jeanofalltrades

July 25, 2011 · 12:02 am

Mad Art Homes Take over Seattle

Run, don’t walk, to the Mad Art Homes in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood! Until August 7, 2011, five soon-to-be demolished homes are works of art. Several artists were given access to the interior and exterior of the homes and have created installation pieces in, on, and in between them. Here’s a small sampling of the photos I took of the exhibit:

Sculptures adorn the lawns of the homes

The homes are wrapped in art

A mechanical wolf pops out of the floorboards at regular intervals

Paintings on globes appear whole when viewed on the monitor

Clothing lines the surfaces of the rooms in this house

This free, art exhibit is open to the public every day between 12 and 7. You can find them at 711 Bellevue Avenue East, Seattle, WA. It’s vibrant a residential neighborhood, made even more so for the next two weeks.

They might not be fit for inhabitation, but the homes have become a perfect canvas/gallery for art.

Upcycled Sari and Repurposed Wedding Jewelry

My friend Karthik recently attended a wedding vow renewal wearing fabulous upcycled items, including some of her own wedding jewelry. I love the story behind each piece and how they’re all so ingeniously reused, so I’m sharing it with you. Karthik’s vintage dress was originally a South Indian silk sari that was turned into a great cocktail dress. She found it at a Seattle vintage shop.

Vintage dress: Red Light Vintage
Vegan clutch: DSW
Vegan shoes: Bandolino
Earrings: Sukra
Right-hand bangles: Vintage family heirlooms
Left-hand bangles: Repurposed vintage family heirloom
Ring: Repurposed vintage family heirloom

Karthik accessorized with fantastic pieces. See the ring on her right hand? The ruby was originally part of a long necklace that belonged to her great great grandmother. Karthik’s family worked with a jeweler to have the pendant removed and remade into a ring. They added a new pendant to the necklace and had it made into a choker. Karthik wore the choker, ring, and earrings at her own wedding this past winter. Her look then was much more traditional and elaborate, but she shows how even the most formal pieces can be dressed up and down.

The vintage necklace had other rubies too, and they were removed and turned into a watch band. Later, Karthik had the watch band converted into a bracelet. She wore the bracelet at her wedding and also at her friend’s ceremony.

Karthik proves you can be eco-friendly in vintage, honor your heritage, and stay true to your values (in this case, animal-free accessories)—all while looking great! Thanks, Karthik, for sharing your story.

8 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Street Style

Tagged as dress, fashion, jewelry, ruby, style, upcycling, vegan, vintage

July 23, 2011 · 6:19 am

Shadow Shot: Dog Days

I’m getting artsy on you again. It’s time for another Shadow Shot post. Don’t forget to check out all the others over at Hey Harriet.

Before you chide me for featuring pet pictures, hear me out: Over the years, I’ve been intrigued by the shadows my dog casts. I love how his shadows distort him and make him seem like a little monster. Here are a few of my favorites:

The sandy shot was taken at Cannon Beach in Oregon. The glass bridge crosses the Sacramento River in Redding, California.

Not only is Frankie my muse, assistant, and subject, he’s also an artist in his own right. Have a look at the photos he “took” recently.

7 Comments

Filed under Art, Photography

Tagged as art, dog, shadow shot sunday, shadows, style

July 22, 2011 · 6:39 am

Duck, Duck, Horse: Visiting the Ford Mustang Show

Last weekend I wandered through the 31st Annual Mustang Roundup and All-Ford Picnic hosted by Mustangs Northwest. All the rain in the world can’t stop American Muscle. In addition to Mustangs, I saw Mavericks, Rancheros, and even a few Panteras. Such great style!

I used the day to road test my new Lucky Duck t-shirt. I designed the logo for Lucky’s blog and Shannon worked with Cafepress to add the image onto shirts. She generously gave me one. Thanks Shannon!

T-shirt: Lucky Duck via Cafepress
Pants: Dickies
Shoes: Champion

Speaking of logos, Ford has a lot of great designs. Many of the participants at the show customized their cars and originality abounded. I think the rain (and raindrops add to the shots).

3 Comments

Filed under General

Tagged as car show, lucky duck, mustang, orange pants, style

July 21, 2011 · 6:06 am

Thrifty Thursday: Dinner and Drinks

I put together an outfit for “fancy drinks” and I realized on the way home that I spent more on my food and beverages than I did on my entire outfit. No, the restaurant wasn’t that expensive. This was a testament to being thrifty. I went to Black Bottle with my friends Angie and Suzanne. The space is noisy and eclectic and anything goes. There were groups of friends, couples on first dates, and the cutest pair ever: two still-in-love octogenarians, out for a romantic dinner. I hope I’m that lucky in 40 or 50 years.

Jacket: Bebe via Goodwill ($8)
Dress: Richard Chai for Target ($44)
Scarf: Thrifted ($2)
Clutch: Gifted ($0)
Shoes: Nine West via thrifted ($8)
Bracelet: Premier Designs ($35)
Earrings: Stella & Dot ($14)

The jewelry puts me over $100, but when I was thinking of the price of the food and the price of the outfit, I didn’t factor in the baubles. Minus the bling, this get-up comes to $62. That’s about how much I ate and drank. And it was money well spent. The family-style spicy veggies, flatbread, and bubbly went really well with good company.

5 Comments

Filed under Fashion, Thrifty

Tagged as Bebe, black bottle, fashion, Nine West, Richard Chai, Seattle, style, thrifty fashion

July 19, 2011 · 7:58 pm

Wedgwood Art Festival

Nothing says summer like an art festival. Practically every weekend all summer long different Seattle neighborhoods hold festivals where people gather to eat, drink, listen to music, enjoy the weather, and of course, shop.

My friend Lynn is a volunteer coordinator for the Wedgwood Art Festival, and encouraged me to sign up for a shift as a photographer. I was excited to be an officially sanctioned picture-taker for the day and ended up capturing about 125 photos. Here are a few of my favorites:

Lynn was also a vendor at the festival. Here are her soy candle B-lights. They’re tiny candles in wine cap lids.

The weather was perfect, and as I wandered around the festival, I ended up buying a few things. At Laughing Girl Arts I found an adorable ring. You’ll see it in a future outfit post. Here’s a sample of what her booth had to offer:

I bought a scarf from Tasha’s Accessories. There were so many beautiful, soft fabrics that is was hard to decide (I chose the giraffe print).

I was intrigued by the recycled metal sculptures at this booth, and suddenly wished I had a yard to put one in:

In addition to these booths, there was handblown glass, photography, quilts, dolls, watercolor, pastels, gift cards, woodwork, and so much more. Kids had their faces painted, I had a delicious vegan quesadilla, and I listened to music and wandered around in the sun. I met the author of The Lost Sea Cat, a children’s book, and I petted many a dog.

Check out the Festival website and don’t forget to like them on Facebook.

I’ll be heading off to more art fairs this summer. Do you have plans to visit some as well? What’s the best score you’ve found at a street fair?

2 Comments

Filed under Art, Crafts

Tagged as art, craft fair, crafts, decor, style

July 18, 2011 · 6:29 am

Another Grundahl

Several times now, I’ve mentioned a “Seattle boutique” that “recently closed” because “the owner retired.” The shop was Synopsis 206 in the Pioneer Square neighborhood and I miss it.

Almost every time I publish a post that features an original piece by a designer, I start by mentioning the boutique. Well, if you’ve been adding it up, yes, I made off with quite a haul. I bought six skirts, a dress and a pullover. The cost of all of the items would have been over $3000 but everything was 70% off the lowest ticketed price.

Here’s the Ivan Grundahl skirt I bought that delightful and pricy day.

Shirt: Old Navy
Pleather jacket: JC Penney
Faux leather boots: Liz & Co.
Clutch: Coach via thrifted
Necklace: Premier Designs

This seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to “stock up” (so to speak) and acquire my first pieces by Neodandi, Cop Copine, Selma Karaca, and Ivan Grundal. I’m not a slave to brands, but I’m not going to turn down original, quality pieces either. I have one more Grundahl that I bought long after that spending spree. I wrote about the coat in another post.

I find it funny how I’ll wear a $5 shirt with a $450 skirt (even if I didn’t pay that for it). Do you mix high and low-end items too?

5 Comments

Filed under Fashion

Tagged as fashion, Ivan Grundahl, style

July 16, 2011 · 3:44 pm

Shadow Shot: Trellises and Walkways

I’m starting to participate in Shadow Shot Sunday, a photography challenge over at Hey Harriet. I might call mine Shadow Show Saturday because I’m in Seattle on PST and I’m 15 hours behind Australia! If I wait until Sunday, It’ll be Monday everywhere else in the world.

This is an art-related post (I am, after all Jean of all Trades). You’ll see some fashion shots here, but most won’t be. All the pictures I post for this challenge will show the interplay between light and shadow (that definitely fits my style blog theme). I really enjoy shooting shadows, and have a few in my bag already. Let me know what you think. Here’s the first set:

I shot these over the past couple of years. The first is most recent. It’s the trellis at Gilman Village, a quaint, olde timey shopping area in Issaquah, Washington. The second is the bridge that joins two department stores and saves shoppers from having to brave te elements. It’s in Portland, Oregon. Finally, the Seattle Arboretum. It’s another trellis, and the shadows it created captivated me.

6 Comments

Filed under Art, Photography

Tagged as art, shadow shot sunday, shadows, style, trellis

July 15, 2011 · 8:34 am

DIY Maxi Skirt

Pretty Shiny Sparkly put out another Bloggers do it Better challenge. Each challenge showcases real women rocking a current trend. Last time, I tried neon and neutral. This time, the assignment is to style a maxi skirt.

I have a few maxi skirts in my closet, but I also have a photo of a Vivienne Westwood skirt that I’ve been lusting after and meaning to replicate. So last night, coming off a migraine that kept me from work, I pulled out the fabric I’d purchased months ago. There’s nothing like a 5 hour nap and a deadline to get creative juices flowing.

T-shirt: Old Navy
Scarf: DIY
Skirt: DIY
Belt: Steve Madden
Earrings: Shirazi, Seattle
Sandals: Payless

It’s a three-tiered skirt. I overlapped the panels and left the hems on the outside for a raw, unfinished look. The Vivienne Westwood skirt was olive green, but I have a green maxi skirt so I chose purple and navy. I’ll be able to wear this with bright t-shirts in the summer, and warmer, darker tops in the winter. It’s going to look nice with boots too.

I’m not an experienced seamstress, nor do I use patterns. Fortunately this project only required sewing straight lines. I measured, cut, pinned and sewed. I used a stretch poly blend, which ended up being slippery. I’m considering the “ruching” to be a feature, not a flaw.

If you’re looking to replicate this skirt, cut three panels for the front and three for the back. Sew the panels together lengthwise so you have one long, three-tiered back piece and one long, three-tiered front piece. Give yourself extra width; you can always sew the sides tighter. After you have the front and back sewn together you can sew the sides, flip it right side out, and you’re good to go!

2 Comments

Filed under DIY, Fashion

Tagged as Bloggers do it better, DIY, fashion, maxi skirt, purple, skirt, style

July 14, 2011 · 6:19 am

30 for 30 Recap

Thank you Kendie for the inspiration and challenge! I just completed my second 30 for 30 in 2011. The first was back in February, and was much harder than this one—mainly because I had too many tops, not enough bottoms, and threw too many non-mixable patterns into the mix.

This time, I had three dresses instead of one, meaning one piece could hold its own for a day or two. All of the bottoms (except for the reversible skirt) were solid and neutral and matched every top in the collection.

Weather proved to be the biggest challenge. I had to include outfits for cool temperature and possible heatwaves. We did reach 80 degrees for a day or two here in Seattle, but we didn’t experience the heat wave that the rest of the US seemed to be enduring. Overall, it was fun; however, I do miss my other clothes. I’m going to spend the next month wearing things I haven’t worn in a long time, starting with a pair of cute polka-dotted shorts I bought in Santa Fe.

Here are a few interesting stats about this challenge: