singing in the rain

today, i'm sharing with you a very special recent vintage find which is so adorable i felt it deserved it's very own post… and. it's very own outfit! i found this amazing vintage children's umbrella at an estate sale this weekend and snagged it for my goddaughter - i couldn't believe my luck. when i woke up today and saw it was going to be a lovely rainy day, i just knew i had to style an outfit around it to share it with you. isn't it just the most darling little thing you've ever seen?! 

i never thought i would top the madeline outfit i put together for her last christmas and worried i might never come across anything quite as special for her again. as soon as i saw this umbrella, my heart sank and then leaped for joy! it's crazy cute and an adorable mixture of bambi, donald duck & the chipmunks although it doesn't say 'disney' on it anywhere - not sure if it's a knock-off or what. it's a little bent up but not terribly - i can't wait to send it off to her and to see pics of her splashing around with it!! it melts my heart just to think about it. i'm so glad i came across this adorable rainy day accessory, which only set me back $4.00… not too bad!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

*outfit details: clothes & scarf - vintage // shoes - penny loves kenny // rings - vintage, ebay, forever 21

bird's nest hat

it's been over 2 years since i originally made this paper bird's nest hat on the fly for a "silly hat contest" where i was employed at the time. i had two of my co-workers come over the evening before the contest and we pretended we were on project runway and were only allowed to use things we found around the house to make the most couture-yet-whimsical hats possible (we were too poor to actually buy any supplies!) so, we basically turned it into one of my favorite project runway challenges - the one where they have to shop at the grocery, hardware or party store for fashion supplies instead of the normal fabric shop.

at the time, i was living in northern california and volunteering at an established letterpress studio. they had mountains of edge trimmings under the 'guillotine' - years worth of thin shavings of high quality printmaking paper that i had started taking home with me, convinced that someday i would find a purpose for them. i thought of them right away for the hat and gathered a small bunch of the shavings to color with pastel chalks - yellows, greens and pinks - before rolling and tying them up into a nest shape. next, i clipped a few feathers from a feather duster and stuffed them in at a few spots to look like molted feathers. i had a small craft store bird in a bell jar in my room as a decoration, so i took him out and glued him into the nest. for the 'veil' i actually used a piece of screen mesh - the kind you use on your windows when you cut your own screen - and sewed on a handful of swarovski crystal beads to take away from the fact that i was wearing window screen on my head… ha, ha.

i didn't end up winning the contest, but i did get a ton of compliments (someone even asked if was going to get married in this hat) and felt really proud of what i had made in just one evening using a little creativity and whatever was on hand. i made another one of these paper bird's nest hats recently, which is what made me dig this one out of my curio-cabinet to start wearing. i reinfornced it a bit, and made sure everything was more properly adhered before taking the hat out for a spin - my first time actually wearing it in all seriousness with a matching outfit. i sort of fell in love with it all over it again - such a perfectly quirky springtime accessory.

have a great weekend!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

*outfit details: vintage 1980's cream dress // vintage cream lace-bottom slip // vintage pink belt // vintage pearls // calvin klein nude heels // forever 21 ring

the older the fiddler, the sweeter the tune

happy monday to you! and... happy birthday to me! :o) yep, it's official - i'm 37 years young as of last thursday (4/5) and i'm not exaggerating when i say this was definitely my best birthday yet! 

to tell you the truth, i had sort of been dreading this birthday - i was feeling old & uninspired as the days approached and certain the day would pass w/out any real excitement to speak of. but, my sweetie had other plans - including a gorgeous box of the most luxurious macarons this side of the atlantic, a bunch of colorful balloons, and a relaxing picnic in the sun. it was perfect - the sun was shining, the flowers were in bloom, i was with my love and i had a special birthday outfit picked out just for the occasion.

you may remember the diy red lace 'miu miu' spring capelet i made and shared with you last week. well, i used the same tutorial by FtAshion to create another special capelet for my birthday using textured mint green cotton fabric & a candy pink velvet ribbon. i've really been obsessed w/ pastels lately - mint green & pink especially - so i decided to combine the two in this capelet for a whimsical fairytale or children's book feel. i used a bit more fabric with this one than the last to give it more of a romantic 'bunched up' look in the back. funny thing is, i originally bought this dot-textured mint green fabric years ago to make curtains for my sewing room and ended up ultimately making pretty much a valence through which i inserted a ribbon instead of a curtain rod and now call a capelet! ha, ha. 

the dress is probably the most amazing vintage piece i own - a gorgeous 1950's betty draper-style white cotton dress - simple, elegant and in near perfect condition. the fabric is so lush & heavy - the craftsmanship so impeccable... and, it fits like a dream. every time i think about selling it i hear a voice in my head that screams, "are you crazy?! you will never find a dress like this again!" i paired it with my white 'marilyn monroe heels' and a vintage gold Monet chain that belonged to my sweetie's grandmother and i couldn't have felt more feminine. 

overall, it the was the absolute perfect day - the highlight being those incredible parisian macarons from L'Artisan. i can honestly say that those macarons are the best things i ever eaten in my life. period. not the best macarons i've ever eaten, the best things i've ever eaten ever! i could on and on about how amazing these macarons were but i'd probably have to write a novel or at the very least a lengthy thesis to properly describe the emotions & sensations i experienced while eating these little masterpieces. i think i actually described them as "demonic" and "obscene" at points b/c they were just that mind-blowingly, intensely good - total foodgasm. i can't even imagine what they must taste like fresh - my god! i think a trip to san francisco to find out is a definite MUST!! my favorite was the vanilla bean - the cream in the middle is most certainly the closest one gets to heaven on earth, i assure you. i've been walking on cloud 9 for days since eating these macarons and the dreamy haze hasn't worn off yet. these macarons are life-changers, i tell you. life changers!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

little red riding hood

well, hello there! ... and, happy springtime!!

it feels good to be back - sharing my projects with you again after that unexpected little hiatus. i've got a small stack of completed sewing/printing projects just waiting to be worn, photographed and shared with you all so i will do my best to get those up over the next couple of weeks before the big spring shop update! i'm super excited about all the fabulous vintage pieces i'll be adding to the shop later this month - stay tuned for some fantastic vintage finds!

you might remember, a couple of months back i became completely smitten with miu miu's adorable spring 2012 capelets and then found this quick & easy tutorial by FtAshion for making a similar version. for my own capelet, i chose a bold bright red lace and paired it with a thick burgundy velvet ribbon for a bit of added depth & contrast. i can't tell you how easy this diy was - perfect for the absolute beginning sewer. you basically just cut the fabric, fold it, and run a straight stitch along the edge before inserting the ribbon - i was done in 20 minutes tops! and, then it sat in my sewing room for weeks as i pondered how to style it. 

after scoring this amazing blue 60's scooter dress at an estate sale last week, i remembered seeing dakota fanning's styling of the miu miu red capelet and immediately knew i wanted to try a 'celebrity look on a budget' type of thing using items solely from my own closet. i took the scooter dress in at the sides to give it a more 'stuctured' look and paired it w/ a vintage emerald green evening bag (instead of a silver clutch, like dakota,) nude heels, a chunky ring and thick eyeliner to complete the look. it's obviously not a perfect match, but i think it's a pretty fantastic compromise for a tiny fraction of the cost!

i made another capelet in mint green which i'll be wearing on my birthday and sharing with you later this week. i'm really loving these little capelets and can't stress enough how simple they are to make - whip yourself up a version of this cute spring accessory in less than 20 minutes before the temperatures get too hot!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆


*outfit details: vintage blue 1960's scooter dress // calvin klein nude heels // forever 21 rings // vintage emerald green evening bag

inspiration - bora aksu & the realms of the unreal

images: new york magazine

i don't usually pay a huge amount of attention to most of new york & london fashion week but couldn't help but notice bora aksu's autumn/winter 2012 collection at lfw this year. i am absolutely smitten with the london-based turkish designer's gorgeous collection which he has described as "romantic with a darker twist" and was entirely based on the story and accompanying watercolor illustrations of henry darger's in the realms of the unreal, with bora's girls mimicking darger's seven vivian sisters. check out this fascinating huffington post uk article to learn more about how the epic story influenced the collection on all levels.

i am particularly enamored by the "fantasy heroin" aspect of the collection as expressed through the gorgeous color palette, contrasting silhouettes, rose brocade, and sweet bows, collars & crochet trims. the knit dresses are also a marvel and those patterned tights are to die for - so lovely paired with all the interesting fabrics, wallpaper-inspired prints & textures throughout. my absolute favorite look is the bubblegum pink georgette & brocade dress with peaked shoulders and lamé collar - fierce and sweet!

this site has even larger pics of the collection including shots from the back that are well worth taking a look at for the impeccable details... just phenomenal!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

inspiration - mich dulce hats

images: via mich dulce

although i'm in love with mich dulce's spring/summer 2012 hat collection, i can't help but feel even more inspired by her collection from last year. the colors, the mix of vintage & modern and the playful yet sophisticated designs - these hats capture the essence of my dream spring 2012 wardrobe: neutral creams & grays with pops of yellow, muted pink and cerulean blue.

i've always been a huge fan of hats but never seem to wear them as much as i'd like. most vintage hats really make it tough to make an outfit look modern - i tend to save them for special occasions to pair w/ a party dress, with the exception of my bowler hat. i've played around with making paper hats before and will be experimenting more with those in the spring but what i'd really like to do is make an investment in a mich dulce hat (or similar.) there are several incredibly talented milliners on etsy that i also have my eye on but i really am in love with mich's quirky creations!! 

as far as fashion resolution go, i'm going to try and cram in all those unused hat days from the past into a spring season chock full of fancy & fun head accessories. what sort of fashion resolutions are you making this year?

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆