Pink is all it takes to make me smile

 

 

Outfit details

Large black hair flower: Arden
1980s does 1950s tropical floral print dress: etsy seller Fresh Vintage
Green cardigan: Old Navy
Purple orchid brooch: eBay
Black carved bangle bracelet: Ten Thousand Villages
Green vintage twisted bangle bracelet: eBay
Purple bangle bracelet: (probably) Forever 21 Vintage Saks Fifth Avenue black patent purse: etsy seller MKRetro
Black opaque tights: Arden
Black 1940s style shoes: Thrifted (Salvation Army)
Lipstick colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace

Photography by Antonio Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

So said Tony (about me) as we were leaving the Home Hardware recently after popping for something entirely different and walking out with the cutest little cotton candy pink miniature Christmas tree you ever did see! (We got it 50% on post-Christmas clearance.) I just about went weak in the knees when I spotted it, and proceeded to say, "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" over and over as I made a rapid beeline in it's direction. Is it the same as a mid-century pink aluminum tree? No, but, by golly, it's pretty darn spectacular, if you ask me!

It's true though, you know, when I come across something pink that I love, and by the same token, when I wear pink and inject it throughout the decor in our home, it really does make me smile-inducingly happy, and tranquil, and extra girly feeling, all of which I adore. We weren't planning on doing a formal photo shot that evening (we'd been out for hours and I was completely knackered, plus Tony was on his way out the door to a raclette party, so he only a couple of minutes to take a few quick iPhone shots), but I was in such good spirits after the unexpected (gorgeous!) find that was this wonderful little tree, that I simply had to record how joyful I felt in that moment.

Adding weight to what I've talked about here in previous posts (such as this one) regarding wearing as much of my warm weather wardrobe as I can during the winter months, on that day I just happened to be sporting one of my most greenhouse-meets-tropical paradise inspired dresses. A cute 1980s does 50s number that is chock-a-block with vivacious hues and feel good flowers, and which I wore last year on my mom's birthday, but didn't get snaps of, so I've really been meaning to capture it on camera ever since.

Our little house is marvelous, and I truly love it to no end, but it rather lacking in available blank walls against which to take indoor outfit snaps. We keep experimenting with locations (the master bedroom, the living room, etc), and on that particular night, we gave the bottom of the staircase between the first and second floors a shot. It's not perfect, but it's not bad either, and I suspect other photos will transpire there over time.

I love my new little pink Christmas tree so much, I'm half tempted to keep it on display in my craft room throughout the whole year, perhaps sprinkling seasonal ornaments on it for other holidays. You know, come to think of it, that's not a bad idea. Money might not grow on trees, but (if they're pink) happiness sure can, and who can't use as much of that as they can get all year round?

The sort of outfit I usually wear to go yard saling

   

   

Outfit details

Blue stretch headband: Ardene
Prescription eyeglasses: (frames) Venus Eye Design V-12
Adorable sterling silver and Swarovski crystal kitty necklace: gift from Tony ♥
Green cardigan: Old Navy
Purple plaid shirt: Warehouse One
1950s corduroy bucket purse: etsy seller Rue 23 Vintage Clothing
Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Real Canadian Superstore
Denim capri pants: Nine West White skinny belt: eBay
Black bow sling-back flats: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano   ♥ ♥ ♥

Earlier this year I shared an example of the type of outfit I typically wear for a day spent hitting the thrift stores, and before this summer wraps up completely, I really wanted to show you an example of what I commonly sport while out garage saling.

It had almost became a running joke. Each Saturday morning when we'd (by which I mean myself, my mom, and Tony) head out and I'd make a point of saying (to Tony) that we needed to grab some wardrobe snaps that day. Yet time after time, for whatever reason, it failed to happen. Finally, after one of our more recent yard saling excursions, as we returned home, I all but insisted he stop and grab at least a couple of photos (in this case, on his iPhone) of me in our own yard.

There's nothing really fancy about this outfit, but that's the whole point. One doesn't want to have to worry about dust and dirt while out garage saling, and you want something that will stand up to  hours of wear. Comfortable shoes are important, too, and I usually opt for flats or a very walkable, sturdy heel. Generally, depending on the weather, I'll either wear these denim capris, my Freddie's jeans, or an a-line button front skirt (such as this one) that has pockets (very important for having cash at the ready!).

I'll usually wear a necklace and bracelet or two, but generally opt for stretch or tighter fitting bangles, as I don't want to risk losing a bracelet or having them bang into (and potentially break) anything I'm reaching for in the midst of my yard sale rummaging.

As one can never be entirely certain of what the weather will do, I tend to opt for at least two light layers (in this case a short sleeve button up plaid skirt and a thin knit green cardigan), that way I can button up or slip one off, just depending on what kind of mood Mother Nature is in that day.

Just as pockets are important, so too, I find, is a purse that I can easily get into. This way, if an item costs more than I have in my pocket (or I've depleted my stash of coins), I can quickly grab my wallet and start negotiating the price (I pretty much always bargain for a lower price at garage sales and flea markets).

This 1950s bucket purse is one you've seen before (such as in this post), and that's because it gets more use during the summer months than probably any other purse I have. It's versatile hue, decent size, and weight (empty, it's quite light) means I reach for it all season long (during the winter though, one usually doesn't want an open top purse when it's snowing, so this bag usually gets a breather until the following spring arrives).

So there you - and I (finally!) - have it, a look at the kind of outfit I generally wear when sourcing every yard and garage in town I possibly can for vintage treasures. I suspect it's akin to what many of you also don for these kinds of days, whether your yard sale season is just a few months long (as it is up here in Canada) or something you get to enjoy all year long (lucky you!).