the basics

 

there's pretty much nothing more basic than a white button-down with denim. well maybe a white tee, but you get the idea. it will never go out of style and it's a fool proof option when you just gotta put clothes on your body and get out the door. the brilliance of a basic is that you can change it on a whim with accessories. now it's pretty obvious from the pics what i paired my white shirt and cutoffs with, but it would have been equally as appropriate to wear strappy sandals, a metallic cross body bag, and colorful statement necklace. throw a blazer over it, maybe a leather jacket, wear it with boots. seriously, the options are endless! these are my favorite things to have in my closet; classic, basic items that make getting dressed easy and make accessorizing fun. and in full disclosure, i wear these shorts probably 3 times a week and these loafers about as often. they are workhorses in my wardrobe. i am nothing if not sartorially responsible.

wearing:

thrift shop purchased white shirt originally from old navy

boys levi's cut off by yours truly

vintage choker and loafers

clutch and cuff bracelet given to me by my lovely sister

thrifted sunglasses available in my shop

clyde's rebirth june necklace

gage huntley wrist harness

life lately

august. she's a cruel mistress. while her days are the hottest of the year, there's always the threat of the cold months ahead. to me august is a time of transition, when i feel most reflective. and subsequently most vulnerable. i tend to go into self-preservation mode and take a step back from life so i can get a grip on myself. there's never one big thing that brings on this feeling, but a realization that life is passing me by at an incredible rate and i can't grab hold of it tight enoughit's like my soul has lost it's anchor. but not really because that can never truly happen. that's why i have the tattoo on my forearm, as a daily reminder that in the midst of struggles, i have a hope that sustains me. even as i see my son getting older and i am getting older and i feel like i'm looking winter square in the face....i know it's going to be okay. then when september comes along i mellow out. things fall back into place and i'm grounded once again. plus there's football.

flip flop

 

school is in session, but i'm holding on to summer as long as i can. donning a simple weekend outfit complete with resort-wear style jacket, easy slip-on dress, and my ever present flip flops. 

these past few months have renewed my love for the thonged sandal. there was a time in my life when i couldn't bear to hear the incessant flip-flopping noise they made. this summer, however, i found myself creating outfits around them. like, what can i wear with my flips? these $2 shoes made of rubber and plastic have been my go-to options. i will miss them when the weather gets cooler and i'm forced to wear far more stylish footwear. until then, long live flip flops and long live the jolly roger.

wearing

coogi jacket that i thrifted. pretty rad, no?

thrifted f21 body con dress

vintage gold choker and purse

walmart flips from the boys section

sale! yay!

for all my local peeps, i'm having a big fat sale in the shop! i love sales. i bet you do too.

SoBro

 

i'm recycling outfits again. i originally wore this on saturday in austin. it was kinda the perfect thing to throw on for a super hot south texas afternoon of scoring rad thrift merch. and really, the summer here has been kind of a disappointment. yesterday temps finally made it back into the 90s so i jumped at the chance to wear something easy and that i can sweat in without it looking like i sweat in it. i know gross, but it's also totally true.

i also thought this the perfect opportunity to introduce you to our sobro monster (sobro=south broadway). a friend came over and tagged the wall off our back deck. eventually we'd like to graffiti the whole thing but this is a good start. i dig it.

wearing

vintage running tank

thrifted floral skirt and sandals

clyde's rebirth june necklace

gage huntley stamped necklace and wrist harness

#txsc13 is about learning

photo cred: totally stole it from paige

i'm still reaping the benefits of all that i learned from the ladies up on the txsc stage. not the least of which came by way of the sassy little ginger who's raising her hand in the picture above.

so let me just give you a few more brilliant takeaways....

jentine led our thrift store outing to savers and gave us tips on what to look for. now i am a seasoned thrifter, but i still got some great nuggets that i can then pass along to my customers that shop at amandromeda. about how to spot a quality piece and how to get people excited to buy vintage.

merl (waving in the pic) and janette spoke on purchasing with a purpose. that means not chasing after fast fashion trends at the big chain stores that specialize in cheap and unethical labor, but instead buying second hand and supporting small local businesses and independent designers. that got me thinking about the next phase of my growth as a business owner. i want to collaborate with more designers and introduce more created pieces into my shop. i have a friend here in town who i will partner with to sell some of her one-off pieces that she repurposes from vintage clothing. both of our visions are super similar and it all came together at just the right time. i'm more than a little bit excited about this new venture.

julie talked about work/life balance. some of it was so common sense that i was a bit embarrassed that i hadn't thought of it that way before. like making an editorial calendar to organize blog/social media posts, as well as work and life events. i'm lazy by nature so having everything laid out and scheduled helps keep me motivated. but also, it helps to see it all together so i don't overcommit to one thing. seriously, just that one realization has been so good for me.

and lastly, but not leastly, kendi presented about launching a start-up. i mean, i've had my shop for over 4 years so this thing is already started. but the idea that struck me the hardest was when kendi said that your enthusiasm is the best marketing for your business. that just sent a spark through me. i need to be more excited about this job that i do. when someone walks through my doors they need to know that i love my shop and the pieces that i source myself to fill these racks and shelves. when i tell people that i own a business, they need to hear and feel my excitement. that is the greatest advertisement i could have for my shop. yep, it was kind of a mind-blow moment.

so, all in all, it was a wonderful conference that i am still feeling inspired by. and i really can't wait until next year.

you there

a wee little outfit post kinda recycling a look i wore in austin. see how sartorially responsible i am? surely there's some nobel prize to be won for this.
wearing:
shirt from the gap that i've had for AGES and just recently cut off the sleeves. also has a hole in it
pants courtesy of lulu's from the txsc swap and basically made for me
clutch from my fave local thrift shop
shoes are from there too
choker purchased for 2 dolla bills ya'll at a flea market across from my house
feather necklace via etsy. no idea the seller. sorry
cute little unicorn ring you can't really see from thepapermama given to me at txsc
bracelets from my bff