily accessible to all. (Especially that F21 skirt for $10.50 which I picked up myself and I must say it fits great and looks even better in person):

1. Ruffle Polka Dot Chiffon Dress $22.40 at YesStyle 2. Ruffle Tube Dress $49.95 at American Eagle Outfitters 3. Fab Flapper Skirt $10.50 at Forever21 4. Smocked Waist Ruffle Top $39.00 at ArdenB 5. Faux Leather Ruffle Bag £49.99 at Joseph M 6. Ruffle Tiered Cardigan £32.00 at Miss Selfridge

Outfit of the day - easter bunny

2010-04-07T16:36:00.000-04:00

For easter, I decided to go for a floral print shirt dress with a large ruffle neck and cute cap sleeves (that I forgot to photograph) paired with a deconstructed denim blazer originally purchased at urban outfitters about 5 years ago and some gladiator sandals.

I've never been a big fan of jean jackets but I fell in love with all of the little details on this one when I first purchased it. The softness and slight fading in the denim, the slight puff sleeves, oversized buttons, cropped silhouette and the 70's detailing on the pockets. Everything about it was so me that I simply could not pass it up. I'm a sucker for anything that reminds me of something my mother would of had on in my baby pictures if that makes any sense.

I colored my hair this week to a redder shade which was called medium golden brown, although if you ask me there is nothing golden about it.

detail of the two fabrics.

I still love my gladiator sandals even though the trend has died down a bit, just try to avoid getting a tan while wearing them.

and I've been wearing these horseshoe earrings from LuShae jewelry non-stop for the past few days and I even slept in them and amazingly my ears haven't turned green or gotten sore. They are whitegold rhodium bonded over silver so they are great for sensitive ears.

(wearing: Dress F21, Jean Blazer Lux, shoes F21, earrings courtesy of LuShae jewelry)

Outfit of the day - vintage crochet dress

2010-04-01T20:29:00.000-04:00

Today was a beautiful day and I finally had the opportunity to break out this crochet dress that I thrifted a couple months ago. I paired it with this waist belt from Forever21 and these extremely uncomfortable frye wedges that I 've had forever but never managed to work into an outfit. The ankle straps kind of dig into your leg if you dont put them on just the right notch. I was planning on shortening this dress, but now I'm indecisive because I kind of like it this length.

(wearing: thrifted dress, belt F21, shoes Frye, Self-Designed necklace, gold hoops)

Found it for less - Jeffrey Campbell Unicorn Shoe

2010-03-25T13:53:00.005-04:00

I first laid eyes on these Jeffrey Campbell Unicorn Heeled shoes through Keiko's blog and realized that they have a large fan base. I myself am not in love with these particular shoes, but I know that a lot of you are, so I felt it was my civic duty to pass on my recent discovery. Left and below are the original Jeffrey Campbell version that retail for around $119.95.

(above images via solestruck )

Now onto the Thrifty "Found it for less" secret...

For the buyer on a budget, Wild Rose is offering this low-priced knockoff in a patent version(pictured below in 3 colors), which can be found at Gojane for $21.30 and UrbanOriginal for $21.20.

Now the question is: Do you love them or hate them?

Good Fortune and other baubles - new jewelry designs

2010-03-24T12:16:00.001-04:00

I've been slow to blog the past week because i've been spending most of my time working on behind the scenes stuff for Poison Apple. Apparently i'm not very good at multi tasking but i'm working on it. Here are a few of the new designs i've added to the shop recently.

Jeweled Heart Bib necklace

Celestial Robot Love

Lucky Protection Bib Necklace

Golden Doves

Every monday new pieces are added to the site or if you are the forgetful type, join my mailing list to be notified each time I update the site.

LustList - alloy discoveries

2010-03-23T16:27:00.001-04:00

Being the thrifty shopper that I am, I'm always looking for great pieces in unexpected places. Even though I am (gasp!) 28 years old (rather then the teenybopper demographic they appeal to), I still recieve about 3 Alloy catalogs a month in my mailbox and as much as I hate all the trees they waste sending out so many catalogs, I do quite often find some nice items that I'd like to buy while perusing them on my front steps. These are the 6 key items i've determined I need to have in my wardrobe soon.

SPOON JEANS STUDDED STRETCH TROUSER JEAN - $34.90

The shape of these jeans is perfect to pair with this seasons hot platform sandals and a floppy hat.

Black Suede ASHLEY BOOT - $32.90 and PLAID SHIRT DRESS - $29.90

I'm always on the lookout for a replacement pair of black suede boots, (which are a staple in my wardrobe)because I tend to wear down the heels of mine rather quickly, not sure why, maybe I drag my feet or maybe thats what I get for being "thrifty". Either way, these boots are the perfect height and the rounded stack heel is the perfect complement to the suede. I'd probably wear them with this plaid dress and some tights.

DEEP-V RUFFLE ONE-PIECE LONG TORSO - $40.90

I've been on the lookout for just the right one piece bathing suit to come along that has a certain something about it to make it unique and also flattering. This suit seems to do just that, plus I love the fact that they offer a long torso version as well as the shorter one. I'm always having trouble with one piece suits being too short because i have a longer torso.

REVOLT VINTAGE BOYFRIEND SHORT 3" INSEAM - $24.90 and CIARA CROPPED TOP - $36.90

And I chose these two pieces because I have zero shorts that didnt start out as a pair of jeans and I'm in dire need of one that actually fits the way shorts are meant to fit because cutoff jeans tend to be tighter around the thighs then regular shorts. These are just the right color wash and i like the little bit of destruction. The crop top just has a really interesting back and it appeals to me. I picture it with a high waisted skirt or pants.

All 6 of these items add up to a total of $200.40 and there are always alloy discount codes available online on sites like retailmenot and alloy offers free shipping for orders over $75 .

Luxe Pocahontas - new jewelry designs

2010-03-09T10:45:00.000-05:00

I've been working on a small collection of jewelry for Poison Apple that stayed within the same color scheme and materials. I limited myself to one very specific tray of materials that I picked out ahead of time. This is an experiment which probably sounds pretty normal, but for me it was quite difficult to stick to the rules and not reach for another supply from elsewhere in my stash to work into each piece. So far there are 9 pieces in the collection with the possibility of a few more on the way. All the pieces above are one of a kind and can be purchased at Poison Apple.

Budget Wedding Ring

2010-03-07T09:45:00.000-05:00

As you probably already know, I am a jewelry designer and have a website called Poison Apple NYC where I have always sold my designs. Well I got the sweetest little messgae in my inbox from one of my customers the other day and I thought that I would share.

"Hi,

This is going to be my wedding ring!!! My boyfriend of 10 years & I are going to tie the knot this year finally! We are on quite a budget & found this ring to be perfect since he gave me one of the copper/bronze tone ones as a present a long time ago. Thanks for dipping this old ring in silver! ~b"

I just love it when people step away from the box and use something a bit different and not so mainstream for their wedding/engagement rings. And I am honored that they chose a ring from my own shop to use for their big day. So congratulations to them and good luck!

(bent arrow ring - sterling silver $22 at Poison Apple)

Recent Acquisitions - From Ebay

2010-03-06T14:52:00.001-05:00

ok, so i'm really excited about this pair of shoes that you may remember from my recent "necessary camping attire" post. I featured them in the brown version sold at Piperlime and I kind of had my heart set on getting them, but then right as I was about to check out and buy them, they magically sold out of my size on the site. So to my dissapointment, I turned to ebay and strangely enough found a brand new pair in my size! These kinds of things rarely happen to me and even though these are not the brown I originally loved, the mustard color is slowly growing on me and at the price I paid, it was like I won some kind of magical shoe lottery. I won these for $14.50!!!! Score for me, because I was ready to shell out $60 for them on Piperlime. So all this "luck" leads me to the question... are these shoes really ugly and i'm the only person who even likes them? Not that I would stop loving them just because nobody else likes them, but it just makes me wonder.

The Designer Collection - Miu Miu spring/summer 2010

2010-03-01T18:23:00.000-05:00

Some images from backstage at the Spring/Summer 2010 Miu Miu show. Each time I take a peek at this collection I fall just a little bit more in love with everything about it. I can do without the close ups of the nude people and cat prints, but from afar the silhouettes of the clothing and the way everything is styled is perfection. The long braids paired with those big false eyelashes and flicked eyeliner and all the layering is so refreshing to me. I especially love the bird print and the use of all the crystal embellishment, oh and those shoes! Of course for someone like me with a huge shoe fetish....the shoes steal the show.

(images via Miu Miu.)

Lust List - Pretty Please Dear

2010-03-01T14:48:00.001-05:00

Pretty Please Dear is an on-line boutique with an excellent handpicked selection of small labels and independent designers. I stumbled upon this site a few months back, (I forget how exactly) and the cute name and aesthetic of the site immediately appealed to me. I love the hippie 60's, 70's bohemian vibe of most of the items and the logo and layout. And the product photos are equally appealing. Check it out when you have a moment. Below are some highlights from the shop.

love these heart tights!

The cutest girlscout looking romper ever.

Really girly/feminine lace sleeved tank tops.

Love this effortless looking studded shift dress.

Really adorable headgear on an equally gorgeous model.

And I'm loving these oversized statement druzy rings!

What is your favorite item at Pretty Please Dear?

LustList - modcloth gems

2010-02-23T14:41:00.002-05:00

(Golden Age of Hollywood Dress - $129.99 at Modcloth)

It is dresses like this one that make me wish I had a glamourous life and places to go that gave me a need to wear a dress as pretty as this one.That precise cutout under the bust, the color and the floaty top layer = swoon.

(Anna Von Diederitz Coat in Snow - $39.99 at Modcloth)

And There is something about the cropped shape and wide 3/4 sleeves paired with the furry collar and off-white color of this coat, that really appeals to me. Plus the fact that it's on sale is nice too.

(Grey Peacock Feather Tights - $29.99 at Modcloth)

I've had my eyes on these tights for over a year now. They come in other colors as well but I'm partial to the grey version. I like that you can wear them with the feathers on the front or in the back at your calves instead. The price tag keeps me from purchasing them, but they are so unique and pretty and can add just the right touch to an otherwise plain outfit.

Outfit of the day - motorcycle jacket blues

2010-02-21T16:29:00.001-05:00

This started out as a regular outfit post, but quickly turned into a full-on photoshoot with my almost 2 year old daughter. She insisted on being in almost every shot even though she didnt quite understand the whole "sit still while you're waiting for the self timer to go off" idea. So as I realize that you really dont need to see 15 images of the same outfit, I cant help but put them all up because they make me laugh. And dont we all think our own children are the cutest things ever, even if they are not?

(wearing: suede, leather and snakeskin boots from H+M, skinny jeans by BDG, black tank F21, navy leopard waterfall sweater from F21, Navy motorcycle jacket F21,Self-Designed earrings)

(Oh, yes she is wearing her sparkly red shoes on the wrong feet. She insists on wearing them that way and she picks out her accessories herself. mini-fashionista in the making.)

Even if nobody else gets them, these pics make me happy.

Guide to fashionable camping attire

2010-02-20T15:57:00.000-05:00

I go on a short camping trip every year, and although it is only 4 or 5 days out of my entire summer...I have become very set on acquiring all the true camping wardrobe staples to utilize during my trip. I like the idea of ruffing it in ripped jeans and flannel shirts around the campfire at night with moccasins protecting my ankles and feet from mosquito bites and a long belted cardigan to throw on top when it gets chilly. And then during the day wearing high waisted shorts paired with bathing suit, cute sandals and a big floppy felt hat reminiscent of woodstock. So after scouring the internet for cheap and chic camping gear, I present to you; The guide to camping wardobe essentials.

plaid and flannel shirts - a couple short sleeve light weight plaids for daytime to throw on over your bathing suit with your shorts, and some long sleeve super soft flannel pieces for nighttime sitting around a fire roasting marshmallows and drinking beer. My personal favorite it the large shirt front and center. I am strongly considering buying it.

high waisted shorts for throwing on over your bathing suit with one of the above mentioned short sleeve plaids, some sandals and a floppy hat and sunnies. I'm personally loving the bottom 2 pairs the most.

sandals for daytime wear and trips to the beach. All of these shoes are under $50. I'm really loving the uniqueness of the brown slingbacks on the top row center. and the black gladiators on the middle row at left are another favorite.

destroyed denim - there is no better time for destroyed denim then a camping trip, especially when paired with some moccosins and a flannel shirt. Each pair of these jeans is under $50 and some are even under $20. They are going to come home reaking of campfire smoke and sand anyway, so you won't want to spend a lot on them.

cozy campfire sweaters and beach hats - the sweaters are the perfect cozy layer to throw on if it's chilly at night and the lovely floppy hats are perfect for avoiding a sunburn during the day. I love the 70's belted silhouette of these pieces. I adore the 2 colorful ones on the top.

Essential nighttime camping footwear - and of course the essential nighttime footwear to pair with your jeans and help keep mosquitos off your feet and biting your ankles. All of these shoes are under $100.

(To find out about any of the items featured in these sets simply click the photos and you will be taken to polyvore with a list of the items pictured and their prices.)

So which ones are your favorites?

The Find - Leather + Crochet

2010-02-18T13:55:00.001-05:00

A recent trip thrifting yielded this black leather bag for $8. It caught my attention because of it's perfect size and all the nice compartments it has inside. it's not too big and not too small. It's leather and it's black...all of these things were details i'd been looking for in a new bag so I was excited when I found this one. I cut off that long black strap that's shown dangling down in the photo and it now looks like it did in the last outfit post where I am using it.

and I apologize for the crappy photos but here is the off-white crochet dress with attached slip that I scored for $5 at the salvation army. I plan on dressing it up with a skinny brown belt and I may decide to shorten the hem up to a more mod/60's length, (right now it's hitting just below the knee).

detail of the crochet pattern.

Outfit of the day - Valentines date

2010-02-18T11:38:00.000-05:00

{ wearing: F21 bodycon sweater, F21 skirt + belt, H+M tights, Ebay Shoes, Thrifted bag, self-designed necklace }

Last Chance to nab select jewelry at Poison Apple

2010-02-15T21:14:00.002-05:00

I marked down select pieces of jewelry at Poison Apple, some items are up to 80% off. This will be the last chance to nab these particular designs at these prices before I ship them off to a boutique. Please take a look at the sale section to check them out and help me spread the word if you'd like.

thanks.

Recent Acquisitions - of the accessory variety

2010-02-12T18:36:00.001-05:00

A few of my favorite things of the accessory variety, that I have recently acquired.

But first here is a story that I must share:

I have had this old black wallet with silver studs on it that I got at h+m probably about 8 years ago and I used it to death. It even got lost by way of a man robbing my purse right off the back of my chair while I was on a lunchbreak at the wendy's across from the empire state building on 5th avenue. The man ended up ditching my wallet out of frustration on the subway after he realized that my credit card was maxed out and all the cash I had in my wallet was $15. So, I got a phonecall at my job after the people at the MTA booth way up in the bronx somehow ended up with my wallet and tracked me down by way of my id and whatever else was in there. So after I got out of work that night I made the long trek up to the last stop on the train in the bronx, (i forget which line) to go retrieve my wallet so that I would not have to get my id replaced and also because they had my keys as well which the man also ditched and I needed them to get into my apartment. So, I guess you can say that me and my h+m wallet have been through some adventures together and because of that i've always been hesitant to replace it.

So anyway, I decided that if I was going to replace this lucky wallet that I had to find the perfect one. After much searching I came across the one pictured above and that was about 9 months ago. I still have yet to use it or get rid of the old one. I guess I am still too attached. But I assure you, when the lucky wallet finally falls apart...this is the one i'll be using.

wallet - bee23 by bingbang from urbanoutfitters

black leather and chain belt - forever21

peach feather headband - forever21

necklace - forever21

Found it for less - Edna st. vincent - lace blouse

2010-02-10T15:32:00.003-05:00

Even though i'm a huge fan of Modcloth and their amazing selection of vintage inspired dresses and shoes, I'd still shop someplace else if I can find a similar item for less money elsewhere. In this case I was admiring this really feminine, hippie/poet lacey top. It's sold out on the Modcloth site and it was listed for $49.99.

(Edna St. Vincent Mil-lace Blouse - $49.99 at Modcloth )

And then I remembered having seen something very similar over at the Forever21 website. So the overall shape, color and style are almost identical and it is half the price.

(Vintage Tribute Woven Top - $24.80 at Forever21)

Modcloth suggests that you "Wear it with a pair of skinny jeans and sleek, thigh-high boots for a contrast in textures and surfaces that you simply cannot doff!" and I agree.

Inspiration - the hair at the Spring 2010 Chanel Couture show

2010-02-08T20:44:00.002-05:00

Aside from the lovely muted pastels and metallic clothing, look at that hair! The huge bows and amazing gravity defying buns or whatever you want to call those things. The hair at this show was superbly stunning.

(images via FashionGoneRogue)

Inspirations - roaring 20's, rhinestones, smoky eyes and feathers

2010-02-08T14:25:00.001-05:00

These are some of the most inspiring images i've ever seen and yet I cant for the life of me, remember where they came from or how they ended up on a file in my computer. I know i saved them at some point last year because I wanted to use the hairstyles as a reference for a hair and makeup person for a photoshoot I was trying to put together for my Poison Apple label. The shoot never ended up happening and yet I cant let these images go because they are so beautiful.