Streetfair!

Love the Eastown Streetfair. I've worked it for the past 4 years and love the chance to mingle and enjoy the cool and the crazy that is Eastown. It was surprisingly hard to settle on shots for this blog b/c many tend to be a little over the top (in keeping with the atmosphere!) Susie caught my eye because of she looks so well put together and is sporting a classic Betty Bag from Mother Punker. I don't mind saying, "Mother" is one of my muses, largely because of her attention to detail. If you are a fan of her stuff, you know exactly what I mean!


I adored Molly. She looks so cute that I'm posting two pictures of her. Her owl print dress (with pockets), green coat and ankle boots are merely the fabulous frame for her lively confidence!

tried and true

My eldest has been chastising me for not making more entries to this blog. I must admit to being a little shy of approaching people to ask if I can take their picture. I mustered the courage this past Sunday at the Allegan Antique Fair.

The fair is held the last Sunday of the month, April through September. It’s a treasure trove for those with a taste for something “tried and true” or perhaps just a little unusual. The event is held at the Allegan County Fairgrounds and the outdoor booths sit in the shade of huge oak trees, making the visit more pleasant on hot days. Our family regularly hits this fair in the summer and any furniture that means something in our home, generally comes from here. Some of my favorite finds include a large framed panoramic print of Mount Fuji given as a wedding gift in 1931, a Mission style rocker, and Deauville pattern teaspoons from 1929. Warning: not everything at the fair is antique, but you are bound to find items that make you smile with nostalgia.


What to wear on a hot day while hunting through the diverse and abundant offerings? Cool sundresses, a good hat, and comfortable (but cute) sandals are all good choices. Christie and Mairi (below) are awesome and have made some chic and comfortable choices. They have also clearly made some finds of their own.


Sofia is divine; love her sundress, rocking sandals and bracelet.

After I was done taking pictures, my eldest commented, “was that so hard?” No, no it wasn’t, all I needed was a little push from an 11-year-old.

what fire has wrought

Out-of-town visitors prompted a trip to Meijer Gardens to see the Chihuly exhibit. I've always been fascinated by art that uses glass or ceramic as a medium, perhaps a holdover from having worked on volcanoes. I like things born of fire or tempered by fire. When I look at glass work, I get lost and imagine I can see whole worlds and galaxies in the swirls of color and texture. I am transported. Enjoy the pictures but do yourself a favor; go see it in person and be transported to a beautifully alien world.

sunny summer bazaar

The people who ignored the dire prediction of thunderstorms found themselves pleasantly surprised at Bizarre Bazaar in Eastown this past Saturday. Summer street festivals are a favorite pastime (when the weather cooperates.) I enjoy the mix of familiar and new in the people, the scene, the fashion. The following three ladies all looked fabulous and each had her own take on dressing for summer.

I first spotted Sarah and loved her pretty and fresh look. Can you guess my favorite accessory?

Azizah's lovely dress and red flats were both simple and elegant. She also makes me want to cut my hair short again!

Daphne was sporting one of my favorite combos for summer: black dress with gold accessories (and her aviators, denim, and awesome sandals really kick it up a notch!)

Ahh, summer, I've been waiting so long!

feeling blue

What can I say? She's stunning! This lovely redhead emerged from a sea of black at a black tie event last night. Fabulous vintage blue gown + perfect accessories (love the red toes peaking out) + heaps of confidence = perfection! My favorite look of the night.

mixing it up

Jodi was working at Global Infusion (another gem in our community) when she caught my eye. I was captivated by the combination of her sweet "vintage" top with her tattoos and short punky bangs (her bangs are not very obvious in picture, I'm still learning!) Add the sharp red lips and she's gorgeous!

seeing red

I often regret that I tend to drive more than I walk and today was one of those times. I spotted the most lovely young lady walking down the street in downtown Grand Rapids. She was tall and lithe and wearing the perfect outfit for a day like today: cap-sleeve buttoned cotton shirt and high waist cotton shorts. The best part? Her shirt and shorts were scarlet red. This made her easy to spot and made me deeply regret that I was driving one way in my car and she was walking another!

Since I have no picture for you, I'll simply leave you with a link as my ode to high waist red shorts:

finding treasure

I love rummage sales and flea markets. "One man's treasure..." and sometimes we find real treasure like a vintage panoramic photograph of Mount Fuji or a perfectly supple leather trench. A few years ago, I found a great paper-cutter, the kind with the long, sharp single blade, at a school rummage sale. This year, at the same sale, I ran into Rikka. First of all, I love her name! Having a slightly unusual moniker myself, I always love to discover names I've never hear before. Second, Rikka has the most striking blue eyes. Last and certainly not least, she was working the safari look. Perfect for a beautiful cool spring day.


I did find a few other things (see below.) The most fun was a classic travel alarm. After I wound it up, the kids at the sale were tickled by the ticking sound. They are too young to remember when clocks were not battery operated digital displays!

in like a lamb

Spring: in like a lamb fashion show at Republic. Presented by lamb, smooch, and capelli. A chance to see some lovely people sport some of the latest styles. Enjoy...

saturdays part trois

Jaclyn...her sweet smile says it all, she is a bright spirit.

I ran into Jaclyn at the Farmer's and Artisan's Market, part of GRPL's celebration of Earth Week. She is a wonderful artist who uses recycled material as her medium (check out the bracelets made of vinyl below). Jaclyn has always had this boho/hippie-chic thing going on. She still has it, even when bundled up on crisp Spring day.

saturdays part deux

Another thing I love about Saturdays is they often involve a trip to one of my favorite places in GRR...OK, on Earth: the public library. It has two of my favorite inanimate objects: books and rocks. The marble in the main entrance is spectacular.

I met Lexi, who kindly let me take her picture for this blog. I enjoy her hardware and graphic T. I also like the fact that she could have gone heavy with the eye make-up, but didn't. Mostly, I love the look in her eyes. Like the many books in the library, she has a story.

an ode to saturdays

Saturdays are one of my favorite days of the week. It’s a day when we often run errands that involve the family (getting a particular item for the home that requires consensus…or an outing to the farmer’s market.) Saturdays are also days where we are not too rushed to stop and chat with friends or friendly people that we meet along the way. I love the sense of getting things done but at a pace that allows me to connect with my community and my family.

It’s been busy and somewhat chaotic in my home these days. We are having our living room walls painted (see result at the bottom of this post) and this means I’ve been too busy to post any “observations.” Imagine my delight when I run into Johnny and Shannon while we shopped for a rug to suit the new walls.

I’m further delighted by the fact that Johnny is a research microbiologist. Scientific hipsters are dear to my heart!

farm fresh fashion

Anja and her family run Trillium Haven Farm, well known in GRR for its yummy organic produce. I love Anja's soft draped sweater, ethnic print scarf, and chunky ring (below.) Can we do chic and comfortable in the same look? Yes, yes we can!

rocking it

Last time I saw Leanne, she had long dark hair. I think she's rocking the short blond cut in the same way she's rocking her orange leather clogs. I don't know if she'd agree, but I'd say Leanne's style (and this doesn't just apply to her clothes) is clean and architectural but with a whole lot of edge! I love walking into her home and love, love her style.

step into my closet

Stephanie is the proprietor at my new favorite consignment shop, urban exchange. This is where I headed to get some cool and reasonably priced pieces to wear on my recent trip to L.A. Like her shop, Stephanie's style is quirky and fun, without being over the top. I love her dress and I can totally see it transitioning into summer with a pair of red sandals and a big colorful bag....but that's just me, what would you wear with it?

it feels and looks like spring!

I spotted these two young ladies at Wealthy Street Bakery. I love Kelly's look and it's perfect for what felt like a Spring day in GRR. Makes me want to go out and buy a bright yellow print skirt and turquoise tights!

Rebekah is also bringing it for Spring w/ a soft white shirt and belted sweater (I'm totally belting a sweater next time I wear one.) I'm delighted they were willing to share their sense of style with us!

I didn't get far...next door at Art of the Table, Kate allowed me to drag her outside for a picture. Her bangs caught my eye and I loved the boxy jacket, wide-legged jeans, and salmon pink sweater. What's your favorite look for Spring?

a parting shot

Julian says that he's decided to stop "hating" on cardigans...we're happy he has because this looks great!

inspiration

Spring is approaching in GRR and what better place to get inspired for spring than the gardens of the Getty Museum. Color, texture, form...I soaked it all in!

julian

Julian is a student in L.A. and my little brother. It's been fun to watch his style evolve over the years. I love how he plays w/ color these days. Note the candy-colored hoodie and belt and his sky blue high-tops!

a short break

I'm in L.A. this week, warming my bones. One of the things I love about traveling is that it allows me to look at things back home with a different "eye." When I return, I bring new ideas and energy back with me. Yesterday, I took a walk around Venice Beach. All the color and flavor still exists there but my eye wandered a little away from the human canvases to the side alleys.



I saw this fence and loved the Zen feel of it. How do I do something similar in Grand Rapids? I don't think metal and bamboo are options! Maybe potted bamboo? I'm open to suggestions.

That evening involved shopping along the 3rd Street Promenade. My guides for that evening were Julian and Bill. Two young men with their own sense of style.

Julian

Bill