"I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be."

Thrifted skirt, cardigan, top & shoes; vintage poodle brooch from Etsy

I've worn a (kind of) variation of this outfit before: stripey shirt, red skirt, some sort of bright blue. It's just so darn cheery.

Lately I've been reading a ton-- I Was A Teenage Fairy by Francesca Lia Block, Bowie: A Biography by Mark Spitz, and Cynthia Lennon's memoir John are a few recent additions to my "Read" shelf on Goodreads. Also, I'll admit (although it's a bit embarrassing): I just read The Virgin Suicides for the first time. I know, I know! It's silly that it took me so long to get around to it; I've watched the movie a zillion times and absolutely adored Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. Of course it was just as lovely as I expected.

I have a stack of to-read books on my coffee table because I haven't been able to decide what to read next-- I seemed to be flitting about, uninterested in anything. But J.D. Salinger died this week, and I think now is the perfect time to reread Franny & Zooey and The Catcher in the Rye. Not that you should wait for a great author to die before rereading his work, obviously, but it certainly helped me make up my mind.

YA author John Green reading from The Catcher in the Rye:

Craft love!

I think it's time for another Pansy Lane Craft Project (also known as gluing things onto other things). I think I'm cheating a bit since I actually made these about two years ago. But it's new to you!

I have a bit of a jewelry obsession. More accurately, a weirdo-plastic-random Etsy jewelry obsession. During my last year of undergrad I bought a small lot of vintage charms and glued them onto pinbacks. Ta-dah! I usually wear them on a cardigan in little clusters. Wearing one at a time just can't be done.

There are all kinds of weird little things-- my favorites are the white mouse and baby deer. There's also an owl, clown, shamrock/horseshoe, Liberty Bell, and a purple guy in a turban that reminds me of Jambi (Mekka lekka hi mekka hiney ho!). The thumbs up (or down) is awesome for when I'm in the mood to pay a tribute to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I keep them all in this neat little thrifted wooden unicorn box.

In other news, I've been feeling so blah and uninspired lately. I blame January.

New in the shop..

I'm ridiculously excited about this week's shop update.

A little Mad Men suit, sailor-inspired dress, cream wool coat, and a sweet little teal button up dress-- yay! (Also, boots!)

Plus, the January 20% off sale is still going strong. ♥

Winter accessory issues & giveaway winner!

First: The winner for my Latico Leathers Scarlet Framed Clutch giveaway is number 15: Kelley Anne from Kaleidoscopic Refrains! Congrats to Kelley and a big thank you to everyone who entered!!

Vintage dress from when we were young, F21 cardigan and scarf, random thrifted belt, Target tights and thrifted boots

This outfit feels much more fall-ish than wintery, but oh well. Lately it's been unusually cold in the south (as lots of you are aware!) and I've discovered that I have an issue with super-cold weather clothes. In theory they're wonderful; hats and scarves and gloves and big coats. But when it's actually twenty degrees out and I have to leave the house in the morning, I seem to panic and forget everything! It's not for lack of ownership either, I have lots of gloves and scarves. I just forget to wear them. I think I have the mindset of, "Oh it couldn't possibly be cold enough for gloves," even though it has definitely been cold enough for gloves. It must be that I don't want to look like a goon, all bundled up unnecessarily when it isn't really that cold outside (which I've done before).

Such missed opportunities! Chunky knitted accessories are my favorite thing about cold weather and I hardly remember to wear them.

Anyway. In this outfit I have one of those bundle-y scarves, which is better than nothing.

The Isabel Sweater

Thrifted '80s sweater, Target dress, Sock Dreams tights, vintage granny boots, thrifted '60s bag

Yes, our town has bear statues. Lots and lots of bear statues.

This sweater makes me feel like Isabel from Hipster Musings? and I love it. If anyone knows how to wear big, weirdo sweaters and make them look like something you need in your life immediately, it's her!

I thrifted this one while visiting my parents over Christmas; as far as oversized, oddly patterned sweaters go it's kind of perfect. It's soft and long and has big front pockets that I can jam my hands into when I start to get nervous about what to do with them (which happens often) and it's cuddly enough to fulfill the purpose of a fluffy mohair sweater. It's probably going in the shop in a couple of weeks, but I couldn't resist getting at least one wear out of it!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Giveaway!

A couple of weeks ago I got an email from www.shoesgotsole.com asking if I would like to choose an item to give away to one of my readers. Of course I would! Shoes Got Sole carries all sorts of brands (like Aerosoles) as well as tons of accessories-- and I picked this lovely little Latico Leathers Scarlet Framed Clutch because it's so bright and adorable.

The winner will be able to choose from red, black, white, yellow, or blue; all you have to do is leave a comment below! If you want, you can tell me what you'd like to see more of on the blog this year-- but that's just for my own curiosity and isn't required.

The contest will be open until Friday, January 15th when I'll pick a winner from random.org and announce the lucky lady.

Unfortunately this is open to US residents only-- so sorry! (I promise I'm planning to do my own international giveaway soon!)

New in Pansy Lane Vintage

Just a small update for this week until I can gather lots of new goodies. Another patent leather bag (I seem to have a knack for finding those), a '90s grunge dress, evening bags, a '70s cotton day dress and a little jewelry box.

Remember that the 20% sale is still going on for everything in the shop! ♥