A Family Photo Shoot

There's a good chance the above photo would've been on this past year's Christmas card. But between buying a house, trudging through my first trimester of this pregnancy, and chasing around a toddler after working all day, I did not get around to sending them out. It happens.

Our friend, Dave of The Wedding Format, shot these lovely pics last Fall and just recently posted the edited batch on their website. More photos from our family shoot can been seen here.

We are so happy to have this special day captured on film and so blessed to know such wonderfully creative folks:) Be sure to check out The Wedding Format's additional services! They're doing some pretty beautiful & unique things with photography, food, & decor for weddings and other special occassions. xx

A Banner Thrifting Day

It doesn't happen too often that I get to dedicate an afternoon to a second-hand shopping spree sans kiddo. And when I do, it's not very often that I hit the thrifting jackpot back-to-back-to-back. But today was one of those special days...

I was joined by my friend, Jennifer (former Blacklist Vintage owner & current Marigold Vintage proprietor) for a Southeast Des Moines sweep. Before hitting the charity shops, we stopped into the new Funky Finds Vintage & Retro at 515 18th Street.

Not only was it modestly priced, but also beautifully curated (which only made you want to buy EVERYTHING). Do yourself a favor and patronize this gem.

This rainbow Polaroid land camera was one of my "funky finds". I've been wanting one of these for a while now, so you can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon it.

I also walked out with this darling little puzzle by Galt Toys (Made in England). I could easily see it adorning a shelf or mantle someday when Ruby (& any other children we may have) outgrow it.

We stopped into Dorothea's Closet next door where I met this little number. It was nestled away in the $4 anniversary sale rack just waiting for me to come rescue it. Doesn't it make a great wall piece too?

New (old) books for the burgeoning vintage library.

I was pretty stoked about this paint-by-numbers masterpiece that I scored for $1.99. It's a bit awkward in places, so I have the option to disassemble it and reframe each painting individually. The Japanese landscape in the middle is my favorite.

Lastly, I found a floral vintage cocktail shift dress which I may have to save for another post. I think I ended up spending less than $30 total for my finds. We were pretty surprised by the array of old dresses & decor we came across today, which gives me hope that not all the good stuff has been picked over yet...xx

Fabric & Film

Last night, I did a little bit of thrifting with my sisters. This kind of thing doesn't happen too often. They were on a search for clothing to wear to a redneck themed party, while I was looking for actual, everyday clothing.

My youngest sister Amy & I got into it over one top, which was actually pretty funny. Neither of us ended up purchasing in the end. I did buy a skirt though(fabric above) which I'm still trying to decide how I really feel about it...I think I like it...? $3 is a small price to pay to avoid buyer's remorse.

(On a side note, it's been a lot of fun hanging out with my sisters so much lately:)

I also bought this vintage camera. Ok, not really vintage! But shooting on film seems to be a thing of the past. I used to go through disposable cameras like hot cakes back in the day. The film in this camera actually expired in 8/10, so I'm hoping the final product will be a little faded or distorted.

I've still got one from my honeymoon that needs to be processed (starring the VW vans of Catalina Island).

Looking forward to taking some random pics & developing this roll! xx

The Photography of Mark Shaw

Legendary photographer Mark Shaw captured Mid-Century elegance at it's finest. His photo archives are sheer eye-candy. Here's a taste...







Vanity Fair lingerie shoot.
Nico of The Velvet Underground.
Jackie for Life Magazine. Shaw was often referred to as the Kennedy family's unofficial photographer.

Shaw photographed Audrey Hepburn on many occassions. This is one of my favorites.

soZealous for: AUTUMN

[Image credits: 1.Lloyd Hughes on Deviant. 2.Miss Lulu on Flickr. 3.Bittersea on Deviant. 4.We Heart It. 5.westieluvr tumblr. 6.misshepburn tumblr. 7.bellechooses tumblr. 8.littleemmaenglishhome. 9.fashionista. 10.tejanita25 on flickr. 11.ache tumblr. 12.misswallflower tumblr.]

soZealous for: COSTUME JEWELRY

[Image credits: 1.Tatielle. 2.Atoms Tumblr. 3.pinkamby. 4.This is Glamorous. 5.weheartit. 6.kjsdesign blog. 7.Lobster and Swan. 8.All The Pretty Things Tumblr. 9.Amy Simons Flickr. 10.Diorette Jewelry. 11.bardotinblue. 12.dethjunkie.]