Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Miskabelle: Celebrity Looks for Less!

We are loving warm colors for spring-- corals, reds and especially mustard yellow. This yellow Mulberry dress on Clemence Poesy (of 127 Days) is spot on to the vintage version we have in the shop! Both with sweet little collars, longer hemlines (minis are SO over!) and look great with a contrasting belt at the waist.

Miskabelle Vintage Mustard Yellow Silky Button Down Shirt Dress, $27

Denim jackets are the perfect spring cover up: and they're a classic piece, so it's easy to find a vintage version (we have three different ones in the shop now, each with a different wash and fit!) I love how Nicole pairs her floral dress and denim jacket (by Hudson) with the black staples: scarf, tights, bag, boots. (She totally copied my hair...it looked like this a little less than a year ago.)

Miskabelle 70s Denim Jacket, $20

Black lace is big for evening--Taylor Swift wears a full lace dress by Jenny Packham, but you could easily pair this vintage lace top with a black skirt and create a faux dress look by adding a thin patent belt or silky ribbon sash.

Miskabelle Vintage Black Lace Top, $14

This look is the meeting of two spring trends: denim and midi-skirts. Claudia Schiffer's accessories give the look a bohemian feel. With buttons down the front and an a-line cut, this vintage skirt is almost an exact match to Schiffer's Stella McCartney piece--and a STEAL at just $10!

Miskabelle Vintage Denim Twirl Skirt, $10

You can dress like a celebrity without spending thousands: so many looks this season are inspired by vintage, but at Miskabelle, you can find the real thing!

A shop full of spring beauties, coming your way soon (like, when it's actually spring and there's enough light to take photographs).

xo,

J&A

Outfit Post: Back in Black

It's been too long since we updated the blog! I have been finishing up grading for a class, then we had a busy weekend together in Virginia, and now everything has finally settled down a bit. More time to post, more time to photograph, more time to blog.

In other news, I dyed my hair: twice. At first, it was a red that I hated. So I dyed it again with a brown and got a color I'm pretty happy with. (NOTE: I don't recommed this to everyone as it's horrible for your hair, but I have really thick, healthy hair--like a horse--and I did it once before, many years ago, so I knew I'd be okay.)

Damn this cold weather! That's all I have to say about that. I have a spring wardrobe I'm dying to wear, but here I am in more wintry duds:

floral blouse-vintage, sweater and belt-H&M (old), skirt-NY&Co. (thrifted), tights-Target, boots-Frye

I wore this out to do our usual Tuesday grocery run. Booooo-ring.
Nothing too special: I can't seem to get into an outfit groove thanks to this mercurial weather.

xo,

Amanda

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

And the ScavengerJo winner is....

Entry #52 from Lily!

Lily said...: I follow you on twitter, @slowclublover. CONGRATULATIONS, Lily. We'll be in touch with you shortly to connect you with Jody so she can send you the necklace. Thank you all for your entries and support/love for Jody (and Miskabelle!) xo J&A

Oufit Post: Maxi-mum Comfort

It's another gorgeous spring day here in Northern Virginia. Of course, I got all excited and checked the weekend temperatures for when Jayme and family come to visit us and the Cherry Blossom Festival happens, and....rain and high 40s/low 50s. Super. Really fun to go out and do stuff. That really grinds my gears.

I was excited to show off my new daniBlack platforms. They were the only not-really-comfortable things about this outfit. I have to break them in a little, build up those sandal callouses. But the rest of the outfit is my new everyday spring uniform: flowy tops and bottoms with structured jackets/blazers. And of course, platforms whenever I can.

jacket-UO, lacy top-?, maxi dress worn as skirt-Old Navy, platforms-daniBlack

my new crush.

I just realized I'm not wearing anything vintage, though every piece has a distinctly vintage feel to it (the jacket is from UO's Urban Renewal line, so it may, in fact, be vintage...). I must say, I am loving the maxi skirt and dress look for spring. And no: not just because it means I have to shave less of my legs. Or because it will hide my cellulite. (Though those are definite perks.) I just love the bohemian, 70s vibe.

Enjoy the sun while it lasts! Sigh.

xo,
Amanda

Friday, March 18, 2011

Outfit Post: Kiss Me, I'm Not Irish

This is my St. Patrick's Day. I will respond with what my husband said when I asked if he wore a green tie to work: "I'm French Protestant--do the math." I took that as a no.

It's not that I don't like St. Patrick, or Catholics, or Irish people--I just didn't have a reason to celebrate. Nor do I own much green clothing.

Warning: I busted out the pasty white, need-to-be-toned legs in a skirt that is shorter than I normally wear. But it went perfectly with my new UO heels, that I've been wanting forever. And my patience paid off because they were $10 (an online return to store. Major score!).

Disclaimer: I know the photo location isn't great, but I had to show our fully bloomed daffodils!

Levis denim jacket-vintage, striped tee-Old Navy, pocket skirt-AA via Loehmann's, cayenne heels-UO

me and my girl in stripes!

What a gorgeous day! Aurora and I took a long walk to the park (no, I did not wear the heels and skirt for that part of the day). We took a little snooze afterwards. Then we had a pizza dinner when Daddy got home, and now? We're looking forward to an awesome weekend with more sunshine!

xo,
Amanda

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Coming Soon!

More spring goodness, coming to the shop very soon...cute shoes and purses update!

leather cutout mini wedges

bright turquoise Keds

Bally red and white peeptoes

Italian leather crossbody saddle bag

Coach tan satchel

Etienne Aigner crossbody tapestry purse

Bally purse (found the same week in a totally different city!)

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Outfit Post: Brown-y

Spring is so close I can taste it...the daffodils in our front yard have bloomed. Some of the grass is actually going back to green. And it's 7:00pm as I write this and still light out!

But there's still a chill in the air. I have so many cute spring dresses and shoes that I want to wear, but I'm still not ready to bare my pasty white legs. I decided to wear a spring-y outfit of a lightweight dress and peeptoe platform sandals today, adding tights and a sweater to stay warm. Today was a day of errands: post office, coffee, dinner, groceries, office store. And this is what I wore:


sweater coat-vintage, dress-Old Navy, tights-Target, belt-H&M (old), shoes- Blowfish via DSW

I feel like I'm finally hitting my fashion stride: I can tell an outfit is "right" if I'm comfortable in it immediately. these new platforms are incredibly comfortable. I never thought of them with tights, but admittedly had some inspiration from Keiko Lynn wearing a similar pair.

I'll remix this outfit (dress and shoes) again when it's warm enough with a different belt and accessories. And painted toes!

Can't wait.

xo,
Amanda

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Bloggers in Miskabelle

We love, love, love to get Appreciation Photos on our Etsy feedback (hint, hint readers!), but even cooler is when one of our items is styled up by a blogger! I just wanted to share three "Miskabelle Sightings" with you, as well as introduce you to the three fabulous blogs where they come from.


Mandy of TheCurvyModel in a Miskabelle blazer

You may recognize Mandy's face (and smokin' curvy bod) from some of her modeling work (she's a plus-sized model who's done work for ModCloth, Hips and Curves, and Venus magazine). She is beautiful and she shares a lot about her life, modeling experiences, and fashion on her blog. She's an inspiration for women of every shape and size. Love her!


Victoria of Justice Pirate in a Miskabelle prairie dress

Meet Victoria of the blog Justice Pirate. She is another inspiring blogger who wears many hats: wife, mom, youth leader, and human trafficking abolitionist. Victoria styled this really cool look after a 1900's mail-order bride. You can see the whole blog here. Victoria is passionate about her faith, promoting modesty in clothing, and of course, social justice. She's an overall amazing person and I feel lucky to know her through our shop and her blog/Twitter.

Mel of Idee Geniale in a Miskabelle chambray shirt dress

You might recognize this lovely if you've hung out in the fashion blogging world at all: her name is Mel, and she is the fashionista behind the blog Idee Geniale. This photo is long overdue, since she styled this dress in August! But I had to share it because she looks amazing. Mel hails from Canada, but lives in New York City. She has amazing style--she's one of my top fashion inspirations at the moment. She'll quickly become one of yours too once you check out the blog. She's a peach.

Send us your photos wearing Miskabelle and we'll love you forever! (Okay, we'll already love you forever, but it would be really great to see how you style your vintage duds.)

xo,
Amanda

Sunday, March 13, 2011

CLOSED. Interview and Giveaway: ScavengerJo

This is one of my favorite giveaways ever. I saw Jody's work on my sister-in-law's FB page (they're close friends), and I knew right then and there that I wanted to feature her on the blog. Jody is a talented and hardworking New York City girl and I can't wait for you get to know a little more about her and to have a chance at her giveaway!

Meet Jody, Artist and Designer of ScavengerJo

Jody, working on a client

--What does your life outside of Etsy/blogging look like?
Life is a jigsaw puzzle. Both my husband and I freelance: I'm a makeup artist and he is an actor. Fortunately, he has a part-time day-job that pays the mortgage, but we otherwise are always working to land the next film or show or shoot. Wish me luck!

--Describe yourself (or ask someone else to do it!) in three words. Silly sometimes, irreverent most of the time and short all of the time.

--Spring piece you can’t live without: I'm so excited to sport my kelly green corduroy coat that I picked up from an artist selling her bleach & dye embellished apparel on the streets of SoHo.

--Most recent fashion-related purchase: Brown boots with double buckles – so cute with a dress or jeans!

--Do you craft/make anything else outside of what’s in your shop? I also fancy myself something of an interior stylist - my apartment was posted on Apartment Therapy! Friends often ask me for help coordinating their living spaces. And I make pillows.

the lovely Jody w/ her handsome husband

--Desert-island food? Really? One food? Assuming I figure out how to fish on this island, I would need something to go with that...lemons? Then I could highlight my hair and avoid scurvy!

--Three bands/singers you can’t get enough of: The Black Keys, David Bowie, Ella Fitzgerald

--Another blog you follow regularly (link us!): Design Sponge http://www.designspongeonline.com/

--Significance of your shop name? Jo, since it's my name, and Scavenger because I can't pass a dumpster without looking in it, a pile of trash without kicking around the surface junk to see what's underneath, a stoop sale or flea market without looking at every last thing. Pity my husband!

brass shield keyhole necklace

--Favorite item in your shop right now (link us!) I'm really loving my Vintage Cast Brass Shield Keyhole Escutcheon Necklace. When I wear it I feel like a super hero – so will you!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68826587/vintage-cast-brass-sheild-keyhole

Jody is giving one lucky reader one of her brand new ScavengerJo designs!

Description from Jody: The item I am giving to a lucky vintage hardware jewelry lover is one of my newest necklaces: a delicate, ornate, vintage pressed brass keyhole escutcheon, rescued from a beat up old oak dresser I scavenged. It hangs from 16 inches of [new] brass chain with a chunky brass clasp. The escutcheon measures 2 1/2" x 1 1/8th".

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry:

1. Leave a comment letting us know what your favorite item is from ScavengerJo.

Additional Entries:

2. Become a NEW Miskabelle blog follower....leave a comment letting us know!

3. HEART ScavengerJo on Etsy (leave a comment).

4. Become a NEW Twitter follower @miskabelle (leave a comment).

5. Retweet or post this giveaway on a blog/FB page (leave a comment/link).

So many chances to win! Jayme and I are very jealous once again that we can't win our own giveaways. But we're still super thrilled to be sharing this ScavengerJo necklace with you!

Giveaway ends March 20th. Winner will be chosen through a random number generator. GOOD LUCK!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Dress Yourself in Etsy Vintage: Rainy Day Edition

I woke up to a dark sky and pouring rain--the kind of weather that makes you want to go right back to bed. Instead, I got a little inspired and virtually dressed myself in a head to toe vintage outfit to brave the elements.

I took two rain basics (the trench and the on-trend duck boot), mixed patterns, and added a pop of bright yellow, like that first spring dandelion in the yard.

70s knit top, purevintageclothing, $28

grunge floral skirt, ontheprowl, $26

Etienne Aigner classic trench, BirdsChasingBugs, $49

sunny yellow carry on bag, FishboneDeco, $48

Dexter low duck boots, FiregypsyVintage, $33.14

Of course, if it's warm enough, you should wear the trench open since the trench is longer than the skirt--don't want people thinking you ain't got nothin' underneath that overcoat/and it's all a show. (Name that tune!) I think I might add some textured tights/leggings or knee socks to complete this look. Then: I'd grab a friend and go puddle jumping! Followed by a coffee date to warm up and dry off. See? Rain's not so bad after all...

Enjoy the day, whatever the weather, wherever you are!

xo,
Amanda

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Outfit Post: Not Myself

I am a huge reader of fashion and street blogs, and I always see styles that I like, but am afraid to try for myself. One of those styles was the socks-with-heels look, which looks amazing on models and bloggers with long, pretty legs, but on this pear-shaped gal? I wasn't so sure. I also love the grunge look, and while I've been rocking my leather jacket all fall/winter, I never tried to glam it up.

I decided to give both of these looks a try--with the same base outfit. A simple long sleeved Anthropologie tee (that I thrifted!) and a vintage floral skirt.

Look #1: Librarian (after one of my favorite My Morning Jacket songs)


cardigan-Charolotte Russe, tee-thrifted Anthropologie, brooch-vintage, skirt-vintage, gray fishnet ankle socks-Target, platform peeptoe heels-Michael Kors via DSW

Look #2: Grungy Gal (Just add red lips and a hat to cover your greasy mane. Or in my case: roots.)


jacket-vintage, hat-UO, harness boots-Durango, scarf-random

I felt surprisingly comfortable in both outfits, but I wore the second one to dinner, Target and the grocery store. I think it's a little more street-friendly. The platforms are saved for special occasions and the platforms-with-socks look? It may just be reserved for dress up. What would you do, fashionable readers? Let us know in the poll below!

xo,
Amanda