Customize it, Baby

It's been a while since I delved into the realm of purposeful bags such as laptop cases, dog carriers, and one of the most difficult to find of all...diaper or "baby" bags.
Anyone who has looked into buying a diaper bag for themselves or a friend knows that the pickings can be slim...either they're utilitarian and boring, designer and outrageously expensive (when my eldest was born Kate Spade was the craze, and considered crazy expensive at about $300. Since then, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Coach and others have joined the baby club) , or in a pattern someone else thought was cute.
The last example, brings us to 1154 Lill Studio, a handbag company that offers custom options for all their bags, and styles suitable for diaper toting...which may be the draw. These are not really diaper bags, but bags that suit the purpose.

The Diana is a typical looking messenger style bag. Here it's shown in the pre-made Brown Utility combination, which caught my eye immediately, but say it;s not your thing. Select the custom option, and select from over 120 fabric choices for the flap, body, and center stripe.
The inside has a large zipper pocket, 2 slots, an open pocket, and a bonus pocket on the outside just under the flap. Plenty of room to store it all. At $160, it is also fabulously priced.


Another style suitable for diaper bagging without screaming it's purpose is the Donna style.


You can't fully appreciate just how large this style is in a photo, but it's plenty big. Shown here in the Birds of a feather fabric with dark brown trim, this bag has a more feminine edge to it. Where the Diana could be created as a unisex or even a daddy diaper bag, this one is just for moms.
There is a large inside zipper pocket that is the length of the bag, and 3 slot pockets, perfect for bottles, wipes, anything. The Diana is $180 either prefab, or custom, and the customizing includes the body, trim, and handles.
Because these are not solely diaper bags, you have to add a diaper pad for $16 to your order. Unfortunately, those are not available in complementary patterns to the bags. On the flip side, once you no longer need it for the baby, both bags move effortlessly into real life, being suitable for carrying the things a diaperless child needs, or even moving on to work since either can hold a laptop as well as other work things.
Free your imagination, and see what designs you can come up with for either of these of the other styles available at 1154 Lill Studio today!

Beyonce

Beyonce on her way to the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics game during the 2008 NBA Playoffs at the TD Banknorth Garden May 14, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that Beyonce looks extremely well put together here but in general, her style choices are hit and miss. She’s one of those celebrities that always look presentable but doesn’t have a discernible style of her own. In any case, she knocked this look out of the park and the goods news is it won’t cost an arm and three leg to recreate. See below for some tips.

Let Me Introduce Hilary Clinton to Clinton Kelly!

You know the problem well, you can't block it from your mind. The low-long-hemmed unbuttoned jacket swinging away from the widest point of ample thighs/hips... Hilary Clinton and her “pantsuits” (more on that ridiculousness later)...

But it never happened, she never got a lifelong-style makeover from the gurus at What Not to Wear. What a picture, the secret footage, exactly like what I described above, the Clinton puns (there must be puns, I say) and... the bra fitting.

And now it's over. Not only might Hilary's political career be over, but she now has no hope of dressing her womanly body as it should. First legitimate female candidate for president of the United States?? Come on, she's not that female. (Her lack of humanity she increasingly displayed not withstanding, itself.)

What NOT to Wear: Old-Lady Pants Suits

What TO Wear: A nice pin-striped menswear suit. Hem cut at the actual hips (think where a baby rests against a woman's side, on occasion).

Clinton - forget flag pins, try on the stripes!

Man vs. Machine

On May 25, Bill Ellison died. Who is Bill Ellison, you ask? He founded Value Village. I mention this because Value Village, Unique Thrift, and the ilk often show up on this blog, in the form of Blog the Blogger responses and in the comments section (see Monday's post, for example). For many shoppers, all thrift/resale stores are the same: a place to find cool stuff at a reasonable price. For those more discerning shoppers, though, there is an important distinction to be made between Goodwill (and Salvation Army) retail stores and the rest: Goodwill is a 501(c)3, a nonprofit; the others are not.

What does this mean, exactly? It means a couple of things. First, it means that all purchases at a Goodwill of Greater Washington retail store go right back into Goodwill's mission, the training and employment of people with disabilities and disadvantages. Whether that's in the form of salaries for retail employees, funding for training programs, or general operating funds, all of the money earned is for Goodwill of Greater Washington and stays right here in the D.C. community.

Contrast that with Value Village, whose Nonprofit Alliance program pays only a portion of their revenue to a multiplicity of charities, not necessarily located in the community where there stores are located. Or with Unique Thrift, whose charity program pays nonprofits for their used merchandise, then turns around and sells it at a higher cost in their retail stores. Alternatively, if you donate directly to these types of retailers, they donate a set cost to nonprofits (as little as 10 cents, for example) for every pound of merchandise you drop off, meaning that your charitable tax deduction is significantly lower, as well as your overall contribution to charity. While both companies certainly are giving back to selected nonprofits, you never quite know where your money's going when you shop with them.

Even more problematic are so-called charitable donation boxes that are often found in supermarket and gas station parking lots. Dropping off your gently used merchandise in these types of boxes often means that you're supporting a for-profit enterprise.

The box to the left, for example looks completely legitimate and leads you to believe your donations are supporting the prevention of drug abuse, possibly by the police and school system or maybe by D.A.R.E. Reading the fine prints on the sign to the right, however, (see the close-up below) reveals that it's "Not represented as a charitable solicitation, all proceeds go to the unit owner," which means you're not making any charitable donation at all.

And in cases where the boxes might have a .org web address listed on the side, often as little as 1% of the proceeds from your donations are actually going to charitable causes. The rest are sold off in bulk as pure profit for the organization, who has done nothing other than plunk the box down in that location for your convenience.

So what's a responsible resale and thrift store consumer to do? First, know that any purchase at these types of stores is an environmentally responsible one. Buying second-hand not only makes financial sense, but contributes to a huge system of clothing and household goods recycling. Good for you!

Second, be informed. All of these stores and nearly every donation drop box have websites that clearly detail the retailers relationship to nonprofits. And if the retailer is a nonprofit, check out their 990 tax forms to see where the money's coming from and where it's going. Sites like GuideStar provide reports and other information on thousands of nonprofits for free.

Third, don't be afraid to talk to the sales associates and managers at these stores. If you have questions, find out who can give you the answers. That's not to say that every cashier will know the organizational workings of his or her place of employment, but they should be able to direct you to someone who does. Knowledge is power, right?

Right on. Thanks for letting me share this with you today, dear readers. I know we all have our favorite resale and thrift stores and it's great to swap stories and trade tips on this blog. I like that! Just know that any purchase made at a Goodwill Retail Store, on the DC Goodwill eBay store, or on shopgoodwill.org funds Goodwill's mission of training and employment for people with disabilities and disadvantages. And I love that!

Goodwill’s fashion blog provides detailed knowledge and insight on vintage and contemporary clothing and accessories that are valuable to fashion shoppers. The facts and opinions shared present readers with entertaining, exciting and value based information on vintage and contemporary fashion and shopping trends.

Etsy - Crafts come in all sizes

So I am obsessed, and I mean OBSESSED, with this site I found called Etsy.com which is kind of like the craft fair of the internet. Anyone who makes anything - from paintings to scarves to pottery to jewelry can sell it through this site. The best part is, there are so many beautiful, interesting things to see and shop for. I haven't bought anything yet, but it's just because I am afraid once I start, I won't be able to stop. Oh, and did I mention in the clothing area you can sometimes find plus size stuff??? Here are some of the coolest things on Etsy this week:




Left: Cameo Print Panties, up to size 3X, $8.00
Middle: Love Note Necklace, $16.00
Right: Black & White Pleated Bag, $45

Go support fun indie artists!

Memorial Day Weekend

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! It's big deal in Jersey because it's the official start of Summer here! and I'm at the shore for the weekend.
On Friday we went to an antique dealer's pole barn to see a china cupboard. We didn't buy the cupboard, but I nosed around and spotted this cool old wicker desk. I also went through a few bags of textiles and got some slips, smalls and this cool vintage beach towel -
The desk has already been scrubbed, stained and squeezed into the cottage here, with my laptop on top and the sewing machine tucked underneath, waiting for me to use it to sew all those dresses that I promised it I would be sewing. I put the towl over the cedar chest that's in the kitchen. Yeah, there's a cedar chest in the kitchen. There's no storage here, so I need the chest and there's just nowhere else to put it.



Here's the wall in the livingroom of the cottage. Decorated with framed vintage images that I copied, and a hatbox that I hung on the wall with a hat on top.



Two more hatboxes hung with the tops open and my mermaid dolls stuck inside of them. I thought this was a pretty clever idea!




OK, I ended up buying anoher vintage cover for my sofa cushions. I am happy with the final results.



Finally, I looooooove the way my table looks in the kitchen. I still have to paint two of the chairs and the white underneath of the table. Plus I am going to pinstripe the chairs. I keep looking in there and loving it. But now, the carpet in there looks crappy next to the pretty table. The floor will be a project for next year, because I don't have the time now that Summer has started (or the money)

walking on sunshine

The office building outside my window says that it is 4° in Toronto- a bright, glorious heatwave compared to what it's been like these past months, and the first time I've been able to wear open toed shoes without knit stockings. Next week I'll be in NY where it is three times as warm. Time to break out the sundresses. Hurrah for spring!

The YSL Tribute sandals above were spotted leaving a Giambattista Valli show. I'm not crazy about the Tributes, simply because they seemed to be attached to every third body at Paris Fashion Week, but as for Signore Valli, I wouldn't mind having his fierce sandals in my wardrobe this summer...

A little risky in the death department (particularly if you have a ceiling fan, though I acquire more injuries from head-butting doorframes and falling down stairs), but very pretty.

P.S. They look similar to this Gucci design from 2006, don't they?
La Coquette wrote about her experiences walking on these and other killer heels for Chicago Magazine a while back...