you say this was a skating rink?

According to my sources (ie, my mother), in The Past at Lancaster's Park City Center, which we usually refer to as "the mall", there was a roller-skating rink. I find this hard to believe, but she claims that before there was Kohls, a wooden-floored rink ruled the area next to the food court. Astounding!
And, as promised, some '70s photos of this very mall:
these photos are not mine, I

found them at Malls of America.


I think these pictures are very cool- finding little pieces of one's area's history can be interesting. I've never even heard of either shop in the picture to the left!

where i'd go

If I could go anywhere, right now, I would go to the mid-west of the U.S. We were discussing over dinner last night the appeal of hills versus plains. As a born-and-bred hill girl, I had to branch out and proclaim my love for all flat states.
Thanks to Google Images, I did some browsing around and found some beautiful pictures that deepen my sentiments.

picture from here

I was inspired by other blogs that I read, two of which have mentioned their inspiration from landscapes and backgrounds and settings. Liebemarlene Vin posted amazing pictures of Georgia, and My Favorite Color is Shiny had images from a movie. Another place inspiring? Gorgeous Ireland. I would love the opportunity to go there...

picture from here picture from here


Later on, tomorrow, I will post some exciting pictures I have found! They are of my very own hometown, and these pictures just make want to travel in time. Ta-ta for now!

who wore what where

Twenty-thousand people wore super cool festival clothes to Grassroots, 2010! And I, as usual, was there. This year was the 20th annual festival, and I believe the 9th time I've gone! The 10th, for my parents; they left us at home one year.

longtime Grassroots compatriot, Leah, and myself on the right

My mother, sadly, consistently left the camera back at the bed-and-breakfast (the parents, again, claiming their age deters them from camping), so I got no pictures of my own. Luckily, little sister Katie had her camera along and used it till the batteries died on Sunday. All photo credits and rights go to her. If you or someone you know wants me to remove one of these photos for a legitimate reason, just lemme know.

me on the moon!

best hair of the year winner

cool

Our project of fun this year was to get a load of people to paint there hands and stick 'em on my older sister's only white t-shirt. Excellent. Notice the dinosaur prints near the top...

This guy on the right had a really good plan to stay dry in the torrential downpours we had: just wear scrubs. They're like his full body poncho!

the Grassroot's spirit is embodied in one man's orange rain poncho.

that time of year

It's festival season, it's festival season! I never did understand why having festivals in the summer is the norm, because it's seriously SO HOT all the time. Fall or spring would be just as good! Plus, fewer thunderstorms to worry about. When I pack for festivals, I tend to go overboard. If I have to camp, then it's not as difficult, but if I know it'll be easy to go back to a cabin/house and change, then I bring three times as many clothes! The basics that I always bring, I shall list below:

My Essential Festival Clothes

• Short shorts!
• Denim cutoffs
• Tank tops (with lots of fun details or pictures, as this is the easiest way to be creative with summer clothes)
  
• Flip-flops
• Birkenstocks!!
• Headbands/Bandannas
• Hair-ties (a LOT of hair-ties)
• Sweatshirt (hey, it could get cold.. you never know)
• Frisbee
• ...and a really big bag
  

Mostly, festivals are about music and people-watching for me. But if you don't wear killer outfits, what will the other people-watchers have to watch?
I'll make sure to post any good festival fashion pictures I take this summer as soon as possible!

and now I understand

...why people wear designer clothes. And why they are so lusted after. Because today, as soon as I pulled that Ralph Lauren skirt on, I was completely and utterly lost to the world of designer clothing. It not only looks beautiful and so totally normal, it fits like a dream, and the sewing is gorgeous. 'Perfection' is too weak a word! This could just be a beginner's mind speaking, but this thing is amazing. I've had other wool skirts similar to this, but I guess I just had no idea that someone out there actually made clothes that fit and were lovely.

excuse the semi-crap pictures- I had to go with cell-phone-quality today
gorge-y porge-y skirt-y skirt.

Sickness

From Reese's Pieces? From the heat? WHO KNOWS, but I am not feeling well at all. Sort of a tummy thing, sort of a headache-every-time-I-stand-up thing, so it's great. BUT exciting skirt news! My parents went out to get the NY Times, as our Sundays demand, and took two hours to do it- but I didn't know they were stopping by good ol' GoodWill, and my mother was finding me a (!!!!!) RALPH LAUREN SKIRT. She did not buy the strapless, leather-esque, Guiliani or something dress, which was around $20. No idea how much the skirt cost, I didn't ask! I might have to go back for the dress, but I haven't got any money at the mo'. Oh, well. I'll post pics of the skirt as soon as it's cool enough to wear it (it being made of wool and an above-the-knee length)!

Yarn Shop

Today, I'm in Kitchen Kettle Village with my mother, who owns a yarn shop at this lovely little tourist destination in ye ol' Amish country, Lancaster, PA!

(look, Amish!! /points randomly at sights while slowing down on the highway...
pic from here)

The shop is fittingly called Lancaster Yarn Shop, and I get to hang out and help people choose yarn, unpack boxes of really pretty softies and lovies of yarn, and blog. My choice retail outfit includes: pinkish/purple tank, jean shorts (not cutoffs, I promise), my Converse, and a funky Eddie Bauer wool vest thing. The look is oddly leaning towards the 50s era.
There were some anxious moments over our FedEx-ed boxes today! There were two mistakes in the yarn we got, and this was the order the company had almost lost, but the yarn is all really beautiful. If only I could ever finish anything! I've been trying to make a cowl, but before I get to the fun parts I have to knit what is essentially a 46 inch scarf (!!!!!). That's pretty darn long, in my book. I found the pattern on Ravelry, but it's on Scribd here, and it's free!

And speaking of books! On Etsy, I found this book, the same book I got out of the library before, called simply How to Design Your Own Clothes and Make Your Own Patterns, by Claudia Ein.

(Photo from Amazon)

It is a great book, and I might have to buy it. Really well priced, too! Unfortunately, like most/all of the books on sewing that I have, it bases its pattern construction off of patterns you already have or buy, which you use as a master pattern. Sigh. One day I hope to find one about pattern-making that explains all the fundamentals. I'll just have to take a class! SCAD was recently recommended to me, and I'm going to include that in my list of fashion schools to investigate.

Be sure to check out my mom's blog, Lancaster Yarn Shop!

Wedges

Favorite One, for what I think is a good price.

£40.00...no idea! ASOS REGAN Gilly Lace Up Wedge Shoes, I believe.

Today is a going insane day! I finally got the new

innertube for my (vintage) bike, get to go to the
dentist (oh woopie) and I am officially obsessed
with wedges.
I've been hunting the internet for a
good, affordable pair, and so far, Asos has some
pretty good prospects. My little sandals for the day
are falling apart, which is sad, and I really am in
desperate need of some good ol' shoe shopping to
cheer me up. To bad i haven't got any money! Although
I think I can get some of my money for school clothes
to be lent for this dire need...and if the world hears this
cry for shoes, help me find some good deals!




These ones, the "Opening Ceremony" wedge from Asos, are what I would buy if I were super duper rich.

Books!

It's finally here! My dad ordered some books from Amazon.com last week, all three for me! I got two books that I have to read for school (ick), AND...the TeenVogue Handbook! Super excited. I love it already, and it so is worth having. Plus, Amazon has great prices. It comes highly recommended by me. I'll post more about the things I read in it's secret pages (!) as I work my way through it. Already I am so inspired by the designers they interviewed (including my all-time fave, Mr. Marc Jacobs).

Contest Photos

I always got so annoyed at bloggers for not posting, but now I know why they take so long to get it done! Who knew I was so busy? Anyway, I had my sister take some photos for me yesterday, which I submitted to TeenVogue for one contest and Chictopia for another.TeenVogue Contest: 2nd Hand shorts, Thrift Store dress, Goodwill shoes, Random plastic glasses

Chictopia Contest:
H&M tube top, Handmade shorts, Thrift Store shoes, 2nd Hand bag

First Post

Hi! This is my attempt at a fashion blog- I read so many, I figured I'd give it a go. This outfit is one I put together a few days ago for a contest in TeenVogue, but I'll be retaking the pictures so the power lines don't go through my head!

Blouse: H&M

Shoes: Goodwill

Skirt: Thrifted
Dress: Salvation Army
Pins: (M) Thrifted, Mr. Rogers- Mommalicious