Mineral Point Art Tour, Flea Markets, & Crocheted Scarves

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Last weekend a couple friends and I took a trip to the Mineral Point Art Tour. On our way into Mineral Point we found a huge flea market, which of course, none of us could resist. As usual, I found a piece of vintage jewelry that I fell in love with. It looks like a 60s costume jewelry necklace, but I can’t be so sure! The necklace reminded me of some of j.crew’s new jeweled statement jewelry pieces and is perfectly in line with this fall’s blingy vintage-inspired style.

I’ve been falling more and more in love with menswear this season (it’s not long before I try pulling off a skinny tie!), so I was delighted to come across a vintage men’s jewelry box. The tie bar holder is even labeled. It will make a unique addition to my vanity.

My friend Jaqui who joined me on the trip actually finished crocheting a beautiful cowl scarf on the car ride there and wore it through the flea market and the art tour.

I had never been on a art tour quite like this. I knew that artists opening up their homes and studios was the norm, but I was stunned by some of the amazing studio spaces and architecture that I saw. My favorite was a sculpture garden at Peter Flanary and Sandra Peterson’s gorgeous rural home. We also enjoyed the small town’s speciality, ceramics, at a downtown gallery after lunch at the local deli. All of this makes me think I ought to set up a studio in my basement and get back into creating!

Inspiration from a Weekend in Venice

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It was over a year ago, but I can’t stop thinking about my experiences in Italy (I lived and studied there for 4 months). Back then, I wasn’t blogging, so you can imagine that I have a lot of catching up to do. Below are some of my favorite images from a weekend I spent in tranquil Venice.

Straight from my Italian journal (because I couldn’t have said it better than when I was there):

We also took a night gondola. It was a pretty amazing experience. There were very few boats on the canals at that hour, the moon was bright and full, and the tide was high. Our gondolier was a middle-aged man who was very nice. He talked to us about his job (you can get your gondola license at 18, it’s a family business, and there are only ever 398 gondoliers in the city at a given time) and living in Venice (60,000 residents in the city and another 60,000 on the islands).

The price was 20% higher for the night ride, but I think it was worth it for the relaxing, beautiful trip. The night in Venice was peaceful and quite. There was no sound of cars or mopeds and the water was so peaceful. I feel very lucky for the amazing weather the opportunity to see such a beautiful place.

Lace shop on the island of Burano

Mosaics in San Marco

Ciao!

Sarah

Weird Book Sale Finds

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What I like about small town book sales (or rummage sales, for that matter) is that you really never know what you will come across…or what might actually strike you as something you would buy. For $3, I picked up a B52s cassette tape (actually useful since my car’s CD player is broken), a 1970s vintage car directory, a coffee table book on Titian, and a Mister Rogers album. I think I spent a good five minutes holding these items and thinking hard about if I should bother spending good money on something so random, but even if I have to sacrifice a morning latte, the purchase was worth it.


Ciao!

Sarah

Halloween Decorating for Under $10

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Now that I actually have a place that feels more like home than a one-bedroom dorm room, I thought I’d make an effort to decorate, even a little bit, for the holidays. I picked up this vase, a spider candle holder, and these festive placemats at the local Good Will for under $10. The beautiful dried corn was a gift from my friend who bought it at the Madison farmer’s market.

How have you been decorating for the season?

Sarah

The Uncovered Artistry Project

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Two and a half years ago my sister and I founded The Uncovered Artistry Project, a non-profit that sells the art of domestic and sexual abuse survivors. The idea is simple. Art + Entrepreneurship = Empowerment. I’m proud to say (and proud to promote!) our new website (www.UncoveredArtistry.com). Even better for everyone else is that all our products, jewelry, candles, you name it, are 20% off and free shipping this month. Plus it’s for a pretty darn good cause.

Sarah

Fall Mix Tape

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I think I started creating fall mix tapes in high school, right after I read Perks of Being a Wallflower, and fell in love with the simple concept that music can -and usually does- define certain periods in your life. Well, I’m not starting school this fall, but I definitely have freshmen moments here in the real world. To bring back the nostalgia even more (and in a more positive way), I decided to create a Fall 2012 mix tape. Thankfully, I’m surrounded by a pretty substantial and awesome friend group, so it was easy to get them involved in the process. I had nine of my friends submit songs that reminded them of fall. However many they wanted and anything they wanted. I agreed in exchange to create cover art, curate the songs, and give everyone a free copy. The result was a 62 song collection, which I compiled into three albums: Coming Down, Going Up, and Arriving, because “The truth is of course that there is no journey. We are arriving and departing all at the same time.”

Here’s to arriving!

Sarah

My Autumn Work Wardrobe

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My Work Wardrobe- Autumn
Only a few months ago, I created a vision for my work wardrobe that included great essentials like well-fitting tees, chinos, and quality sandals. As the weather starts to cool down, I’ve obviously had to re-think my basic work wardrobe. This season, I’ve focused on adding interest to basics with beautiful, dramatic accessories like silk scarves, cuffs, and cameo jewelry. Some basics for fall (and pieces that are well worth the initial investment!) are leather boots, jeans, and a blazer. When it comes to the accessories, I usually shop vintage and thrift to find unique pieces that have better quality than trendy accessories I could find at H&M or Zara.
What is your work wardrobe vision this fall?
Ciao!
Sarah

A Week of Inspired Outfits: Friday

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Well I did it! I eliminated five decisions each workday by creating five unique looks on Sunday. These outfits were inspired by some of my favorite brands, including Free People, Lands’ End Canvas, and j.crew. Below is Friday’s look. Like Wednesday, the Free People outfit served as more of an inspiration than a hard and fast guide, and I tried instead to capture the feel of the look.

Check out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for more inspired outfits.

Free People

Jean Jacket, H&M

Top, Target

Jeans, American Eagle

Wedges, Lands’ End Canvas

For full disclosure and all of that good stuff, I currently work at Lands’ End (so it should be no surprise that I often end up wearing their merchandise!).

A Week of Inspired Outfits: Thursday

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This week, I put together five unique outfits inspired by looks from some of my favorite brands. Here is Thursday! Be sure to check out Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I wore this outfit with a pair of black tights to combat this chilly fall weather.

Free PeopleDress, Vera Wang

Shoes, thrift store find

Scarf, Florentine market

A Week of Inspired Outfits: Wednesday

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This week, I put together five workday outfits based on professionally styled outfits from some of my favorite brands. Monday, I was inspired by Lands’ End Canvas, and Tuesday, I was inspired by j.crew. Today, I take inspiration from Free People. Wednesday’s outfit is less like the inspiration image, but I think I was able to capture the essence of the look.

Free PeopleSweater, Good Will

Jeans, Delia’s

Necklace, H&M

Pumps, Salvatore Ferragamo