It’s all flowers and geriatric living up in here lately. Brunch and Sunday drives, looking for treasures. This pewter jug was strangely appealing to me, &  totally something my mom would have.

A set of 4 champagne coupes, for fancy living.

A glass and silverplate container to keep the cat from stealing my earrings and rings while I shower. A cameo earring went missing the 2nd day I had it, and it still hasn’t been found. Devil kitten.

Way too many bags. I don’t need them, but can’t seem to leave them. $2!! Come on! Treasure hunting without a shop to toss the overflow is a world of danger.

& a wee tusky necklace.

That was the treasure part. The hunting part is harder. I’ve been really listless and depressed, still. I still don’t know what sort of things I want to be doing. So much I read these days seems to expect that a lady of my age and means one should 1. have a self-owned business (etsy, etc) 2. be a pro-blogger or 3. make some babies. Or all 3, ideally. These are not things I want to do.

I’m used to having a certain cosmic clarity around my next-steps and path in life, and for the 1st time in a long time, I feel pretty floundering and lost.

I know much of my fuzziness is due to literal eye fuzziness, but it’s crazymaking to not have a focus. In the past, I’d make art or music or put on a show or start a new venture – but now, at 35, I feel like my decisions need to be BIG LIFE DECISIONS, like I’ve done all these one-off things & now every step has to be a major foundation for family and future. Is that married-head thoughts? Where is that coming from? It’s paralyzing because nothing feels like the right thing, like the right steps.

What I do know:

Financial security is important to me
I do want a family, though the idea of one right now is panic inducing
Vermont seems like Home
I need to start creating again – my fingers have been itching to paint
Maybe I don’t need a life plan through age 70 right now

Has anyone else experienced this? It seems like people are just chugging along with their ideas and life plans & I’m just like “Well, guess I’ll take a nap.” It’s pretty different from my usual mode of thought and has been happening for a year, and whoa. It’s really effecting my happiness.

Desert thrifts:
Chanel bag – currently at Chanel being spruced up. The chain had detached from the bag, but I figured at 1/100th of the price of a new Chanel, it was worth it.
Donna Karan black wool tulip dress – perfect for work & got so so many compliments when I wore it!
Set of 4 aperitif glasses (we’ll use for port)
Paul Stuart jacket for Sean
Vintage 70s indigo jeans
English pottery cup for my desk pencils
Woven leather heels
Carved earrings
Mod silver candlesticks

Goodwill 1/2 off sale:
Diane von Furstenberg black and white paperbag waist silk dress
Calvin Klein fitted stretch denim jacket
Celine shoes
H&M flowy grey tank
1960s Saks Fifth Ave tweed dress (oops, too small. body dysmorphia from rapid weight gain, hi.)
Built by Wendy striped top
Ralph Lauren long fitted equestrian jacket
Bryn Walker (an old lady label that I think is based here) black linen 60′s style beatnik top

If I had to boil down how I shop to a process, I’d say:

1. Learn your fabrics! It’s almost always that the first things I grab are high end. I started out in school studying textiles, so I can spot good fabric at a distance. I’d say this is responsible for about 50% of my thrifting luck.
2. Be fairly methodical. Know what you’re looking for, have an idea of colors/cuts and focus on those, then work outward.
3. Look in the kids section. Obviously this mostly works if you’re on the smaller side, but old thrift ladies often file smaller women’s clothing in the wrong place.
4. I find the best men’s (Yves Saint Laurent velvet blazer, Paul Stuart tweed) in the ladies dept. My husband is pretty thrilled about this.
5. I haggle like an old lady.
6. Know how to tell designer fakes apart from authentic pieces (if you care.)
7. Grab anything that looks promising. I’ll have a huge pile that I whittle down – if you hem & haw on the spot, someone else is grabbing your treasures. Just pick things up on instinct and get decisive when you’ve finished looking at the entire shop.
8. Go where the rich people live. Or students at private colleges.

And in non-thrift news, I’ve been using up hexmas gift certificates. These Repetto heels were love at first sight (I’m scared to wear them and muck them up) and the lightning necklace made of bone has been worn 3 days straight and I love love love it.

My apologies for wonky light on these photos – I can’t wait til there’s actually extra light in the day after work!!

& more more more! This is the last batch before I head out on my travels, and when I return I have still many many lovely things to photograph & list!

]]> http://www.verhext.com/summer-classics/feed 6 http://www.verhext.com/spring-fancies http://www.verhext.com/spring-fancies#comments Wed, 19 May 2010 18:23:31 +0000 verhext http://www.verhext.com/?p=3804 Quick spring update! I’m going to try to add more to the shop tonight, & hopefully will be back from Vermont in 2 weeks with an even more restocked shop! Mmm spring!

My mom wore shoes like this EVERY SUMMER in the 80s. I can’t even think about summer without picturing these sandals!

This bag is so tempting to keep.

90s ravon flip skirt – summery and light! White and buttery yellow seersucker shorts! So cute cuffed!

A 70s bohemian mama tunic, perfect for a beach cover up!

A 70s denim romper for all your woodland adventuring.
Gorgeous navy sheer lawn shirt with puff sleeves and gathers — so so so sweet.

This dress! Dreamy black calico floral. It’s a dress & a jacket — with a buckle bow!1930s slip!1950s sundress1960s black mod Jackie O dress – with white buttons up the back!

Love love love this 1960s designer linen dot dress – with black silk sash!

& more!

I never really talk about spot cash money on here, but through some bank snafus (seriously, seriously messed up stuff) we’re in a kind of stuck position on the wedding. I’ve been shuffling numbers & wrangling budgets, but the long story short is this: we need to raise some funds, period. I spent a moment sobbing on the floor Friday after a particularly hellish bank conversation which led to a serious heart explody (and even more sobbing, but nice sobbing) when S. offered to sell his beloved motorcycle to help us get out of the craziness.

(Does anyone like their bank? Hook me up. I’m so mad I don’t want to do business with them anymore.) So serious for the blog, right? Ah, life.

So anyway, that was a super long winded way of saying I AM GOING TO LIST VINTAGE ON ETSY LIKE MAD for the next few months, whenever I have a spare minute! I’m on a mission!

Please take a look, share the link with friends, and send some prosperity magics our way. In return I will send you beautiful clothes & super love! I would really like to start this new amazing life with some new amazing foundations & surrounded by friends and family!

I’ve been scouring my own vintage collection for the best and most glorious pieces to pass onward to you. Ok.  Thank you!!! ♥