But if I'm to say how madly I adore you...

photos by Tom b.

- 90s floral dress
- thrifted boy's blazer
- thrifted J.Crew cashmere sweater
- Hansel from Basel tights
- Jeffrey Campbell boots
- vintage wool beret
- vintage Coach purse
- listening to: Billie Holiday "Let's Call a Heart a Heart"



So... this will be my last post before I head south for the week. But not to worry! I've rounded up a whole slew of my favorite fellow bloggin' gals to lend a hand next week. I can't wait to see what they come up with! It should be a really fun week around the blog.



There's really not much else to report from around these parts because it's been work, work, work for the past few days. Here I am in another outfit with very conspicuous knees. I'm getting used to the whole idea. Also, someone commented that they'd heard the Hansel from Basel tights fell apart after the first wear, but I found the contrary to be true. These were quite sturdy and held up well after a day's wear.

Wonder this time where she's gone...

photos by Tom b.

- 60s wool sweater
- Fletcher for Lyell shorts
- AA tights
- vintage silk scarf
- vintage wool beret
- vintage Coach purse
- Jeffrey Campbell boots
- listening to: Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone"



The past couple of days I've been working like a mad woman trying to squeeze two weeks worth of work into two days in anticipation of taking next week off. On Monday I'll be flying to Alabama to visit family and hang out for the week. I'll try to keep up with the blog while I'm gone... if I can get my act together maybe I can lure a couple of peeps into doing some guest blogs while I'm gone. Even if the blog is a bit quiet, I'm all prepared to update the shop just like usual.



Hopefully while I'm down there I'll have time to hit up some of my favorite thrift stores in my old stomping grounds. It's always fun to come home with a bag full of goodies for the shop. I miss those giant thrift stores! I'll also take my camera along and try to snap a few photos here and there. Maybe I can convince my sister to take a few with me as well. Hmmm, Allison?

Other people stared as if we were both quite insane...

photos by Tom b.

- H&M striped shirt
- 60s wool skirt
- Madewell sweater cape
- AA tights
- Hansel from Basel socks
- Jeffrey Campbell boots
- vintage wool beret
- listening to: The Hollies "Bus Stop"



I guess I was putting quite a bit of pressure on this weekend and I have to say it really lived up to all of my expectations. Friday was a chilly night but it was fun to bundle up in tights and a wool coat to walk downtown for the art gallery openings. There's also a new vintage shop in town that I was able to check out for the first time and I have to say, I'm going to be in so much trouble with that shop! I pretty much wanted to take home everything in the shop. I'm already thinking about the next time I can go back.



The rest of the weekend was pretty chill with lots of housework (the good kind that makes you feel like you've really accomplished something), a trip to Trader Joe's (oh, how I miss you!), and lots of napping on the couch with the cats while Tom watched football.



As for what I'm wearing, I wasn't completely convinced about this Madewell cape when I got it. I thought it looked a little like I was wearing a big blanket. However, after just one wear, I'm totally convinced that I'll be living in it most of the winter. It's just so cozy and well... sort of like wearing a big blanket, which I guess ended up being a good thing.

The knee socks are a new favorite as well. At first I felt like my knees were looking quite conspicuous. I suppose it is a bit odd to wear something that highlights your knees. Just a quick warning... if you wear these, make sure you line up the knee patches right over your knees or you end up looking like you've got some seriously wonky legs.

The storm will suck the pretty girls into the sky...

- H&M blouse
- 50s corduroy skirt
- UO boots
- vintage wool beret
- vintage Coach purse
- listening to: The National - High Violet "Little Faith"



Usually the weekdays just run into the weekends around here since Tom and I both work from home (for the most part). But for some reason I'm feeling really excited about this weekend. After two days of rain the sun is finally shining again. Tonight is First Friday which means new art in the galleries downtown. Tom and I will walk down Gallery Row if it's not too cold out tonight! I've heard rumors of snow flurries but I don't believe a word. Too soon!

Scenes from the Neighborhood

photos by Tom b.

- 20s silk dress
- 60s ribbed cardigan (that I can't seem to keep all the buttons on)
- AA tights
- vintage Ferragamo t-straps
- vintage wool beret
- vintage Coach purse



The other day Tom and I enjoyed a leisurely afternoon stroll through our neighborhood and snapped few photos along the way. I really wanted to take some time to soak in as much of the fall color as possible before winter swoops in and turns everything grey. There were pretty mums and hydrangea blooming in front of a nearby church. The church has a bell tower that rings the time every fifteen minutes so when I'm at home, I always know what time it is!



I'm wearing a lovely 20s frock I bought on Etsy. I've been wanting to wear it because it reminds me of the pretty dresses worn on Boardwalk Empire (I told you I've been watching that show too much!). It's quite delicate though and I think couldn't handle much more than a leisurely stroll. When I sat down in it, I could hear the threads popping and the entire lining sort of disintegrated during the walk. I guess it's going to be relegated to display status. At least I got to wear it once!

Halloween Day

photos by Tom b.

- polka dot dress courtesy of Modcloth
- Urban Outfitters fatigue jacket
- AA tights
- Jeffrey Campbell boots
- vintage wool beret
- vintage Coach purse



Thank you so much for all of your wonderful comments on my Halloween costume post! I had a moment of panic that afternoon when I was trying to put it all together and it wasn't coming out the way I pictured it in my head. In the end, I was happy with it and I'm so glad y'all liked it too! I actually wore it on Saturday night and our Sunday Halloween was much more laid back.



Sunday afternoon Tom and I went for a very touristy Sunday drive through farm country and down into Delaware. The leaves were all perfectly gold and red and the air was cold and brisk. We stopped along the way to walk around some old abandoned cottages that sit on the edge of Longwood Gardens (a place we plan on visiting soon). They're all locked up tight, but the grounds are so nice we just walked around and enjoyed the sunshine and fresh air.



We were so busy enjoying the day we sort of forgot to eat lunch. We ended the day by stopping by our favorite Thai restaurant. Mmmm... ginger salad, vegetable gyoza, tofu hot pot and red bean mochi! I was pretty much in a food coma by the time we got home. A perfect day! How was your Halloween?

Melanie Daniels

photos & collage by Tom b.

- 60s wool wiggle dress
- 50s pillbox hat
- 60s mary-janes
- vintage purse
- DIY bird headband
- fake blood!



So here it is... my Halloween costume! I can't even tell you how long I've been wanting to be Melanie Daniels for Halloween. Years! I bought this wool dress at a thrift store over the summer with the intention to sell it in the Etsy shop but upon close inspection it was full of little moth holes, putting it squarely into Halloween costume territory. Everything else for the costume was found in my closet, except for the bird headband, of course. It's made from a few fake birds I ordered from a Halloween prop shop, some wire and a headband.



We thought it would be fun to have a little photoshoot before I left for the evening in the spirit of the original Hitchcock movie. If only we had a phone booth next to our house! A little trivia about the movie... did you know that Tippi Hedren is Melanie Griffith's mother? And her name in the movie was Melanie? Coincidence?!

The Silk Mill

photos by Tom b.

- vintage pointelle sweater
- 60s wool shorts
- vintage ankle boots
- vintage wool beret
- Target socks



Thanks so much for all of your comments on the silk mill photos. I'm glad you all enjoyed it as much as I did. After hours of walking around inside I still don't feel like I've seen everything it had to offer. Hopefully you can make out the date on the calender above... just one of the many that were left from 1957.



Today I'm going to be busy working on lots of Etsy updates. There's a batch of 60s wool skirts and a batch of pretty blouses just waiting to be added to the shop. And tomorrow I'll be adding lots of cozy sweaters.



I'm also going to be working on the finishing touches for my Halloween costume. I don't want to reveal what it is quite yet because I'm not sure that it's going to work out the way I hope. If it does (fingers crossed), pictures will be shared!

The Silk Mill

photos by Tom b.

- 60s dress
- AA tights
- 30s oxfords
- vintage wool beret



Over the weekend we had the most amazing opportunity. You all know by now how much we enjoy exploring and photographing abandoned places, right? Well this was pretty much the ultimate in abandonment. The morning started out with us waking at dawn to hit the road, followed by a sunrise drive through Gettysburg. The drive alone was worth it as all the trees are at peak color and the mountains were gold and red. Just beautiful!



We arrived nearly four hours later to a large brick building in a tiny town where not much remains. The building was nothing special from the outisde... just simple brick with lots of the windows broken and part of the roof beginning to rot. But inside was a whole different story!



After sitting outside and enjoying the morning sunshine for a bit, the owner showed up to accompany us into the building. As he was letting us in, he told a bit about the history of the place. It was built in 1907 and served as a silk mill for 50 years. Raw silk was brought here, washed, dyed and spun into silk thread. In 1957 the mill closed (and this is the best part) the doors were shut and everything was left exactly where it was! Nothing in the building has been touched or removed (except for the occasional unfortunate vandal) in over 5o years. It was like walking into a time capsule!



Not only was all of the machinery in place (complicated machines that I couldn't even begin to understand how they work) but there were still ladies' shoes in the lockers, evidence of lunches had on picnic tables, handwritten payroll records (minimum was was $.20 an hour!) and piles of raw silk waiting to be spun into thread. There were still calenders hanging in nearly every room, each turned to January 1957.

We wandered around the mill for hours, trying to take it all in and snapping lots of photos along the way. I couldn't resist the opportunity to turn it into a bit of a photoshoot, so expect more photos to come!

Sprinkle all my kisses on your head...

- 30s lace blouse
- Alexa Chung velvet shorts
- thrifted J. Crew cardigan
- vintage t-strap Ferragamos
- vintage wool beret
- vintage Coach purse
- listening to: Smashing Pumpkins - Gish "Siva"



After taking it easy for a couple of days, I'm back to work listing things in the Etsy shop this morning. I've got lots and lots of lovely dresses to add this week! I've just finished one batch and I'm about to start another.

My break included taking a trip to Cherry Hill Orchard, a local apple farm. I'd never been before and really loved it! Unfortunately they'd already done the last "pick your own" day but there were buckets full of at least a dozen different kinds of apples to choose from. And samples galore! I was so stuffed with apples by the time we left. I ended up choosing Cameos and Golden Delicious to bring home with me. Yummmm. I want to go next year when we can try to pick our own.

The Strasburg Railroad

- H&M dress
- AA tights
- UO t-strap flats
- vintage wool beret
- vintage Coach purse



Riding the Strasburg Railroad is one of those cheesy touristy things that Tom and I love to do over and over. Every time we have visitors come stay with us, we jump at the chance to ride the train again! The train ride is only about 9 miles long and goes right through the heart of Amish country. On the ride we passed lots of Amish farms, cows and horses grazing in pastures, dried corn fields and a huge pumpkin patch. It was such a beautiful day!



After our train ride we headed to the creamery in Strasburg... another tourist trap! I helped myself to a big scoop of pumpkin ice cream and Tom had chocolate cashew. Yummmm! The creamery also has a little general store in the back where they sell local goods. I'm always a sucker for all the neat packaging. They even have their own colony of bees making honey. You can watch them working through a plexiglass window. I sampled the wildflower honey and the orange blossom honey. I meant to take photos of the store but didn't. Maybe next time! I'm sure we'll go back soon.

Etsy Update: For Your Feet

I've just added a bunch of shoes and boots to the Etsy shop. My favorites are the 40s deadstock oxfords - and in my size! Someone better snatch those up before I change my mind.

Outside we wait 'til face turns blue...

- vintage girl's cableknit sweater
- 60s wool skirt
- 60s Peter Pan collar shirt
- UO boots
- vintage Coach purse
- vintage wool beret
- listening to: Pixies - Doolittle "Here Comes Your Man"



I remember a long time ago when I was working a regular 9 to 5 office cubicle job (ugh!) and it seemed like Friday would never come. Now I find myself thinking that I can't believe it's already Friday again on the regs. Here it is, another Friday, another week into fall. This weekend we plan on visiting family, riding the Strassburg railroad, visiting the creamery for ice cream and watching the season finale of Mad Men. What about you?