just plain lovely

Keeping Warm and Stylish @ Unabashed Apparel

justplainlovely — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:00:55 +0000

Oooooooooo:) This one was fun! You might remember that I did a little feature on the fabulously stylish Sarahbeth Larrimore and her fabulous clothing line Unabashed Apparel back in June. I was incredibly honored by her invitation to be a guest blogger and am just so thrilled with how it all turned out. Thank you again, to Sarahbeth, for the opportunity and the never-ending support. I absolutely adore working with lovely ladies like you!!

Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll see over at Unabashed Apparel… for the rest, click here.

Early Morning Run

justplainlovely — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:30:01 +0000

It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to Lisa of Early Morning Run. Lisa and I have known each other for years. We first met when she started as an intern at my old company. She ended up signing on for full time and was a pretty remarkable woman to work with. Lisa is motivated, organized, curious, caring, and quite frankly, one of the sweetest gals I know. Her blog is a destination for daily health inspiration with writings on everything from her running adventures, to meal plans, to training schedules, to book reviews, and more. I’ve become a particular fan of her weekly series, 5 for Friday. And mmmmmm… check out her recipe page for some yummy tips for healthy cooking! I thought it might be nice to pass a little bit of the inspiration that I find in Lisa’s blog on to all of you!

I’m very honored to have Lisa as a guest blogger today. Please do head on over to her site to read more!

Without further pause… meet Lisa:

(Lisa, after the NY Marathon!!)

When Erin asked me to write a guest post for her blog, I was absolutely honored. Erin is someone I’ve admired for a very long time. She’s one of the most kind, fearless, creative, intelligent, and selfless people I have ever met. I’m sure many of you know this first hand and can appreciate how overjoyed I was to receive an invitation to occupy space on this lovely blog!

I write mostly about running, food, farmers markets and other things that fit with the healthy living theme I like to focus on, but it all started around running. I began running about four years ago out of necessity. After moving from Michigan and the comfort of family and friends, I was along for the first time, in New York City and my sweet tooth and loneliness took control. I started working out and then I found out about the New York Road Runners and the constant stream of races they produce in Central Park. I knew it would be the motivation I needed to start running and hopefully, lose some weight! It wasn’t long before I fell in love with running and knew it was something I’d want to do for as long as I was physically able.

When I run, I feel free. My mind wanders. I feel strong, even on those not-so-great days. Running has allowed me to explore not only my own neighborhood, but foreign capitals. I have made lifelong friendships and learned many things about myself. I have found strength and confidence. In the same year, I underwent brain surgery and also finished my first marathon.

It’s a funny thing what running can do for someone. I love that you don’t have to finish a marathon to be a runner. You don’t have to be blazing fast to be a runner (I am one to know!). Some fantastic runners are blind, or use prosthetics. It’s not always easy, but the reward is amazing. Watching the sun rise and feeling the crisp cool air of a new day as my lungs and legs carry me on a new adventure is overwhelming and invigorating. All you need is a little desire (and a cute running outfit doesn’t hurt either!).

(Lisa and her husband after the Turkey Trot in NYC)

Estella on SALE!

justplainlovely — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 14:00:03 +0000

Happy New Year lovelies!! I owe you a post in a big way and I’ve got lots to tell you about;). Before I do that, however, I’ve got a special New Year’s deal for you. You may remember a post about a fabulous little NYC-based children’s shop called Estella? I wish that I’d found this shop before leaving the city. It’s the perfect spot to browse for unique and thoroughly adorable things for your little cutie. They carry my beloved Jellycats, the most amazing stuffed animals EVER and boast a perfectly curated selection of kid’s clothing including house-label designs along with a fab selection of unique toys and gifts.

I was recently in touch with the ladies at Estella in regards to my holiday Jellycat order (a few tots in my life were the proud recipients!) and learned, much to my delight, that they are fans of this little blog of mine. We’re working on a feature for this month, but in the meantime, they were kind enough to offer a generous deal for all of my lovely readers. I’m hoping you’ll think this is as cool as I do…

From RIGHT NOW through January 15, you will receive 50% off on all of Estella’s Cotton Essentials. Yep… HALF OFF!! Just use the code: PlainLovely50.

The Cotton Essentials are soft, versatile, machine-washable and there are so many pretty colors to choose from. I hope you’ll find something perfect. Happy New Year and enjoy the sale! A few adorable little suggestions, just for you:)

striped cotton one piece suit, $36 ($18 for you!) – buy here

solid long-sleeve henley, $40 ($20 for you!) – buy here

baby romper, $42 ($21 for you!) – buy here

striped short sleeve tee, $36 ($18 for you!) – buy here

baby dress, $40 ($20 for you!) – buy here

short sleeve tee, $28 ($14 for you!) – buy here

leggings, $24 ($12 for you!) – buy here

Now go buy some things for your babes:) – Maybe snag a Jellycat while you’re at it!

JPL on Thistle & Clover

justplainlovely — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:20:49 +0000

I’m honored and frankly a bit giddy to have been asked by the gals over at Thistle & Clover to contribute to their holiday guest post series. [You remember a little feature on T&C right here on JPL back in May] I like to live vicariously through their posts and pretend that I still have a shop back in good ol’ NYC;). Please take a moment to head on over and check it out! While you’re there, take a peek at some of the fantastic items in their shop. Loooooooooooove!

Just Plain Lovely on Thistle and Clover

(a peek at what you’ll see over at T&C)

little rabbits

justplainlovely — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:30:35 +0000

Another adorable Etsy find:). I stumbled across these shops while in search of my ultimate sick day wish list. Oh, Little Rabbit and Rabbit Apparel are the creations of a husband and wife team out of Albany, OR. Sounds as though they adore what they do, which is doubly fantastic because the results are so darn cute! Looking for a unique hand-crafted gift? Be sure to check them out:)

block printed baby beanies, $7.50/each – buy here

screen printed organic cotton bird towel, $8 – buy here

screen printed deer mob t-shirt, $18 – buy here

screen printed goldfish onesie, $14 – buy here

block printed organic cotton reusable produce bags, $15 (set of 3) – buy here

screen printed weather vane tee, $18 – buy here

block printed organic cotton mason jar towel, $12 – buy here

[all images by the lovely couple at Oh, Little Rabbit and Rabbit Apparel]

sick day wish list

justplainlovely — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 21:36:33 +0000

It appears to be cold season in Maine. I’ve been seeing people fall, one by one, on Facebook. I usually scoff at colds. I like to think that I have an iron-clad immune system, but every once in a while, even I get knocked down. It just so happens that every once in a while is right now. Boo. Perhaps I’m being a bit of a drama queen, but still. At the very least, I’m lucky enough to be working from home today! That means all-day pjs, making my own schedule (for the most part), drinking lots of OJ and taking breaks to watch Gwyneth hold her own on Glee. It also means I’m thinking about my ultimate sick day wish list which I’ve conveniently compiled to share with you. Feeling cozy yet?

top (l to r): holy tea – $24.50, bright morning tea cups – $128, laelia quilt – $168, cable knit hot water bottle cover – $30; middle (l to r): anthology magazine – $12, screen printed pillow cover – $18.50, cashmere cowlneck sweater – $228, goose down comforter – $209; bottom (l to r): wicked good clogs – $49.95, knit neckwarmer – $198, Fields by Junip – $7.99, flame leaf bowl – $16

truth be told… I’m wearing the slippers, I just bought the Junip CD on iTunes and I’m browsing the online version of Anthology Magazine. Not too shabby!

pogo remixes

justplainlovely — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:18:39 +0000

I know it’s not video Friday, but I just couldn’t help myself with this one. Pogo‘s videos have been circulating for a while now. I remember first seeing his video for Expialidocious a ways back thanks to a friend and just re-stumbled upon Wishery on Love It A Lot‘s blog (thanks ladies!) His videos are a remix combination between audio and video and are pretty darn awesome. It’s not just the Disney films, either… I found a somewhat dark but equally fascinating video using sounds, chords and vocals from Showtime’s hit, Dexter.

Whatever your pleasure this guy is well worth checking out.

ainslie wood co.

justplainlovely — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:45:49 +0000

Meet Hollie and Jane, lovely gals extraordinaire. Thanks to these gals, we have White Elephant Vintage and Love it a Lot… and now, Ainslie Wood Co., a vintage Etsy shop stocked full of fabulous vintage goodies!!

red pumps, $38 – buy here

perfect polkadot dress, $27 – buy here

black lace top, $28 – buy here

bright yellow faux wrap dress, $25 – buy here

black paisley party dress, $28 – buy here

vintage fur collar, $23 – buy here

[all images from ainslie wood co. on etsy]

it’s a stitch!

justplainlovely — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 14:30:29 +0000

[image from Design*Sponge - click here for more!]

A few weeks back, I discovered DIY instructions for a pretty awesome tote bag by Renske on Design*Sponge. Being the wanna-be crafty gal that I am, I immediately shared my discovery on Facebook, with a feeble request for sewing machine donations. I wasn’t truly expecting a reply, and figured if push came to shove, I could try sewing the bag by hand. Shockingly, I actually got an offer from a former high school teacher of mine. He mentioned that he and his wife had an old one kicking around that didn’t get much use and he’d be happy to see if off to a good home if I could swing by and pick it up. Conveniently, he lives just about 10 minutes away from the new house, so J and I drove on over for a visit.

It was pretty fantastic to see my old prof after about 15 years. He looks just the same and had the same light-hearted demeanor that I remembered from my school days. He and his wife were incredibly welcoming and kind and offered up a few memorable anecdotes. I have no doubt J and I will head back for another visit very soon. So, thank you to Peter and Jean:). My first sewn creation goes out to you!!

Without further delay, may I introduce to you the latest addition to my crafting family, the Singer:)

Now, I haven’t operated a sewing machine since I was roughly 14 years old, but I remember holding my own back then. I’m looking forward to taking this beauty for a spin. It might be a little ambitious to start with Renske’s tote, but I’m an ambitious gal. Get ready for a guided tour of my attempts coming later this Fall. I’m sure that you seasoned sewers will get a huge kick out of it;). Maybe you’ll even offer up a tip or two? Wish me luck!

always

justplainlovely — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:25:42 +0000

Did you know that José Gonzalez is in a band called Junip? I didn’t until a few weeks ago and I’ve been growing increasingly attached to their tunes ever since. The new album came out back in September. This video is a little quirky, but it doesn’t change how much I love the song itself. Enjoy!