Traveling

Evening, friends!

Today I did some traveling for work, and on these days I like to get a little spiffed up.  Normally clients don't come in and out of our office, but on occasion we go to them.  Today was the first business review that I have done in person, and it went pretty well.  My job is most fulfilling when I am spending time with my customers.  

This blazer was in style, went out of style, and came back in style.  This is not good for my fashion hoarding tendencies.  It's funny how you buy something in high school and 8 years later it works again.  Fashion is unpredictable, that's for sure.

Suitcase - Nostalgia in Lemoyne PA

Shoes - Charlotte Russe

Blazer - Charlotte Russe

Dress - Antique Marketplace of Lemoyne

Belt - Thrifted from Goodwill

Pearls - Gifted

Gloves - Target

January Mint

Well hey there, 

I love me a good thrifted sweater and this sweater was no exception.  Sure, I had to rip out some shoulder pads.  Minor details.

If you are ever feeling like an outfit isn't coming together, I recommend a head scarf.  They are cheap, and almost any scarf goes with almost any outfit.  It really is hard to go wrong in this department.

Sweater - Goodwill
Jeans - The Limited
Shoes - Urban Outfitters Clearance
Scarf - H&M
Glasses - Urban Outfitters
Bracelet - Thrifted

xoxo, Andrea

Vintage and Antiques

Hi readers, 

This weekend I wanted to do some exploration in my own backyard.  Usually I go to Lancaster PA for Vintage shopping and I decided to do some research and try a few places in Lemoyne PA which is right across the river from Harrisburg.  

First my sister and I hopped into Nostalgia, a vintage shop that just opened two weeks ago.  Owned by a lovely person named Steph, the store atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.  Steph was in the catering business for many years but suffered an injury that prevented her from working in that industry.  Her partner's mother was an expert on antiques and got her into vintage, taking her to estate sales and auctions and teaching her how to hunt for treasures.  When the storefront became available, she decided to take the plunge, and she is so glad she did.  She has a facebook page here where you can see items in stock and get more info.  Nostalgia carries a lot of great jewelry and houseware, and some unique vintage clothing and hats.  

I brought the bottom piece of luggage home!

Loved the ventriloquist dummy

Next, my sister and I ducked into the Antique Marketplace in Lemoyne, right beside the PA Fabric Outlet (which is yet another gem of this town)

The place looks small from the outside, and we were shocked to see their extensive rows and rows of affordable vintage and antique pieces! Dealers have their own "booths" that specialize in different types of items and different decades.  The store employees are incredibly friendly and periodically ask if they can take the merchandise in your hands to an assigned bin at the front.  This allows you to have your hands free for digging through treasures.  From washboards to mason jars to hutches and old chandeliers, you can find anything your heart desires. 

How neat is this old stove?

Lovely booths full of goodies!

I absolutely reccommend that you check out these spots and find some one-of-a-kind pieces for yourself soon. Stay tuned for some more great spots in the Harrisburg area!

xoxo, Andrea

Wedding Attire

 Hello!

 Here is a long overdue post with a few snapshots of the outfit I wore to my cousin's wedding.

Dress - F21

Shoes - Target clearance

Necklace - NY&co

Lipstick - L'oreal in True Red

Here is a family photo - my husband and I, my sister and her husband, and our parents. My mother's sister's daughter got married.

A colorful barn reception

photobooth polaroids to replace escort cards

Take care, loves!

Color Wheel

Hi friends,

Santa brought me two components of this outfit shoot: a tripod for my phone and a fabulous umbrella (somehow my husband hacked my Pinterest account to find this exact one, that is beyond the call of duty).

As I have discussed earlier, color is an obsession of mine.  I can't get enough of it.  In winter black and white wear so well and fit the season, always in style, but an accessory with a pop of color or bold red lip will take any simple color scheme to the next level.  After all, fashion is supposed to be fun.

color wheel umbrella - amazon.com

dress - Forever 21

Yellow coat - Forever 21 

Til next time! -andrea

Bundled

This is my uniform for my entire Montana trip. 

Knit this scarf myself!  

Boots - Hunter

Velvet black jeans - Old Navy

Purse - Express

Coat - Old Navy (on clearance for $20!)

Gloves - gifted, from Greece

Hat - Target

Sunnies - Target

And here is my first picture of those Montana mountains!  This range is called the Bridgers.

Lots more photos to come!

xoxo, Andrea

NYE 2013

Happy New Year!

Last night we carpooled with some friends to a fantastic house party in Frederick, MD.  The dress code was "fancy" so we dolled up and enjoyed some classy jazz music and great food & drink while catching up with dear friends from college.  Later there may have been some dancing to Icona Pop so my "sensible footwear" (meaning 2 inch wedges) was a wise decision.  

 Found this dress on clearance for $10 at www.modcloth.com a few years ago and had never worn it until last night!! Not exactly work appropriate so NYE was the perfect occassion to bust it out.  It's a little short so opaque black tights kept it a bit more modest.

Sensible heels from Salvation Army.

Clutch is actually a free makeup bag from Victoria's Secret.  Nails - Revlon in "Sequin"

I would wear sequins and glitter everyday if I felt it was socially acceptable... so I get pretty pumped about NYE outfits.  Go big or go home!

How was your night? Did you ring in the year with friends our kick back at home?

Here's to a happy and healthy 2014!  Lots of love to all our readers. 

Mad Men Christmas Party

Hi beautiful readers!

I am well aware that Christmas has come and gone, but better late than never on this post.  This year the hubs and I wanted to throw Christmas party and go all-out classy.  Mad Men is one of the few shows that we both enjoy watching (he can tolerate waay more intense shows like Dexter and Breaking Bad that stress me out) and we have enjoyed following the show for years.  I am a lover of all things vintage so a 50's and 60's theme proved to be a perfect theme.

I started by searching Pinterest for other bloggers who had thrown similar parties, and I found a ton of great ideas from menu items to decor and even playlist suggestions.  If you would like to see my party planning board go to my page (andrea_britton) and board is called Mad Men Christmas Party.  You can also check out my Mad Men playlist on Spotify.  

I made my own snowflakes out of popsicle sticks and spray paint and hung those throughout the house with some red garland.  We tinseled the tree and used a lot of red and black in the plates, tablecloths, and napkins to go with the color scheme of the show.

The menu consisted of 50's and 60's party food including meatballs, pigs-in-a-blanket, a jello mold, devilled eggs, cold cuts, shrimp cocktail, popcorn balls, and lots more.  I also saw the idea online to make "snuffed-out cigarette" cupcakes which were delicious! 

Unfortunately I didn't take as many pictures throughout the night as I had hoped, but here are some photobooth favorites!

I made some of my own props and purchased the rest from Target. 

The photobooth was a large canvas IKEA print that we covered with silver paper and then lined with tinsel, purchased from Party City.  All in all it cost less than $40 to make.  

Here is a photo of the unfinished project.

In addition to food, cocktails, games, and playing the Christmas Mad Men episodes on TV, we asked everyone to bring a vintage item for a white elephant gift exchange.  There were old teacups, records, figurines, books and games exchanged - oh and somehow a bird clock.  Lots of laughs.

I went for a "Joan look" in a green dress from H&M and a pair of red heels and red lipstick (of course).  I also did a slight beehive to keep the hair retro!  Everyone looked great, all the men suited up nicely and the ladies looked ravishing in vintage dresses.

I encourage you to try a themed party at some point.  People enjoy getting dressed up and being goofy, and it always makes for great memories and photos.  

Hope you enjoyed at least one or two holiday parties!  Maybe next year you should try throwing your own... any questions, let me know.  I'm no expert at party-planning but I have lots of advice to share from experience.  Entertaining is largely trial and error, but well worth the effort.