Sensing a Pattern

Dress: Thrifted
Tights: AA
Shoes: ModCloth
Bracelets swapped & f21
Earrings c/o Noble Town Vintage

Photos by Mandy of The Curvy Model

In the few weeks since we moved to Pittsburgh, I really haven't done much thrifting... or shopping in general. When unpacking my closet, I came to the grim realization that my clothes and shoes are pretty much at capacity, with very little (if any) room to spare. So my new goal is to only purchase things I really, truly love. I know that probably sounds a bit silly, like wouldn't I do that anyway? But I think, especially with thrift shopping, it's a little too easy to justify a purchase because it's cheap, or unique, or just plain bizarre, and if you continue on that path, you just end up with a closet full of things you really- only sorta- love. So my new goal is this: I will still thrift, but I will do it mindfully, and I will still shop, but I will only purchase items that I love, and that are good quality.

So that is my new goal, a goal I kept in mind when I went on a little thrifting field trip this past Sunday. The place I went reminded me a lot of thrifting in Maine, the crowd was weird and the pickings we're slim, but what I found was good: This good-as-new vintage dress for a short $1.50! I have not found decent vintage at a decent price at a thrift store in a long time, and this beauty is pristine: not a stain, or tear, or snag to be found. And while it is polyester, a fabric that I try to avoid as much as possible, I could not resist it's beauty. And I'm glad I didn't, with a silk slip underneath, the polyester effect was negligible.

With such a strong pattern, I didn't feel the need to over-accessorize (do I ever?), I kept things simple with a pair of earrings from Noble Town Vintage, who makes the only earrings I ever want to wear. Hint: there might be a giveaway tomorrow...hint...hint...very big, obvious hint.

Over the Weekend

Top to bottom:
Early morning Bob Dylan/ Rediscovered our record collection this weekend highlights: Bob Dylan, Patty Smith, Lou Reed/ The Z's spent their weekend following sunbeams as usual/ A thrifted Brownie to add to our collection

Good morning! How was your weekend? All too short? Yeah, mine too. Although very relaxing. Turns out, being afraid to drive your car is a great excuse to hole up at home and clean the heck out of your apartment. Which is what I did. Since our move, I haven't had much time to decorate or move stuff around, so taking advantage of some alone time which Chris was at work, I listened to records and cleaned. That's not all I did though, no. I also took a short field trip out of town to do a little thrifting. I found that mint condition Brownie Hawkeye for a mere $9.99 and an amazing dress for a short $1.50, it was like being back home in Maine where the thrift is cheap! The dress you'll see tomorrow, as I'm wearing it to work today, all I can say is I'm in love. The cats spent their weekend following me around and demanding entry to the basement, where they are not allowed.

Thank you to everyone who cast their vote and gave their opinion on Disqus. It's definitely something I'm considering trying out for Orchid Grey, I would love to be able to engage a bit more and Disqus seems like the best option. A little more work, but hopefully worth the effort for the benefit of discussion.

How was your weekend?

Have a Beautiful Weekend!

You can really see where my priorities were this week: Zephyr. His little face kind of kills me, and I find myself focusing on him when I get stressed out. I think that may make me sort of insane. But, I'm not gonna lie, this week was a little stressful, and I'm so happy it's almost over. Nothing horrible happened, but ending a long week with car problems is not my idea of a good time. But the good thing is, it's sunny today and I have an appointment to get my brakes (yeah, scary) fixed on Monday! It was wonderful waking up to sunlight streaming in our bedroom windows, such a nice way to wake up. I'm not sure what this weekend has in store for us, Chris will be working, so I may take the opportunity to do some thrifting. And then there's talk of Light Up Night, which sounds awesome.

Here are a few highlights of this week:

I have a poll going on my Facebook page about the Disqus commenting system, if you have a minute, I would love to know your thoughts!

Are any of my Pittsburgh readers members of Venture Outdoors? I'm thinking about joining this winter.

Noble Town Vintage is offering free shipping on all orders (including International!) through December!

This sculpture is amazing. That's all I have to say.

Elizabeth was the prettiest bride ever! And congratulations to Miss James who ties the knot this weekend (can't wait to see her BHLDN dresses)

Love these vintage Levi's, perfect pants for the impending holidays!

I would love to spend the weekend wrapped in this cozy sweater, reading a book. I need to get to the library!

Have you seen this fun wishlist from Lulus? You can take a peek at what I'm wishing for this year!

Speaking of wishlists, what kind of wishlists would you be interested in seeing on Orchid Grey? Anything in particular?

Have you seen Blowfish's new accessories category? I love the boot-tights, genius!!

What are your weekend plans? Anything special?

In My Element

Sweater c/o Lulus

Dress c/o Lulus

Tights: AA

Necklace: gift from Chris

Bracelets: Forever 21

Aerin Boots c/o Blowfish

Photos by Christen of From the Woods

This rain is officially driving me bananas. Yesterday was day three and I was determined to actually get some outfit shots. It's definitely been an adjustment getting back to a normal 40 hour week, especially since Chris is now on a similar schedule as well. I've been shopping around for a new camera lens in hopes of being able to take self-portraits again soon. I love having other bloggers to collaborate with at work, but I've also been taking self-portraits forever (before this blog was even an idea) and I miss those projects.

Well, the weather has finally cleared a bit today and it's actually feeling like chilly November. Rumor has it that we might even see some snow this weekend! I have my fingers crossed, I would love to have a little (a little) snow on the ground for Thanksgiving.

A la Gloria

Photos by Mandy of The Curvy Model

Top c/o Pineapple Mint Vintage
Jeans: H&M
Shoes: Matiko (2009)
Bag: VIntage Thrift
Sunglasses: Vintage
Belt: AA
Bracelets: F21
Orchid Grey Bracelet: ModCloth

I may have mentioned my love of Gloria Steinem before, but if I haven't: I love Gloria Steinem. I have a general appreciation of strong, smart women who aren't afraid to admit to enjoying fashion
and/or personal style. When I put together an outfit inspired by the seventies (which is often), I typically have one of two women in mind as inspiration: my mother or Gloria Steinem. Last week, it was Gloria. I picked up these jeans over the summer, finally finding a pair of high-waisted jeans that went up to my actual waist. I paired them with a vintage tie-neck blouse, and a vintage D&B satchel.

In other news: Chris starts his new job today! I'm so excited for him, he found a great position at a small boutique here in Pittsburgh. I'm very proud!

Happy Tuesday!

Have a Happy Weekend!

Yay, it's Friday! Do you have any fun weekend plans? I have to work on Saturday, but aside form that we don't have much in the books, maybe another hike? Maybe I'll finally get all that film dropped off an developed! One of my goals this weekend is to finally get the upstairs of our house in order, get our little office set up, and maybe take care of the tangle of clothes on our bedroom floor.

The weather has definitely cooled down over the past few days, and as much as I love it, it also puts me in the mood for winter shopping, which I'm trying to resist. I've been very good about not spending frivolously, so let's just do some window shopping on the internet:

Have you entered the Ruche Giveaway yet? It's not too late to get your name in! I absolutely love these sequin shorts from them!

Did you like my new shoes from Lulu's in yesterday's post? You can find them here!

I love this beaded dress from Bluesville, USA- perfect for a holiday party!

The new styles from Noble Town Vintage are so pretty! I'm obsessed with these earrings.

These cute little flats are so sweet, Blowfish makes the most comfortable shoes.

I loved Kaelah's tour of her bedroom, so pretty!

Have you seen all the wedding outfits on Delightfully Tacky? So pretty!

I love this simple bracelet.

End of Autumn

Photos by Mandy of The Curvy Model

Top: AA

Cardigan: J.Crew

Belt: AA

Skirt Thrifted Vintage

Tights: AA

Shoes c/o Lulu's

Aren't these shoes amazing? I received them over the weekend from Lulu's and decided to plan my Monday morning outfit around them, I love the different colors of them! The weather over the past couple of days has been gorgeous, which I love but always throws a wrench in my mindset of fall dressing. I opted for a dusty rose hued pair of fishnets over my usual opaques, and donned a short sleeve shirt beneath a light cardigan.

I'm so excited to be posting outfits more regularly, something that has definitely helped is having a photo partner at the office! Mandy of the blog, The Curvy Model, has been helping me with outfit photos, we've been having little photo sessions as a way to get outside during the workday. You can check out her amazing blog to see the photos I took of her!

Into The Woods

Photos: Chris

Jacket: Urban Outfitters sale

Sweater: Thrifted (last year)

Button-up: VIntage Thrifted (2009)

Scarf: Thrifted (2010)

Riding pants: AA

Boots: Matiko via LF sale

Camera: Vintage AE-1 (mothers)

I think these are some of my favorite photos that Chris has ever taken for me. Sunday was such a beautiful day. My favorite late-fall sight is the sun streaming into the woods, through almost bare trees, to the leaf covered ground below; it's the perfect time to go for a walk in the forest. Though, that day we didn't get very far, Frick Park was much more than we expected it to be and we realized that we (and by we I mean me) simply weren't dressed right for a hike. From what I've seen, this park is amazing, I can't wait to get my hand on some snowshoes for the winter. We were so unfamiliar with the Pittsburgh area when we found out we would be moving here, we were both concerned about keeping up with the outdoor activities we enjoy, like hiking and snowboarding. While we still aren't sure what to expect for winter- we've heard mixed reviews- we were really happy to have at least found a place where we can get some light hiking in.

Sunday was one of those fall days where you can't decide if it's cold or not, so I wore lots of layers. I like to stick to pants on the weekends, but am a little sick of jeans, so I wore these stretchy riding pants per Chris's suggestion. After that, I just piled stuff on, no real formula. I found a spare roll of film (who knows how old) while unpacking, and decided to take my mom's old AE-1 out for a spin. I have five or so rolls to get developed dating back to summer 2010 (I'm a procrastinator), if any come out, I'd really like to share them on here.

Over the Weekend: Fall Back

Top to bottom:

Our canvas print from Spring Smith Studios came! Thank you again to everyone who left a comment on our wedding post / Cinnamon buns for breakfast, my favorite / Zeb spends the weekend trying out sunbeams / One last lawn mow before the snow / A sweet face / In the stairway mirror before heading out the door / Color / Autumn details at Calvary Cemetery.

What a beautiful weekend this was. We had grand plans of getting the rest of our stuff unpacked, organizing closets, and hanging artwork, but all that is hard to do when you wake to a beautiful sunny day with no clouds and a new city to explore. On Saturday we strolled around Calvary Cemetery, which may seem morbid to some, but the fall foliage is gorgeous and I love how tranquil cemeteries are. We did some walking around downtown as well: had the world's worst latte and went to the worlds most expensive "thrift" store. Sunday was a bit more successful, maybe due to the time change, we visited the Shadyside neighborhood and took some photos on my old AE-1, and "hiked" around Frick Park. When I say hiked, I mean we took outfit photos (coming tomorrow), walked around a bit, and realized we weren't dressed right for the magnitude of this amazing park. I can't wait to go back next weekend and actually do some exploring. My two major resolutions for this move are: take more film photos, and get outdoors more. So far, both resolutions are playing out perfectly. We were introduced to Venture Outdoors by our neighbors, an outdoors organization that hosts hikes, walks and activities all around our area, I can't wait to join!

How was your weekend?

Friday Favorites

Ahh, I'm so happy it's Friday! This week has been great, but now that we're a little more settled, I'm excited to maybe do some exploring this weekend. These photos are some of my favorites from last weekend. While the early snow was strange for us, I think Zebby and Zephyr we're a little more confused. We have a lovely window in our new dining nook, and Zeb took some time to admire the snowfall from the kitchen table on Saturday morning. The kitties are very much enjoying their new home, with new stairs to zip up and down, and new wildlife to obsess over through the window (a wide variety of wild rabbits, one enormous groundhog, and some excessively friendly squirrels). We're all settling in nicely.

Thank you all so much for your incredibly kind and supportive words on my post last friday! I'm so excited to be working where I am, and so excited to see where Orchid Grey will go in the future. Hanna asked me what exactly my job entails, and basically my job is split in two: half my time is spent dreaming up blog posts for the ModCloth blog, and the other half is spent composing product descriptions (like this one). Any more questions? Feel free to ask!

Leopard Print and Navy

Sweater: ModCloth (2010)
Top: VIntage thrifted
Jeans: Madewell Hiriser
Shoes: Matiko (2010)
Belt: AA
Necklace: Black Sparrow (gift)

What's that in the background? Snow?! Yep, we're stepping back in time today, only by a couple of days though. On Saturday morning I woke up and looked out the window, only to find a wintry wonderland had replaced the late-fall glory of the changing leaves. While we only got about a half an inch (compared to the foot my mother had at her house), it stuck around for the rest of the day. Winter, I'm just not ready for you. Thank goodness it melted! Chris and I really haven't had much of a chance to explore our new city, between jumping right in to work, and having a new apartment to settle into, we mostly just ran errands on Saturday. I have been enjoying the fresh dose of fashion inspiration that moving has provided, even when just going out to the grocery store, I've been loving actually getting dressed for it. For Saturday, I donned a leopard print silk top I've had in my closet forever, and paired it with the coziest sweater I own, it was perfect for what the day had in store for us, and for a drive around the city. Did you get snow where you live?

Black and Blue All Over

Dress c/o Ruche

Booties: Kate Spade v. TJMaxx

Tights: American Apparel

Necklace: Black Sparrow (gift)

Bracelets: Forever 21

It's strange seeing these photos and knowing they weren't taken in Beverly, I absolutely love having new locations for outfit photos now, although I will definitely miss my old haunts. You know what else I love? Getting dressed for work in the mornings! I'm so excited to have an office to get dressed up for again, I feel as though I've had so much inspiration over the past few months, but was unable to express much because I was either in jeans and a t-shirt for the cafe, or working from home. So, when I received this amazing dress from Ruche over the weekend, I knew it would be the first thing I wore this week. The temperature has definitely dropped over the past few days, so I paired it with some thick black tights and warm booties.