black

photos by seychelle 

(h&m hat, castle sweater, cheap monday jeans, vintage sandals, vintage leather purse)

yesterday seychelle and i found some forest behind a parking lot and here are the pictures.  i never used to wear this much black but i think it has something to do with getting older.  also because of getting older there are some things i don't think i can wear anymore without feeling like i've put on a costume (knee socks, bows, most hats).  good thing it's october and we're approaching the one day it's acceptable to wear a costume! please help me think of any/all costumes that would require knee socks, bows, or hats.  preferably all at once.  

h&m and me

photos by seychelle stableford

(kennedy necklace by Onecklace, h&m black felt hat, american apparel striped leotard, h&m long tulle skirt, f21 booties)

i have exciting news! i've been picked to be the sole style ambassador to represent virginia in the 50 states of fashion contest H&M is having to promote their online store that launched today!  i feel very honored and even though i've only lived in virginia for a short while i have so much love for this place that i'm hoping i can do it justice.  to enter the contest, post a picture of yourself wearing your favorite H&M pieces to instagram using the hashtag #HMShopOnlineVA.  there will be a 50 states of fashion website where visitors can like your looks and after 3 weeks the 5 most liked pictures from every state will all become semi-finalists and win a $250 gift card!  plus all of the finalists will have a chance at the very grand prize of a trip to new york city during fashion week and a $1000 gift card to H&M!  good luck to everyone but i've got my fingers crossed that the winner is a virginian! 

the living room

photos by ryan

(sunny side up sunglasses c/o swaychic, vintage button up, viscotti floral garden shorts c/o swaychic, vintage sandals)

i finally have a few pictures from the apartment to show you!  this is our living room.  my boyfriend is the furniture connoisseur in this family so i can't take credit for the pieces (most of which he found at the thrift store!) but i did help decide where things were put.  i love this place and would like to do a whole post dedicated to showing it off but i've been pretty busy watching really old episodes of the real world on youtube and making flower crowns.  

springdream

photos by kimchi spira

(vintage earrings, american apparel floral bodysuit, american apparel easy jean)

a few weeks ago nesbit salon invited me to participate in a vintage trunk show they're hosting this May along with some other ladies from richmond.  this morning we had a photoshoot for the event and i was thrilled to get my hair and makeup done by the super talented team there!  i wish i could figure out how to do this to myself so i could look like the 1960s everyday but i'm sure that i could never reproduce this without the help of professionals.  luckily it was a real spring dream day and i was able to take full advantage of the sunshine, the makeup, and my lady friend kimchi who agreed to take these shots of me in a bamboo forest this afternoon.  

last day

(vintage coat, vintage sweater, love fire skirt, american apparel tights, american apparel shoes)

here i am enjoying an idyllic beach sunset on my last day in south carolina!  there are many things that i love about charleston (my folks, my puppy, the winterless climate, free laundry, hominy grill) but i don't ever mind leaving if i'm headed home to richmond.  i think that's a good thing, i think that means i must be doing something right.  

weather woes

photos by emily

(dollar store hairpins, vintage silk shirt, vintage miniskirt)

so impatiently waiting on spring.

something new

photos by emily

(vintage floral blouse, vintage dress, american apparel tights, marc jacobs platforms)

here are some inside pictures because it has been very cold and winterly in richmond.  luckily my friend emily has the most amazing floral wallpaper in her apartment building and she is also an accomplished photographer.  i'm really captivated with these because i've never actually learned how to use the flash on my camera.  when taking my own pictures i tend to ignore the option completely.  but it was really nice to try something new and have it turn out well thanks to a collaboration with a friend.  i'm hoping this keeps up and i remind myself to get unfamiliar and experiment every once and a while.  

the farm

(vintage sunglasses, vintage shawl, vintage shirt, UO jeans, vintage boots)

photos by ryan

when we first met my boyfriend told me that he grew up on a rural farm where there were wild peacocks. i didn't believe him until i saw it was my own eyes, but now i can confirm that everything he told me was true.  would you like another true story about our first date?  we barely knew each other but he invited me to go to a different state on a schoolbus for a show in an abandoned warehouse with all of his friends.  i was very nervous because my least favorite things in life are loud noises, cold spaces, and people i don't know very well.  thankfully i was much braver in my youth because i went!  i don't remember much about being there but the whole way home i had my head on ryan's shoulder and after that we were a couple. 

2013

(leather dress c/o viln collective, vintage tights, vintage shoes)

thanks to my friends at viln collective  i was able to ring in the new year wearing a new dress!  i hope you all had a safe holiday season and are looking forward to 2013.  i'm looking forward to a traditional southern new year's day dinner of collard green and hoppin johns and also making a big list of resolutions that i will forget about come february!