Photos by Zach!
Vintage Yellowed Lace Blouse - Neil's grandmother's
Dyed Black Linen Striped Shorts - Forever21
Lace Up Heels, Wooden Heart Necklace - H&M
Rose Cameo Necklace - gift from a friend
I feel like writing like Hemingway today, although I won't beyond this paragraph. Cold outside. Meals are best eaten after midnight. The food just tastes better. Write a short story alluding to an abortion. Write about F Scott's issues with his wife. Paris has good food and goats. Add water to your wine when you are young and poor. Young and poor, young and poor, expatriate. The lost generation. Lesbian authors and Joyce.
I've recently been into the idea of black shorts to wear for the winter, so I finally just dyed a pair I already owned (I like to see this move as crafty, not cheap, although it's probably both). They have a faint pin stripe to them now, which I absolutely love. Shorts are as close as I come to pants. I am not a pants person. Nothing beats tights.
The blouse I'm wearing with the shorts is pretty special. Last Thanksgiving, I had a chance to check out the place where Neil's parents lived when they were first married with my mother in law, Nancy. Now, it's mostly just used for storage - which means it's filled with great items from Neil's parent's and grandparent's past. Some beautiful clothes were tucked away in there - including the lace blouse I'm wearing in these pictures, which belonged to Neil's grandmother before she let me have it. I had every intention of dyeing it when I received it due to a rust stain at the shoulder, but now I've become attached to the yellowed ivory shade it's already in, stain or no stain. I loved sorting through all of the old cameras and bookends and fur coats with Nancy - it really seemed as though every item told a story.
Sevier Park again! It's my new favorite picture taking place, probably because it's only a mile from where we live. I want to use the barn for photos again soon due to the old, weathered boards. I love the backdrop they create.
I've taken pictures with this rose cameo before (which is one of my favorite necklaces), and I decided to tie some cream lace to the wooden heart pendant necklace I'm wearing.
Are you all finished with your shopping? I ordered some things from Amazon literally two days ago and received them today. Ahh, the magic of online shopping.
Photos by Neil..
Black Ruffle Dress - Thrifted
Polka Dot Tights, Lace Up Heels - H&M
Cream Hair Bow - Handmade
I finally got in some pictures of the floral dress I thrifted after Thanksgiving.. We took these in the early morning at Sevier Park on a day that turned out a little cloudy and absolutely freezing - the kind of freezing where the blades of grass turn into little icicles. I'm not at all a morning person so whenever I'm up early, it's kind of a new experience for me. I love being up before everything gets hectic.
The dress is fantastic. Two ruffles at the bottom, bows on the puffy sleeves, and a tie at the waist. The neckline has a bit of a scalloped look to it, and the buttons are ivory with rose cameos on the front.
I really have to do something productive now, like clean the bathroom or write a book or something. All I've done today is play computer games and eat McDonald's. Hope you all are having a lazy weekend, too!
Today was a craft day!
This is a skirt I've had on my mind lately. I found a black velvet skirt at the thrift store, hemmed it shorter, and then used the extra fabric to create a ruffle effect. Then, I sewed the baby blue lace to the ruffles. Ridiculously easy and ridiculously time consuming. I'm not quite done - I have to sew the ruffles completely on and pleat them in an orderly fashion. But after seeing the nearly finished product, I really love the look of a pastel blue with black - velvet especially.. it feels like a good wintery combination. I have a Victorian-looking lace blouse that I'm about to dye black. When I do, I'm definitely wearing it with this skirt.
Hey velvet and lace trend, I love you.
This plaid petticoat skirt was reconstructed from a little girl's dress. To be honest, I'm not sure how much I like it - I just don't know what to pair it with. I'm considering taking off the plaid, adding extra lace, and creating a white crinoline with elastic at the top.
Bloom got some craft attention as well! I completed this plaid bow tie within an hour. I'm going to sneak it on her when she's docile and take picture after picture.. before she realizes what she's wearing and tears it to shreds.
Meet Bacon, Bloom's stuffed friend. I made this guy right before Thanksgiving. He looks somewhat prematurely aged now - he's missing a nose and he's accumulated a few open wounds. Needless to say, she loves him.
Photos (and hair, even) by Neil!
Vintage Red Velvet Dress - Fanny's House of Music in Nashville
Sheer Black Polka Dot Tights - H&M
Holiday Velvet and Berries Hair Comb - Handmade
One holiday down, another soon to come. We had a lovely Thanksgiving, as it was full of the typical components that make the holiday so wonderful - namely, food, family, and napping. Neil's parents live on a farm in southern Illinois, so I was excited for the chance to be in the country and relax outdoors a bit.
And yay for holidays as an excuse to dress up!
Here is the velvet dress I was telling you about.. I found it at Fanny's House of Music during a vintage party dress event they held a couple weeks ago. The dress was exactly what I was looking for - velvet with a full skirt and in a vivid red, and it happened to be budget friendly, too.. only 22 dollars! The best part was the fit - I don't think I've ever had a dress fit so perfectly. I feel like I'm in a fairy tale when I wear it.
I know the dress has got to be from the 1950's or 60's. Guessing from the style, what do you guys think?
I finished up the hair piece that I'll be wearing for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I thought about adding a velvet touch so it would match my red velvet dress even better. So, I added a bow at the end of the red berries. I love how much it reminds me of Christmas!
This isn't just a beautiful girl with ridiculously great hair. Kallie is the mind and the hands behind Love, Simone - a clothing line with a serious flair for the adorable. While still at school in Nashville, two local boutiques are already carrying her precious handmade items.. and she hasn't even graduated yet!
Recently, I had the chance to ask Kallie some questions about her creative process, her future plans, and the steps (and the leaps!) she's taken to get where she is.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Kallie. I’m a senior at Belmont University, where I’m majoring in entrepreneurship and minoring in fashion merchandising at O’more College of Design. I grew up in New Hampshire and ended up moving to Nashville, Tennessee for school four years ago (at the time I wanted to play the oboe professionally, among other things, but like most students, I changed my mind). I began pursuing fashion when I learned of Belmont's minor exchange program with O'more in Franklin.
I also work as a manager at Belmont's on campus clothing boutique, Feedback Clothing, which was the first store to carry my clothing. I’m pretty busy between school, work, and sewing, but in those gems of free time I love to go and sit at Borders and read fashion magazines while drinking tea, cuddle up in bed and read my favorite blogs, or read books (right now I’m working on The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers).
What led you to start sewing and making your own clothes?
My mother is a seamstress and when I was little she had her own children’s clothing line. I’ve grown up wearing beautifully handcrafted dresses, hats, and accessories, and so a love for unique and handmade things has just been sort of ingrained in me.
I’ve definitely always done fun little sewing projects for myself, but it wasn’t until I took an actual sewing class at O’more a few years ago that I started to sew my own designs. It was definitely a gradual process for me, getting to a point with my sewing skills that I felt was adequate, I suppose, and building up the courage to show others what I was doing. But it’s one of the best leaps I’ve made, I think.
What inspires you most of all?
I am incredibly inspired by beautiful images in fashion magazines like Lula or back issues of Nylon from several years ago. I also love looking at vintage patterns for shapes of collars or interesting details. I’ve found some great ones at flea markets and antique stores up in New Hampshire where I grew up.
One of the other biggest inspirations for me is just walking into a really great fabric store. There is this amazing one in downtown San Francisco called Britex Fabrics. It’s four floors of every kind of fabric, notion, or trim you could possibly imagine, and I could spend hours just poring over it all. An amazing piece of ribbon or a swatch of an interesting print could be the inspiration for a dress or a skirt. Even places like Goodwill or The Salvation Army inspire me if I come across neat old flannel shirts or long wool skirts that can be transformed into something new. I’ve gotten very interested in the whole sustainable fashion thing!
Describe your creative process.. do you have a routine you stick with?
Sometimes I get into these spells of motivation and inspiration where I’ll sew nonstop for a week, making whatever comes to mind. Usually when I begin a project I have a fabric or a specific trim that I want to center the piece around, whether it’s a skirt or a headband, and then I’ll just go from there. I have a little sewing nook in my closet, and I’ll just put on some music and hole up until I’ve finished something. I think that everyone has days where they just aren’t inspired, and so if I’m not feeling it, I won’t force myself to work on something (Doesn’t it seem like there’s a kind of better energy that goes into something that’s made when you’re feeling wonderful about it? Whether it’s writing or painting or sewing?).
Any advice for others looking into sewing?
Practice practice practice! At first, it feels like you’ll never get the hang of it. Sewing straight lines or perfectly rounded curves on a machine feels like an impossible feat at first, but after you do it so many times, it starts to come more easily. Even though I grew up sewing here and there, taking a sewing class helped me so much (especially with different basic techniques and even being able to more with hand sewing).
What are your plans for the future?
I have one more year at Belmont, but I’m really not sure what I’ll do right away after I graduate. Eventually I plan to open a clothing store, but it’s going to take some planning (and much saving of money!). Until then, I’m going to continue to sew and hopefully get involved in different outlets to sell my designs (there are so many fashion markets and shows here in Nashville throughout the year that I can’t wait to be a part of!). School and work tend to take my full attention a lot of the time, so I’m also looking forward to my Christmas Break and next summer, when I’ll be able to concentrate more on what I love to do :)
Kallie is currently using the blue velveteen fabric to make a dress loosely based off this cute peter pan collar dress pattern. And expect headbands and maybe bracelets with the pretty ribbon and vintage feathers!
Thanks, Kallie!
GIVEAWAY - Baby Blue Tulle Cupcake Skirt!
And for the giveaway, Kallie's offering her lovely cupcake blue skirt with purple tulle! Perfect for a soft touch of spring in the blustery cold most of us are enduring right now. (I can't imagine how beautiful this skirt would look with a snowy, winter white background. Those of you with snow.. try extra hard to win this thing.)
To enter, simply comment on this giveaway telling us how you'd style this incredible skirt!
And for a second entry.. pass the word along! Let your friends on Twitter, Facebook, or on your blog know about this giveaway.. Then, add a second comment to let us know that you spread the news and where.
The winner will be selected at random a week from today - Wednesday, November 25th. Right before Thanksgiving, ladies. Best of luck to you all!
Pictures by Neil Winter.. except for the ones OF Neil Winter, of course.
70's Cream and Green Mini Dress - thrifted
Black Floral Hair Comb, Lace Crinoline - handmade
Black Polka Dot Tights, Lace up Heels - H&M (gifts from Rhi! I love them both)
Another string of beautiful days lately. On our way to my grandparent's house the other day, Neil and I left the interstate to drive through the country, and we found this little hamlet. A pretty white house, all sorts of fencing, a neat pond and a million different sheds and barns - all red, all losing their paint, all fantastic.
It's funny. Before I lived in the city, all I could think about was how great city life would be. Now that I'm in Nashville, I'm lusting after serene fields and the woods. I want the country back.. nearly enough to move. Nearly.
This is the dress I told you guys about - the one that makes me feel like I belong in a marching band! I'm wondering whether it's from the 60's or 70's. Rhi thinks 70's, and she knows better than I do.
The dress is rather short, so I took out the hem and left the hem tape on the edges - it's a pretty lace, and I'm still debating whether or not to keep it as is or sew it back underneath. I mean, hem tape isn't supposed to be used as a trim, but who cares about conventional sewing? Who cares about convention, period? Really. Do your own thing. Still deciding, though.
It's the weekend! We met up with cool friends last night to have dinner, Starbucks, and watch a great movie - Citizen Kane. Our copy of the film has a documentary on the parallels between William Randolph Hearst's life and Orson Welles'.. watching the documentary adds so much to the actual film. When you know the obstacles Welles had to overcome just to get the picture released, it makes you appreciate it so much more. Not to mention the fact that these are real men's lives, not just an interesting story about some fictitious tyrant.
Citizen Kane equals not overrated.
Tonight is an inside night. Just Neil and I and some pizza and some wine. I can't wait.
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