An Interview with Charlotte Clothier!

What is your full name and where are you from? 
Charlotte Clothier and I'm from South Wales.

What were your favorite things as a child?
Dolls, cream soda, glazed cherries, doll houses, fairy gardens, flowers, I used to eat pansies!

Do you have any favorite memories from your childhood that still inspire you today?

The 1950's/1960's really inspire me, and things like ice cream sundaes and floral prints come from my childhood memories. I shall never grow up!

What are your favorite films?

Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Virgin Suicides, Lolita and Marie Antoinette, oh and also The Dreamers.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of blogging and fashion? 

Making things, decorating shoes with tiny paper roses, reading a book on the grass, walks and adventures, I love discovering little paradises that I can escape from sometimes and forget reality exists.

Where do you love to shop? Do you bargain shop?

I love thrift stores and I mainly work with companies at the moment and they send me clothing. I haven't spent my own money on clothes in ages, or even been shopping.

What are your favorite color schemes? 

Pastels, autumn colours like oranges, reds, burgundies, light pinks, creams, beiges, and nudes.

Tell us more about your childhood?

 It's quite a sensitive subject for me, it wasn't completely normal in my family but I forgot about all the negative things and escaped into my own world with the pixies and fairies at the bottom on the forest. I loved to run through streams, catch butterflies and eat sticky sweet ice creams.

What is your favorite brand of lipstick? 
Rimmel.

Who is your style icon?
Lana Del Rey.

How do you feel blogging has affected your personal life? 

It has really given me a passion and a reason to express my love of stories, and anything that inspires me through fashion, I never knew it could get so big like this and I am terrified and yet excited to see what else it has in store for me. x

Thank you for the interview, Charlotte! You are a magical lady and I am so happy to make your acquaintance. Visit Charlotte Clothier's blog!

love, polly

A new painting finished!

Finally I am able to say that this painting is finished! I am so excited to share it with you! It's a multimedia painting.. and I used dried spray painted hydrangea flowers, wool yarn, watercolor, oil paint, and also acrylic paint. I can't wait to share the other paintings I've been working on, too! :)

What do you like to create in your spare time?

love, polly :)

Four Winds

Whenever I'm feeling blue, turning on Bright Eyes always helps. I feel alive and okay even if it's only for a moment. Summer is slowly giving way and I'm tuning in to some nostalgic feelings. It's so hard to even be outside in this overbearing heat without getting drenched in sweat... but I somehow managed to dawn this 1950's dress my friend Rissy gifted to me a couple of months ago. She knows me too well :) Thanks so much, Rissy!

Thanks so much to my friend Marie from MarjaLovely for sending me this bow! It's made with love and it's my absolute favorite color!

outfit details: vintage 1980's pink booties: Avalon Exchange in St. Louis

1950's yellow embroidered dress: gift from Rissy

Purse: My Great Grandma Frisina's

hand made yellow ochre bow: c/o Marjalovely

1950's beaded collar: Lisa's Antique Mall

p.s. please vote for this post on Teen Vogue by clicking the heart next to my photo! You don't have to be signed in! Thank you! :)

love, polly

A re-cap of my Spring collection for Paulie Antiques

This past Spring I worked so hard designing and sewing ten pieces of clothing for the College Fashion Week Runway show. I also decorated all of the College Fashion Week events throughout the whole week... including the fashion show. It's one of the most exhilarating feelings in the world and I can't wait to make even more clothing and have many more fashion shows. I got to know my models even better and I cherish the time we spent together in fittings and at the show. They were all a dream. Here are the photos of my models from the fashion show minus Ben Barber. I will surely photograph him soon when he comes back to Urbana :) XO!

See the rest of the shoot with Jessie here

(I hand made her skirt and top with vintage and recycled fabric found thrifting)

See the rest of the shoot with Ali

(I hand made her skirt and top with vintage and recycled fabric found thrifting and also found at JoAnn's)

See the rest of the shoot with Hannah

(I hand made her skirt and top with fabric found at Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's)

See the rest of the photos with Nico

(I hand made his bow tie with thrifted vintage fabric and styled the suitcase with my photographs)

See the rest of the shoot with Mercedes

(I hand made her skirt and top with vintage and recycled fabric found thrifting)

It's such a magical experience to be part of a fashion show... if you'd like to see pictures from the runway, here they are!

love, polly

Suitcase Sunday!

Here is a view of my suitcase before I went home a few weeks ago. I love packing. I always manage to over-pack, though. Do you over pack or under pack? I am interested to know. XO!!!

floral bag c/o Cloth Magpie.

HAPPY SUITCASE SUNDAY!

love, polly :)

Moonrise Kingdom!

If you don't know already.... I am a huge Wes Anderson supporter and I've seen every movie he made. I have big dreams of working with him one day! It was my second time seeing it because when I visited Chicago a couple weeks previously I just had to see it (It wasn't playing in Urbana for at least two more weeks when I saw it... magical!) Anyway... it was wonderful to see it in the Art Theater in downtown Champaign and I really felt like everyone there appreciated it and laughed a lot more than in the commercial theater I went to the first time. I'd love to see it one more time before it stops playing in theaters.... any takers? :)

Polly's outfit: dress thrifted from Avalon Exchange in St. Louis

belt- thrifted at Goodwill in St. Louis

Lime earrings- Available at Paulie Antiques

clutch- c/o Costa Chic

p.s. if you like this outfit, please vote on Teen Vogue! Thank you!

love, polly

on using scarves as tops...

I've been looping Lou Reed on my computer and in my car for about a week now... I just can't get enough of him! Isn't his music fantastic? I could listen all day. 

I've really been wearing long scarves as tops A LOT lately... First off, it's hotter than ever here in northern Illinois. Second... you don't have to worry about wearing any kind of annoying understructure. Of course, this may pose a problem for some, but if you're the right size for the scarf you chose... I think you'll understand what I am talking about! Just make sure not to tie it too lose or too tight... you need to protect yourself from unexpected mishaps leading to embarrassment! XO

Outfit details: booties- Jeffrey Campbell via Free People

skirt- I made for the Spring 2012 Paulie Antiques fashion show!

top- my mother's vintage scarf tied in a bow

hat- vintage, 1980's, Goodwill

Sunglasses- borrowed

You can also see this trend in the newest photoshoot I styled from Paulie Antiques where the Wentworth sisters are both wearing scarves for tops!

P.S. You can also vote for this post by clicking the heart on the Teen Vogue Fashion Click blog.. you don't have to be signed in. Thank you for your support!!

love, polly

Happy 4th of July!

I've been having a great time with family for the fourth and I couldn't be happier to be around the people I love.

My mom and the cake she made! (she also made that headband and top she's wearing.. she's so cute)

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! Are you excited to watch the fireworks tonight? I am!! I hope yours aren't cancelled........

love, polly

Allegra & Elena Wentworth for Paulie Antiques!

Last week the beautiful Allegra and Elena Wentworth were kind enough to do a photo shoot with Nathan Adhikari and I. We brought so many props from my room that I thought I was going to faint! Luckily it was all worth it and they had a magical couple of hours while modeling. Here are the results of another vintage lookbook for Paulie Antiques........................

German tea cups and saucers from the 1950's that used to reside in my Grandma Kutch's antique store!

Allegra and some fresh hydrangeas we picked that day.

Allegra's outfit: Her own red sun hat- Carrie's Antiques

My Mother's vintage scarf as a top

A coral skirt I thrifted at Goodwill

Vintage 1980's heels soon to be in the shop!

pepper earrings I purchased from Carrie's Antiques

her own golden bangle necklace

orange nail polish I purchased from Loreal

Elena's outfit: orange nail polish I purchased from Loreal

My Mother's vintage pink scarf as a top

A blue and black checked skirt I thrifted from Goodwill

A pink flower ring I purchased from etsy

vintage 1980's pastel pink heels soon available in the shop!

A teal and silver vintage bracelet I purchased at Rebecca's Antiques in Taylorville, IL

Lime slice earrings, made by me, available in my shop.

XO!

A few behind the scenes photos:

Me and the girls looking through some of the photos from that day.

My hands decorating Elena's hair with hydrangea flowers....

(and the video I made!)

I'm wearing: A crop top I made for the Spring 2012 Paulie Antiques fashion show

a skirt I thrifted

my favorite vintage locket from Salvation Army

All photos taken by my very talented friend Nathan Adhikari!

love, polly

NOW DID I JUST FIND A CUTE SHOE, OR DID I JUST FIND A CUTE SHOE?

I need to have at least 12,000 more pairs of shoes. Don't you think?

I love these so much... but alas, the only clues to the designer is from here. SAD.
Title in leu of Sarah Hyland.

love, polly