The Academy Awards

I don't usually follow celebrities, but for some reason, i just love the Oscars. i would always watch them with my mom when i was a kid she would say, "in a weird way, they're like our royalty." In america, we're SO casual; a sea of sweatpants. so its fun to see everyone dressed to the nines. 

These were my very favorites last night. 

sheesh, just perfect charlize.

i also loved jessica Chastain's hair. yum.


Below were my not so favorites.
So i Redressed them all in vintage. :)



Anne's dress was ok, but it just seemed too old for her. i wish she would have worn this 1920's number

I'm apparently not a fan of this high around the neck silhouette because that was my problem with selma, too. plus i think Amanda has lovely hair, and here it is just blah. She should have worn this dress from 13 Bees 

Salma's dress just felt like a weird 80s or early 90s prom dress to me. and i also thought her hair was lame. i want her in this 30s dress, with a wavy, partially up do.

ok, i guess this dress is a fairy tale cupcake. but i just don't like the fabric. and i think its weird for someone who says she hates red carpet events to dress in 97 yards of fabric. she should have surprised everyone in this deargolden dress! its young, colorful and fresh. 

Thanks for reading, 

m

WHO was your favorite? tell me. now.

wonder.

I pull his stocking cap onto his fuzzy head and tie his furry little boots around his ankles.
"are you ready to go on an adventure, asher? "
we step onto the porch, the breeze bites at us and asher breathes in deeply. "it's cold, isn't it buddy?" he smiles back at me. "do you see any birds, asher? "  "twee! twee! " he says, pointing to the sky. He pats my back gently as we walk to the car, a rythym he has felt on his own back; the one that i taught him.
our great adventure is... to the grocery store.
   Asher waves at each person we see, "hiiiii! " he squeals, baring his seven tooth grin. "wow, he's a happy one! " says a stranger. I smile inwardly thinking, "his name means happy; its who he is."
asher gives out smiles without judgment. He doesn't notice how someone is dressed, how much they weigh, what color they are. to him, each new person is a potential best friend. His eyes scan the colors of the produce, his fingers reach for the different textures that he sees. Each day is an adventure to him, and he's teaching me to think that way too.
    Ash is awake with wonder; at the sound of a bird, and the way the light reflects in water, and the feel of a cold breeze. And even at the wonder of meeting another person. I want to relearn all these things that have become commonplace to me. And i feel like i AM getting to relearn them. through asher's eyes.
   Today, Can I remember to be awake? to actually taste my food, to sense the goodness of Steve's hand in mine, feel the warmth of my shower, see the colors of nature and thank God that i'm alive? i want to remember. God is helping me to remember, through my boy.


thanks for reading,
m

What I Wore

    Hi, this is what i wore last sunday. This floral dress was originally mid calf length which was a lot of floral fabric with the long sleeves, and very unflattering on me. So I shortened it to just above my knee. I'm wearing brown tights and vintage woven tan oxfords.
       it was really comfortable and the perfect thing for when you're feeling body conscious because it just kindof floats and who knows how many muffin tops are under there? Also, my hair is in a ponytail! what? that hasn't happened in a long time.
i've been parting my bangs in the middle with inspiration from alexa chung. i'm not so sure if i can pull that off but i've been doing it anyway.

its two weeks until my boy turns one. that's freaking me out a lot. i know babies have to grow up but that doesn't make it any less strange. oh my heart.

Miss Delabelle Vintage challenged me to find vintage versions of THIS dress so i Hope to have that post for you by the end of the week.

thanks for reading.
love,
m

Anthropologie vs. Vintage: Day 2

oh yeah. there's a day two.

so anthro has these really great maxi dresses, right? Flowey, drapey, and romantic. they are polyester my friends, but at anthro, even polyester costs you $198

let's round us up some vintage!
for this i searched for "1970s Grecian Maxi dress", but then i got smart and took out the "grecian", and replaced it with "halter." and then just "1970s maxi dress" which yielded 132 pages of results. which is why i'm your personal shopper. you're welcome. There were plenty of other really neat ones besides these, too.

Check out this lovely from Meat Market Vintage for $36! same grecian drapey feel. same polyester, and maxi length. 

from Shop Exile  $59 

from Adored Vintage  $148 ooh, sparkles! 

from decades $69 i love this color. 

From De La Belle for $68. btw, one of the cutest models on etsy.

may i say that i don't have a secret vendetta against anthropologie? In fact i bought an owl for asher and a candle for myself from there at christmastime. so there. Basically its just fun to show that current fashions can be found on etsy for a lower price. Also, i like to show that vintage does not have to be a weird costume, it can be totally modern and current. plus, when you buy on etsy you are reducing, reusing and recycling, and supporting a tiny business. yay! 

ok, dismounting soapbox...with a backflip.


oh yeah! i have an IDEA. you choose the dress! you choose the one you want me to find. some are impossible, but its worth a shot. go ahead. try me. leave a comment.

have a lovely friday! 

m

Anthropologie Vs. Vintage

remember this post? 

well, it turns out trying to find vintage dresses comparable to anthro ones became a stress-relieving hobby of mine. for some reason it makes all the pieces of my brain go back into the right place. its like my yoga. 

so the above dress is $198 from anthro. super pretty, right? 

But!  here are some etsy alternatives :) 

from Aviena for $128 

This one is 30 dollars more than the anthro option, but holy drama!! from Vintage Frocks of Fancy 

or maybe you liked the dress, but prefer to show your collarbones? 

Circa1955 Vintage $175 

the Vintage Studio $132

maybe you're thinking, "hey i'd like to do this, but searching etsy is like searching my grandma's hoarder basement."

let me help. first of all, if you want something vintage, say "vintage" in the name. also make sure the column on the left is checking the box marked "vintage"

then choose the era. because of the high waist, i searched for "1950s "

the type of neckline on the dress is called an "illusion" neckline, so i included that. and the color. 

making my search "Vintage 1950s red illusion dress" 

after that i searched again adding chiffon, and removed illusion :) 

happy hunting! 

p.s. would you like to see more anthro vs. vintage posts? 

love, 

m

New and Coming Soon!

New in the shop! 

preview of next week...

just email me if you want details on something that isn't listed yet :) mariacasteel@gmail.com

A Wedding

In December, i got the distinct joy of watching one of my best friends forever promise her life to another. Amy and Chris are beautiful to watch together, both with vibrant laughs that immediately warm a room. both with hearts that love people deeply with the love of God. both artists that richen the world through their craft. 

i am flabbergasted by the way they love my family, by the way they have scooped asher into their hearts. i am honored to know you two. 

 another dear friend, Ashley Parsons, photographed this wedding. and the pictures turned out divine. it was a beautiful day. 

the "cherry on top" perhaps, was that Amy wore a vintage dress from my shop. her ensemble was perfect and i was thrilled to get to be a part of coordinating it.

see the rest of the wedding here. you'll be glad you looked. 

oh hey, that's my toes.

the next few photos are my view of the day...

 above photo by Liz Mehl.