Wedding Presents

I have gone to so many weddings the past two years. I am sick of handing out the standard check as a gift, so this year I decided to do something a little more meaningful for my friend's wedding in August. Charlotte from PaintingWell created this pretty, pretty, pretty custom painting for me. Then I found this salvaged wood frame from Recycled Relics. Charlotte painted the two little trees for me to represent the couple. I hope they like it!

The Best Intentions

My blue dress by BrianneLee featuring American Eagle Outfitters

I went to the sketchy mall by my work today to look for a dress for a friend's wedding I am going to next month. I didn't find anything, but as I was walking by American Eagle I spotted this little blue and white striped number close to the door. I loved its vintage style and blue and white color combo, but I was sold when I discovered it had pockets.

Since there are only about 5 more weeks of summer left (so sad), I need to find a way to get the most of this little dress. It will def look great on its own with some simple gold jewelry, but I thought it would also look cute with my black fitted blazer for work or with a jean jacket and brown belt when the weather starts to get a little cooler.

Doodles

I ran into the post office the other day to pick up a custom's declaration form (for a super fun vintage swap I am doing!) When I got it home, I noticed someone had drawn this funny little guy on the back of the label. I guess they got bored in line one day?

New York, New York

This weekend my boyfriend and I took a mini trip down to NYC to see his family. We did a lot of walking around Central Park, went to an antique flea market (NYC prices are crazy!), went to Chelsea Pier and South Street Seaport (where the goofy pic of me and him was taken) , and met an old friend of mine for brunch today. I brought really random clothes with me for some reason, so please excuse my outfit in the last picture ;)

More Fireworks

Here is a small clip of my brother's fireworks from July 4th. Enjoy!

White Dress

White Dress by BrianneLee featuring Anthropologie

I purchased a 1960s vintage white dress similar to the one above this past weekend. I wore it the other day my brass snake bangle bracelets, but I think some colorful jewelry would look nice too. I wouldn't wear all of this together... maybe one or two pieces at a time.

Wednesday's Thrift Store Finds

My creation
Originally uploaded by BrianneLee

I am definitely starting to run out of room for all my finds. I think I might have to put thrift store shopping on hiatus for awhile :( I purchased all of these things for under $20 today.

If you want to see clearer pictures of each item, check out my Flickr

Vintage embroidery $2
Glass dish $3
Cat bowls with matching plates (not shown) 49 cents each
Little glasses with hand painted designs $5
Turquoise glass teacup $5

Check This Out

I am obsessed with everything in Refinery29's interview with Lisa Mayock. Amazing!

Photo via Refinery29

To Brimfield and Back!

Today I ventured off to the Brimfield Antique Show with my boyfriend's sister Anne. We got there around 8am, and with $60 in my pocket (I am trying to stay on a budget), I set out to find some treasures. I literally was not prepared for how massive this place was going to be. We spent over 4 hours there and I felt like we only saw about 25% of everything. It was AMAZING! I wish I took more pictures of the actual show, but I kept forgetting that I had my camera with me. The next fair is in early September, and I am already planning my visit.

For $60 I got:
A little china head (one of my fav purchases)
A vintage perfume bottle in the prettiest shade of pink/purple
Some vintage lace
Men's 1950s swim trunks (they make really cute high waisted shorts)
A vintage white cotton and lace dress (its in the wash right now)
A vintage headband
A basket for my coffee table (not pictured)
A free pillow and some lace scraps.

Yawn. I am tired!

I'll Take One Please

I want a baby koala!

From Zoo Borns

Treasures from Michigan

I found so many great vintage/antique treasures this weekend! Silly me forgot to bring a big enough suitcase, so most of them have to be shipped to me, but I was able to stuff these 2 vintage dresses into my carry-on. The 1950's yellow sundress was a gift from my boyfriend's mother and I found the 1940's (?) day dress at one of my favorite antique malls EVER! (Murphy's Antique Mall in South Haven Michigan for those who live close). Both need some minor alternations, but I cannot wait to wear them this summer!

The blue dress still has its original tags and the prettiest silver buttons.

I'm Back!

My boyfriend and I took a long weekend vacation to where his parents live in South Haven, MI. We went to an auction on an old farm where I got 2 amazing vintage necklaces, rode bikes, relaxed on the lake, ate and drank, went antique shopping (I got some good things that I will show later), saw a "dingy parade" at the yacht club, etc...

It was a great time! I wish my vacation wasn't over :( Back to the grind tomorrow.

Who Likes the Smell of Mothballs

This is another friend's Facebook photo...

Anywho, I bought this dress at my favorite vintage store the day of my friend's wedding. I wanted to wear it right away, so I didn't have time to clean it. When I got to the wedding, I noticed that the dress smelled really strongly of mothballs (and was super embarrassed). Since then, I have dry cleaned it twice and have aired it outside numerous times, but the smell won't go away! Is this a lost cause? I want to wear the dress to another wedding this summer, so I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to get the mothball smell out of it.

PS. I will be away from my blog until next week. See you guys then!!!

Fireworks!

I stole these pictures of my brother's 4th of July fireworks show from his Facebook page. I like how they look kind-of abstract.

Take Me Away!

Beach Vacation by BrianneLee featuring Old Navy

I am planning a small get-away to Lake Michigan. I hope to pack really light. These are not the exact items I am bringing but more "representations" of my overall wardrobe aesthetic.

I find it really hard to pack for some reason so it takes me a few days to get prepared. If you could only pack 5 things for a beach vacation, what would you bring? (I cheated, I picked more than 5)

Passed Down

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! I spent my day at the beach and then watched my brother's fireworks show. I forgot my camera in the car and was too lazy to walk back to the house to get it, so I didn't get any pics of the festivities :(

Anyways, I spent some time with my grandmother this weekend, and she gave me these baby photos of herself. I love them...she was such a cute baby! I think the best vintage treasures are the ones that are passed down from people you love.

New Hat

Got my new hat today. What do you think? I know its hard to tell with the camera in the way... sorry!

Wednesday's Thrift Store Finds

All for under $8!

Vintage sweater, pillow, and fabric bag.

My Daily Dose of Cuteness

One of my favorite sites to check out is ZooBorns. Who knew baby porcupines could be so cute!