Larkspur Babes / 01

March 13, 2014November 11, 20142 Comments

I’m so excited to share this new project! I’ll be releasing monthly photo stories shot by me (on film only), of my beautiful friends wearing all Larkspur garb. Unfortunately I never released a winter lookbook this year. I had every intention to do so, but I was unable to meet up with the photographer I was so looking forward to working with (we live so far from eachother. wahhhhh!) So it just never happened. I do plan to continue with Spring/Summer – Fall/Winter lookbooks in which I will model and have an actual photographer do their magic, but for the time being I’d love to share the faces of my beautiful friends, work on my own photographic skills, and style these beauties with items from my wee shop. So, without further ado, the first of my Larkspur Babes, (a gal we are all too familiar with now) Meaghan Kelly.

*all items are now for sale in the shop, with the exception of the lace bra, high waisted shorts, fascinator and ballet slippers (and dog)Photography & Styling: Alexandra Spence (yours truly)
Model & Home: Meaghan Kelly
Clothing: Larkspur Shoppe

The Punny Oscars

March 12, 2014November 11, 2014Leave a comment

Meaghan, Danielle and I seem to have a thing for hosting parties. We’ll take any excuse we can to get dressed up, be surrounded by good pals, eat tasty food and have a couple glasses of wine and beer (mostly beer…usually more than a couple). We had a little party at Christmas which I never ended up sharing for whatever reason. I was recently looking back at photos from it, and it really is a shame I didn’t, but it feels a little out of season to post those photos now. Oh well! I was a bit better this time around. Meaghan & Nick had a bunch of the pals over to their place to watch the Oscars, and contribute to our table of punny-snacks. Meaghan loves puns…she’s kind of the queen of puns, so a table full of Oscar-punned snacks was right up her alley. She came up with the names, and we chose the snack we wanted to make. I made brussel sprouts for “American Brussel” and veggie dogs for “Dallas (oscar) Meyer’s Club”. And yes, you do see a bowl full of glow sticks titled “Twelve Years a Rave” – that would be the genius idea of Nick. We were very pleased when Twelve Years a Slave won Best Picture so we had good reason to crack those glowing babies.

*all photos of me & pals taken by Nick Ball and food photos by me.

Until When We Are Ghosts

March 10, 2014November 11, 20142 Comments

“Everyday I discover
more and more
beautiful things.
It’s enough to drive one mad.
I have such a desire
to do everything,
my head is bursting with it.”
– Claude Monet

That quote really resonates with me. It is how I feel, and have always felt about life and the things I fill my days with. I’ve never been able to give my whole heart to any one thing because fragments of it are all over. (except for Ryan. man, that guy has the whole damn thing) I’ve been in love with dance since I was 4 years old, but I couldn’t possibly have that be the only thing in my life – it would lose all meaning. That sentiment goes for all things that have found their way into my heart, one by one. I never want anything to feel forced – to feel like work. The second that happens, you fall out of love. What it once mean’t is lost. I want to learn more and more, for all the days of my life, and never feel disenchanted by what was once so enchanting. It’s important to keep testing yourself and to allow yourself to fall for people and places and arts and feelings. Humans are so complex and so beautiful, we should never sell ourselves short with all that we can do, it would be such a shame. Lets continue to drive ourselves mad with seeing beauty, everyday, until when we are ghosts.

Shirt & Scarf: thrifted
Skirt: vintage (will be in the shop shortly)
Brogues: vintage
Socks: Target

The Trees They Grow So High

March 3, 2014November 11, 20141 Comment

I’ve been trying to make more time for creative endeavors recently. This bleak winter has not been kind to my creative mind and I feel I’ve been a bit lazy for some time now — a whole lot of ideas, and not a lot of follow through. It’s hard to stay motivated when not much around you feels very inspiring. But I’ve got some exciting things in the works which has got me feeling positive again. I want this space to be wholly me and not just posts that fill in the gaps when I don’t have something of my own to share (although I do love supporting the amazing designers, artists and brands that I share). I’ve been rethinking the blog’s image, and the content I share. Maybe a name change? Or maybe it’s not ready for that just yet. I definitely want to introduce a little more uniformity to it. When Meg and I started this blog we had a weekly routine of posts we would share, but it got lost in translation over time. This space has changed so much since then. It is only me and my voice now, so it makes sense I leave some things behind, keep the idea of reoccuring content, but with more of my own original ideas. As most things are, it’s a work in progress. But I do hope you continue to follow along and this space can continue to grow in a positive way.

Negligee: vintage via Public Butter
Rings: from my Mother

Keep On Walking

February 24, 2014November 11, 2014Leave a comment

It was such a beautiful weekend filled with friends, good food, and time well spent outdoors. Whatever little bit of warmth mother nature will give us, we shall receive with open arms. Because of my surgery, lack of sun and a never ending bitter chill in the air, I’ve been finding it hard to motivate myself to do anything other than sit on my couch with one of my many antique tea pots and episode after episode of Friday Night Lights (insert Nashville, New Girl, Girls, The Mindy Project). This is not natural for me…it’s not the sort of thing that keeps me happy (although those shows are amazing!!!) So it doesn’t hurt that one of my best friends (well two) is (are) the brains behind The Vacant North and can remind me that while winter can feel like the enemy, and the wind can deter us from leaving our nests (which is sometimes totally reasonable! i don’t want frostbite), if weather permits, hiking and exploring can be just as invigorating and fulfilling with snow on the ground (and ice water in your boots).

When I first got my Samantha Pleet Blixen Boots I told myself I would never wear them in the snow, and I would keep them in impeccable condition. But the snow came, and day after day I’d lace them onto my feet because there was no other boot I really wanted to wear. And after some time I realized I would rather have them come along on adventures with me. Why not let them live?! Afterall, I feel Samantha Pleet always depicts strong, beautiful, adventurous women in her clothing and shoe designs, so it makes sense that outdoors and in nature is where they are mean’t to be.

*photos of me taken by Meaghan

Coat: in the shop!!
Skirt: vintage via Common Sort
Beret: vintage
Scarf: thrifted via Salvation Army
Socks: H&M
Boots: Samantha Pleet x Wolverine
Gloves: gift from Meaghan