get dressed!

so enough bummer posts for a minute about fibroids and break ups. can we do a little something fun for a moment maybe?

maybe, we could go shopping.

and we’re not just going to go shopping. we’re going to go shopping for CHEAP, and we’re going to go shopping for a GOOD CAUSE.

southern maine dress for success needs your help!  in the midst of a pretty serious reorganization, they’re finding themselves with an excess of donated clothing and an almost complete lack of funding. it’s sad to see such a cool organization struggling to make ends meet- especially when it’s needed so much in this bunk economy. but we can help them out in the best way we know how- SHOPPING.

they’re having a big ass fundraising sale on saturday from 9-1 (details to the left), and the very best thing you can to do support their organization to come with dollars ready (or plastic. or checkbook. i was informed by amanda from misadventures in portland that the only thing they don’t accept is barter- so leave those chickens at home!) and a desire to score yourself some awesome new clothes (starting at $5!).

i will be there personally elbowing my way to the front of the handbag section, and i’ll be putting my scores up on the facebooks (showboating will be done). you should probably come and make sure that i don’t take ALL the good stuff.

weekend pickthrough- bottom of the sea edition.

changing jobs is hard. somehow, i forgot about that part. i spent the majority of last week either lapsing into couch comas or trying to keep myself from bursting into hysterical tears at inopportune moments (with mixed results).

and then there was the part where i didn’t have time for the internet. which is weird, because i pretty much live on the internet full time. it’s my natural habitat (well, the internet and target).

basically, i was either trying to get my bearings at my new job (situation improving, if slowly), alseep, or sobbing hysterically in an unfortunate place. no twitter, no facebook, no gchat…  i feel like i was incarcerated, or in a coma, or at the bottom of the sea for the last 7 days, and i’m just finally resurfacing. i’m disoriented, and a little cranky. but i’m back, and as always, sorry for dropping off the planet for a bit.

i have a full lineup of posting schedule for this week (including my annual bad halloween costume roundup), but for the transition back into normalcy, let’s just start with a few easy links:

get your local on- hungry for a picnic.

it seems like only yesterday that i was pimpin the summer picnic arts & music fest… but alas, winter is here. fortunately with the frosty ass weather, we also get a a second serving of our favorite local indie craft bonanza. thus, this week’s installment of my buy local last minute xmas shopping guide is dedicated to the fine local artists who will be rockin it at winter picnic all weekend long (saturday, dec 11, from noon to 8pm and sunday, dec 12, from noon to 5pm) at the maine irish heritage center (at 34 gray street and state street).

EMBLEM STUDIO: a long time ago, kris johnsen was an intern at a place where i used to work (that will remain nameless). i asked him one day if he could draw, and his answer was: “kinda”. well kris johnsen, you’re a fucking liar. little did i know that our mild mannered intern would grow up to be the most incredible poster artist in town. like HOLY SHIT good. and right now you can get his work for anywhere from $10-$40. and trust me, you want it.

i am deeply in love with this dress by LUSKIN. sophisticated but comfortable shapes in bamboo fleeces and cottons with unexpected printed details. yum.

STRONG ARM BINDERY makes me giggle every time. beautiful and infinitely clever letterpress cards,  hand bound books and other assorted treasures. i’m especially fond of their recent foray into faux bois.

i want JUSTIN RICHEL to illustrate my whole life. stacks of sweets and birds! powdered wigs made out of stags! i have a dream to some day commission a vintage globe covered in hand painted sweets. but until a day arrives where i can afford such a thing, i’m going to hoard all sorts of his prints. and for around $10 to $25 each, i could paper a whole wall.

did i ever tell you that i was a ceramics concentration in college? i actually suck, but i have a deep love for the clay that can never be broken. PATTICERAMICS knows what i like, and what i like are lots of gorgeous hand thrown vessels covered in charming mushroom scenes.

i don’t have time to talk about everyone, but i would also like to strongly encourage you all to stop by the booths of the fabulous kate sullivan-jones from sweet disorder (maybe to pick these up for me?) who will be sharing a table with the equally marvelous audrey of little eye designs, milo in maine to say hello to meanmama, and the goodwill of northern new england table to check out their sweet select vintage spread. actually, just check out everything. it all looks fantastic (picnic doesn’t do half-assed).

in short, it’s gonna be an kick ass amazing couple of days of shopping and live music curated by hillytown presents plus the maine radio project DJs (double musical pimps to my good friend galen/computer at sea). bring cash, bring your xmas list, bring your friends (admission is free!), and wear your best holiday sweater so that you can get your fucking picture taken with the yeti.

weekend pickthrough- do-over edition

this week totally sucked for some reason, and not just for me. i’ve had friends all over calling mulligans on this week since tuesday, as it just seemed to become a rapidly rolling shitball of medical emergencies, computer crashes, and financial fuckups. so i’d like to say unequivocally, that this weekend pickthrough has hope. hope for fairer weather (the 50 mph winds today and surprise bout of”slail” were craptastic to say the very least), hope for rapid recoveries (sucks about your kidney stones mark!), and hope that things will eventually be (as they usually are) ok.

the very most amazing use of 344 square feet that ever existed anywhere ever.

dork alert! yeah, that’s a middle earth subway map t-shirt. (i totally saw frodo taking a wizz on the green line to rivendell)

another very beautiful (but very different) portland photo site shows up on our doorstep (how convenient!)

keep those eyes out for secret coupons at your local shaws.

ok, this one’s kind of a bummer, but an INGENIOUS bummer.

if you (like me) finally blew the crotch out of your fat pants this week (i said it wasn’t going well), EVERYTHING at old navy stores is 30% off this weekend. no foolin.

apparently there’s a brand new pat’s pizza in town, and it’s all kinds of delicious. (picture it- 3 floors, full bar, BIG tvs)

there’s nothing i don’t like about a woman who uses the term “cockasaurus” while making a how-to video.

10 shocking facts about nancy drew! (ok, maybe not shocking, but apparently i’m not the only one with lukewarm feelings about ned nickerson)

DON’T YOU DARE FORGET to enter the jolly green giveaway (it ends this weekend).

oh, and the picture doesn’t have anything to do with anything except the fact that i found it hilarious.

remember that time…

…that we were trying (well, i was trying) to make a list of affordable & interesting places to shop for clothing on the internet? well, the list didn’t get very far, but i haven’t entirely given up the ship! today on twitter (thank’s savvychicsavings!) i spotted a tip regarding a pretty kick ass sale (starting at $4.99!) at a store called tulle. turns out they have a really nice modern preppy with creative edge thing going on that’s grown up without being dowdy (i’m talking to you lands’ end). i’m hardcore hearting this marigold yellow keyhole sweater. and for $23 bucks, it feels a little like stealing (not too much, just a little). just to recap, these are the current stores on our current must shop list:

b.b.dakota

fred flare

lulus

modcloth

ruche

tulle

more suggestions please!!!

95%

so i spent most of yesterday zooming through the biddeford/saco/arundel neighborhood in search of something amazing, and i have to say it was all a little lackluster. we hit the goodwill, antiques usa, arundel antiques, some store on main street whose name i can’t remember, and a few other assorted locations. and there was nothing.

which actually lead to a really interesting conversation with the boyfriend about how i feel most content when i allow myself to shop (to be open to the possibility of buying), but still come home with nothing. it’s all the joy of shopping and feeling like you can have things, without any of the financial guilt of actually buying them. it’s the perfect balance really.

however, a brief sidetrack to the biddeford marden’s would bring my total from zero to one. a big sign outside of the building (a truly broke down old bradlees) stated that they were having an inventory clearance sale, and that all clothing was 50% off the marden’s price. woot! or not woot… it was a sea of polyester turtlenecks as far as the eye could see… with a smattering of be-glittered skankwear for color. dismal! i could see this from the minute i walked in the door- but knowing well that there are often tiny hidden pockets of goodness within the very very bad- i dug. through everything. twice.

and i was rewarded! nestled in between a row of XXL acrylic cardigans and some truly sensible rayon work skirts, were 3 marc by marc jacobs corduroy prairie skirts marked down from $128 to $12.99 (with that additional 50% off to boot) . they didn’t exactly have my size (10), but i didn’t care so i grabbed the 12 and decided that i could either make it work or sell it on consignment or ebay. (if anyone out there is a 2 or a 6 and in the biddeford area, there’s still 2 left!).

the skirt is from god knows how many seasons ago, and who knows how it ever found its way to mardens… but it’s still cute, winter appropriate, and very well made. and even if it really doesn’t work out…  for $6.50, i can definitely afford to make the mistake.