• 80s,  budget-friendly,  fashion,  green living,  style,  vintage

    Vintage Obsession: 80s Power Pumps

    My latest obsession is 80s pumps. I just love the shape of them, from the pointy (but not too pointy) toe, the fat-to-skinny heel, and the ladylike curve of the side of the shoe. They’ve got a sassy, fun feel to them. Here are a few favorites I’ve found recently. [topcollage] Clockwise from top left: 80s heels from Etsy sellers SkinnyandBernie, TigerlillyFrocks, CleverlyCurated, StarletsVintage, OldSchoolSwank.  

  • creativity,  decor,  green living,  handmade,  holiday,  seasonal,  vintage

    A very vintage holiday

    The holidays are a nostalgic time, so vintage touches fit right in with the spirit of the season. Some of my favorite tree trimmings are beaded bell ornaments made by my grandmother, and mod foil balls I picked out from a dime store when I was a kid. Nearly everyone in my dad’s family has a light-up ceramic tree like the one shown here. Starting in the late 50s, you could buy molds for them, and they were a popular craft item. Even the littlest member of the family will be in on the vintage theme this year. My 5-month-old son will be wearing the 1970s toy soldier romper shown…

  • coffee,  green living,  handmade,  upcycling

    Coffee & Cuteness

    I am friends with a bunch of coffee fiends. Our shared addiction is most evident on group camping trips. As we unload cars or canoes and set up camp, someone always poses the question: “Who has the coffee?” Panic spreads as the person who was supposed to have it inevitably empties her bag and can’t find it. The next twenty minutes are spent flinging around sleeping bags and rain gear, frisbees and bags of chips until someone–THANK GOD–finds the double-ziplocked bag of freshly-ground coffee beans. In the morning, the earliest riser takes on the painstaking process of building a fire and setting up the special coffee pot over the flames.…

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  • farms,  food,  green living,  recipes

    A Seasonal Recipe with Swiss Chard

    I’ve been busy these past few days taking care of my brand new baby boy. I wrote this post last Sunday, the day I went into labor! I didn’t have a chance to post it then (for obvious reasons), so I’m posting it now in case anyone is looking for a good recipe to use up summer veggies. I’ll be back soon! Back to baby cuddles and kisses… At this time of year, big bunches of green things arrive in my CSA box from Vermont Valley Community Farm. Some of them have obvious uses, like lettuce for salads or pea pods for stir fry. Other veggies require a little more…

  • budget-friendly,  design,  family,  green living,  vintage

    Baby, You Look Fabulous

    Those who follow this blog know that I am expecting a baby boy any day now. I don’t write much about kid or baby stuff because (1) I have no idea what I’m talking about and (2) I’m sure my life will be consumed soon enough with thrilling topics like nursing bras and cloth diaper covers, so why blog about it? Given that I’m just four days from my due date, though, I thought I’d allow myself a baby-themed post this week. I have to admit that when I found out we were having a boy, I had to give myself a day or so to get used to the idea.…

  • green living,  style,  vintage

    Vintage Style for a Steal

    Got a wedding or other summer soiree on your calendar that calls for a dressy handbag? Whenever I’ve had to buy a purse or clutch for a special event, I’ve always been disappointed at the slim selection available at department stores. Many of the dressy bags are cheesy and reminiscent of prom, and the nicer ones come with price tags I can’t justify for an accessory I’ll only use a handful of times, at most. Rather than scrambling around at the last minute for the perfect special occasion bag, I’ve started to keep my eyes open at garage sales and secondhand stores for versatile vintage pieces. During a quick spin…

  • budget-friendly,  decor,  design,  fashion,  food,  green living,  local,  style,  upcycling

    A Green Wedding Fit for a Queen

    Today is the last post from college guest blogger Dorothy Munholland. She’s braving her last round of finals before moving on to graduation and beyond. Best of luck to you, Dorothy, and thank you for your contributions to Glossing Over It. Hope to see more of your writing in the blogosphere soon! A GREEN WEDDING FIT FOR A QUEEN By Guest Blogger, Dorothy Munholland I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit that I was awake at 4am on the day of the royal wedding, anxiously awaiting the first glimpse of bride Kate Middleton, while at the same time conducting an extensive Google search on Prince Harry’s relationship status. I say only…

  • budget-friendly,  fashion,  green living,  style,  travel,  Uncategorized,  vintage

    Spring Forward, Stay Neutral

    By Guest Blogger, Dorothy Munholland The transition from winter to spring can be one of the most exciting yet simultaneously exasperating times of year for those of us who spend the colder months envisioning our warmer weather outfits. There is nothing quite like wearing shorts outside for the first time in months, especially when you realize that you may have jumped the gun on sporting bare legs. Then, just as you think it’s finally time to shove the wool sweaters towards the back of your closet the forecast calls for… snow. Great. Fortunately, I’ve managed to avoid the outfit letdowns caused by unpredictable weather and closet transitions because most of…

  • blogging,  budget-friendly,  cheese,  fashion,  green living,  local,  style

    Trendy and Transient

    By Guest Blogger Dorothy Munholland College students spend a lot of time in transition. Between various moves from apartment to apartment or from school to my hometown during the summer, not to mention going abroad, I’ll have averaged 1.75 moves a year during my 4-year college career. This has made accumulating and storing anything other than wardrobe essentials fairly impossible. I love everything Jeffery Campbell, but it just doesn’t make sense to take up my already limited space with a massive pair of shoes I will never be wearing to class. I’m also not sure how my dad would feel about helping me lift boxes filled with wooden platforms every…