boot up

A little accessories update with an emphasis on that fall/winter wardrobe staple--boots!  The first pair are deadstock, and nearly identical (only in much better condition) to the pair I wore in college during the late 80s/early 90s.  Since they're my size, I was tempted to keep them, but I've decided to let them go.

Combat jump boots.

1970s caramel brown men's Dingo boots.

Cafe latte cutout slingbacks.

Ostrich texture Doc Martens boots.

1970s auburn leather boots.

Stacy Adams dress boots.

Maroon Abilene boots.

1950s Schlesinger Brothers black leather portfolio.

Stetson fedora with box.

Silk Saint Angelo medieval fish scarf.

Sterling silver salamander brooch.

xo

K

August in Review

new blogs I found & enjoyed:

• Advanced Style. I already shared my love for this blog in a Friday Favorites post but it's too fabulous to not mention again.
• Diversions. She is so snazzy. I would really really enjoy raiding her closet!
• An Eclectic Heap. Also super snazzy with a raid worthy closet.
• Vanillery Garden. She has a gorgeous blog full of pretty pictures and excellent content!

my favorite posts this month:
• Jackpot - I've got a mushroom permit, and I'm not afraid to use it. (hahaha)
• Pymatuning Deer Park - I could look at these pretty deer photos all day!
• It's the little things - like sleepy Squid.
• What Doctor Octopus wore - I have the fanciest cat in all the land!!
• What I wore; Colorblock Dress - Gosh, I really love this dress.
• Why are baby animals so cute? - A tiny turtle so cute you might get teary eyed!

new (to me) movies I watched:
• Blue Mountain State: Season 1. This isn't really something that I would normally watch (I'm not really into college movies about partying) but I thought this was hilarious and I tore through the first season in a matter of days. I can't wait to watch season 2!
• Love Stinks. I really liked this movie, but I might be biased because I really like Bridgette Wilson (the girl from Billy Madison, if you're not familiar with the name) and French Stewart.
• My Teachers Wife. I love hating Christopher McDonald in movies, he plays a good jerk in movies.
• True Crime.
• River's Edge. This was such a good movie, one I'm surprised I've never seen before. It was hard to work while watching because I just kept watching the movie!

exciting happenings on and offline: 
• Celebrated my birthday the whole month (boo at today being the last day of my birthday month!!)
• I started working on a new project that I've been planning for months and months. I can't wait to announce it once I get a little bit more done! I'm really proud of what I've gotten done so far.
• I realized morning star "bacon" is absolutely delicious and I've been eating it non-stop. It's been nearly five years since I've had real bacon and this stuff is better than I remember it ever being!! Tip: Toast some bread, spread vegenaise on both pieces and put some "bacon" in the middle. Your belly will thank you!
• Planning another get together with Elycia is pretty exciting! I can't wait to see her and Ivan again. Boy, oh boy, do I wish they lived in Ohio.
• I bought a brand new iMac for myself on my birthday. I'm still so in love with it, and wondering why I didn't buy one sooner. Work is so much more fun now. I love using photoshop on that big screen!


a tiny (and incomplete!!) list of things I'm thankful for this month:
• well behaved cats who love to cuddle • chocolate milk • delicious corn on the cob • netflix • my family • great weather! • having a dream job • beautiful state parks and "undeveloped" land.
• good music • the coolest nieces and nephew you could ever dream of • state fairs • spending time with old friends • slushies! • hair "mistakes" that turn out awesome • technology (and skype) allowing me to have a business meeting with a friend • squeeze-y hugs from my dad • free furniture • having great thrift luck lately!! •


August was great, but I'm not gonna lie, I'm STOKED about September. Fall is by far my favorite season.
xoxo

Book Recommendation / Review : Geek Love

I have a new book to recommend to you today! (see the last one here) But this time it's a novel.

Let me preface by telling you this : I AM THE PICKIEST READER EVER. No joke. In high school I read a lot because I was bored. Extra time in class? You could find me reading. Study hall? You could find me reading. On the bus? You could find me reading. I read a lot of serial killer books (loooved Helter Skelter!), Hunter S. Thompson and biographies on Kurt Cobain. (I have literally read every book written in English about him/Nirvana). But somewhere along the line I got picky.  I now find it really hard to get interested in a book. If it isn't weird, gory or shocking - I'm not interested.

I discovered Geek Love by Katherine Dunn by finding it in a book of lists. It was in a list titled "Top Ten Disturbing Books" along side a few books from my very favorite author Chuck Palahniuk. I immediately ran over to find it, and read the back. It peeked my interest but not enough for me to buy it right away. Eventually I got desperate enough for a good book that I went back and bought it. After getting started I tore through the book, completely engrossed and intrigued.

The plot (quoted from Geek Love's wikipedia page);

"The novel is the story of a traveling carnival run by Aloysius "Al" Binewski and his wife "Crystal" Lil. When the business begins to fail, the couple devise an idea to breed their own freak show, using various drugs and radioactive material to alter the genes of their children. The results are Arturo ("Arty"), a boy with flippers for hands and feet; Electra ("Elly") and Iphigenia ("Iphy"), Siamese Twins; Olympia ("Oly"), a hunchbacked albino dwarf; and Fortunato ("Chick"), the normal-looking baby of the family who has telekinetic powers.
Oly tells the story of her family in the form of a novel written for her daughter Miranda."

Sounds completely ridiculous right? That's because it is, but in the best way. Katherine Dunn has such a way with words and you will be able to picture each character perfectly right down to the smallest details. The way the characters all looked (perhaps even felt?) to me was so incredibly vivid.

It's been about a month since I finished the book but I really did want to blog about just in case someone is in the same picky book reader boat as me and has trouble finding things to get lost in. (plus I can't get it off my mind!) If at least one person reads this post and goes "oh my gosh, that is so my style of book" - because it's certainly not a book for everyone - I will be one happy little kitten!

I liked it so much it even earned a spot on my special shelf next to all my Chuck Palahniuk books. ;)

You can find Geek Love here! If you read it let me know what you think! that is if you're not totally freaked out by the whole plot to begin with! ;)
xoxo

52 Weeks of Instax / Week 34

52 weeks of instax is a year long project with a super simple goal - one instax photo for each week of the year.

That's Z-Dog or "Zebra dog". I'm pretty sure I tried naming her "Zelda" when we first got her but it didn't stick with my dad so he began calling her Z-Dog instead. My dad and I went and picked her out for my mom years and years ago after our beloved family dog, Baron, passed away.

Z is normally pretty hyper which is no fun since she's a big ole' Great Dane (who can accidentally knock you down with ease), but yesterday we had a little get together for my dad's birthday and she was being so sweet and calm. I had a lot of fun laying in the grass with her even if she did rub slobber all over my clothes and camera bag. I love her, a lot.
xoxo

Remember it's never too late to join in on 52 weeks of instax! You can find an instax camera here, and more posts about 52 weeks here. Also, be sure to post your photos to the 52 weeks flickr group!!

shopping season

I love this time of year.  The light is golden, the days are warm but not stifling, and I can see the leaves just beginning to change.  This is the time of year when I get an urge to shop for myself, and on Saturday morning I bought myself these cute shoes.

Perhaps there is something to tempt you in the latest Etsy shop preview.

1960s olive green abstract print polished cotton dress.

1960s Vera Neumann pink foliage cotton blouse.

1960s abstract paving stones print scarf collar dress.

1940s geometry print crepe blouse.

1950s pique and eyelet Bobbie Brooks dress.

1950s colorful print circle skirt.

1960s autumn paisley dress.

1960s flower doodles blouse, by Lady Manhattan.

1950s watercolor floral dress, by Jonathan Logan.

1950s plaid pleated wool skirt, by Koret.  (A special listing to benefit Denver's MaxFund no-kill animal shelter.)

Mod 1960s autumn floral dress.

1950s white eyelet and ruffles blouse.

1950s blue roses and lilacs shirtwaist dress.

Olive green plaid blouse, by Penney's.

1960s flower vine voile dress.

1950s turquoise blouse with smocked shoulders.

1950s spirograph dress, by Osgood Dresses.

1960s mustard and brown floral ascot neck blouse, by Ship 'n Shore.

1950s toile print dress.

1950s ivory sheer nylon pleated blouse.

1940s forest green linen dress.

xo

K

It's the little things...

like feeling a caterpillar walk all over you!

After checking out my fingers and hand he walked up my arm and hung out a while before I decided I couldn't handle the tickles anymore and placed him back on a leaf.
xoxo!

Pymatuning Deer Park.

On Wednesday my mom took my nephew, two of my nieces and I to Pymatuning Deer Park, it's like a family owned mini-zoo. They have over 250 animals including lots of goats, a lion, some black bears, a zebra, cougars, some monkeys, a bunch of birds and more! It was probably one of the last few times I'll get to spend time with the kids before they go back to school (plus I can never resist an opportunity to take photos of animals) so I took the day off work.

The only animals that had me ooh-ing and ahhh-ing were the....

They were absolutely precious. They had tons of room to run and play but seemed to mostly enjoy being up close and personal with park visitors. At the front gate crackers for the animals were sold, so we had fun trying to only feed the smallest of each kind of animal - the big guys were so pushy!
xoxo

FF #119

Crazy about this room! I'll take one of everything in it, including the exposed brick wall - so pretty!

 (via: modishvintage)
Totally diggin' these fabulous shoes! 

(via: mariesvintage)

This vintage stacking snack tin is so fabulous!

 (via: GinnyWinny)

Such a pretty blouse!

(via: DeLaBelle)
Love this necklace!

(via: modcloth)

 Yellena's work is so beautiful! Totally diggin' her style.

 (via: yellena)
I want an arm full of these colorful bracelets!

 (via: orangeisthesun)
So cute!

 (via: moxiedoll)

This skirt is right up my alley (it's even my size!) It needs to be in my closet!

 (via: UrbanReplay)

This snack tray is too cute!

(via: GallivantingGirls)

This satchel is so so so pretty! The whole "fluro" line is gorgeous. I want one in every color!

(via: cambridge satchel co.)

Drooling over these retro kitchen appliances!
I spent so long browsing this website, despite the fact it's in Russian and I can't speak, read or understand a word of Russian.
What a fabulous rubik's cube inspired bag!

Hope you all have a perfect Friday!
xoxo