You're the Kind of Girl that Fits in with My World

Outfit details:
Orange sweater: Target, remixed last season
Olive pencil skirt: H&M
Leather belt: Target
Grannie boots: Classique, remixed
Wool swing jacket: thrifted, Gap
Penny farthing necklace: made by me!

Where:
Work

I love this outfit. I thought of it last night as I fell asleep, and I'm so glad it came together the way I had envisioned it. Perfect fall colors, cozy fabrics, fun accents with the belt, boots and necklace; all in all, I felt very Autumn chic. It's a shame that I didn't get my pictures until after work, 'cause the skirt definitely wasn't that wrinkled when I put it on this morning. And since you all have been clamoring for more close-ups of my necklaces, I made Joe take a proper photo of this one:

I love penny-farthing bicycles. There is something perfectly old-timey and nostalgic about them, yet they still seem hip and fresh, in a weird kind of way. This one just might be my favorite so far! What do you guys think? If you like it, be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win it for yourself!!

So my plan to have an early night last night went swimmingly. I was tucked in by 8:30 and enjoyed a delightful 9 1/2 hours of sleep, a luxury I haven't enjoyed in awhile. So I felt happily fulfilled all day, which was good since I had another very busy day at the office. Joe and I spent this evening taking a lovely walk through the neighborhood, having Mediterranean food for dinner, and brewing beer at home. We starting the brewing experiment a few weeks back, and tonight we had to bottle it. In two more weeks, we'll be ready to crack one open and have a sip! I'm so excited!! Are there any other fellow brewers out there??

Title song: Pink Floyd, "Bike"

Studio Bustle!

Guys, thought you might enjoy a wee glimpse into my favourite mannequin in the studio at the moment. Loving the bustle-esque style of this piece at the moment and its distracting my eye all week from my position at the table! lol

On another positive note, our coquette ruffled wrap made an appearance on daytime TV this week on RTE's The Afternoon Show. It was featured on a fantastic fashion segment by Irish Stylist Tanya Grimson and we are busy trying to figure out the "techy" aspect of trimming and Mpeg4 file so that we can share the wee segment with you all.

It was a lovely surprise to see one of our pieces on TV and Ger rang me from her sitting room where she was jumping around like a baboon ( her words!) as a result of seeing our piece on the small screen! ;) I can't imagine what we will be like when the big feature hits RTE this year! yikes!

xx

Hope everyone is having a nice week

bonzie & ger

I'm Walking Home to My Suburb

Outfit details:
Sweater: Urban Diva, via Nordstrom Rack
Corduroy skirt: Old Navy, $4!
Tights: Target
Wedges: Old Navy, recently remixed
Branches necklace: made by me!

Where:
Work

I'm exhausted. Worn out. Tired. A few missed naps beyond sleepy. Work has been absolutely crazy for the past couple of weeks, and the next couple will only get busier. So I'm feeling pretty drained. Joe doesn't get home until late tonight from work, so I'm planning a big night of cereal for dinner and bed by 8. Yippee.

I love the 80s-inspired pattern on this sweater, and there are darling little buttons all along the shoulders. Plus, I'm a huge fan of the short-sleeve sweater, so this one is nothing short of perfect. I'm also a huge corduroy-phile, but haven't had any proper cords in the past few seasons, so I was way excited to find this skirt at Old Navy this weekend during their 50%-off sale.

Title song: Jens Lekman, "Maple Leaves"

I Am the Boy Your Mother Wanted You to Meet

Outfit details:
Lime green blouse: Old Navy, $3!
High-waist sailor pants: Kenneth Cole Reaction, remixed
Wedges: Old Navy, $4!
Wool swing jacket: Gap, thrifted
Birdcage necklace: made by me!

Where:
Work, grocery shopping, home for red lentil soup

I'm a big fan of these pants. I love their high waist, the navy-inspired buttons, the super dark almost metallic wash, and the way the wide legs engulf any shoes. I'll have to officially premiere these awesome wedge sandals another time. Old Navy was having a 50%-off sale this weekend, so I snagged a few key work wardrobe staples. I was eying this blouse back when it was closer to $30, so I'm pretty psyched that I waited it out until it went down to $3. Score. Oh, and I'm wearing a wool coat because it's freezing in Chicago.

This birdcage necklace is another of my homemade pieces. I didn't get a great picture of it with this outfit, but this should give you an idea of how it looks.

I got loads of comments and compliments on it today, which was really flattering, and got me even more pumped for the big Etsy opening. I'll have just over a dozen necklaces to start with, which I feel is a pretty manageable number. Oh, and if you haven't yet, please enter the giveaway! The winner gets first pick of necklaces after the shop opens on Saturday, October 3! Tell your friends (via Twitter or re-blogging) and get another (2!) chance(s!) to win!

Title song: Deer Tick, "Ashamed"

You May Be a Million Miles Away

Outfit details:
Dress: Kimchi Blue for Urban Outfitters, via The Clothes Horse
Chevron tights: Urban Outfitters
Black cardigan: Old Navy, recently remixed
Jazz shoes: Seychelles
Scarf: gift from parents

Where:
Downtown coffeeshopping

Today was a bit of a catch-up day. I had loads of bills to pay, a couple of letters to write, an apartment to tidy, and some reading and writing to get done. However, since I had spent nearly all day yesterday inside working on the Etsy shop stuff, I wanted to get outside for at least a little while. So I headed to the Loop to my favorite coffeeshop with a book, my notebook, some stationary, and a clear head. It was a lovely afternoon.

I was thrilled when I saw that Rebecca of The Clothes Horse was selling some of her wardrobe a couple of weeks ago, and promptly checked the goods. This adorable drop-waist Kimchi Blue dress immediately caught my eye, and I quickly allotted some of my PayPal funds to snatch it up. I love the adorable print, perfect length, and breezy soft fabric, and I love how it goes so well with these admittedly slapdash accessories. I was talking to my sister this evening (hi sweetie!!) about how I regularly pair brown with black, and today is a perfect example of that. But I really love the way the different colors and patterns all play off of each other. Also, I would like to pledge my undying love for these Seychelles. Seriously. Amazing.



Title song: Buddy Holly, "Dearest"

We Get to See the Aerial View

Outfit details:
White striped tee: Sears, remixed
Black cardigan: Old Navy, remixed
Olive motorcycle skinnies: Gap 1969
Boots: Steven by Steve Madden, recently remixed

Where:
Home for more massive jewelry-making

In anticipation of the opening of my Etsy shop, I spent most of the day today making new necklaces (it will open next weekend to coincide with the deadline of my giveaway - if you haven't entered yet, get to it! And for those of you who have entered, remember that you can enter three times if you Tweet or re-blog!!). I'm excited to debut them all for you, which I'll probably start doing throughout this coming week. Due to the indoor-nature of my activities today, I kept my outfit simple, casual, and cozy. I didn't even bother to stand up for my pictures! :)

Title song: Nada Surf, "Inside of Love"

You Know Me Like You Know Ice

Outfit details:
Purple dress: BP, via Nordstrom Rack
Gray dress: Pink Rose, remix
Boots: Steven by Steve Madden
Necklace: made by me, remixed
Bracelet: gift from Joe's mom

Where:
Work

This week has been unbelievably busy, not to mention how gloomy the weather has been. I'm just so ready for the weekend, which is convenient since it's Friday! It hasn't been a hard week, necessarily, just a busy one. I'm planning on doing a lot of Etsy planning and jewelry-making this weekend, which means it will be busy too, but with exciting stuff! Oh, and speaking of jewelry, Joe's mom sent me the sweetest care package yesterday with this awesome safety pin bracelet inside!! Check it out:

Today's outfit is definitely one of my recent favorites. I love the purple dress (which I'm sad to report looks more blue in the pictures), and I'm really happy with the gray dress as a layering piece for shorter skirts and dresses. And these boots are seriously the best. Expect to see a lot of them in the coming winter months. Oh, and thanks for all the great comments on my giveaway! Keep 'em coming!!

Title song: Citizen King, "Safety Pin"

Ruffles galore....

Coquette Capelet

www.bonzie.etsy.com

Lady You Are My Peace of Mind

Outfit details:
Tan tank top: hand-me-down
Gray scarf (worn as shrug): Old Navy, recently remixed as a belt
Pants: The Limited, via Marshall's, remixed
Black patent booties: Payless, remixed
Belt: thrifted, remixed
Stone fish pendant necklace: made by me!

Where:
Work, home for Saag Paneer (homemade, deliciously, by Joe - I'm a lucky gal)

I felt very 70's today for some reason. Maybe it was the pants. Or the belt. In any case, I loved the outcome. These pants weren't my favorites the last time I wore them, but they're growing on me now. I like them with boots more than pumps or sandals. And speaking of boots, I know that I am totally, completely, utterly breaking the fashion rule of matching your belt and shoes. Black patent shoes and a brown belt? Yikes! But I don't care. The dark boots complimented the dark hints in the necklace and my hair, balancing out the ensemble.

Oh, and don't forget to enter my giveaway!! I've been loving all the answers you've given to my questions, and I can't wait to hear some more. Don't forget to leave a second comment if you've tweeted or re-blogged for another 2 entries, and good luck!

Title song: Donovan, "Curry Land"

Client Corner ~ Lindsey & Jared

Gals,

We received the loveliest email yesterday from a one of our clients Lindsey & Jared. We spent ages swooning over their photography, the styling involved in the wedding, the location, the bride, the groom, heck even the guests were cool in this wedding! The overall theme had a very relaxed antiquated feel to it and the wedding album just captured the most magical day!

The photographer for the wedding was Christina Gilchrist out of Portland, Oregon. Her website is: http://captured-momentsphotography.com/ , we spent an afternoon oogling through Lindseys wedding album online and this photographer is one talented lady!

Lindsey and Jared wed in Cannon Beach, Oregon last month and we would both love to wish you guys a fabulous time together. It was an absolute pleasure working with you on your bolero.

xxx

bonzie & ger

Colder, Warmer, Days are Longer

Outfit details:
Yellow blouse: Anne Klein (part of suit), remixed
Blue sweater-vest: Old Navy, remixed
Black pencil skirt: Old Navy, remixed
Shoes: Target, remixed
Button necklace: Funky Junk Jewelry, courtesy of Things a Boutique Owner Sees

Where:
Work

I'm going to keep this post pretty short because I'm pretty sleepy and in the middle of a very nerdy evening with Joe: Battlestar Galactica and Risk. I know, I know. You don't have to say it. Today's outfit was a slightly more colorful version of an outfit I wore during my second interview for this job. I love the navy/black/yellow color combination, and I especially love how it matches with my new button necklace that I won in a giveaway from the lovely and wonderful Things a Boutique Owner Sees!

Isn't it lovely? And speaking of giveaways, I'm hosting my very first!!! In the spirit of my new jewelry-making experiment, I'll be giving the winner first choice of necklaces from my soon-to-open Etsy shop! To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. In the comment include either:

• What kind of Etsy shop you would open (or a link to your shop if you already have one), or
• Any ideas you have for what I can name my Etsy jewelry shop

For an additional entry, you can Tweet and/or re-blog this giveaway, but be sure to leave additional comments here for each entry! A winner will be chosen at random on Saturday, October 3, at 9 AM Central time. Good luck!

Oh, and don't you just love this mural (or, rather, mural-to-be!)?

Edit 10/3: I've drawn a winner at random and announced it on today's post...thank you all for your wonderful shop ideas, links, and support for this new adventure of mine!!

Title song: Field Music, "Give it Lose it Take it"

Am I a Stud-Muffin?

That was a rhetorical question.

The Wall Street Journal blog "Speakeasy" called me for a short interview yesterday. Seems to be kind of a neat blog, and I'm only partly saying that because they have good taste in wire-plus-object arteests.

For people in creative fields- Teller, of Penn and Teller (the magicians) tells a young struggling performer his secret to success. I posted this link on my Twitter and Facebook, and people really got something from it. I couldn't agree more with his main point.

While the Sun is Bright

Outfit details:
Dress: Max Studio, remixed
Shoes: Indigo by Clarks, remixed
Ring: Forever 21
Buddha necklace: Made by me!

Where:
Work

It has been a frightfully exhausting week so far. So much going on at work, and Joe has been working late this week, so I haven't felt like I've been able to fully unwind at the end of the day. He's so much a part of my daily routine that I feel out-of-sync when he's not around. Plus, the weather has been crazy lately. Today was unbelievably humid (which made me so glad that I don't have my long curly hair anymore...not friends with humidity, that mane) and overcast. Hard to stay perky when you feel like you need to take 5 showers throughout the day just to stay fresh.

I'm still really happy with this dress. It's pretty much perfect, and I can't wait to see how it fares in winter layered over a turtleneck and tights. I'm clearly battling the oncoming autumn with this very summery ensemble, but it was a great outfit to deal with the humidity. This necklace is another of my recently-made creations, with a little resin buddha pendant on one of the chains. I don't have a better picture of it right now, but I will post more as I set up the Etsy shop. Okay, off to bed for me. I need to recharge for the rest of the week. It's only Tuesday!

Title song: Rolling Stones, "Ruby Tuesday"

And the Branches Bend to the Growing Sea

Outfit details:
Gray puff-sleeve shirt: Old Navy, remixed
Vest: Urban Outfitters, remixed
Black skinnies: Gap, recently remixed
Shoes: Coup d'Etat, remixed
Necklace: made by me!

Where:
Work

This is another one of the necklaces I worked on this weekend. It's inspired by the mind-blowing creations of The Glamourai (which I'm sure is painfully obvious), but on a smaller budget and with just a smidge less bling. Don't get me wrong, I love me some sparkle, but I've never been one of those girls that can rock the full-on-royalty look. I love the incorporation of ribbon into the necklace design, and the multi-strand effect. I also love how it totally glammed up a pretty simple (and dangerously casual, for my job) ensemble. I actually really loved this outfit, and felt chic, classy, and just a smidge sexy in it, but I think I have to steer myself down the "formal" path a little bit more in the future. I definitely still want to make a good impression. Oh, and thank you all so much for the uber-sweet comments you left on yesterday's post. I'm so excited for this new project, and you should all definitely keep your ears to the ground for news on the Etsy shop opening, and maybe, just maybe, a giveaway (but only if you're rreeeeaaallly good!).

Title song: Bowerbirds, "In Our Talons"

Spin Cycle: Dress Yourself in Black or Gray

Outfit details:
Green shirt: Old Navy
Black skinny jeans: Gap, 1969 "Always Skinny"
Sandals: Steve Madden "Sarrahh"
Jacket: Market in Buenos Aires
Necklace: made by me!

Where:
Home, grocery shopping

So I'm starting a new featurette here on Between Laundry Days called Spin Cycle. They'll be reviews of styles I've revisited multiple times, or remixed that I find particularly interesting. I'll have a few of these scattered pretty irregularly from here on out. Today's Spin Cycle is focused on my Sunday best. That is to say, the throw-it-together-because-I'm-just-going-to-be-inside-by-myself-all-day-anyway looks. I noticed today that I'm wearing a couple of pieces that seem to come up time and again on my days off. Elements change, but mostly in conjunction with the seasons. Take a look:

Skinny jeans (especially these black ones!), my DIY cutoff shorts in summer, baggy tanks and tees, mega-comfy shoes (like my Toms!)...these totally spell out "comfort" to me. I'm interested to see if I stick with this uniform in the colder months, since these are primarily warm-weather ensembles. Stay tuned for more Spin Cycle! Any ideas?

Oh, and I know I promised to premiere some necklaces tonight. I haven't gone through and taken photos of them all yet, but I snapped a shot of the one I wore today:

I love the bold chains and asymmetry of the whole thing, and the contrasting shapes and sizes are so fun. Plus, it was an absolute blast to make! My cashier at the market asked how much I'd charge to make one for her...yikes!! I had no idea they would be sellable...any ideas on price range for this kind of thing??

Title song: Counting Crows, "On Almost Any Sunday Morning"