Look of the Day: Thrifted Floral

It's been one of those magical weeks when it comes to thrift shopping, so I was inspired to get my camera out. I took photos of three different outfits! First off, this dress! It's from Old Navy, but I found it for $6 at Goodwill. Not exactly the best fabric for the 80 degree weather we've been having, but I couldn't not  wear it. I love it too much!

My second outing to a thrift store resulted in 3 amazing denim finds. First off, a pair of vintage Wranglers in fabulous condition. Unfortunately, they're a size 1, so they're up for grabs on my Etsy. Second, a pair of Acne skinny jeans for a whopping $4! That's like a savings of $246. The third pair was found in the boy's section (my favorite place to look since I'm small). They're a pair of raw denim jeans made about 10 minutes from me in Ballard. They're from the sadly-closed store, Blackbird. They used to make jeans and sell a great selection of men's wear, but have since moved to selling perfumes, incense, and super-cool beard oils online and wholesale. The jeans are another size tragedy, but they were too good to pass up.

More outfits coming soon!

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Look of the Day: Plain & Simple

 Stripes and denim. That's all I need.

Vintage Overalls - Zara Shirt - Thrifted Flats - Tiffany Bracelet 

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Look of the Day: Double Denim & A Hat!

 Well, I think this is the last time I'll wear these mom jeans. They're too big, which is a pain. It takes so much work to find pants and jeans that fit me the right way. Maybe if I just track down a smaller size, but they're vintage so that's easier said than done.

I've been getting sick a lot. I feel like I go to the doctor once a week. It's more obnoxious than anything, though. Lordy, I need a vacation! Trevor and I are thinking Palm Springs in June. Have you been? Also, I'll probably go visit Trevor in the Bay Area at the beginning of next month. I can't wait!

 The top is courtesy of Oasap. I love the little white polka dots!

Vintage hat - Oasap Polka Dot Blouse - Vintage belt & bag - Thrifted mom jeans - Vintage American Optic Sunglasses

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Look of the Day: Green & More Glasses

Heeey guyz. This week has been rough. Well, last week, too. I'm having a pretty hard time (health-wise), and I'm still not sure if it's something serious. Probably not, but, little fact, I'm a huuuuge hypochondriac, which is why I'm having such a hard time. I've been trying to distract myself with work and blogging, especially since I've been neglecting the outfit posts. So here's the second one of the week! It's that Oasap blouse again. I just love it! The green sweater is also care of Oasap, but I'm not crazy about the fit. Seams that hit at the mid arm are never flattering on me. I keep hoping, though! On the plus side, the sweater is really soft and a fabulous color!

That's all for now.

Hope you're all doing well xxxx

Blouse & crop sweater c/o Oasap - Old Navy cinched pants - vintage Michael Green - Tocca Tourmaline necklace (similar) - vintage sunglasses - Watch c/o Timex

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Look of the Day: Plaid Coat & Oasap Blouse

Every season, there are certain pieces I can't stop wearing. This coat is one of them, and this eyeglass patterned blouse from my sponsor, Oasap, is the newest piece. (Not shown: a thrifted Blumarine men's sweater I took off only for these photos. I live in it)

 There's something so graphically pleasing about eyeglass frames.

I just had my haircut refreshed at the Toni&Guy academy here in Seattle (yeah, I get my cut & color done at a school!). The lovely lady who cut my hair, Anita, is quite talented. Of course she's graduating next month! Luckily, she has a blog (So She Did) so I can at least keep in touch, even if I won't be able to afford to get my haircuts from her anymore. She's gonna go someplace fancy and expensive, I just know it.

Oasap eyeglasses blouse - vintage Ralph Lauren coat - Chloe flats - Watch c/o Timex

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Redbook's Real Women Style Awards

 You know that trip I took to New York in June? Well, it was kind of a huge deal. I thought I was gonna explode, because they wouldn't let me announce it, but I got to be part of Redbook's first ever Real Women Style Awards!

The team at Redbook chose nine other winners. All terribly stylish and well-deserving of the award. Really, they couldn't have picked a better group. I had such a wonderful time getting to know them all. It was a good thing we got along so well, since we had to spend nearly 9 straight hours together for the photo shoot!

We packed a lot into 3 days. On our first day, we had fittings and a cocktail party to meet the Redbook team & each other. I spent a good portion of the cocktail party staring out windows of Hearst Tower at this view. I also got the chance to have an in-depth conversation about thrift shopping, short hair, and shoes with Jayne Jamison, the VP, and Heidi Edelstein the associate publisher of Redbook.

We spent our second day in the West Village at Industria Studios. That's where we had the photo shoot (duh), and hours of make-up. It was fully catered (my favorite part) and air-conditioned. Outside, it was 92 degrees and completely gross. The make-up team came with us for the outside shots because, well, our faces melted instantly.

On the third day, we got up extra early to meet the team at JCPenney in Manhattan. There was more make-up, a lovely breakfast, an introduction the Fall line, and shopping!

The free food and professional make-up alone were worth the trip. If I learned anything, it's that I want to have my own make-up team.

Ok, I learned some other things, too. Like "modeling" tips! If you have to look in the direction of the sun or anything really bright, close your eyes and stare directly at the sun 10 seconds before you take the picture. It'll help you avoid squinty eyes. If you're taking close up photos of your hands, hold your hands above your heart before taking the photos. It'll prevent big veins from forming.

Let me introduce to the other winners!

Karla Reed
So tall, so gorgeous, so nice and has the sweetest baby girl.

Maria McNamara of The Style Letters
If you're petite, this lovely lady is your style icon. Also, she's really awesome in person.

Caroline of House of Harper
A blogging powerhouse and another style inspiration for anyone with a small frame.

Victoria of It's A Versayce
Funny, nice, and amazingly disciplined. She hasn't bought anything new in almost a year!

Brittany of The Brilliance of B
She's so easy to talk to and just exudes confidence. I was so nervous at the cocktail party until I talked to her.

Kimberly of Penny Pincher Fashion
So proud another PNW native made it on the list! She is drop-dead gorgeous, but you can tell that from her pics.

Kendi of Kendi Everyday
It was cool actually recognizing her from the blogs I peruse! She's so well-spoken and always impeccably dressed.

Georgette of Grown & Curvy Woman
An amazing woman with a sense of style to match. And so much fun to talk to!

Marisa of A Lovely Living
Charming and so well dressed. Always. Plus, she has two adorable kids!

I'm wearing a Land's End top (of course) and the Audrey skirt from Imbue (made in the USA!). Maria's dress is by Alice & Trixie. For more info and coupon codes, you'll just have to go get yourself a copy of the magazine!

Some 'thank yous' are in order:

All the wonderful people at Redbook. Thanks for doing such a fabulous job finding clothes that both fit my style and my figure. Thanks for organizing this whole thing and making us all feel so welcome!

The on-set tailor. How does anyone learn to sew that fast? Thanks for blowing my mind and making stuff fit me.

The amazing make-up team, especially Nicole Elle, for opening my eyes to concealer and pro make-up tools (I've since bought a bunch at the Sephora in JCPenney). 

#flawless

Nick Onken, our photographer and a Seattle native. It's hard to get me to relax in front of someone else's camera and he managed to do it.

This next one makes me sound so fancy, but a big thanks to the drivers. I was so impressed that we didn't get into any accidents. New York is crazy.

Thank you to JCPenney, the sponsors. Another group of welcoming, kind, generous people!

Thank you to my readers and everyone who voted for me!
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Look of the Day: Catie Colored

This dress is like camo for me, especially against this apartment building. If only the shadows were more dappled, I would blend right in and my prey would never see me. Maybe I can find a dress without spots and then I would disappear! Even my hair is the same color, haha. My sister-in-law always calls it "Catie colored".

Having much more luck styling the Birks. They look so cute with short baby-doll dresses! It's a great outfit for summer, too.

Leopard Print Dress - Birkenstocks - Vintage Coach Bucket Bag (similar) - American Deadstock O'Malley Glasses

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Look of the Day: Hawaiian Maxi

 I scored this fabulous maxi dress at the Memorial Day sale at Value Village. I have so many "statement" maxis, though, that I've decided to give this one up. It has the potential to fit a multitude of sizes and body types, so if you're interested make sure to check out my Etsy shop for more details!

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True Blue: One dress, two ways

I borrowed this lovely little muslin dress from Beats & Bohos. The minute I put it on, I could see all the possibilities. The soft fabric and chunky crochet detailing make it perfect as a beach cover-up. 

The flattering boatneck also makes it a great piece to dress up for a date night.

 Dressing something up is really quite easy, just follow this formula:

Clutch + Heels + More Jewelry

If you don't usually wear jewelry, like me, than one piece will do it. If you regularly wear bling, than add one or two extra pieces. Stack your bracelets, wear longer earrings, or don a bigger necklace.

Aren't these heels cute? They're great everyday heels, but are unfortunately just barely too big on me. My heels slips out if I walk too fast. They will be up in my Etsy store soon!

Vintage muslin dress - GAP sun hat - vintage sunglasses - thrifted straw bag & cuff - Michael Green leather clutch - animal print heels

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LWD: One Dress Two Ways

I've been wanting a little white dress for a while, especially one in a classic shirt-dress style. Well, I thought this one from Oasap was adorable. Turns out it would also look adorable on a baby. It is that short. Like, you-can-see-what-I-had-for-breakfast-short. American Apparel bike shorts to the rescue! I've tucked them up for the photos, but at least I have the reassurance that no one will see my underwear when I move my arms or breath.

I found a much more practical way to wear the dress. Under overalls!

 Just tucked it in and no one was the wiser!

 I'm obsessed with both of the bags I featured in this post. Both were found second hand and both have inspired me to look for more bags like them. The straw one has such a lovely pattern and is right in line with the sort of natural, simple look I've been into lately. It pairs perfectly with overalls.

The leather clutch is by Michael Green and is from the time in the 1990s when Coach leather bags were at their most popular. I've seen this brand around for a while and always just thought it was another one of the companies that made Coach-like leather goods, to put it nicely. Well, this clutch said 'Seattle' on the inside, so I looked it up. In 1993, The Seattle Times wrote an article about Michael Green and his wears. The factory was located right on Queen Anne and he sold 35 different styles of bags in Nordstrom and boutiques. I think I will be buying more Michael Green from now on.

Oh! And the glasses! I sold a similar pair on Etsy and completely regretted it. I found this pair at an estate sale recently and decided they were well worth the price, which was a little higher than I prefer to spend at estate sales. Made by American Optical in the 1960s, I think this pair in particular was used for hiking and mountain climbing. The original owner had an extensive collection of backpacking gear, field guides and other various hiking necessities. It's neat to have stuff with a history.

 One last thing. I look so much like my 9 year-old cousin, Josiah, it's unnerving. Just imagine less make-up and more light-saber action.

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GAP overalls (similar) - Oasap Fairy Heart Short Dress - vintage American Optical sunglasses - thrifted straw bag - GAP denim jacket

Look of the Day: Stripes & Brocade

I'm so spoiled. This week, I got to pick out a bunch of amazing pieces from the racks at Beats & Bohos in Greenwood. I don't get to keep them, but getting to play around with styling them is such a treat! The brocade jacket is one of many treasures from the Foxy Deluxe rack at the shop and the chambray crop top is a new item. It's reversible! I will style it in another post so you can see it.

More looks coming soon!

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Look of the Day: Tartan Christmas

Recently, I've had the pleasure of hanging out with the Citizen Rosebud who lives just up the hill from me. She is a fashion blogging genius with a wonderful eye for vintage. She let me go through her trunks of treasures and style some pieces. My absolute favorite was this bright scarlet skirt from Pendleton. It has a matching blazer, which we both agreed is something no normal human being can pull off. That is a lot of fiery tartan! The skirt alone is such a statement piece, I thought it would be perfect for Christmastime, when you want to wear something extra special to parties and gatherings

I paired it with a simple wool sweater, a skinny belt, and a strand of vintage rhinestones. For outdoors, the fur would be around my shoulders.

If you're interested in the skirt, you can contact me or Bella. It's also available at Beats & Bohos in the Greenwood. If you're not in the Seattle area, you can also find her vintage goods on Etsy!

We're planning a big giveaway in January, so stay tuned!

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Beauty: Back to Basics

My skin has gotten more sensitive as I've gotten older. Even in the past year I've noticed a big change in the way my skin reacts, so I've decided it's time to simplify things. I've been avoiding any makeup or skincare products with perfumes and have started using unscented laundry detergent. I even have to be careful about the lip balm I use! Just in the knick of time, I received this free sample of Hydrating Serum from Lucky Magazine and Seventh Generation.

The new line of Seventh Generation's skin-boosting serums is so natural you could practically eat them! Seriously, there are 12 ingredients in the hydrating serum! It's hypoallergenic, won't clog my pores and contains absolutely no parabens, phthalates or synthetic fragrances.

I apply it after I wash my face in the evening, since it's mostly oil-based. That way it has time to soak in and I don't have to walk around all shiney faced! In the winter, I'll probably mix it in with my lotion to avoid the crazy-dry skin I get in cold weather.

Simplifying your beauty regimen doesn't have to be drastic, and if you're not having problems with rashes, like I am, it doesn't mean you have to throw away everything in your bathroom. Use up the products you have, then invest in some high-quality, earth- and skin-friendly products from Seventh Generation's new line. 

Here are some of my #AllNaturalStyleSecrets :

- Skip lip balms that contain peppermint oil. This is really irritating and can make chapped lips worse!

- Get soft skin with this gentle face scrub

- Having trouble getting smells out of your clothes? Switch to natural fabrics! Polyester and synthetics tend to stay smelly, even after several washes. Plus, they usually make you sweat, and we all know what that leads to!

- Remove heavy makeup by applying a few drops of olive or jojoba oil to your face. Let it soak in, wipe with a tissue, then wash as usual.

Frida's gettin' back to basics, too.