I Spy Something...Red

This post is going to be pretty picture heavy...but you've been warned! Sorry if it takes forever to load. But let me tell you...I just love pomegranates too much to edit this. MMM delicious!! 

At work we had a parent who brought us some pomegranates fresh from their backyard tree! There is just nothing better than fresh fruit, especially as the seasons are changing; it makes everything feel and taste crisp. So I, of course, ate one at work (I shared!) and then brought one home to eat on my day off. 

We took a little field trip outside before I ate him. (Woops)

How cute is he? He reminds me of "Where the Wild Things Are" with his crown.



Have I mentioned how much I love Fall?




These look like hillbilly teeth and I probably laughed to myself for about 10 minutes over them. (And yes, I tried them on in the mirror. Who wouldn't, really?)



I ate about half the seeds, then mashed the rest up, put them in the freezer, and about an hour later took them out and mixed them up with some soy ice cream. Can I use the word delicious again without sounding redundant?


Also on my day off...
Remember my elephant tease?
This is the dress!! I'm so happy it's finally chilly enough to wear long sleeves! At least in the morning.


What? Blurry? No. That's totally your eyes.

I bought these shoes for my Dennis outfit and I LOVE them with dresses!! (Have you noticed how ecstatic I am today with all the "!!!"? That's what you get for working with kids all the time). I'm really enjoying mixing up mens/womens wear these days. 

How do you feel about mixing menswear and womenswear? 

What are your favorite ways of mixing them together?

So what's up next for Pastiche? More Dennis pictures, pictures of the Monterey Bay Aquarium (!!), bundles of cat pictures,  and updates on the Wind and the Willows collection. This is really becoming a problem. Or is it? 

You can never have too many books, right?

I don't know where this post will end up

Remember how I'm saving up for a dress form with my loose change?
Last count on April 4th, I had $3.64, 2 Canadian pennies, 2 $2 bills, and a 1979 silver dollar.
All the oddball change is the same, but as of right now, I'm up to $12.67! Amazing.
At this rate, I'll have my dress form by the time I'm 80.
Excellent.

Also, I bought a dress on sale at Urban Outfitters. It's adorable and makes me feel like Madeline. I would show you an actual picture, but it's sort of...see through. So I need to find a slip dress to go underneath it first. But for now, how cute are these elephants! I'm glad they get to go out with me whenever I wear this dress.
I've decided on the spot to name them Fjord and Hildegarde.
Good Scandinavian names for a good Dane like Peter Jensen.

Also, have you ever seen Peter Jensen's clothes??
I love love LOVE all the animals that he uses!

A sweater for you

A sweater for your beau

And some good old-fashioned nightmares for everyone!

God bless all my distant Scandinavian cousins.

You Can Be an American Girl Too

It all started when I saw these shorts on ModCloth:

and they immediately reminded me of An American Girl: Molly.

When I was younger, I spent hours poring over these books, which is the reason why you're about to read a post featuring clothing found online for the grown woman who wants to dress like one of her childhood dolls (which, who doesn't want to do that...?).

A couple of things to note before we begin.
1. These are chronological. Trust me. I looked them up.
2. These are obviously inspirations, not direct replicas (unlike the Josefina outfit that my mom made for me for my 4th Grade Walk Thru California History Day).
3. These are only the original American Girls (Plus Josefina). None of this contemporary, unpronounceably named doll nonsense.
4. I had the Kirsten doll. (Not really necessary for you to know, but interesting since she's a Swede who moved to Minnesota and my grandma is a Norwegian who moved to Wisconsin)

Felicity


Josefina:


Kirsten:

Addy:

Samantha:

She gets 2. Just because.

Bonus:
You didn't really think I would deny you pictures of me dressed up as a blond Josefina, did you?

Close up:
Yes, I was a Muppet.

Sisterhood of the Thrift Store Pants

Bought: Lucky Jeans
Price: Hand-me-down from sister (a.k.a. free for me)
Place: Some thrift store (see above)

Bought: Lucky Jeans
Price: $7 (Brand spanking new. Originally over $150)
Place: Goodwill, Concord

Bought: Billabong/H&M Jeans
Price: Doesn't matter because...
Place: ...the store I got them from closed.

Aside from the fact that clotheslines make your clothes feel and smell about 6 billion times better than the dryer, buying ridiculously expensive pants for a minutia of the original price feels just amazing.
Given, the vast majority of jeans at thrift stores are the dreaded mom jean (which, by the way, are supposedly making a comeback. I will kill myself before I'm caught wearing those). But hidden in the racks are these little gems.
Maybe someone outgrew them?
Lost some weight?
Grew a third leg?
Who knows why someone would get rid of these. But thank goodness for me, they did.
I get major gloating power out of wearing these, which is really the reason you go thrifting, right?

Oh and I have yet to work any kind of magical power out of these pants. Sure, they were cheap, but come on. I'm still waiting to have Kostos express mailed to my doorstep. Let's get on that, Pants.

Friendly Bit of Advice #3: Cut Loose, Footloose

Bought: Shoes
Price: <$10 except the heeled Candies boots Place: Goodwill, Pleasant Hill; Anna's Attic; Goodwill, Concord; Good Samaritan Thrift Store, San Diego; Salvation Army, Concord (R.I.P.)

Today, we're going to talk about the one most terrifying thrift store item.

No, not the undergarment. We're going to pretend that those don't even exist there. There is absolutely no way I would ever look at those, much less touch them. And buying them would be an early sign of a brain aneurysm.

The Shoe.

I know. Don't be scared.

The Shoe is like the Holy Grail or the Lost Ark (or any other Biblical artifact that has since been turned into a mainstream movie title) of the thrift store.
Most people don't get rid of their shoes, unless they're completely worn out, making The Shoe search more difficult.

So in true Monty Python and Indiana Jones fashion, let's turn this into a scavenger hunt.

1. Find The Shoe that is in style.

2. It's in style? See if it fits. If it doesn't, place back on the rack and go back to step 1.
Cinderella Step-Sister-Like behavior is generally frowned upon.

3. It fits? Find its mate. If you can't, place back on the rack and go back to step 1 or ask an employee for assistance.

4. It's in style, it fits, and "it" is now a "they"?! Check the price. Depending on the uniqueness and quality of the shoe, place back on the rack if it's over $10.

5. Fend off anybody else who is eying your shoes. View other customers as enemy scavenger hunt competitors who will potentially take you down if you find one of their items. Tuck your find under your arm and sprint for the cash register. Unnecessary roughness will be flagged and may result in expulsion from the hunt, so be sure to barrel someone over only if the ref has his eyes closed.

6. Oh no... You're not finished yet. High-tail it home, and whip out your disinfectant spray. Take your shoes outside and spray those suckers off until you just about can't breathe with all the toxins in the air. Leave outside to dry.

7. Do a victory dance, for you have won the hunt! Gloating optional, but generally encouraged.
Example:
Scavenger Hunt Completion Party

Friendly Bit of Advice #1: Be Brave

Bought: Pleated Skirt
Price: Under $8
Store: Goodwill, Concord


I don't know what stage of thrifting you're starting at, but as a general rule of thumb, in order to get some amazing buys, you need to actually get your booty out there and shop!

I know there tends to be a tarnished stigma surrounding thrift stores.

They're dirty! And foul! And rodent infested!

Let's not be ridiculous.

There are actually some really clean stores out there! Little known fact: most people wash their clothes before passing them on to the thrift store of their choice. And more importantly, you can always wash whatever you buy!

As a matter of fact, I would highly recommend it, even insist on it.


So... Friendly Bit of Advice #1...Be Brave!


And bring hand sanitizer with you.