Prints avenue

Whenever I get bored (as is often the case in a small college town), I visit the vintage flea market near my home to practice my photography. I like walking in and out of the booths, touching old fabrics, and musing on the stories behind each knickknack left behind from past lives. Sure, I feel a little silly, taking photos of every other thing, but photography allows me to be content with having simple memories that take up little space on my computer or online photo gallery (as opposed to owning the thing outright where it will take up space on a shelf). This was a philosophy that worked last year on my vacation abroad -- I was happy to not buy many souvenirs as long as I had thousands of photos to remember them anyways.

One of my goals for this summer is to redesign my blog, and I've really been fascinated with old fonts and prints. My last photo trip yielded a memory card full of old posters, books and album covers.

It blows away with the changing wind

Blouse: Gap; Skirt: Thrift find; 

Shoes: Born Crown; Hair wreath: diy. 

 I always feel like an extra in Florence and the Machine's "Rabbit Heart" video whenever I wear this hair wreath, but wearing flowers in my hair has always been a signal of summer and youthfulness to me. I wore a floral wreath during our wedding and I think my fascination with hair wreaths will continue even into old age. 

How was your week? I had an extended weekend because of the Memorial Day holiday, so I caught up on television (read my film blog here) and friends (like Krista!). Jeremiah and I celebrated our anniversary this week by relaxing with some barbecue food and toasting to another year of graduate school finished. 

Twist me a crown of wind-flowers

Dress: Forenza, thrifted, vintage; Belt: Loft;

Floral wreath: diy (tutorial here); Shoes: Born Crown.

Twist me a crown of wind-flowers; 

That I may fly away 

To hear the singers at their song, 

And players at their play. 

Put on your crown of wind-flowers: 

But whither would you go? 

Beyond the surging of the sea 

And the storms that blow. 

Alas! your crown of wind-flowers 

Can never make you fly: 

I twist them in a crown to-day, 

And to-night they die. 

- Christina Georgina Rosetti, "Twist me a crown of wind-flowers"

Giveaway reminder

There's still some time to enter my eShakti giveaway!

No whimpers, just bangs

Sweater vest: Arizona Jeans Co., thrifted; Shorts: Walmart; Shoes: Born Crown;

Purse: vintage, thrifted on an epic thrift store haul in high school. 

I've been feeling pretty brazen this week. Maybe it's all the change in my life lately (new internship, new summer class, exciting plans for the future), but things I normally wouldn't act on are suddenly getting done. I finally acted on my wish to have Rooney Mara's Lisbeth Salander hair and got my bangs cut two inches shorter than I had them. It's a very subtle change but one that makes me happy. I took these photos around campus as the sun was going down. 

Happy Friday! What are your plans? I'm looking forward to catching up with friends.

---

To see more of my past thrift finds, click here.

Thoughts from the Sidewalk

Listening to: Old Crow Medicine Show, "Evening Sun."

In the flickering light

Blouse: Banana Republic - gift from ML; Shorts: Walmart; 

Shoes: Born Crown; Bow tie: vintage, Agora.

Listening to: Jump Little Children, "B-13."

Many summers ago, I worked as a Boy Scout camp counselor, teaching aspiring Eagle Scouts how to tie knots, pitch tents, build campfires and navigate with a compass in the woods. I spent the majority of the summer hiking around camp in a uniform of  khaki shirts, olive shorts, a broken-in baseball cap, and a Nalgene bottle full of water fastened around one of my belt loops. It was a very simple look, and one that was based on practicality and durability. My clothes had to be able to withstand tri-weekly campfires, singalongs and staff swims across the lake (in full uniform).

These days, my wardrobe no longer could fit inside a sleepaway trunk, and I spend more time in dresses and skirts. But on some summer days, when I'm missing the smells of campfire smoke and mountain pines, I reach for clothes that mimic my old uniform of khaki and green, and hum the old camp songs to myself.

--

You can read more about my camp adventures here.

I know I am but summer to your heart

 

Dress: Jennifer Moore, vintage, thrifted; 

Bow tie as brooch: Vintage, from Minx; Shoes: Born Crown. 

I know I am but summer to your heart,

And not the full four seasons of the year;

And you must welcome from another part

Such noble moods as are not mine, my dear...

... Wherefore I say: O love, as summer goes,

I must be gone, steal forth with silent drums,

That you may hail anew the bird and rose

When I come back to you, as summer comes ...

— Edna St. Vincent Millay, 

"I know I am but summer to your heart"

Giveaway - Win any item from eShakti!

I'm teaming up with eShakti this week to bring you an awesome giveaway: one lucky Sidewalk Chic winner can pick out any product from their online store (this includes custom-sized/custom-styled items, too)! eShakti offers a wide range of dresses, blouses and skirts that you can customize. You can read my review of one of their dresses here.

To enter for a chance to win:

- Required: Follow eShakti on Facebook and Pinterest and leave a comment here with your email address to let me know if you've done so.

Other ways to enter:

- Visit eShakti and leave a comment on what you would choose if you win!

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only, and will run until 5/31. I'll notify the winner by email on 6/01.

Good luck!

To live that old life no more

Dress: Body Central; 

Shoes: Born Crown; Bow tie: Vintage, from Minx.

Listening to: Old Crow Medicine Show, "Wagon Wheel."

Over the weekend, Jeremiah was out of town and I had a rare chance to visit one of my old photo locations: McDaniel Farm Park. I used to take all my outfit photos there before we moved from Gwinnett, and I relished the hour or so I had there this weekend to reminisce and to see how the park has changed. There were some differences -- new wood planks for fences, different crops planted in the fields -- but for the most part, I was grateful to see that this place that I had kept sacred in my heart was still recognizable to me. 

Since it's gotten hotter, I haven't been doing much experimentation lately with my clothes. The most I've been mustering is wearing my bowties in ways they weren't initially intended, like as brooches. 

To see my previous adventures at the farm park, click here. Stay tuned for a giveaway later today!

Lately: pieces of town

Just a random selection of snapshots throughout my week. Some are from downtown, others are from my daily commute to class.

Since I've been doing a lot of design work for school projects recently, I've been drawn to finding interesting fonts and typography. Athens is a quirky little art town and so there's a ton of inspiration to be found in store signs and concert flyers ...

My ring and dress matched perfectly the other day ...

My daily commute to class involves a 10-minute walk through campus. I pass by centuries-old buildings and a cemetery everyday. Here's one of the headstones, which dates back to 1851. 

 

And here's one of my favorite buildings on campus. I love the Greek-revival columns. 

How all the changes came about my ways

 Dress: Ariella; Shoes: Born Crown;

 Floral wreath: Self-made (tutorial here).

Listening to: Nico, "These Days."

These photos by Jeremiah.

These days I've been catching up on things I've neglected -- laundry, blogging, writing, crafting. There wasn't much of a reprieve between finals and starting my May research class, but I am enjoying more free time now that I don't have a full load of classes, work, research and freelance projects. Jeremiah and I are both taking classes and working on research projects for most of this summer. I'm looking forward to June when I won't have anything on my schedule to tie me down to staying anywhere near campus.

It's been really hot lately, so I've been favoring very simple dresses like this one from Ariella. Because of its short length, I had relegated it to being a beach cover-up. Now, I've been wearing it around town because it still smells of sunscreen and sand, and it reminds me that there are oceans and beaches calling my name (hopefully soon!).