3/31/14

Basically Spring

This weekend was a good one.  Colorado welcomed in some spring-like weather which meant some much needed time spent out doors.  We spent Saturday night out on a sushi date and then said goodbye to basically the only place we go out to on a regular basis, the cheapest, oldest dive bar downtown, which is sadly closing.  Sunday morning we headed out for a hike and then I got to meet an actual blogger buddy in person for my first time ever!  I will post more about that soon :)


Outfit Details:
Jelly Sunglasses - c/o Oasap
White Pocket Blouse - c/o Oasap
Black Jeans - thrifted
Maroon Hat - Target (last year)
Necklace - Vintage
Tapestry Boots - DSW

As I have been mentioning recently, I have been working on building a better collection of wardrobe basics that are easy to mix and match with everything.  This blouse from Oasap fit the bill perfectly!  I love that the faux leather pockets and trim give it a bit of a unique edge, but the black and white color palette makes it super easy to wear with whatever colors you like.  These jelly sunglasses are also new and I apologize in advance for how much you will probably be seeing them this spring and summer! They are a fun shape, yet the neutral color makes them a bit more unassuming than the same ones I have in teal! I also ordered these forest green shorts, but unlike blouses and sunglasses ordered online, I find bottoms way harder to get a good fit when you can't try them on.  I ordered a large, which was the biggest size they had, and still could not even remotely pull them on. Ugh. Oh well!

Anyway, hope you all have a great start to your week!
xo Hannah

3/28/14

My Apartment & Studio Tour

Hello and welcome to my humble abode!  As promised, today I am finally sharing a tour of my little apartment and home office for my vintage shop!  Built in the early 1900s, my apartment is on the bottom level of an old Victorian house in the historic district of my town.  With age comes the charm that really made me fall in love with the place, but it also definitely brings a few quirks that I could live without (cough cough, I don't have a shower... only a bathtub)!  There is a bedroom, the main living room/ office area, and then a tiny kitchen and bathroom.  And even with all the odd quirks, I really couldn't have asked for a better place to be the first real place that was all my own!


What would you say is your "design aesthetic"?
I really love bright white spaces with pops of color.  For this apartment, I stuck with neutral whites and grey's and then brought in punches of citrusy- pastel colors throughout with flowers, plants, and artwork.

What is your favorite thing to do in your apartment?
Whew, that's a hard one! I really love mornings here, drinking coffee and reading my favorite blogs or editing photos.  That is definitely my most inspired time of day.  I really love having a super productive day working on the shop too, whether that be writing a bunch of new listings or shooting a lot of new products!  My favorite non work related guilty pleasure to do at home is to get takeout and eat it snuggled in bed watching a show on netflix!

 

Favorite Part of the Apartment: 
My favorite part of my apartment definitely has to be the little breakfast nook table with stools.  Besides the dark hardwood floors and the arched doorways, it's what really made the apartment feel special!  When I first moved in, I did a DIY to make the hanging caged lantern lights using materials I bought off amazon, and later added the hanging plants and a beautiful "Stop and Smell the Roses" print R got me for my birthday this year.

Least favorite thing about the apartment:
The thing I really don't like about this apartment is the lack of natural light, which is probably evident in these dingily lit photos.  Though the windows are above ground level, there are not many, and there is also a hedge (for privacy) that blocks out a lot of the light.  Because my online shop depends heavily on well lit product photos, it makes the editing part of my job way harder!  I think this is what I am most excited about when R and I move this summer.  The new place definitely needs to have lots of bright natural light!

 

How do you balance work and personal space when it is just one small studio?
This is also a touch one, and I hope to have a bit more separation of space when I move this summer.  However, I have definitely found ways to make this work as both a home and an office/studio!  It really came down to creative organization for all of my vintage inventory.  I used to have multiple bulky rolling racks around the living room, but then purchased my huge ikea shelving unit which has been a life saver.  Now after an item is fully cleaned, altered, photographed, and listed, it gets folded and tucked away into a color-coordinated shelf until it is purchased by someone and shipped out.  The second most important thing for me is to always keep things really neat and clean.  In such a small space, everything needs to have a place, and its helpful to put everything away and clean up the days work before breaking for the night.

 

What does a typical shop day look like for you working from home?
It really depends on the day!  I try to do shop tasks in large chunks, focusing on one or two main things for the day instead of trying to dabble in a little bit of everything every day.  For example, one day may be solely focused on altering and fixing up a new batch of vintage with lots of sewing.  Another day may be for photographing items to go in the shop and then editing photos for Etsy listings.  Saturdays are almost always my buying days, as its when the thrift stores in my area usually have the best sales happening.  Whatever the focus of the day is,  it usually begins with a short trip to the gym or a home workout, followed by coffee and blogging or answering emails.  I then get into the main task of the day, and take a break for lunch or to walk to the post office to ship out orders.  Typically I make an easy home cooked meal and end the day relaxing either doing some sort of craft or watching a favorite show.  And my weekend are almost always spent at R's place!

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed hearing a little bit more about my place and my day to day life! If you have any questions about where anything is from, just leave it in the comment section and I will get back to you!
xo Hannah

3/26/14

60s Schoolgirl

Hi guys!
    Woah, there are bare legs on the blog again! I stepped out last weekend feeling a bit like a 60s schoolgirl wearing some duds borrowed from the shop.  Though this vintage jumper is a bit shorter on me than I usually like, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to style it!

Vintage Jantzen Plaid Jumper  - for sale in the shop here!
Vintage Peter Pan Collar Blouse - for sale in the shop here!
Tortoise Sunnies - Gift from my mom
90s Canvas Slip Ons - for sale in the shop here!

I paired it with a cute peter pan collar, some canvas slip ons, and my favorite sunnies and pretended it was warm enough to go without a coat though it definitely wasn't.
    Anyway, R says thank you for all your kind words and comments you left on his apartment tour post! I am excited to share mine with you this Friday so stay tuned!
xo Hannah

3/25/14

Spring Awakening

Good Morning!
    Just wanted to stop in quickly and post a few more photos from the outfit I share over on the Flock Together Blog yesterday.  I was lucky enough to borrow this beautiful floral pleated Mata Traders dress from Marisa of The Shades of Monet Chronicles.  I don't think having access to other amazing blogger lady's closets will ever get old!

Outfit Details: 
Mata Traders Dress - borrowed from Marisa 
Nude Pumps - Shoemint (Naomi)
Green Jacket - thrifted

Let's see, what's new around these parts?  I spent a pretty dull weekend (and all of yesterday) finishing up my horrendous small business owner taxes, which I am so glad to be done with but not so glad about the chunk of change I had to hand over! I did however get in an amazing thrifting trip on Saturday morning, so that help make up for the taxes.  I also picked up two new foster kitties from my local humane society, as they are re-doing the cat portion of the shelter and needed volunteers to take all of the residing kitties for the week! Sniper is the fluffy one with to different color eyes, and Amber, whom I call Mango, has a large orange polka dot on his side!  They are both little old grandpa's and total sweeties (except towards eachother), so its a treat to get to have them as little visitors for the week!

Anyway, a huge thank you to Marisa who let me borrow this beautiful Mata Traders dress!  You can see how she remixed it on her own blog here.  Have a wonderful day!
xo Hannah

3/24/14

Spring Awakening on Flock Together


   

Hello! Just stopping to let you all know I am posting over on the Flock Together Blog today! I would love if you stopped by to say hello!
xo Hannah

3/21/14

R's Apartment Tour

Today I am SUPER excited to share with you a home tour of my boyfriend Rob's (the mysterious "R" I mention so often on here) apartment! I will be the first to admit that when we first went to look at the place about a year ago, I was not overly impressed with what I first saw... the previous tenants did not do much with the place.  Over the first few months of living there though, I watched the apartment transform room by room, into the amazing place I know and love today!  I asked him a few question's about his place so you guys can get to know him and his style a bit better.  Enjoy!

 
  
How would you describe your overall design style?
"Normal person" modern, with maybe a little vintage or industrial flare. I love clean lines and good design, but I don't like when a place looks too sparse, or lacks personality.

  Do you have any favorite colors you use while decorating?
White, red, and wood (is that a color?) are my main stand by's I guess. I try and follow the 80% neutral, 20% color rule.

    
How do your real life hobbies and interests reflect in your design style?
I love design, cars, and music, but I think you could have easily guessed that without me telling you. I'm web designer for a living so I love things that are designed well. I think your place should tell a story about who you are and be filled with things that inspire you. I appreciate a balance between form and function wether its my living space, a web site, the way a song was made, or the design of a car. Now that I think about it, maybe all the red has something to do with my lifelong obsession with Ferrari's...

  What are your favorite things to do while at home?
Besides general relaxing, I love sitting in my "music room" and listening to records with a beer or Manhattan. 
**Editor's note: I think he meant to say "Hang out with my amazing girlfriend Hannah!" :)

  
  
Whats your favorite part of your home?
All of the windows and natural light. I think this is probably pretty rare in a condo. I like the mostly open layout too.

  Do you have any design sites/ places to go for inspiration that you check regularly?
I look at Apartment Therapy occasionally for inspiration. I appreciate that they show places that actually look like people live in them and weren't just made for a magazine article. 


What do you guys think? Pretty cool huh!? R and I both really like interior design and definitely have different styles, but they actually overlap quite a bit in the center so its fun bouncing ideas off of each other and sharing fun finds.  For example, the large industrial ampersand hanging on the wall of his living room... we both liked it so much that we almost battled it out for it in the aisles of Target. We are going to be getting our first place together this summer so I am really excited to see how both of our styles meld together into a place that makes both of us happy and inspired (and hey, then that ampersand will be mine too)!  If you have any questions of where anything is from, etc., just leave it in the comment section and R would be happy to answer.  I will be sharing my own apartment tour next week, so stay tuned!
Have a wonderful weekend!
xo Hannah