Closet Visit

I am really trying to downsize my closet, and let go of pieces that I've held on to for sentimental reasons, things I picked up in Europe and other things that I think are amazing, but that I never wear. It's time for them to move on to other homes. So, I am listing them on ebay, for now and I am collecting and cleaning items to list on etsy.

Anyway, I am also trying to redecorate the bedroom and make it pretty - since now it is pretty much a place to store the items that don't really have a place in the rest of the apartment. Yeay for city living.

I may be late in the game on this one, but I am pretty much obsessing over the Closet Visit blog posts.

As I try to arrange the bedroom, and edit my wardrobe, I am finding lots of inspiration from the women featured on Closet Visit. Their homes are amazing and their wardrobes equally so. I have to admit, I'm a bit envious and I really can't wait until we move out of our current place. But, as of yet we haven't found a place that meets our requirements. And, yes I'm aware that we are very picky.

Here are some Closet Visit photos.









I actually meet the super sweet doggie in the photo above, and the woman in the photo as well - Bo Carney the owner of the Mohawk General Store - when I went shopping in Los Angeles with my sister last year.

Sail Boat Print Dress for Sale

I've been slow to list my vintage items to etsy and ebay. It is a lot of work to sort items, gently clean them, steam or press them, and then list them. With work and with school I've little time to do prep work so, I've cheated with ebay and am using recycled photos - so, those listings are going up tonight and tomorrow.

I thought I'd give the heads up - that the sail boat print dress is now listed here.

The price of fashion

I ventured into Union Square the other day, a part of the city that some people might call a shopper's paradise. With the hundreds of stores in the Galleria Shopping Center, the department stores, Barneys, boutiques and fast fashion shops like Forever 21 and H&M - it can be overwhelming and I'm generally uncomfortable shopping there. I really prefer well edited small boutiques that are out of the way - tucked into cute neighborhoods far from the noise of big city centralized shopping. So why did I go out there? Gift Certificates. I have gift certificates from Christmas that I should use. But, when I went out to the shops the other day I honestly could not find one thing worth buying (and yes, I realize that I wasn't spending my own money, but still) there was nada, zip, zilch. How could this be? It seemed that every 'cute' item I picked up was overpriced for the quality: cheap construction, cheap materials, and yet expensive. I don't mind spending a bit more money on a good quality item that will last - but even my trusted shops and labels seemed to be cutting corners, but not cost. So I went home empty handed. That was last week.

Then this week I was forwarded the following article...

"The era of falling clothing prices is ending.

Clothing prices have dropped for a decade as tame inflation and cheap overseas labor helped hold down costs. Retailers and clothing makers cut frills and experimented with fabric blends to cut prices during the recession.

But as the world economy recovers and demand for goods rises, a surge in labor and raw materials costs is squeezing retailers and manufacturers who have run out of ways to pare costs.

Cotton has more than doubled in price over the past year, hitting all-time highs. The price of other synthetic fabrics has jumped roughly 50 percent as demand for alternatives and blends has risen.

Clothing prices are expected to rise about 10 percent in coming months, with the biggest increases coming in the second half of the year"

You can read the rest of the SFGate article here.

What do you think about this? Do you feel that the quality of clothes is getting worse across the board, and that prices are going up?

Alamere Falls - Tidal Waterfalls

Saturday we went on a long hike out to Alamere Falls in Point Reyes National Park. It was amazing. It was over 7 miles, and with the climbing down and then back up from the beach to see the waterfall I got tired - I'm just a tad out of shape.

But, the sore legs were totally worth it...

Love for Sail

This weekend I went on a super long hike to a tidal waterfall (photos to come) - and also did a massive closet clean out (stuff to be listed for sale on Etsy, and here on the blog).

Here is one item that I am hoping to pass on to one of you! I haven't worn it, as it is just a tad too big for me. It is a size xs, but I am shrimpy (not thin, just small boned) and this top would fit a size small a bit better.

This is the Dear Creatures Anna Sweater in Cream and Navy - as seen in the photo. It's a cute sailor style top with a bow.



I'm letting it go for $60 plus shipping. It was originally $130 I got it on sale for $69

Just leave a comment or email if you are interested in purchasing it, and I'll send a paypal request.

I will be posting some other items here from See by Chloe, Permanent Vacation. Vintage items will go into my Etsy store. I just need to start listing them - hopefully by mid week.

I've been really busy lately with work and I am also taking one class. It can be a bit much, but I'm having a lot of fun.

Hope that you've all had a great weekend!

*** Item listed on ebay.

Through Word of Blog...

I don't consider my self a person who is easily swayed by advertising. It takes a pretty convincing argument to get me to purchase something I don't normally buy. And, while I read blog after fashion blog, I haven't gone off and purchased tons of things I see bloggers posting.

But then, there are the few bloggers whom I feel have similar tastes as me, or at least similar interests and values. I trust their opinions, so when they talk about products they use I'm curious, and I'll listen.

And, apparently in the case of chocolate, I'll go out in full fledged search mode to track down a place that sells it.

Such was the case after reading Jesse.anne.o's post mentioning this...



I just had to try it. It's the perfect combination of salty and sweet. I ate a whole bar in two days, and it usually takes me about a week to get through a chocolate bar. So Jesse thanks for sharing about these guys- though come closer to summer I may be silently cursing the name 'Chocolove', as I do an extra 30 minutes of cardio.

Have you purchased items because you read about them in a blog? I mean, I know people do. I'm not alone in this. I'm just curious about those of you that stop in an read my little blog. What kinds of 'reviews' on blogs are you likely to be interested in?