Wearing handmade for the holidays

Last Friday, my husband and I got dolled up for his annual holiday dinner party.  [I might add that this is our last here in Rhode Island and his last as a resident.]  It's always fun to get dressed up, especially when I typically live in jeans and t-shirts.  I particularly enjoyed this year's outfit as I was able to incorporate several special handmade items.

1. dress by Anne Klein, 2. vintage jacket, 3. hand dyed velvet scarf by Candied Fabrics, 4. shoes by Franco Barbieri, 5. handmade felt flower pin by VaivaNat, 6. handmade seatbelt clutch by a la mode.

The other day, Tara from Scoutie Girl, referenced a post she had written some time ago.  It really resonated with me as I pulled this outfit together.  I couldn't agree more with Tara in that we should never be embarrassed about being frugal and wearing handmade. 

"There’s no need to think of your frugal living, creative lifestyle, or out-of-the-norm sense of style as an indicator of having less money. It’s an indicator of being cool – something to strive for – something others wish they had. You look cool, you are cool, people want to be more like you and less like everyone else." [Excerpt from Tara's post.]

I've always enjoyed wearing something, anything, that makes me stand out a bit.  More often than not, that something has been handmade by either me or a wonderful artisan.  Those very items are always the ones that get noticed and complimented the most! I will always be frugal, shopping for vintage items and sales.  I can't wear 100% handmade every day and I do have my share of Calvin Klein and Fly Londons (most of which I buy at much reduced prices).  But, I do make an effort to wear something handmade just about every day.  And those are the items that make me feel most special.

So here's where Tara's post and my reality converge.  My dinner party was with a room full of doctors and hospital administrators.  My future will be filled with events like these.  Believe me, there is nothing more intimidating than conversing with a bunch of brain surgeons (literally).  All the women were decked in their finest and looked smashing. If ever there was an opportunity to be self conscious, this would be it for me.  But I felt great wearing my mix of handmade, vintage, and reduced price designer labels. 

Wear handmade with confidence!  Mix it up and enjoy the holiday parties!

How I currently define success

photo by zaraki kenpachi

Tara, at Scoutie Girl, asked her contributors and readers to define success this week. I've really enjoyed reading all the posts. Check out my post, Defining Success by Embracing Uncertainty and read the others here. It will get you thinking about success in your life.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Warning: the following post contains blatant horn tooting!

Today's post is all about me (as if this entire blog isn't). I had quite a productive week and want to share.

First, here are some new items at à la mode :

seatbelt tote bag - black and gray medium

hardware necklace - steel movement
see it on my site
see it in my Etsy shop

I tried out my new Flip camcorder for the first time - see video below. I thought it would be fun to show the movement of the necklace above. Clearly I have a lot to learn in the world of digital video recording so don't be too critical of my first attempt. The thought of adding this dimension to my blog is quite appealing to me. Note: I cringe at the very idea that my bra straps are showing, but I'm treating this as a WYSIWYG adventure. Bare with me - pun intended. Also, I decided on a different name for the necklace.

Second, here a few sites that I popped up on this week. When you have a moment, stop by those sites and check them out!

WHATdesigners.com

luvhandmade.com

Lastly, be sure to check out my zoomed local post on Scoutie Girl this week (usually posts later in afternoon). North Carolina was my focus this week.

If you know of great art shows and festivals in your area, please let me know about them. My posts on Scoutie Girl include upcoming shows in different areas, so I'd love to know about any in your neck of the woods!

Have a great weekend!

This week in preview

Starting this Friday I will be an official contributor of Scoutie Girl, an indie designers mecca. My focus will be on a few designers and events, where possible, by city. My own involvement in a great RI local group of artists and events has inspired to me to seek out the same in other areas of the country.

Jan DiCintio is the founder and designer extraordinaire of Scoutie Girl, Daisy Janie, and Daisy Janie blog. Her taste is impeccable and I've followed her for years for inspiration. Better still, she is a great person.

I will also continue to write for Girl Indie (-------->see icon on the right), another wonderful resource for independent designers. I feature finds for women (aka, things I want to buy for myself *wink, wink*).

A quick note about the Peace Providence show yesterday. What a fantastic event! Not only was it for a great cause (bringing awareness to violence against women and girls), but the gathering of women celebrating women was truly a liberating and energizing experience. I was so excited and envious to see moms and daughters bonding as women at this event (I have two boys - we bond in other ways). If you are local, please keep it on your radar for next year. In other cities, please visit Vday.org here for listings of events in your area.

I'm off to work on many orders this week. I'll try to take some photos of my progress this week and post them along the way. Happy Monday!