Monthly Archive for May, 2010

A shoe which carries a woman

Published on May 26, 2010 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: .

THESE are the shoes that I mentioned last week.  Oh man, who knew I would find such gems on a quick peek into my local thrift store during lunch. At first, I was a little hesitant about wearing vintage shoes, but honestly for the amazing run of styles you can choose from and the rock-bottom prices, I got over my hesitation quickly. I find it odd that even with my teeny tiny feet, all the vintage shoes seem to be too small for me. Did our feet just grow exponentially with the passing generations?

When these shoes were facing forward staring at me with their nude suede and olive lining, I was already in love.  But then, when I picked them up, WHAM! Tiger print furry wedge heel! It doesn’t get any better than that! I was already cursing a higher power if they didn’t fit. They are a little snug (again with the tiny sizes), but I found a way to squeeze my feet into them.

I also love the red soles. It doesn’t bother me one bit that they are worn in, I only wish I could have known the backstory on who loved them before me. The label says, “H Hilfiger” which I assumed is the Hilfiger we know today, but as I researched more about his H label, I didn’t see any branding or styles that were even remotely close to these shoes. The mystery continues…

Below are some of the other vintage shoes that I would have loved to take home with me, but alas were way too small.  I think both were women’s size 4! It makes me wonder what tiny-footed, fashion-forward femme wore them years before.

Mission Statement

Published on May 25, 2010 in Ensemble. 2 Comments Tags: .

Over the weekend, I finally got working on a number of sewing and alteration projects I had piled up. This pumpkin colored silk top was one of them. I inherited it from my hubby’s grandmother along with the fur and other interesting collectibles. I was swimming in it at first, so I made pleats by the shoulders to bring them in and took in the sleeves and side seams. Fastened with a belt, I think it fits rather well now.

I finished sewing just in time for lunch and we decided to walk a block into Honolulu’s capitol district to eat at the Mission Houses Museum.  The Mission Statement of the museum is to ”connect(s) the story of the American Protestant missionaries and their descendants to the history and culture of Hawai‘i, in order to give present generations of residents and visitors a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, Hawai‘i’s rich and complex history”.

The museum is made up of three buildings that served as the homes and workplaces of the first missionaries in Hawaii: the Frame House (Hale Lā‘au), built in 1821, is the oldest wood frame structure still standing in Hawaii. It was also a pre-fab home, made in Boston and shipped over; the Chamberlain House (Ka Hale Kamalani) was built in 1831; and the Printing Office (Ka Hale Pa‘i), built in 1841, printed some of the first books in Hawaii, combining both western and Hawaiian languages.

Below is the Chamberlain House. The building’s blocks were made out of coral cut from the ocean, which were then dried and bleached by the sun to achieve the uniform white color.

silk top – vintage from hubby’s grandmother
denim shorts, necklace – Forever21
purse – vintage Dooney and Bourke
belt – Banana Republic
earrings – Kenneth Cole
shoes – Preview from Nordstrom Rack

And many more

Published on May 24, 2010 in Ensemble and Personal. 0 Comments

This past Sunday, the hubby and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary. We felt it only appropriate that we went back to the scene of all of our great photos (like the one above taken by the talented Christie Pham) and ate at our favorite restaurant, Brasserie Du Vin. And just like last time, we were treated to complimentary champagne. We also had a delectable dinner of duck breast and pork chop with excellent wine pairings. Then, we headed down to Lewers Lounge at the Halekulani for dessert and live jazz (standards, my favorite kind). It was a perfect evening to commemorate our first year of marriage… but 10th year of togetherness.

button down shirt – Theory
sequined dress – Walmart sale rack
tights – Banana Republic
boots – Aerosoles
belt – vintage
necklace – handmade by me
earrings – Kenneth Cole
envelope clutch – Forever21

The Dragon Upstairs

Published on May 21, 2010 in Personal and Random Thoughts. 0 Comments

My weekend started early  - Thursday at lunch to be exact.  No, I didn’t get out of work, but I did seem to cram in as many activities as I could on this one day. I went on a little thrift store shopping spree during lunch and found the most incredible vintage shoes that I will be taking photos of over the weekend.

Later, after work I met up with my hubby and a friend to bike around and stopped at a nearby beach park for some pau-hana paddle boarding with my coworkers. It felt great to be in the ocean if only for a little while. Following that, we headed downtown to a bar that I’ve been meaning to check out for some time. The bar is called The Dragon Upstairs and it was divine. I was recently complaining to my husband that all I want is a comfortable bar with tables (so I don’t have to stand) and live jazz. This one had all of that. I aspire to become a regular at this fine establishment soon enough.

In true bar style, The Dragon Upstairs didn’t have any food.  But because of our active afternoon, we were starving. Off we went to Murphy’s for some corned beef with cabbage and a side of Guinness. Despite amply satiated bellies, our night did not end there. We went back to The Dragon Upstairs to watch the band finish their set. All in all, it was a terrific night!

Happy Friday!

button up top – thrifted

He could be Batman for all we know

Published on May 20, 2010 in Ensemble. 0 Comments

Picked up this skirt recently from a Goodwill.  It was perfectly Mad Men-esque with the high waist, thick felt material and mustard hue.  I was immediately smitten. Now, if only I had a Don Draper in my office… oh wait, I do!

Seriously, my friend (who lent me her DVD sets of Mad Men to jump start my obsession) has a life-size cardboard cut-out of Mr. Dashing Draper himself.  I’m sure it was acquired out of jest, but now he seems to have taken up permanent residence. Although when he paid a visit to our office, he had a penchant of lurking in corners and startling the gals.

This silk scarf was a hand-me-down from my mother. I used to tie up my hair curlers, like in the movie Grease, when I was younger to play pretend. It was one of a few items that lasted through the years. I wish she had kept more items though, looking through her old photos she had a number of pieces I would love to wear now. I think the colors are perfect and just about go with everything.

felt skirt – vintage
dress worn as a top – fighting eel
necklace – vintage from the clothes chick
scarf – vintage from my mom
pumps – biala
pearl studs – had them since I was a child
nails – NYC in Lincoln Center