Roam Free

Hi there!  I'm really excited to post here today because I'm wearing something completely out of my comfort zone: Pants!  When Hannah let me borrow this super cute top, I was unsure if it would work as a dress or a blouse.  Since it's nowhere near tights weather in California and I'm not one to wear super short dresses, I decided to break out my black jeans for this outfit.  I really liked the outcome, actually.  Maybe if I added more cute tops to my wardrobe I'd consider wearing them more often.  Mayyyyybe.









Top- Borrowed from Hannah Jeans- Zara Shoes- UrbanOG Hat- Forever 21

Hannah

Taylor

I love how just a few different accessories can change the mood of the entire piece.  Definitely feeling Taylor's 60's vibes!  To see the details on Hannah's or Taylor's outfits, click on their pictures above.
xoxo
Ashley

Kon Tiki

Lisa from Lala Faux Bois

I love a good Hawaiian or Tiki themed print, and no midcentury lovin' closet or decor is complete without some Polynesian influence. I may be alone here, but when I think Hawaii, one of the first things to come to mind is the classic Brady Bunch family vacation to Hawaii- cursed tiki idol ring a bell? 

Thanks to Hannah letting me borrow this amazing shirt, I was able to whisk myself away to an island party, if only for a day.

top: borrowed from Hannah // scarf & skirt: thrifted // shoes: my shop

Hannah and Jana definitely nail the true Hawaiian style and are both ready for the tiki party of all tiki parties- please invite me ladies, I'd love to share a Volcano Bowl with you! :)

Hannah // Jana

Aloha from Canada!

Hey all! Jana here from "small town, BIG SMILE!".  It's rare that I wear tops... I'm such a fan of dresses, but when Hannah offered to lend out this top, I jumped at the opportunity! Even rarer: I paired it with shorts!

I'm not going to lie, I did also pair this shirt with a skirt (you can see it on my blog later this week)... but when I saw the blue details in the print, I had to pair it with my blue sailor shorts! I opted to tie the front to make it a little different from Hannah's styling. I also wanted to photograph it at the beach, but it was so windy that the backyard was a better choice for the day! You can even sneak a peek at our garden! (I say "our"... but really, my hubby is the green thumb in our family).

I have to say, I was surprised by how much I loved this blouse! I actually went online and tried to find something similar. I did find some, but nothing with the same awesome pattern with the cars on it, or in the same colours. Both of which are what I love the most about this top. Such an amazing find! 

I even managed to snag a picture in this outfit (before I chopped my hair off, did you notice??) with Dominic's sportster! This is just one of his motorcycles... not the one we take the road trips with... She's pretty, but not the most comfortable for this "old lady"!! 

Outfit Details: 

Blouse: borrowed from Hannah

Shorts: forever21

Shoes: Swedish Hasbeens

Flower: Vintage Box 1947

Hannah

Hannah, thanks so much for letting me borrow this amazing shirt! If you ever decide that you're tired of it, I call first dibs!! :)

Smiles,

jana

Group Roundup: Sunglass Style

Hannah of The Braided Bandit

Living in Colorado where the sun is almost always shining, I have quite the extensive collection of sunglasses!  It is pretty much my top favorite way of accessorizing summer outfits, and the added benefits of protecting my eyes doesn't hurt either.  I prefer affordable pairs in bright and fun colors!

Lisa of Lala Faux Bois

Living in sunny Arizona I wear sunglasses every single day- so like Hannah I have a pretty extensive collection of colorful shades. I never spend very much on them because my sunglasses philosophy is the more the merrier :) These pale blue sunnies from F21 have been getting the most play so far this summer.

 

Sammi of The Soubrette Brunette

Although upstate New York isn't exactly known for its abundance of sunshine, I still love accessorizing with sunglasses!  I tend to gravitate towards frames with a retro or cutesy aesthetic, and I have to agree with Lisa on this one -- the cheaper, the better!  I can't justify spending very much on sunnies, since I like variety and they tend to end up buried in my bag.  My favorite frames actually came free with a purchase (they're the white ones on the left, and they have a little black bow on the side!) -- what could be better than that?

Jana of small town, BIG SMILE!

While our summers in NB are short, that doesn't mean sunglasses-season is! They're a must year-round, especially with the sun glaring on snow in the winter. For such an important accessory, I admit, I'm terrible with sunglasses. I lose them, I break them, I often sit on them in my car... not to mention they're a challenge to find a style that suits my round face. Normally, my go-to sunnies are tortoise wayfarers, but these have become an instant favourite! They were cheap ($10 on amazon!), which is practical for someone who needs to replace sunglasses often, and they automatically add a 50s style to any outfit! I'm definitely ordering these  in more colours!

Taylor of Nothing but a Pigeon

Sunnies are a MUST in Austin.... even in the winter but especially in the summer time! I've been collecting various styles over the years and chose a few of my all time favorites to share with you all. I love my classic black cat eyed frames for almost every occasion (they literally go with everything) however, I like to wear my tortie rimmed sunnies when I'm sporting my nautical wear. They are another "timeless" style. The square shaped ones you see on the upper right hand corner were my most recent purchase. Sometimes I like to wear "over the top" accessories like huge gold hoop earrings and rings. These sunglasses fall in that category. I always say "the bigger, the better".  I've also been experimenting recently  with the mod look... reminiscent of the early and mid sixties which brings me to my all time favorite pair of sunglasses... my round ones. I loved them so much I bought two pair, one in tortie and the other in black. I wear them all the time and everywhere. I purchased all these sunglasses at Target for under $20 dollars. There is something about sunglasses that pull an outfit together, they are  such a glamorous addition to any wardrobe.

Marisa of The Shades of Monet Chronicles

Though summers aren't overly long or hot here in northeast PA, there really is no better accessory than a pair of cute sunnies to lay by lake...or enjoy some r&r on my hammock in.  Like most of the gals, I do not fork over a ton of money when buying a new pair - I tend to stay under $20 to be exact.  One of my favorite pairs that I own are these apple frames from Urban Outfitters.  I just can't resist something cute, ya know?  What kind of frames are you drawn to?

 

Ashley of Southern (California) Belle  

These House of Harlow 1960 sunglasses were definitely a splurge but worth every penny!  I have many pairs of sunglasses but none that I love as much as these.  I feel like they go with every outfit.  Considering most days in Los Angeles are bright and sunny, I feel like the weather definitely justifies the price.

Creamsicle....

Hey there kittens! I'm so excited to share this outfit swap with you because it's absolutley one of my all time favorites! Hannah of The Braided Bandit was kind enough to let me try out this very cute little vintage dress. I was so delighted to try it on and was wonderfully surprized how nicely it fit me.... you never know with these types of dresses. I loved the cut and the color (it looks like a creamsicle) so much I decided to play it up a bit by adding more color. 

It's always a little tricky re-mixing clothes and making other people's clothes "your own". I actually ended up tucking the collar inside the dress and throwing on a scarf that had the same color peach in it. The scarf also had colbolt blue in it and I decided to add a cardigan over it as well. Ta da!

I've been into "big hair" lately. If you've been visiting my blog Nothing but a Pigeon you'll see my hair reaching all sorts of heights. Ha! Seriously.... I'm obsessed with backcombing and Joan Holloway, Christina Hendrick's character from "Mad Men".

Nothing completes an ensemble like knee highs and a pair of colorful wedges. I've also be experimenting with makeup lately... hence the very pink lips.

 It's been fun and I love playing dress up.

In other fun news I finally submitted a Proposal to a publishing company in regards to my crochet taxidermy. Hopefully I get a response back soon... they say it can take up to two months based on the amount of inquiries they recieve. Eeeeeep! I'm on the edge of my seat. I've never submitted a Proposal before in my life so I'm really nervous, excited and anxious. 

I'm also quite proud of myself as well. I've been putting off sending in my Proposal because I was so scared but what's the worst thing that could happen ya know? You can't expect things to just fall in your lap... you have to take the initiative and actually get out there and make things happen for yourself. It's kind of a BIG deal. Here's to hoping for good news!!! 

Dress: Borrowed from Hannah

Scarf: Thrifted

Cardigan: Thrifted

Socks: Target

Shoes: Kohl's

Lipstick: Wet & Wild 

Hannah

Canadian Flair on a Mexican Dress

Hello all! Jana here from small town, BIG SMILE! I'm so excited to be posting this lovely dress. I borrowed it from Dus in the Spring and have been eagerly waiting to share it's loveliness!! I wanted to borrow it while it was still cool enough to pair it with tights (who am I kidding, Canada is almost always cool enough for tights!!), because the colours in the dress are so amazing, who wouldn't want to have fun layering it?? 

I couldn't decide exactly how to style it... with a belt, without a belt? What kind of hair accessories?? So, naturally, I styled it two different ways.  My first style was with a rose in my hair, which I felt enhanced the Spanish feel of the dress, and with a matching belt at the waist to tailor the dress a bit. I originally planned on wearing red tights with this dress... and then I thought maybe magenta, as it's not a colour I can match easily with other dresses... but in the end, bright blue won out. The other girls had opted for various shades of pinks and purples, so I felt I had to try a different colour.

Next option, I swapped the flower for a felt floppy hat (which I dubbed my Pioneer Woman hat), and took off the belt for a looser fit. I have to say, while my gut instinct was to wear the belt, I liked the dress so much better without!

Outfit details: Dress: borrowed from Dus, Shoes: Swedish Hasbeens, Hat: American Apparel, Tights & Belt: Target, Flower: Vintage Box 1947

See Hannah's styling here.

Dus: 1 / 2 / 3

This dress, while not normally my every-day style, was one of my favourite borrowed dresses yet. I was devastated to send it back... I'm hoping to get a chance to borrow it again and have more fun styling it with different colours and accessories!

Smiles,

jana