In My Kitchen Closet - Vintage Aprons

It's that baking time of year again and aprons are a must have in every cooking fashionista's closet. Ok, ok, I'll probably be wearing these vintage cuties while my sister bakes (I'll let her wear one too.) These are entirely hand made and so adorable!


Red gingham is so festive for the holidays! And I love the rick-rack trim and hankerchief hemline...sugary sweet!

Hand appliques make this one special!

I made a close up but I'm not sure you can see all the perfect little stitches around each piece of the applique. Absolutely amazing! What a steady hand this must have been!

Black and white...this will go over anything I wear in the kitchen!

Once again another closeup, this time of the embroidery, or maybe it's cross stitch. Either way, you can imagine the kind of time this must have taken! Now think about how crazy long it would take to make an Haute Couture creation!

All these aprons were made by either my boyfriend's great grandmother or great aunt many years ago and they look like new! It's incredible that a pair of jeans can be worn out in a few months time these days yet these have last eons! They just don't make them like they used to!

J.

Finally In My Closet - OTK Boots

My boots from Bebe showed up right after I left for Florida but I haven't yet had a chance to post them. This is the second time I've worn them but already I can't get enough of tall boots!

These also roll down to just at the knee but I totally forgot to do it for these pictures...another post...

The lace up the back is different and I like the look of the contrasting pant showing through.

But now the more I look at them the more they sort of have a pirate look to them...

Hmmm..."Pretty Woman" or "Pirates Of The Carribean?" Anyway, I like them and I'm going to keep them but I wanted tall boots to wear in winter with dresses for the purpose of keeping my legs warmer and the laces also sort of defeat that purpose, though suppose I could wear them with tights...I think I still want a style closer to the Topshop pair that I had originally ordered...Do I dare?

J.

Not Cool In My Closet - XL

Stupid but true airport story...

The day before Thanksgiving, I found myself shivering inside the airport. Alas, I had left in a rush without a coat or jacket! (It happened to be in the 70's that day.) Knowing that my destination was probably going to be colder outside than it was here inside, I went on the hunt for warmer fabrics. Not only was there nothing cute, stylish or chic, but it was all over priced souvenirs, a.k.a. junk. I refuse to pay for over priced junk. But I was still stuck with the cold weather dilemma. So after hunting down the cheapest sweatshirt I could find ($30,) I dug through the rack for a small. No luck. I took an extra large sweatshirt up to the clerk and asked if they had any other sizes. Her response?
"We sure do, we have extra extra large."

Umm, I'm 5 foot tall...

I bought the extra large.
J.

New Additions to My Closet - Small Hand Bags

I feel like I haven't been home forever! As much as I enjoy seeing new places, it's always a relief to settle down to a normal life. It's been a crazy month of travel for me, but I'm back now with tons to talk about!

I'm excited about these new additions to my handbag collection! I received these little lovelies over the weekend, (thank you Mr. H.) and I don't know which one I'll debut first. They're all small, some perfect for an evening out and some perfect for holiday shopping when I don't need to be weighed down with a large purse along with shopping bags.

Can you believe that I didn't have one small black evening bag? This one is satin with a jeweled buckle...the details are a little hard to see. But it's perfect! How come this hasn't been in my wardrobe sooner? It makes me want to dress up for a matinee of the Nutcracker! Now to convince the boyfriend...

Can you say lipstick, credit card and phone? Because that's all that'll be need in this one! I imagine I'll use this one with everything. The black and white will go with anything and even though it's small, it's quite a sturdy bag, made with a nice thick leather.

I have the perfect pair of heels for this one! Chains and black leather, classic rock and roll!

Close up of the details. I love the over sized leather paillettes!

And now for more color! This one is adorable and maybe my favorite! Once again, it's only big enough for the necessities but this tiny thing will carry me through the year.

All these bags could fit into a larger purse and taken out when the bigger bag isn't needed. (Note to all: Be sure to leave the larger bag locked and hidden in the car, as this time of year is notorious for break ins...) And I love that they can sit on a table during dinner and not take up too much space. I hate putting my larger bags on the floor, so gross and dirty!

It feels good to be home! And now I must leave it for a few hours to get some Xmas shopping done.

J.

Gift In My Closet - Vintage Adjustable Wig Strap

Ever see one of these things?

An adjustable wig strap...I can't imagine we'll be seeing Kim from The Real Housewives sporting one of these. (Sorry for the glare...it's actually in the original wrapping...)

So the idea is to clip this piece of elastic to either side your wig and then tighten it with the button under your chin...as if that wouldn't be totally noticeable?!!?

I received this lovely little vintage nugget from my friend E. who, as an avid thrifter, has the most amazing ability to find the rarest of all oddities.

Completely random, I know.
J.

New to My Closet - Lace Top

My sister called me over yesterday to go through a bag of clothes she got from one of her co-workers and I was so excited to find this great lace top-

It has a few easy to fix holes but other than that it's a perfect fit. It's a great touch of texture and I love the high Victorian style collar.

Of course it's super girly with a floaty skirt, but I think I'd also like it layered with a cardigan, jeans and boots for a more everyday look.

My newly thrifted jacket is just right to take it to lunch.

This is a close up of the pendant I'm wearing. I love the unexpected creepiness of it with this sweet look.

Well, I'm off to Miami for a business trip but I'll be back soon, provided I make it past Hurricane Ida...wish me luck!

J.

In My Closet - Vintage Gloves

I received these beautiful vintage gloves and hadn't yet had the opportunity to post them but with the cooler weather setting in I decided that the time was now...

They are in perfect condition and the gather detail at the wrist give them a more glam feel.

This pair has actually never been worn...the cardboard shape hand is inside one of the gloves and still has the price tag...


I love the color name, "Chocolate Cream." Mmmm, sounds yummy, and for only $3!

The other pair is more of an ivory color and have already been worn, but only a little. I think I may try them out this winter. I can't wait to pile on the bracelets and bangles!

J.

The Boot Saga Continues

The boots had to be canceled! Trust me, great sadness at 7 am today. I was told they'd been lost and they refunded my money but that left me sans boots.

So the hunt continues.
I found a pair at my local Bebe, but they didn't have the size or color that I wanted.

(Photo from bebe.com)
This is the Madison, which the lovely girls found at another store and ordered for me. They look promising but I'm not so sure about the corset look up the back...

(Photo from Bebe.com)
Sorry for the small pic...They are returnable so if I hate them I'm not stuck with them. I tried them with my jeans in the brown which was very pretty, and they fold over at the knee which makes them more versatile.
Of course I'll be out of town when they arrive-business trip (and probably computerless...) so I guess this is becoming a lesson in patience...I wait...

J.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

HAVE FUN!
J.

Closet Notes

I've been on vacation for a little while...Mom's been in town, and haven't had too much time to post, so here's a few small fashionable notes from the past week...

Some good things...(How very Martha Stewart of me...)

So I wasn't able to come across Chanel's Jade Nail polish, but instead found Orly's "Green With Envy"

And I must admit I'm on day 6 with no chips so far...I love it when a pedicure lasts! It makes every moment of pampering last even longer.

I also had the opportunity to do some thrifting with my friend E. who is always really honest about how something looks or if it's worth the price. I was super happy to come across this jacket at Salvation Army and it was 1/2 price day!

The sleeves have a slight puff at the shoulders and it's exactly what I've been looking for to go with a beautiful nude lace skirt that I've never worn...A later post.

And now some boo hoo-

I went to the Nordstrom Rack opening, stood in line for an hour and a half in the rain, purchased 2 dresses without trying them on and both of them were horrible on me! I looked like a big blue rectangle in one of them and the second one...well let's just say I didn't have enough to fill it out in the right places. When I went back to exchange them for something that did fit, I came up empty handed! I guess it made my pocketbook happy!

Boo hoo #2-
My boots have not yet arrived! I found out upon calling customer service that there happens to be a postal strike going on and it could still be another week or 2. By that time, winter in Texas will practically be over! Ok, that's an exaggeration. It's just that it took me so long to make up my mind...oh never mind...we all know how it is to be waiting for something you've ordered. It's like it will never come! But they will...(hurry, hurry!)

Enough of my obsessive rambling for now.
J.

Flying Out Of My Closet - The Last Butterflies of Summer

As I mentioned last week, I visited a farm with a beautiful butterfly haus


and wanted to post my photos but held back thinking "Isn't it a little late in the year to be talking about butterflies?"

After all, it was only in the 50's this morning when I woke up, hardly butterfly weather.

So I was going to wait until probably next spring before using these.
Until I came across this lovely robe and slip from Topshop by Kate Moss-

(Photo from topshop.com)
So pretty! This collection of nightwear will debut on Thursday the 29th, not next spring. So according to my calculations, I'm still within the proper time frame to post about butterflies. And I can still wear this dress (with the proper layers of course.)


Wearing it with this belted denim jacket is perfect mid day when the sun is out.

(Close up of print.)

Ok, now we can move forward with Autumn.
J.

Must Add To My Closet- Jade

Mom has been in town for the past few days and today we went to Wild Seed Farms here in Texas. Sounds a little country but the weather was amazing and having family around is always good. They have beautiful flowers, an incredible butterfly house (more on that later,) and colorful pottery everywhere. In fact, the following pictures I took made me realize how bad I really want (need?) that Chanel Jade Polish...



I must hunt it down...maybe I'll find it in time for tomorrow's mani/pedi.
J.

Soon to Be In My Closet - Top Shop Over The Knee Boots

(Photo from Topshop.com.)
After much debate and hunting, I purchased the Britany2 Over The Knee Boot from Topshop over the internet last night and now have 5-7 business days to wait for them. As per my last post, Pearl from Fashion Pearls of Wisdom really had me thinking about them and after a little more research I found this pair that I think will work really well with my wardrobe. I'm looking forward to wearing them specifically with dresses this winter. I hope they keep me warm!

J.

Finally Out of My Closet - New Boots

I've been sick for over a week - actually, make that a month. I went from one ailment right into another one within about 4 days, but I'll spare you the fun details...

I'm feeling much better now, a few coughs aside and was excited step out of the house and enjoy the beautiful day. It's extremely sunny but only in the 50's. It proved to be the perfect weather for pulling out my new boots...

I haven't really worn them much, but I figured that the amount of walking we'd be doing was just enough to break them in. They turned out to be much more comfortable than I thought and I think they'll be in my top rotation this winter.

They look great with jeans-

But I'm looking forward to tights and skirts. I love a versatile shoe! I wish they would have had them in black. I have been searching for black boots for months! And after reading about over the knee boots from Pearl at Fashion Pearls of Wisdom, I think they might need to be looked into...

Anyway, on my agenda this morning, coffee (priority) and the local weekly Farmer's Market. Nothing like fresh veggies to help heal!

While there, we (my boyfriend was with me,) ran into Adam H. who introduced us to these 2 bloggers,

David from blog "The Forty Days" is exploring a different activity every day for 40 days from flying lessons, and unicycle riding to volunteering and open mic night. It's crazy but inspiring- check it out, he's on day 31.

Jodi's blog "Tasty Touring" has her living off food samples all day today. Good luck Jodi! I know I tried some crazy things today, there's no telling what's out there! She also has some excellent local food deals for those of you around the central Texas area.

I'm looking forward to dinner tonight. I haven't had much of an appetite while I was sick, but I can finally taste and smell again. Now if we could do something about the congestion in my ears I'd be as good as new.

J.

In My Closet- Winter Coat Collection

Living in central Texas means it's rarely cool enough to wear a big, heavy winter coat. However, having grown up in the midwest, every autumn I pour through magazines and lust after the styles, shapes and fabrics fully knowing that I have very little use for any of them, they'll only take up space in my closet. In all honesty, I may wear a winter coat only for about 2-3 weeks. But do you think that stops me? Nope! In fact, I have a small but lovely collection of coats that I will never give up. I try to choose classic shapes and styles that I can wear for years and it makes sense to hang onto them.


The basic black overcoat. My sister bought it for me for X-mas some years ago and of course it can be used for may different occasions. If I need a heavy coat for work, this is the one. It covers from neck down to almost my knees and is very warm.

A must for every woman's closet, the trench. (The picture looks like one button is missing, but it's there.) This one is from Michael Kors and it was marked at $250 usd but I think I got it for about $80 as it was March and already above 85 degrees. The length is mid thigh which, being only 5 foot, is perfect for me. Anything longer sort of swallows me and looks like I'm dressing in Mommy's coat. I love the fun, silvery-blue unexpected color and it looks as good with jeans as it does a suit.

This one is faux fur fun! It looks black in the picture but it's actually a dark brown, with a slight purple under tone. I love to dress this one up and the wide collar means I can wear a variety of scarves or necklaces.

This is a recent thrift find from Goodwill. I was walking up and down the Halloween costume aisle and this poor creature called out to me. I carried it around for a while before trying it on and as I ran my hands over it I found...

POCKETS! How cool is that! It's vintage, but not in perfect shape, the lining has a large hole and it goes all the way through in one spot. But you can hardly see it and the price I paid was silly inexpensive. It reminded me of something you'd see one of the Olsens wearing. Boho glamish...I haven't worn it yet (too hot,) but I'm dieing to wear it with my new boots.

Of course, none of these can compare to the navy blue, fuzzy, knee length with even fuzzier white cuffs and collar coat that I wore to church every Sunday as a child. It was a sad day when I had out grown it!

What winter coat will you be wearing this season?
J.