Austin Texas

This weekend my mother and I flew to Austin Texas for her birthday! We'd never been before, and planned on attending the Food and Wine festival, but unfortunately it was cancelled last minute. Fortunately I have friends who were happy to show us around the city, and they took us everywhere! 

We spent a morning at The Austin Antique Mall, a warehouse building full of treasures, and booths packed full of vintage clothing! I found a couple summer items there, just what I was hoping for. 

In the back rooms of Gypsy Antiques we were lucky enough to shop merchandise from Dalenas Vintage and Bloomers and Frocks, they both have lovely displays and products. 

We also stopped by Big Bertha's Paradise (amazing selection of vintage and designer), Room Service (great for mid century clothing and kitsch decor), and Amelia's Retro-Vogue (beautiful 40's & 50's clothing and accessories). I found a great pair of jeans at New Brohemia (lots of men's denim and tees), and my mom got a great dress at Blue Velvet. 

One unexpected part of the city I loved was the signage, it seems like there's no point in having a business without a top notch retro style neon sign. From restaurants to massage therapists, it's a neon sign paradise.  

There are SO MANY amazing restaurants and I went the entire trip eating mostly vegan without even trying. I could eat at Tacodeli every day, and am forever envious of the huge Whole Foods at the company headquarters. 

My mom got a cupcake and the darling Sugar Mama's Bakeshop, and we got to visit the Warby Parker and Modcloth pop-up shops. 

My favorite breakfast by far was at The Driskill, the "Austin American breakfast" has lovely roasted veggies and crispy bacon. And the hotel itself is gorgeous, a historic building that's beautifully decorated. 

Stormy seas hat

A few years ago I made this hat for an 18th Century costume party, and while I may have posted a snapshot of the costume, I never did a proper post of my favorite aspect of the outfit: The hat! 

I just watched Mirror Mirror for the first time yesterday, and in one scene people have ship hats on, so it reminded me to actually photograph my own! 

I wanted the ship to look as though it were caught up in fateful wave, the blue and white plumage reaching up and over. I used traditional buckram as best I could, using needle and thread rather than hot glue, and I'm surprised it's held up this long! I haven't attempted more millinery creations, but this was a fun one, maybe one day I'll have another use for it.  

{Cinderella} Ella + Kit

One of my very favorite films ever is the most recent live action Cinderella. It's beautifully done, with excellent casting and performances, not to mention all the visuals involved. But I think what really stands out is that it's a good story, and Cinderella reminds us to be our best selves (I tried a less cheesy way of saying that but it just had to be put that way). Ella and Prince Kit each have their own hardships in the film, and I think Richard Madden put it best in his description of modernizing the character: 

"This was so much more interesting because I had to make a character that’s worthy of being around her and worthy of her affections. So, I made him someone who had a sense of humor and who is aware of his own privilege and who has compassion for everyone around him."

{via Collider}

The two have excellent chemistry, and I think it's the perfect way of telling a classic fairytale for a modern audience. I have about a million screencaps saved so I'll do a few posts featuring different themes, this time it's all about Cinderella and Prince Kit. 

All images via Disney Screencaps