Jones'n For A Fix

Until last week I hadn't been to any thrift stores in quite a while. Yard saleing takes up most of my treasure hunting time in the summer, and I did find some pretty amazing pieces this year. It is well worth sacraficing a good Friday night out in order to get up early in the morning to plan your route. I don't think that people quite understand my addiction to all this. It's physical as well as emotional. I crave digging through boxes and racks of old stuff, and my heart literally starts beating fast and I get all hot when I find something amazing. Like when I started getting all panicky and I had to sit down when I found a bag of vintage designer scarves (YSL, DVF, Lanvin, Cardin, and Givency anyone?) at a yard sale for $.25. (there's no cents sign on computer keyboards?) I started saying "Oh my God" quietly to myself and sweating when the woman said they were a quarter a piece. I'm still not quite over it.

On Wednesday I spent over 2.5 hours and $170 at my favorite thrift store that I hadn't been to in months. I bought tons of earrings, blazers, skirts, dresses, fabric, and belts. I know that seems like a lot of money in thrift store terms but in real world terms that's what, a nice dinner with a few drinks?, maybe two pairs of pants and blouse on sale a Banana Republic?, not even a full month's student loan payment? My mom thinks it's gross that I wear clothes that other people wore, but I think it's grosser to wear clothing that was made in god know what conditions in China. It's also just good old fashioned recycling, which happens to be one of my favorite things to do.

Last night someone told me that I reminded him of Indiana Jones. I'm going to forget the part about how it was only because of the scar on my chin.

House Party

I don't really think that I need to say a lot about a dancepartyhouseparty, we've all been there. Thrifted skirt from many years ago hiked up to be the bottom of a pseudo dress, black top I've had forever (it might be a bra?), necklace from H&M, and it kills me but there's no good pics of my killer new Nine West ankle boots. Don't worry though, I'll be wearing them all winter long.

Summer Nights

A beautiful outdoor rehearsal dinner in Westport Mass right on the water, watermelon sangria, and great times. I wore a vintage dress from a yard sale (told you that was my favorite belt), Sarah wore a killer Diane Von Furstenburg number to match her raven locks, and Caitlin looked spectacular in a thin cotton tangerine number. We ate scrumptious shrimp and scallops and our fair share of local and organic blueberry pie. Yum.

Style Collage

A lovely outfit for a wonderful dinner in the beautiful South of Rhode Island. Vintage skirt, belt, and necklace (from my late great grandmother, Marnie), TJ Maxx shoes, H&M earrings, and a no name tee. The photograph on the wall was done by my very good friend, Carrie Sandman. She is an amazing artist and she just got married this past weekend. Lots of photos from that coming soon.

Style Collage

Nicole is wearing a stunning vintage skirt that she styled into a sleek dress with the aid of her favorite fat vintage leather belt. Her gold shoes are by Steve Madden, but are reminiscent of an era gone by. Her earrings are from a cheap jewelry store in NYC. (Can you beleive it?!) She later had to change to enjoy a few strings of bowling, where she only lost by a little (not to be confused by a lot.)

Farm Farewells

A few weeks ago one of my father's uncles passed away. I didn't really know him that well, but I felt honored to attend a memorial service in his name at the farm where my dad grew up. It is absolutely amazing land and I am proud to say that the owner, another of my father's uncles, recently sold easements of to The Nature Conservancy to protect it from future development and to keep it strictly agricultural, all 150+ acres of it. It will still stay in the family. It was once a thriving dairy farm, and now there are still a few animals but the land is used also for cranberry bogs. It was a beautiful service. The night was perfect and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and an old fashioned pot luck dinner. My sister and I took some pictures that attempt to show the land's beauty.

The Bounty of the Ocean by the Littlest State by the Sea

I don't think there's anything as wonderful as a perfect summer Sunday, which is what I was lucky enough to enjoy this past weekend. It started off as a trip to Rejects Beach (Note: for you non Newporters, Rejects is a public beach that is directly adjacent to Bailey's Beach, a very exclusive private beach club that the Trumps belong too. My friend Sarah used to work there and had many Ivanka sightings. They have cabanas, drink service, and many other perks. There is even a sign in the sand that tells us commoners to stay off their side. It's quite funny actually. I wonder if some plebeian was drowning on the Rejects side, the Bailey's lifeguard would come and save them.) Anyway, I went to the beach with Tiff, and Pat was kind enough to join us. He had to leave though because his back was turning into one big freckle. There were pretty big waves and we were playing in them and body surfing for quite a while. I haven't done that since I was a kid.

After the beach, we were invited to a cookout, Newport style. That means not a hot dog or hamburger in sight. Instead were panko, garlic, and parsley filled grilled little necks, boiled lobster, steamed mussels in a wine broth, steamers in butter, grilled cajun tofu, and cucumber salad. Yuu-uummm. Thank you so much for Tania and Jay for one of the best dinners that I have ever had. All the seafood was fresh, local, and delicious. I made a toast to "good friends, good food, and the bounty of the ocean by the littlest state by the sea."

Outfit Note: To the beach Nicole wore a mix and match Victoria's Secret bikini and Salvation Army sunglasses. To dinner she wore a vintage yellow dress that was a yard sale score, a vintage belt from a thrift store in North Carolina, vintage thrift store earrings, and Steve Madden peep toe flats.

Happy Belated Birthday America!!

The first week of July is my all time favorite week of the whole year, due to my birthday on the 1st, the fourth of course, and all the wonderful festivities that accompany both. Fourth of July is a really big deal in Rhode Island. Bristol, just over the bridge from me, hosts the oldest fourth of July celebration in the country. This year being its 223rd. Pretty Impressive. I don't care much for the parade or the fair or the bands but I do love the all night parties on the parade route where we laugh at old people setting up lawn chairs and blankets at 4 am so they get the best seat in the house, or on the street I guess. No skinny dipping or jumping off of sailboats in the harbor this year though, shucks. At least Caitlin saved her feet from the barnacles and I didn't throw away my wallet again.

The third of July if you will, started off with a nice trip to Block Island with Caitlin. It was slightly frightening only due to the fact that the day before a coast guard ship collided with the Block Island Ferry. Don't ask me how that happened. Luckily there were no casualties. We took a nice walk, went to the beach, and slurped down some native raw oysters while waiting in line to get on the ferry to go home. Yum. I also ran into two boys that I went to high school with that I haven't seen in years. Holla Jay and Ricky. It's a really small state, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Outfit Notes: On the block island trip Nicole wore a lovely Banana Republic cami, Forever 21 shorts, vintage belt, vintage sunglasses, and my favorite vintage hippie shirt of all time. As much as I despise seagulls, I love this shirt. For the third of July party she wore an altered red with gold stars vintage romper (it used to be a halter with capri length legs), vintage wood and leather platforms, a dollar store tiara, and enormous fake gold "Cancer", like the zodiac sign, earrings. (Side note: I once wore these earrings to a Lukemia benefit, realized my snafu halfway into dinner and discreetly took them off and hid them in my purse.)

Take Two

Gee whiz, I haven't posted in a long time. So many things have changed in the past few months. I have a wonderful new apartment in downtown Newport with a roof deck that overlooks the harbor, bridges, and steeples of really old churches. I live with the wonderful Miss Julie who keeps the place looking beautiful, the herbs growing, and the house smelling like fresh baked organic cookies. We love to go on adventures, so if you need some partners in crime, let us know. Old friends have returned and new friends have entered my life and I couldn't be more grateful for all of you. This summer has been incredible so far and I know that more great times are sure to come. The shop is doing well and I am so proud of myself for listing new things every week. Of course I still have tons more stuff hanging around, which will hopefully go online soon.

The future: make things!! I have piles of amazing vintage fabrics and a head full of ideas. Now if I could only get my little hands to follow suit! Stay tuned for more blogs, more vintage, and more of everything else too I guess. Hot summer fashion is on its way!

Yard Sale Postponed!

The yard sale that was scheduled for this weekend has been postponed. I will let you know what the new date is as soon as I do.

Vintage Yard Sale!!

Ugg, moving, why are you so dreadful? It's actually not as bad as it has been in the past and I'm so proud of myself for getting rid of so much stuff. Which leads to the title of this post, Vintage Yard Sale! If you will be in the RI/Mass area on Saturday or Sunday, May 17-18, please do stop by. I promise it will be worth your while. It will be at my parents' house in Tiverton, RI. There will be lots and lots of clothes including vintage shoes, bags, dresses, coats, etc. Also lots of neat stuff from the 90's to the present that's just doesn't fit me anymore. Also fabric, art supplies, picture frames, etc. It pangs me to get rid of most of it, but I can't keep dragging it along with me, everywhere I go. It needs a new home.