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Monday, July 29, 2013

Feeling Inspired

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

17 comments:

  1. That dress is so you.
    You're so right about buying things you love instead of what you like. I'm still working on getting my closet to that point!

    Rachel

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    1. Thanks so much Rachel, that's really sweet of you :) And yea- its a really really tough thing to do- I feel like progress can always be made, haha! But it really does work after you keep at it for a while, and it gets easier :)

      xo, Alyssa

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  2. Oh my gosh ALYSSA as I was reading that part about walking the tracks, collecting colorful tidbits worn by nature, and dreaming dreamy dreams, you just instantly won my heart. Again. You are like my girl crush, okay? Gosh. Exploring woods and finding solace in nature is one of my favorite things. And I love that how even though you're so colorful, you can find color and things as bright as beautiful as yourself and your charming little personality in nature, too.

    Okies, I'm done gushing. :D

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    1. Ali, you are as sweet as they come, I totally love you! haha. It's so nice to find another blogger that enjoys my love of nature- thank you for being continually kind and thoughtful!
      xo

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  3. Beautiful outfits as always, my dear! I can totally relate to your last paragraph when you talk about so much inspiration and so little time...it can be frustrating! However, I'm glad you at least have your blog to share your creativity with the rest of us:)

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  4. YOUR CLOSET!!!! OH.MY.GOODNESS. *heart eye emoji here*

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  5. Uh, I really like how you say that you want to go for LOVE over like! I wanted to do that to and I try and try but sometimes I come across something cute on sale that I like but don't LOVE and then I can't resist :/. Anyhow, I love those railway shots! Somehow empty railways always makes me feel of being somewhere in the wild wild west ;)
    Beautiful pictures!

    Lots of love!

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  6. Loving that first dress on you, esp with the little fawn brooch! I always get nervous when I see bloggers posing on train tracks, hehe, but the effect is always great! You are the total queen of color :)

    xox Sammi
    www.thesoubrettebrunette.blogspot.com

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    1. HAHA, Sammi, I so understand that! Luckily the train that runs on this track is a historic coal train that moves very slowly and only runs during certain days and times. I think the curtain schedule is at 1, 3 and 6 pm. I am still very careful though, as even these facts don't make it completely safe- and thanks so much for the kind words <3

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  7. Gorgeous as usual, Alyssa! I'm always inspired by YOUR beautiful colors! I love that teal dress especially :)

    www.room-334.blogspot.com

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  8. That dress! How cute! Your closet is a paradise of happy rainbows. I love it! The train tracks would totally be somewhere I would hang out too... super serene.

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  9. You are always inspiring no matter what! Ever since I've found your blog I have been in awe at your ability to flawlessly pull off any combination of colors and patterns just because your love for them radiates from you :) I concur with your deep appreciation for vintage items. They really hold so much more special meaning than just buying something new at a retail store.
    I love seeing all of those dresses on the rack! I'm sure one gander at that just makes you smile with all of its brightness :)
    Lastly, I can't believe how impeccably that etsy dress fits you! The length you made it is perfect and it suits your personality so well.

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  10. you have amazing colorful photos ! lovely
    check out my blog :) if you like it follow me ! And I follow back
    http://the-newone.blogspot.ru
    <333

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  11. Thanks for your last comment!!!
    I would love to invite you for a picnic once ;)

    Have a wonderful weeeeekend :)

    xx

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  12. Oh my gosh! I REALLY love the green print dress you are wearing in the first few pictures. Wow!! It's so amazing. I love how you paired it with that yellow necklace and orange belt, too. They look great together. I love the pictures of your dresses and pins. I have never shopped vintage before, but your look is so inspiring, that I know that I should look at vintage items sometime!! I feel the same way you do about colours, they are so invigorating to me too!! :)

    ~Bristol
    colourmebristol.blogspot.com

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  13. I hopped over here from the lovely Ali's blog.

    There is something really very alluring about railway tracks. I love to read what you wrote about walking the tracks, thinking and mulling, finding random knick knacks. Part of the railway closed in my country and many people started walking the tracks for a slice of history.

    I was just inspired by my pms foul mood just now to draw. I'd wanted to draw something to unleash my nasties but instead as I drew, I became more and more calm.

    Just in case you reply and I do not check back, do leave me a note on my blog. I would definitely connect with you once more. The work week is always super hectic for me that I try to do all blog stuff over the weekend.

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  14. Looove your yellow heart sunnies! So cute!

    Xo, Hannah

    sweetsweetnoir.net

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