Above The Woods

This brown dress has been such a reliable piece in both autumn and winter for me over the last few years. I need to make another in black, these sleeves are just too fun to wear and I don't have a black wool dress in my wardrobe for some absurd reason!

This time I paired the cozy woolen dress with coordinating brown "crocodile" accessories, having recently snatched up this handbag on Etsy for just $12 to wear with my much loved pumps from Remix Vintage Shoes. A matching belt, also found on Etsy a few years back, and some antique brass toned jewelry finished the ensemble. I pulled the brassy yellow to add golden tan gloves too for the chillier elevations.

These photos were shot in Estes Park Colorado and my traveling companion (my mom) and I hiked up a little hill to some odd "ruins" to try and snap some photos after lunch as a local restaurant. It was too nice a day for photography really, I prefer some cloud cover! Then it was time for a jaunt into the very quaint and super local...Starbucks...for some fuel to continue on our way to driving the scenic Peak to Peak highway. We usually drive Guanella pass this time of year, and I have to say, Guanella is a much better drive! More places to stop (for outfit photo shoots, what? Isn't that why everyone else goes to the mountains?) with golden aspens and epic waterfalls, and a nice above-the-tree-line tundra summit. One never knows if another route may be better until they try it I suppose, but I hope to me back to Guanella next year :)

I hope you're all well as fall is now in full swing. I've been having a bit of a rough one so far, finding I am over scheduling and over working myself as usual, but with some new added stressors too that certainly aren't helping! I even tried the much publicized remedy here in Colorado, CBD oil, to try and help me get to sleep easier but found it didn't work for me. Hopefully once I'm done building my new backdrop set for YouTube I'll be able to find a few days to relax.

Happy pumpkin season!

Dress: Made by me

Shoes: Remix Vintage Shoes

Handbag, Belt, & Brooch: Vintage

Gloves: Vintage (gift)

Earrings: I make them, get some here if you'd like :)

The Kirkland Museum's New Home

If you love 20th century decorative arts, there is one museum here in Denver that just cannot be missed. The Kirkland Museum of Decorative Arts is now just across the street from the Denver Art Museum. They literally moved it, the building itself. Wait, what?

The museum is based around the former studio of Denver artist Vance Kirkland, and his studio indeed used to be several blocks away from where it is now. They lifted the building from it's foundation and wheeled it down to a new location! Now that is dedication. The new location next to Denver's other major art museums does make sense for visitor traffic, but what an undertaking?! Since the museum had been closed for a few year for the move and renovations, my mom and I recently decided to finally stop into downtown to check out the Kirkland's new space.

Luckily the new digs mean the large collection is allowed to breath a bit more and the extra space certainly makes it easier to study the thousands of gorgeous examples of antique and vintage design. Ranging from Art Nouveau to 1960's Mod, the collection ticks all of the boxes for a muti era loving vintage gal like me. 1920's glassware? 1950's furniture? Frank Lloyd Wright anything??? Yes please.

And the Denver Art Museum just so happened to have a midcentury modern exhibition on as well! It all made for a lovely day out, I highly recommend it :)

I wore my green print cotton sateen dress for the day of museum visits. The yellow facade of the new museum building is quite striking no?

Dress: Made by me
Shoes: Royal Vintage
Handbag, Belt, & Jewelry: Vintage
Sunglasses: TJ Maxx 

Modern Geometry

The Denver Art Museum has two main buildings and each is done in a completely different style. The modern crystal-ish shaped titanium plate covered building pictured here is the Hamilton building which was added to the museum in 2006. It's just as angular inside which can lead to curators having to be extra creative with how to display artwork in such unique spaces. I am rather attached to the museum after my short internship spent working there over the summer of 2014. I am predisposed to like art museums anyway, I am a huge fan of almost all museums! 

I wore this black dress and fun rainbow ribbon hat when I visited the museum for their current big exhibition Star Wars and the Power of Costume. You may remember this hat as I documented how I made it here on the blog :) It was super fun to wear it at the art museum as people there were obviously interested in art to begin with so I got a few compliments on my hat which I'm not really used to. Out here in the suburbs people tend to just stare confused instead! The shoes I have on here are my latest indulgence from Royal Vintage Shoes. Called Lana, this style come in three colors and I finally caved when the black came in! They are quite comfortable like all of my Chelsea Crew shoes from Royal Vintage have been. I'm really pleased with these, and I got them for a steal using my royal rewards points which was even better!

I'm in the thick of our busiest season now at work as we enter the holiday rush. Working some extra hours may leave less time for sewing, but it does mean I can hopefully save up for some travels next year so it will be worth it in the end! I hope you all have had a great first day of December <3

Dress: Made by me
Shoes: Lana Chelsea Crew (Royal Vintage Shoes)
Tights: Hanes (Amazon)
Handbag, Gloves & Jewelry: Vintage
Hat: Made by me

Nippon Red

It all started a few weeks ago when my brother dragged me to a local showing of a Japanese film based on our favorite anime from our childhood. I am not a particular anime fan, mostly because I haven't had time to sit and watch much, but Rurouni Kenshin is an exception. My brother was right to convince me to go, I ended up loving (understatement!) the live action adaptation and have already booked tickets for the screening of the second film! Then of course I re-watched the original anime, and the most excellent OVA (original video animation) called Trust & Betrayal. I went a bit crazy for Rurouni Kenshin. Am I an adult? Nope ;)

I'll note that the story takes place just after the Meiji restoration in late 1870's Japan, which means the film is full of traditional Japanese clothing and architecture from that time. Talk about a rekindling of my love affair with Japanese design, I've fallen head over heels all over again! I was already working on this 1930's inspired red linen/rayon blend wrap dress and I knew I just had to shoot it in Denver Botanic's Japanese gardens. I paired the dress with a new-to-me vintage parasol and a Japan Airlines souvenir hand fan. I'm not sure what the fan says on the front, probably have a nice flight ;) I have always loved parasols but only ever owned one...which I have now remedied in my Japan fever as I've added three more to my collection! Opps. I love the transparency of the one I'm carrying here, and the shine of the finish. I think if I ever make it to Japan I'll go nuts buying all the touristy parasols and fans <3

You may notice that I've trimmed my bob again and dyed my hair back to it's more usual darker shade. I rarely wear my hair straight here on the blog, and it isn't really short enough to qualify as a true 30's bob for this ensemble, but it will do! I wear my hair like this to work during the week all the time as it is quicker to straighten it than curl it most mornings. I finished the outfit with more new Japanese goodies; my new Amita damascene brooch and earrings. I just love that the brooch is a maple leaf as my dad is a huge fan of Japanese maple trees and we have many in our back garden. The best part of his love for these trees is that the largest prettiest tree is just outside my sewing room window and I get to enjoy the way light plays on its leaves as they shimmer in the wind. Perfection indeed.

Have any of you ever seen Rurouni Kenshin? Anyone as crazy for Japanese design as I am right now? I am already doing mental gymnastics to figure out how I could possibly afford a trip to Japan next year...

Dress: Made by me
Shoes: Urban Outfitters (very old, painted gold by me)
Tights: Amazon
Jewelry, Clutch, Parasol & Hand Fan: Vintage