Saturday, July 31, 2010

I'm Too Excited To Sleep

Listening to: "Double Vision" by 3OH!3 Listen!

Maybe it's this terribly infectious pop song that makes me dance all around my room like no one is watching (hopefully, no one is watching), or the fact that I have a huge update in store for this week, or maybe even the fact that I just spent all night cleaning my room and it's too nice to sleep in now...I'm yawning, but I'm contemplating pulling an all-nighter for no reason whatsoever.

I passed my road test today. Yes, I'm a late bloomer when it came to driving, but growing up in New York, it never really seemed all that important. I have driver's license now and can't wait to join the countless masses in increasing the number of near death experiences I have every day. I should be a little more positive about this right? Yes. Driving is good to get where you need to be. And now I can get where I need to be. TA-DA!

Before I took my road test I was wildly nervous and decided that I needed some kind of crafty activity to keep my mind off things. And so I made a lovely flower crown (something of a trend these days) for the photo shoot this week.  I love the colors...they make me think of the transition from summer to fall...
What funny lookin' photos.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

And the Winner Is...

...#4, also known as Chaucee! Congratulations! Woooooo!!
I will be in touch very soon...and then mail out your dress!!

In other news, I made an incredibly successful trip to Savers today, picking up six dresses for the shop! And since I will be able to do my next photo shoot this weekend, it is likely that all of my new items will be hitting the store this coming week!! I'm so excited and have so much to show you!

I will also have so much more time on my hands for the shop, since I just completed my internship in a lab over at UMASS medical...It was a great experience, but I'm kind of glad its over. School is only three weeks away!!

I can't wait!!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Not Much, Not Much

Well, I don't have too much too post right now...Not that nothing is happening; I'm just lazy. Here, I will give you a one sentence re-cap of my week. Worked a lot at the lab and the deli, went to IKEA yesterday (one of my favorite places) to buy some things for the house, got a flat tire on the highway on the way there, got one of the worst migraines of my life, drove fifty on the way home (being careful with the spare tire) and got stopped by cops for driving too slow (cops are terrible).
My dad told me once that a man was suing the New York Police Department because they would not allow him to become a police officer on the basis that he scored too high on an intelligence test. Think about it.

This weekend I'm probably going to take the photos for some of my late summer/fall clothing. I will post these as soon as I can. Also...wish me luck on my road test on Thursday!

So...don't forget to enter the giveaway! Only three days left.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Fancy Dress Parade's One Month Anniversary GIVEAWAY!

Yay!! Aren't GIVEAWAYS just so much fun? This adorable cotton dress has a big chest pocket, a drop-waist skirt, key-hole button closure, and fits a whole range of sizes (B:36", W:35", with stretch) !! It's comfortable and wearable all year round.
To enter, visit the Fancy Dress Parade etsy shop, here, and leave a comment on this blog post about an item you like the best! Also, Don't forget to leave an email address, so I can contact you if you win!! 
Become a follower of the blog and I'll give you an additional entry! 

The winner will be chosen using a random number generator at 10pm (EST) on July 29th, 2010!!
Sorry, this contest is only available to U.S. residents!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Happy Bastille Day and Fancy's One Month Anniversary

Nobody has really said anything about it, so I thought I would...I know that we already had our Independence Day, but it was our independence that encouraged the French, so we might as well celebrate that, too, oui ou non? 
On a more store related note...I just picked up a bunch of new items for the shop today! (It must be Bastille Day luck!) I'm starting to be more autumn-minded...a direct result of too much online shopping, and so I figured, what the hey! I think I will do a massive fall season update at the end of August. But don't worry! There will be many smaller updates along the way!

Not only is today Bastille Day, but it is also the one month anniversary of Fancy Dress Parade! I think I want to commemorate this achievement by doing some kind of giveaway! I'll have to figure it out how to do one...but it will probably be advertised over at The Etsy Register! 
If you haven't heard of it yet, it's the collective blog of some very lovely ladies and vintage sellers.
You can check it out by clicking the link on the side bar or here.
 

Sunday, July 11, 2010

July Wishlist

It seems like all the contemporary stores are gearing up for fall, forcing me to dream about wearing darker colors, tights, jackets, and boots. But with the tightening of my budget, I've also begun thinking about getting pieces that I can wear now (in the hot, sweltering summer) and in the fall/winter with cardigans and tights. Here are some vintage items exclusively off Etsy that I've had my eye on....

1.The perfect white skirt should be a staple for the summer...but I still don't have one yet! This redesigned vintage skirt from Salvage Life is so perfect in its details! It would be an investment, but probably a worthwhile one. Something like this never goes out of style.







2. A cute little green cardigan will brighten up any drab fall, winter, or summer outfit. As soon as I get my next paycheck, I'm gonna snag this one!








3. I would like a pair of shoes just like these...unfortunately these sold before I could get my hands on them. Some call them buckle oxfords, or buckled brogues...They are fantastic!








4. Polka dots are making a comeback ...not that they really ever left, but that they are quite prominent in this fall season. I've always loved polka dots (not as much as stripes, but still) and this mustard colored dress seems great for the summer-fall transition period.







5. The two-in-one dress hasn't always been my favorite, but when it is between wearing this or separates (in a work-type environment), I would chose the dress any day!














6. I really want a cape! I think that this would be a really nice thing to have in the fall...perfect for chilly nights and brisk days.









7. A corduroy dress seems like a good, warm idea for the fall and winter, and while I normally might not buy one...this one really stand out to me because of its awesome dark magenta color!










8. Perhaps a bright floral dress (this particular one, I would hem)  could make it all the way through the fall and winter? In the fall, I can wear a cardigan with it...and once it gets a bit colder, I'll throw on some tights or stockings.  It might just be a nice way to remind people that spring is only a couple months away.








Friday, July 9, 2010

Just the Details...

So, today I attempted to do a model-less photo shoot using a white hanger and a lovely tree. It was a nice sunny day and so the light was pretty good, and overall I think that the results were somewhat successful. Of course I would prefer to use a model to better show the fit of the clothes, but what can you do when all of your friends are busy when you happen to be free? If I ever get the chance to reshoot, I think I will.
I will be updating the shop sometime today with four dresses...three summery light dresses perfect for this summer heat and one very special dress (honestly, if it had fit me, it definitely would not be going into the shop)!
So here are the details:

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Mainly Maine II

So I'm back from my short vacation in Maine....and now it's time to get back to work. I've gotten quite a few inquiries about items while I was away, and I just want to thank those people for their interest (though they probably won't read this)! It makes me believe that I'm doing the right thing and am not wasting my money (hooray!).
Here are some photos I'd like to share from the trip. It was a lot of fun...
On the trip up we stopped at the first rest stop in Maine; while I caressed the lovely green lobster, someone else did something slightly less appropriate.
Our July 4th was crowded and hot, but just as magical as it was last year (at least it wasn't thunder storming). Tons of people flocked to Bar Harbor and covered the shoreline with blankets and lawn chairs...or just sat on the ground or on the rocks of the beach. Perhaps next year, we will watch the show from the water.
 We saw a new kind of firework that we hadn't seen before....It was like a sparkler and a willow tree firework combined. It was great! When we got home, we had some fireworks of our own...
The next day we went to Cadillac Mountain....I've been there what seems like a million times, but it pretty much never gets old.  From the top you can see all the surrounding islands, the bar, the town, pretty houses, and all the little lobster boats.
After that, we decided to return to Southwest Harbor to complete our raspberry pie mission. We returned repeatedly to the Little Notch Bakery to no avail...Luckily we got it on our last day...unfortunately I have no pictures of said pie, because we basically devoured it on sight. Well, after we left the bakery pie-less, we drove to Manset and went to play at the dock.
Sunset was approaching (though slowly) and so we decided to then drive to the lighthouse.  There was this huge this huge tree that had fallen over and been uprooted. The shoreline was beautiful, but as always, scared me a little bit, because I never wear the right shoes for any situation and afraid of slipping and falling.
On the way home, we stopped at an alpaca farm. I love alpaca...why? They are soft, gentle, they've got big eye lashes, and they don't make too much noise. The perfect pet! If I ever have a spare $12,000...I'll get myself a nice peach colored alpaca. There was a really cute one named Mimosa...the alpaca farmer saw her in the barn and exclaimed, "Mimosa, you've got poop on you!!" We also tried on some alpaca wool hats!
I think it looked better on me. Ahhh, well....time to go back to work. All I can think about is school right now...only two months left until school starts again.
Hopefully, I will squeeze out another shop update this weekend. I've got plenty of dresses, but no model, so I might give hangers a try!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Mainly Maine

I'm up in Maine, enjoying an extended July 4th vacation. Last night, we saw "The Last Airbender" and watched a pretty good fireworks display in Bar Harbor...now we are going to eat some delicious lobster! YUM.

When I have some more time, I will update the blog with some photos of the trip.