Ireland

Today we're leaving Ireland on a very nice passenger ferry that could pass for a B-grade cruise ship. We spent the better part of a week exploring the Emerald Isle. It was lovely. The weather was up and down (from clear, blue, sunny days to the typical rain and gloom), but we had a great time. The people here are so kind and genuine and we were very lucky to have friends that put us up for a few nights.
We entered the country through Belfast (by boat from Scotland), and we spent the first night there. I really did not know what to expect from Northern Ireland-- 15 years ago I never would have thought to visit that part of the world. But it's a fascinating place. We stayed in a lovely part of town near Queen's University and Josh found a pub that had an open night so we headed there and ended up staying the whole night. We met lots of friendly folks (kind of crazy folks too, but lots of fun).

 sailing into Belfast harbor

 nice weather in Belfast

After Belfast we took a (very scenic) bus ride to Dublin. I immediately got a good vibe from the city, but unfortunately we did not have a lot of time to explore that day. Josh played at a pub in a very cool part of town, but it was sort of a bust- basically an open mic type gig that allowed him to play only 5 or 6 songs as part of a 6-person line up. And then, he was supposed to play another Dublin gig but found out (rather last minute) that it was canceled. Oh well, we still love this town.

The next part of the trip was my favorite- we rented a car and drove into the center of the country to County Tipperary. There we spent 2 nights with our friends the MaGraths- relatives of our Irish friend Tim, who lives in Madison. Kay and Donie treated us like family, and their gorgeous house in the country overlooking Lough Derg was a very welcome change from the dingy hostels and couches we'd been sleeping on. We spent both nights that we were there at this wonderful pub called Larkins- just down the hill from where we were staying. Friday night Josh had a proper gig (which was kind of sparsely attended, but loads of fun) and Saturday night we went back for Brendan O'Connor's 50th birthday. It was quite the event- the entire town was there to celebrate. They set up for a band, which Josh ended up leading (he went up to play one song but they wouldn't let him leave).  

beautiful scenery in County Tipperary

 

After Tipperary, we had a few days off so we drove sort of aimlessly south. We ended up spending a night in Killarney (which was touristy, but nice) a night in Cobh (pronounced "Cove")- an adorable seaside town right outside of Cork, and a night in the small town of Kilcullen (about 45 mins from Dublin). Finally, we made it back to Dublin for one more night. This time we got to spend several hours walking around- stopped in a pub in the Temple Bar area for the requisite "trad music" session. And now we're back on a ship heading towards Liverpool for a (very promising) gig tonight!

 Cobh, Ireland

By the way- if you'd like to hear another perspective on the trip (plus info on his shows and videos) check out Josh's blog!

XO,

Jess

London

After a week of hectic travel back and forth across England (Josh's tour schedule isn't as practical as it could be), we finally had a couple days off to hang out in London. We met up with an old friend of mine who I studied abroad with in Italy 9 years ago (I can't believe it's been that long!!), and she and her husband were very gracious hosts.

 We spent a good amount of time yesterday walking around the Brick Lane neighborhood. It's a very hip part of town that used to be the industrial corridor, but now all the old factories have been converted into trendy coffee shops, bars, Indian restaurants and load of vintage shops! There were so many, I did not get to go into all of them. . . but Josh was a very good sport, letting me drag him into a good number of shops.
My main objective was to check out Blitz- London's first "vintage department store". I had read about it several weeks ago, so was excited to see it for myself. I have to say, I was a bit disappointed. It was big, but not huge-- about the size of most Urban Outfitters. And they had some nice things, but (like all of the vintage stores in London) it was very pricey and carried mostly 70's, 80's and 90's casual-wear (polyester day dresses galore!). I guess I'm a bit spoiled by vintage shops in the States. . .

Well, now we're heading north-- we'll be in Scotland tonight!

Cheers,

Jess

So we've been in England for a few days now, and unfortunately I haven't had as much time to blog as I thought I would. . .we've been traveling so much! We spent our first night in London, then drove up to Chester for Josh's first show, then the next day down to Dorset for his second show. In effect, we've already driven across more than half of the country! Yesterday, we were on our way back to London from the South and stopped (very briefly) in the city of Winchester. What a fortuitous stop it was because they happened to be having a vintage fair! The open-air arts/crafts/vintage market led up to this gorgeous old building that housed several dozen more vintage vendors. I was in heaven! Unfortunately, though, we could not stay long because Josh had to be in London for a radio spot. So it was bitter sweet. But I did get to chat with one of the vendors a bit who said that most of their clothing is imported (in bulk) from the States. She was very jealous of all our thrift stores and flea markets. . . funny.
My Vintage Madison friends and I have often talked about hosting a vintage fair in Madison so I found this very inspiring!

I will post more photos soon. . . but now we have to get back in the car and drive North to Sheffield!

XO,

Jess

British Invasion

This Tuesday we're finally embarking on our much-anticipated five week European tour across the pond! Wednesday morning we land in London and are spending the first week hopping around England, before moving on to Scotland, Ireland and (fingers crossed) Paris and Amsterdam. I started packing today, and couldn't help but think of all the "classic" British styles that I wanted to emulate. So here's a little tutorial (a refresher course, I'm sure) on some of the more popular fashion trends that have emerged from Merry Ol' England.

MOD-1960's
Design characteristics: bright colors, geometric patterns, short a-line shift dresses, knee-high boots, bold eye make-up
Fashion icon: Twiggy

 Sunglasses and Shoes for sale on Etsy

Punk- beginning in the 1970's London music scene

design characteristics: denim, leather, band tees, "bedhead", lace-up boots, studs
Fashion Icons: Sid & Nancy, the Clash, the Ramones, Vivienne Westwood

Leather jacket for sale on Etsy


Prep-School
design characteristics: plaid, tweed, blazers, ties, tailored suits, oxfords, trench coats
Fashion Icons: Kate Moss, Burberry models

red plaid skirt for sale on Etsy

Ok, now I have some serious packing to do!

XO,

Jess

Fall Is Here!

Well, it crept up like a thief in the night. . . Suddenly, it seems, there are golden leaves covering the ground, the high temperatures plummeted from 80 to 55 degrees, and I had to dig through my closet for scarves, mittens and wool tights. Fall is here. Summer is officially over, and while I'm a little bit sad- mainly because my long "to do" list of Summer activities was once again unfulfilled, I'm also excited about the changing season. Fall is the most beautiful time of year here in Wisconsin. Growing up in the South, I didn't get to see the drastic change in seasons that we have up here. Going for a drive out in the country to an apple orchard, kicking around in the piles of muli-colored leaves, having a bonfire with friends on a chilly Autumn night. . . these are things to look forward to. Also, Fall is my favorite fashion season. Layering is key and that means there are endless possibilities.
Even two weeks ago when it was 85 degrees outside, I was thinking about and planning my Fall wardrobe. Josh and I will be in the UK in a couple weeks, so unfortunately (well, not really. . .) I'll miss a good chunk of the season here, but I hear the weather there is sort of comparable this time of year. So, here is my list of my top 10 favorite Fall wardrobe items/looks, and a few outfits from my closet that pull these ideas together.

1. Boots- I have a bit of a boot fetish, with around 10 pairs from cowgirl to biker to ankle (yet I always come back to my favorite pair of beat-up old tall boots)
2. Tights- This is a no brainer. If you're going to wear skirts and dresses this time of year in Wisconsin, you need tights. Luckily, places like Target carry an incredible array of colors, textures, patterns. . .hooray!
3. Black & Brown-  My favorite color combination! It's no longer a taboo to mix neutrals. . .in fact, it looks pretty damn good.
4. Longer Skirts- On the runways this year we've seen a lot of "longer" skirts, from the knees to the floor. My favorite length right now is "3/4" or just-below-the-knees. . .with a high waist, of course!
5. Hats!- I'm obsessed. I feel like all these years my head has been naked, but now I've discovered an enormous love for hats. Unfortunately, my head is also enormous, so finding vintage hats that fit me is tricky.
6. Androgynous- Again, this look was all over the runways this season, and there are a myriad of ways to pull it off. I prefer Annie Hall meets Heidi Klum-- not too masculine, but I love a funky vintage tie- paired with a mini-skirt keeps it sexy!
7. Plaid- Mad for it, I am. What's more fall than a plaid wool blazer or skirt with knee socks?
8. Southwest - Funky Native American and Southwestern-style prints have been popping up everywhere, and I love it!
9. Feathers- If you saw the pics from my recent fashion show, you probably noticed the fabulous feather hair pieces, handmade by my friend Emily Neumeier. Of course, I had to buy a couple for myself and have been wearing them frequently. . .now I've commissioned her to make me feather earrings!
10. Belts- Almost any outfit looks chic if you cinch at the waist!

3/4 length skirt & belt, thrifted; t-shirt, Alternative Apparel; hat, vintage; leather shoes, for sale on etsy

black & brown skirt, vintage a la Good Style Shop; boots & bag, thrifted

plaid wool blazer, vintage Pendleton (part of two piece suit); 1960's skinny tie, my boyfriend's closet (really); vintage men's fedora, thrifted; bag, vintage Dianne Von Furstenburg (thrifted); skirt, Forever 21; top and boots, thrifted

Southwest-chic via prints and/or accessories
skirt, handmade using thrifted fabric (see tutorial); sweater top, thrifted; bronze eagle necklace, yard sale; handmade feather hair extension, Emily Neumeier (unfortunately, not yet for sale online)

XO,

Jess