inspiration - pass the baton

i find myself revisiting this etsy video featuring tokyo consignment shop pass the baton all the time to draw on the wealth of inspiration i always gather from both the cleverness of the shop and its reverent attitude toward the art of recycling. when i was first thinking about starting my own vintage shop, i would watch this video over & over again to gather the courage to take the plunge. the owner's respectful view of recycling and his thoughts on the personal & historical context of this sort of endeavor made me feel like i was stepping into a long legacy of others who have also found beauty & possibilities in things left behind.

my absolute favorite aspect of the store are all the wonderful little stories that accompany the items - what a magical ideal! i wish i could offer a similar personal story with each of the garments in my shop - wouldn't that be lovely? it's gotten me inspired to ask more questions from now on about the previous owners & personal journeys of the lovely vintage frocks that eventually find a new home through the flying carousel. i would love to be able to provide a small snippet of the past with each piece - how special that would be?!

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 ☆

crochet friday - pom poms worn 5 ways

after seeing pom poms everywhere this past holiday season (it seems everyone was making pom poms to use as present toppers) i couldn't help but catch the fever and decided to make a few for creative fashion purposes. even if you can't knit or crochet, there's no reason you can't make pom poms. there are a ton of simple tutorials to follow out there - like this one - and all you need is yarn & scissors to get started! 

here are 5 ways to wear those adorable little fluff balls - 

1. as a ring - i sewed this white pom pom onto a cheap adjustable ring i had lying around. i love how soft & feminine this accessory both looks and feels - i think it's the perfect accessory for winter for when you really feel like wearing a tiny snowball! (*chunkier yarn = bigger, fluffier snow balls.)

2. as a headband - i stole this look from yokoo and i really love the big oversize pom poms! i used a simple single crochet stitch for the headband and sewed on a button for fastening but you could always just sew these bulky pom poms onto a cheap store-bought headband or ribbon for a quick winter accessory that can easily transition into those cool spring mornings. 

3. as a choker - i sewed two small pink pom poms & a snap closure onto a small strip of black ribbon to make this super easy & adorable choker. it feels so nice when the pom poms tickle your neck!

4. as a glove accessory - i sewed two medium black pom poms onto the back of a pair of short vintage gloves - one on each. i really think it gives them that extra something special - just a little extra burst of cute and a nice textural detail on an otherwise standard pair of gloves.

5. as a hair accessory - i slid bobby pins straight through these pom poms and fastened them directly to my hair in a little cluster. this is a super easy & fun look and the possibilities are seriously endless. mix and match colors, sizes and yarn types to get your own little pom pom "bouquet" going. so much fun... looks like a party in your hair!

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

a new you

everyone knows how much a new dress or pair of shoes can have the power to completely change the way you feel and carry yourself. but, what if you had the shoes and the dress - what kind of transformative power could an entire outfit like that have? enormous amounts! 

i've been thinking about this a lot lately as 2012 fast approaches and i hope to transform not only my wardrobe - but my entire life - to better reflect who i am at this point in my life. i am so ready to take the steps i need for 2012 to be the most magical & fulfilling year of my life. and, with two orange suitcases full of amazing vintage frocks and a pair of new black lita's (both xmas gifts from my sweetie...) i feel pretty unstoppable right now - like i've got a new set of armor, it fits perfectly, and anything's possible. 

i hope your resolutions and positive energy are building and that you've found your own special armor to put you in that "unstoppable" frame of mind. make this the year you finally become the person you've always dreamed of being... i know you can do it - don't be afraid to shine!

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

*outfit details: vintage turquoise microsuede dress // black jeffrey campbell "lita" // vintage gold necklace

misha portrait - done!

after a long struggle with materials and more mistakes than you can imagine, i managed to grant my own christmas wish last night when i finally finished misha's pet portrait! 

last week, i posted pics of my other cats' portraits (all commissioned) and wrote about how i was in the process of attempting my own felt portrait for our newest kitty, since the artist is no longer making them. it was a long and difficult process trying to match the other four portraits and although i'm happy with the result, it also seems to stand out next to the others. i figure it probably looks more like slughunter's first portraits - when she was first starting to refine her style. the ones she made for my cats were among the last she ever created so they're really complex and detailed compared to my super stylized attempt. 

in the end, i think it fits it nicely and misha is just thrilled to finally have her very own portrait among the others. take a look at all five portraits together compared to their real life pics:

pictured left to right: osho, tima, sasha, ravi & misha

pretty cute, i've got to say!!

xoxo
☆ c. emilia ☆

inspiration - shu uemera

i've been in love with shu uemera's incredible, wondrous, fantastical false eyelashes for years now but never dreamed i'd someday have my own pair. these lashes take makeup to the level of fine art and open up the possibility of human expression in a way i could have never imagined. 

beyond makeup as a beauty enhancer, these lashes become accessories to the bigger picture by inviting color, shape & texture into the realm of the eyes & face and encouraging some wild experimentation with eye makeup to further enhance them. shu uemera's lashes make me remember that fashion is about having fun and experimenting and the push to discover more about yourself. it's about feeling the joy of being alive and having an opportunity to express yourself every single day of your life. sometimes it's easy to forget that. 

you can imagine how thrilled i was to find my very own pair of shu uemera falsies in my stocking christmas morning!! they aren't as elaborate as any of the ones pictured above - by any means - but they are super cute and fun and i'm so excited to put together an outfit to try them out along with my new lime crime lippy.

i hope everyone is having fun playing with their new toys!

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆ 

the snowman

i found a pretty good version of the 1982 animation the snowman on youtube last night complete with david bowie intro! i used to love this animation so much when i was a kid - they used to show it to us at school right before the holiday break in anticipation of building snowmen in winter wonderlands during vacation. the story is about a boy who builds a snowman that takes him on a magical adventure one snowy night and the drawings are just gorgeous. it's very beautiful and peaceful and magical - much like the time following a winter storm. 

it's been warmer than usual in ohio for this time of year which is making it seem more like spring than the winter solstice - but watching this wintry tale has gotten me back in the holiday mood and ready for the festivities this weekend!

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

crochet thursday - the boerum warmer

i finally got around to taking a few images of my completed boerum warmer cowl to share with you. the pattern is by hooks & halos and it's super easy and fun to make. i used the recommended yarn - lion brand wool-ease thick & quick in citron - and loved how fast the process went using the combination of bulky yarn and larger size "N" hook. 

this cowl is amazingly soft and comfortable and all kinds of roomy. it's also pretty gorgeous - i feel like it really adds a lot of texture and visual interest to an outfit and it's lightweight & comfy enough to keep on indoors. the boerum warmer is quickly becoming a staple in my winter wardrobe and it just makes me so pleased to be learning new stitches as well as more about different mixtures, textures and personalities of yarn. it's been quite a wonderful discovery and i can't stress enough what a great relaxation tool crocheting has been for me - it really sets my mind at ease to be crocheting away while listening to music and sipping on hot tea. i can't think of a better winter past time or way to spend a quiet afternoon!

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

street art @ bozarts

happy tuesday, everyone - i hope your week has had a fantastic start!

today, i wanted to share a few more images of fantastic toledo street art - this time on the outside of bozarts, toledo's most contemporary and exciting multimedia gallery space and the center of the local arts community. located in a renovated cement mixing factory on the edge of downtown, bozarts hosts exhibits and events celebrating toledo's underground artists, photographers, poets, filmmakers & musicians. this friday, bozarts is proud to present local legend MR ATOMIC's first solo toledo exhibition, which will also be their last show of the year. make sure to check it out if you're in the northwest ohio area, it should be a blast!

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

outfit details: vintage 80's guatamalen pastel print dress // vintage 80's black jacket // vintage bowler hat // vintage 80's black sparkle clutch // jeffrey campbell "99" black wedge shoes  

diy snow globe

in case you're looking for a fun & easy diy gift to make this holiday season, i thought i'd share a gif of my christmas snow globe creation -  a scene depicting my misha kitty on her way home through the woods on a snowy winter's day. i used this simple martha stewart tutorial and added two kinds of glitter - pink & gold w/ tiny stars - for maximum snow-y effect. this was a really fun, quick and super cute holiday project you'll love to give to a friend or keep for yourself!

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

christmas tree & trimmings

we're having all kinds of fun at flying carousel headquarters this week wrapping presents, writing out christmas cards, baking cookies and watching holiday specials. i thought it would be fun to share a few images of our very own little charlie brown christmas tree and some of the cute, vintage ornaments we've inherited over the years. 

we made some popcorn garland over the weekend to add some "snow" and are having lots of fun with this simple spool advent calendar i put together for my sweetie. every day, he's got to hunt around on the tree for the spool ornament with the correct number; wrapped around each is a clue to where a little treat or gift is hidden. i really love advent calenders and all the excitement they build-up for christmas - this twist on the old holiday tradition has entailed a bit more work but it's well worth it.  

i also love the opportunity to pull out my robert sabuda holiday pop-up books to look at while sipping on hot tea by candlelight. there's so much wonder and enchantment in the world of pop-ups and these gorgeous books are filled with some of the most interesting and innovative pop-ups around. we even had our first snowfall of the year this week which makes being indoors with the lights, the tree and the trimmings all the more cozy.

i hope you are feeling cozy and bright this holiday season! 

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

garden gnomes, forest friends & santa claus

during a long day of christmas shopping with my sweetie, we took a quick break out to visit bombrys ornamental concrete garden art shop. i live just around the corner from this place and i've been noticing the little drummer/toy soldier duck for a few days now - he's right out front by the side of the road and i just couldn't help but stop today to snap some pics of him and his holiday friends. 

this place is all kinds of cool and i was squealing with delight at every turn as i spotted packs of puppies, kittens with bows, teddy bears, gnomes, christmas deer and even santa himself. the large numbers of repetitive objects give brombys a really neat feel - almost like a huge, outdoor fine art installation. it has such a magical quality to - sort of like a frozen christmas wonderland - and i think it really comes to life this time of year. i would love to have a small collection of gnome or forest friends in my backyard someday inspired by this place, with that same fine art installation feel. 

well - christmas craft & gift making is officially underway at flying carousel headquarters this weekend and i couldn't be happier.  i hope your weekend is full of wonder and good cheer!  

xoxo

☆ c. emilia ☆

*outfit details: red & black turtleneck - thrifted // gray pleated skirt - vintage // turquoise wool coat - h&m // black ribbed tights - limited // black suede slouchy boots - guess // black embroidered bag - vintage // rings - forever 21