Lola Dee Giveaway WINNER!

Hello lovelies! I'd like to recap this giveaway by my amazing sponsor Lola Dee. The winner is Emma Rozeveld of Eben Lemon! She followed both of us on bloglovin, added my button, followed through google reader, and also tweeted the post!

Lola will crochet one of these barrettes in heather grey for Emma..

She is also sending her the red circular ring (Emma, that is what you were referring to, right?)

Dear Emma, would you also please add Lola Dee's button to your blogs you love? I'd really appreciate it, and I am sure she would, too!  Congrats!

Thank you to EVERYONE who participated and commented. I am currently working out the details with three more sponsors who are hosting giveaways very soon so check back for more! :) Please don't forget to visit Lola Dee handmade and have a look at her creative shop! Emma, please email your shipping info to Lola at her blog, here. If you have any questions or want more information about sponsoring please email me here!

love, polly

Keep me searchin' for a heart of gold..

My Grandma Kutch let me use her car today for these photos. It was raining and COLD. I had fun, though. When I saw those pictures of Rebecca in the snow blizzard I gasped! They look so brutal for her! I am glad it wasn't like that for me today! I was thinking that these photos are a little unrealistic because OBVIOUSLY I don't walk around in this kind of environment with this outfit. I put my coat on the ground and then suffered through it. I kind of like that idea, though.. suffering for fashion! haha.

The dress was found at Salvation Army Thursday. 

It really is an amazing dress with amazing detail.. it really reminds me of Mod.. I know it's definitely that style... and from looking at the inside and seeing the hand sewing and the label.. it's definitely vintage. 

I got the suitcase at Rebecca's Antiques and added the Vintage Vinyl sticker myself after seeing a Blitzen Trapper show for free there (you can see the video I took here). I really adore that record store.. I get a lot of my records there for 99 cents. I have the sticker all around my room, too!

My mother let me borrow her red leather belt, and she bought me the blue hand made bracelet from North Carolina this year.

The boots were a gift from my Aunt Kate and the tights and hat are from Forever 21. Hope you have a lovely Wednesday!

I want to personally thank everyone for the interest in my blog and the support.. you're all special and good luck to you accomplishing your new goals in the new year to come!

love, polly :D

This is the woman I was named after.

This is my Great Grandma Pauline Lindsey. She is 95 years old. She has a sewing room, she paints EVERYTHING, and she smokes like a fiend. She is one of the biggest inspirations in my life. She is currently suffering through dementia and hallucinations of a handsome old man with a sparkly silver headband.. she says she swears to god that she sees him. She thinks she is over 100. She never remembers me anymore because I am away at school.. this fact makes me very sad. 

Proving that she loves to paint! haha!

I visited her on December 23rd with my mother. She is really an amazing person, and i know these pictures are going to be some of the last ones taken of her. After a while she starts to remember me.. it's sad, really. I used to visit her house every week last year. She gave me so many of her clothes and necklaces to wear.. I am proud to be named after her. 

Here are some pictures of her earlier in her life:

Here she is with her late husband, PJ, who I am also named after.

Here she is (on the right) in June of 1956 with my Grandma Kutch (her daughter).

Here she is in Key Largo on September of 1964. This is one of my favorite pictures of her :)

love, polly :)

inspirational artist: Carl Kleiner

I'm really enjoying these creations on Carl Kleiner's blog! The color tones and the clothes tell such a story. I love them so much! What a creative idea and execution....
love, polly

red & yellow ochre

And so I left Urbana. I packed everything up in my car and headed for Edwardsville. FORTUNATELY when I was ALMOST there... my car literally DIED. Yeah, it started making a rattling noise and it sounded like something was getting ready to fall out of the engine area. After a while, the lights started dying and my steering wheel started becoming harder and harder to turn. It was literally the scariest feeling especially with cars passing me at 70- 80 mph. So now I am stuck without a car. 

haha.. these pictures were obviously taken before my car died.. thank god.

I got the boots as a present from my Aunt Kate. Apparently they were just lying in the back of her closet? They are my first pair of cowboy boots and I have been wanting cowboy boots for a couple years! I always joke that I was just never meant to have them. Then they just appear! 

hat: forever 21

dress: thrifted h&m from Salvation Army

tights: UO 

green socks: vintage, my mother's

coat: vintage, Salvation Army

clutch: vintage, University of Illinois costume & props sale

1905 penny necklace: gift

love, polly 

Red Velvet Art Giveaway! (closed!)

Hello! I was very happy when I checked the mail a couple hours ago! I received a package from the very generous Elsie Flannigan!

She gave me a very sweet card and some cute items from her shop, Red Velvet. I can't wait to incorporate them into my outfits!

I really never thought that my favorite blogger would ever be so sweet and generous. She really is a doll! I can't wait to visit her shop soon!

So, I am sharing the wealth, yes, It's a giveaway!

We decided giving away one item would be fun! (and according to my terms.... she is now officially my sponsor!)

Just leave a comment below telling me your favorite creative activity for an entry to win this Red Velvet promo card and vintage skeleton key necklace!

For extra entries:

1. add my button (10 entries)

2. follow me on bloglovin (5 entries)

3. follow Elsie on bloglovin (5 entries)

4. add Elsie's button (10 entries)

love, polly :)

Vintage bow tie DIY

YOU WILL NEED: 1. your favorite vintage bow tie 2. a large surface to cut on 3. fabric shears and paper scissors 4. one yard of your favorite fabric 5. a sewing machine and thread to match your fabric 6. pins 7. a large sheet of sturdy paper (to make your pattern) 8. a pencil!

1. Place your bow tie on your pattern paper, pin or pushpin it to the paper and trace it with a pencil.

2. Remove your bow tie from the paper and cut out your pattern with your paper scissors!

3. place your pattern on your fabric and pin or pushpin it securely.

4. Cut out your pattern (twice! for both sides of the tie) with your fabric shears.

(you may or may not choose to interface before this step)

5. Place both sides together, and pin. Thread your machine properly and sew along the edges of the bow tie. I secured the pieces with a simple stitch, then went back over the edges with a zig zag stitch (but you don't have to!)

Here's what the bow tie looked like after this step! (after I tied it)

And you can hand sew your own little creative details on if you'd like!

Hope it's not confusing! Sewing is your friend! ;D

Feel free to ask me any questions!

*note* there are many ways to make a bow tie. I wanted to try a shabby chic style for my friend (who I feel like would appreciate this most!) If you want to make a cleaner and more classic bow tie, leave yourself about 5/8 inch of seam allowance on all the edges. Then place the wrong sides of the bow tie together and sew! Use a stick to poke the bowtie inside out and hand sew the remaining hole you used to turn it inside out. Enjoy!

love, polly :)

vintage fabric=new dress construction!

I am making a vintage 1973 dress out of a vintage sheet. I love the details, and the workers in the costume shop told me that the fabric is rare. :D

The instructions actually look pretty easy!

It's the second gray dress! I got the pattern at Salvation Army for .79 cents! Woop woop! This will be the least expensive piece of clothing I have made.

AND just in case you didn't already see it (here or here) my blouse is done! I actually wore it to a friend's birthday party last weekend! :)

love, polly :)

new pen pals!

This one is from Erin, she made the envelope out of floral wrapping paper! :D

I really love getting new pen pals... but I am in the process of moving so I am not sure if giving anyone my current address is such a good idea because it will change in January! If you are interested, email me and we will figure out the best solution! :)
love, polly