Old Try

The area I've lived my whole life in, while technically in Virginia, doesn't consider itself very Southern.  I, however, do.  Being raised by a man from Tennessee and spending my summers at the beach with all my Carolina relatives made all the difference.  I can still remember the first time a childhood friend's parent asked me to "Call me Judy."  I did, my father overheard me, and that was the end of that.  These prints, from Old Try, speak to the barefoot Southern child inside of me.

Thanks to Gloria for the tip!  She will be paid in Cheerwine, as is tradition.

stripes and whales and boats, oh my!

I accidentally spent an hour this morning browsing Modcloth (oops!), where I found yet more ships and stripes to obsess over.  I think this has elevated to the point where it is officially a "problem."

Dresses first:

From the top: Get Connected Dress, Ice Cream Sandwich Dress, Little Italy Dress, and The Stylish Wanderer Dress.  The last is definitely my favourite.  I've been so inspired by two of my fellow VISTAs who wear day dresses so effortlessly, when I always feel like I should be on my way to church.  Perhaps one or more of these ladies will change my tune.

Shirts:

From the top: Into the Sunset Tee, Tagline Top, Golden Street Top, Marine Biolo-tee.  My summer uniform has become denim shorts and a soft, bit-too-big tee or tank, striped if I can manage it.  These would fit right in, don't you think?  I adore them all.

new toast collection

Style things I'm currently crazy about:
Stripes
Wide boat necks
Toast

From the top:
Leila Dress
Paisley Tie Waist Dress
Breton Tee
Merino Roll Sleeve Pullover

What are you loving right now?

hint, hint

This year's nautical craze continues, and I am constantly bombarded with things which make me drool.  The fact that my birthday is just over a month away isn't helping, and the beautiful Daytrip Society website makes me want to (a) go to Maine (like NOW), and (b) buy everything and write it off as a birthday treat.

Goodies, clockwise from top left:
Thomas Paul Scrimshaw Tray
Seascape Rubber Stamp Set
Thomas Paul Scrimshaw Coasters
Book of Whale Insults
Saturn Press The Sea Card

toast dresses

Here are three dresses from TOAST that are rocking my world.  Just because.

The last one, the Ishya Dress, is described as having "generous pockets," which I have decided is my favourite thing in a dress.  Click on the photos for links.

garnet hill

It would probably not be a stretch to say that I am going to be all about corals and stripes this year.


Clockwise, from upper left: Veranda Knit Dress, Tissue Scoop-Neck Swing Tee, Organic Cotton Shorty Pajamas, Summer-Weight Cotton Crew Neck Sweater, French Sole Floral Leather Ballet Flat, Ciao Bella Perforated T-Strap Sandal, Pleated Washed Silk Blouse, A-Line Racerback Tank

fetching tags

I'm not a fan of dressing my dog up in costumes (a ribbon 'round the neck's about as fancy as I get), but that doesn't mean my dogs can't look snazzy!  I love these tags by Fetching Tags.  They are handmade, durable, and the makers donate tags to local shelters for the animals to wear, in addition to a portion of proceeds.  Plus, you have the option of coming up with a tagline for your pet, which I love.

Leilani might be coming with me to West Virginia, for a part of my year there at least, and she'll need a tag with my phone number of it if she does.  Okay, and maybe I already have a tagline in mind.

spring toms

It's that time of year again!  The time of year when I drool and curse my empty wallet, all at the same time!  (Okay, that's most of the year, but all the same...)  TOMs just announced their spring styles!  Here are my favs:

Newport Red Cordones.  I wasn't too sure about the Cordones line when it first came out, but I am LOVING these red-striped beauties.  Definitely my #1 pick.

Seaport Vegan Classics.  I love that print, I do.

Tyler Ramsey Hand Painted.  Part of the TOMs artist line.  Like wearing a Pollack on your feet.  Minus the $5 million+ insurance rates.

Blue Madras Classics.  It's bothered me all year that TOMs has all these great plaid shoes for men, but not for women.  Here's hoping these become a trend!

heart of hearts

how sweet is this heart made up of smaller hearts?  By sarah and bendrix, spotted in the sneak peak of Max Wanger's home.

lovin' beans

I love just about anything nautical, and whenever I get a new L.L. Bean catalog (which my father calls "Beans," for some reason), it sends me into a coastal tailspin.  Here are some of my favourites:

From the top: Harborview Cardigan, Bean's Headband, Ruffle Knit Tee,Whale Percale Sheet Set, Candy Hearts Percale Sheet Set

sunny west elm

When I interned at the SAAM, my daily walk from the metro to the museum offices took me right by the West Elm on G.  At first, I loved it.  Seeing the window displays was a pretty way to start my day.  But then, little by little, I got bored with them.  As time went by, the color seemed to seep out of the windows, leaving nothing by neutrals, earth tones, and pastels behind.  Those are all well and good, but me, I love colors with some punch.  So I was pretty thrilled to get my catalog in the mail yesterday with its bright yellow chairs on the cover.

I would like to see more brightly saturated hues (I painted my nails a coral pink the other day and it's all I can think about now), but lemon yellow is a pretty solid place to start.  Here are some of my favs from the spring collection.

Andalusia Rug.  I'm crazy about it.  I really, really am.

Upholstered Slipper Chair. Reminds me of my aunt's house at the beach, with its gray exterior and yellow door.

Wrap Dining Chair.  This kind of chair isn't really my style, but it does my heart good to see it.

Petal Print Sheet Set.  Definitely the #1 pick.  Of course.  It's a bit much for my pocket, so I'm just going to hold my peace, wait for a sale, and pray that no one else thinks it's as wonderful as I do.

suspended in snow

Sometimes the near-constant perfection of Anthropologie's styling actually makes me angry.  This is not one of those times.  This just makes me want to buy everything.

Seriously.  Could you find a more perfect and wintry way of displaying jewelry?

sulu

When it comes to gorgeous handmade jewelry at seriously great prices, I've yet to find anyone who can beat sulu-design.  Each of these pairs of earrings are $16.  Yeah, you read that right.  And as a proud owner of my own pair of sulu earrings, I can assure you that the quality is excellent.  I hope she cranks out some more like these, I really love the style!

Tune into her blog for updates to her store, as well as to her Original Intent photo project, which I love.

lama love

I did not intend for this blog to become all holiday shopping, all the time--sorry!  We got our tree yesterday and there will be coverage of that soon, I promise.  But today is apparently a thing called Cyber Monday, and if it means deals at LAMA, I an 100% in favour of it.

My picks:
- Dia de Los Muertos pillow (duh)
- Salt & Pepper Shakers
- Scalloped Oil Cloth Apron
- "Cardón" Cactus
- Floral Shadow Earrings

christmas creep

So apparently there is a term for when retailers put Christmas stuff up waaaaay early: Christmas Creep.  I mostly try to ignore it, but it still really frustrates me.  I love Christmas, it is a very good thing, but too much of a good thing make Kelly want to smash head against wall.  That some retailers actually share this opinion (although perhaps not quite how I phrased it), makes me really, really happy.  I didn't notice these signs when I was in Nordstrom for lunch last week, but have been assured by other parties that they were posted in our local store.  Awesome.

thanks to Autumn for sharing this!

bambako sale

Bambako has some fantastic headbands, and this week they've also got fantastic deals.  From now through Friday at 11:59 PM, the code "THANKS" at check-out will get you 40% off, as will the code "blackfriday" all day on Friday.  There are also rumored to be some headbands available for $10, so be sure to check the site.

Internet deals are Black Friday shopping I can get behind.

pola earrings

I am so in love with these clever, clever earrings.  They are miniature versions of actual polaroids taken by Lauren Beacham, the wonderful things' creator.  Her shop is delightfully polaroid-centric, with necklaces and rings also available, as well as prints and originals.

threadless prints

Some of you might be familiar with Threadless, a fantastic resource for t-shirts. What you might not know is that some of the t-shirt designs (which are user created and voted on) are also made into prints. Threadless is having a great sale on all of these prints, selling all of them for $10. So, if you've got a space on the wall you need to fill, check it out! (Betcha can't guess which one I want...)

hotline

My aunt has been involved with the Hotline thrift stores since she first moved down here a decade or more ago. So, when my other aunt, with whom I'm living, decided to spend the summer here in her new house, she naturally signed up to be a volunteer at one of the stores, as well. It's a seriously awesome organization. Plus, the stores get such a huge volume of donations, from paperbacks to sofas, that there's almost a constant stream of new items. Both my aunts have found furniture there (in the case of one, an entire suite of wicker she painted white for her porch), as well as clothes and jewelry. I simply love the place. Over the course of the summer, I'm brought home lots of books, plus some clothes and a pair of shoes.

The thrift stores also work with a little place in Manteo called Endless Possibilities, which takes donated pieces which are stained or unwearable and turns them into woven treasures. It's a must-visit if you're in Manteo, and believe me, if I lived down here full time, I'd totally sign up for weaving lessons.

The stores themselves raise money and support for Hotline's real mission: promoting a safe community and providing shelter and aid to victims of violence and abuse.

Some of the other places I've found treasures this summer are:
Lammer's Glass
Nags Head Antique Mall