Impressed App

Impressed App lets you turn your Instagrams into prints and even books. In addition to getting your own prints, they're also selling a few sets of prints by other people--like me! Some of my favorite Instagrams are in their shop now. It comes as a set of 12 5x5 deco prints with striped washi tape. Tape them to your wall or top off some presents with them, or you can always print your own pics! 

An Artful Hoarder

Greg Irvine's home reminds me of a dragon's hoard. In all the old tales dragons would hoard gold and gems, and other sparkly things but I never picked their homes as a mess because they clearly enjoyed and appreciated each item they acquired. Greg Irvine's home shares the same appreciation for his collections. He lives by the rule of thumb that if he can't display it, he won't buy it; which leads to a crowded but extremely curated home filled to the brim with curious collections. I'm incredibly impressed and inspired by his space--it's the sort of home I dream of living in one day once I know I won't be moving again soon...
more here

How To Survive Winter In Tights

One of the most frequent questions I receive is how I survive winter in tights. It's clear on days when I take pictures in the middle of snow-covered winter wonderland in tights and a dress that I'm quite determined to stick to my dress preferences even in the coldest weather. So here are my tips to surviving winter temperatures in tights (and dresses).
Be practical: How much time will you be spending outside and are you moving a lot? Last winter I spent a good amount of time digging my car free from the snow and a lot of other days having to walk a good distance because I didn't want to dig my car free--in those conditions I actually didn't have to wear a ton of layers because my actions kept me warm. If you're on short walks between classes, or scurrying from your car to a building, then you similarly don't need to wear a lot of layers. If you're however outside for longer periods of time and less active (say waiting for a bus) then you will need to dress a lot more warmly.
Pay attention to denier: Tights come in different weights or thickness, this thickness is referred to as denier. The higher the denier number, the thicker the tights. Denier is important to pay attention to if you're looking for sheer or opaque tights, but in winter a higher denier is also essential in keeping you warmer. For winter it is best to stick to 100 denier and higher.
Fleece-lined is your best friend: Similar to a high denier count there are now fleece-lined tights which will keep you amazingly warm and cozy in winter. Other specialty tights to look for are sweater tights and wool blends.
Layer up: Just because you're wearing tights doesn't mean you can't layer; I often layer 2 pairs of tights in winter to stay a bit warm and put tall socks on top of that as well. It might not seem like the most comfortable choice in the world, but I never feel the discomfort of the tights once I'm outside with snow in my face.
Keep everything else cozy: You can get away with less covering on your legs when your feet are toasty in warm socks and boots. I'm all about dresses and tights in winter, but I will keep every other part of me as cozy as possible; boots with socks, cozy hats, mittens, scarves and thick coats are necessary--especially if my legs are going to be a little less covered!
Brand loyalty (or not): I don't have a lot of brand loyalty when it comes to tights; whenever anyone asks where I get "most" of my tights it's a shop list half a mile long. I like the color variety at Tabbisocks, I like the quirky styles of TrendyLegs, the selection at Tights.uk, the quality of Wolford, the tights sales at Urban Outfitters in the spring, etc. 

A Peek At My Knit Hat Collection

 

Pepa Loves hat

 

thrifted hat

 

Aran Isles hat

Pepa Loves hat, Samantha Pleet dress

These four knit hats are the ones I anticipate being in the highest rotation this winter. I have a couple of other knit hats (my grey bear-ear hat, my fox hat, a vintage white one) but I haven't been able to locate them yet this year and suspect I might have left them with Thomas in Northern Ireland. I'm quite proud of my winter accessory collection considering when I first left Hawaii to go to college on the East Coast I had one hat (the red one in this post!), one pair of gloves, and one winter coat. It was a cold winter and I definitely got tired of my winter clothes, but instead of going on a shopping haul I have steadily added to my collection a piece or two at a time. I still believe this is the best way to build a lasting collection of pieces you'll want to keep in your wardrobe. Go through the growing pains of wanting more options and not having them, but add slowly and thoughtfully. When you take the time to pick your pieces carefully then you're less likely to want to replace or get rid of them the following year.

Society 6 Special Discount

Did you know you can buy some of my collage work in the form of tote bags, tees, and even clocks? I'm thinking of adding some of my best nature photographs to my Society 6 page too, but ideally I'd love to open my own shop and sell things directly! Anyway, until that day you can get $5 off your order and free worldwide shipping if you use this link. Offer ends November 9th at midnight!

Haters

I'm not sure if this headband by Le Vero is meant to be a message to all the haters or is labeling me as a hater, but either way I'm a fan of the headband. It's so well made and will definitely add some pizazz to any outfit (it also comes in pink & metallic gold). And since haters "gonna hate-hate-hate" here are a list of random things that drive me bonkers:
-slow Internet speeds
-people who tailgate
-cold french fries
-dog hair on dark clothes
-people who talk in movie theaters
-asking people to repeat themselves because I couldn't understand the first time

Feeling Mothy

I want to wear this dress and pretend this moth is my pet (named Solomon).

Vermont Bound

*pictures from my phone & instagram
An accurate picture of my life right now would be 50% in my messy, crowded little car and 50% staring in appreciation of the autumn foliage in Vermont. I'm also half in love with the state and half terrified of the enormous piles of wood every house seems to have which warns of a worse winter than we see in Pennsylvania (which is bad enough!). But right now it is beautiful and everyone I am with is snapping away with their cameras and phones as we try to soak up the color as much as possible. I'll probably have a good "postcards from Vermont" post later down the road but right now I'm just sharing a few of the scenic stops I captured on my phone.

Tom the Dog

Thomas's family has a blind cat named Timmy who has appeared on my Instagram a number of times. Interestingly enough my parents have a deaf dog named Tom who has become a model for me recently (he's so patient!). I feel as if these two animals should team up for a comic--like some sort of "pet detective" series although I'm not sure how a blind cat and deaf dog would communicate... Anyway, back to Tom! He's a Cavalier King Charles spaniel and if not for his strange health issues, he might have been a show dog. He's only four years old so when he went deaf last year it was a complete surprise. He doesn't seem affected by his deafness at all; the only real change has been when you try to get him to come inside from the yard you have to go outside and wave your arms around until he notices you. Tom loves attention and is a very patient model, so I've been posing him with some funny accessories and practicing Typography by adding fun quotes to the pictures. Pics via my Instagram.

London Instant

A few pictures from my Instagram because I'm briefly in London enjoying the sights. I'll be sharing some proper London postcards as soon as I get a chance to edit them. More random London pics here.

Postcards from Ireland

I'm currently enjoying some of the most beautiful weather in Northern Ireland and being on my computer for an extended period of time is a pain. So today I thought I'd share a few of my favorite "touristy" snaps from my Instagram. They're not the same quality as I can get with my camera, but sometimes it's nice to leave the camera at home.

I Am The Greatest

Who doesn't like a tee shirt with a little confidence? Especially when it comes in the form of pastels and embroidery. Like a mary-jane ballet flat kick to the teeth. My new shirts are by Locher's Paris and despite my usual avoidance of profanity, I've been wearing my "I Am The Greatest" tee on most of my off days--comfortable with a touch of obnoxious.

Moth Friends

I'm not really frightened of moths, but I don't really appreciate it when they bewilderedly fly in my face at night or flutter around my room. However, the not real, delicately embroidered kind by Yumi Okita--these are definitely welcome in my home. I love the idea of giant moth (and butterfly!) friends filling the nooks and crannies around my house. Yumi Okita's textile creations are true works of art and when posed in someone's hands they almost seem as if they could fly away.