Gypsy Love and Sherlock Holmes

So many posts in one week. Shocking, I know.  I feel like my wardrobe choices have been all over the map lately, even manic...but I cant help it since I've been vibing a lot of different things lately. Baby doll dress and thigh high socks will always be my tried and true staple but after seeing Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows last night, it changed things up a bit. I couldn't help but try on a skirt I'd acquired at Ruby Rose several months ago without cinching it with a belt at the waist (it's a little large and requires a lot of folding over) and making it a completely different look..That of a Gypsy!!! I want to be HER, seriously, can I be HER please!!!!  

Noomi Rapace is not only lovely but she is so cool with her horse back riding and knife throwing (not down with the tarot cards...yikesies) but she is tough and still feminine, gorgeous but not sluttified. Basically, she's pretty skippy!

Soooo, I've been listening to Beats Antique, Cocorosie, Gogol Bordello and other random gypsy violin players all day.....here is what it all has inspired...

I had a lovely embroidered vest that was quite the ticket but I felt it made the outfit more of a costume. Too bad. :-/ 

So there you have it, my sad, little teenage girl reason for a style change, the classic girl crush. "Oh isn't she sooooo cool!" Apparently, we don't grow out of that.

... now I just need a horse and the fighting skills (I already have the throwing knives)

Lovies and Lagoons, 

-K

Prep school Days

(Chestnut corduroy blazer - $3!!!)

(Thrifted Cableknit Sweater - $1)

(Thrifted rugby cardigan - $1.50)

(Thrifted J. Crew top - $1.50, Thrifted skirt, it was about 4 times too big AND down to my ankles, just sewed a straight line up the back and hemmed it - $1!!! Thrifted nordstrom tie - $1!)

(Thrifted vintage plaid garment bag - said $6 but the guy gave it to me for $5!!! Thrifted vintage carpet bag purse - $3!  Yard sale vintage hat box luggage - $2.50!!!)

(Sadly, I do not have the key for this beauty, but I can buckle it and unbuckle it, thank heavens it wasn't locked!!!)

(Thrifted belt - .50 CENTS!!!)

(these shoes were the most expensive part of the outfit, originally $100 at U.O. but marked down and then additional sale made them $30 (which is still more than I usually pay for shoes...but I had Christmas money!!!!)

This post is a culmination of several things. Last night, before I went to sleep I made a list of everything I had to do today, and a list of things I wanted to post. One of those things was "thrifted items". It's been a really long time since I've done a thrift post and the main reason is....... the new town we live in has TERRIBLE thrifting.  In our home town someone actually made a zine just listing and reviewing all the thrift stores available to us. Here on the central coast of California we have 4 or 5 total. It's pretty slim pickings as well as really over-priced. BUT, I've made do by getting some thrifting in whenever I go back to visit family.  I made quite the haul on the last visit and whilst I am only showing a few pieces in this particular post, (a lot of it is stuff I've collected over the last few years, but the tie, belt and plaid garment bag are my recent finds) I hope to post more soon (mustard and moss green vintage Pendalton blanket??? YES PLEASE!)

The other reasons behind this post is  that I wore a variation of this outfit on New Years Day and received several taunting remarks about going "back to school". ;-P THEN I wake up this morning and find a new blog by Aminta and she just so happens to be doing a Tommy Hilfiger Giveaway. All I had to do was add her on FB and post a comment on her blog with my email address but she offered us the idea of dressing up in our "best prep school look".  Sooooo, I find myself with this post...it was kind of the kick in the pants I needed to actually post some of the thrifted items.  Hope you enjoy it and check out her blog! Wish me luck and same to you if you enter!!! :-D

Lovies and lucky stars, 

-K

Climb every mountain

Happy New Year, Dear One's!!!

I hope that everything's been dashing and dapper and lovely and enchanting for all of you!

Things here have been busy, back home to visit family a lot for Christmas and birthdays (The Kidlet is now FOUR!?!?! When did that happen???)  But we are now home, safe and sound, and exploring and rifling about the nature that is so close to us.

My dearyloo, Miss. L, took us up to this lovely spot last week. (The weather is kind of ridiculous, it's about 75 degrees today...I'm torn between the loveliness of it and the fear of not enough rain for everybody's crops and just plain liking a bit o' winter from time to time) And we grabbed some lovely pics!  We are still planning on launching the Etsy shop (The Strawberry Window) this month though the date is still not set. We will also be announcing a giveaway!  I promise I will let you know when the time comes!!!

Have yourselves a lovely little new year and I hope you find yourselves richly blessed in all things, not just our typical idea of what "richness" is.

Lovies and lily pads,

-K

Christmas Island...

Scurrying around like crazy little mice, trying to get presents finished and wrapped and what not...goodness               gracious.

As a means of procrastinating we decided to learn this ditty...forgive us, we only had about 15 minutes to work on it. (Yup, 15 minutes to learn it and Ms. L figured out that harmony in that amount of time. She is too legit to     quit!!!)

                                                   Merry Christmas and all that jazz!

                                                             Lovies and lyrics,

                                                                      -K

The Strawberry Window

The Etsy Shop name has been chosen...we are not going to be starting up till January but it's really going to happen so keep your eyes and ears open for us!

Meet the other half of The Strawberry Window, Ms. Lauren B.  Very soon we will have trinkets and treasures up for your perusal and ogling! 

In the mean time, enjoy this little ditty from us to you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Lovies and La dee da's,

-K

Oh little advent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally!  Year after year I have wanted to make an advent calendar and every year I find myself at December 24th without making it happen.

THIS year, I found myself at December 5th and thought, oh well, better a little late than never at all. Besides, The Kidlet was ok with opening up 5 on one day. ;-)

The present are filled with odds and ends...a tiny nativity scene, a spinning top for The Kidlet, pens for The Mr. (one of his favorite things) a yo-yo, pencils, tiny finger flashlights (The Kidlet ADORES flashlights.) and so on Nothing to crazy, lots of things I found in the dollar bin at Michael's Crafts, packs of pocket sized coloring books with erasers and pencils and sharpeners. I was able to divvy them up into little packages so I didn't have to spend $25 on it. I think I spent about $12, all said and done. 

It has turned into quite the learning experience too. We've had to tie in the calendar, learning days of the week and counting. (I've turned into a home school mom!!! Ahahah, my mother turned EVERYTHING into an opportunity to learn, something that was helpful and at times maddening whilst growing up. ;-))

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Other than the advent calendar I've been working like a busy little bee, crafting away to my hearts content with one of the friends I've made since moving here to SLO. We've had loads of fun and have found we actually get a lot more done working together than alone. We've kept each other on task and have started to consider an Etsy Shop together...

I know, I know, this is something I've talked about for YEEEEEEEARS now, but we have actually gone so far as to start writing down our plan for the shop, what 3 products to start with, shop name, prices, supplies to buy, and a work space (she's moving into a new place and is setting up TWO glorious desks in her room so provide sufficient space for us...something I'm sure The Mr. will appreciate as currently our work space has our bedroom floor.)

So we shall see...mid January is the tentative plan for opening so far and we will be sure to have a giveaway!!!! I will let you know when we decide for sure! 

Lovies and loyalty,

-K

A year, come and gone....

So we've lived in this glorious place for a year now, I can't believe it!!! Life hasn't changed much over the last year, as far as routine. Yoga, cooking, biking (well, not much lately as someone stole my glorious darling and The Kidlet has outgrown the bike seat anyway) beaching, farmer's markets, crafts, thrifting, etc.

What has changed.....

The Kidlet is huge, his birthday is in a week and a half. We've made tons of precious and lovely friends, we've found a church we like, and it finally feels like home here. Our old home still feels like home too, but now they are interchangeable. In either place I am comfortable, social, busy as can be, loving the people I am with......and missing the people in the other place. It's saddening but at the same time I guess I should count myself blessed to have so many things in my life that I love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sooooo, the apple season is almost over and I have learned how to can my own apple sauce, make apple chips and a gluten-free, sugar cane-free apple pie. In a last ditch attempt to stock up before the season is over, we scampered out to our favorite "U-pick" orchard and loaded up. If you've never been to Slo Creek Apple Farms and you are in the area, you should head out there immediately. They don't have a lot of varieties left (make a note for next year!!!) but they are the sweetest people and you will have a lovely time. Their fresh pressed apple juice is heavenly!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope that you are finding the blessings in your life and overwhelmed with gratitude.

It's a wonderful

Life and lovies,

-K