scavenge

CLICKCLICKCLICK

2011-08-20T15:31:00.001-07:00

http://ees-a.tumblr.com/

OPI white

2011-03-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

Quick lil shout-out before school to my new white nail polish! It's definitely growing on me x

Orange feather

2011-03-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

I helped a friend out for her photography project today and she dressed me up as Pocahontas and gave me those orange earrings. Hahaha hope she can find a picture where I'm not holding back laughter.....But anyway I don't wear earrings much but I'm feeling like imma bring them back. xx

Print and boots

2011-01-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

I've been looking for a new coat and boots and I've finally, finally found them. The coat is Pendleton and it has the most amazingly soft hood/collar that isn't really seen here. The boots are Jeffrey Campbell, brown suede. They are super easy to walk in too. They're probably never going to get off my feet. xx

Fuuurr Elise

2010-12-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

Leopard print, fur scarf = double animal

These photos are actually left over from Thanksgiving with the family. Being with my sister is good, because she encourages me to blog...
Anyways, winter in LA is confusing. Today felt like a summer day, but then tonight I'm chilling here with my layers of fur.

Have a great night people xx

So chilly

2010-12-05T13:10:00.000-08:00

I found this scarf somewhere with all my other clothes I don't wear anymore and now I'm smitten. The pattern is super easy but the execution is really good so I'm thinking that Mariel made it. Either way, I've already worn it three times last week.

wahooooo

2010-11-29T21:26:00.000-08:00

Do you guys remember when I posted about a skirt I designed for Native(X)? Well, the skirt is originally priced at $70, but we're dropping the price to $50! Only 22 skirts were made so snatch them up while you can...... We're also offering up free returns. Check out the site for more information.

Free-flowing Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T22:35:00.000-08:00

I prepared this outfit in the hopes that it would be both free flowing and restricting enough to help me make sure I didn't overeat. I don't know what I was thinking, Thanksgiving doesn't understand the word "restricting"...

We're spending Thanksgiving week in San Francisco and had Thanksgiving dinner at a family friend's house just a few minutes ago. Started my belt at the tightest notch and slowly worked my way to the very last--I did not want my belt touching my belly at all.

A game of charades must have burnt off a few slices of pumpkin pie.....

I wish you all a belated happy Thanksgiving!!

xx Isabelle

Fuzzy

2010-11-14T18:01:00.000-08:00

Ah, it's been a while since I (the other sister) posted. I've been busy, as I'm sure you are all experiencing, but I just wanted to share my latest obsession.

Got gifted this Pendleton bag, and it's really perfect for me right now. It's big enough to store my Nikon D3000 along with the other essentials. Plus in these times of stress when I get lazy and only wear black, this pop of pattern gives any outfit a little boost.

Fringed

2010-11-08T23:22:00.000-08:00

Sadie Rose (here and here) sent me those earrings and the skirt. I'm quite in love with the earrings, when I'm walking they kind of flail madly all over the place and it's really kind of funny. The skirt is super tight at the waist (you can't really tell here because my shirt's covering it) which will be helpful come Thanksgiving and I need to restrict my eating amount. Sorry for the horrible pictures, I am in dire need to replace my camera//to find myself some time to take pictures when I actually wear the outfit....

Speaking of cameras...Overstock.com wants me to share this discount code with my readers (!!):

?121728?

Ten percent off!

and then this one for free shipping for electronics:

202234

...which is crazy cool because I was looking at their cameras and decided that I will get a new one by Christmas.

xxIsabelle

(As per FTC guidelines, I have to tell you guys that all the ideas and opinions expressed are my own. No monetary compensation was received for doing this post, however, I was provided with a discount code.)

obsessed

2010-10-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

Nothing much except for my new Levi's vest for only $5! Very overjoyed, I imagine we will be friends for a while.
xxIsabelle

shaggy vest

2010-10-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

I wore this to check out history books at the library and proceeded to ignore them for all of today. I know I'm going to regret this in a few days but I'm still wiped from Saturday's SAT. It should be law that teachers excuse all SATers from homework as there's no point in adding additional stress because the more stress, the less homework is done.

vest--f21, shirt--Marc Jacobs, shoes--sperry

All wrapped up

2010-10-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

My friend told me on Friday that my outfits give off a kind of polished homeless vibe. I nearly kissed her because I've decided it's going to be my look for the year. And I really enjoy wrapping stuff around my waist.

PS: Mariel is currently sans camera cord, which is why she hasn't posted in ages.

shirt--DIY, skirt--Diesel, shoes--F21, zip up--Levi's.

black ballerina

2010-09-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

My other purchase from Forever 21 (skirt). I'm digging the kind of childish feel of the skirt, I think I may start dressing like a three year old...

westernized

2010-09-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

I wore this to school on Tuesday sans the vest though. I bought the vest at Forever21 on sale for 12.99. I went to the cashier all happy because I found a skirt for only $15 and so I'd only be spending a total of 28. So she rang me up and I heard 19. I didn't think twice until I opened my wallet and only pulled out a 20. And then it sunk in and I asked her how much the vest was and she said 4!!! I nearly keeled over right then and there. I still get short of breath every time I see it hanging beautifully in my closet.

Pops of Color

2010-09-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

I was looking through the archives and decided I wear too much black, white and navies. Goal: to wear a little bit of color amidst my sea of black and white.

Monochromatic

2010-09-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

Found these photos that never made it to the blog. In any case, I never tire of an all white ensemble. Its surprising how much impact something so simple can have.

What are some of your fail-proof ensembles?

Mustard yellow

2010-08-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

Got my mane tidied up on Friday and this outfit reflects my lighter mood. Hope you are all having a lovely weekend. xx

It is now fall in Portland

2010-08-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

I love those summer days when the sun is hidden by the clouds because I can debut the clothes I'm waiting to wear this winter.

Spots and stripes

2010-08-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Love when a random purchase becomes a closet staple. I picked up this top at H&M in Paris, forgot about it, but these days its my go-to for the beach. Esp digging the stripes in contrast with my lime swimsuit. xx

Two shirts

2010-08-12T00:57:00.000-07:00

floral shorts serving me well at the beach

On the Big Island

2010-08-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

Enjoying being back stateside..

soaking rays in Hawaii. wearing a romper from Forever 21 and my sister's in her own mash up of clothing. xx

It's summer, you know....

2010-07-28T22:58:00.000-07:00

BY THE WAY this is the second prototype of the NATIVE(X) skirt I'm designing and selling (look a few posts down to read more about it). I decided to give it a spin..it's super nice, the pouf has definitely deflated and it keeps the wool extremely cool in the summer with enough room in the fall/winter for tucking in ridiculously large sweaters....ideal.

Staple summer outfit

2010-07-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

Re-construct

2010-07-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

This is an old Levi zip up that has a ton of holes and the elbows are completely worn through. I cut off the bottom layer of a crotchet skirt (I still don't know whether or not I like the skirt...) and sewed it onto the zip up to cover the elbows. This is my second elbow-patch project and this one is definitely done much better.

Hey you

2010-06-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

Thrifted shorts and below are detail shots of the back of the shirt (will show more pictures later) and my new project dealing with crochet+zipup.

NATIVE(X) Skirt Project, step 1

2010-05-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

My friend Mac contacted me to help design skirts using Pendleton fabric. He already had prototypes of the skirts made and all I have to do now is let people try them out, give me feedback and figure out how to make the skirts better. Jessica is wearing the small tall, for girls who are 5'8 and up. The small regular is 5'7 and shorter, but it really depends on how you wear your skirt.

There's a huge line behind her to try the skirt and tomorrow I'm handing it off to another girl. The goal from now until the end of school is to let as many people try the skirt out to get a lot of feedback on it so I can figure out what the sizing will be. Then I'm going to a seamstress with a few friends to get the skirts redesigned and make new prototypes. Hopefully the next set of skirts will be perfect so we can start selling them. In the meantime, I'm making myself a pair of loose white summery pants. Super excited right now, two projects going on at the same time!!

It should not be raining

2010-05-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

You'd think that by 18 days into May it would be in the70-80sF and nice and sunny, but no, Portland doesn't think so. I wore black to show my disappointment.

AA U-neck black dress and a shirt from Arles

My face when it started to pour buckets

School's out in less than a month. I'm speechless. Summer=buttloads of time+getting a job+having fun 24/7=I CANNOT WAIT.

Back on board

2010-05-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

Ah dear readers, it has been quite some time since I dropped out of the blogging world. Alas, I am back! Work has been over the top, but I'm slowing finding more time to focus on doing fun things. And naturally, one of those 'fun' things has been scavenging. I picked up this jegging-like skirt at H&M for a mere 10 euros

Last weekend I took my scavenged skirt to a flea market on the outskirts of Paris. (Montreuil). I was feeling somewhat exhausted from the night before, but managed to motivate and score these Manfield loafers for even less than the skirt!

new brown loafers

I expect they'll look pretty good with bare legs and cutoffs, whenever that weather arrives here in Paris. My friend Sarah accompanied me to the market and got even luckier, with her navy flats and this gorge black bag:

Perfect savy outfit

xx & a bientot

Purely accidental

2010-04-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning my alarm went off at 6:53am and I snoozed until 7:13am. And then I did that thing where you close your eyes and say, 'Okay, I will get out in 10 seconds. 1, 2, 3...' but then you don't ever finish counting to 10 and you open your eyes and well looky here, it's 7:45!

Mariel bought this shirt one or two years ago. I don't know where but I remember her coming home and I thought, God that is one fugly shirt. But today I had no other choice. I was sleeping in it and when you have approximately 10 minutes to eat and get dressed (I prioritize the eating) there's no time to logically think about the random crap you dress yourself in. Of course I warmed up to it and it's now my newest favorite shirt.

This is what tends to happen when I wear Mariel's clothes. Speaking of which I am also wearing her old cords, Levi's hoodie and grandma cardigan. The belt and shoes are mine. I'm not complaining, one of the many of having an older sister.

I enjoy seeing how little control I have over my facial expressions.

I grabbed the cardigan on the way out but little did I know the zip up was in it. It was actually really confusing trying to pull the cardigan on while running down the stairs, kind of like if you think you're eating a Skittle but it's really an M&M.....

Aww there's my little bit of blue hair!! The best part about all of this is that I realized how much I love this I-have-no-home look. Superquick+supercomfortable=a winner!

Superduperlate

2010-03-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

Sometime last week The weather is really screwing me over here. It looks really cold so then I bundle up only to find that it's really 67F and I overheat, so the next day I don't let the overcast skies fool me and then I freeze...it's a continuous cycle that I am just not getting at all.

I'm wearing my dad's shirt, Mariel's jeans/vest/necklace and my own shoes. Still working out the kinks of looking fine in pictures.

PS I was in California for spring break for a regatta and planned to take good pictures but it turns out that I completely did not......but this did happen! excuse the weird face. And I am planning a post later this week to make up for my suckybloggingskills

London town

2010-03-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a weekend in London, and it was quite nice to take a break and hang with some Brits. Plus my Pendleton jacket (as my sister mentioned in the below post) kept me perfectly covered against the English grey.

These two pics taken at Borough market. Delishhhhh

xxxx

Pendleton&NATIVE(X)

2010-03-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

Mariel and I love Pendleton. We have three Pendleton coats (one of them is my mom's) and too Pendleton blankets scattered around our house. My coat demonstrates the more tradition, well tailored side of Pendleton, while Mariel's is made from the Native American fabric. The patterns are crazy interesting and the colors used are incredibly saturated. And the fact that the blankets have different colors on either sides makes them all the more better....

I was walking around my house finding everything Pendleton and this blanket is by far the best. Then I found the red one on my way to my room (I was a little peeved about the lack of blankets in our house so I asked my mom where all they all went and supposedly they're up at the mountains, so next time I go, I will snap some pictures because they are sooo worth sharing):

Mort Bishop's son, Mac, was Mariel's classmate from kindergarten through senior year and now he's a junior at Cornell. Mac started NATIVE(X) as a little start-up apparel project. With this brand, Mac aspires to work with Indigenous people around the world to help them sell and market their creations. He's selling these shorts (starting at $98):

Only 24 pairs were produced and a limited number remain.
Click here and here for more details and ordering information.

Winter activities

2010-02-27T07:47:00.001-08:00

The cold and rain has caused me to perpetually leave the house dressed head to toe in black. I feel like outfits don't matter since everything is covered in a big coat. I've resorted to small details to break up my all black uniform. Last night I took advantage of the break from the rain by wearing some LA appropriate shoes, done warmly bien sur.

P.S. I never do 'outfit' posts cause I can't yet figure out how to look less awkward in front of the camera. It was especially hard to take these because my apartment is about as big as a queen size bed, so the angles can prove to be challenging.

In keeping with the theme of small details, I've really taken to partially tucking in sweaters. I like giving a little nip and tuck through all these layers.

And fiiiiinally, the one good thing about this weather is that it encourages me to draw and paint. The next two pieces can account for about all the color in my life.

And finally, a piece in progress!

Stay warm people. xxx

Semi-finished

2010-02-23T22:02:00.000-08:00

In case people haven't noticed, my posts recently have not been of me and my (not really) clothes, mainly my little random bits of sewing here and there. Welllllll that is largely because all the outfits I wear that I deem cool enough to post consist of 89% of Mariel's clothes, the ones that she has no room for at college and leaves home (PS Mariel, I have been doing a stellar job at putting everything back).

So I put to use my one yard of chiffon and made you (Mariel) a shirt!! I basically took that London Marc Jacobs shirt, made a rough outline of it on the yard of chiffon folded in two and grabbed my scissors and cut away!! And then I clumsily sewed everything together. I'm not yet finished with the right sleeve and the neckline but I will be done in a few days and you will have a new shirt coming in the mail soon.

That is the shirt (above). I tried to get the entire shirt in backlighting so you could see the see-throughness of it but it was not working.

Okay and now, in order, is the completed sleeve, the bottom hemline and the unfinished neckline.

Sweet! I cannot wait for you to get it because then you can wear it, figure out what works with it and what doesn't and when you come home for summer I can wear it!!

And finally, my new shoes have come in the mail.

outfit post soon to come. xxx

My take on Adeline

2010-02-17T20:11:00.000-08:00

Mariel showed me this girl's blog: Adeline Rapon. Well, as it is now my newest favorite blog, I have taken it upon myself to personally stalk her like crazy. Adeline (yes I am on first name basis) posted this sweater yesterday.

I really really liked this whole bow-on-the-back-of-a-sweater deal she was doing. I also realized I had just finished my homework and I had late opening the next day. So I set out to make my version of her bow-on-the-back-of-a-sweater. Only I'm using a tank top because I don't have a big white sweater and I'm using blue and white striped fabric for the bow.

It's still too cold to wear it outside on its own and considering all the big stuff is in the back, I am just going to have to save it for later.

PS I spent 30 minutes during my free period looking for a fabric store and once I did I went in and they didn't even have lace. So I bought chiffon to make something (you'll see later!!) THAT WAS 13 DOLLARS PER YARD. I do not know if this is a good price or not but it seemed ridiculously overpriced. But I wouldn't know.

PPS I just realized I did bows two posts ago...I was debating between one huge heart or a bow. Huh. I might just go and make myself a heart-shirt.

My sisterly duty

2010-02-15T14:55:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated solely to my two brothers, Alex and Henri. Alex turned 14 on the 5th and Henri turned 18 (!!!!!!) today. Henri is at Cornell, I've already written on his wall AND sent him a ridiculously long birthday text message that I don't even know what it said, to which he merely responded, 'Fab'. But anyway, here are a few pictures to celebrate their existence.

The birthday boys!!!

Mariel and Henri

In Sun Valley

Me and Henri on Christmas (definitely the best picture out there....)

Onto brother numero 2, Alex.

Blue velvet

2010-02-10T06:09:00.001-08:00

It's been snowing on and off in Paris, and I'm still trying to adjust from being spoiled with LA sun. I'm not used to pulling on layer after layer, but I love how these blue-ish purple leggings add a hint of the unexpected within my layers of woolen neutrals.

don't get me wrong though, still waiting for that sun

xx

Turtle neck

2010-02-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

The weather's so chilly I finally have reason to wear this scarf! I knitted it over winter break out of two kinds of yarn. The pattern looks complicated, but once you get a hang of the diagonals it becomes quite easy. I made one long strip and then sewed the two ends together to make a circle scarf.

i love the chunky softness, and for any knitter out there: the thicker the yarn, the quicker the stitch

xxx

I have underestimated bows

2010-02-01T14:47:00.000-08:00

I was walking to school, on my way to this godawful test my mom signed me up for (WE DIDN'T HAVE SCHOOL TODAY BUT I STILL HAD TO WAKE UP AT 7) and I was super tired and thinking of this. And I remembered my mom had a stash of bows and I thought about how ridiculous I would look with one of them in my hair. And then I had to tighten my belt because the waist of my jeans are all too big (yes, I tightened my belt out in public on my way to school) and I had an epiphany. So here it goes.

A tiny fraction of my mom's bows:

I tried to get close-ups of each but then I got bored and frustrated because my camera sucks and just clumped them all up.

PS excuse the blurriness. That is why I miss Mariel&her camera.

The only thing you really need is a belt thin enough to fit through the weird clasps on the back of hair-bows. I didn't use all the bows because I got a little bored and my knees hurt but then that just means when I eventually wear the other ones I can post them and it won't be too boring! I was also thinking of getting a white t-shirt then making slashes on them to fit the bows and then I can change them. But I need to think about it. I don't know if it's too tacky or not yet. Mariel, expect a lengthy email on the pros and cons of bow-shirts soon.

Ahoy matey [Paris]

2010-01-28T03:14:00.001-08:00

Ahhh, I've been in Paris for about a week. It's been difficult to get a connection, but I'm baaaack. I wanted to do one last shout out to my favorite place to get an American scavenge (Forever 21). I picked up this ring and some cute earrings before realizing I had gone with a nautical trend.

Trop cool, non?

xx

I'm really missing Mariel's camera

2010-01-24T12:02:00.000-08:00

You know that post Mariel did about her studded sweater? Well, I made a studded shirt while she made her sweater. Kind of a sisterly bonding time during Christmas Break. We both agreed we're a little over studding and we need to watch how much we do but this shirt I studded kind of looked like a dentist's smock so I needed to do something with it. I cut it to a few inches below my belly button so it's a crop top and I put circle studs around the sleeves.

And just so this isn't too redundant, I'm posting pictures of two new pieces of jewelry, both only 5$ from Cost Plus World Market. It's actually my favorite place for rings/earrings/necklaces/little nicknacks that don't mean much.

Sequins and Lace

2010-01-16T12:58:00.000-08:00

We got these shorts at Forever 21, and both were around $20. Mariel's in the sequin shorts, I'm in the lace shorts. These shorts are great cause the textures transition easily from winter to summer and from dressy to dressed down.

This is our last combined post for seven months. Mariel's moving to Paris tomorrow and coming back at the end of July. It'll be hard because I'll be super jealous of her but at the same time happy for her because she'll have a lot of fun and it'll be nice for her to move back. We'll miss each other tons but the blog will help us keep in touch.

Be dazzled

2010-01-09T12:29:00.000-08:00

Studs may be a fading trend, but I couldn't help but bedazzle a ridiculously comfortable sweater.

xxxx bises

Cleaning out my closet

2010-01-06T10:30:00.001-08:00

Big project for the season has been going through my stuff, mainly seperating out workable projects from ruined attempts. I stumbled upon this headband I made out of a yard of lace trimming. Basically you just measure it around your head and then sew the remaining amount into some type of flower looking thing. Then TADA you end up with a turban looking headband.

When I start I am on a roll

2010-01-05T18:13:00.000-08:00

Basically, if you don't get my title, I am applauding myself for these consistent postings I've got going here. Not much now that school's in the works and then I've got finals in three weeks so posts will start thinning out and eventually for a whole entire week no posts from me will show up. So here's some overload to make up for the future lackluster week.

Mariel and I got these legging jeans at Forever 21 a few days back. And we also got shorts, mine are lace (there's a lining, don't worry) and her's are a sort of sparkly sequin super high waisted nice shorts. But back to the leggings. Mine are navy, Mariels's look like jeans. They are the most comfortable things I have ever worn. And warm. I wasn't expecting that. Only 15 dollars. Oh, and here's a little shopping tip: shop with crutches. I was like Moses. People moved out of my way so I got to all the racks I wanted and I got to the line quicker than people not on crutches and the dressing room ladies let you share dressing rooms with your sister because they don't want to offend a temporarily handicapped little girl. It was like I was a celebrity.

Except at school I just got a lot of people annoyed with me because I was hobbling slowly and they really didn't care.

My ankle still throbs but I'm off crutches

2010-01-03T11:30:00.000-08:00

It took patience to get this picture because I had to hobble over in under 10 seconds which was a feat itself but then arranging my limbs to look semi-acceptable was much difficult especially when I had to put all my weight on my left leg. But anyway, here I am in said leopard leggings (given to me by my mom's aunt who has a love for everything leopard), lounging around the mountain cabin on a fine Wednesday (2009) morning.

Booooo school starts tomorrow

2010-01-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

I meant to find a picture of Mariel and I in 2009 but the only one I could find that I like is from Thanksgiving 2008 in San Francisco. I was a sophomore in high school and Mariel a sophomore in college.

Happy New Year everyone and thanks to you guys for reading and commenting!

It snowed in Portland and I left my skylight open. oops

2009-12-29T21:59:00.000-08:00

I really did not want to go skiing and of course my dad forced me. Lo and behold I fell second run and am now hobbling around on crutches like an old batty lady. Not to mention I've been wearing my leopard leggings two days in a row now. Gotta keep the pizazzzzzzz

Recycled picture from summer in my favorite skirt from Diesel and shirt from House of Vintage.

Here a few pictures from tonight. The first one is a reflection of MARIEL looking out in the snowy street.

The tree.....

Polo!

Tomorrow we have to go to a dinner so we'll get some pictures taken care of and posts to come!x

Merry Christmas all you lovely people

2009-12-25T14:01:00.000-08:00

I'm wearing all my Christmas gear here. New Alice in Wonderland shirt from my cousin, tights from Mariel, scarf knitted by my mom. Skirt and cardigan are hand me downs from Mariel and I'm actually wearing chunky socks with white Converse.

photocred to my lil bro Alex

my newest favorite tights!!!!!!! from uo

I hope you all have a great Christmas

Just a tad lazy

2009-12-22T19:43:00.001-08:00

Sometimes when I get lazy I tend to look like a gas station man.

I really need to learn how to compose my face when I'm talking

2009-12-20T16:15:00.000-08:00

Mariel gave me these jeans, they are wonderful, fit like leggings.

$5 dollar minimum

2009-12-10T18:50:00.000-08:00

It's been some time since my last post. End of semester and finals are quite consuming. Today I ran to the hardware store to get some sandpaper. I was stuck way under the minimum for a credit card charge so I looked around for something small to boost me slightly over the limit. Picked up 2ft of chain link and with a scrap of lace, ended up with a belt and a necklace.

When I get back home I'm going to try and spruce it up, maybe run a ribbon through or add a real clasp/buckle.

k well now its back to the grind. xx

The weather is really not okay

2009-12-10T17:55:00.000-08:00

I wake up every morning thinking I'm going to try and look alright today but then I see the weather forecast and this is my face: (in the long coat)

It's the time of the month when it really should be snowing and school should be canceled but there are absolutely no clouds out. All sunny and blue sky and absolutely frigid. All I really want to be is warm and in my bed but that's not possible so I bundle up as much as is humanely possible and start my walk.

HSN Coupons

I'm sorry I cut you, Chanel

2009-12-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

I found this blue cardigan in my mom's closet the end of last year and for some reason I was really into it (super weird, it's just like any other blue knit cardigan) and I wore it so often that holes formed in the elbows.

And then I had to stop wearing it.

Guess what?? Just yesterday, I was back in my mom's closet and found patches for her blue Chanel suit.

Those were originally together but I had to cut it in half so it would fit my cardigan.

DETAIL SHOTS:

Here's the finished cardigan. The light was super bad so you can't really tell what's what on the cardigan but the patches show up really nicely.

It's taking me so longggggggggg to finish that other shirt. I realized, when I was doing the cardigan, that it's taking forever because I won't even be able to wear it once I'm finished with it.

It's sub 32F and I still have to walk to school and walk home, down three hills, up three hills. My hands are completely raw.

It's a lot colder in Sun Valley than I expected

2009-11-29T10:33:00.000-08:00

I brought a ton of cool stuff to Sun Valley because me and Mariel thought we'd wear it all and share our clothes and take really cool pictures with her really cool camera. So I brought all sorts of dresses and skirts and tights and I never wore them. My uniform was either my jeans or leggings and a t-shirt with a sweater and a coat. All week long.

Basically this:

That's us in the black and white coats.

It was a great great week. But now I've got to go finish up some homework for tomorrow! Sa-weet

EDIT: so close to finishing my shirt

Bag lady

2009-11-23T20:54:00.000-08:00

I've been searching for the perfect bag for months now.
My requirements are:
1) Long strap to facilitate bike riding
2) Big enough to shove my Macbook in, for when necessary
3) Not black, but not a color I wear a lot

With that said, after much searching I am leaning towards the Rachel Nasvik Phoebe satchel. Before I indulge I was curious to see if anyone else had ideas for this quest? Please help!

While not a 'scavenged' deal, I think anything that holds my computer or camera should be a good quality investment..

Bises

Squaresville

2009-11-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I was at Squaresville (a great lil thrift shop in Los Feliz) and I stumbled upon the greatest treat for my feet. Because I couldn't decide on just one, I walked away with nude leather Cherokee wedges from the 70s, white Ferragamo sandals, and these great black wedges. All of this for just under a hundred. I definitely recommend hitting up this sweet spot, and when you go you don't have to buy out the whole store.

Sweeeeeeeeeet Cherokee

These are the sandals. (I accidentally deleted my other pictures )

rarrrrrrr for black

All lined up :)

(p.s. I don't know why my pictures are blurry, click on them for full detail/glory)
xx

I don't think I own anything

2009-11-18T19:01:00.000-08:00

No joke, I think over half the clothes in my closet/that I wear daily aren't even mine.
For example:

Henri's cardigan, my mom's belt, Mariel's dress, Mariel's Hells Bells she gave to me last Thanksgiving. The only thing that's mine in this picture are the three rings, hair tie and the shirt underneath the dress that I bought at the Saturday Market with.......guess who? Mariel.

Even the white converse I was wearing were originally Mariel's but then again, I had to wear them in for her so I'm not so sure if she gets credit for them.

This was taken in the computer lab when I oh so patiently waited for my friend to print out her homework.

You can kind of see my shirt peeking out from under the dress.

Then, of course, my detail shots in the library......

I bought Papillon at Powell's a few years ago because the cover was cool and now since I'm almost done it's my newest favorite book. Whoever said don't judge a book by its cover doesn't know what they are talking about.

I can't believe I'm going to say this but I kind of miss being on the water:

*I bought black dye for a new DIY project. All I need to finish is a white tee-shirt and zippers

I am an ANIMAL

2009-11-17T18:41:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to almost all things I promised yesterday: detail shots, shoe idea and almost-outfit post that are really more detail shots. I asked Henri to take a picture but he made my legs look way shorter than they already are so we're just going to have to wait until I can train him.

Here's the lace dress. It's more of a wiry mess now that I look at the close up but from far away it's lacey enough. I absolutely love it! Thanks Mariel.....

Remember the post where I cut up fabric for a headband? Well, I got bored and I decided to make a bracelet out of it to kind of keep some billowly sleeves under control.

Cool, non?

Thank God I took detail shots during lunch today of the skirt Mariel gave me for my birthday. When I first saw it I was a little disappointed. I didn't really know if I liked the suede material but, when I get a good picture of it so you can see what it really looks like, it has a bell shape. Very flattering on me. These pictures can also pass as a detail shot for my tights.

Lastly, my shoes. Not exactly what I expected but they'll do for now...

An old man laughed at me when I took that picture but I let it fly. I am such a good samaritan. Anyway....get the whole animal theme there? The bracelet, suede skirt, leather bag and shoes......rawr

*I got the Caramel Brulee latte. So dang good I kept drinking the samples after I finished mine. mmmmmmmmm

**I worked out yesterday for the first time since summer. I don't think I've ever experienced this level of soreness in my life. I hobbled all around school and the stairs nearly killed me.

If only I could do my detail shots.....

2009-11-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

If you've ever visited the blog I did between July and a bit of October, you'd know that detail shots were one of my favorite types of pictures to post. I really don't know why I have such a fascination with them, I think it has a lot to do with the fact that either a) they were done on accident or b) I do them during break or free period or lunch or in my history class and I feel so weird doing them but they're too entertaining not to do.

Well, this whole thing is coming from the fact that I forgot my camera at school today and I can't post these great detail shots of my lace dress and I feel like I've been neglecting this blog too much and it's making me feel guilty for not posting more often. And to ease my pain I looked at these boots I've been lusting over:

They cost a little under $200 and kind of go against the whole 'scavenge' thing and there's no way I'd be able to find money like that, or even have that much at a time so I'm on a search (haha, scavenge) for a cheaper pair:

Those are still pricey for me and they are really not all that special. Hell, I don't even know where this cowboy theme is coming from, but who knows, inspiration is weird. I have black boots but since all my tights are basically black I need some sort of divider. The black boots were Mariel's from Urban Outfitters and I'm not going to do anything drastic with them but I just want to change it up a bit. I'm thinking just roll them down, make them a little shorter and expose the suede on the inside.

*expect detail shots of lace dress, outfit post and shoe idea tomorrow I PROMISE

bisesx

Juicy tomatoes

2009-11-15T22:22:00.001-08:00

Before I spend the rest of night writing my minor application, I thought I quickly show off my new nails (gurrrrrrllllllll). The juiciest, sweetest red orange with gold hearts.

Seriously guys, try this out. It's too much fun for the minimal amount of effort.

Paper Beads

2009-11-13T16:43:00.000-08:00

I started this project a while back. The process is simple, you might have even made these in fourth grade. To start, cut long thin triangles (isosceles) out of paper. The two longest sides are equal and then the base determines the width of the bead. Wrap this base around the handle of a pen and roll it up, attaching the last pointy inch or so with a glue stick. After I made as many beads as I could handle, I covered them in a thin mixture of Elmer's glue and water and waited for them to dry.

Later I found inspiration in this metal fence, and realized I wanted to contrast the crafty look of these beads with metal chains.

Double usage

2009-11-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

Mariel gave me this dress at the beginning of the year but I have yet to wear it as a dress. I think it might be because it's an awkward length. I like wearing it as a skirt because when I roll it down it creates a comforting pillow around my waist and makes sitting in school desks much better.

The other way I wear it is underneath a t-shirt (it's a long sleeve). The skirt is pretty full and it creates this big knot. It was a little obnoxious at first until someone told me they liked the rose on my shirt so I've embraced it ever since.

A secret worth sharing

2009-11-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

My glasses aren't really new, I got this summer in a flurry of preparation for Switzerland. However, I was only going to pull getting these babies if I could do it inexpensively. Thus started a ton of Yelp-ing, and now 3 months later I am still completely satisfied with my find.

I got the frames at this place in Pasadena, Old Focals. It's a bit hipster over the top, but I will say that the employees know their stuff. I was debating between two pairs in the end, the ones you see above and these masculine brown ones. The guy at the store pretty much refused to sell me those brown ones in favor of this feminine pair that 'fit my face'. A good pair of glasses is all about proportion with your features. Next I got the lenses done at Happy Eyes Optical in Glendale. They are skilled at putting lenses in vintage frames. The woman who owns the shop is friendly and efficient, and you should definitely trust them with your eye care needs.

But yes, I had to share these great finds with you because the best part is if in L.A. you can be equipped with chic eye-ware for less than $200.

Smile

2009-11-08T21:18:00.000-08:00

all photos from my newest favorite blog

A splurge: too chic to pass up

2009-11-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

My computer hard drive crashed two weeks ago, so on top of backing up, it's given me more incentive to put my life up online. Below are three magazine spread comps I did for my design class.

This magazine project was inspired by Opening Ceremony's collaborative line with Pendleton Woolen Mills. In Portland (and Oregon for that matter) Pendleton sums up PacNW with its great prints and bold colors. In the past, I think the clothing has been marketed towards an older audience, but that didn't stop me from snatching up this great coat..

So if you dig this look, you should check out this stuff. It's the same prints that I love, but done in younger silhouettes. In other words, Pendleton made young. Trop, trop cool.

In SF with my brother last Thanksgiving

More Cost Plus, World Market

2009-11-02T00:02:00.000-08:00

Took a page from my sister's book and made a trip to Cost Plus. Not disappointed in the slightest, I scored two pairs of earrings for under five dollars each!

bises ma belle
oo

hope Halloween was grand

2009-11-01T23:09:00.001-08:00

Regardless of whether or not you're a Halloween fan, themed manicures for all occasions are quite easy to achieve. For this look I simply painted my nails orange and then placed little nail tattoo-decals over them, before finishing the whole thing off with a top coat. Its a fun look that catches enough attention and the best part is you can do it at home for cheap. Sheets of decals are around 5 dollars.

Here I have birds on my thumb and ring finger. A camel on the other thumb, and the very blurry thing on my right ring finger is a unicorn. xx

Hardships of modifying a t-shirt

2009-11-01T22:55:00.000-08:00

I finished the shirt on Monday actually but haven't posted it because I have this funny feeling inside that it's not completely finished but I don't want to do that classic mistake where you think it needs more and once you put more it just looks trashy and horrible.

So I gave myself a few options. I quickly finished braiding up the entire dress to sew onto the shirt and tried to figure out what to do with it. Here are my thoughts:

1. do i continue with the original plan: sew the braids on the bottom seam and the armholes

2. or do i just do the armholes. or just do the bottom seam

3. sew vertical braids all around

4. or do the hem where i cut upwards toward the side seam, kind of like a half circle

HELP give me advice because i don't want to ruin my hard work

Going back in time

2009-10-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

I bought this shirt at House of Vintage on Hawthorne and 33rd. It's this really big warehouse full of racks and racks of clothes. You can find anything. I found a typewriter and almost died but then I only had two dollars so I bought this shirt instead.

It used to have a really small collar and a red sleeve on the left and a blue sleeve on the right. The shirt in general was kind of tight but once I cut it, it fit a lot better. This was also my first shirt I have ever cut and I'm quite proud of it.

This is my mom's coat from Saint James. I used to not like it that much because I thought it was boring. But it really isn't. It cuts off at a perfect length and the stiff shoulders don't bother me at all. I think I'm going to have a look around through my mom's closet tomorrow....

Happy Birthday Mariel!!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

Soo Mariel....I was going to do a list of all the things you can do at your age but then I realized everybody does that so I'm going to share a few pictures from our summer together. PS. They aren't just a 'few,' they're going to be quite a lot of select pictures of me and you, you, you and maman, the whole fam and of course the king.

ENJOY!!!!!

This was Christmas last year, 2008. Just look at how much of a pooper he is.....

Post-surgery. What a trooper/spoiled little brat.

Me and you at Tante Monique's. Can you please just stop whatever you are doing and remember how good that food was? UNbelievable.

I cannot believe you wore that. I guess
life of an L.A. hipster is year-round.

You look cool and I look distorted. J'aime bcp.

Super attractive here, I didn't know that was possible teeheeee.....Monique's again. I'm probably playing ping pong with Alex and I'm probably really annoying him

I'm jealous. It's honestly so cold: I'm wearing two fleeces, a long sleeve, a tank top, spandex, pajama pants, huge socks and slippers. J'ai trop froiddddddd

You and your fabs life.

I tried to get one of you and papa but it wasn't working. He's in literally no pictures at all.

Icing on the cake......

P.S. you might be embarrassed with this almost Michael-Jackson-like shrine type thing but you best keep it. Once we get old and ill like gramps, we're going to want to remember our youth and you'll be grateful I have a lot of time on my hands and put these all up. You might be thinking, we're not going to even remember the link but I've gotten that taken care of. Written it on basically every page of my journal....

je t'aime you beaucoups sissy!!!

cheap thrill

2009-10-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

I think my sister and I are on the same accessories mind wave. Today on trip out of south central I decided to play a game at Forever 21. With a budget of $10, the mission was to find something that could instantly update any piece.

And after a bit of searching, I accomplished this seemingly impossible task with..... a fur scarf!

lookie here

xx

My personality summed up in a ring and necklace

2009-10-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

Got this at World Market. I've come to realize through experience that World Market is the place to get the best, cheap, crazy jewelry. And and and since it's 'world' market, it doesn't look like you got it at a store. It might fool people into thinking you go to all these exotic places where crazy rings are made.

I've been noticing that for the past few weeks I am generally in black or white or combined and I've forgotten how to incorporate color. I read that when Margherite Missoni feels depressed and wears all black, she will throw on a chunky colorful necklace.

My creative juices are outta control

2009-10-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

i found this shirt during a household-closet-clean-out. it's my brother Henri's and for some reason he had quite a collection of Hard Rock shirt. i decided to try and make one of these cool, so i picked this one because it looked old.

so to fix the large sleeve problem, i lifted up the sleeves to the shoulder hemline and sewed two buttons to hold the fabric in place.
i also cropped it a few inches under my belly button and because it's not hemmed, it's already starting to roll up a bit and go out, kind of like in a bell shape. very nice

plus, you shouldn't let these strips of fabric go to waste. i made this headband out of the bottom of another shirt i cut....

les chaussettes!

2009-10-18T17:12:00.001-07:00

grrrrrrrreat way to spruce up an outfit without spending more than &10? SOCKS. you don't have to cover up completely just because the temperature is starting to drop. instead, snag some colorful socks and keep on sporting those shorts.

(and if you're aren't in l.a. and its still cold, pull some on over tights).

kick away rainy days blues

i got these at the american apparel flea market, 5 pairs for $12.

buy them here

Guesss what??

2009-10-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

I'm getting really good at editing my photos in my opinion, non? And thanks Mariel for giving me that dress, to Thierry for his shirt and to Mary, for giving me life.

bisesx

reuse

2009-10-10T15:49:00.000-07:00

I've been needing to save money recently, so I've gotten into craft projects. You'd need to find a button machine, but besides that the other materials are easy/cheap. Look at what I made from October Vogue!

xx

hey everyone

2009-10-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

I'm Isabelle and my sister is Mariel. She lives in L.A. and I'm in Portland, so we're starting this blog to highlight good bargains and easy projects from north to south on the West Coast. Scavenge is a place with ideas on making high-fashion in a realistic manner.

bisesx

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2009-10-10T14:16:00.001-07:00

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