The Valentine

Instead of Christmas cards, Kyle and I decided to send out Valentines to everyone this year. And because we majored in theatre and I like to be silly, we did a little film noir-style photo shoot. I had so much looking up old movie posters to imitate. Here are a few of my favorite shots.

 

We chose the second one to mail out to our family and friends.

I hope we can make this a new February tradition. It was really fun to put together.

Whether you’re single, attached, or anything in between, Happy Valentine’s Day! We love you!

elizabeth and kyle

Girl Confessions: Link-Up

 

These are cleansing for me.

1. My dad leant me his vintage Asahi Pentax camera (actually all Asahi Pentax cameras might be vintage now…not sure about that). Super excited to learn how to shoot properly with film. It’s been years since I’ve used 36 mm. Film is more expensive to develop now so I’ll have to be more sparing with my photography but I’m excited to try a new kind of medium.

2.I am straight-up addicted to Caribou Coffee. I can’t explain it except that after about half a cup of this roast and I get insanely happy and energetic. Call it a crutch. Call it crack cocaine. #soworthit

3. I am finally doing the deep cleaning I have been longing for. That means de-cluttering the closets, completely re-doing the file cabinet, and re-imagining the office space/guest room. Pictures to come!

4. I love cooking but I seriously hate doing the dishes. And this makes me not want to cook. How sad is that?

5. My friend and neighbor Melissa moved to South Carolina last week and every time I walk downstairs and don’t see her car parked next to mine or her twinkle lights in the window, I get sad all over again. Bah.

6. I’ve pretty much had to put a moratorium on watching or reading the news. I grew up in Aurora, Colorado and I’ve had a permanent stomachache since Friday morning when we first heard about the shooting. I can’t fathom it. And I don’t want to go to the movies for a long, long time. I just don’t feel like it.

7. The Cupcake Project is one of my favorite places on the internet. And soon…these Jasmine Cupcakes with Raspberry and Honey will be mine. Oh, yes. I even found the much sought after raspberry vinegar the recipe calls for. Boom.

Feel like sharing your confessions? Link up below! No rules…just share your list. The link up will be open until July 30th.

 

 

love, elizabeth

Thrifty Outfit Post

I had so much fun doing the last thrifted outfit post I thought I’d try another one today. Mostly because it feels like every time I open a magazine, I see something like this or this. And I don’t know about you but for me, a $78 tank top is not a “steal.” Not only is thrifting a great way of reducing our carbon footprint by reusing instead of throwing away, but it allows you so much creativity and freedom. And this has fueled my long-time love affair with the second-hand store.

In addition to my super-trendy clothes, I would like to point out the picturesque photo-shoot location complete with the breathtaking view of the dumpster. Super sexy. Thanks for noticing. Also…anyone else think there are a LOT of hyphens in this post?

Dress: Volunteers of America Thrift Store, $3.99

Cardigan: Charlotte Russe, clearance, $6.99

Vintage Boots: Flea market, $10

Bracelets: Funky Jewelry, $1 each

Knit flower: gift

 

Thrifting tip of the week: Second-hand sizing can be tricky for a couple reasons a) a variety of brands and b) after a few washes, our clothes tend to shrink up or stretch out. Many of the bigger thrift stores have dressing rooms so take advantage and be open to a broader range of sizes than normal. Wear leggings and tank tops for non-dressing room try-on’s.

Share your thrift store tips below!

love, elizabeth

Buddy Holly, My Vintage Suitcase

I’m going to be taking a couple trips in the next few months and I found this old guy languishing in the corner of the Volunteers of America Thrift Store here in Columbus and I brought him home for a whopping $4.95.

 

I did some research online and here are his specs…

Samsonite, Shwayder Bros, Denver, Colorado, Suitcase Model 4551, Ivory Marble, circa 1950’s (definitely no later than 1965 since the Shwayder Bros. officially changed their name to Samsonite in 1966). He had a pink airline sticker on the handle from a previous trip to Hawaii but based on his condition, I think he’s seen a whole bunch of the world. This model is running for somewhere between $30 and $60 online so I think this was definitely a score…

I’ve named him Buddy Holly. If anyone thinks it’s creepy that I named my suitcase after a rockstar who died in a plane crash…you should keep in mind that it’s creepy to name your suitcase period. And if you don’t know why Buddy Holly (the hipster before there were hipsters) is an awesome name for a suitcase from the 1950’s, you haven’t seen this.

 

I took some cleaning solution and a rag and scrubbed the grim off.

 

BEFORE

AFTER

 

BEFORE

AFTER

 

And Madigan decided to do some modeling.

 

Where are we going, Mom? More importantly, does this suitcase make me look fat? 

 

What do you think? With his sparkling clean handles, I’m kind of crushing on Buddy Holly now. What about you? Do you like your luggage? Have you purchased anything secondhand recently?

love, elizabeth

Vintage Giveaway

So excited to share this one with all of you!

This month I’m giving away a set of vintage Fisba Stoffels handkerchiefs, new and still in their original packaging. Fisba Stoffels was a well-known Swiss scarf and handkerchief manufacturer and their pieces are now sold in vintage stores. I don’t have a date for these but I can estimate they are at least forty years old.

I think they would be fun to display in a bathroom or on a dressing table but they would also make a lovely Christmas gift!

So here are four ways you can enter to win…(leave a separate comment for each)

Be a follower of Love is the Adventure through Google Friend Connect (only mandatory entry)

Tweet about the giveaway and include a link to this post

Mention this giveaway in a blog post

Like Love is the Adventure on Facebook

 

The winner will be announced next Wednesday!

Let me know…anything awesome in blog world that I should really be checking out?

love, elizabeth

Office Re-Do

Well, all I have to say is, FINALLY. To be honest, I have been in a major blogger’s funk for the last few days. Or maybe just a general funk. I feel like I’ve been stuck in the middle of my office for centuries. But at last, it is DONE. I’m sure I’ll find plenty of things to change later but I’m excited to have a clean, neat space to study and work in for the fall!

I can’t even begin to describe to you the blood, sweat, tears, and threats of banishment to the couch that went into hanging these shelves. If there was any project that has ever PROVED how not perfect our communication skills are, well…this was it. I think, mostly, Kyle has learned how impatient and demanding I am (ie. ‘those shelves are NOT straight…is the level not working?’) and I have learned…how impatient and demanding I am. But our marriage survived the hanging of these shelves and that might be called a small miracle. Thank you, Kyle, for loving me enough to hang them. Again. And again. And again. (Oh, yeah…and those two pictures are my awesome CAPow! prints from the giveaway over at Story of My Life…and I love them like they’re my children.)

My accidental collection of antique thimbles.

My accidental collection of buttons.

Just have to point out that the Dominique Appia print, Between the Gasps of Memory, hanging over my desk was given to me by Sarah in the 9th grade and it’s still my favorite.

Re-purposing is one of my favorite decorating tools. The envelope organizer is actually an old shoe polish box. You can see the slots where the shoe was hung to shine.

I found this sweet old guy languishing in a thrift store a couple weeks ago for $8.98. Someone left their DVR remote in his cushions but he’s still in great shape.This was supposed to be my recliner but Madigan has claimed it. She really likes to eat her breakfast here or sit and judge me for my lack of motivation. Either one.

Kyle and I have a big map of the United States on the wall and we’ve been trying to keep track of all the places we’ve visited together.

Some of my favorite bulletin board artwork.

And this is my favorite picture of Kyle of all time. I took it in Steamboat Springs in the summer of 2005. The summer we fell in love. Can you see it in his eyes? I can.

 

So…I feel like I’ve been not-blogging for forever (or two days, whatever). What have I missed? What are YOU doing this week?

love, elizabeth

Humble Abode: The Charity of Chairs

So I personally think buying upholstered furniture secondhand can be icky. Especially at the thriftstore/garage sale level. Juice stains and pet stains and food stains and (the worst) unexplained stains. Rips, potential critters, unknown materials, and odors.

So imagine my surprise when I found this clean, stainless, odorless upholstered chair with a lovely floral print (probably circa 1974) in the corner of a Goodwill in Columbus, Ohio. Actually, I take that back. I didn't find it. My best friend Beth did and pointed it out as a joke. I think she was secretly dismayed when I insisted on buying it.

Now I have been searching online for anything comparable to this chair and I can't find anything for less than $170. This gem? $15. Side note: The magazine on the table (pictured below) is the June 1932 issue of The Stage, published by the Theatre Guild (purchased at a theatre book sale for 50 cents).



Bonus? Super comfortable. Madigan loves it.



Here's a close-up view of the fabric and pattern. I apologize for the poor lighting. I'm waiting anxiously for a new camera this Christmas.


Nothing like the perfect chair to curl up in at night for a little light reading of, oh, say, Plato's Republic.

Humble Abode: The Thrift Store Aesthetic

Ever open a magazine and see a gorgeous high-wingback chair or a beautiful table setting and, after completely falling in love with it, catch sight of the tiny little letter of a pricetag that isn't so tiny? Yeah. Me, too. So I find myself memorizing images from magazines and making a mental shopping list for the next time I'm "junking."

Vintage is a sneaky, manipulative word. It's the materialist's nicest of way of saying "used." And it makes buying "used" things seem hip and progressive, rather than trashy and cheap. But the biggest difference between the word "vintage" and the word "second-hand" is in the number of zeros before the decimal point. And you know what bugs me most about "vintage" items? That Fiestaware is just an opinion away from a Goodwill bin. Seriously. That "buyer" who works for the vintage boutique paws through piles of junk to find things that are truly worthy of the label "vintage." So you know what? I'm doing it, too. These "Humble Abode" posts are going to highlight the vintage things in my home. You know why they're vintage? Because I got them secondhand. That's the only qualification. Some things are from thrift stores and garage sales, some have been passed down from my mother and my grandmother, some things were even rescued off the trash heap!

In our entire apartment, I can only legitimately think of three pieces of furniture purchased new. The sofa, an armchair, and an end table (already falling apart, I might add). Everything else is on its second, third, or fourth reincarnation.

I'm excited to share some of them with you!

I love to hunt for dishes. Here's the table set for dinner tonight.

One of my favorite things is to mix old and new dinnerware. So we have the silverware and white square plates that were wedding gifts, the red quilted placemats from my mother's dining room, the green and purple plates from Goodwill, embroidered linen napkins that belonged to my great-grandmother, and copper napkin rings my parents received as a wedding gift.

The green plates and purple dessert dishes were 59 cents a piece at the thrift store and stacked randomly on different shelves. If you can't tell, I'm a fan of the jewel tones. I managed to put a set together after digging through for awhile. Total: $4.72.


Anyone have a favorite set of dishes or tableware that they either use everyday or save for special occasions?