That Vintage Mohair Sweater

Color Me Sentimental. Flame hair, electric blue dress, and a monster sweater made of memories.

Color me a sentimental fool.
I was already a fool, but now I'm sentimental.

Last week, I tweeted about it:

My charming boyfriend had just gifted me a vintage concert T-shirt, and a vintage furry mohair sweater.  "I don't wear them anymore," he explained, "and you might like them." Yes. Yes, I do like them. I like the perfectly worn-in + thin Joan Jett and the Runaways concert T-shirt, a cotton blended gem from the late 1970's. The sweater too, was liked immediately. It felt comfy.

And seemed familiar. "I haven't worn this in years," said charming boyfriend. "These are from my Sac-town days." Meaning he wore it a million years ago, when he used to live in my hometown of Sacramento, California, around the time we knew each other. When we had hung out at his house, sipped Sierra Nevadas out of the bottle, and listened to records. You know, and stuff.

"I remember you wearing a cardigan," I mused, I remember that when we first kissed, future charming boyfriend was wearing a mohair sweater.  I didn't remember the color of it, only that it was a vintage fuzzy thing. I remember the color of his hair (bottle blond with dark roots) and I remember the color of his eyes (a bright halogen blue) but not the color of the mohair sweater. And, I remember the kiss.  I so clearly remember that first kiss: it was soft and sweet + electric.

For the Dead: Adrienne Rich (1929-2012)

In Memory of Adrienne Rich (born May 16, 1929, died March 28, 2012)

For The Dead

by Adrienne Rich

I dreamed I called you on the telephone
to say: Be kinder to yourself
but you were sick and would not answer

The waste of my love goes on this way
trying to save you from yourself

I have always wondered about the left-over
energy, the way water goes rushing down a hill
long after the rains have stopped

or the fire you want to go to bed from
but cannot leave, burning-down but not burnt-down
the red coals more extreme, more curious
in their flashing and dying
than you wish they were
sitting long after midnight


Feminist, poet and anti-war activist, Adrienne Rich passed away today. Her voice lives on, in her literary works and a litany of actions she had involved herself in, in her long and laudatory life. Advocate for woman's rights, ardent defender of the poor and the underprivileged, Rich's principles gave potency to her words that will continue to spring to life in her passionate prose and poetry.

A Smile is Your Umbrella: The Plaid Edition

Plaid Turns That Frown Upside Down.

When I was a sweet faced six year old, my grandma on my pop's side taught me this song. I think of it whenever I pull out an umbrella and prepare for a rain day. What makes me smile these days are polka dots, stripes and plaid on plaid on plaid. So there's plenty to smile about right now. 
Happy Wednesday, peeps!

outfit post: 100% Thrifted (Neon + Camo)

There's no hiding it: Neon Sweater + Camo T-shirt + Wide Legged Jeans = 100% Thrifted.

My recent visit (ok, it was a month ago!) to the Goodwill has been gracing the pages of this blog lately. Boy, did those sweaters, coat and whatnot come in handy! Seen here for the first time: yours truly wearing wide-legged jeans. Seriously, I've been a devoted TEAM SKINNY JEAN player for years now, but this pair of stretchy creased denim pants really captured my heart. To be honest, I'm not sure what to wear with them or how to wear them so you may see some future fashion missteps. Bear With. Still gonna try. Today, they are paired with a vintage neon yellow men's sweater and a T-shirt found in the boy's department. The cardigan has been my constant companion (READ: been wearing it non-stop) for over 2 weeks now. And there's no sign of abatement. Expect to see more of it in the coming months; it's neon cheerfulness is my panacea for Seattle's cloudy grey days.

Wanna see some other great blogger stylings of 100% Thrifted? 

Click, my darlings, and fall in love: 

La Sophia: Polka Dots and Palazzo

Fashion Turd: Sweet Charity

Vintage Vixen: Charlie's Angels Meets Woodstock

Helga Von Trollop: A View From the '60s

The Equine Bovine: Hoochie Coochie (Wo)Man

Ethical Fashion Bloggers: The Thrifty Outfit Challenge

Picture Perfect: Pale Green Spring

I don't know what these beautiful flowers are called. I only know that I like them. Taken with my iPhone.

outfit post: Hello Seattle!

 

Layers make things right, here. The day these pictures were taken, it had snowed twice, hailed some, and then rained. Sandwiched between these flurries were a few hours of bright sunlight. I took the opportunity to take my first Seattle outfit post in this brief respite. These are the photos. I am wearing two dresses, one a thrift store score, a lovely striped cotton shirt dress by Norma Kamali. The other, my newest acquisition from Karina Dresses, a long sleeved black and white animal print shift dress.

I'd like to take a moment to introduce you to some local Seattle-area fashion blogs that I've recently discovered: 

• Thrifted Shift
• The Girlie Blog
• Fleur d'Elise
• Lindsay Living
• Jean of All Trades
• The Emerald Closet

I haven't met any of them yet, but I've chatted with a few via emails and Facebook. I'm looking forward in meeting them- hopefully soon.

Guest Post: Alexis, from North On Harper

On the Corner of Somewhere: Alexis from North On Harper

                                                                                                                                                           
Hi!  I'm Alexis and I'm super excited to be visiting The Citizen Rosebud.  I write the blog North On Harper and had the opportunity to meet Bella during Fashion Week, Fall 2011.  And suffice it to say, I am crazy for her.  Warm, welcoming, intelligent, beautiful—basically everything I had expected her to be…

So, when Bella invited me to write about PLACE, I was beyond excited.   But then I got intimidated.  After all, PLACE is really a broad subject.  And it is important.  More than where a person is or lives, PLACE plays an integral role in one’s identity.

I live in West Hollywood, California.  I have for my entire adult life.  Many major memories are associated with this place: friends, jobs—I even met my husband here.  West Hollywood is full of contrasting character.  There are both glamorous and iconic elements, as well as dull & average.  I love the variety of architecture that can be seen, as well as the art that can be found around the city.

Picture Perfect: Seattle Skyscraper + Seagulls

CITIZEN LOVES: Desiree of Pull Your Socks Up!

It was love at first sight.

I'm not sure how I found her, but the moment my eyes spilled on Pull Your Socks Up!,  I fell head over heels + was instantly smitten. Twinkling eyes, mischievous grin, Black Milk leggings, a pair of Docs, this plus 40 beauty wowed me with her in-your-face style. I loved how she showed no intention to dress "age appropriately" but instead wore her vintage frocks with swagger and dare I say it: SEX APPEAL. This lovely woman is H-O-T and gorgeous and looks every bit like a late night version of fun. With her tagline, "Growing Old Disgracefully," this lady from Down Under makes growing older look remarkably good. 

Say hello to Desiree. I'm sure you're going to love her too. 

THE CITIZEN: What's your name and where are you from?

PULL YOUR SOCKS UP: I'm Desiree of Pull Your Socks Up! I was born in New Zealand and I've been living in Brisbane, Australia for 21 years.

THE CITIZEN: How long have you been blogging?

PULL YOUR SOCKS UP: I "stalked" a variety of personal style blogs for a couple of years before I realised I had plenty of stuff in my wardrobe I adored but wasn't wearing. I decided nearly two years ago that a blog would be a great way to record my wardrobe adventures.

Style Du Jour: Desiree drinks in her adventures one cup at a time.

THE CITIZEN: What inspired you to start Pull Your Socks Up?

PULL YOUR SOCKS UP: When I started the blog, I was unable to work at the time in my job as a print journalist, as I suffered from a major depressive illness. I really missed writing and wanted to stay sharp and connected with the world.
I felt the title "Pull Your Socks Up!" was perfect for me and still do to this day. I'm ageing, I'm the mother of four children, I'm blase about trends and I believe that for women my age, there is a crossroads where you decide to either toe the line or live life your own way. I'm convinced the decision a woman makes about how she's going to live out the second half of her life has long-term effects on her self-esteem and mental health.
I refuse to "pull my socks up" and behave. I have respect for women of all ages and hope they can live their lives with their hearts free of the burden of being a drone.

THE CITIZEN: How would you describe Pull Your Socks Up! to someone who's never read it?

outfit post: Green Legs + Ham

Gone Green: Up-cycled braided fabric necklace c/o Howrah Bridge

So here I am, shivering like a Aspen in the Emerald City. And, just 'round the bend, the green-soaked and greatest of American drinking holidays known as St. Paddy's Day. I was reminded by Terry, via Twitter that my favorite fashion meme, Everybody Every Wear was celebrating the color green this month,  and that got my shivering legs in motion, and me hunting down my own version of homage to this color of forests, fauna and envy.

As usual, I was drawn to florals. After all with the rain pounding on the doors + windows, I thought this little jacket looked like just the thing to answer it. It's a sweet vintage jacket that should be finding its way into the Etsy shop soon and would probably look wonderful on you. The vintage dress is one of my favorites but seems on the south side of wear- the fabric is very thin + fragile so I wear it with the awareness that life is fleeting and best left to appreciate in the moment. I love how the dress hugs my womanly curves; I feel quite the Femme Vitale when I wear it.

White Picket Fences

"Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful."-Annette Funicello

Living out of a couple of suitcases really drives home the appreciation for reliable go-to pieces in my wardrobe. Clothes that serve a function with style. Classic but quirky prints that jazz up the now daily uniform of jeans and a T-shirt. Here in Seattle I am appreciating the appeal of a charming raincoat and some good rain boots. While Sacramento is still boasting mild and nearly summer-like weather, my new clime of the Emerald City is taking in a cold North wind, a possibility of snow and the inevitable rain shower. My California blood is having a time of it adjusting. A solar-powered soul, I'm finding it difficult to stay warm.

I can see why the Seattle-ites focus more on utility than style. Layers are needed for varying weather conditions, and one must always be prepared for a little rain. Fashion is built differently up here.

Guest Post: My Place is My Heart, By Anika

Hi friends!

My name is Anika and I blog about self worth as expressed through fashion at By Anika. I am so honored to write a guest post here at the Citizen Rosebud. I am head over heels in love with darling Bella, as a woman, as a friend, as a blogger. From the first moment I landed here on her site I felt Bella. We met in NY this past September at the IFBcon, and walking into Bellas arms felt just as I knew it would; I was at home. Bella asked me to write about my place. My place is my heart. I carry my home with me everywhere I go. I infuse my surroundings with my heart. My home and my heart thus become two sides of the same story. 

See? If I invite you to my home, I am inviting you into my heart. For me interior decorating and style are both all about self expression, and both my style and home reflect me. Eclectic. Full on pattern-mixes. Soft meets texture. Sequins. Animal prints. Relaxed glam, not perfection. I sew /rework all of my own clothes, and I sew the soft furnishings in my home. My dresses usually become cushions come bags come turbans come toilet paper holders. I have sewed a bolero from the same fabric that I used for my understated living room lamp, and most of the cushions started out as scarves. 

Several of my dresses reflect my rooms, like this one that I call my kitchen-dress.

Lime, black, gray - mixed with pink. I love a bit of bling and rock`n roll. I wear this dress around the house a lot, and as I thankfully have a good sense of humor about my self I am aware of the funny in perfectly matching my carpet.

My home is very important to me, it is where I rest, rebalance, connect. I am very active in my own life with regards to how I percieve my self and how I choose to live. I always want to learn, to grow, to be honest with my self, to pay it forward and to create the life that makes me a happier and better person. It all starts in my heart, in my home. We are the the music makers and the dreamers of dreams. 

 

Tell me friends, how do you feel about your place?

What to Wear to an Airport

Red is for Lift-Off: Exploring the wild blue yonder in a red hot 1960's vintage coat

Perhaps this change has been a long time coming. And I suspect there's more to it than just the reason given. Our lives, or more specifically, MY life, sometimes plays the role of a river, charging ahead with unpredictable twists and rough turns, and sometimes shifts + makes a sudden change of course that, upon examining, is best to just trustingly adjust to, and stop asking questions about the whys, the wherefores, or hows of it. My life has taken such a turn, and instead of over-thinking as I'm wont to do, I've decided to charge ahead + take the plunge. This is the result from a set of circumstances that took place one year ago, and one that I'd have never predicted.

In short (and when am I ever short about such things?): I am moving. 

I'm leaving the confines of my hometown, my midtown stomping grounds in Sacramento, California, and returning to a former city of residence, the evergreen town of Seattle, Washington. In fact, it's already done. Packed and put into storage are my belongings, quietly boxed up and waiting to be relocated to an eventual new home. Meanwhile, this old girl overstuffed 2 suitcases full of ragged black T-shirts, a motley collection of waterproof + walking shoes, sweaters of various materials, 3 Karina dresses, an armful of tights, and a handful of what-the-fuck-am-I-doing anxiety attacks. Yep.  Taking all the necessary objects with me while I fly into Seattle and scout out my situation.

And why am I doing this? 

Short + sweet: I'm doing this for love. For a heady rollercoaster of a heart trip that began nearly 15 years ago (and a river in itself), full of twists, turns, and returns, with the boon of a surprisingly happy ending.

Best. Haircut. Ever: Carrie Caluya at the AJF Salon

It all started innocently enough. This gorgeous raven-haired woman stepped into the FRINGE boutique and her face lit up. She was admiring the amazing chrome cabinets that are exclusively available at FRINGE. Like a raven, this midnight clad goddess likes shiny things. Dressed head to toe in black, this petite beauty came off as uber-hip and sweet, so when she admired the texture of my hair (now how often do you get that?) I preened. Her hair was a super cool hair-do that reminded me of Japanese anime. Her friend, who was shopping with her, also was sporting a great hair statement. He informed me that she cut hair. She told me she loved to work with curly/wavy hair. All of a sudden I wanted this sleek, svelte creature-of-the-night to cut MY hair. And before you know it, I had made some calls, got myself an appointment, and met her at her salon. 

Her name is Carrie, Carrie Caluya, and you really should write that name down. She's not just a talented hairstylist, she is an educator. Carrie has been cutting hair for 11 years, and currently she's an Artistic Director for AJF Salon in midtown, Sacramento. She not only takes on clients, she trains other hair stylists on advanced cutting techniques, and she loves her work. 

Carrie Caluya: Expert Hair Stylist and Educator

When I showed up to the AJF Salon for my appointment, I ran into my artist pal, Lindsay, in the waiting room, who was also there for a haircut- which seemed a good omen. Auspicious as well, was the lovely assistant who greeted me and offered me a something to drink while I waited. The whole salon was buzzing, full of friendly faces; it felt very inviting. The assistant, who has been training with Carrie for the past year, also had a beautifully cut bob, her hair a gorgeous arabesque swirl of curls. When I admired it, she informed me that it was Carrie who had cut her hair, but that was months ago, and she was due for another cut.  All I could think of was if her haircut looked that good 3 months into it, I was in for a very good hair experience.

Cha-cha-changes

There are some changes a' foot in Rosebud-landia, + you're going to hear all about them in good time.

I've recently moved, and am presently transitioning to a new locale, so I'll be offline for bit. Please bear
with me while I get my bearings. Good things are around the corner and I can't wait to share a slice of my
new life with you!   
                                                       xo.    -Bella Q