More B7tch1ng About The Weather

Note to readers: Mr. E has posted his reflections on being featured as a style icon, the fickle affections of the lens, and modern funerary practices in an edit to our last post (as well as in the comments).

This ensemble appears just about right, as it shows in the top three photos. Clean lines with enough textural interest to keep things from being boring. Nice proportions, flat shoes that make walking easy but which also add a nice vintage element to the whole look. And the chunky sweater easily comes off or on to deal with any temperature fluctuations. Looks like a slam dunk!

Except when you leave the house for your daily constitutional. Chunky sweater is knitted of chunky yarn, leaving chunky holes through which clammy air can wind  it's fingers around your delicate ribs. And this jacket is a bit much on top of those small, flat shoes. Nice and big up top, medium past the hips, then ...... where's the feets?

But the worst of it came in the late afternoon. The sun burned through the fog for an hour or so, hitting the roof at just the right angle to heat up the house by around 20F degrees in minutes. This was just the time i'd penciled in for some quality time with the vacuum (which always gets my blood going).

Well, it's been a while since we've had a good vacuuming photo around here. I'm not at all sure how those texture-y socks look with the lace-trimmed tank and bare arms......maybe i should've left the belt on?

It's all because of this blasted weather! It's been gloomier than glum the last couple of weeks, as we've been in the grip of tule fog. Tule fog, also known as valley fog, is technically a type of 'radiation fog'. It manifests (very spookily!) when the temperature drops to the dew point in a low-lying area where the ground has become saturated with water. This type of fog literally forms from the ground up. Here's a great description of the evil that is tule fog, "The visibility in Tule fog is often less than 1/8th of a mile, about 600 feet, but can be less than 10 feet. Visibility can vary rapidly in any area, with sudden decreases to near zero in only a few feet. It is situations like these that often lead to multi-car accidents where one car follows another into a fog bank." (from the NOAA website). This photo on Flickr gives you a feel for typical driving conditions in this type of fog.  (Scare yourself silly by imagining driving in tule fog courtesy Google images.)

But the facts above don't begin to address the psychological aspect of living inside of a dingy ball of cotton candy fuzz for days, weeks, or months on end. Sunday morning i woke up and was thrilled to see how sunny it was! It was also nice to hear the steady downpour hitting the roof. Yes, your classic rainy day is brighter than living in tule fog.

So, the moral of today's post is the same as always - take it all with a grain of salt (or more).It's easy to look pulled-together for 1/64th of a second, and it's possible to edit any mundane life into an exciting, attractive post. I don't know about anybody else, but i have plenty of loose ends, stumbles, and bad hair days. I leave that out because no one's interested in that (if you were, this'd be a comedy blog). But i assure you it's here in my life, as much as in anybody else's.

And there is hope after all - 'mostly clear skies' predicted for the end of the week!

Sweater: Tweeds
Black Sweater: Royal Robbins
Belt: vintage Coach
Skirt: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Socks: O Chevrons from Sock Dreams
Shoes: Born

Wardrobe Infusion via "The House of Mom"

 Just a nice, warm, easy to wear look.  I've been on the hunt for another small hat recently, but no luck yet. With a lot of looks, especially the 'vintage-y feeling' ones, i really like the look of a small, neat head. To my eye it gives a '30's or '20's vibe.  This hat tarts up really easily with scarves and pins, which varies the look, but i wear it enough that i think another small one would be in order.

Actually, this hat came into my wardrobe via my mom. She'd had it awhile but never wore it, so when i spotted it over at her house she said, 'Take it!'. Ah, now that's the kind of shopping i really like
; )   No crowds, and the price is right. Besides, clothing with a little history to it is just more fun to wear.

Speaking of 'fabulous accessories via The House of Mom', here's a close-up of my holiday gift from my mother. I'd had my eye on Justina Leigh's CHARLIE bracelet since i saw her work on Style Underdog last summer.  I kept an eye out for likely chains to try and cobble one together on my own, with zero luck. At least the one bracelet i really liked wasn't moving - until right after Christmas, when mom asked me what she could get me for the holiday. It had just sold!!!  Fortunately i had the presence of mind to write to Monique Lopez regarding the possibility of a dupe - 'No Problem', came the reply. Whew!

A couple of weeks later, my bracelet came in the mail.  I've taken it off two or three times since then. Thanks, mom!  Now, what type of wardrobe support do you all get from your families, specifically 'The House of Mom'?

Dark Grey Sweater: Tweeds
Khaki Jean Jacket: Royal Robbins
Henley: Aeropostale
Skirt: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Over The Knee socks: O Lovelies from Sock Dreams
Scarf: own design
CHARLIE Bracelet: Justina Leigh on etsy
Shoes: Born

No Repeats W & W: Day Nineteen

pretty cute, if i do say so myself.

Well, i wanted to end this 'workaday capsule' series with a bang - nice outfits, somewhat creative pictures in fun settings....and Day Nineteen went pretty much to plan. See above.

However, Day Twenty (the grand finale) was a bust.  I planned to wear the beige dirndl with my palm tree jacket and red clogs. I had to wake up early early to drive with Mr. E to work so i could use the car to get the oil changed, do a blood draw, etc. I'd struggled into my bra, cami, sweater, tights, slip, skirt and clogs when Mr. E commented (from his rightful place on his throne) that i had a big stain right on the middle of my skirt back.  Even i had to admit it was too gross to wear in public, once i inspected it. (I've been known to play fast and loose with bitsy stains, little tears, and so on. I mean, who can tell that it didn't happen since you left the house?)

Overnight, the weather got vewy vewy foggy as well as a good ten degrees colder than it's been. Even with expert layering my chances of pulling off my cotton canvas palm tree jacket without risking hypothermia were nil. At that point, i put my whole closet up fro grabs in order to pull together whatever clothes would keep me warm, be comfy, and preserve public decency.  My choices, as it turned out, were pretty darn slim. See result below.

Frankly, I was skeptical about learning much from taking on this challenge. But i was wrong wrong wrong. Limiting myself in this way has showed me just how low i can go in terms of the number of basic, everyday workhorse pieces i need in my wardrobe. I can get away with a pretty small number.......for a while.

But, trouble ensues when you're relying on one piece to fill a central wardrobe role and that piece gets a naughty stain. Or that piece is realistically too uncomfortable for your leg to tolerate thirteen days out of fourteen. Or that one item is your go-to piece for cold weather, but the cold weather drags out for twice or three times as long as usual. Or that skirt just plumb wears out before you can make or find a replacement.

In other words, i could stand to be more honest with myself about a) what i truly feel comfortable wearing comfort-wise and b) building some buffer pieces in my wardrobe, especially with my workhorses. I'm certain i wouldn't have found that out (or believed it enough to act on it) without participating in this challenge.

Thank You Cynthia and Anne!

Continuing Developments

on edit: commenter Karen was kind enough to let us know that the authors of the 'cake vs frosting' concept are Jesse Garza and Joe Lupo. The book of theirs i read is Life In Color: The Visual Therapy Guide to The Perfect Palette - for Fashion, Beauty, and You!  Thank You Karen!

So, here's the outfit that sparked the one in the last post. Sorry about the lighting! The days around here got real short all of a sudden (any Alaskan readers are viewing me with complete scorn right now). I'll most likely adjust my picture-taking times right around mid-April.....right when the days start getting perceptibly longer!

As i explained in my last post, I eyeballed this outfit in order to use it as inspiration for creating more successful looks along the same vein. The first thing i noticed was the clean lines of the silhouette - the fit is 'classic' (not too tight, not too loose) all through the outfit. No exaggerated blousing or tightness anywhere. The waist of the outfit falls at the natural waist. It's just a jacket and a skirt - no complicated layers or fancy edges peeking out. The top ends at the top of the legs (not cropped or down at the mid thigh or lower). There's not a lot of contrast in the main clothing items (color, light/dark, texture), or between them. Everything's kind of khaki to kind of a light medium brown. Even the scarf blends in, being composed of the same basic tones.

In other words, the clothing provides a calm, non-distracting background for any accessories. No exaggeration in contrast, fit, or cut of the clothing. The only place where there's any real concentration of detail and contrast is in the hat and boots, and so they are highlighted. The eye is drawn to these two accessories because the rest of the outfit is so plain and low-contrast.  There's no danger of losing the 'style quotient' of just one or two accessories because the rest of the outfit is so low-key.  Really, this formula is not that complicated - once you figure it out!

Jacket off & the scarf jumps out

So what does all of this have to do with cake and frosting? A few months ago, while browsing the 'beauty and grooming' section in downtown Walnut Creek's Barnes and Noble bookstore, i ran across an interesting wardrobe concept. The idea is that you look at wardrobe items as either 'cake' or 'frosting'. 'Cake' comprises well-cut jeans and black trousers, the little black dress, the white button down blouse, khaki pencil skirt, white crew neck tee, and so on. These are the 'wardrobe workhorses', pieces that no one is going to fantasize about or drool over, but without which it can be very hard to construct an outfit.

'Frosting' consists of those drool-worthy pieces that you scrimp and save (or go into debt!) to obtain - the sequin flapper type top, the red satin trench coat, the black Tahitian pearl necklace, Cynthia's new boots. 'Frosting' pieces add life, detail, character, and interest to an outfit. 'All cake' outfits are......fine. But they can be boring and lifeless, and give no to little clue about the person in the outfit. 'All frosting' outfits are great for clubbing or getting married. But for a job interview or running down to get a gallon of milk, frosting all the way is too much.

Looked at in this way, i can see that i can expand my 'style spectrum' (as Paula put it in the comments to my last post) by creating outfits with just a touch of frosting on top of mostly cake. I'd been afraid that by doing so my style would not come across, that it would get lost......but through observing my fellow bloggers, and by analyzing my serendipitous outfit, i'm learning how to create the proper 'cake' background to showcase the frosting i want to highlight. I used to worry that if i didn't put across my style strongly in every piece of a look (or at least 75% of the pieces), that the impact would be significantly dulled. I still don't want to start wearing items that i can't relate to at all. But i'm getting a better feel for how to choose and use pieces as appropriate 'background'.

the inspired outfit from last post

The other obstacle for me in expanding my 'command of the style spectrum' has been in finding/designing proper 'cake' pieces. Since my style tends towards the sticky and gooey part of the dessert, it's harder for me to feel comfortable wearing more pared down, less-detailed items. However, by looking at the few 'cake' pieces i have that do work i can find clues of where to go. The pieces i like are all made of fabrics with low-contrast or no pattern, with simple silhouettes and a small amount of detailing in only one area (interesting buttons, a rolled raw edge neckline, overly long sleeves, and so on). My color preferences are well-known, and natural fibers can convey their own special quality in a quiet way.

The authors of the 'cake/frosting' idea recommend a typical wardrobe should consist of 80% cake, 20% frosting.  I'd have to work with this concept a lot longer to be able to give an educated opinion about it, myself. Nevertheless, i'm grateful to them for giving me a very useful tool to use in expanding my range.

I am sorry to tell you that i didn't write down the name of the book or the authors of the 'cake/frosting' idea. It was written by two men. I've looked all over the web but can't for the life of me track them down in order to give them proper credit. Do any of you know who these authors are? I'd be so happy to find out!!

 Hat: Renaissance Faire vendor, trimmed by me
Jacket: Ralph Lauren, old
Skirt: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Scarf, Earrings: own design
Socks: Target
Boots: Bass Lamont

full disclosure: This outfit actually has a ton of layers, but they are all 'hidden'. On top: cotton spandex cami, lonsleeved cotton blend sweater, cashmere long sleeved cardi, wool jacket. On bottom: leggings, silk half slip, knee socks, skirt. Combined with hat, gloves, and scarf, i was nice and toasty!

Have Fun With Your Clothes!

Double outfit post today....actually triple outfit (including the one i posted on Monday).  Recently i've been focusing on my Europa Geisha Blouse,which i made out of cotton Geisha printed fabric using La Fred's Europa Blouse pattern.

my Europa blouse - pattern by La Fred

I've worn three pretty different outfits which each feature this blouse over the last 2-3 weeks, and it got me thinking about what made this blouse so versatile for me.  After all, while it's not completely over the top in pattern, fabric, or styling, it's not a plain black tee shirt or button down blouse.  Flexibility is the key to avoiding boredom with a small wardrobe, so how to pull off this type of manouevre?

First, color.  I've explained before about color in the small wardrobe. My two 'foundation' colors are black and beige, so the parchment/tan of this fabric fits right in. I chose beige as one of my colors precisely because there are so many variations of beige: taupe, khaki, tan, ecru, dark ivory, eggshell, on and one. They all play nicely together and all play just as nicely with black.  Grey could play the same role in a person's wardrobe: charcoal, ash, cobweb, pearl grey.........although for me grey falls under the 'watered-down form of black' category.   Any other colors in my wardrobe have to go well with both beige and black in order to make it in.  As it happens, that's not much of a restriction, so how do i choose?

Secondly, choose only pieces that flatter your particular physical form. We all know the many many items out there that we can't wait to get our hands on - they're so cute, it's the color of the season, vinyl is so fashion forward, i've always wanted to rock a PVC corset ever since i saw one on Sarah Jessica Parker, it looks just gorgeous on my kid's first grade teacher, Tim Gunn says every woman needs a trench coat, if i just belt it and hem it and wear that scarf near my face to 'take care of' the color.......blah blah blah.  You don't want these type of clothes, as fun as they may be.

 Then there's you standing in flourescent light wearing two-sizes-too-big grey sweats, with a 102 degree fever, and you put on the floppy aubergine paisley blouse and all of a sudden you look like a million bucks. It's not in style or out of style, no spectacular 'features' to it. You can ball it up in your hand and it's nothing special there. But when you put it on, you just look fabulous. 

You want those type of clothes.  The 'you look like a million bucks' clothes.

Certain colors, fits, shapes, textures, types of patterns, sizes of patterns, and hem lengths will flatter your form while many others will not.  You can determine these characteristics by actually trying on a bunch of different items and taking pictures or notes, then studying them. Look for clothes that you don't have to 'work with' in order for them to make you look great.  There are plenty of looks you can pull off - with work.  This exercise is about finding the effortless pieces. You don't have to buy anything, especially before you've nailed down what really flatters - it may take time to determine how to work what flatters in with your lifestyle, comfort requirements, etc.

 Even if, to begin with, the really flattering items might seem a little all over the place, with time and observation you will begin to find the common threads. Clothes that truly flatter you will tend to 'go together' because they will have so many commonalities. These commonalities are determined by your own physical aesthetic. The Triumph of Individual Style by Carla Mason Mathis and Helen Villa Connor is an excellent explication of this concept. (Click 'show more formats' to see the really cheap older paperback versions - the information is just as good.) It will instruct you on everything you need to know about color theory, proportion, art history, and how all this relates to dressing your body beautifully. 

 

Thirdly, clothes that have 'built in' flexible styling options will be easier to style in multiple ways.  That's why so many 'top twenty' lists feature the white button-down shirt with collar. White goes with all colors, you can button it all the way up, leave it open, tie it at the waist (buttoned or open), tuck it in, belt it out (buttoned or un)....all with the collar turned up or down.  Not to mention what you can do with the addition of scarves, necklaces, camis, tees...

the geisha ladies on my Europa blouse

A crewneck or turtleneck sweater, for example, is just inherently more limited.   There's no way to change the neckline without scissors. You can try wearing it backwards, but it basically looks the same (except for the stitching holding the tag on). These types of items are great for base pieces in layerings, but they tend to always look pretty similar.  You can't rely on them to provide a variety of looks. 

Pieces with removable collars, fastenings up the front or back, different necklines back and front (so you can wear it backwards for a different look), loose fits in thin fabrics which can be belted in or layered over, pieces with ties which can be tied or bowed in different ways, skirts which can be pulled up to look shorter or pinned up at the hem - pieces with these types of features allow you a lot more room to play.

me having maybe a little too much fun with my clothes

That's why i sliced up the front of this olive drab turtleneck to turn it into a cardigan. I've worn it more in the last month than i ever did in the previous six years i had it. 


So, my dear readers, do you have any tricks of guidelines for getting more 'looks' out of your clothes? Is it possible to have too much fun with your clothing? Tell all!


Europa Geisha Blouse: La Fred Europa Blouse
Plaid Sundress: Liz Claiborne
Olive Drab Turtleneck: Macy's mens store, rapidly becoming vintage
Shoe Boots: MaineWoods
Belt: old


Sage Crochet Sweater: April Cornell
Tee: Merona at Target
Skirt: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Shoes: Bass Lacey Heeled Oxfords
Belt: vintage Coach


Monday's outfit post

A Wintery Outfit......and a General Observation

The shirt i'm wearing here was *intercepted* in a Goodwill bag at my dad and step-mom's place.  Taking a piece out of your own Goodwill bag is standard procedure.  Asking, 'Hey....about that shirt in that bag next to the door...?' is par for the course in our family.  But....it turns out - how do i put this - stepma was 'doing a favor for a friend'. This shirt came from without 'the family circle'. From a man with excellent taste in Italian men's shirts - lucky me!

Details of the necklace and scarf....with another pic so you can see these tiny little pink flower earrings:

Later on i added a jacket and changed my shoes to go for a walk (with my trusty Petzl - it was dark out there):

I look like Sheila there!  And i loved the way the patterns on the jacket and shirt matched up - clothing kismet.  Little details like these are often my favorite part of an outfit.

I am glad it's become .....if not 'cold', at least less infernally hot.  I've spent so many years in climates where you could really rely on layering to express your style and get more creativity out of your clothes by mixing them up in unexpected ways. This way of dressing is just easier for me, through experience and inclination. I'm trying to keep the upcoming summer in mind though, so i can be prepared and not be too heartbroken when things heat up again.....

On A Personal Note:
Lordy, one hundred posts came and went and i didn't say a thing about it!  First, of course it's a lot more fun knowing eyeballs, and especially eyeballs connected to some smart and stylish brains, are looking at my posts. Thank you all for reading, commenting, following, linking.....you don't have to do it, you have plenty of other things to do during your day, and i so much appreciate your time.

I was looking through some pictures and it struck me how lean i look in some,

 versus how plump i look in others.

Frankly, that's fine with me - i get bored looking the same for too long and enjoy playing the chameleon. But i did want to let you all know that every bit of it is clothes and posing.  When i started this blog, i had a stray thought that looking at pictures of myself *in public* everyday might inspire me to take off the four or five pounds that would be me at my supremo weight***.  But it hasn't happened. Partly, i don't care enough.  But also, i've seen that how i LOOK (not feel, or how healthy i actually am) is so radically determined by what i'm wearing and how i pose in front of the camera.  I've weighed between 133.5 -137 pounds ever since i started this blog. That's just three pounds - not enough to notice.

Part of the reason i blog is to get some different images/ideas out there about beauty, style, what women look like, etc. I thought that my readers might be interested to know that all the changes on this blog, as far as how big my body looks, are due to clothes and pose. I think it shows that if you want to look leaner, doing all those things Charla Krupp tells you to do in How To Never Look Fat Again will work - and, in terms of how you LOOK, it may make more difference than losing a few pounds.  But i hope it also shows that you can look stylish and have fun with clothes in ways that go way beyond 'not looking fat'.

***according to joint pain, general comfort, and not eating sugar

Jacket, Necklace: own design
Top: Ann Ferriday
Shirt: we have our ways...
Skirt: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Shoes: Maine Woods, Merrell

Summer Wrap Up

Happily, today (Halloween!) has dawned nice and bright, so the little ghoulies and monsters should be able to run, squeal, and hold up the locals without fear of damp or cold.  However, the last couple of weeks have been typical Bay Area winter-type weather - damp, some rain, fog, a bit chilly.  I have a couple of summery outfits i haven't posted yet, so i figured i'd better slap 'em up here before they seem completely out of kilter!

Another grocery-shopping-day look.  Note predominance of pockets and tell-tale bright pink pen.

another view:

I love that skirt so much more since i made the 'coordinating' petti. Even when i wear the skirt all by itself.  It makes no sense, but that hasn't stopped anything before.

God, i just love the way linen crinkles and wrinkles and drapes.  That blouse is a linen/rayon blend and by the end of the day is just has this amazing texture. Not to mention it breathes wonderfully in the heat.  It also lasts like iron, i did you not! If i had to choose one fiber for all i wear, i'd go with linen.

Same pin/chain trick. Next you can see the multiple waist fastenings i like - knotted, belted, & tied.

This last outfit (below) was fine. But i've decided to toss this blouse (after i cannibalize it for buttons, lace, etc.). I got it on sale at April Cornell a few years back. Very nice details - buttons with loops, skinny circle-ruffle on neckline, lace and ruffle on sleeve - but the fit is just atrocious. Constantly 'falling to the back', kind of too long to wear out and loose (plus the front placket always shrank, causing the hem to dip up in the center), yet not long enough to tuck in or knot properly.

Here's a detail of how i got the blouse to kind of (not really) stay in place:

I used a hair elastic to gather up the 'knot', then hid it underneath the belt. It looked fine, but the blouse kept moving around too much for me.

I thought this clock would look so fun with this outfit.  It's a present from my mom - i love old clocks and i love birds, so it was really sweet of her to find this one for me. This clock is perfect as a kitchen clock (hmm, i think it's time to move it over the greenhouse window above the sink again...).  The funniest part is, through some mix-up, the details of which i've forgotten (mom?), mom ended up getting a duplicate and now we have matching kitchen clocks!  Of course this makes it that much more special. I'm having a feeling that i was certain i'd lost it in the move to Tony's when we married, so mom got me a replacement, but then i found the original....

Mom, does this sound right to you or.....?

Happy Halloween everybody!!!

Jacket: Royal Robbins, altered
Top, Petticoat: own design
Skirt: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Shoes: Maine Woods
Pen: Pilot Rolling Ball Extra Fine
Belt: Betsey Johnson

Blouse: Folkwear Patterns Gibson Girl Blouse, made by me
Dress: Converse One at Target
Underskirt: Liberty of London for Target
Belt: Betsey Johnson

Blouse: April Cornell
Skirt, Petticoat: own design
Sandals: Naturalizer

I Been Holdin' Out On You All!

I been holdin' out on you all!  I was immediately taken with this silk blouse, worn as a vest, on Style Underdog a couple of months ago. I love Bev's style - it's the style i aspire to when i grow up.  (I'm pretty sure i'm older than Ms. Underdog, but she has kids and i don't. On the other hand, we do both have husbands, and.....hmm. In case mine reads this, best to stop now!)  I kept my eye out for suitable fabric, pounced on this coral peacock cotton lawn the minute i had cash in hand, and got to work.  I finished the blouse a couple of weeks ago and have worn it happily a few times since - but no blog pictures until now!!  Bad, bad blogger!

I wore this outfit for a day of dental fillings and errands (after a nap - that medicine just knocked me out!)

I got a little cotton lawn blouse at Target a few months ago, and it's reminded me of how much i love blouses, and how useful they are in my wardrobe. A flattering blouse brightens your face and can make a whole outfit - all the rest, the hair, makeup, jewelry, etc. can be simple while the style of the blouse kicks everything up a level.  It also provides a 'finish' that i generally rely on a jacket to provide.  But even a lightweight jacket can be too hot or fussy on some days, so a blouse fits the bill.

I had some really beautiful blouses in my early twenties that i made myself.  But when we opened trade with China, the wonderful cottons and silks from Egypt, Italy, and France were no longer 'working' from the finanacial angle.  Chinese fabrics, while nowhere as nice, were much much cheaper. Home apparel sewing fell out of fashion for a while there as well, and it was next to impossible to find any nice blouse fabrics.  Jackets, skirts, and pants can all be 'pulled off' when using quilting or decorating fabrics....but nice cotton blouses really only blossom when made of specific fabrics intended for that purpose.

 Thankfully, the past couple of years, and even more so this season, manufacturers are responding to the increasing popularity of home apparel sewing by producing some gorgeous blouse materials. I 

found this out by talking to the lady who helped me at Stone Mountain and Daughter when i was buying this fabric.I had noticed the difference in what was available, and i was very excited to learn manufacturers are focusing more on products for home apparel sewing. I guess it turns out i owe something of my style to Project Runway!

This pose reminded me so much of Sal at Already Pretty that i had to throw it in. The outfit with the capris was just a knocking around the house kind of day. I've had the sweater for years and loved the color and texture too much to throw it out, yet i never wore it. Then, i ran across a blogger (unfortunately i've forgotten who) who made a cardigan by just slicing up the front of a pullover.  I did the same thing and ta-da! I wear it open or belted, it's a lot of fun either way and nice and warm in the chilly days of winter.....if we ever have winter again.

So, my fellow bloggers, what are YOU holding out on us?

Blouse: own pattern, inspired by Style Underdog
Skirt: own design, inspired by some girls wander
Petticoat, Jacket, Ribbon Flower: own design
Earrings: liliswan on etsy
Necklace: Tail of the Yak, Berkeley, CA
Shoes: Ancient Maine Woods

sorry about the weird spaces - they've improved blogger again and it takes me a while to adjust....