a calico skirt and the summer moon

Last night Andy and I went to check out a new brewery in Sparta. Sparta is a tiny farm town near us surrounded by fruit orchards. So, going for a microbrew in Sparta is kind of like looking for fine art at the mall's Thomas Kinkade store. Nonetheless, the beers were pretty tasty.

I wore this calico print wrap skirt I recently found while thrifting. (By the way, that sweet ride isn't mine. I wish!)

There were three handmade wrap skirts, all together in a row on the rack at Goodwill. It was obvious they were all made by the same person. Each had a little extra patch pocket sewn onto one of the hip pockets. Two were calico; I kept this one but gave the other (in a spring green floral print) to my best friend. They are amazingly well-made, much better than anything you'd find in a store nowadays--they even have linings! I love the contrast piping. And the two calico skirts both have a really clever belting system that involves D rings at the front waist, rather than the traditional belt ties.

As cute as the skirt I wore last night is, it's not the cutest of the three. This one was a bit different and I almost didn't pick it up at the store. It was unlined and just a plain stonewashed blue with a leaf print. It wasn't until I looked near the bottom hem that I saw this:

How adorable is that little mouse? And the mushrooms! Had to keep it.

The blue in that skirt is almost the same color as yesterday evening's sky. I took this photo at about 9 pm--the sky still blue with a pretty crescent moon.

As we drove through the countryside, the sky remained blue well until 10 pm. With the surrounding trees black against the blue sky, it reminded me of Rene Magritte's L'Empire des Lumières.

Here's to long, lovely summer evenings!

xo

K

shop preview

It's nearly summertime, which means it's the time of year for extra-long days (here in western Michigan we have sunlight well until 9 pm in summer!), balmy nights, gatherings with friends and family, lazy days floating in the lake, and outdoor cocktails. You might need a party dress or two; you'll definitely need some pretty cotton day dresses, and prints of lush florals, sporty stripes, and picnic-y gingham prints certainly won't hurt!

There's something very Royal Family about this 1950s lace party dress, and it has the most interesting color scheme I've seen on a dress in some time: taupe or cocoa lace over a gold lining, with a moss green and plum satin sash. By Young Modes by Claudia Young.

Sweet and childlike pink rosebuds cardigan, by Catalina Sportswear.

Adorable swiss dot and pintucked bodice dolly dress, by Helen Whiting.

Putty and concrete carved stone print blouse, by White Stag.

1940s romper or playsuit with cut-out midriff, by Ann's Pajams.

Dandelion print full skirt.

Wild bohemian floral print shift dress, by Queen's-Way Fashion.

Striped green tie-waist blouse in nubby fabric, by Ship 'n Shore.

1950s yellow floral print sleeveless dress.

Pinstriped leaping lions (?) blouse, by Rhoda Lee.

Calico floral stripe sundress with sweetheart neckline.

Romantic lace collar muslin dressing gown, by Godfried.

Floral print day dress, by Glenbrooke.

Rose and daisy print blouse with scalloped collar.

Picnic red gingham ruffle-front dress, by Bill Atkinson, Glen of Michigan.

Yellow woven floral plaid blouse, by White Stag.

Noir voile floral print prairie dress with peplum and lace cuffs, by L'Aiglon.

Red and gray plaid full pleated skirt.

Tulip print crepe wiggle dress, by Jonathan Logan.

1950s pink portrait collar blouse, by Rhoda Lee.

Charcoal stripe and gingham sundress, by Toni Todd.

xo

K

baby face, redux

Every so often (maybe not often enough) I've posted about films here on the blog. The last one was quite awhile back, when I wrote about the amazing pre-Code film Baby Face, starring one of my favorite actresses, Barbara Stanwyck.

Now lsaspacey over at her blog As I said... has posted a wonderful, thoughtful piece about the film that has me itching to watch it yet again! Go check it out.

xo

K

a haircut and vintage grand rapids

I got my hair cut and colored yesterday, and am very happy with the results! (Grand Rapidians, you want to see Didi at Panopoulos in Cascade. She is The Best. Hands down.) The haircut was not any sort of trauma for me, as I am a Short Hair Girl (recent pictures of me on this blog to the contrary), and I've had very short hair before (including a near-skinhead phase in college) but I think this is my favorite short haircut so far. In the past I've let Didi go crazy with the color (bleached blond bob with pink and orange streaks), but this time we both agreed dark brown with a touch of red was the way to go.

Post-haircut, Andy and I headed downtown for dinner. I snapped a few photos of vintage Grand Rapids while we were out and about. I love seeing these whispers of the past, still around us, faded and peeling perhaps but still beautiful.

I love the peeling paint on this parking sign, and the HAHA tag.

Andy rocking the Addams Family pinball machine at the Meanwhile.

xo

K

swimsuit sneak peek, part 2

Here's part 2 of the swimwear sneak peek! Enjoy.

Possibly my favorite, a chevron stripe maillot, by Rose Marie Reid.

Jantzen floral bikini.

Black sunflower print maillot, by Surf Togs.

Mod bikini, by Top Drawer of Newport Beach.

Raspberry ruched maillot, by Rose Marie Reid.

Mosaic print bikini, by Cole of California.

Daffodil print maillot, by Jantzen.

Psychedelic skirted bias cut maillot, by Sirena California.

Gauzy orange floral maillot, by Rose Marie Reid.

xo

K

i wish i could drink like a lady

I love bars. I'm not exactly a barfly, a la Charles Bukowski, but I do love a dirty old dive with Sinatra on the jukebox. Or a swank hotel bar with soft lighting and cushy seats. And now that I no longer live in New York, I'm a lot less choosy. If the bartender doesn't look confused when I order a Manhattan, I'm happy.

I have, however, now found my cocktail heaven on earth, in a new joint that has opened right here in Grand Rapids called the Viceroy. It's modeled on a 1930s speakeasy, and it opened two weeks ago. And I've already been there. Four times.

Andy and I made our fourth visit last Saturday. We had intended to get a snack at the Festival of the Arts first, but it was raining, so, boo hoo, we had to go straight to the Viceroy. Boo. Hoo.

Here's what I wore: my favorite skirt, a painted 1950s circle skirt that I've had for ages, a blouse from Target (I've had it at least 10 years), a 1950s shrug, and a pair of 1960s shoes from the Etsy shop.

Andy wore one of my favorite shirts--1950s cotton with the coolest Japanese lantern print.

In keeping with the speakeasy theme, the bar has a secret code you need to punch in to access the front door, and you can only know that code by being a fan of the Viceroy's Facebook page, or by knowing someone else who does. It's a cute gimmick--but I'm more interested in the cocktails! The drink menu is a mix of classic cocktails and some new creations. We always sit at the bar. Watching the drinks being mixed is a good part of the fun.

We have been lucky on three of our four visits to be served by bartender Tory. He knows his drinks, and is very inventive. If you sit at the bar when Tory is on duty, he will ask you what you like. (I like gin!) Do you like floral flavors? (maybe, sometimes) Do you like sweet or more dry? (dry!) And so on. Then he'll whip something up. It's like having a bespoke perfume made before your eyes--only it costs a fraction of that, and you get to drink it!

This is a Tory invention called the Cowgirl Lucy. (Sorry my cocktail photos are a bit blurry; I refuse to use my flash.) The Cowgirl Lucy is a bourbon drink with mezcal; it tastes a bit smoky and slightly sweet. Tory served it with sage flowers from his garden; I got a whiff of sage with each sip.

This is another Tory invention, called the Dynasty. I can no longer recall what the heck was in this (there's a chunk of cucumber there, and I know he said ginger syrup), but I remember the drink did have a slightly powdery vanilla scent to it, and yes, did make me think of Krystle Carrington!

This is an old cocktail called The Lady Macbeth. I'd never heard of it before, but they are generally made with champagne, port and lemon. It was fizzy yet a bit dark, and Tory made it for me after asking me to name a favorite actress (Elizabeth Taylor). Brilliant!

I'm so glad a bit of Cocktail Culture has made it to western Michigan. If you're in Grand Rapids, please visit the Viceroy. They have a nice range of local beer on tap for you non-cocktail drinkers (Andy).

xo

K