January 30, 2013

TOP KNOTS


Top knots.  A super high bun that is sometimes ballerina-esque - simple and classic, but sometimes messy and a bit undone.  In my opinion, the bigger and more messy - the better. I know... I'm a little late blogging about this.  It's been a trend for awhile now, but it shows no signs of letting up! 
one // two // three // four // five // six


January 28, 2013

BASEBALL HATS (THEY'RE NOT JUST FOR HIM)


(image sources: one | two | three | four | five)


I love hats.  I usually gravitate towards wide brim, a bit western inspired (like this), or knit stocking caps.  But right now I am loving that baseball hats are having a fashion moment.  They're unexpected and a bit playful... like wearing a cotton tee with a sequin skirt, or layering on rhinestone necklaces with jeans.

In the images above - I love the burgundy leather hat in the second image, but I think I'd wear one like the fifth image much more often.  

So, what do you think?  Are you on board like me?  If so, here are a few options! Personally, I want a gray wool or something simple like number one from Madewell.

(one. Madewell - $22 // two. Sears - $12 // three. Rag & Bone - $125
four. Pendleton - $39 on sale // five. Archival - $40 // six. Asos - $26)


(I adore this leather brim hat via Free People, but at $263 I'm going to have to keep on dreamin'.)

January 25, 2013

BRAND LOVE: HELLO


Via their website, "Hello Merch is an independent company started in 2008 by Sam Means as an outlet for artists to manufacture and sell merchandise online and on tour, without giving up their rights by signing major label-style merch contracts."

Hello Merch also has their own line of shirts - Hello Apparel (shown here).  These tees and sweatshirts are extremely popular right now with bloggers and readers, and are blowing up on social media (check out their instagram!).  Click here to see all of the shirts they carry, and here to see the rest of their own line.  


I have been wanting the "I'M SO TIRED" tee, but after they just released the below styles - I think I might have to do the crossed arrows instead (since it's my logo!).  I also love the baseball stripe tee just below.


Have a wonderful weekend, friends!
xoxo



January 23, 2013

ZARA: TRF

Zara's TRF collection is just. so. good.  
I feel like Zara can do no wrong.
TRF (Trafuluc) is like the casual litter sister to the more sophisticated main line.
And as always - certain pieces are selling out quickly.


I'm not really an impulse buyer.  I actually don't like shopping in stores because I get overwhelmed, can't decide, and end up leaving with nothing.  I'm an online shopper... I need time to think about my purchases and make decisions.  However, after missing out on items from Zara numerous times before (remember those leopard sandals?) this time I got a jump on it, and ordered a few of these pieces.  SO not me to do that, and I was actually quite proud of myself.  Yep, proud of myself for shopping.  

January 21, 2013

A NEW NIGHTSTAND

Hello there!
Some of you are probably enjoying a 3-day weekend (myself included), 
but for those of you who had to head back to work today - I'm sorry. 
Boo!




I'm looking for a new nightstand for our bedroom...
a home for my cup of water, glasses, phone, and whatever book I might be reading.
And while I'm loving the mid century modern stands above, 
I also adore the idea of simply using a stool.


one // two // three // four // five // six

January 18, 2013

FRIDAY'S NOVEL


(One of my favorite quotes... I know I've shared it with you before.)


Hello all,  This post is a long one.  Today (with her permission) I am sharing bits of emails from a lovely gal who emailed me last spring.  We got together to talk about blogging, as she was looking to start her own blog; however, since then she has decided not to - for reasons that I fully understand and respect - and reasons described below.  I know it's a lot to read, and I don't expect you to read it all, but she is such a wonderful writer (so funny and honest)... even her emails were good.  I hope maybe you'll at least read the last email.


>>> <<<

4-25-12
to the author of lovely and rust, molly - 

my morning routine is simple. take the lid off of my traveling coffee to cool, check emails, but before responding to them...i read my most favorite blogs. many at the top of my list are written in new york, australia, spain, some in chicago and russia. but when thinking of beginning my own blog, mainly to share what i view as most inspiring to women in columbus, i was at a loss to find anything that seemed to fit "my style." that is, until i came across your recent post on nat the fat rat. 

i'm not sure if you've ever had the feeling of an empty spot on your creativity shelf, but being in columbus, often surrounded by a lack of unique design and fashion, it's been a struggle to find a way to connect my lifestyle with my online loves. you do it so well. hip-hip-hooray! 

i'm still hoping to start a blog to let all my inspiration flow out of me like a sprinkler.  if you're free, i'd love to treat you to a coffee and blog chat. it would be so nice to know how someone got started. 

cheers,
m.


6-15-12
to molly, the girl who gave me a wonderful compliment and whom i'm looking forward to meeting. 

would you be free next thursday by chance? i'm open to locations as i want to be sure you aren't going out of your way or jumping hurdles to find a parking space. 

open to dates. 
open to times.
open to locations.
closed only to tube tops.


6-21-12
thanks, molly. i'm sure i sound incredibly creepy by my confidence in pointing you out from the photos you've posted on your blog. however...i'm confident that i'll be able to point you out from the photos you've posted on your blog. 

see you there!


6-25-12 (post meeting)
both blindly and quickly, i put my hair in a bun on the top of my head. a 3pm ritual, my eyelids became heavy as excel sheets served as a wall between my day and my evening. and then, as i shifted my glasses to the bridge of my nose, i decided that an email to you could serve as my break. i take a sip of cool water from an old panera coffee mug to get me started. and now, i'll let my fingers dance over the keys while i tell you how much of a pleasure it was to have met you. 

i'm sure most people in my life have grown sick of the stories i told them about the night under a green umbrella in grandview. mostly because it was genuinely refreshing to sit with someone who understood what it is i struggle with creatively, and how important it is for people like you, and perhaps like me, to express it. 

to sit.
to sip.
to discuss likes and wants without needing to explain why or what.
it was all so appreciated. truly.

as for progress, i've set up a new email address and tumblr account to house all of my colors, shapes and letters. i'm running with your advice, and not even stopping to be sure my shoes are tied. i hope to spend some time in the next couple of weeks really working on a basic design and text to begin. i work well with deadlines and hope that in a month or so i can finally write to you once again, only this time wearing the "blogger" label. 


9-27-12
to the blogger who was kind enough to remember my birthday,

I'm going on my eighth day of being 27. and before the first of those days neared, i read an article in the 
new york times. what i remember most from the paragraphs of words, was sehnsucht, which translates as "addictive yearning." i read further, and almost like wiping a window covered in steam from the kitchen, something became clear to me.

my unacknowledged desire to want. and my constant reach for something i couldn't find. 

maybe this unacknowledged desire was my longing for tangible aesthetics (clothes, the cross-shoulder leather bag, a patterned rug that was born to live in my short north living room), but perhaps it was a strong desire of a lifestyle that i lacked. the blogs i read (present company's excluded), have stayed alive by breathing photos of beautiful girls in alleyways; of quiet mornings in a parisian coffee shop with the token cappuccino; of friends drinking wine and beer on a brooklyn rooftop that's beautifully urban. all of these images had one thing in common - none of them were my reality. 

i would often begin my mornings with coffee and blogs. by lunch i would think my life was only a shadow of something i truly wanted. was it a bigger city that i longed for? maybe it was simply a candid photo taken of me and sean laughing on a night i wore my signature red lipstick. in any case, i became obsessed with clicking through the most beautiful people on the internet trying to find what i believed would make me feel complete and brave. pretty and purposeful. 

i wasn't happy. i felt lost and unsure. and then, there it was. sehnsucht. 

i would like a place to store my creativity; my words; those photos i flag as inspiration to cook, dress, decorate. although leafing through my google reader is still seemingly routine, i spend little time wanting what someone else has, and enjoying what i already do. for me, it's been a step back from my own crippling thoughts of what should be and welcoming what already is. because of this, i've decided against beginning my own blog. 


not all blogs fall under the sehnsuct umbrella, however. i still flag inspiring posts. without them, how would i know to hang a set of antlers on my wall next to a $3 mirror from a local flea market? how could i have possibly known that neon tennis shoes and the perfect bag was what i craved for weekend strolls (a nod to your most recent post)?

your encouragement has been nothing short of necessary. perhaps you were the nudge i needed to reintroduce myself to writing. over beers and hummus i met someone in columbus ohio who inspires me through her postings and makes me feel like knowing your personal style is not a task, but enjoyment. that living in ol' columbus town is not small, but a welcomed challenged to create your own urban lifestyle.

your style friend, and follower,
m

>>> <<<


Thank you for reading; and allowing me to share something someone that really made me think.  The last email struck such a cord with me.  To be honest, like m, I constantly struggle with comparing myself to others.  I recently had a good friend say something to me about my lack of confidence lately... and when I thought about it, sadly, I think it has a lot to do with reading blogs.  Isn't that horrible?  I think sometimes it's hard to read blogs written by beautiful women, who have beautiful families, who are given clothes and things by sponsors, and who appear to have perfect lives...  and to remember that their lives are not perfect.  And it's hard to not compare yourself or your life to theirs.  Or at least it's hard for me... but I'm trying to stop.  

I named my blog Lovely + Rust for many reasons.  The name represents my love for lovely things... beautiful things, as well as my love for vintage and history.  And the name of my future vintage shop (which is now a reality; although, I'm having a hard time finding time for it).  But, the name was also supposed to represent appreciating the good and the bad in life.  You stumble across that piece at a flea market that is lovely and rusty all at once... and it's perfect because it's imperfect, and it has so much history.  And I think life is a lot like that.  There is beauty in imperfection, and no one has a perfect life.  Sometimes I think we all forget that.  

Thank you, m, for writing such beautiful emails and being so honest.  In asking for my help, you inspired me in turn.  Especially now, when I'm struggling with finding time to blog, it's so nice to know there are people reading and silently pushing me along.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!  

January 16, 2013

BIRTHDAY FISH





Happy Birthday to my amazing husband!  

Today, he works all day and has class all night (boo!), so we celebrated an evening early by going to one of his favorite places for dinner (Surly Girl).  The Mr. ordered one of those meals they serve in a school lunch tray.  Not only do you get a cupcake, but you also get a toy, or some other sort of gadget like the kind in Cracker Jack boxes.  Tonight he got the Fortune Teller Fish...

...and the fish says my hubby is jealous and fickel (lying fish).



Happy Birthday to my funny, intelligent, loyal, thoughtful, talented, handsome husband - Israel.
I love you more than words can say.



January 14, 2013

GIRLS ON BIKES



Free People's January 2013 lookbook - Girls On Bikes -  arrived in our mailbox late last week, and I immediately sat down to study every page.  It is beyond good.  The lookbook was shot in Amsternam by Guy Aroch, and I simply felt transported there.


And it's especially cool while flipping through - to see Ax + Apple jewels on the gals (above right - ax necklace).  Jamie Lyn, you are a rockstar, my friend!

I just want to put on a long flowy dress and be somewhere warm.  Click here to shop the January 2013 Free People collection.  


January 11, 2013

HAPPY WEEKEND

Hello there,  I hope you all had a wonderful week.  My first week at the new job... and I want to thank you in advance for sticking with me until I figure out how to make time for Lovely + Rust!  Blogging is really not something I intend to stop doing, but I am realizing my free time is going to be pretty limited, so I'll do my best to keep this space updated. You can sign up for email updates on the right sidebar, and you will receive an email when I post something new.

Yesterday was my birthday, and I came home to the table set for dinner (cooked by the Mr.) and wine on the table.  He gave me a gift card for an hour long massage, and the sweetest card I've ever received.  I've only had a massage once before, and it was about eight or nine years ago.  Needless to say I'm pretty excited!  

Thanks to all of my friends for the texts, voice messages, and facebook posts... and thank you, Daisy May dog for my picture messages (and thanks to her momma, Nicole!  Photoshop skills of a professional).


I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!
xo

January 9, 2013

DUCK BOOTS




I would love it if you would click here, and head over to Broadway + Thresher to see my post on duck boots!  
I, myself, am trying to decide which pair to get.  I've narrowed it down to three pair of bean boots (L.L. Bean). 

(image via Garance Dore)


January 7, 2013

MUSIC MONDAY with KEITH JENKINS


I'm happy to welcome Keith Jenkins to the blog today.  I was first introduced to Keith & his beautiful wife, Wendy, through a mutual friend (Marni) way back when I lived in Chicago.  If memory serves me right, we were watching Pete Yorn at Taste of Chicago - a giant food festival where you can eat until you're sick, and then sprawl on the lawn and watch live music.  Anyway... when I decided I was moving to Columbus, Marni encouraged us to get together.  Since then, the Mr. and I have enjoyed getting to know Keith & Wendy via music festivals, parties, Clippers games, and more.

I'm not sure why it took so long for me to ask Keith to do a playlist for you, because he is quite the music man!  Over the years, we have enjoyed watching Keith's band - The Moving Parts - play on numerous occasions.  And the Mr. and Keith have even started working on some original songs together.





Thanks, Keith!  You can also click here to listen to his playlist in Spotify.

January 4, 2013

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS


(most of these were borrowed from my parents, and we want to gradually replace them with our own!)

Did you make new year's resolutions?  I don't usually participate in that.  It's not that I think you shouldn't make them, I just don't make them because I break them.  I'm going to start going to the gym?  Ummm... nope.

Over the last fifteen years or so, I've sometimes made a list of life goals for myself - things I want to accomplish that year... lifestyle changes I want to make.  This week I was inspired by Jessica's post,  and this post on Design Sponge, to give resolutions another shot... and try to stick to them.


immediate-ish

- learn to be more confident driving in the snow
- get the rest of the vintage goodies I've found up on the Etsy store
- photograph the rack of clothing I want to sell, and list it on Goodsie
- start reading again (instead of watching so much tv)
- get wedding pictures printed (finally!)

longterm

- continue growing Lovely + Rust
- buy more vinyl records
- be less stressed
- learn to crochet
- try yoga
- start running (in the spring)
- take a trip with the Mr. to NYC, and maybe Nashville

Happy Friday, friends.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Also, if you have anyone you would recommend to be a L+R Style Muse, please send me an email at lovelyandrust(at)gmail(dot)com.

January 3, 2013

TOO MANY TRENDS

These photos were taken about three weeks ago, obvious from the lack of snow... and my lack of coat!  When it comes to my personal style, I suppose you could say I like to look a bit "undone."  I have a weird fear of looking like I'm trying too hard, or an outfit being overly trendy; however, this time I threw caution to the wind, broke my own rule, and wore it all... the hat, the vest, the colored denim.  I'm such a rebel.  (Only... I'm really not because I still think it's too much.)


Hat:  Mint by Goorin (similar)
Vest:  Gap (similar)
Top:  Bailey 44 (similar)
Jeans:  Target
Necklace:  Poor Sparrow

January 2, 2013

FAREWELL TWO THOUSAND AND TWELVE

I meant to post this yesterday, but I just couldn't bring myself to get on my laptop to finish it.  I hope you all had a wonderful NYE and New Year's Day!  We spent yesterday in our pjs... I tried to nap away my champagne hangover while the Mr. played video games.  We rented movies, made two giant chocolate chip cookies for ice-cream sundaes, and ordered our favorite wings for dinner.  It was lazy and wonderful. 


Our year started as it always does, with both of our birthdays in January.  This year we celebrated by taking a trip to NYC to see our friends, Marni + James.  For me, that was followed by a girl's trip to Nashville.  In the fall we had vacation in Portland (with a few days in Seattle), and got to spend quality time with the Mr.'s best friend - Jason (and J's girlfriend - Nikola).

We hosted our first holiday meal, when my family came down to our place for Easter.  We celebrated our first wedding anniversary by camping in my in-laws backyard with all of our closest friends.  Our beautiful niece turned one, and my sister went to Ireland.  Fall brought football, and tickets to OSU games with the Mr. (we had a blast).  My mom, sister and I took a wine trip, and my college roommate joined us!  Good friends got married, others got engaged, and some had babies.

This year also marked some milestones, and brought forth change.  The Mr. graduated from OSU with his master's, and started the PhD program this fall.  Lovely + Rust turned one year old, and I started my Etsy shop.  I left my job of five and a half years (as a boutique manager), and started freelancing as a stylist.  For me, this mostly consisted of traveling to Pittsburgh for American Eagle.  I am so incredibly thankful to my husband for being so supportive while I figured out what my next step was...

Next week I start a position as a full time stylist here in Columbus.  I'm excited to be part of a team again, and look forward to new challenges.  In order to balance my time better... spend time with my husband, try to keep the Etsy shop alive and kicking, etc... I need to spend less hours blogging.  I'm going to cut back the number of posts per week from my typical five, to about three.  Quality over quantity, right?  Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading Lovely + Rust this year.  I do hope you continue with me.

Wishing you a 2013 filled with friends, family, good health, and lots and lots of joy.
xoxo