2013 in outfits

At the movies, and on my birthday.

I liked you, 2013.  Yes, there were some sadness, but the year as a whole was very good.

And there were outfits.  These aren't necessarily my "best" outfits of the year...they're just the ones I took photos of.  (I don't take a lot of outfit photos, and the ones I take now end up on my Instagram.)  Looking at these photos, I realize that I wore very few items that were brand new to me.  (A quick and probably not totally accurate count: one skirt, two dresses, two pairs of shoes, and one pair of jeans.  Some socks and tights.)  Some of the things I'm wearing here I've had for several years; at least three of the dresses I've had for over a decade!  This pleases me.  Now I just need to learn to not fill up my closet with so many vintage things I never wear.  Yes, I think it will be time for a closet cleaning soon. 

At the UICA; on Record Store Day.

On the West Side; in downtown Grand Rapids.

At Honey Creek Inn; in Vienna.

In Cadillac; in the bathroom of the Amway Grand Hotel.

xo

K

life in november

It's been busy around here since we returned from Europe.  First and most importantly, of course, we met and brought home Pickles.  He has been such a sweet, lovable addition to our little family.  We also seem to have had a hard time staying at home since coming home, and took lots of little trips around Michigan in November, treasuring hunting and enjoying the last of the autumn foliage.  

Winter has also arrived here--suddenly!  Or it seems sudden.  (Autumn just never lasts as long as I would like.)  The flannel pajamas and down comforter are out and in use.  And I suppose I'm finally getting into winter nesting mode:  I've been making cocktails (the maple leaf and rum/cider concoctions are the current favorites) and have started thinking about my holiday baking.

Speaking of which...Andy and I had the flu over Thanksgiving, so we didn't have our big feast until last night.  I am not a big pie fan or maker (I know, it's un-American, right?), so I was going to make a pumpkin cheesecake for dessert.  However, while looking for a recipe, I stumbled on this recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse.  It was really easy to make, and quite tasty.

How was your November?  You can follow me on Instagram if you're interested in life behind the scenes around here.

xo

K

insta summer

One visitor leaves, another arrives, and that's pretty much summer here and that's how I like it!

 The above shows a week full of making lavender lemonade, finishing a fascinating book about Vienna, visiting our b&m space, discovering excellent wrap skirts in the garage and a tiny broken egg in the backyard, crazy estate sale finds, and good times with my visiting pal, Don.

And--if you hadn't already noticed--I've become an instant (hah!), hardcore, Instagram convert.  I'm mostly following a lot of other vintage sellers, and haven't yet quite figured out how to find other interesting people to follow.  The very best Instagram feeds in my opinion are those where you see all kinds of bits from someone's life, from what they do for work, to where they live, and what they eat and drink and read and watch.  (My Instagram is here.)

I hope you had a lovely week, too!

xo

K

last week

Last week was so busy!  We celebrated Andy's birthday, had two major vintage buys (one a surprise that fell smack in the middle of his birthday celebrations), and my friend Stephani visited us.  There was a lot of cocktail making and coffee drinking, some good eating, a ridiculously hot and humid visit to Saugatuck's beach, and beautiful Michigan moons.  (More photos on my Instagram.)

We also reserved our apartment for our week in Vienna, which I'm very excited about.  Now we just have to find a place to stay for our week in Munich...any thoughts on neighborhoods/places to stay from those who are from there or have visited would be greatly appreciated!

xo

K

working vacation

We just came back from a week visiting my parents in Colorado.  We had a good visit, and I discovered a new favorite beer--Stiegl pilsner from Salzburg.  We did plenty of good eating (the green chile mashed potatoes at the Bull & Bush are the ultimate comfort food), and lots and lots of treasure hunting.  If you follow me on Instagram, you got to see some sneak peeks of our finds, which will all be coming to the shop shortly.

xo

K