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Mary Janes and Maryjane.

So, I haven't been a total slacker, as my lack of blog updates would suggest. I've been updating Sifted Vintage like a madwoman.  Ive amassed a huge group of shoes in the last few weeks and they have been begging to be listed. When snakeskin and leopard print beg, one must obey.  These are a few of my favorites.

                                                    Sweet Mary janes meet Funky 70's.

Love.

Lust.

The Ugly Duckling.

I can still remember the day and place I got these last "beauties". I was in Tennessee thrift shopping with my Mom and sis (I know, your shocked.) They caught my eye from a bottom shelf and I gasped, snatched them up, and turned to my sister panting,  "Aren't these hideous!?....I LOVE them!"
    You can only imagine the eye rolling that in sued.



Anyways, the time change has done a number on my outfit posts as lighting is always a challenge.  I managed to snap these at work. 

 

Speaking of awesome shoes, I recently scored these at a local vintage shop in Santa Cruz. I can still remember my thoughts as I walked in the door and spotted the old bearded hippie sitting in the back of the store surrounded by sequins, embroidery and corduroy.  "Wow, how does this guy sell anything in this musty, cluttered space". Ive never been one to back down from a treasure hunt so I commenced my sorting and sifting.  I soon came to realize after a few very short visits from other patrons, followed by a familiar herbal aroma, vintage was not how this guy paid his mortgage.

I can now add "contact high" to the list of things that I endure in the name of fashion.

Get 'er Done.

For the record...I HATE that phrase. However, that is currently how I feel about this post. It has been WAY  too long since I've blogged and I am determined to have accomplished something tonite other than watching Teen Mom all night. (Caitlyn and Tyler....SO adorable)

 

I wore this outfit to the airport/airplane a couple weeks ago when I went to visit my Mom and Sis and their families in Nashville. It is without a doubt the PERFECT travel outfit:

1. Comfy stretchy pants
2. Loose layers for easy adjustment of temperature
3. Easily removed shoes for those pesky security checks

ahhh....that feels better.

Some pics from that weekend:

My sis, doin' what she do :)

(how cute is her outfit? facial expression? not so much...)

Charlotte and her Gramadarlin'

Charlotte and Sarah with good ole Cali (named after my mom's home state :))

Grama and Grandad our gracious hosts

Knock the Socks Off?

I was so loving my outfit today, I felt comfy and flowey and layery all day long...ahhh. I feel like all the layers and prints on top balanced my bare legs, as did the socks with my wedge sandals.

One of my mom's favorite phrases when we were growing up and getting into trouble was:

"Hey! Knock it OFF!" 

(to be read in your best nasal California accent)

This, of course, meant:

"You girls better quit whatever it is you are doing or someone is gonna be in trouble!"

At the time, the phrase made no sense to me,  but now, as I find the phrase boiling up to my own lips, it has all become SO clear. Love you, Mom ;)

This brings me to the topic of the day. I have been seeing an awful lot of socks with sandals and pumps over the last few months and I thought I would take a crack at it. Typically, I'm not one for blindly following trends, but there seems to be a bit of practicality in this one. As we embark into chillier months the socks allow us to keep on rocking our summer footwear, while still keeping the tootsies cozy and warm. Blister protection is a bonus too!

So, to my millions of readers out there (cough, cough) I ask you:

Socks or Not?
	Leave them for the Grandpas in Bermuda!
	Rock those Socks!

 

Green dress: thrifted $3

Black and white floral dress: thrifted $4

Scarf Vest: Sweet Charlotte on Etsy

Wedge Sandals: Grandma snagged these babies for me before they went on the shelves at her volunteer thrift store...$3

Socks in question: Target $1

But, I think I'm already sold.

Leather and Lace

These boots are my recent "go-to"s. They work with most everything in my wardrobe...even black, as you can see. I cant believe I haven't talked about them yet! Whats really great about them, besides the soft suede and ultra cool cuff, is the fact that they are sort of a slide clog type thing, so they give the illusion that your legs are longer than they actually are.

I found this vintage slip from Bergdorf's a couple of weeks ago at Salvation Army. I was so stoked to find it, the quality of the lace and silk are so much higher than your average lingerie.

Jacket: Merona via Goodwill ($6)

Tank: American Apparel via Salvation Army ($3)

Slip: Salvation Army ($2)

Leggings: Target ($4)

Boots: Steve Madden via DSW ($40)

                                                       Necklaces: Etsy and Modcloth

I seem to be developing an affinity for lingerie during the day. I'm guessing it stems from the  "I don't give a &%#$" attitude that I have developed since the day I turned 30. Ive made sort of an unconscious decision to dress for myself and no one else. I am lucky to work in a place where there is virtually no dress code other than "clothes". Meat, unfortunately, is not an option, so I'm guessing I wont be discussing fashion tips around the water cooler with Lady Gaga anytime soon.

Yard Sale Season

I turn into such a dork whenever we do our yard sales (which is beginning to be every year). I get all excited about haggling with the the bargain hunters and especially displaying all of our wares in an aesthetically pleasing manner .  Suddenly I'm 7 years old, playing "Museum" with my sister and our friends. Picture stuffed toys on pedestals with placards reading "Cabbage Patch eating Dinner" and "Care bear at Play".  Yes, I know what you're thinking...I've already got a call into Mattel... I'm pretty sure there is money to be made in a "My First Museum" Set.  I'll let you know how it pans out.

Boredom's culmination.

They just don't make labels like they used to.

Maybe if I stand here and act interested, people will stop and want to buy our crap...stuff...valuable items...

Inside book jacket  for "Living Life RAD: a Biography"

(P.S. Happy Birthday to my RAD hubby!!!)

The biggest problem with pulling out all of our old stuff to sell is that Charlotte starts to fall back in love with all of her old toys. I'm pretty sure I know where she gets it considering the pile of clothes that I rescued from the sale to "try again".  Here she demonstrates to some patrons how handy a jogging stroller might be, while partaking in a little sippy cup action.

"This can be a big girl cup too, huh Mama?"

Sure, Char, whatever you say....

Gypsy Life

I couldn't believe how hot it was today! I had all but given up on us having a summer at all, but it went up into the triple digits in many places around the central coast...yay, for summer arriving at the end of August! I may have gotten a tad excited at the prospect of actual hot weather and headed out in this daringly short skirt....to work. Don't worry, I wore my bloomers;)

In a former life this was a long, early 90's gypsy skirt that, I'm pretty sure at some point, my high school English teacher sported with Birkenstocks and a sweater vest, but I digress...

I chopped it off, ran my overlock machine along the edge, and Voila!

tank...New York and Company (gift from a friend)

Cardigan...Zac Posen for Target ($29)

Skirt...Thrifted ($3)

Shoes...Jessica Simpson thrifted ($15)

Necklace...Kohl's ($4)

I apologize for the excessive twirling and curtsying...but, I live with a 4 yr old professional princess, it comes with the territory....

...now if you'll excuse me, I have some essays to grade.

Shock of Color

This was my outfit for work today. This area of California has had a very non summer this year and it really stinks. I had high hopes for atleast a glimmer of sun so I rolled up my pants slapped on my sandals and hoped for the best.

 

 I love these pants. They are totally 80's which of course I love, but my favorite part about them is the pleats in front that cross over each other. I think that is so unique and fun!

 

One of my favorite tricks when I'm putting an outfit together is to think about color in a kind of "out of the box" way. For example, everyone knows that complimentary colors work well together because they are colors that are across from each other on the color wheel.  Colors such as blue and orange (War Eagle!), green and red, yellow and purple. If you also think of variations of these colors when coordinating outfits it will bring out alot of unexpected matches. I loved how these olive (variation of green) pants and hot pink (variation of red) belt complimented each other and made the outfit work. Paired with a basic black and white graphic tee.

In Bloom....ers

Charlotte went through a phase where she would wear nothing but dresses or skirts. The only way that we could convince her to atleast wear a pair of shorts under them, to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions, was to call them "bloomers" (Dave's brilliant idea). I guess maybe I've been harboring some bloomer envy because when I saw these on Etsy they were in my cart quicker than you can say, "are you actually gonna wear these in public!?"

Charlotte and I went to have lunch with Aunt Mo in downtown Santa Cruz, where some chick wearing her underwear as outerwear is on the normal end of the spectrum.

Whatcha think of my bag? Found it in a vintage/antique shop in Fairhope, AL when I was roadtripping with my Dad and Sis. It was so serindipidous because we found two (my sister has the other). This style of artwork is called Mola and is native to Panama where my dad was stationed when I was in 4th and 5th grades. It is very intricate and detailed and I have defintely developed more of an appreciation for the handwork since then.

Mo love.

Flower Girl

Last weekend we were witness to one of the most beautiful weddings I have seen.  Picture this, a redwood grove adjacent a beautiful mountain lake in the heart of the Santa Cruz mountains, late afternoon sunlight twinkling through the trees and glistening off the water, accents of orange and blue dot the background and an amazing couple pledging their love for always....

They were sweet enough to invite Charlotte to be a part of their big day as the flower girl. Let me tell you, as nervous as I was for her that she may feel the pressure of the moment or get stage fright, she came through with flying colors and took her job VERY seriously. I volunteered to give the beautiful bride a last fluff at the beginning of the aisle which also allowed me to whisper some last encouraging words to Charlotte before her big moment. Each of my assurances was answered with a cool and confident, "I know that...I know that, Mama..." as she stared dead ahead waiting for her cue.

I was one proud Mama.

A little known fact about my husband is that he breaks out in hives at the mere mention of him and I "matching" in any way, shape, or form. Even if we accidentally wear the same color he will insist on changing. HOWEVER, when he realized that he had a shirt in his closet that exactly matched the color of Charlotte's custom made (wink,wink) flower girl dress....well, as you can see he was one proud daddy.

After the wedding brought lots of savory Mexican food, , awesome 90's dance music ( I heard some strange chick even busted out both the Running Man AND the Roger Rabbit...weirdo.)...

delicious beverages...

...and of course many heart-warming romantic moments...precious.

Congratulations you guys, thanks for letting us be a part of your special day!