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it's been over 2 years since i originally made this paper bird's nest hat on the fly for a "silly hat contest" where i was employed at the time.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

inspiration - hearts & crafts

last week, i watched the lovely documentary film hearts and crafts: the people that make hermès, a 47-min look into the behind-the-scenes world of hermès directed by frederic laffont and isabelle dupuy-chavanat and available for direct streaming on the hermès website. as an artist and a huge admirer of quality craftsmanship, this quiet and intimate look into the studios & artisans that make up the hermes family completely knocked my socks off. my absolute favorite part was the feature on the silkscreen studio and the process behind the printed designs - i was truly amazed witnessing the creation of a finished silkscreened scarf from its initial inception as a detailed drawing. nothing makes me happier than mixing colors & printing in a studio all day - this film really made me miss art school & working in that kind of immersive environment.

beyond the impeccable craftsmanship, i was incredibly impressed by the commitment of each and every person to their craft and their love & devotion to the job, despite it's inherent difficulties and down sides. the pride each artisan takes in their product - the years devoted from apprentice to master under the watchful guide of the more experienced - it all made me yearn for an opportunity of my own to take all my little at-home, one-off printing projects to another level and think about printing some of my own custom fabric in a real silkscreen studio someday. right now, i'm reading mastering the art of fabric printing by laurie wisbrun and am learning so much about fabric design... together with this documentary i'm feeling pretty inspired to take my craft to the next level!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

cherry blossom girl

cherry blossom image: harold davis

i may not be the original 'cherry blossom girl' but today i was definitely channeling a bit of that lovely energy & inspiration as i wore my reconstructed cherry blossom knit top and spent the day amongst the flowers. having lived in washington, dc for 8 years, cherry blossom season became a big deal for me, not to mention that it's always made me absolutely giddy to have the trees in full bloom around my birthday. i've been taking full advantage of every sunny day we've had lately to picnic & relax under the blooms as much as i can before they're gone.

as soon as i saw this floral knit top at the thrift store, i knew i'd be able give it a quick makeover to really make it shine. i cut off the sleeves and hemmed them before adding an adorable vintage lace pink heart trim for the sweetest little touch. i paired the green floral top with a lightweight nude/pink pleated skirt, my champagne glitter booties and a few other recent diy's. the lavender velvet detachable collar i made a couple of months back - at the same time as this one and used the same elegant musings tutorial. i chose the rounded pattern this time for a more classic peter pan collar and omitted the ribbons for the option of using different brooches & pins to fasten. the tiny crochet bow was made using the same people webs pattern here - i ended up making a few of these tiny bows in citron, white & baby blue for the spring season and really love incorporating them into my spring outfits!

it'll be thunderstorms here all weekend -  i wonder how many flowers will be left after the showers?!

have a great weekend!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

weekly vintage finds

since i spend so much of my time attending sales & auctions in search of vintage clothing, i thought it might be fun to start sharing with you some of the odds & ends i end up with along the way. it's officially "garage sale season" around here - my favorite time of year - and, no matter where i go i always seem to come home with some interesting, cute or useful thing (or a combination of them all.)

here's what i picked up today for $6:

*half dozen crochet covered clothes hangers
*vintage christmas soldier boy ornament (made in japan)
*vintage black bow tie
*pair of heavy-duty scissors
*large vintage magnifying glass
*vintage 'ideal' baby crib shoes
*vintage embroidered baby's dress

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

inspiration - fam irvoll

images: via vogue uk

if you were wondering just how fun & whimsical a collection could be, well now you know! the delightful pieces above are from fam irvoll's A/W 2012-2013 "monster mash" collection and her first ever show at london fashion week. the norwegian born designer's use of wacky cartoon monster prints, bright candy colors and pastel-infused creepers were pretty much the perfect mix for a cute & color junkie like me! these clothes make me happy, happy - i love the overall fairy kei-meets-ghosts/monsters vibe.

one of my favorites is the white dress w/ pink dip-dye, so it's probably no surprise that i'm already on the lookout for the perfect white dress or skirt to add this sweet touch to. the monster prints are the BEST - i just adore them and the monster dress w/ peter pan collar is pretty much the most adorable thing i've ever seen. i'm also pretty gaga over that candy colored mini-dress paired w/ the monster print blazer - how freakin' cute is that??! i'm completely obsessed with the dress (pink + mint green, the buttons) and with somehow getting my hands on my very own monster print blazer. and, don't even get me started on those creepers, which are a collaboration between fam & underground england and will be available on the underground website this fall - so much cute... so much!

these images are just the beginning of fam irvoll's world - just google her name and look over the images for a serious dose of cute, color and imaginative play!

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆

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 ☆

happy easter!

happy easter holiday, for those of you that celebrate! i hope you are having a peaceful day of relaxation & good eats with family and friends. 

it was 30 years ago today that i made my first communion - on easter sunday - and, strangely the pics above are the only ones i have of myself as a child. all of my childhood pics are at my parent's house, but last time i was home to visit i came across these first communion pictures taken at a professional portrait studio and snagged them to take back with me. there were several of me cradling that crucifix and staring either lovingly or sadly at it - the creep factor on these sealed the deal that i had to share. along with the dress and veil, which i still have and were both completely handmade by my mother for the occasion.

i don't celebrate easter as a catholic anymore (haven't in years,) but still adore the easter holiday since it's always fallen on or around my birthday. all my life, i've had bunny cakes, bunny-themed parties, and lots of stuffed bunnies as birthday presents. this year was no exception! it's been a wonderful birthday/easter weekend and i can't wait to share pics with you tomorrow of how i spent my special day.

xoxo

☆ emilia ☆