Successful Thursday

OHHHH Internets!!! Today has been the day.

First off, in news that is not mine, D's gun finally came! Since he won't get his butt in gear and do his own internets typing, I'm going to do some for him.

It is a Beretta 92FS INOX (which means it's stainless steel, I guess).

It is pretty and it is heavy and we've been waiting for it since before Christmas and it's finally here!
Fantastic! So tomorrow, after a few morning errands we will be heading north to D's parents' house for some shooting and whatnots. Hopefully it won't be snowing!

Before all this, though, we went to the east side of town, to a place called Monticello Antiques. Which was huge. It really was. But there wasn't anything really fabulous there. Sadly. There were cute things, and there were pretty things, and ugly things - what you'd expect from an antique/vintage store. But nothing that I was dying to have.
Sadly, though, they had a lot of things in glass cases. Which is nice, for them I suppose. But not nice for me. I like being able to shop on my own. I don't even really like having to go buy video games at the store because you have to have them get them for you, even though there is always someone close.
This place, nobody to be found anywhere near where we were looking. And, of course, while they're all locked up in the glass, you can't really touch it and hold it and see how shiny it is (was a lot of pins and jewelery and pretty things) - or see how much it cost. Which is also important to me. I want to know price before I get to attached, I'm working with a limited budget here!

Either way, a good store, might go back in a while, might not. We got lost three times on the way, which was alright, but it really is in a weird part of town.
I, however, did not leave empty handed.

Just some white glass beads. I like them. They're not real fancy or anything, but enough to be flashy. And considering I'm not a flashy kind of person, for the most part (I don't wear much jewelry), this is a good start.

And this is just a pendant. It's rather cheap, from the back, but it was only 5$ and hopefully the "gem" won't come out. It reminds me of a flower, except the green in the middle means it is not flower-like after all. But, home with me it came.

Internets, let me tell you, I truly have the best fiancé ever. Let me tell you. I bored him to death with the antique store. Made him sad for telling him he didn't like any of the things (entirely different subject we might come back to). And then he stopped off at Value Village after all this still.
Yeah.
Because I had said I wanted clothes at the antique store (which I did, and they had just about none - I looked hard, too). And he saw it, and so he stopped. Because I had wanted clothes.
Isn't he lovely. No really, he is. And also armed, therefore I have to be nice to him.
...just kidding.

Either way, I got a few things at Value Village.

 

This is just  a black button-up-front dress. Which has terrible shoulder pads in it, might I add. I have to remove those. Promptly. It is a tad small, but considering it would have to be worn with a tanktop and tights/leggings anyway, I see no fault with that - get a belt (I keep saying that!) and treat it like a jacket. Problem solved!

 Terrible sepia-based picture...but to show the buttons and hopefully you can see the side-seaming-part, so it's darted in, for waists and such. Whatever those are!

 Ohhh flutter-esque sleeves! This I actually really love.

Close up of the pattern.

Neither of these are vintagey, I know, I know, but I'm trying to...grow my collection of pretty clothes. It's been far too many years that I've been wearing Batman t-shirts. I like Batman t-shirts, don't get me wrong.
However, we've survived the end of the world (and, according to your memes, dear Internets, we lost Twinkies instead of our lives), why not do somethings one has wanted to do. No reason not to. Right?

Internets, it's the same reason I dyed my hair. Why not, after all? There's no really good reason not to. I can convince myself otherwise all day long, but there's not a good reason.
Least that's how I see it.

xoxo, Jess (who is really trying to just say "why not?" instead of coming up with answers to that question)

Thrifting Goodness

Dear internets, I am crocheting. Yes, you heard me. I've had a few days off, and that's fair, I suppose, and am back at it. The dishes are in the dishwasher, swishing away, and the laundry is getting dry (very slowly, shall we say) in the dryer. The DIY Network is on the television, and I'm parked on the couch crocheting.

I'm working on a blanket for a coworker. She's having a rough time of things, and she's supposed to be going to a different location soon - they've told her she's an in for management. That was in June. It's almost January, now, and she's still here. It's stressful for her, and there's lots of other aspects of life right now that aren't going too well. So, I asked her if I could make her a blanket. She agreed, and asked for either colours for The Blazers (basketball) or The Giants (football). Since I'd rather look at red and black than white and blue, Blazers it is.

It's a granny stripe, but different. There's a regular 4-round granny in the corner, and then you go in the stripey way around two of the sides of the square. Thank you Lion Brand patterns, because this is super simple, yet won't grow exponentially like a regular granny square will. Also, pattern link here.

However, internets, Friday was rather productive. There was no work for the day, so I was able to go to a lovely place everyone should try if they have not done so - Goodwill.
It's a good store. If you don't mind digging a bit. There are some good things to be had amongst all the weirdly coloured shirts and odd-ball dinnerware.

I was actually successful, for once. Most of the time I'm only slightly successful, cannot find what I want, but something intriguing at least. I found a few things I was after, however did not find a good skirt nor pair of pants. Well, I take that back. I didn't find good capris. I found a pair of pants, and bought said pair of pants, to get home and find out I'm exactly 5 pounds too fat for them! They button and zip up, but not all too flatteringly!

The shirts I bought, though? Delightful. None of them vintage, but they have a certain happy-go-lucky-yet-adult look to them, which is one of the things that draws me to the vintage style anyway.

I also found a waist-length sweater/cardigan, that has a very low v-neck and buttons and tiny little square pockets on the front, but it's a dark grey colour, which made it very hard to photograph. I tried, but there was no telling to any detail, just a blob of grey on my frame. So, that was also had, but not pictured here.

I also got some sewing patterns. Because I'm going to learn to sew, don't you know. And no, internets, no matter how much I pretend, I do *not* know how to sew. I can feed fabric through a machine, and there will be a seam, and there might even be two pieces of fabric held together, but I cannot sew. I am going to learn. Taxes will be processed, and whatever (if anything) I get in return, will go for a sewing machine. Well, hopefully not all of the return, but you understand internets, don't you?

There's the retro patterns on the right, that I desperately need, and then the ones on the right, flowy long dresses and some shorter and very bright and airy. If I end up sewing well enough, and can find a good fabric, I may end up making my own wedding dress!

But don't tell D, alright internets? He cannot know yet. Not until I get the machine. It'll be our secret.

I'm off to work on the blanket, dear internets, and until we meet again, I'll keep you in mind.

xoxo, Jess (who cannot believe she thought the thought of making her own wedding dress, squee!)

New Additions!

Ohhhh, Internets, I'm so excited!!! The vintage dress I purchased on Etsy finally arrived! It took farrrr too long (I purchased on the 13th, and the listing said would only take 1 - 3 days to get out...postage was dated the 21st!) but I'm so glad it's finally here! I had to ask the seller what the sizing was, because they listed nothing of the sort in the posting and, to my luck, it was my size! Well, as close to my size as any dress can get!

 

The picture makes it a bit hard to tell, bathroom light and all (and please excuse the toothbrushes and whatnot!), but it's more orange-y than it looks. It's a lovely paisely print, and I'm in love with it. The bust is a bit loose, because I lack in that area, but from the waist down, it has a good fit. 

There is some pleats right under the waist-line, which is nice, because I have a bit of a tummy, which is why I do not wear dresses. But with the pleating, it's almost like it's not a big deal! Well, as big of a deal. There is no bulging, let's put it that way!

Oh internets, I am so very happy! I have never liked wearing dresses, but got an itching for a vintage one, so browsed Etsy (and eBay - which was terrible) and found this lovely number. D said to just get it, I wanted it, so get it. In my cart it went, and bam, now it's here!
I'm not sure what I'll wear it for, and at this point I don't even care! I love it with far too much of my soul right now!

A few weeks ago I picked up another dress at Goodwill for a few dollars, it has a nice vintage feel to it, but I'm sorry to say it is not very old at all.

It doesn't have a waist-banding-area like the orange/brown dress does, but it has a nice collar, and a button down top. The pattern is very geometric and the colours have that old vibe to them. 

Oh internets, now only to find the rest of a vintage wardrobe, and I will be higher than the moon! No really, I would be! I want all of it! I have mighty plans for these clothes, you see, I would love to be able to wear these types of things every day.
There is a lady upon you, internets, her name is Twila Jean and I love her style. I also want her bright red hair. I've actually wanted to dye mine that colour for a few years now, just haven't had the chance (it's not a natural hair colour, therefore not work-appropriate; bah humbug!).

I would like to be able to dress like that at least once in a while, for now, anyway, and work my way up!
And thank goodness internets, that you are here to help me! Lovely situation we have, isn't it! 

And yes, internets, that picture of the dress hanging on the door is on Instagram. You don't have to rub it in! I'm not a good picture take-r! Not yet, anyway. Need to fine tune a things, but until then, this will have to do. 

xoxo, Jessica (who is trying to think of a reason to wear a pretty dress)