sewing endeavors

I've had a sewing machine almost my whole life, but I've never done much with it other than little pillows and repairing things. but this weekend, I made my first skirt, and it went so well that I made another. the one I'm wearing in the picture is actually the second one I made, but I have yet to find a shirt that works with the first. (the other one is knee length and yellow with little ruby slippers all over it)

the fabric was just a couple dollars per yard at walmart, and I still have basically enough to make a second skirt with both fabrics. I just did simple gathered skirts and threw on a waistband, zipper, and button. It took all of 3 hours to finish both. hopefully I'll get back to the store soon so I can get more fabric and start a collection of these.

oh also, if you're wondering why my hair looks so short, it's because it is. it was getting too long to curl, so I got it cut to just above my shoulders. I'm still trying to figure out how to curl it without looking so shirley temple-y. (suggestions are appreciated) :)

with love,

Julia

p.s. last night I went to see the arctic monkeys at staples center in LA and it was amazing

p.p.s. I'm leaving in like an hour for NorCal to go to the ranch and to a ZZ Top concert, so I won't be posting until after the 18th or so.

pinup prom

hi! I meant to post this almost a week ago, but the wifi was out at my house all weekend and then I got caught up with great weather and going to the beach. oops.
anyway, as anyone who follows pinupgirlclothing on instagram already knows, last friday they had a prom to celebrate the anniversary of their store in burbank. everyone had gorgeous dresses and immaculate hair and it was all really cute and colorful. across the street was a cute little candy shop with all sorts of glass bottled sodas and penny candy and tin signs and stuff.

if you're ever in LA/Burbank area, you should definitely check out the boutique. it's just like the website but in real life and even more pink. :)

with love,

Julia

p.s. happy birthday harry potter

strawberries mean love

happy wednesday! I know I say this about every new thing that I get, but this is one of my favorite tops. it's got 3/4 sleeves, so it works for warm and cool weather, and the hem ends perfectly for wearing it with high waisted pants or cinched with full skirts. I like the collar a lot because it's just the collar attached to the neck of the sweater, not a whole shirt or a dickie, and it stops it from being too where's waldo-y.

my latest obsession has been granola with strawberries. most people would probably have it with yogurt, but I can't stand the taste/texture of anything gelatinous like that, so I usually add milk and eat it like cereal. the granola is just straight granola, not sweetened or anything (is granola ever sweetened?? I have no clue) and there are so many strawberries this time of year, so it's great.

with love,
Julia

goodbye spring, hello summer

can you believe it's already the end of may? It feels like christmas was just a few weeks ago!  time moves so quickly it's crazy. summer is just around the corner, and that means lots of cold cokes and beach days and low priced summer fruits. Honestly, cheap fruit at the farmers market is one of the best things about summer.
the weather is about to get a lot hotter really soon, so I've been wearing all my cardigans and thick skirts while it's still not to hot to do. (the dress is from goodwill by the way, cardigan from target)
I haven't been great about posting this month, but during these next few months I'll have a lot more free time, and I'll be able to post hopefully almost every day. I know I keep promising that and then not following through, but this time I really mean it. probably.

with love,
Julia

come on boys, let's go to the fair

every memorial day & labor day weekend, there's a fair in hermosa beach. There's all sorts of booths selling jewelry and clothes and lemonade and other little crafts. saturday was pretty cloudy, but sunday was beautiful and the beach was packed. the mural in that picture of me and my friend has been on the wall of this liquor store for ages, and it's just too cute to not take a picture with.

by the way, here I'm wearing an absolutely fabulous 3 piece suit I found in my grandma's old stuff. the top's a little big and the shorts are missing a button, but I think it's just darling.

there was a little booth doing temporary tattoos for pretty cheap, so we got matching cherries

there was a booth selling cute retro tin signs, and I couldn't resist getting this coca cola girl. my friend got a great one of rosie the riveter.

the weather is too lovely for me to stay inside blogging, so I'm going to bike over to the beach right now, and I hope you're all enjoying your memorial day and staying in the sun.

with love,

Julia

tie it up

even though I just got it, this is one of my favorite skirts I've ever had. I got it on ebay for like $8, and it's fantastic. It has pockets, like all the best skirts do, and it's got little pinkish red and light brown dots on it (though it's hard to tell because this picture is such bad quality).
ebay has been my obsession lately. there are so many unique things out there, and being able to get them for so cheap (and without leaving my bed) is just great. I got my Rosie poster that's on the wall behind me for $2, and I scored some great vintage clothes. the only downside to ebay is the shipping and losing. sometimes there'll be an amazing dress for a mere $4, but shipping will cost twice that. I lost a bid war on a beautiful vintage 50s hair dryer, one of the salon style ones, and I also didn't get this perfect brown hat with a little veil and a wide black band, which made me sad. but hey, you win some, you lose some.

with love,
Julia

Accidental Hiatus

I'm sure you're wondering why I haven't posted anything in almost two weeks. I don't have a great reason, but I'm not going to let it happen again (maybe). My laptop has been acting up lately, which has given me time to get a lot of cleaning done, so it hasn't been all bad.

My curls have taken on sort of a lazy little bo peep vibe, which honestly doesn't bother me. Brushed out, it's more old hollywood-y, but I kinda like how the little ringlets bounce.

I've recently gotten really into buying vintage on ebay. It's as cheap as goodwill, and I don't even have to put on real clothes when I shop. I scored a really darling Betty Boop shirt last week, and there's a black full skirt & a Stray Cats record in the mail right now.

Not a lot has been going on in my life to be honest, just a lot of old movies and new (to me) records.

with love,

Julia

p.s. excuse the selfie- the timer app that I usually use for photos hasn't been working. :)

pink & white

This isn't a great quality photo and I'm sorry I've been sort of absent for a while. I just kinda have a lot going on in my life and I haven't had a lot of inspiration or ideas for posting stuff. sometimes I get really discouraged, because I aim for 1940s or whatever and end up looking like a 90s toddler. I know, everyone has their off days, but I dunno it's not a great feeling when there're all these rockabilly and vintage goddesses out there, who look 100% everyday, online and in real life.
I've been getting into buying vintage clothes on ebay, which has been surprisingly fruitful. I have a betty boop shirt in the mail right now, and I'm working on a couple dresses for really great prices. I'm hopefully getting a real job soon, so I'm going to be able to buy actual new clothes, which'll be a change from my almost entirely second hand closet. I'm also working on the hair. I need to get it cut shorter soon, to accomodate for better 40s and 50s curls. I still have a tutorial to post for foam rollers soon, so I'll probably maybe get around to that.
This dress is from goodwill (shocker). I got it in like November, but this is the first time I've ever actually worn it. The sweater is from a little thrift store in Idaho, something my grandma picked up.
Hopefully y'all will hear from me soon, but I hope spring is going good and I'd love to hear your Easter plans.

with love,
Julia

jive jive jive

I'm a little late, but last night I went with my dad to the Cicada Club in downtown LA, to see the Jive Aces, Satin Dolls, and Toni Prima perform.
(The Jive Aces, by the way, are the UK's number 1 jive & swing band and they're just great)
The club itself was a mens' haberdashery from the 1920s until about 1969, and a lot of the drawers and cabinets from then are still intact. It's a stunning place, and everyone gets all dolled up. and it wasn't just your typical circle skirt and foam plumeria rockabilly look. people really went all out, with immaculate victory rolls and beehives and 20s finger waves. There was a woman who honestly looked like she'd stepped out of It's a Wonderful Life. There was a table of ladies who could have doubled for the cast of The Help in a heartbeat. If it weren't for the cell phones and neon exit signs, I could've sworn we'd jumped in a time machine for the evening and gone back to a party of yesteryear (new favorite word right there).
and the dancing! as soon as the first song started, couples flooded the dance floor- and they were all phenomenal. I still can't do any of those dances to save my life, but it's on the to do list.

by the way, my dress is from modcloth and it's my favorite thing I own. I wear it every chance i get.

here's some pictures from the night:

here's my dad and I in front of our house, built in 1953.

we were guests of this woman, Toni Prima, daughter of Louis Prima (he wrote I Wan'na Be Like You from Jungle Book, among other hits)

(and now you can see why I never smile in pictures- but I'm getting that metal out of my mouth really soon!)

Bing Crosby's grandson, Phil Crosby Jr.. no big deal though, right?

the satin dolls, jive aces, and toni doing their thing

on the left, that's a really really fabulous dancer named Erin who I talked to for a bit, and that fella on the right is the pianist of the jive aces.

anyway, it was all really great and if you're ever in LA, check out who's playing there and make sure you go!

with love,

Julia

summertime blues

(This is actually from yesterday but I never got around to posting so don't tell anyone)
I went to the beach for the first time in months and it was great. I didn't get much of a tan, but I finally had a chance to wear my new pink polka dot suit, which I love so much that I got it in black too. I'm going to go to the beach every opportunity I get, if only to show them off. It's hard to tell, but my bandanna has little strawberries all over it and it makes me happy.
I got some fabric flowers and other little crafty things from the 99 cent store, and I'm gonna make some stuff with it tomorrow. stay tunes. I also got some less ratty foam rollers, and I'll be posting a tutorial before the week is up.
have a good day and listen to lots of the Beach Boys.

with love,
Julia

casual sunday

I've spent my whole weekend knitting and listening to the Wicked, Hairspray, and Avenue Q soundtracks. I love musicals more than anything. I saw Wicked in San Francisco a few years ago, and I saw Avenue Q in New York this summer, and they were both so wonderful I couldn't resist buying the CDs. Book of Mormon is in LA right now and if I don't get to see it soon I might explode a little bit.

I've been wearing shorter skirts lately in a fruitless effort to get less pale. Despite living 5 minutes from the beach, I don't go there enough to be tan. sigh.

I have this next week off, and I've got all sorts of crafts to do everyday. I'll also probably be updating my storenvy with a few new things, so check that out soon.

with love,

Julia

preppy & pink

I somehow managed to rip the pocket of this sweater after owning it for less than 48 hours. oops. I know, it doesn't match great with the shirt, but I was lazy today. also I need to work on not taking such grainy photos. oh well.

tomorrow, I'm watching Frozen entirely in french, which should be interesting considering I haven't even seen it in english. I've heard that the french version is even better than the english. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

I haven't much else to say, and there's mac and cheese waiting for me in the microwave, so this is goodbye for today.

oh and happy april fools day. I don't have any fun stories to share, but I'd love to hear some (hint...comment below). :)

with love,

Julia

goodwill goodies

 

yesterday, at all of the goodwills in the south bay, it was two dollar day- all clothes cost just two dollars! my friends and I went to a couple locations and found all sorts of great things, so here they are.

I'm really really happy about this coat. It's a little heavy for wearing at home most of the year, but it'll be great for when i go to San Francisco or if it rains. If I ever find time, I might replace the bulky buttons with little daisy buttons from the craft store.

This skirt makes me think of the opening scene in Hairspray, when she sings Good Morning Baltimore. I have yet to find a cardigan to match the pink stripes on it. (I don't know why I look so upset in this picture)

I am completely in love with this um- actually I'm not sure what to call it. It's too light and thin to be a coat, but it'll be great for windy days and picnics. The picture's a little blurry, but its a really cute red gingham pattern.

This bag is the only thing I paid "full" price for. It wasn't part of the sale, but it was too perfect to pass up. (it was still only $6 anyway) I love everything strawberry patterned and I think this is just darling.

This one's a little questionable. I love the yellow gingham and lace trim, but it looks a little nightgown-y. Maybe eventually I'll find some time to cut off the top and sew the bottom half into a skirt.

I have been looking for cute overalls for ages, but they've all been too 90s and sloppy for my taste. I love these because they're not formfitting and not too short or baggy.The lights washed this out a bit, but they're adorable light green gingham (sensing the gingham theme here?) 

This is more of a sleeping shirt, but I think it's really cute. It says "fast repairs and fast cars" if you can't tell.

I like this sweater a lot. It doesn't really match the dress, but I was too lazy to change. :)

I also found some great tapes- 

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (one of my all time favorites), American Pie, Blazing Saddles, National Lampoon's Animal House, and Part II of Titanic (I've have Part I for ages but never had this half).

All of this, plus floral dress for my friend, for a whopping $26.94. I'll won't be able to shop at a regular store ever again.

with love,

Julia

berry excited for spring

 can you believe this skirt? I got it from goodwill back in september, but this is only my second time wearing it. (it has pockets!!) my top is thrifted too, and if you can't tell, it's got cute little strawberries all over it. also today was a super bad day for taking pictures- they turned out way too grainy. sigh.

on a happier note, modcloth is having a 20% off  'spring' it on sale which I'm pretty stoked about, becauase who doesn't need more dresses? check it out here. :)

with love,
Julia

cappuccinos and cloudy days

It's supposed to be spring, but the weather seems to disagree. Hopefully we'll have some sunshiny days soon, so I can start wearing all my spring-y clothes.

I can't believe how fast this year is going by! It feels like October was just last week, but it's already March! I don't want to wish away my time, but I also can't wait until it's time for beach days and summer fruits! 

I promise I'm going to get a lot better about posting a lot and I really appreciate all of you who've been checking out my blog & making me feel special. :)

with love,

Julia

happy st. patrick's day!

better late than never, right? (please excuse my messy wall) this is one of my favorite dresses to be honest ($7 at a thrift store!) I'm probably going to cheat and reuse it for Easter shh. It's a lot greener in person, and the cherries are hand embroidered. my curls have basically deflated, but my eyeliner game was hella strong.

here's some cute pictures from this summer that make me miss Ireland (and my long hair!)

 
I hope y'all have had a good full of irish music and food and leprechaun kisses.

with love,
Julia