Outfit of the Day: Winter Tea and a Day at the Museum

I cut my hair!

It was more than due time! It may seem ironic to cut hair shorter in the winter but with the new shorter do it takes a lot less time to dry and now that I feel comfortable wearing it down again it covers my ears and my neck keeping me warmer too. I cut off 11 inches and will be donating it to Locks of Love. 'Tis the season for donating! :) 

And now on to...


Outfit of the Day (Saturday):

I'm a little behind in posts. These Outfit of the Day posts are actually from the weekend before last. On the Saturday before last I went out with a friend to tea (tea pics to come). It was a cold and rainy day and so I was sure to bundle up! I decided to get extra festive for the holiday season and wear my Voodoo Vixen Audrey Wool Dots cape and skirt set. While I got both of these items what seems like several years ago (it was really either last year or the year before), it was my first time actually getting to wear it out. I got the skirt from Cats Like Us while the cape I found at Angry Young and Poor. I paired this with a black Heart of the Haute Estelle top which I got a couple years ago from a local vintage reproduction shop, Vintage Alley. To keep warm, I paired this with some black fleece lined tights (from Nordstrom Rack last year) and for an extra layer wore a vintage beaded black cardigan (from Etsy several years ago). For ease, I wore this with a pair of basic black flats.

Voodoo Vixen Audrey Wool Dots skirt and cape set- Front View

Voodoo Vixen Audrey Wool Dots skirt and vintage beaded black cardigan- Front View

Voodoo Vixen Audrey Wool Dots skirt and vintage beaded black cardigan- Front View

Voodoo Vixen Audrey Wool Dots skirt and vintage beaded black cardigan- Side View

Voodoo Vixen Audrey Wool Dots skirt and Heart of Haute Estelle blouse- Front View

Voodoo Vixen Audrey Wool Dots skirt and Heart of Haute Estelle blouse- Front View

Voodoo Vixen Audrey Wool Dots skirt and Heart of Haute Estelle blouse- Front View

Outfit of the Day (Sunday):

On the Sunday before last I went out to the de Young museum in Golden Gate Park with a friend. For the occasion I decided to wear my Emily and Fin Painter's Palette dress which I got from Pinup Girl Clothing on Black Friday last year. I paired this with a green cropped cardigan by MAK which I got either from Modcloth or Trashy Diva earlier this year, textured black tights which I think I got either from Nordstrom Rack or Target, and for ease of walking, I went with a pair of trusty basic black tights. For a finishing touch I wore a hat by Callanan Millinery which I found at Unique Vintage either last year or the year before.

Emily and Fin Painter's Palette dress- Front View

Emily and Fin Painter's Palette dress- Front View

Emily and Fin Painter's Palette dress- Side View

Emily and Fin Painter's Palette dress- Front View

Emily and Fin Painter's Palette dress- Front View

Emily and Fin Painter's Palette dress- Side View

Local Shop In The Spotlight: Vintage Alley!!

A vintage style clothing store in Hayward?! How awesome is that!

Vintage Alley, Hayward, CA

I was so surprised and elated when I heard about Vintage Alley opening in downtown Hayward a couple years ago. In fact, when I first heard the news, I thought it was a hoax. I mean, really, things like that are too good to be true! Lucky for me, though, it absolutely was true!

This place is run by a husband and wife team, the super awesome and charismatic Alfred and ever wonderful and beautiful Alicia. These people know how to run a true mom and pop shop too! It didn't take long for them to know me by name and greet me personally whenever I come into the shop. They also never fail to ask how my mother-in-law is doing after her pop into the shop last summer. I'm sure this personalized attention goes out to all their regular and semi-regular customers.

Vintage Alley, Hayward, CA

Not only do they run an awesome shop but they also have a chic hair salon at the same location where yours truly loves to get a vintage do done by the friendly, stunning, and talented Leilani.

Vintage Alley Salon Waiting Area

At The Vintage Alley Salon

On top of their hard work in running their shop and salon they also get involved in community events. For the past two years they have participated in Hayward's Walk of Wine, and this year, they even hosted their first annual car show in downtown Hayward!

Speaking of Haward's Walk of Wine Tour, while I blogged about it a few weeks ago, what I didn't tell you in that post (at least in length) was the behind the scenes of that day!

I started my morning by going into the shop for a hair appointment. While I was there the owner Alicia let me know I could pick our any item for 20% off! What an excellent surprise. But with the hair appointment done and the Walk of Wine about to start I was already running late so she let me take a rain check to come back later that day. When I came back later in the day for one of the wine pours I took advantage of the 20% off one item but ended up getting not just one item but two (though only one was 20% off). My ever wonderful husband bought them for me! He said, as a extra special treat and last present for my birthday this year. <3


So what did I get? Let's do a clothing review!

Heart of Haute Estelle Blouse in Black:

The Heart of Haute Estelle Blouse is my favorite top by Heart of Haute. When they first released this top earlier this year I knew I was going to love it. It has a cute and full pussy bow at the neck, lots of pleating, cute little puff sleeves that don't bulk you up, and a fitted design. I did find with the wrong bra that I got some button gaping but with the right bra, it was minimal. Still, I think I might want to invest in some fashion tape for this top to keep the gaping away or just do my usual fix and safety pin it from the inside.



   
Steady High Waisted Thrill Skirt in Red:

This is the prefect skirt! I've been stalking this one forever online going back and forth between convincing myself that I don't need it, and then telling myself that I really wanted it. I'm so happy I was able to pick this one up. It is just the right length, the right shade of red, the right amount of flare, and sits just right on my waist. And with it being a separate, it's very versatile... you can see it with another Heart of Haute Estelle Blouse here. I also can't wait to start wearing it with some sweater tops when the weather starts to get a little cooler.

Heart of Haute Estelle Blouse Black With Steady High Waisted Thrills Skirt- Front View

Heart of Haute Estelle Blouse Black With Steady High Waisted Thrills Skirt- Front View

Heart of Haute Estelle Blouse Black With Steady High Waisted Thrills Skirt- Side View

Heart of Haute Estelle Blouse Black With Steady High Waisted Thrills Skirt- Back View

Heart of Haute Estelle Blouse Black- Close Up

If you're ever in the Hayward area be sure to check out this shop! They carry a huge selection of Stop Starting dresses, a good amount of Heart of Haute, Steady, as well as a pretty large selection of men's clothing, some baby's clothing, tons of hats, and so many beautiful accessories and hair flowers!