Franklin Flea & Me

This summer has most definitely been a strange one, there's plenty of new but at the same time, it's been largely devoid of our usual activities. Most of my summer clothes are untouched, passed over for what's easy and what's not still in boxes -- tee shirts, cut-offs, Birkenstocks -- and every now and then I catch myself thinking of an activity (thrift shopping!) only to realize I haven't had a chance to do it in months! It's a strange time. But, life is finally starting to feel at least somewhat back to normal, or we're at least feeling a little more settled.

Flea markets are usually high on our summer to-do list, I love waking up super early, grabbing a coffee for the road, and roaming around misty, muddy fields looking for treasure. I'm sure we'll have plenty of that this fall, but it was nice to take in the Franklin Flea a couple of weeks back in the city. Definitely a more curated flea market than what you'd typically expect, but that's not such a bad thing sometimes. Even better, we could walk there. A novelty that still hasn't worn off. Chris and I roamed around and chatted with vendors, I found an amazing skirt for fall, and we both took full advantage of the food trucks. I love sifting through the ephemera and detritus of decades-past, the weird cast-offs that are considered antiques or collectables now, but at the time were looked upon with disdain (Sexology, anyone?). What's considered kitsch now was once just someones secret past-time, or bad art, or truck stop tee shirt.What strikes me is that these items have lasted decades, sometimes centuries. So much of what we bring into our homes and closets today is made with a shelf life -- I write this as yet another iPhone is in the process of biting the proverbial dust. I can't help but wonder: In the world of fast fashion and accessible everything, what will the ephemera from our generation be? Who knows, this could be total bullshit and exactly what someone in the '50s thought about those pulp paperbacks. I guess we'll see.

This has been my go-to dress this summer for when I want to look like I tried, but still want comfort. It's just so easy to wear. I could say the same for these shoes. The heel is the perfect height to look a little more fancy than flip flops, but still be just as easy to walk in. I'm all about lower heels and flats right now, and I can't wait to start incorporating boots back into my wardrobe as soon as the weather cools off slightly.

Get the look: Dress: ModCloth (on sale!) // Sandals: Seychelles (also on sale!) c/o // Bag: Vintage Coach (similar) // Sunglasses: TjMaxx (similar) // Chain bracelet: Thrifted // Metal cuff: Studebaker Metals