a vintage affair

Spending an evening in a full length vintage gown isn't something that happens very often around these parts, not to mention wearing a vintage gown in a beautiful historic building. But this past Thursday we attended a vintage event at the Michigan Theater, a gorgeous historic movie house in Ann Arbor. It was a "red carpet" event complete with faux papparazzi, so fun! It was a benefit for a local teen haven called The Neutral Zone and some short films were shown along with music from a great jazz band. I really wish there were more events requiring people to get super dressed up. There were a lot of people in attendance which told me there is a real interest in this kind of dressed up event although it is the throes of winter. My only complaint was that there were too many girls dressed in "faux" vintage, or dresses that evoked a vintage style as opposed to real vintage.

Mr. DG made me a pre-going out cocktail and wanted to shoot some photos even though I wasn't excited about taking flash photography, but I really glad he made the call because I just love that first photo of us, and Ella!

in between days

Snowed in shop update!

painted dresses

Lauren Maurer recently contacted me wanting to paint some of the dresses in the shop - here are her finished pieces, I personally love them and am having her paint me some of my most favorite dresses and I'll have them framed.

finally...a vintage event!

Tonight I am going to this event, can you imagine how excited I was when I heard about it? It's probably the one night a year I can really justify wearing a full length vintage gown! 

And here's what I'll be wearing, it'll be dark when I actually put it on so you get these pieced photos, which are better anyway!

Black 1930s crepe dress with illusion netting and petal pink sweetheart bodice and black beaded shoulders. The hat is one I'll never let go, in fact I am on a mad hunt for more like it. I think the most exciting part of the whole event is getting dressed, let's hope the night lives up to at least *some* of my expectations. I do hope that there are other people dressed to the nines, I cannot wait to see what sort of vintage crawls out from the snow tonight!

a knit fit

Missoni pre-fall collection. Sure, we're all thinking ahead to spring, but frankly my lovely state is buried in snow with no end in sight and I am trying hard to ignore the pre-spring frenzy that is invariably beginning. My sock drawer is still stuffed with thick wool socks and cable knit tights. Seeing this collection makes me much less grumpy about it still being cold, it also makes me want to make a crazy mixed up knit outfit from all my sweater-y clothes. I love how Missoni is mixing patterns so skillfully that you can almost miss how many patterns are really going on in each outfit, it's an art for certain.

mid-week shop update

After a day off yesterday, I now offer up a pretty shop update!

bounty

I thought I'd share a little photo collection of the birthday presents I received yesterday. All in all it was a normal day - some order packing, a lot of thrifting, some antique stores and a double cappuccino. But it's not every day you get cool presents like:

1. An utterly amazing vintage 1920s necklace! I had my eye on this at a local vintage/jewelry shop that I frequent, and unbeknownst to me my saavy friend Amy went there and asked the the shop owner what I was keen on. So smart. I had tried this necklace on and pranced around the shop only to leave it there and well, now it's mine! Such a wonderful present to get - something I had wanted to so badly.

2. A new, smaller size dress form. It was frustrating trying to fit tiny dresses on my small-but-not-tiny dress form.

3. My friend Lindsay sent me a Coco Chanel Art Documentary DVD. It awaits the next end of winter snow day, which I predict will be very soon!

4. A really outstanding dinner with Mr. DG & my mother-in-law at pretty much the only restaurant we have not been to in our town. We're silly because this place Logan has been open for 5 years and we've been missing out because my sea bass was crazy delicious and then there was goat cheese cheesecake for dessert and I seriously brake for anything with goat cheese.

5. Mr. DG heard me whining about having to lug my nice Nikon camera around so he bought me this cutie pocket sized camera that I can take with me whereever!

6. My dad gave me a gift card to Amazon so I bought this Le Creuset dutch oven that I've had on my wishlist. I already had one dutch oven, but I was after a smaller one.

birthday blues

No no, I don't really have the blues, I am just wearing blue and it is my birthday. I have nothing to whine about I am having a "birthday week" and extending the celebration to 7 days. I've already done many fun things and more are planned, but right now I'd really love a birthday milkshake, though outside there is about 6 feet of snow, or something like that. My birthday is during the worst month ever, I wish I could just change it and make it in September or October when there isn't a 75% chance of a blizzard.

I got this 1940s wool dress and had no idea if it was for the shop or for me. 

But it's fate is now clear, it's for me. 

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and, shop selections...