a little spring in your step

   it's beginning to look at lot like spring... for today at least. the sun is shining, it's fifty-two degrees outside and it feels like april. in la, they call this weather "winter". with spring on the mind (shocked that i'm enjoying sunshine and thinking spring? i am too, but don't forget it april showers bring may flowers. in other words, april is still mushy and grey.), here are some of my takes on the spring 2015 trend of 70s inspired clothes. 

(from left to right)
some vintage inspired pieces to look for this spring 
white eyelet tops ( similar styles try j.crew and madewell): every woman needs a white top in their closet, add a little interest and retro look to your white top with an eyelet top. i'd pair an eyelet top with a pair of jeans and flat sandals for a simple, jane birkin-esque look.

clog sandals (swedish hasbeens): swedish hasbeens are recreations of 70s swedish high-heeled clogs. they come in all sorts of colors, but i like the black best. they varry in style and heel height, i think they would look great with a pair of ankle jeans for 70s inspired, but not overly "retro" look.

denim on denim (similar styles try madewell and gap): denim on denim is good for all season, but for spring try pairing lighter washes together.

denim dresses ( alexa chung for ag jeans ): chung designed a 70s inspired collection for ag jeans. one of the look is this denim mini dress. i'd love to find a denim mini dress for spring but at half the cost of the ac for ag jeans collection. i think a denim mini dress with a pair of espadrille wedges would look cute together (if you aren't two feet tall like me).

denim mini skirt ( alexa chung for ag jeans ): if anyone can find me a skirt similar to this, i'll bake you some cupcakes. my mom told me she had a skirt like this in elementary school in the 70s. if i had this skirt, if it didn't cost almost $300, i would pair it with a simple striped tee or a white button up. i would style a piece like this a 60s or 70s as possible.

peasant blouses ( simialr styles try madewell or swell ): a peasant blouse is good way to wear bohemian style clothes. a peasant blouse would look great underneath a pair of overalls or with a pair of denim cutoffs.

colorful shoes (modcloth, similar styles to the wedges anthropologie): shoes with a bright color add a little something to denim or white. i think  primary colors create a more "70s" vibe. the wedges (they're my own from anthropologie), look cute with sundresses, jeans and rompers. the red flat sandals from saltwater are versatile and add some color to the simplest of outfits.

a brown bag ( similar styles fossil ): a small brown purse is a good spring/summer staple to have. it's a color that works well with white.

jeans and a t-shirt ( ankle jeans alexa chung for ag jeans): you can't go wrong with a t-shirt and jeans. try and ankle length jean with a more fitted shirt and your swedish hasbeens.

my favorite piece in my closet.

  
  
  overalls: part toddler, part tom sawyer and huckleberry finn, and my favorite piece of clothing in my wardrobe. overalls have made a style comeback. they're incredibly comfortable and easy to wear. you can find a pair of overalls in almost every store right now. before you go out and buy a pair, here are some tips on finding the right fit and ways to style your pair of overalls. 

fit & wash 

fit and wash are key in finding a pair of overalls. overalls shouldn't fit too tight around your body, but they also shouldn't be too baggy. tight takes away the tomboy aspect, but too baggy makes them look childish and messy. the wash you choose is also important. i prefer a darker wash with my overalls because they look better on my short frame and work well in the winter and summer. go with a wash that you know looks good on your body when you buy a pair of jeans. black overalls are a great choice because they can be dressed up or down. they also work better on women into their middle 20s because of how polished they can be styled. 

styling tips

tops

simple and relaxed tops work best with a pair of overalls.
try: 1. a bohemian peasant blouses 2. a simple striped tees
 3. black tee shirt, long or short sleeved
4. a classic white button down 5. fun printed blouses 6. tunic tops
avoid: try to avoid plaid shirts and crop tops. if you don't want to look like a farmer,
don't wear a plaid shirt with your overalls. crop tops are often paired with overalls,
but i think you should try to avoid them with a pair of dungarees. keep your tops simple
or bohemian. 

shoes

   

in the winter, try pairing your overalls with a pair of black boots around
ankle height or a pair of oxfords. a pair of black flats would also
look cute paired with a black turtleneck under your overalls.

i'm looking forward to styling my new overalls in the summer because
of the shoe options.
1. simple, flat sandals: you can't go wring with a simple pair of
sandals. try a red, flat sandal with a striped tee or button down.
2. birkenstocks: birds look great with a pair of overalls in the summer.
white birks with black overalls creates a clean and graphic combination.
3. ankle-tied espadrilles: if you aren't short like me, try a pair of espadrille
wedges. pairing them with a white button down can make you feel very
jane birkin, and who wouldn't want to feel jane birkin?

a day in des moines...

  when i moved to california for my freshman year of college, many people would make fun of iowa, ask if there was anything in iowa besides corn (lady gaga says that there's nothing sexier than a corn field), or even know where it was on the map. i never listened to them of course, because i know that i live in the greatest city in the universe, des moines, iowa. if it weren't true, they wouldn't sell t-shirts saying that. 

  when you plan out your vacations, iowa probably isn't the first choice on that list or even on that list. i don't blame you, especially if you are from california, because it's currently about zero degrees outside, but we do warm up and we are pretty damn cool. to quote the great des moines establishment, raygun (you'll read about it a little later), let des moines "...exceed your already low expectations"! here's a little guide for a day in des moines if you ever find yourself in the strangely most hipster city i've ever been to / greatest city in the universe. 

places to go and things to see:

even though we're a small city, des moines has many things to see

and do. here are a few of my favorite places in the greatest city in the 

universe. 

hill vintage & knits- located in the east village, this is my
favorite vintage/thrift store in the city. i bought a black,
velvet dress jacket here that i love. if you're in des moines
for a day, check it out. the prices are pretty good for vintage
clothing and the clothes are adorable too.

the des moines art center- on your day in des moines, i highly
recommend you visit the des moines art center. for a small city,
we have an impressive art center. the building itself is a work of art
and it houses works by artists like henry moore, jackson pollock, el
greco and andy warhol. in the summertime, there's a beautiful
rose garden in the back of the art center. 

pappajohn sculpture park- on a warm day, walking through
the sculpture park in downtown des moines is great thing to
do on your day in des moines. you just might have to wait a
little while for your warm day :).

zzz records- des moines the strangely "hipster" city. what good
up and coming "hipster" city wouldn't have a nice local record shop?
i actually went to zzz records for the first time this week, and if
you come for a day in des moines and you're looking
for some nice carpenters and fleetwood mac records or the pope's
speech and facts on the battle of little bighorn on vinyl - this is the
place for you. 

raygun- disclaimer: if you aren't from the midwest, specifically
des moines, this store will confuse you. raygun. when visting
des moines, you have to go to raygun. you don't have a choice.
the out-of-stater will be totally confused and that makes it all the
more fun. make sure you bring someone from iowa to laugh at
your confusion and possible concern for the citizens of des moines.
if you're looking for postcards to send to your friends
of your day in des moines, you have to buy them at raygun. 

things to eat:

iowa has great places to eat. many of which serve and use

local produce and ingredients and i can promise you

that iowa grows and breeds the best of the best.

breakfast: my favorite places 

to get breakfast foods in des moines, as

well as my favorite dish from each place. 

la mie bakery- la mie is a des moines neighborhood
bakery and cafe. it's either conveniently or dangerously
located by where i go to school. when i come here for breakfast,
my favorite things to get are the french toast with strawberries and
bananas or oatmeal. i've heard their egg dishes are great, but i
don't eat eggs. it's incredibly busy, but a great place to
come for breakfast on your day in des moines. 

smokey row- smokey is a coffee shop and cafe-type
restaurant that's great at any time of the day. for breakfast, i like
a cup of tea and the good morning bagel. when i come for
lunch, i like most all of their salads, the row bagel or the
chicken salad sandwich. smokey row also has amazing
milkshakes. 

 lunch/dinner

zombie burger- it's a horror themed burger joint that i guess
you have to try when you visit des moines. it's not my
favorite just because i don't particularly like heavy food, but it is
good. they have a large menu with items like the east village of
the damned, the zombie dog and all their salads are called
soylent greens. 

miyabi 9- miyabi 9 has probably some of the best
sushi and japanese food in the whole city. if you're looking
for a place to have a really nice lunch or dinner on you day in
des moines, try miyabi 9. 

luca- luca is one of the nicest restaurants in the city.
it's a small italian restaurant with a small and carefully
prepared menu. luca is a great place for a "fancy" dinner in
des moines. 

tacopocalypse- tacopocalypse is an asian and mexican
fusion restaurant with items like lemongrass pork tacos, bahn mi,
a spicy tomato soup and last but not least sriracha ice cream.
this another great place for lunch on your day in des moines.

i hoped you enjoyed my little guide of what to see and eat during your day in des moines.

i also hope to see you someday in des moines so we can "exceed your already low exceptions". 

with love, 

gracie- a girl who's grown up in the des moines area

book report.

  i've been on christmas break for the past few weeks and i've had some time to do basically nothing. all this free time has given me the chance to read things other than government textbooks. usually, i have a difficult time actually finishing a book because i get distracted by another. i told myself that i had to finish one book before starting another. over my break so far, i've read and finished two books that are now on my list of favorites: palo alto stories by james franco and clothes, clothes, clothes. music, music, music. boys, boys, boys. by viv albertine.  

palo alto stories / james franco- palo alto stories is a collection of short stories by actor james franco. set in franco's hometown of palo alto, california, the stories explore the lives of different high school-age characters. two or three of the stories were turned into the movie palo alto in 2013. watching the movie before reading the book usually ruins the book, but that wasn't the case with palo alto stories. a couple of the stories in the book were combined for the movie, but there are many others in so its worth reading even if you've seen the movie. i love collections of short stories, and palo alto stories was so well written. franco writes wonderfully and i'd love to read his other stories. 10/10 would recommend palo alto stories. maybe not, but i definitely recommend reading it. 

clothes, clothes, clothes. music, music, music. boys, boys, boys / viv albertine- girl punk is the best punk. clothes, clothes, clothes. music, music, music. boys, boys, boys is the punk rock memoir of viv albertine. she was the guitarist for the all female 70s punk band, the slits. it's albertine's life from childhood to where she is now. from a rebellious teenager discovering music to becoming a mom and rediscovering her love of music. she hangs out with sid vicious of the sex pistols, does quite a few drugs, dates a member of the clash, joins an all girl punk band, gets a few stds, beats cancer and writes this badass book. that is the best adjective i could use to describe it. it's called clothes, clothes, clothes. music, music, music. boys, boys, boys. because of the last chapter. viv albertine writes about the clothes she wore, the music that influenced her life and the boys at different points in her life. clothes, clothes, clothes. music, music, music. boys, boys, boys. is probably the best book i've read in a long time. i would recommend it if you're into music biographies or biographies and memoirs in general. i like those types of books because people and lives fascinate me. it does have a lot of "colorful" language, drugs, sex and other topics that might be sensitive to some people. if that bothers you, i wouldn't read it, but it is a really good book- one of the best i've read.