{Trendy Thursday: Things I Love July}

it's july and i'm in love... so many cute things are catching my eye! i wanted to capture them all in a single post, since i knew it'd be rather random. here goes, a little bit of what i'm loving in july:

jack white

*swoon* my current crush, i just can't help it!

aesa
this jewelry is so beautiful, i'd die for just one piece
alice clair illustrations
she's so talented and these puberty books are hilarious

louis vuitton fall/winter 2010
le sigh
last but not least, pink....i'm enjoying the little hints of girlie! have a great day everyone!xxoo chelsea

{Please & Thank You; July 14th}

i'd like to start today's post with a thank you. i mentioned a while back that i was having difficulty and struggling with a lot of negativity toward my blog and store from some crummy folks. i wanted to thank you all for being nothing but encouraging and loving and generous with your words. i have felt an overwhelming sense of love around me in the last few weeks, and i cannot thank you enough. i only wish i could give you all big hugs, i feel very blessed. without further adieu, here's some questions and answers:Q: how do you put a feminine twist on a guys flannel/button up shirt?
A: i would definitely rock it tucked into a high-waisted skirt. think pencil skirt!! or, tossed over a pair of jeans with a cute handbag or clutch and a hair accessory. waist belts also always help make a top appear more feminine. when in doubt, smile.
Q: what do you do for work?
A: i am an account coordinator at an advertising and marketing firm. i am going to start working on producing some photo-shoots shortly and i would love to do more of that in the future.
Q: who takes all your photos for your blog? they're great!
A: all the photos of myself are actually taken by my mom. she loves helping out, and we get to bond. it's a fun experience and she's getting really good at it! we're a great team.
Q: when listing your items on etsy, how do you decide what era they are from? for example the "circa 19--" you usually have on your listings. do you ask the seller or make a guess? and if you guess, what do you use to figure it out?
A: i do a lot of research. i buy many items from estate sales or antique shops, and the owners have knowledge on the items. if not, ither the item has a tag, and i google the brand, to pinpoint the year(s) it was made, or i search high and low on the internet to find other items that look very similar to the one I'm listing and find the years they're marked as. thanks for asking!

things to come:

i have spent a good portion of my week sewing and working on sunday's shoppe update, so instead of telling you about new things i've been trying, i'm going to share a few of the things to come for myself and seablanket.com!1. renegade san francisco
this week, i was invited to join my closest online friend, liz, on the road to attend renegade craft fair in san francisco! i eagerly accepted her invitation, and am currently planning my trip. this will be my first renegade experience and next year, i hope to have my own booth at the san francisco and austin renegades, so this will be great exposure to how it works. i promise to take a bunch of pictures an post everything i see and do!2. finishing my sleeve
this weekend, i'll be heading to portland to finish my sleeve!! i cannot wait to finish it, but it's going to hurt soooo bad. i'll try to get some shots of it before it gets wrapped and be sure to post an image on my twitter. should be some fun surprises with a plethora of color involved, i can hardly contain my excitement!!!3. swell season
my good friends birthday is in a week and to celebrate, we will be going to a swell season concert. they are the bee's knees! i cannot wait to see them and celebrate a beautiful friend.

what things are you looking forward to in the next few weeks? happy wednesday, talk soon!
xxoo chelsea

{Tutorial Tuesday: Little Lady Apron}

I've been wanting to make an apron tutorial for a while. this one is perfect for entertaining or for baking. cute, petite and a splash of vintage equals a darling little kitchen accessory. enjoy!
materials needed:
fabric - a strong cotton is perfect, accent fabric (if desired), pins, scissors, measuring tape, lace or embellishments as desired, sewing machine, iron.

1. measure and cut fabric 6.5" by whatever length you'd like (mine measured 6.5 x 46"). sew along sized and ends a 1/2" hem, making sure to leave room to turn right side out. once sewn, turn right side out and iron flat. stitch the opening closed.
2. cut two large half ovals out of your fabric. make sure they are big enough to fit across your lap. we will do more with these later. 3. cut one or two fun shapes out of your accent fabric - these will be used as pockets. duplicate your accent cutouts on your apron fabric. place the pretty sides of fabric together and pin. stitch around all edges, leaving a 3-4" un-sewn gap. turn pocket right side out and iron. hand stitch opening closed.
4. take one half oval piece of fabric and lay out your pocket(s) and position them where you'd like. pin together. make sure you leave room at least one inch from the edge of your fabric so we can sew the rest of the apron.
5. place two pretty sides of your half oval fabric together and pin all sides. leave 6" gap so you can pull your fabric through. iron.
6. attach your waistband and add lace or embellishments as desired.

i have also been featured on danielle at sometimes sweet's tattoo tuesday!! check it out here!
xxoo chelsea

{Manic Monday: Maxi Dresses}

i am all over these dresses lately. maxi dresses are the easiest thing to throw on after a day at the lake or to stay cool when temperatures rise. every store you could think of has them right now, and they're easy to find vintage as well. {my dress is from target, of all places}i made a couple style tips, one shows how to dress it up, and the other shows how to dress it down. both are great for summer, and even fall.
{dressed up: dress from farfetched.com, shoes from lorisshoes.com and farfetched.com, rings from eriebasin.com and topshop.com, clutch from calypsocell.com}
{dressed down: dress from missselfridge.com, shoes from pinangia.com, shopzoeonline.com and deliahs.com, sunglasses from loveworn.com and farfetched.com, earrings from missselfridge.com, ring from modcloth.com}
many fashionistas are rocking the maxi dress right now. rachel bilson, kate moss and nicole richie.i love these dresses below! my ultimate favorite maxi dresses are white and flowy, but having a few pops of color is great too! here's a look at some of my favorites in stores now.
{1. whisked away dress - $69 at modcloth, 2. endless skies dress - $168 at anthropologie, 3. pins and needles chiffon maxi dress - $78 at urban, 4. it's a beautiful day dress - $73 at modcloth, 5. mink pink maxi dress - $96 at nasty gal}

here's to a great week for all of you!
xxoo chelsea

{Shoppe Update}

i've added more clothing to the shoppe! lots of new dresses, jumpsuits, skirts, shirts and more! take a peek and see if you like anything! next vintage update will be for fall, so get it while it's hot!! {click on image to view listing}xxoo chelsea