Teaching Strangers About Rock & Roll

Dear Oh My Darling readers,
I know we are just getting to know each other, and you don't know much about me yet.... but there is something you should know. I. Love. Vintage.
Yes, I know that this isn't anything terribly surprising. I mean, really. How many fashion bloggers do you read that also love vintage? You probably lost track around 137.
But, here's the thing... I probably loved vintage first. No, really. It's probaaaaably true.
I've loved it since the cute age of 4, when I discovered the joy of dressing up- specifically in clothes from yesteryear.

Then! I fell in l-o-v-e with theater. I loved it for many reasons.... one of them being, the costumes. Through theater, I was able to act like someone from a different era AND wear their clothes. Oh, it was lovely. :)

Anyways, of course this is the "Reader's Digest" version (and perhaps a little random...?)of my life long admiration for vintage clothing, but it's a  good segway into the pictures I wanted to share today! They are from a photo shoot that I did with Ellie a year ago. What was truly wonderful about the shoot is that all the clothing belonged to my grandmother Dee annnd we took the pictures in her beautiful home (only one of my favorite places ever!)! It was such a blast trying on her clothes (this woman saved everything!!) and it just totally made my little vintage-loving heart so very happy! Every piece of clothing had a story-a memory attached to it.

I think that's why I love the clothes I do...there's something romantic and special about vintage and I can't help but get carried away by it!

This is her living room...So great, right?? I'm sitting in the "Queen's Chair" Guess who is the queen...

This 'smart' little suit was what she wore on her honey moon in 1951. The quality is amazing!

My beloved Grandpa Bob bought this for grandma...the man had great taste!And that lovely suitcase?? I know, I know...

I've since done a few other "vintage-inspired" photoshoots (perhaps I will share some others at a different time?), but none have been quite as special as this one...
Are you close with any of your grandparents? Do you know what I'm talking about? :)

I just love how Ellie captured the vintage feel of the surroundings and the clothing, I'm telling you....this girl is good! http://e-p-photography.blogspot.com/ check it out :)

So, hope this helps you get to know me a little bit... I'll share more later...?

Until next time,
Love,
Jess

Give Everybody Nice Sweaters

So, remember how I said I'm off work this week? ... That also means I am loving getting to wear some comfy cozy clothes. Today, a soft flannel shirt, a cozy sweater and leggings were just calling my name!

And kids? Please, PLeeeease remember the rule of thumb when it comes to leggings... Your shirt neeeeds to cover up that tushy. I kind of used to be against the legging trend...but then I realized, I was only against it when they were substituting pants and the shirt paired with it just didn't cut it. And once I started wearing them...man... I never wanted to take them off!

Also...apparently this outfit was unofficially "sponsored" by Target... The flannel button down was I think their number one best-seller last year (fake stat...), because, I see everyone and their mother wearing it! oof. The leggings, which, while I adore the comfiness of a good pair of legging...These just womp. Seriously, no offense Target...but, let's just say...There is a reason they are sold so cheap... :/
Annnd then the purse is also a Target purchase. The scarf is JCrew,found at Goodwill (the only place I can afford JCrew, let's be real) and the sweater is H&M (I paid 4 bucks for that puppy! )
Oh, and the boots are DSW (circa 3 years ago....still going strong! Love them...)

What do you like to wear when you have to go out and see people, but want to be super comfy?

Until next time darlings!

Jess

Like A Straight-Edged Ruler...

Helloooo,
This blog post is way over due...However, please allow me to explain!

My computer started smoking last week. And friends, it's true what they say...let me tell you. Smoking kills!
So, my computer went kaput, as they say...(or maybe I just say so?) Which totally womped. But! The good news is, my hard drive is still very much alive! So, I just get to save up for a beautiful, shiny and new computer! Yay!

Anyways, in the mean time, I need to use my parent's computer, which is finicky at best. Hence, the delayed posts.

Also, another update... I have this week and next week off of my day job! Not exactly by choice, but that's the life of a temp! So, this outfit was one of the last business casual get-ups for a brief stretch of time....

So,
Once upon a time, Cambria from Jupe gave me this skirt because it was floor-length and unfortunate. I on the other hand, being the open-minded individual that I am... ;) Saw that it had more potential than just being stuck in the unfortunate years of the 90s.
I decided to hem it. I have a sewing machine and experience sewing... no big deal, right?

Uff. Well, long story short, my sewing machine went haywire, I had to hand sew it, accidentally grabbed the wrong color (in the dim light of my family room...), hemmed the whole thing, realized my mistake, had to take out all the stiches and redo...and what was supposed to be a 5 minute hem job turned into a frustrating night of sewing. Oh well, live and learn- right?

All that to say...
I love how this skirt turned out. And whenever I wear it Cambria turns a charming shade of envious green... (ha! Love ya C :)  )
Moral of the story- If you love thrifting and second hand items...try looking past the face value! Think about what you can add or take away to modernize an item and you might be surprised! :)

Well, until next time!
Jess

A Bushel and A Peck

This is my go-to pose...Ellie says I should mix it up...and
I couldn't agree more......... We'll give it a shot one of these days. (get it? hah!) 

I am quite fond of this outfit... Sure, it's simple. But, aren't some of the best outfits like that? I love the way the jeans fit, and the blouse is comfy and light enough to layer under the cozy sweater. I enjoy the color of the sweater... I tend to gravitate towards a more neutral color palate, but when it comes to color, coral is where it's at. And, how autumn is this outfit? I mean really...

Man, I can be such a cheese ball! 

Also, we should probably talk about my love for brown belts.

This was an "in between poses" pose...
Thanks, El ;)

I adore brown belts and usually want to put them over...oh, everything. It drives my mother crazy. She can't seem to wrap her mind around the concept of (in her words) "an unnecessary accessory"...oh the trials and tribulations of a mother/daughter relationship sometimes...

That hair! No words...

Ah, but au contraire, ma mere! I am of the opinion that a brown belt helps pull the outfit together, all while showing off the smallest part your torso... a most figure flattering thing to do, if you were to ask me! You should probably give it a try... I bet you'll find you love it too. Also...don't be surprised when you see me wearing a brown belt in ...80% of my outfit pictures...It's kinda my thing. :)

Do you have an accessory you find yourself always wanting to add on top of an outfit?

Until next time,

Jess

(oh! have you been to Ellie's blog yet?? Why not?? Go there right now! http://e-p-photography.blogspot.com/   show her some love!)

Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You?

Hello!
Pardon the delay between posts... Fun fact about me: I am cr-aaazy busy. Oof. It's okay though...I usually like being busy, but 65 hour work weeks are a little insane!

This outfit is actuaaaally from yesterday. I went to the wedding of gal I used to work with.
Weddings are great...who doesn't love an excuse to get dolled up and hang out with a cute plus one? ...oh, and it's great seeing two people professing their undying love to one another... :)

I love this dress, it has such a great 1930's vibe to it, was 14 dollars at H&M, and so-o-o comfy. Also, it's hard to find dresses that are long enough for my long legs. I'm 5'9 and man... it's tricky! H&M usually knows how to help a girl out though and has quickly become my "go-to" store.

Do you ever have an idea for an outfit that you think will look really great, only to try it on  a
couple hours before you need to be somewhere to find out the outfit is just "not gonna work"?
Yeah....this was not one of those times. I was pleasantly
surprised that my idea worked! However  I did need to consult my
very fashion savvy friend Cambria of Jupe Fashion  for a little advice.
The question being, "Are black tights and black shoes 'too night'
for a late afternoon wedding?" She suggested the grey shoes to lighten it up. Brilliant! :) 

           

These shoes! Oh, how we love these shoes...
They were the chosen bridesmaid shoes for
Cambria's wedding.  good times...
I'll have to post pictures of it someday... 

I went back and forth on whether I wanted to wear this necklace...
I ended up adding a vintage bracelet that once belonged to my
great-grandmother...but we didn't get a picture. Don't you fret
though, it will make an appearance on here
before you know it. :)

This is my "looks impressive, but reallllly easy hair-do" Just throw that hair in some
 hot rollers and pin it up! Done and ready to impress...

After the wedding we (oh, hey there n... ) took advantage of the fact that it was a gorgeously chilly autumn night and we were

in the fabulous downtown area of the quaint town of Stillwater. It's located right on the river and a wonderful place to just mosy and shoot the breeze... 

What's not to love about a view of a historic lift bridge
and gondolas lazily floating along the river?

So, all in all... a great Saturday. How was yours? 

Until next time,

Jess

Mister, Can You Spare A Drop?

Hello friends!

It's Monday...and a rainy Monday at that! Today I worked and then rushed over for a photo shoot with none other than the fabulously talented Ellie (obviously...) and the lovely and delightfully artistic and creative Shasta from The Traveling Cabinet. The purpose of the photo shoot was to promote her handmade clutches and earrings (check out her gorgeous Etsy shop there!). The rain showed up and put a bit of a 'damper' (ha...) on things, so the plan is to do another shoot in the future :) However, we were still able to get a few great shots!

So in other news...

I really love this color combination...

This nail polish is a current favorite... an easy color that  feels very chic.

I'm not sure how I feel about this skirt from H&M.
It was on the clearance rack and a little on the big side... See, I like the idea of it. And I do think I like it...I'm just not sure if it's the most flattering...? Maybe it's the length, or where it sits on my hips...maybe I'm just weird, because others seem to disagree.
Ah well.

I'm starting a sewing project tomorrow... (it's a verrrry slow week at work, and I have literally nothing to do, soooo I get to work on a project at my desk. Not too bad of a deal!)
Stay tuned...we'll see how this goes.

Until next time!

Jess

They're all smiles...

Helloooo there, Friday! So nice of you to come around again... :)

Friday also means we can wear jeans to work... gotta love that, right? I love these jeans... from H&M and sooo comfy!
Also, can we talk about how this whole outfit cost me... 30 bucks?? Jeggings from H&M: $15 Shirt from OldNavy: $5 Cardigan from Goodwill: $2 and shoes from Target: $20.... I love inexpensive clothes.

It was a "glasses" kind of day... do you know the type?

These earrings go with everything!

Hello, my name is Jessica...and I'm bow-legged.

Another reason I love this outfit is that it goes from day to night...with zero changes. I feel like the jeans are dark enough to transition into night and combined with the heels and black cardigan, we're good to go meet up with friends visiting from out of town!

So, hope you're weekend is grand! See you soon? :)

Love,
Jess

Something Tells Me...

So, what I'm wondering is...is there anything more flattering that a good-fitting A-line skirt?? I mean really. It can do no wrong.
And it's perfect for those mornings when you wake up late and find yourself just staring into your closet... what do I do?  grab trusty ol' black A-line skirt and call it a morning. :)

Fact about Jessica: I'm taking the semester off from school and working a ton as a temp...so I get to rock the "business casual" attire... and let me tell you. I am loving it! It's fun having to dress nice every day and is really forcing me to make use of  my closet... :)

Also, when Ellie and I were taking pictures...what do we see just chilling in her yard? Turkeys.
About six turkeys wandering around her suburban neighborhood...
oh my life.

Have you looked at her page yet? If not, go... no, seriously. Do it. http://e-p-photography.blogspot.com/

Yet another fashion blog...

Dear fashion blogging world,

My name is Jessica, I'm from the frozen tundra (also known as Minnesota...), and I think we should be friends.

First things first, I have to confess something.

I  have a problem, and it's in the form of.... Too. Many. Clothes. I know some of you are thinking that there is no such thing, but there is, my friends....there is. So, I'm hoping that through this blogging process, I can make better use of my wardrobe and wear what I like and want to wear... (more on all that later?). 

Oh, and you'll meet Ellie, Oh My Darling's "official photographer," and best friend of yours truly! You should want to be her friend too.... She's really wonderful :) 

 Click this link...http://epphotography.zenfolio.com/ and check out her work. Seriously, go on....do it. :) 

I'll post a "real post" tomorrow, with an outfit picture and everything! But, I wanted to get the formalities out of the way first...

So, say you'll stop in and stay awhile? 

Okay, great. Until tomorrow!

Love, Jessica