Outfit: tic tac toe and style evolution

Spring break week is almost over. Rhys and Olivia go back to school on Monday and although it'll be nice to get back into the swing of things when they're not home, I've had so much fun playing with them and fixing up their playroom in the basement this week. Olivia and I played a few rounds of tic tac toe before lunch. She has a sharp eye so I can't take it easy on her or she'll beat me every time!

These past few months that I haven't been blogging, I've been reevaluating my wardrobe a bit. I love the 40s and 50s but my lifestyle has changed a lot this year and I feel like earlier decades don't suit me as much anymore.  I've been volunteering with the PTO, going to neighborhood meetings and planning girls night out with some moms from school so I haven't wanted to wear many of my delicate 40s dresses to do those things. When not doing that stuff, I'm at home cleaning house, sewing, knitting, working in the garden now that its spring. I needed more wash and wear pieces and I long for more fitted, youthful silhouettes, knit fabrics and dare I say....modern styles?

 I poured over my vintage sewing patterns, magazines and made a Pinterest board for inspiration and I think I'm really loving the late 50s-early 60s. Think Ann-Margret, Mad Men, a little Jane Asher. I re-sorted my closet and put away things I'm not feeling now but maybe I'll want to wear later on. I'm in love with the new things I've sewn and new thrift finds. This mustard skirt is a new favorite, as are the lace-up flats instead of simple ballet flats.

I've been wearing vintage for almost 8 years and I'm really happy to have a little style evolution. It sucks having a closet full of clothes and nothing you really want to wear. It also sucks thinking you can't wear things because they aren't "vintage enough". I'm sure I'll still pin curl and bust out my fab 40s dresses when I have somewhere fancy to go (or just want to dress up more for a day) but for a mom at home, running to school and doing errands and housework, I think a more wearable vintage style is a great thing for me. Its definitely motivated me to blog and post on Instagram more!  I  have an easier time dealing with my pin straight hair these days and I'm hoping to share some hair tutorials of later decades very soon!

vintage brooch: gift from a blog reader, belt and skirt: thrifted, stripe top: Target, lace-up flats: ebay

This weekend, I have several thrift store finds that I bought last month with the purpose of altering them a bit. Here's a little peek at some of the fabrics. I found some skirts, pants and a couple of tops that I think I can tweak a little for a perfect late 50s-early 60s look. I'll share a little of the process and pics of the before and afters here on the blog and on Instagram as I get them finished!