I am so endlessly inspired and moved by colors, patterns and brights. Colors are so invigorating to me- whether in nature, or in man-made textiles. The past few weeks I have been feeling more and more inspired to seek out vintage fabrics and wares, to embrace colors (of course) and have fun with my style. I have been making good use of a lot of the vintage in my closet (after I shared in my post a few weeks ago that I have a habit of treating my favorite vintage pieces like museum specimens). This green dress is a newer find from Etsy.com (one that I literally stalked for weeks until I saw it go on sale!). The day it arrived I took it with me to work and hemmed it during some downtime. It was a maxi originally (although a bit too short for me) and now it is a charming dress just above the knee.
I took these photos less than a mile from my childhood home, where my parents still live. I walked these tracks almost every day in college, escaping from the busy hustle and bustle of campus, thinking about love and life and relationships. When I was upset about something I picked up rocks, imagined they were my troubles and through them into the creek. Sometimes I went off the path and found old milk and perfume bottles, colorful rocks or pretty flowers. I used to feed the horses straw that lived on the farm up the hill- they are no longer there and the fields are several feet tall, with one clear-cut path for walking. Suprisingly- things are actually a lot more quiet out there than they were when I grew up. A local center has bought a lot of the properties that outlived their residents and mowed them over in the favor of trees. There's a lot of pros and cons to that- but one things is for certain. A once "quiet paradise" is now even more silent; other than from the song of cicadas, birds and frogs.
I've had this turquoise flower power dress for about five years now and it continues to be one of my favorites. Just look at those flowers! Funny enough, there is a permanent rip on the back above the little key-hole cut-out from a wipe out I took off the railroad tracks! I don't even remember what I was doing, but I know I lost my balance and rolled down an embankment of gravel; got home and realized that my dress had ripped on the back. I've sewn it up several times since then, but it looks rather Frankenstein, so it's good I plan on keeping it, anyway!
I have had so much fun wearing these pieces this summer, and I know
they'll all get plenty more wear! I've been working on a pact I made with myself to go
for LOVE over like with my purchases- and it's going well now :) I am focusing on
finds that I absolutely love rather than just "kinda like" which makes
my closet a treasure trove of things I always want to wear, rather than
stuff I need to get rid of to make room for more. Sometimes that means
spending a little more on the stuff I really really like (and fewer items), but I'd rather
do that than spend 10 or 20 bucks here and there for stuff I know I'll
want to get rid of in a year.
I get excited thinking about what piece of vintage I will be wearing the next day. I've been doing more buying and picking for the boutique I work at and it's really deepened my love for vintage clothing and wares. I feel so inspired to recycle and reuse- to seek out unique vintage and handmade pieces rather than buy mass produced. I still fall victim to the occasional Forever 21 purchases, yes, and I do still love many new pieces. But I must say that I have grown so appreciative of vintage and handmade items, especially ones that were made with so much care and craftsmanship. And I gravitate heavily towards the new pieces that are better quality with unique prints and patterns. I only hope that I can learn to be patient and have the skill to make my garment with as much care so they can be loved for many years, too!
Are you feeling inspired by something right now, too? I am hoping this post may inspire someone, anyone!- even if it is just to seek out what inspires them personally, too. Sometimes I find my times of inspiration to be both a blessing and a curse. Suddenly all of these wonderful ideas and concepts are floating through my mind, but I don't feel like I have all the time and resources I need to fulfill them all. But I am thankful for feeling inspired and will continue to roll with it! Thanks for reading :)
xo, Alyssa