One week!

Hello loverrrrrrrs (that was my best Carrie Bradshaw)-

Hopefully you've been saving up your money (tax refunds anyone?) because ONE WEEK from today, our Etsy site will be up and open for business! Our friends are already calling dibs on items--we're feeling giddy and beyond excited. Thanks to everyone who's become a Facebook or Chictopia fan also.

(<------------blazer, refurbished skirt, bag and cut out heels)

This time of year reminds me of when J & I were younger--when warm weather finally came, we'd go shopping for our new spring/summer wardrobes (well, not whole wardrobes, but Mom and Dad would buy us a few new outfits). All I want to do these days is buy vintage clothes. Putting the business together is really influencing my style and it's also kept me from doing too much retail therapy lately--except for shoes. I'm still digging anything vintage-inspired, though I did get a pair of ah-mazing suede wedge sandals with fringe and studs that are pretty modern and can't wait to wear them out! Must break them in first...and get a pedicure). Of course, our prices will be easy enough on the pocketbook (we have lots of vintage ones too!) that you'll be able to afford a whole new wardrobe. J looks so gorgeous in these pictures, of course, she can make anything look good.

Hopefully everyone is enjoying the warm, sunny weather. Instead of being inside blogging, I need to get myself outside! I'm showering, putting on a cute vintage dress and heels, and heading out to see some live music, my most favorite thing ever.

(vintage skirt, bag, and flats------------>)

Stay gorgeous,
A

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stitch me up, yeah, 'cause I've come undone.

J has always dabbled in sewing--cutting a big ruffle from the top of a dress to make it simpler, hemming jeans like a pro, turning scraps of fabric into something crafty and cool. In last month's issue of Lucky magazine, there was a brief article about a woman who bought vintage stuff and modernized it--she's selling the stuff at LA boutiques for a hundred or more dollars a pop.

(strapless dress made from vintage skirt------------>)

While someday, J and I would like to retire from all other jobs and just pursue business--and pleasure--together, our goal is to keep our fashions affordable. Nothing on our Etsy site launch will be over $50. J has taken some ill-fitting old stuff and turned it into amazing, one-of-a-kind pieces. Sure, you could run in and get something cute at H&M, but for the same price you could get something amazing that no one else has---from Miskabelle, of course.

(<------strapless dress w/ buttons & tie waist made from old short sleeved dress)

(And when I learn to be more patient, maybe I'll design some stuff too. Most of my sewing projects end up looking about as bad as the hideous lopsided pig pillow I had to make in home ec. I run my sewing machine like I do my car: pedal to the metal. Not the greatest strategy.)

While I'm not as good about "going green" as I should be, I love that vintage clothing is environmentally friendly as well. Shopping at our Etsy site is doing something good for yourself...and for the world. Okay, and for us too.

(sheer cardigan made from old 70s dress (my favorite)------------>)

The pictures here are some previews of the refurbished pieces. One of the hardest parts about shopping and styling is that everything looks so great that we want to keep it for ourselves! We each indulged in one or two pieces, but are saving the best stuff for the launch.

Thanks to all of our Facebook fans and Chictopia friends for showing love--the excitement keeps building! Tell your friends...then they tell two people...and they tell two people: Miskabelle World Domination (in vintage fashion, at least).

Stay gorgeous (and enjoy the gorgeous weather! yay spring!),
A

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Buzz, buzz, buzz.

We've been busy little bees this week! We spent sun up to sun down on Tuesday shopping at thrift and antique stores, then styling outfits and photographing the goods--and we're STILL not done! But we're getting closer and we're so excited for the launch of our Etsy site!

(<---vintage T, white leather bag and loafers)

Modeling must truly be exhausting--though J reminded me that the models aren't also doing all their own hair, makeup, styling and photography! We have to enlist some of our beautiful friends from now on. Fortunately we weren't too exhausted to catch a show in the evening with our friend (and soon-to-be Miskabelle model) S. Jonatha Brooke was amazing (the link is to her site--I'm pretty sure you can stream almost all her albums, and the effort is well worth it; J and I are especially fans of Steady Pull), and we got to sit front row and center. She is absolutely gorgeous--of course way more than that, she's a way-talented singer/songwriter and the show was fantastic. She talked to us from the stage like we were her new best friends, and we got pictures with her after, and she signed all of our goodies. We're still going through concert withdrawal.

(<------the gorgeous Jonatha Brooke)

It's been a good week. Looks like the rain has stopped (finally) so maybe we can get some sunshiney photos soon. Or at the very least, we can stop carrying our umbrellas everywhere--they totally ruin the look. Who's ready for spring? These girls.




(vintage dress, red belt-------------------------->)

Signing off for now, but keep coming back to the blog for more previews of the goods, and more updates from behind-the-scenes at Miskabelle, your new favorite spot for online shopping--we promise.

Stay gorgeous,
A

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Welcome to Miskabelle: Smart Girl Fashion

What is Miskabelle?

We're sisters--a writer and a visual artist who love fashion, especially vintage fashion, and wanted to merge all of our interests into an online vintage store for girls like us.

What do you mean by "girls like us?"

For us, fashion has always been about creativity--not about having the latest brand name thing out of a magazine (though at times, a hideous-but-ridiculously-comfy pair of Ugg boots might be more than we can resist). We like to mix vintage pieces with modern pieces for an eclectic look--who wants to be caught wearing the same exact thing as someone else? We love to shop, but don't have unlimited funds: vintage shopping proves not only to be a fun treasure hunt, but also easy on the wallet. "And in these difficult economic times..."

What kind of stuff can we expect to find on your site (http://miskabelle.etsy.com/)?

Summer is coming, so expect lots of breezy dresses and skirts, leather bags, sweet printed blouses, and accessories (for all seasons). The picture above is a preview of some pieces that will go on sale in the site's launch. We have also started working on some refurbished vintage styles--taking a gorgeous vintage-printed dress in a less-than-flattering shape and updating it. And as we get in the swing of things, expect to see some handcrafted, personalized gifts and crafts, all Vintage-inspired as well.

Where did you get the name Miskabelle?

Miska=our last names (maiden name for one of us). "Belle" is French for beautiful, and we both like the French language and both like to think we're beautiful, so we combined the two and our shop name was born.

When will we be able to start shopping?!

Miskabelle will be launching the first week of May 2009. Look for us on MySpace, Facebook, and Chictopia as well. And keep visiting our blog for fashion musings, pictures, updates, and more.

Stay gorgeous,
J&A
Owners, Miskabelle

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