Every fall I rediscover my love for cozy sweaters, jeans and booties.  As the temperatures drop I always find myself gravitating towards outfits that are not only warm but comfortable.

If there’s one sweater I’ve been wearing more than others this fall, it’s this one from Tealight Boutique. Taupe has always been one of my favorite fall colors. It’s such a great neutral and it pairs nicely with the many other colors that make up my fall color palette.

This sweater is less than $50, really well made and so cozy. Additionally,  it’s such a versatile piece! I’ve already styled it multiple ways and I’m still imagining new ways to wear it that include white jeans and faux leather leggings.

You can check out more sweaters from Tealight Boutique here.

And…. as a welcoming to new customers, Tealight Boutique is offering 10% off everything! Be sure to use code Welcome10 at checkout for 10% off your order!!

* Thank you to Tealight Boutique for sponsoring this post

* Photography by Lizzie Harrell

I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect eye cream for years, so when VIIcode Skin Care approached me to try theirs…I couldn’t resist! Just days before, I ran out of the eye cream I was currently testing and was on the fence about purchasing the product again. I love trying new skin care products, but only a few of new products I try actually make it in to my daily skin care regimen. Let’s face it, we all have those products we swear by and rebuy instantly upon running out, but I can honestly say, none of the eye creams I’ve ever tried have had that impact on me. Since my cheeks, T-zone and jaw line are prone to breakouts if I’m not using the same oil free products day after day, it’s nice to know I can at least be  adventurous when it comes to eye creams I test.

I’ve been using the VIIcode T2 Oxygen Eye Cream for a little over a month now and I must say, I’m impressed! VIIcode uses a unique “T2” stone mortar extraction process, that activates the skin’s natural repair system. First off, do not let the 0.17 OZ container fool you, a little goes a long way! Results may vary, but I noticed positive results after the very first use. The cream left my skin feeling silky and the slight fragrance didn’t irritate my eyes, which was a major plus! With continued use morning and night  (over the course of a month)  the skin around my eyes looks brighter and less pigmented. I’ve also noticed the puffiness I occasionally experience, first thing in the morning, is no longer an issue. With each passing year, taking care of the skin around my eyes becomes more of a priority. When I’m staying hydrated and consistently applying the VIIcode T2 Oxygen Eye Cream as part of my skincare routine, the results are noticeable.

* Thank you to VIIcode for partnering on this post

 

Does anyone else feel like this summer flew by?! I only found time to relax by the pool once, which means my tan is pretty much nonexistent and my skin is probably thanking me… With only a few days of summer remaining, I thought it would be fun to roundup some of my favorite summer outfits on the blog.

You’ll notice my favorite summer looks have a couple things in common, they’re all vintage or vintage inspired and they’re all dresses! I love dresses year round, but I especially love them during the warm summer months; since shorts never seem to agree with me.

As much as I’m looking forward to all of the layers, booties and pumpkin spice lattes fall has to offer- it’s always bittersweet to set aside my summer essentials until next year.

Happy almost Friday, everyone!

Dress from Chicwish // Photo by Karya Schanilec Photography 

Dress from Most Everything Vintage // Photo by Karya Schanilec Photography 

Dress from Most Everything Vintage// Photo by Thrill of the Thrift PDX

Dress from Most Everything Vintage // Photo by Karya Schanilec Photography 

Dress from Most Everything Vintage // Photo by J. Jean Portraits

Dress from Chicwish // Photo by Karya Schanilec Photography 

Dress from Nordstrom  // Photo by Karya Schanilec Photography 

Dress from Chicwish// Photo by Lizzie Harrell Photography

Dress from Chicwish // Photo by Shauna Dullanty

Dress from Most Everything Vintage // Photo by J. Jean Portraits

Kermit the Frog once asked the question, “Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what’s on the other side?” Sadly, I don’t know the answer to that question… but I do know this dress is only $55 at Nordstrom!! For the record, I purchased this dress before the NSale madness began.

It’s no secret I’m always on the hunt for fun prints.  I’ll often go to my favorite online retailers and run a search for the exact print I’m looking for. That’s how I stumbled upon this maxi, I ran a search using the keyword “rainbow” and ta-da! I seriously think if summer were a dress,  it would look a lot like this maxi.

Are there any prints you’re loving this summer?! If so, let me know in the comments section : )

Photos by Karya Schanilec Photography !

My 2017 4th of July look is on repeat and I’m not even mad about it! When friend, photographer and blogger, Lizzie Harrell, suggested we get together to shoot 4th of July inspired looks, I was totally onboard! Instead of buying a new outfit for our shoot, I turned to my closet. Sure I’m always acquiring “new inventory” but I love recycling old favorites.  My annual 4th of July outfits tend to be a mix of patriotic and nautical. Since red, white and blue are a few of my favorite summer colors, I already had a variety of pieces in my closet to create this look!

If you’re still looking for the perfect outfit to wear to a backyard BBQ or firework display, turn to your closet. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Thank you to Lizzie Harrell for partnering with me on this post! Be sure to check out her blog The Thrill of the Thrift and follow her on Instagram for daily outfit inspiration that won’t break the bank!

If there’s one spring to summer trend I’m still loving, it’s the basket bag. Most of the handbags you’ll see me carrying are true vintage, but there are so many vintage inspired handbags out there right now.

One of the things I love most about vintage, is the fact that the pieces I find are unique and one of a kind. If you don’t have access to a great vintage shop,  I’ve linked a few on-trend bags (with vintage vibes) that are sure to go with almost everything in your spring/summer wardrobe.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

Photo by  Sarah Wolfe

If I’m not wearing authentic vintage, I’m wearing modern pieces with retro vibes. So many of my vintage inspired dresses are from Chicwish.  They’ve been my go-to for classic silhouettes and unique prints for quite some time now.  When adding new items to my wardrobe, I always gravitate towards pieces with longevity.  Whoever said “trends come and go but classic is forever,” couldn’t have been more right.

I’ve linked this dress in navy, but it’s also available in pink!

Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone!

Thank you to Seattle based photographer, Sarah Wolfe, for the amazing photos! Check out more of her work here!

I stumbled upon Most Everything Vintage in early January. I was scheduled to meet up with Harriet Anati (owner of Tulle on Lace), at Compass Coffee in Vancouver, WA, to discuss featuring her on my blog in February.  Since Harriet was running fashionably late,  I decided to stand outside and wait for her.  I was pacing back and forth, when the display in a nearby storefront window caught my eye. I have to describe what happened next like this…Do you remember the opening credits of A Christmas Story, when Ralphie and his friends are glued to the Higbee’s department store window? That was seriously me, until Alisa invited me inside.

Upon entering Most Everything Vintage, I found it difficult to contain my excitement and wonder. I knew immediately I’d stumbled upon something special. I’d finally found the vintage boutique of my dreams!! Until I found Most Everything Vintage ,  I didn’t think a boutique filled with items from my favorite eras in history existed. It was a lot for me process!

Over the next few months, trips to Most Everything Vintage became part of my weekend routine. It’s still hard for me to wrap my head around owning pieces of fashion history. I can’t count how many times I’ve said a piece “belongs in the Costume Institute at the MET ” before purchasing it and taking it home.

This month I’m so excited to introduce you to the owner of my favorite vintage boutique, Alisa Powell Tetreault! I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed getting to know her over the past few months.  I always look forward to our conversations about new pieces she’s found, garments she’s enhancing or projects she has planned in the months to come. Her passion for her business and vintage is truly inspiring.

Tells us about yourself

I grew up in the small town of Scappoose,Oregon, with my parents and three brothers. The best way to describe my parents is to say my mother is a combination of Martha Stewart and Laura Ingles and my father is McGyver. My father was an architect by trade.  He built our house, barns and tree houses. We lived on three and a half acres, raised our own animals and grew our own fruits and vegetables. My mother was a nurse but when she wasn’t working she cooked everything from scratch, painted and sewed. My mother was an amazing seamstress, she sewed all of our clothes growing up.  We spent much of my childhood years in fabric stores looking in pattern books and finding the perfect fabrics. My mother always said that your fingers will tell you of good quality fabrics. This is a skill I still use today when searching for and buying  garments for our vintage shop.

What inspires you?
When it comes to clothing, I am more of a remodeler. I allow the garment to speak to me in hopes that what I do honors the person who created it along with the one who wore it. Every piece has a story to tell and I love that I get to be a part of that story. Maybe I get a little too sentimental about it but the joy I feel when a client comes out of a dressing room with the look of pure joy on their face makes me so happy. When someone loves how they look, they stand taller, smile more and carry themselves with a new confidence. Specialty pieces are so much fun for me to make. When making head pieces it is usually the jewelry piece that inspires the creation. One of my goals is to throw as little away as possible and recycle what I can. I take pants that are too short and turn them into knickerbockers and then the leftovers become bow ties for gentleman and doggies. Every once in a while we get a wool or Pendleton shirt in that is unwearable so I turn it into santa hats or bow ties. When it comes to everything else in the shop, we have taken on the idea that our shop is ‘An adoption agency for things’ as we wait for the right person to come in and give a vintage item a new chapter in life. We work hard to wash, mend, clean, polish and present each piece. I am a lover of classic t.v. and movies. The fashion, especially 30’s and 40’s is stunning. Everything was tailored to fit perfectly. Consumerism hadn’t hit yet. People had fewer clothing pieces and accessories but what they had was made of quality goods, made to fit and made to last. What a different world we live in now where most items are created to be disposed of and replaced. The pride factor, both of the buyer and maker, is very rare to find. And when it comes to designing for our local Couve Couture Fashion Show, it usually takes one garment that inspires a whole collection. I have been dreaming up my next collection to go down the runway April ’19 for over 7 years. As my husband goes on tour with his band this May, I will have three weeks to start creating. So excited to start playing with pieces!

What inspired you to own your business and open Most Everything Vintage?

The realization of “why am I continuing to do for others when I know what I can do for myself.” I chose to take my knowledge of management and marketing to create a business for myself. In October of 2010 we began looking for business spaces in downtown Vancouver, at this time the market still hadn’t recovered and there were lots of empty spots to choose from. We were either going to open a Bistro or Vintage and Antique shop. Since we couldn’t afford the start-up costs for a bistro – vintage shop it was!

You’re a very busy lady! I can’t fully list everything you do…but between running your shop, buying inventory and scheduling/ planning photo shoots. How do you find time for yourself?
This is where I fail miserably! I love what I do but my business can run my life. I need to find some balance and hoping that I can concentrate more on that this year. I am so determined to be the best Vintage Boutique in SW Washington and even compete with the best in Portland. This determination pushes me from morning to night. From ironing, sewing, social media posting, shop displays to bookkeeping, marketing and the list goes on. Thankfully I have a loving and understanding husband of 24 years. He is busy as well pushing forward with his band and recording/producing life. I’m always thankful when we can go out treasure hunting together. It’s fun to go out and shop but it’s  a lot of work getting the items ready for the shop. As I type this I am about to put another load of laundry in from our buying trip yesterday. When we first opened the business, Facebook was an incredible resource to build a business. So different today. Social media changes constantly on how it works and who can see what you are posting. Viewers are also changing. I have just a few seconds to catch someone’s eye in hopes they like what have to offer. Attention and loyalty has changed over the years as well as society doing more and more of their buying on-line. I have always felt that vintage is very personal. It needs to be touched and tried on to make sure it is just ‘perfect.’ Hopefully this thought will continue through the years.

What tip would you give to other females who hope to own their own business one day?
If you have passion for what you do and the product or service you offer, you can be successful. It is very hard work but if you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work. Make sure you have a good business plan and are prepared to spend the next 5 years giving it all you have. Make sure that those around you understand this as well.

If you could spend the day with one female who made history, who would she be and why? What questions would you have for her?
This is a tough question but since I am surrounded by classic fashion I would have to say Coco Chanel. When it comes to fashion designers before mass production and imported clothing, there were few female designers. I would ask her what it was like to be a female designer in a profession that was held by men. What ‘little black dress’ was her favorite.
How did she find balance in her world of building her name/brand, creating and having a life outside of that.

Thank you to Alisa for being the AGNF Fierce Female of the Month! I’m so thankful to have found you and your boutique!

Be sure to follow Alisa and Most Everything Vintage on Instagram @mosteverything  and stop by her website to learn about fashion through the ages!

Thank you to Lizzie Harrell Photography for the stunning photos!! I can’t thank you enough for your support.

Two years ago my fiancé and I traveled to Rome and Florence. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we weren’t able to make it to Northern Italy. Despite going to Paris last March, Venice remained at the top of our “future travels” list. This year when it came time to pick our international travel destination, we toyed with the idea of returning to London, but ultimately Venice seemed like the right choice considering we’d never been.

I have to say, I never thought I would be able to love a city as much as Paris but I didn’t want to leave Venice! The minute you begin exploring, you feel as if you’ve been transported back in time to the Renaissance. Venice is so well preserved it’s amazing . Colorful masks, leather goods and glass decorations fill store front windows. Occasionally you’ll even hear church bells ringing in the bell towers. Can you see the picture I’m painting? All of the residents on the island were extremely friendly and they didn’t appear to think less of us for only knowing 5 words in Italian. Truth be told, all Venetians we encountered spoke English.

We stayed at the Hotel Santa Chiara, a four star hotel conveniently located by transit to and from Marco Polo Airport. When choosing a hotel, easy access to transportation is incredibly important to us. Even though the hotel was further away from tourist attractions such as Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge, the landmarks were still within walking distance. If you ever realize you’ve wandered too far when it comes time to return to the hotel, you can take the appropriate water bus to the Ple. Roma stop as it’s just a stone throw away from the Hotel Santa Chiara. Since there are no cars or bikes on the island, traveling by boat or on foot are really your only options.

If you’re looking for things to do in Venice, here are a few ideas:

Visit Piazza San Marco, there are several things to do there. You can take the lift to the top of the San Marco Campanile for an amazing 360 degree view of the city or visit Basilica di San Marco to see the gold plated dome ceilings and intricate mosaics. Before leaving the basilica, be sure to visit the museum upstairs, it’s easy to miss. The museum houses four copper horses gifted to the city of Venice from Constantinople. No one really knows how old the majestic horses are, but recent studies indicate they may be 2000 years old, maybe even older. Additionally, you can tour the Doges Palace and prison. The palace housed the government officials of the day and is still home to one of the largest rooms in Europe.

Try to schedule a day trip to a nearby city. When we we were staying in London we took the train to Paris, when staying in Rome we took the train to Florence. This time we took the train from Venice to Milan, to see the Duomo and Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. Europe’s high speed bullet trains make day trips elsewhere extremely doable. A train ride from Venice to Rome is only about 3.5 hours one way.

Get lost. Honestly you should be prepared to get lost anyway. Venice is a maze of narrow cobblestone streets and bridges. Following a canal frequently leads to a dead end and your forced to retrace your steps only to forget the way you came. The fact that the streets have no real names, creates another  challenge. Looking for signs on buildings pointing to well know bridges or piazzas is definitely helpful.

Visit the islands of Burano and Murano. Just a ferry ride away from Venice, is the island of Burano. Burano is known for its colorful houses and handmade lace. The island of Murano is primarily know for its skilled glass blowers and various products made of glass. Our trip to the islands took up the majority of the day, so if they’re something you want to see, set aside an entire day for exploration.

Ride a gondola! Sure it’s a stereotypical tourist thing to do, but how often are you really going to do it? 80 euros will get you a 30 minute canal tour, 120 euros will get you 45 minutes. Realistically, if your ride begins at a different spot each time, you’re guaranteed to see different sites. Incentive for me to return to Venice and do it again? Most definitely!

Relax and most of all, enjoy your meals in Venice. Your waiters expect you to order drinks, appetizers, main courses and desserts. As you’re walking around the island, you’ll notice tourists and locals alike sitting at cafes enjoying a cappuccino or (my personal favorite) an Aperol Spritz. In Venice (and Rome) it’s completely acceptable to take up a table for hours. The waiters won’t even bring you your check, you have to ask for it when you’re ready to leave.

Ok, so I’m no Rick Steves, but I hope you enjoyed my travel guide to Venice! If you have any questions or if I forgot to mention one of your favorite attractions, let me know in the comments! Also, I’m so sorry it took me so long to get this post up!

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you’re all having a fabulous week! Mine has been interesting to say the least… I won’t bore you with the details that include British Airways loosing one of my bags.

Anyway….

Not long after arriving at our hotel in Venice, I realized I forgot to pack my mascara. Forgetting to pack it actually turned out to be the best thing I could have done, because it led me to Kiko Milano Cosmetics  (a store we just happened to pass on the way to Piazza San Marco).

At first glance I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into…I honestly wasn’t looking to spend a fortune on mascara since I already had multiple options at home, including a complementary Smash Box mascara I received from Influenter for testing purposes. Upon spotting the mascara in Kiko Milano, I made a beeline over to it. Would you believe it was under 4 euros?! Had I really stumbled upon MAC-esque makeup boutique, without the MAC prices?? Indeed I had!

Immediately after applying the mascara, I knew I’d be returning to Kiko to stock up before heading home. Needless to say, that’s exactly what happened!

My Venice travel guide will be on the blog soon, in the meantime you can enjoy some guilt free cosmetic shopping 🙂

***Kiko Milano offers free standard shipping (to the U.S.) on orders over $15! ****

Kohl eye pencil//  volume and curl enhancing mascara// matte pressed blush duo // intense color blush// eye shadow palette with four shades // fast dry nail polish // sharpener // loving this lipstick palette //