Leigh Lorraine

I took a month off from writing my fashion column for Sync during the busiest part of the semester, but I'm back this week with a feature on the most precious vintage shop manager in town, Leigh Lorraine Bondurant. I've been trying out this new article where I select a stylish person who works at either a creative or interesting job, and I interview them about how it has influenced their style. I ask them to bring a few of there most favorite things to the shoot, and they tell me about where they came from and why they love them. Most of the time they're family heirlooms, and that was no different with Leigh Lorraine. I've attached a few photos below of her favorite things which include two necklaces, one from her grandma and the other a gift from her mom, a fur coat which she got from the vintage shop she runs, and a pair of boots and a bag which were both hand-me-downs from her mom.

You can read the article here if you'd like.

Leigh Lorraine and I hit it off so well that collaborations are now in the talks. Collaborations with a vintage shop manager = fun times ahead.

sync: mad men editorial

Photo by Arshia Khan

I thought about it and couldn't come up with a single good way to transition from yesterday's blog post to today's. As much as I miss my sweet Monkeycat, I know that the show must go on. :( Thank you all so much for your condolences. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your stories and thoughts. It means so much to me. ♥

Today's post is all about some work I did for the fall fashion issue of Sync. The chief photographer, Arshia Khan, and the art director, Stacy Bowers, decided on a Mad Men themed shoot for the spread and asked if I'd like to participate in the planning. It was unlike anything I had done with Sync before (or any other publication, for that matter), and I jumped at the opportunity. I helped with booking the models, styling the looks, and planning the scenes and locations. They even shot a few of the looks in my house!

I also have a separate article in the same issue about how to wear white after Labor Day. I styled one of my old etsy models, Katy Tipton (maybe you remember her?), in white denim and gave tips on how to transition white clothing for fall. You can read both articles here (Mad Men pg.12-16, post-Labor Day pg. 17), but you better read fast. The new issue comes out tomorrow! It looks like it the new issue came early this week, so the Mad Men editorial is gone. You can still read the post-Labor Day article here.

P.S. I feel like I have to say this since my name is on the article: I did not write or know anything about the title of the post-Labor Day article "No More White Flight" before seeing it in print. I don't usually write my own headlines, but I realize now that I need to start. I assume the author didn't consider the racial undertones of the phrase "white flight", but for me, I can hardly glance at the article without thinking about all the negative connotations. I have no hard feelings towards the person that wrote it, I just needed to get on my soapbox in some kind of public arena. Thanks.

More musings on broaches

Dress, Purse, Shoes: Goodwill

Alright dudes and dudettes. It's Sync time again! This week I wrote about broaches, a topic that I also tackled during my Delightful Dozen piece earlier this week. To be fair, I wrote the Sync article about two weeks before the DD post, so the extra broach ramblings were pure leftover excitement. We used the flash during this shoot (something that rarely happens during the day) and I kinda sorta love the results. We shall tote it around more often.

You can read the article here if you'd like. Eh, it's not my favorite, but I can't expect to win 'em all. Have a great weekend!

Photos by Corey!

Ambrotypes Detachable Collars

 

My latest article is up on the Sync website if you're interested in reading. I wrote about ambrotypes and the beginning stages of photography with a tidbit about the Crinoline period included, too. I was so inspired by this lady's detachable collar and the bold print on her dress.  I was able to recreate the look with a silk blouse that I've been trying to wear for months and a pretty detachable collar. I could never figure out how to wear the shirt until I found this photo. Anyway, don't want to spoil the article. You can read here if you'd like.

Congratulations to Callie of Callie Gets Skinny. You win the lion necklace from the Cleo Chrysanthemum giveaway!

Floral Wreath

Dress: Yard Sale

Floral Wreath: Handmade

Shoes: Michael Kors via Saver's

Here's my latest photos from Sync Weekly. The paper comes out every Wednesday, but I completely forgot about these photos until Corey reminded me today. I always wait for the paper to come out before posting them on my blog because it just seems like the right thing to do. 

This is the floral wreath I was gushing about the other day. The wreath was actually inspired by a plate of Blue Gravlax from the restaurant I work at and a painting from Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. It was an easy DIY, and if you're interested in making your own, you can find out more about the tutorial I used in the article.

Today Corey and I scouted the mall, looking for stylish locals wearing the latest trends (for another upcoming Sync article). Afterward we took outfit photos for my next "inspired by" article (it's been a Sync day, I guess). I can't say much about my next "inspired by" topic, but I will tell you it's based off an ambrotype and I absolutely love the results.

On our way home we stopped by an abandoned building I've been admiring for months. We were feeling extra brave and adventurous, so we climbed a long flight of stairs to a door in the back. It was unlocked. Inside we found all of my favorite kinds of things –– wood walls, decaying wallpaper, floral mattresses, wooden crates, old doors. It was an adrenaline rush. We plan to go back on a sunny day.

polka dots

Entire outfit: Saver's

Hellllo! Sorry about the sudden disappearance, my friends. This past week has been one of the busiest I can remember in a long time! My teachers are already supplying loads of course work and I've had a lot going on with the fashion column, too. Hopefully I'll be able to fine tune a balancing act soon.

I haven't had any time to toy around with content for the blog this week, but if you're interested in my Sync articles, the latest one is up. It's all about polka dot, and my outfit was inspired by one of my current favorite bloggers, Laura of The World Looks Red!

Corey and I took these photos a couple of weeks ago when it was extra rainy and cold out. With the way the meteorologists are talking, we may be using the white backdrop much more frequently––they're calling for snow tomorrow! (Sorry for all you kids stuck in a blizzard. Surprisingly, the storm just missed us. We realllly like getting out of school though.)

"Babes at an Abandoned Boat Dock"

Dress: Flea Market
Blouse: Goodwill
Shoes: Saver's
Hat: Target
Ring: Gift from my sister

I've been waiting to share this set of photos with you guys for what seems like an eternity now! Corey and I shot them a few weeks ago for one of my Sync articles, but I had to wait until now to share them. We found an abandoned boat dock on the edge of town, complete with rusty, old 70s houseboats – some on land, and some, more lavish-looking yachts in the water – and more interesting machines and textures than our little bodies could stand! It was like a playground for grown ups out there. I could hardly stand still in one spot!

My outfit was inspired by that beautiful set of photos that Anja tipped the whole blog world off to a few weeks ago, called "Babes in the Woods". It was the main inspiration behind my rant on black and white and the history of black in fashion. Feel free to read if you'd like!

Sync: The 60s

I know I haven't done a great job of posting my Sync articles on the blog lately – mostly because I get real embarrassed when I think about people actually reading them – but here's a link to the most recent one if you'd like to read it. The article thing still makes me nervous, but I really like the outfit that's in there this week, so I'll share! A local reader (and new friend!) submitted a photo for me to use as inspiration, and lucky for me, it was all about the 60s.

I've never done a successful beehive in my life, but thanks to Aya's tutorial I was able to pull one off with only a few visible mistakes – note to self: find more "volume-building" objects! I felt she deserved a shout out in the article, too. Her hair tutorials are the best!

Inspired by Santa

I wasn't planning on wearing this dress until Christmas day. I thrifted it at a great big estate sale a few months ago and set it aside until the holidays came around. My plans didn't shift until I thought about the Christmas edition of my Sync article! The dress reminded me of something Mr. or Mrs. Claus would wear, so I picked her and Santa as my inspiration. I was also able to find inspiration in a really great Victorian theater poster from the late 1800's. I'm not sure if the new issue of Sync has been added to the website or not, but you're welcome to take a look if your interested in reading my article.

Photos by Corey!

Sync Day: The 70s Trend

It's Sync time again! This week I took to the streets with lots of 70s inspiration. I figured I'd start sharing some of my inspiration too, just so you get a better idea of the things I'm rambling about in my articles. I wish I would've taken more street style photos this week, but I didn't have much luck scouting out any bell bottoms or platforms on the streets of Little Rock. I'm going to have to start picking more realistic (for a smaller city) trends!

1. Coquinete 2. Stockhom Street Style 3. Need a source! 4. Courtney Brooke 5. Need a source! 6. Swedish Hasbeens 7. Jessica Simpson 8. Coquinete 9. Hel-Looks 10. The Sartorialist

The guys came through for me this week! Two matching corduroy pieces in one night. I was so thrilled to see it. I loved the color of the pieces too. I even included a photo of Wes Anderson above in honor of all that corduroy and the Fantastic Mr. Fox remark! To read the article, just click on the photo. Enjoy and let me know what you think. To check out the rest of the magazine, visit Sync Weekly and click 'digital edition' at the top right of the page.

My New Job: Fashion Writer for Sync!

I can't believe I didn't get to this on Wednesday when I promised – I'm such a liar – but I'm finally here to tell you about my new job. I was waiting on my employer to update the website with the latest round of content before I posted. They usually do it on Wednesday's, but with the holiday's going on, it wasn't updated until today.

It must have been about 6 or 8 months ago that I was talking with a friend about how much I missed  the fashion section of our local culture magazine, Sync Weekly. The girl that used to write the column moved to Brooklyn to pursue photography, I think, and they replaced it with a weekly piece about the local kickball league. I missed the fashion section so much, and I was afraid that the magazine lost a certain young female demographic when she left.

With the help of an awesome co-worker (thanks Spenser!) I was able to get the contact information that I needed to get in touch with the people behind Sync. I wrote a letter pitching a few ideas of things I could write about, and to my surprise, they loved them. I was offered a job as the fashion writer for the publication!

I certainly don't think I'm the most qualified for the job as "fashion writer", but I'm thrilled to have the position. I plan to work really hard to improve my topics and my writing over time. My articles will alternate between two topics each week, the first will be an article about current trends with photos from the streets, and the second will be about finding an look that inspires you and translating it to fit your own style. Now you guys know why I created a tumblr! It's provided a great way for me to organize the photos and trends that are inspiring me right now.

I've always loved Sync because it covers everything local and interesting. Because of them I know about upcoming shows, new restaurants, building plans. . . pretty much everything I need to know about what's happening in Little Rock. The newspaper is very well distributed with an incredibly high pick up rate, and I am just so honored to be a part of what they do!

I'm a little embarrassed by my first article (about the capes) and the incredibly "vanilla" writing, as Jake called it (he's not mean, I forced him to be honest). I think easing my way into the position was tough, but now that I've completed my fourth article, I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable with my writing. Big thanks to Ashley and Cait for letting me borrow their photos for my inspiration piece this week.

Would you guys be interested in reading my articles each week? That may be silly I guess, but I'd be more than happy to post them on the blog if you'd like. Just let me know! For a look at the rest of the magazine, visit Sync Weekly and click "digital edition" at the top left side of the page.