Featured Explorer: Carrie Hill

Darling little Lucy, age 3 (curls!)

Handsome Eli, age 5, with his vintage coat from  Pursuing Andie.

Have you ever seen such a beautiful family?!? I FREAKED out!

These stunning shots were captured by Lila Armock Photography, based in Michigan. Lila so generously shared these photos! Her site includes gateways to her blog, Facebook, and galleries, all of which are packed with beautiful shots.

The little Michigan momma in the photos, designer of Wolverine's fist-pump-worthy Heritage line, purchased this pink coat from my shop especially for this photo shoot. It sets off her rosy skin tone and dark hair perfectly! 

I asked Carrie if she'd answer a few questions about her life in Michigan and her creative work.

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|| What's your favorite season in Michigan? 

Fall - it's so peaceful, beautiful and the best weather for biking and running.

|| Does your family have a favorite past-time?
Camping, hiking, yardwork, biking, playing board games and as my son puts it, "exploring nature." Halloween is also a pretty big deal for us. :)

|| What do you find most inspiring about vintage style?

There was a time when that vintage piece was new. I'm always intrigued with the inspiration behind pieces of the past. In most cases the inspiration remains a mystery and that opens a door to interpretation and imagination.

|| What's it like designing for Wolverine?
It's an American brand with so much history that goes beyond footwear. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is sifting through old archival photos of footwear and recreating the style 60+ years later.

|| If you had unlimited time, energy, and resources, what is the one project or dream you would be most excited to tackle?

One of my favorite past-times as a kid was climbing trees. There was always that rush in figuring out how the hell I would get down without calling for help. I also remember the feeling of independence while being perched up on the tree... that's a thrilling feeling for an 8 year old!

"One of my greatest joys as a parent is watching my kids explore nature, play independently and discover where their imagination can take them. It would be amazing to build a treehouse for my kids that stretches throughout the acre of woods in our backyard. A place for them to retreat to and build memories all in the comfort of our backyard." 

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Thank you, Carrie!!

Frigid.

Top: Vintage blouse, sent to a friend in Texas, with love <3
Skirt: Vintage, thrifted, gorgeous (I have BIG plans for transformation!)
Boots: Mine. And don't I strut. *fist pump*

Hey guys. It's been awhile. But I guess I'm back... until I decide that I'm not. Meh.

I've been thrift-crazy lately. 

If something is twenty five cents, I just know it is a 'potential' work of genius. Basically, I haul home 50 bajillion potential works of genius, and, well, that's not as smart as it sounds. Really.

Recent obsession: Vinyl. A lot of vinyl. Beautiful vinyl. But... I don't have a record player. 

So I'm not sure how that makes sense. 

I have actually a lot to post about over the coming weeks. Amazing finds, amazing people, and p-p-p-p-project-t-t-s. Including a line of handmade/up-cycled crop tops, which I am SO stoked about.

So leave a comment and I'll track you down. Oh yeah, and I'm on Facebook, which is mystifying.

Keep a Lookout, Lass.

Vintage Gloria Sachs blouse, In Store Now.

Vintage Polka Dot Midi Skirt, In Store Now.

This shoot turned out even better than I envisioned. Love and kudos to my photographer-sister! I can be the worst backseat driver when it comes to photography, and I really had to focus on not micro-managing her during this shoot. My trust is well placed. She's fantastic.

I happened to find this polka dot midi and blouse on the same day, and randomly decided to pair them. They have interesting chemistry. But it works. Both are now available in the shop. Instead of the usual two-week turnover cycle, it has only been five days since I found them! Sometimes when I'm excited about a concept I just have to act on it.

This Gloria Sachs blouse is simply incredible. The color is so vibrant. The gorgeous vintage flower brooch is a gift with purchase for whomever nabs the blouse! Tip: never pin, just slip through a button hole. :) 

What has been your favorite autumn color this season?

Autumn 2011.

Explore our new look book here!

This Sweater Dress could be yours! I am announcing our first Giveaway tomorrow!

It's taking all the self control I possess not to write this post in capital letters. I've been fist pumping my brains out over the past few days. View our gorgeous Autumn Catalog HERE!

We did it. This actually happened. A concept in my my head successfully materialized. 

It is impossible to explain the amount of thought, planning, phone calls, emails, trouble shooting, equipment, and more that went into making this a reality. A big thanks to Sam for pointing me in the direction of Issuu as a publishing service! 

And... guess what? There's a lot more where this came from, ladies. 

All items will be made available in the shop this week.  I'm also going to share some hilarious behind-the-scenes photos and interviews with my incredible team. Lovely! 

I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback! 

Pixie.

Vintage Velvet Pixie Crop Top, In Store Now. 

Vintage Navy Velvet Vest, Coming soon!

Vintage Elegant Drape Tee, In Store Now.

I don't know about you lovelies, but I have a thing for velvet. I just like it. I think it's pretty. I love the little embroidered flowers on this vest, and the cropped length. I have to sew a button back on before I can list it. *sigh*

I am now on lookbook, so if you're feelin' it you can hype this look here.

Speaking of which, be ready to be hit any day now with our late Autumn lookbook. I'm dying to get the thing published. Man alive!! You guys are going to love it. It's turning out beautifully, and includes some lovely pieces for transitioning into the holiday season. :)

What do you guys think about velvet? Is your weather getting colder? It feels like winter here. My wool hood (which I've yet to blog about!) is saving my life.

The Good Geometry Collection.

Black and white. Red. Mustard yellow. Chiffon. Color blocking and body con. Excellent ways to start off the fall season... six weeks ago. Still beautiful pieces, anyway. You can view the entire lookbook here. Coming soon to the store!

Let me just say, I learned a LOT from this little endeavor. Being a perfectionist, I have developed my sense of humor into a survival tool. I present this half-seriously, wishing it was a wee bit more professional. But as far as the concept, styling, and one-woman execution goes, I must take my hat off to myself. Overall: satisfied.

If any of you know of reasonable web hosting with a functioning slideshow, I would be overjoyed to hear. More than overjoyed. I will fist pump until I pass out. I have looked into doing Big Cartel with a third-party Theme Fiend web theme, but I desperately need the easy Etsy traffic! I am a total idiot when it comes to code, and don't want to take the time, or have the time, to learn it. But it would be so nice to have a central hub for all my networks to link up to besides the blog... Something clean, minimalist, and professional where I can showcase the culture, aesthetic, and photography of Tandem.

Well, darlings, here's to Monday.