spring grove blogger date

Often when I read the blogs of lucky girls who live in really big cities I get jealous of their ability to meet up in person with other style bloggers. So lately instead of just being envious, I’ve been chatting more with some of the lovely style bloggers of Cincinnati. I’m dying to organize some sort of big blogger picnic or something with the ladies of Cincy: Kasmira of What I Wore Today, Paige is Midwest Darling, Tamia from Style Sample, Lauren of Paper Gown Fashions, and Molly the Sister in Second-Hand Sequins.

I’ve been hanging with Molly a bunch ever since we ran into each other at my favorite bar a few months ago. We had our first blogger date at Spring Grove Cemetery on Father’s Day. I know you’re probably thinking, ‘They hung out for the first time at a cemetery? How emo.’ Actually when Spring Grove was built in the late 1800s, it was modeled after French parks from that time so it has some beautiful landscape architecture. Not to mention that it encompasses over 700 acres, including 12 ponds and a ton of really incredible Gothic Revival architecture. I remember going there with my mom a lot when I was little to watch the swans, but I actually hadn’t been back since then. We had a great time wandering around even if it was like 1000 degrees. Anyway, here are a few of the pictures we took that day. (The ones with the rounded edges were taken by Molly and her awesome friend Patricia.)

How picturesque is that?!

These cute little bridges were everywhere!

I'm still experimenting with filters...

There must have been thousands of snails in this pond, all along the entire edge.

I wasn't totally happy with my outfit, but I overslept that morning. Also I am so insanely jealous of Molly's hat.

Patricia, conqueror of trees.

Behind the scenes

They were having a horse and carriage drive at Spring Grove that day, so we got to see a little parade of people in their period clothes and carriages!

My favorite cart

How cute is this little mule!

Sorry for so many pictures, but I hope you enjoyed our field trip as much as we did!!

July 6, 2010 | jessy | Tags: , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

twofer

I really hope that everyone’s spring has been going well; mine has been spectacular! Honestly that is probably why I’ve been posting so little lately. I’m glad that things turned themselves around though because the year started off kinda rough.

Since I am behind on my posts, I have quite a backlog of outfits. Now I know what you’re thinking- what does this mean to me, the average blog reader? It means that you get not one but TWO outfits in this one post! I know, it’s an amazing deal. This first outfit is from the Friday of the Kentucky Derby, and I actually completely forgot and still ended up with a very Derby outfit. I just wanted to wear my new hat! I was also really excited that day because while I was getting dressed my fancy new blue shoes arrived! I’ve been on a big kick to buy more brightly colored shoes after being incredibly inspired by Iman of Mishaps & Miracles, she rocks the best head to toe color that I’ve seen in a long time!

I am really happy with my new shoes, I was debating between the ones I got and the Steve Madden version:

As you can see the ruffle down the front is a little more well made, but for $20 less I figured I could deal. Actually when I got them I liked them better than I thought I would. The color was more vivid and they just looked more well made than they did in the picture on the Target website.

WHAT: floppy wool hat, thrift

w.a.s.p. dress, borrowed from maya

green rhinestone ring, gumball machine

double buckle belt, chicken lays an egg

ruffle shoes, target.com

WHERE: work at chicken lays an egg

WHEN: friday, april 30

This second outfit was a little something I threw together to work with the head wrap thing. Haiku Ambulance rocks them so well and since we have the same haircut I wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately this was one of the days that my camera decided it couldn’t focus on things. For some reason it’s been doing that lately and I don’t know why, but please bear with me until I figure it out.

Also, A little shout out to my girl Haiku Ambulance for getting Weardrobe‘s Spotlight this week!

I used a square-ended 1980's necktie for my hair wrap



WHAT: 1980′s skinny neck tie (as a hair wrap), chicken lays an egg

banana republic oxford shirt, thrift

wide belt, chicken lays an egg

checkered skirt, chicken lays an egg

knee socks, target

mary janes, target

round purse, chicken lays an egg

WHERE: running errards and drinks with some friends

WHEN: tuesday, may 3

May 10, 2010 | jessy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

good karma through the roof

Recently a bunch of people in my life have done some incredible things for me, so I feel like I need to be very aware of paying that forward. I don’t know if I have mentioned it before but I am a BIG believer in karma, it’s about the closest thing to a religion that I can get behind wholeheartedly. One of the awesome things is that I have been invited to cover my first event for the blog! As part of Fashion Week they’re having an event to celebrate local fashion illustrator Anne Wainscott, and I am really excited.

More recently, I spent the last ten or so hours doing some hardcore crafting and I have A LOT to show for it. I had a few minutes before I crash, so I wanted to get a post up before the weekend madness really starts. I can’t wait to post the pictures after the Crafty Supermarket!

I just got this cool vintage dress and it’s so breezy I know it will be perfect for a sweltering August day. Unfortunately since I still had massive blisters from the party I had to wear these shoes. I had been hoping to be a bit more adventurous with this dress.

It's so sheer that without a slip this one would be a naked dress.

WHAT: sheer floral dress, chicken lays an egg

brass buckle belt, thrift

fakelite roses, my gramma

slip, chicken lays an egg

bronze sandals, target

WHERE: work at chicken

WHEN: wednesday, march 14

April 16, 2010 | jessy | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments »

spring soiree – part 1

I just got some very exciting news today, ladies and gents. I am very pleased to announce that Chicken Lays An Egg will be participating in Cincinnati Fashion Week! I hadn’t really mentioned Fashion Week before because I couldn’t afford a ticket at $150, and if I couldn’t go it seemed a little pointless. However since they will be using our clothes for one of their shows, we get to go for free! The next few weeks are going to be insane for Chicken Lays An Egg; we will be at the Crafty Supermarket this weekend, Fashion Week next week and we have another event at the Northside Tavern next weekend! Whew, it’s gonna be a whirlwind. On that note, forgive me if I go a few days without posting.

These are some of the gorgeous pictures taken by our lovely photographers, Amy Rudnik and Rachel Elliott from our Spring Sale and Soiree at Chicken Lays An Egg. I am going to put a bunch of them on the Chicken site also, but these are mostly the ones of me. I feel a bit narcissistic putting up this many artsy shots of myself, but I’ve never had pictures like this taken of me.

This is how my photos for my blog are usually taken.

My favorite picture ever. <3


My adorable boy

I just like this one because our mannerisms seem so similar.

It was a blast of a day, we did fantastic business. Unfortunately we bought too many hot dogs, so now whenever anyone comes to our house I try to force them to eat some. Having drunk friends helps with that.

Here’s a good shot of my outfit for the day. I got this dress the day before the party and it was another maxi dress, so I stayed up until 5 am hemming it by hand.

All the white parts on the flowers are fuzzy!

The blister-makers

WHAT: fuzzy floral dress, chicken lays an egg

daisy brooch, thrift

green ring, bubblegum machine

mary janes, target

WHERE: chicken lays an egg’s spring soiree

WHEN: saturday, march 10

April 14, 2010 | jessy | Tags: , , , | No Comments »

long lost outfits

Oy – I had more outfits that I forgot to put up than I thought. I’ve really been in a groove with my outfits, so even though I’m behind on posting I keep having more and more to post! Not that I’m complaining though! I’m also fighting off a little chest cold so old posts are making my day easier.

This first cutie was originally a floor-length dress that I bought from Chicken the first time I went in. I love how tall I looked in it, but maxi dresses read really formal to me so I almost always hem them. I really love the unique straps on it too.

Me when I first got this dress almost three years ago!

A friend came in and sold me these while I was working and I had to put them on right away!

I found this tunic on the Forever 21 website, but before I could buy it they sold out! Luckily when I went to my local store a few weeks ago I found it there. It was long enough when I got it to totally be a mini dress, but I accidentally shrunk it in the wash so now it’s a tights only ensemble. It also gave me the opportunity to finally wear this awesome coral blazer that I’ve had for years but never worn for some reason!

Layers!

<3 this vent

WHAT: leather saddle bag, thrift

polyester blazer, chicken lays an egg

short-sleeve cashmere sweater, thrift

owl necklace, chicken lays an egg

garden party tunic, forever 21

twist ring, thrift

hunter tights, target

white boots, pre to post modern vintage (nashville)

WHERE: mayday for half-price drinks and work at the store

WHEN: monday, march 5

April 13, 2010 | jessy | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

breakfast for dinner!

Apparently I’m really into looking down today. Almost as much as I’m feelin’ these glasses. I wore glasses from 4th grade on, but I lost mine almost 6 years ago and just never got another pair. Contacts enabled me to wear sunglasses for the first time, so I was really diggin’ that for a long time. But Orchid Grey has a really great way of rocking vintage frames, and she’s been inspiring me in that veil lately. Lucky for me, we have a wide variety of awesome frames at the store!

lookin down

side view

warm and toasty

sweet new specs

bourbon

combat ready

WHAT: vintage frames, chicken lays an egg

favorite gray scarf, target

bourbon necklace, homemade

white t, rainbow

floral dress, uo

black cardigan, found in the back of my closet

black tights, dollar store

leather combat boots, thrift

WHERE: work at chicken, grocery shopping, making dinner

WHEN: friday, decemeber 11

After a long day at the shop I came home to this….

complete adorable overload

How could any girl resist that?!

We were both feeling lazy, and who doesn’t love breakfast, so we made breakfast for dinner!

i <3 cooking with gas

Almost there....

breakfast for dinner!

Tah dah! Breakfast for dinner!

December 11, 2009 | jessy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

RETROactive posting- part 3

As stoked as I was when I bought this dress, I didn’t realize how see through it was! Luckily I had a white tank and short slip that worked out OK. I love the detail on this dress too; the little shoulder panels of floral print are probably my fave.

modelin' hard

You can't really see it, but this was the necklace I was wearing.

I didn't buy it until a few hours later so I'm not wearing it in the pictures, but this was the necklace I was wearing most of the day.

fly away!

WHAT: pinwheel button earrings, homemade

awesome 70′s floral dress, chicken lays an egg

teeny tiny pocket watch, chicken lays an egg

blue skinny belt, thrift

double finger bird ring, forever 21

gold bangle, thrift store in toronto (the only souvenir i got that trip)

hot pink tights, h&m

black boots, uo

WHERE: work at chicken and thanksgiving eve at dave & amy’s

WHEN: wednesday, november 25

December 8, 2009 | jessy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

pretty ladies

I thought I’d do a little post about other ladies that I get outfit inspiration from and are generally awesome. Most recently I flipped about the ever-fabulous M.I.A.’s shark attack dress. She just has such great, fun, and funky style. She never takes herself too seriously; and I think that’s a really important quality as a human, not to mention as a fashionista. And she makes fuckin’ awesome music. Total badass.

M.I.A. shark dress!

This isn’t anyone I know, my boy just sent it to me when he happened to run across it. But it’s in the same vein as M.I.A.’s.

*** A reader has since informed me that this is Nicole Linder, and here is her awesome Etsy shop! ***

3D-glasses dress

And what kind of little bloggin’ girl would I be if I didn’t mention the fabulous Audrey Hepburn? I just found out about her and her pet deer recently, and I have to say, I was entranced. She was working on the set of Green Mansions, 1959 with this little guy Pippin, and they apparently just bonded. He lived with her on and off for a year, and went everywhere with her. Another amazing facet of Miss Hepburn.

audrey hepburn and her pet deer

shopping with pip

audrey hepburn with mr famous

Had an easy day today at the store, so I just went for comfort. I started the day in these very cute two-tone mary janes, but after a few hours I had to change. They’re just a little too big. Needless to say, I was pretty stoked that we had just gotten in a pair of low top Chucks! After I closed up I had some fun playing around in the dressing room, which is one of my favorite parts of our store…

pensive collage

ROAR!!

WHAT: orange blossom dress, chicken lays an egg (i shortened it about 18”)

staple gray scarf, target

black patent stretch belt, rainbow

black rose ring, pangaea

black chucks, chicken lays an egg

WHERE: chicken lays an egg

WHEN: wednesday, november 18

collage 1

collage 2

collage 3

collage 4

collage 5

collage 6

collage 7

collage 8

Take it easy!

November 19, 2009 | jessy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

a night on the town, a day with the kids

Last night Maya, Amy, and I went out to Mayday (the former Gypsy Hut) for the cd release party of The Minor Leagues, a really great local Cincinnati band.You can check em out at http://www.minorleaguesmusic.com/

minor leagues

(From left) Patrick Helmes, Josh Combs (I believe), and Hilly Kenkel

Amanda Lee Anderson of http://www.amandalee.org/

Amanda Lee Anderson of http://www.amandalee.org/

the whole gang

the whole gang

We ran all around Northside and had a fantastic little night on the town. Since Chicken Lays An Egg just signed up for a collaborative ad with Mayday, (as well as Sidewinder, Bughouse Video, Melt, and possibly Shake It Records) Maya and I were eager to meet Kim and Vanessa the new owners of Mayday and Sidewinder. They were as sweet and fun as I could have hoped for and I hope to do a lot of business with them in the future. Support your local female small business owners and go check out Mayday, it still has all the things you love about the old Gypsy Hut but better!

Anyway, here’s what I wore; I only wish I had gotten better ones of Amy and Maya’s adorable outfits too.  Sorry for the image quality on some of these!

curtsy

check out the awesome yellow lining!

braclet & belt

best quarter machine ring ever

knee highs & mary janes

WHAT: black t with bubble sleeves, rainbow

orange patent belt, chicken lays an egg

paisley and yellow satin skirt, chicken lays an egg

black and white tablet bracelet, chicken lays an egg

green rhinestone ring, quarter machine

white knee socks, thrift

mustard mary janes, target online

WHERE: mayday and northside tavern

WHEN: saturday november 14

amy

amys shoes

miss maya

knee sock party

It was a completely accidental knee sock party!

And today I have an easy day of hanging with Max and Vivi, the kids I’ve been babysitting for most of their lives, so we’ve got a definite rapport. Not to mention that they really are really well-behaved, fun, and crazy smart. And if I ever planned on having a grown-up house, I’d love to have a gorgeous giant Victorian like theirs.

look at that wraparound porch!

porch

bay window

gold necklace

gold ring

flower print dress belt

white bow flats

WHAT: floral shirtdress, chicken lays an egg

little bow and pearl necklace, gifted from my friend jeni

gold costume ring, my gramma

blue belt, gifted from my friend maya

sam & libby bow flats, thrift

WHERE: babysitting and errands

WHEN: sunday, november 15

little baby lady

pillow cave

tickle time

scary viking

November 15, 2009 | jessy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

did a little shopping

Due to a recent obsession with saddle shoes, I went out on a shopping excursion for (gasp) new clothes, like not from a thrift store! I am completely not opposed to this, I just hardly ever do it because I can’t really afford to (since I am incapable of buying just ONE thing). Anyway, I was surfing other style blogs the other day and saw some very cute modern saddles from Urban. The next day I went into my local UO and luckily they had one pair left in my size! And even better, a fantastic friend who works there helped me out the price which made them a reasonable price.

saddle shoes from urban outfitters

And they look so perfect with my new beautiful ballerina dress from H&M; which by the way I am so glad to have here in the Cincinnasti! I can’t wait to wear this out for Jacob’s birthday.

more like baller -rina

There’s something very perfect to me about pretty dresses and saddles in bed.

saddles sideview

WHAT: pink ballerina dress, h&m

faux pearl tassle necklace, thrift

saddle shoes, urban outfitters ($30!)

WHERE: just around the house playing dress-up

WHEN: monday, october 9

And here’s what I actually wore yesterday. I did a little sale shopping while I was at Urban too, and got this dress.

flower dress

jockey hat

WHAT: black jockey hat, f21 (12!)

blue pinwheel button earrings, homemade!

bronze chain, chicken lays an egg

white t-shirt, rainbow

floral dress (with pockets), urban ($4)

yellow skinny belt, target

purple sheer tights, gabriel brothers

black flats, target

WHERE: work, walking around, and sushi dinner

WHEN: monday, november 9

November 10, 2009 | jessy | Tags: , , , , , , , , | No Comments »