a perfect outfit for a day at the vintage bazaar :: aragon ballroom

living in chicago, you sometimes take for granted all the rich history and architecture that surrounds you on a daily basis. one of the places that i always seem to forget about is the aragon ballroom. i have been lucky enough to see bloc party perform here as well as florence and the machine. but when you are seeing a concert at night sometimes you forget to stop and take in the architecture around you. so it was really cool to see the venue today {during daylight hours} while attending the vintage bazaar.

besides purchasing quite a few lucky finds, i found myself enamored with the facade of the ballroom as well as the intricate adornments on the inside. so here are a few of the snaps i shot as well as a little outfit post -- complete with my adorable kate spade armadillo bag...i've never been so in love with a purse before.

hope you had a lovely weekend!!

randolph street market :: ooodles of treasures coming june 23//24

it's almost here!!

next weekend i will finally be able to scour the randolph street market for all sorts of vintage treasures! can you tell i'm a bit excited? i missed the last one because i was away so i've developed quite the hankering now.

i've been religiously attending the randolph street market {in chicago} now for almost three years and i have NEVER left empty handed - there are always a ton of fabulous finds! and they have the widest variety of goods too. there's furniture, clothing, jewelry, records, art, decor, tools, odd bits, etc. and it certainly ranges in period. they even have indie designers and artists showcased. it's absolutely wonderful!

it honestly couldn't come at a better time either. i am moving at the end of june into a beautiful three bedroom apartment with my friend...but because of the size...we're going to need to pick up a lot more furniture! bazinga! i hope i find some interesting pieces!

tidbit of advice::
no matter which day you attend, get there as early as possible to score the good finds!!! 
*this season they've added a ticket purchase option that let's you in earlier than the actual start time to scout out and purchase in advance...in case you're anything like me!


details::
Saturday, June 23, 2012 10am - 6pm
Sunday, June 24, 2012 10am - 5pm

1340 W. Washington, Chicago
Plumbers Hall - Indoors & Outdoors

to purchase your tickets or to find out more visit here.

into the woods :: kelly love a//w 2012

kelly love's new a//w 2012 collection has me super-lusting every single piece!! the lines and patterns are so dainty and fun. needless to say, i hope to own the above pieces before fall!

in the depths of the forest a bittersweet tale of love and loss weaves its way into the land.....

into the woods we go......

take a journey into the romantic darkness of the russian woods with rich earthy colours, enticing textures and snippets of folk tales as inspiration.

exotic wildflower prints wash over cotton tensel, boucle wools are adorned with corded lace & piping while the signature sandwashed silk gives the collection a sumptuous feel.

ladylike midi dresses, high waisted cigarette pants, classic blouses and the labels iconic jumpsuits are  constructed from a palette of blood red, nude, french navy and dusty blue.

bhldn :: the exquisite bridal room

when i arrived at bhldn last thursday for the tracy reese event, i was pretty sure i'd died and gone to heaven. this was especially true when i found the gown room within. i have never been surrounded by so many frocks at one time!

here are just a few photos of my favorite details. talk about exquisite.
i've never been one to daydream about my wedding,
but with bhldn around, it certainly makes a girl begin to fantasize...

see more photos from the event here and here.

curious curations :: these are a few of my favorite things

happy {happy?!} monday morning friends!

i wanted to share some of my other treasured pieces that i gathered a little while back and curated on a piece of cardboard with those cool serial numbers along it. these items are ::

i. my antique brass stamped hair pins
ii. my gold and white journal from anthro
iii. my burt's bees tinted lip balm {this one's hibiscus although i cannot stop wearing the dahlia shade}
iv. my cubist modular ring from -- believe it or not -- forever 21
v. my antique flora brooch from my great grandma, enrica
vi. a hand-shaped marbleized cameo necklace given to me by my grandmother - one of my favorite pieces by far!

and there you have it - hope you enjoyed!

oh and there's still time to enter the giveaway!! 

15//30 project :: capsule wardrobe recap

sheesh! so many outfits - well, 15 pieces to be exact and boy did i ever exhaust them! i even got quite a bit furious with myself when i felt like some of the pieces would get a bit stale in the way i was mixing them - shame on me! but i did it and boy was it challenging but well worth it!

believe it or not, this is only half of the outfits i put together. there are still 14 more - granted, some of the above looks i did repeat out of utter laziness but hey, the days were far enough apart for anyone to notice.

in case you missed my previous posts about the 15//30 project, it is basically a challenge to select {and be limited to} 15 pieces of clothing for 30 days. you need to mix and match so that you are challenged to create new looks. it was quite fun.

please check out the other bloggers who also joined the challenge::

tania from t like bubble tea
sam from sam is home
karen from tomimito
alicia from kitten masks
joy from of stranger sensibilities
monique from petite avenue
clare from curious looking glass

monday metamorphosis :: parisian mod

i absolutely love this art by yoko tanji. it reminds me of a mod parisian ad which is probably why i love it so much. needless to say, i just had to use it for monday metamorphosis. so here we are!

i hope everyone had a lovely weekend. i had a very nice time yesterday spending it with loved ones. i have been running myself ragged lately so it was really nice to force myself to take a time out and just enjoy being.

i have a very busy week ahead but i hope to visit here often. have a wonderful day!

01 :: cos mustard dress
02 :: chelsea crew cut-out peep-toe heels
03 :: citrine and pounamu rings from the talented nga waiata
04 :: hansel from basel zig zag bag {a steal at only $39!}
05 :: vintage sunglasses from flea bag {sold - but similarly cool}

the perfect summer festival wardrobe:: lonely hearts

i'm not quite sure how to begin this. mainly because i am still completely stunned by this line. lonely hearts that is.

you might be thinking to yourself:: wow. the clothing has a very distinct edginess about it yet hints at some distant or vintage femininity. well, at least that's what captivated me when i first came across their collections. some parts reminded me of 1994's the craft, some parts reminded me of a woman i'd seen in pictures of woodstock in 1969, some parts reminded me of a futuristic, ethereal being that has yet to be discovered.

i think all of these unique parts can be can be identified just by looking at the diverse backgrounds of the design duo that is lonely hearts. that would be helene morris and steve ferguson. forging not only a partnership in the field of fashion but also in their personal lives makes for a very lovely and successful collaboration. 


"established in 2003, the new zealand-based brand combines the pair's backgrounds in fashion and graphic design: steve, an ex-professional snowboarder, brings a street and punk influence which manifests in a body conscious, DIY aesthetic; whereas helene’s more delicate sensibilities draw from a long family history of dressmaking, textiles and an obsession with vintage lingerie."

the label has garnered excitement from the likes of the industry's top marksmen:: wwd, harper's bazaar and i-D. along with developing a resume of devout supporters:: florence welch {florence & the machine, rumi neely {fashion toast} and susie lau {style bubble}.

but what i love most about this label is a bit deeper - beyond the design. it is the fact that they have melded each line with the perfect combinations of art, design and fashion to create a surreal experience for the wearer. for proof, just look at their undeniably quirky fashion week installation or their haunting video presentation.

it's labels like lonely hearts that give the industry integrity as well as a soul.

lonesome bride:: wanderlustings vintage collection

i collect vintage like some people collect bad habits. so i guess vintage could very well be my 'bad habit.'

this is why i've posted quite a few of items from my personal collection for sale in my etsy shop. there are a some items that i've been so excited to get my hands on that i didn't even bother reading the measurements in the item description -- because who needs to wear vintage clothing, right?! sheesh, caitlin. so needless to say, i have come to terms with letting a few of them go knowing that i was just not made for that size.

this 1960's wedding dress i think i am going to have the most tearful parting of ways with though. the details on her are so sweet and delicate. she had yellowed quite a bit by the time i found her in a forgotten chicago shop but i loved her just the same.

you can see her and the other items i just listed in my shop right here.

hot commodity :: the whitepepper boutique at asos

i'm swooning over the adorable hipster collection entitled the whitepepper over on asos marketplace. it features a curious curation of unique vintage pieces and indie designer originals. you can expect to find handmade items full of tiny details on here.

asos describes the collection as::
'NOT fancy, but stylish, comfortable and unique.'

well, mr. whitepepper...i can sure as heck guarantee that i'll be keeping up to date on the new findings in this shop.

view the entire collection here or follow them on facebook here.