Monday, May 17, 2010

SILLY BANDS: The new Pogs
Last week, my amazing, brilliant, and hilarious 11 year old cousin, Izzy Freelove Brown, URGENTLY asked if I could send her some "Silly Bands" ASAP because they were sold out at all of the Party City's in Providence. Huge deal, clearly. I had no idea what these were so she sent me a picture right away:
Obviously, since she didn't have enough already, she needed more, fast. She made it clear that if she did not receive these as soon as humanly possible, it would surely be the end of her middle school cool-career. Not only did she ask me for one pack but, being Izzy, she told me that she would appreciate 40 to 60 packs, if possible. Well, because I ain't no Donald Trump, I sent her three packs and soon found out that she actually only received one because her hooligan sisters, Maddie and Charlotte, each stole a pack - making me look like a bad older cousin. Thanks guys!
Photograph taken by Marissa Dwyer, animal-band professional
But anyways, these little $1.99-a-pack rubber bands are pretty cool - I am not going to lie. Not only is each color shaped as a different animal but, most importantly, they are neon, so I obviously bought myself a pack (or two, NBD) and have been getting comments up-the-wazoo. This new fad is growing, even amongst the older-folk - or maybe just me... But since I felt so out of the loop when Izzy sent me a 911 facebook message, I though I'd share this new phenomenon with all of you so that you can look cooler than I did.

Real Live Fanny Packs...

As I said: the FANNY is back...
Have you noticed? Day-by-day, the fanny has slowly, but steadily, been makin' its move back into everyday life and, as you all know, I am so, so happy about it. According to my poll a couple of weeks back, some of you were hating on the fanny but I promise, soon enough, you will want your own.
Yes, lots of people make fanny faux pas. FYI: they should absolutely not be worn as an upper-butt pouch, or a doggy-holder, or as a bathing suit, as shown in the images below (Thank you for your amazing paparazzi skills, Marissa Dwyer).
AND guys... if you feel like a fanny will deprive you of your masculinity, you can always go with the thigh-pack:
Ha-ha, just kidding...
BUT, as seen on sites such as style.com, the ultimate what's hot and what's not style website, fanny packs are making their way back onto the coolest waists out there...
So... Get em' while they are hot or don't say I didn't warn you.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Happy Mother's Day!

Flowers, Photo Albums, Chocolates, Cards...
Yes - absolutely thoughtful gifts BUT why not shock your mom, Nana, or anyone who you commemorate on Mother's Day with a lil' vintage spunk? In most cases, they will never expect it and the 'thoughtfulness-card' will be dropped like never before.
Personally, I know that my wonderful mother loves sentimental things that remind her of growing up which - I think - a majority of parents and adults tend to get a little teary-eyed over.
So, although I know it is a little last-minute - if you have time and haven't already spent your hard-earned dollar billz on a great gift - go to your closest thrift store, antique store, or, in my case, your favorite vintage website which will be jam-packed with anything you could ever want.
My mom had briefly and recently mentioned to me that she was in search for a durable, "hip", and, big beach bag so I went to my favorite vintage website, www.etsy.com, clicked on the vintage section and searched "wicker large beach tote" and, to my delight, pages and pages of results popped up instantly.
After weeding through the pages, I found dozens of totes that I LOVED but had to remember: this was not a present for me, but for my mom, even though we have very similar tastes and I frequently go "shopping" in her closet whenever I am home...Shhh!
After admiring the fabulous results, I dwindled down the finalists to the perfect bag - just for her - not surprisingly, from one of my favorite Etsy sellers, VixVintage, who has been collecting vintage items for years and years. She quotes Confucius when describing her vintage-seeking style: "Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it" - which I 100% agree with and tend to mentally note whenever I am vintage shopping. I highly suggest you check out her Etsy Store: VixVintage ASAP.
But, yes, back to mom. My mom LUCKILY received the bag this morning - thanks to Vix's speedy shipping - and immediately called me, left two voicemails (typical), and even texted me (not an easy move for her, trust me), and even figured out how to take a picture on her phone and send it to me (actual text message picture from mama Wein herself shown below)!
Her tech-savvy and extremely shocking moves made it clear that I had hit the nail on the head this year which, obviously, made me happy because she is an amazingly awesome mom!
So, even if this cheap, speedy, and incomparably thoughtful gift-giving suggestion is a little too late, there are always birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and so on...
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Friday, May 7, 2010

VINTAGE MAKEOVER: BEFORE AND AFTERS
As I previously blogged - many-a-time I have visited local, small-town thrift stops and, at first glance, seen racks and racks of frumpy and unattractive items BUT if you truly have that vintage crusading drive and take a closer and more creative look - the potential of many of these "beastly" items are unimaginable...
My hometown thrift store, The Andover Thrift Shop - amidst many other small-town thrift stores - has provided me with dozens of dirt-cheap yet ultra chic, old-school gems that tend to hold a special place in my closet and, more importantly, my heart.
A couple of weeks ago, during a weekend trip home, I bought eight or nine pieces for a mere twenty-something dollars - you, honestly, cannot beat that!
Five of these pieces were items that had most likely been collectin' dust on the shop's racks for years because, like I said, at first glance, they were drab, outdated, unstylish, and downright ugly but their lurking potential immediately caught my eye. So, I bought em' and immediately brought them to my favorite tailor, Emily, and after explaining my desired changes, let her work her magic.
In an attempt to lure more of you to your hometown, cheap, and one-of-a-kind thrift shops, I documented my vintage makeovers in hopes that, in the future, you don't judge the book by it's cover if ya' know what I'm sayin'...
(take note: due to lack of models and my not-so-great photography skills, these pieces don't look half as fabulous as they do when worn!)
1.)BEFORE - long and unflattering AND AFTER - a cute cropped, biker, snakeskin bombshell jacket:
2.) BEFORE - a heavy, knee-length, archaic romper (not the trendy-type) AND AFTER - a v-neck floral mini dress with cinched waist and rolled sleeves:
3.) BEFORE - a retro calf-length, boxy moo-moo AND AFTER - a mod patchwork mini shirt-dress with pockets and a self belt:
4.) BEFORE - an Amish-style shoulder-pad polka-dotted mess AND AFTER - a deep v-neck cap-sleeve wrap mini dress:
5.) BEFORE - the most awkwardly-length and uncomplimentary - to say the least - dress AND AFTER - a soft cotton short-sleeved teal top with cinched waist (could also be a beach-type cover-up) and zip-up back:
I hope you are able to see the potential at your local, small-town thrift stores also because - if not - you are really missing out!