happy father's day...

 source

Wishing I could celebrate Father's Day with my dad today, hope you get to see yours!

xo, 

Brittany

my forever style icon...

Ok I know she's not technically a real person, but Carrie Bradshaw is my style icon. Mixing designer with vintage & never coloring inside the lines, she pushes the box & takes risks. If I could steal anyones wardrobe it would most definitely be hers, no question about it!

Love, love, lovely...

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Who is your style icon??

xo, 

Brittany

books, books, books!

Hi there, I am back. I had to leave internet land for most of the week because my computer was in the shop. $150 & a new hard drive later, here I am! 

Anyways, I want to dedicate this post to one of my most favorite things, books. I love, love, love reading, & while I feel like I have drifted away slightly from my avid reading tendencies, but I am hoping back on the reading rainbow. 

So enjoy some lovely photos featuring books :)

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all images via weheartit, click * for source

I am always looking for new reads, what is your favorite book?

Mine is, The Secret History by Donna Tart. Do yourself a favor & go read it! 

xo, 

Brittany

girl crush...

If you read the fine print on my summer poolside must haves post, you will recall I mentioned falling hard for the band Johnny & Jenny.

I am kinda really girl crushing on Jenny Lewis right now. She is just such an amazing singer, her voice gets me every time. Also, she is totally adorable, like for reals. She is involved in lots of different projects & bands besides Johnny & Jenny, one of which is Rilo Kiley, which is basically my favorite band ever.

See some lovely snaps of her below, & check out a song by Johnny & Jenny at the end...

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How lovely right??

xo, 

Brittany

featured seller friday : valise vintage...

I used to do featured seller Friday all the time, I don't know why I stopped! I think I might start getting back into it, I love sharing my favorite beautiful shops....

On that note, this week I am featuring Valise Vintage, a lovely shop I discovered recently on etsy. Valise's owner, Rose, was super awesome & sent me some fabulous photos & gave me a great little interview...

Tell me about the name of your shop, Valise...

Valise is a French word that means small traveling case. I wanted a name that felt international, and also spoke of another era. Valise makes me think about steamy train platform scenes with women getting hello kisses in perfect dresses. Departing to destinations unknown. Spontaneity. Adventure. What would she pack in her Valise? What secrets might it hold?

Clockwise from top left: Photo by Ed Van Der Elsken, Ricard most refreshing, Jean Seberg inBreathless, Black bow flats from foxandfawns, Serge & Jane, Black velvet dress from Valise, Jean Shrimpton (not actually French but her look is everything I love), Plaid dress from Custard Heart Vintage, Françoise Hardy

How & when did you get into vintage, both personally & selling?

I inherited my love of the hunt from my Mom. Almost every weekend when we were kids, she would pack me and my little brother into the car at the crack of dawn for a day of garage sales. I’ve been thrifting every since, but I got serious about vintage fashion in high school.

Over the years, my personal vintage style has definitely morphed—from a brief (yikes) gothic phase to mod to my current mix of a bit of everything—but I’ve always loved a pretty dress. And always had a hard time leaving a pretty dress behind. My collection of pieces that don’t quite fit has haunted the back of my closet for a while, but I started selling vintage just this year. I was inspired to do so by the lovely ladies of Mighty Swell  (http://www.mightyswell.com ), a vintage boutique here in Minneapolis. I’ve been a vendor at their last two sales. It was so fun to watch the things I’d collected find other happy homes, that I decided to join the inspiring Etsy vintage community. So many beautiful things changing hands all the time. 

 

Tell me about your favorite vintage finds... (see photos below)

My favorite vintage find is the one that fits me! A few recent pieces that stopped me in my tracks because of their color/pattern:

1.     70s floral print bag—currently the mascot of Valise.

 2.     60s painted velvet cocktail dress—the print is so bizarre and otherworldly. 

3.     50s heels—I love the color and glamor of these shoes. Alas, not in my size, so off to the shop they go.

Your shop is really lovely, I love the merchandise photography. What inspires the visual aspect of your shop?

It is important to me that the shop feels like a curated collection. Since the clothes span the decades, I like to unite them visually by offering seasonal color palettes: First Blush for Spring and Thunderstorms & Blooms for Summer (see summer sneak peeks). Because I am a graphic designer by day, I want my shop to have a visual tonality and rhythm. It is like creating a living collage. I am also inspired by my lovely model Kim Bowman. She makes the clothes come to life.

If you could go back in time & live in a different decade, which would you choose?

For fashion and general lifestyle, I would love to have lived in Paris in the 60s. Cafés! Bangs! Minidresses! Jacques Dutronc! Scarves! Two of my personal style icons are Françoise Hardy and Jean Seberg. I wish life was always as beautiful as an Agnès Varda film and as cool as a Godard one. I’ve always had a bit of a love affair with easy breezy Parisian style—and the food!—and the music!—and did I mention the style?!

Anywhere else we can find you? Blog?

Yes! I have a blog (http://valisevintage.tumblr.com ) I’m just getting rolling. I plan to offer specials and shop updates. 

*all window photos by Adam Hester ( http://www.adamhester.com)

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Thank you so much Rose for all these lovely images & the fabulous interview!

Don't forget to check out the shop here

xo, 

Brittany

summer must haves...

1. A fabulous pair of sandals, or 10. Must for poolside to patios!

(zebra wedge - urban renewal)

2. Bright nail polish. I am sporting a crazy green right now. Bright fun nails make you happy!

(neon 3 pack - american apparel)

3. A straw bag, just perfect for all summer occasions.

(vintage straw purse - free people)

4. A simple necklace, one that won't give you unsightly tan lines.

(vintage horn necklace - pink mascara)

5. A giant pair of sunnies - no explanation needed.

(vintage dior - my wardrobe.net)

6. A wide brimmed hat - again, no explanation needed.

(vintage hat - modcloth)

7. A great little cover up, like this sheer button up. Great piece to have for all summer occasions.

(unif utility shirt)

8. An amazing bathing suit, that makes you feel like a million bucks & not like a whale.

(1980's bathing suit - free people)

9. & most important of all, some awesome summer jams. My new favorite is Johnny & Jenny, great GREAT summer time listening music. The Jenny half of the band is Jenny Lewis, who is awesome sauce.

(johnny & jenny - i'm having fun now, available on itunes)

Now let's go swimming (or let's just lay gracefully by the pool)...

xo,

Brittany