tick tock vintage.

coral and khaki.

2012-02-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

blouse: hype
skirt: vintage
shoes: BCBG
belt: vintage
camisole: forever21

i wasn't lying when i said i'm wearing this lip color non-stop. it's gotten to the point where i feel weird when i don't have red lipstick on...odd, considering that i never wore lipstick until last year, really. i found this blouse at century21 this weekend. i'm sure i've mentioned the store before, since i absolutely love it. it's a giant discount clothing/housewares/jewelry/shoe store that carries tons of high and low end stuff. i used to get all of my shoes here - they carry chloe and marc jacobs and marni and stuff. since they were having an extra 75% off all sale deal, i also bought a $740 chloe dress for...$72. it had been marked down a couple of times and amazingly enough, i was able to find one in my size without any damage to it.

oh - happy valentine's day! my second favorite holiday ever. i hope you spend it with someone or something that you love. i'll be on the couch with bryan and the pups all night, trying to fight a sinus infection. how romantic.

back home.

2012-02-13T10:00:00.003-05:00

blouse: tibi
shorts: vintage, altered
tights: calvin klein
shoes: seychelles
belt: vintage
coat: laundry by shelli segal
scarf: christmas present from mom

this weekend was such a crazy whirlwind. right after work, we left for trenton so i could catch the train. it's 20 minutes to trenton and another 80 minute trip on the train into new york - it seemed like it took forever. after i arrived at penn station, i tried to catch a cab (which also took a really long time) and headed to the lulu's event. i didn't get a chance to take pictures of what i wore that night, but i really wanted to share what i wore so i recreated it once i got home. i actually wear a version of this outfit all the time when i go out at night, switching the tights out or adding a necklace or such. i've been wearing this lip color all week; it's a $4 lip crayon from ulta and i don't think i'll ever use normal lipstick again.

anyway, (most of) new york was a blast. i stayed with emily, who couldn't have been a better hostess - and her house is probably the cutest thing i've ever seen. it was awesome seeing a whole bunch of inspirational, smart, well-dressed ladies that i see everyday on the interwebs. however, i did get very lost on saturday. it was pretty bad, even for me. i got on and off the wrong train three times (which took about 2 hours of time), ended up sitting next to a a guy playing sonic at full volume without headphones, didn't eat until 2:30pm, and got a huge migraine and left the city early. it was a ridiculous train of events (pun intended).

lulu's style studio and a new york trip.

2012-02-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

lulu's is holding a style studio party tonight at the openhouse gallery in new york city, it should be a pretty fun time. there is going to be lots of food and drinks and - oh yeah, fashion-y stuff too. i'll be heading up after work today and i hope that i'll see you there! you can RSVP to the event here.

i'll be in town until saturday (maybe sunday, depending on plans) and staying with this gorgeous dollface. any suggestions on things to do, places to see? bryan will be coming into the city on saturday and we're thinking about going out for dinner - i'd love to hear ideas on where we should go!

every turn.

2012-02-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

sweater: courtesy of modcloth
blouse: forever21
skirt: vintage
belt: vintage
shoes: courtesy of blowfish

these pictures are from a couple of weeks ago, but i thought i'd share them anyway as i haven't gotten a chance to take many outfit pictures this week. i wore this out to dinner with bryan; because school has been crazy lately, we've really had to plan time out in the week to, well, not work. once the PSSA is over, i think things will ease up a bit.

in other school news, i found out something pretty exciting yesterday. we (the other third grade teacher and i) have goals set for us for how many kids were need to have proficient by the PSSA. the first reading goal the school set for us was to have 23 kids proficient by march. we met that. our next goal was 34 - we met that too. the kids took their last practice test yesterday and we found out that we passed our goal for the third time - 41 out of 51 third graders are now proficient in reading! pretty awesome stuff.

house tour: guest room/craft room.

2012-02-09T10:00:00.001-05:00

this room might be one of my favorites - it's the middle guest room on the second floor. it's right between a bathroom and the den, gets tons of light, and is perfectly sized. i wanted to make it both a guest room and a craft storage room, but still keep it pretty organized and clean. in the big white cabinet, i keep paper stuff, craft supplies, and some school things. it's not as neat as i'd like it to be, but it's getting there. i pulled it out of a basement at an estate sale for $35! i collect these little floral suitcases (see above) and store them on top.

one of my favorite quilts - i'm guessing it's from the 30's or 40's. it's in really good condition; i picked it up in a thrift store for $35.

this container usually lives on top of the blue cabinet that houses my shoes. i wanted to show you the top of the it - really pretty, right?

here's a better picture of the decal on the cabinet. it's original with the piece! i can't believe that it didn't wear off, considering how old it is. the chair in the picture on the right is an old school chair. i love how worn the wooden seat is.

this pony rug lives on the side of the bed. i got it at an estate sale for $3.

i absolutely love this desk. i haven't seen one like it before, and old schoolhouse desks can be found pretty easily in my area. there's no chair attached, and there are very ornate iron legs. the top swings open. i especially like the little built in shelves.

the table was a thrift store find (i think it was $15 for a set of 2) and the lamp is from an antique store that was going out of business ($10, maybe).

i don't have any great pictures of the cabinet, but here's a peek at the inside. i got it at a flea market for $35. it was pretty beat up, and the wood was in poor cosmetic condition. i painted the outside slate blue and the inside tan, and covered the shelves in vintage wallpaper that i bought on ebay.

pictures of bryan and i on the bulletin board, along with some old valentines.

the blanket at the end of the bed used to be my great grandmother's. the bed is a really odd size - it's called a captain's bed and is slightly more narrow than a twin bed. i bought it for $25 on craigslist with the intention of leaving the wood bare. after realizing that it was in far worse condition than i had originally thought, i painted it gray and white.

i bought the lamp on the left at a flea market for $2. my dad rewired it for me. the hat on the right is one of my favorites.

another hex sign! i absolutely love them.

the wood floors in this room are gorgeous. i feel like it's so hard to capture how warm they are.

this weird bird thing was $1 at a thrift store. the birds are raised slightly off of the back of the picture.

i like hats.

a pair of very lucky shoes, a brass bird, and a lamp live on top of the desk.

there's a couple more things that i'd like to change about the room; i'd like to get new window treatments, as the old ones were left by the previous owners. that white cabinet really needs to be organized, and i'd like to add some pictures above the bed. hopefully i'll have everything done by this summer!

winter white.

2012-02-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

sweater: j.crew
skirt: vintage
belt: vintage
necklace: forever21
shoes: marc jacobs

not much to say today - i'm running late this morning (like always) and am about to rush out of the door. this week is moving so slowly for me already. here's hoping today picks up a bit!

route 73.

2012-02-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

shirt: vintage
skirt: vintage
necklace: courtesy of modcloth
shoes: steve madden
tights: no idea - maybe t.j. maxx?

i really liked this outfit when i was putting it together; it's kind of kooky and i liked the combination of the red stripes on the blouse and the turquoise beads. i found the top in the ladies' blouses section at the thrift store and thought it was a pajama top at first (the label on the inside proved that it wasn't). the skirt is also a thrift store find; it seemed to fit well in the store but isn't the um, most flattering in pictures. extra fabric + shadows = weird bumps. i'll probably give the skirt to my sister, who is a size smaller, and wear the shirt and necklace with my high waisted jeans.

we had a pretty busy weekend and i'd be lying if i said i wasn't exhausted right now. on friday, we met up with friends for first friday. on the first friday of every month, all the galleries in old city are open and people line second and third streets to sell pieces of arts and prints. i spent most of saturday trying to organize my lesson plans and worksheets. i've filled about 8 binders so far and i'm still not done! our friend had a superbowl party last night and while i don't know a damn thing about football, it was nice to eat tasty snacks and watch mediocre commercials.

how was your weekend?

songbird.

2012-02-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

cardigan: vintage halston
blouse: vintage, passed on by clothes karma
skirt: vintage
tights: loehmann's
shoes: PINK
earrings: courtesy of dinosaur toes

i got the sweetest message from deana of clothes karma on twitter a couple of months ago. she found this blouse while thrifting, but the fit wasn't working for her. she thought i would like the print (which i absolutely do) and offered to send it along. i have a really tough time finding blouses that i like - especially printed ones - so getting this gorgeous piece in the mail was such a nice surprise. besides having great style, she's also incredibly generous; she frequently gives away clothing to family and friends, with nothing expected in return.

refinery 29's style blogger contest.

2012-02-02T09:30:00.001-05:00

it's pretty rare that i enter any sort of blogging contest, usually because i'm too lazy/busy to complete all of the requirements (let's be honest), it's not a prize i'm interested in winning, or it's a prize that i couldn't win anyway because of scheduling conflicts (i barely have any days off from school). however, i'm entering refinery 29's style blogger contest this year because all three of the aforementioned categories aren't an issue this time; it was simple to enter, i'd love to contribute to refinery 29, and there's really no scheduling conflict to speak of.

there's lots of great entrants in this contest, so be sure to check them all out, too. if you feel so inclined to vote for me, i'd be much obliged.

another addition to my collection.

2012-02-01T10:00:00.001-05:00

coat: vintage
dress: vintage
sweater: vintage
belt: vintage
shoes: courtesy of blowfish

i have a serious problem with buying vintage coats - the weirder, the better. i found this coat on the way to jen's house, tucked between denim jackets and disheveled looking peacoats. i guess it's wouldn't be so unusual if it wasn't made entirely out of leather. it's sort of hard to see from farm away, but yeah, it's a leather coat. the cuffs and sleeves are the softest fur ever, and the fur around the neckline has a little hook and eye closure so you're kept nice and toasty. the best part is that salvation army was having a 50% off sale (woo family day!) and i got the coat for $7.50.

i'm throwing a little pizza party for my kids today. i'm trying to really acknowledge the students that are consistently end on "good" colors (green and blue). there are 9 of them that were on green and blue every single day in january, so i told them that they could have lunch and recess with me and we'd party. i ordered 4 pizzas, 2 big salads, fries, and am bringing in some veggies and dip. i figured that we'd watch the fantastic mr. fox (one of my favorite movies ever, and easily one of my favorite books as a kid) and hang out for an hour.

also - i just wanted to let you know how awesome steph of stuph's stuff is. she sent me the sweetest email the other day, wanting to somehow help out with something classroom related and made a ridiculously generous donation to help us buy a laminator and laminating supplies for our math and literacy centers. i wanted to give her some free ad space in exchange and she wouldn't accept - just a totally selfless, generous, action. please go give her lots of loving on her blog! not only is she a sweetheart, but she's as cute as a button.

i need a hair cut.

2012-01-31T10:30:00.000-05:00

blouse: express
necklace: forever21
belt: forever21
skirt: american apparel
shoes: BCBG

remember when i bought those jean-like-leggings from an american apparel groupon? i actually had enough money left over to buy this skirt, too. i felt like i was being jipped since i see these all the time at thrift stores for less than $5, but i was desperate to use all of the money on the groupon.

i'm running so late this morning, so apologies for the short post. i had spent 2 hours searching for the cheapest flight to austin in early january with tieka (for the texas style council conference) and realized this morning that my tickets actually went through. i freaked out and had to quickly rebook, but now my schedule is different. gah!

superstition vintage giveaway.

2012-01-30T19:00:00.001-05:00

the two lovely ladies behind superstition vintage, leah and adrian, have offered up a $35 credit to tick tock vintage readers. they have so many cute items in their shop; i especially like these little white shoes and these strappy heels. to enter to win this giveaway, you must:

1. be a follower of tick tock vintage
and
2. 'like' superstition vintage on facebook.

that's it! easy peasey lemon squeezy. leave me a comment letting me know that you liked them on facebook. if you feel like it (and because i love reading funny comments), you can also let me know what you'd pick if you had to choose between having a full grown mustache or having no hair on your entire body whatsoever.

this giveaway is open to all US and international readers. you'll have until sunday, february 4th at 11:59 PM to enter. the winner will be randomly chosen by moi, so be sure to leave your email address so i can contact you if you win.

a house tour: living and dining room edition.

2012-01-30T10:00:00.002-05:00

decorating this house has been driving me nuts. i'm trying to buy pieces that i really love and that will work with different styles, and that are, well, cheap. i'm incredibly picky when it comes to home decor and i really want to be sure that i'm buying things that i'm not going to get sick of in a couple of years (which happened with my old house). about half of the stuff you see in these pictures came from our south philadelphia home, and half are things that i've acquired since moving in here. almost everything is vintage and has been found at a thrift store or on craigslist.

we've only been living here for a little more than 2 months, so things aren't exactly how i'd like just yet. there's still prints to hang in the living room, large armchairs to recover for the table, glassware for the bar, pillow for the couch, a sheepskin for the leather armchair, and window treatments for all of the windows. anyway, i hope you enjoy what we've done with the place so far! i'll be posting pictures again when things are a bit further along.

warning: this is serious picture overload. i wanted to be sure that i included everything!

the couch is new from macy's. the rug was a craigslist find. the lane coffee table was purchased at a thrift store. i've had the bookshelves since i was a kid. the map was from ebay - only $30! the tripod was from a flea market - it was only $2, i think.

i usually keep lots of fresh flowers around the house. anything yellow will do.

here's a better picture of the table that we made. i found the (huge!) rug on craigslist for $75. i plan on dying it once the weather gets a bit warmer.

an old fan that i found at bryan's grandpa's cabin before we sold it.

rug from craigslist. i really liked the pattern, and the flowers around the border.

i absolutely love this worn-in leather chair. it was only $45, and i found it on craigslist.

we had to buy a new light fixture for the dining room when we moved in (the people that lived here before took it). this one is from lowe's. it uses neat light bulbs - you can see the filament light up.

we have mason jars all over the house. i like to use them to hold flowers.i absolutely love the woodwork on this door.

the marble table was $5 from an auction, and the lamp was my mom's when she was a teenager.

i love this hoosier cabinet. i found it on craigslist 2 years ago. it was made in 1902!

this print is from a 1938 campaign by the national automobile association. i found it at an estate sale.

there ya go! our living room. i have a tendency to collect lots of knick-knacks, and things got cluttered pretty quickly in our old house. my goal is to keep things relatively simplistic and clean, not too many things out and about and bright colors kept to a minimum.

a classroom update.

2012-01-27T09:30:00.002-05:00

i haven't posted about my classroom in awhile, and figured it was time for an update. things have changed a LOT since the beginning of the year! as we spent more and more time in the room, changes needed to be made to accommodate our daily activities and schedule. the room is still a work in progress, but it's gotten to a point where i'm finally pretty happy with it.
when you first walk into our room, you'll see the door that we decorated this winter. we studied japan and learned about the end of year celebrations and traditions that the japanese people participate in. right outside of the room are the kids lockers.

look straight ahead and you'll see my desk. i really, really don't like having my back face the class, but it has to be positioned like this. i honestly don't spend more than 10 minutes sitting in it a day, but i keep my computer opened to our email program all day. the kids sitting near my desk can peek at my emails and it's totally bugging me. as you can see, i like things pretty organized. on my desk, i keep cirriculum materials, PSSA prep books, and lesson plans. the multi-colored bins to the left of my desk hold papers and materials for the week. each bin is for a certain day. i copy everything a week in advance so they're ready to go! the white bin on my desk holds markers, scissors, clips, tape, and a stapler. this crate goes back and forth from my desk to the carpet and the kids LOVE carrying it over for me. it's one of their favorite rewards, weirdly enough.

turn around and you'll see one of the student work boards. we recently read about johnny appleseed. they summarized what they read and created a kid-friendly biography about him.

right next to the door is my small group area. this is where kids drop off their homework folders in the morning, math centers are stored, small groups meet, and unfinished work is sorted.

this is one of the most important recent additions to my room. because i have about 40 different students (with 15+ leaving the room 45 minutes a day to receive special education services), they miss a decent amount of work. anything that is unfinished goes into their sleeve on the chart. i also put homework that was not completed in here, as well as materials for kids that were absent. it's working really well so far!

and here's a view from the front. you can see the green "VIP" chair - this is another classroom reward that i use. if you're doing a good job in your seat, you can go sit in this chair.

we spend lots of time on the carpet. the kids get pretty antsy sitting in their seats for more than 20 minutes at a time, so we're always going back and forth. i made the benches in the back out of MDF, plastic crates, foam, and fabric. there's not much storage space in the classroom, so we put tissues, pencils, baby wipes, and paper inside.

and here's where we do our work! we write everything down on chart paper. any time we learn a new concept, do examples, or practice an old skill, we make a poster. i then hang the posters around the room for kids to use as they do their work (you can see them on the windows). i also photograph all of the posters and put them on our classroom website.

i hope you've liked these pictures! i really like sharing this kind of stuff - i know it's not fashion related, but it's a huge part of my life and i spend lots of time working on it all.

stick straight.

2012-01-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

dress: vintage
blouse: vintage
belt: vintage
shoes: steve madden

i passed by this dress twice while thrifting; both times i saw it, i pulled it off the rack right away, but hesitated because of the shape. dresses without a defined waist aren't the most flattering for my shape. other than that, i loved the color and the v-neckline. i finally decided to buy it and i'm glad i did. adding a belt solved the whole defined-waist problem, and i've been wearing it to school nonstop.

i'm taking the kids on their first field trip of third grade today and it's turning me into a nervous wreck. i'm so scared that i'm going to lose someone! i've been on tons of field trips while student teaching, but there's something so scary about being the sole responsible adult managing 26 kids.

snowball fight.

2012-01-24T10:00:00.001-05:00

jacket: vintage
collar: vintage
shirt: vintage
vest: vintage
belt: vintage
jeans: american apparel
shoes: BCBG

i don't know if you ever use groupon or living social or any other of those daily coupon websites, but i love 'em. you'll normally find restaurants or cleaning services pop up, but occasionally a really awesome coupon will surprise you. the other week, a 50% off american apparel deal showed up in my feed. basically, you pay $50 but get $100 worth of stuff. neat, huh? i usually find a lot from american apparel, especially cotton sundresses and such, and expected to be overwhelmed with choices when i went in. not so much. aside from a few unflattering lumpy sweaters and some silly gold tube tops, there wasn't much. as i dug through the pants, i found these um, jean-like leggings (i'd rather cut my hand off then call them the-you-know-what-word). they're super high-waisted and probably the most comfortable pants i've ever owned. i wore them a couple times over the weekend, and they were perfect for running around outside in the snow.

i know i don't share pictures of bryan and i very often, but i loved these so much that i thought i'd share them. we set the self timer on the camera and pelted the shit out each other with snowballs.

always ten feet tall.

2012-01-23T10:00:00.001-05:00

blouse: j. crew, from my sister
dress: vintage
belt: vintage
shoes: courtesy of blowfish
glasses: bonlook

this dress has been in my closet for a really long time, and i sometimes feel like there are no other different outfits that i could possibly put together with it - then pinterest comes to the rescue. i don't really browse the site as much as i could, but sometimes i stumble upon an image that i have to add to my inspiration board. never would i ever have thought that i'd be into an outfit with a tie, but hey, there's a first time for everything. there are no ties in my closet (something that might have to change in the future), so i just stuck with the basic elements of the outfit. i thought that it needed some color, so i added these orangey-red socks. yay for pinterest!

ps: kitty of secret shop just completed her new lookbook and it's absolutely stunning. you can view it here.

the philadelphia magic gardens.

2012-01-20T10:00:00.003-05:00

if there's one think that you'll notice when walking around the south street district (and perhaps a bit further south), it's the ceramic and glass mosaics covering the walls of houses and businesses. they're beautiful - the brightly colored grout and materials make even the most drab streets look cheerful. the mosaics are done by isaiah zagar, a sort of eccentric looking guy that i've seen a couple of times wandering around the 700-1000 blocks of south street. he runs the philadelphia magic gardens, an ever growing and expanding outdoor living art space. it's absolutely covered in glass bottles, plates, bicycle parts, pieces of metal, figurines, tons of shards of mirrors, and tiles. the space is kind of like a labyrinth; you'll walk down a set of stairs, choose between one of two pathways, make a right hand turn, and somehow end up where you started.

i took the girl i mentor through big brothers big sisters to the magic gardens in early december, and thought i'd share some of the pictures that i took.
i loved the way that the colors in these pictures turned out - it almost made it feel like summertime, with the coral and turquoise hues. hope you liked 'em!

inside and out.

2012-01-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

cardigan: j. crew
shirt: vintage
skirt: eryn brinie
belt: vintage
shoes: vintage
socks: courtesy of falke

i found these shoes while thrifting in early december; i grabbed them as soon i saw them on the shelf, stuffed between filthy sneakers and scuffed-up flats. as soon as i flipped them over and saw the price ($7.99), i instantly started debating their worth. they sat in the bottom of my cart as i walked up and down the aisles, and i couldn't stop thinking that i might just find a similar pair for a cheaper price somewhere else. then i realized that i was being absolutely insane because they are a brand new pair of leather shoes that i'll probably wear 2 times a week and snagged that shit up. sometimes i get seriously concerned about how cheap - i mean frugal - i am.

"i almost wrote your name on my spelling test."

2012-01-18T17:10:00.000-05:00

i don't have an outfit post today, but i do have something that (to me) is 10 times better. we don't really have a huge problem with notes in my class, as i keep all of their materials and only give them pencils - they can't get paper, markers, whatever, unless i give it to them. anyway, i intercepted this note and it made me laugh all afternoon. i thought i'd share with you. it's so passionate!

ballerina pink.

2012-01-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

sweater: j. crew outlet
skirt: vintage, from the garment district
shoes: forever21
necklace: forever21

pale pink in december - kind of strange, right? i bought this skirt back in june on a trip to boston. it didn't get much action during the summer months, so i figured i'd try to make it winter appropriate. luckily, the weather has made this kind of easy. i got this lightweight sweater for less than $10 at a j. crew outlet, and it's been perfect for the unseasonably warm days that we've been having recently. i don't know why i've been having such good luck at j.crew recently - i usually never do - but i'm definitely not complaining. (psst, teachers! did you know that you can get a 15% discount there, even on sale items?)

french braided crown tutorial.

2012-01-16T15:15:00.000-05:00

this is one of the hardest hairstyles that i can do, but easily one of my favorites. i saw this image on tumblr and figured that i could recreate it, but use all of my hair. as i said in the video, it's definitely easier to do this hairstyle if you're not looking in a mirror (at least for me). my fingers get all confused and it looks like a mess. it's probably also easier if you don't have bangs, since it's hard to get the french braid to go in a straight line across the front of your head if you're constantly trying to separate your bangs out of the braid. i've been practicing doing this braid for months now, while watching TV or reading blogs, and it's gotten easier each time .

please excuse my sniffles, as i was sick when i taped this.

if there are any questions that you have that i haven't covered, please let me know!

little fox.

2012-01-13T10:00:00.001-05:00

sweater: vintage
scarf: christmas present from my mom
socks: h&m
dress: courtesy of dolce vita
shoes: courtesy of kork-ease
belt: vintage

since we moved, things have been much simpler. our new neighborhood is a lot quieter than easy passyunk; sure, there are bars and restaurants, but nowhere to the extent of passyunk avenue. there's some pros and cons to that, i guess. on one hand, i've been eating a lot healthier and cut down on drinks, and i've been able to get to sleep earlier. it's also been kind of slow and tough adjusting to the different lifestyle. don't get me wrong - i love it here and wouldn't change it for the world, it was just such a sudden chance, you know? anyway, i've been coping with the large amount of extra time by starting new projects (like the table). after purchasing new fabric, i worked all week on reupholstering the chairs. it's definitely much more complicated than i had initially anticipated, and i'm kind of at a standstill right now. covering the cushion with fabric makes no sense to me, and i think my brain just needs a break from the project right now.

i wore this over winter break, in several different iterations (this being my favorite). the dress, while a bit casual for me, is very comfortable and well-fitting. the sweater is easier one of my favorite things that i've thrifted all year. i haven't really taken the scarf off since christmas; i've been wearing it nonstop at school, too, since my room is always freezing.

ollie was outside while we snapped these and i thought i'd share his cuteness with you guys. he looks like a little fox, deosn't he?

DIY: hex sign coasters.

2012-01-12T10:00:00.002-05:00

after making the table, we inexplicably had several pieces of wood left over. since i hate throwing anything out, we cut the pieces down to super thin wood blocks to make coasters. i'm not very talented when it comes to painting or drawing; simple shapes and images are about as complicated as i get. hex signs are a great representation of (relatively) simple geometric images. it's no secret that i love them - we have a giant piece of barnwood with a hex sign painted on it hanging in our living room. the area that i grew up in had hex signs plastered all over barns and sheds, and i grew up loving them. i figured that they might look cute painted on the coasters.i don't remember the exact measurements of the blocks, but i believe they were 4" x 4" x 1/4". i sanded them, starting with a low grit sand paper, working my way up to a high grit paper.
most hex signs are based around a circle. i traced the outside of a pint glass to make the shape.
you'll want to mark the exact center of the circle, as your design will most likely stem from that place. i also marked the points on the outside of the circle where the oval shapes would touch. make sure you take your time to measure carefully, as it'll really throw off the design if something is off.
there are tons of hex sign designs on the web. i started off with simple ones at first, just to get the hang of painting on wood.
time to paint! traditionally, hex signs are in vibrant primary colors, but you could use whatever colors you'd like. i just used acrylic paint and some very thin brushes. these ones were super cheap from A.C. moore. i trimmed the bristles down to cut down on some of the bulk.
start layering in more colors. i stuck with mostly green, red, blue, yellow, and white. depending on the quality of the paint that you're using, and the type of the wood that you chose, you'll need to do several layers of paint. i think i did about 2-3 to get the paint opaque.
and you're done! if any of the pencil lines are still visible, go ahead and erase them now. to protect the wood and paint, i used polyurethane on the coasters. use a small brush and do two coats to make sure that it's totally covered. you can find this in the painting section of a hardware store.
here's a set of 9 that i made. they went pretty quickly. i made them over winter break while watching TV; it's a good way to keep your hands busy (especially if you're one of those people that has to be doing something while watching TV - i know i am).

also - i found that design sponge did a project like this, too. you can check out the project here. i really like how they used sections of a branch!

$100 lulu's giveaway

2012-01-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

lulu's is offering one tick tock vintage reader a $100 credit to their shop. awesome, right? if i won, i'd pick between these tasseled heels or this beautifully printed dress. in order to enter this giveaway, you must:

1. be a follower of tick tock vintage
and
2. like lulu's on facebook

comment below telling me what you'd pick if you won the gift card. this giveaway is open to all US and canadian readers. the giveaway will be open until 11:59 on january 18th. the winner will be randomly selected. please leave only one comment!

good luck!

saturated.

2012-01-11T10:00:00.002-05:00

sweater: h&m
skirt: vintage, looks to be handmade
boots: vintage
tights: no idea, maybe target

i wear this sweater and skirt to work all the time; they're both so comfortable and very easy to switch out with other pieces in my closet. cowl neck sweaters are a bit tricky to wear while teaching, since you're constantly bending over, but i find that wearing a camisole underneath usually solves that problem.

as far as school updates go, things have been so busy in my neck of the woods. my literacy (reading/grammar/writing) class had the highest jump out of grades 3-7 on our practice standardized test. basically, the largest percentage of kids moved from basic to proficient. they're super excited and ended up winning a dress down day for this friday (their favorite thing ever). i also found my class penpals! they'll be writing to a third grade class in north carolina. i've been working non-stop on making math centers, too. i have about 20 stations complete (we'll only use 5 at a time) and it's my goal for this year to add an additional center every 2 weeks.

i wanted to give you guys a heads up that i've decided to leave the delightful dozen. i've had a blast swapping clothes over the past year, but my schedule is just too hectic to participate right now. i've met some really amazing gals through the group and am bummed that i'm leaving. the remaining members of the delightful dozen are recruiting 5 new members - if you're interested in applying, you can do so here.

stay tuned for a $100 giveaway to lulu's later today!

white to ivory.

2012-01-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

dress: vintage, heavily altered
sweater: j. crew
shoes: barefeet shoes
belt: vintage
earrings: courtesy of poshlocket

this outfit's from winter break - a bit late - but i thought i'd share it anyway because i love the dress so much. i think holiday parties can be a little bit awkward when you don't know the majority of the people in attendance, but hey, it's an excuse to get dressed up and eat tasty things, right? anyway, this dress used to be ankle length (odd) and stark white. i accidentally washed it and it turned a heinous shade of faded red. after bleaching the red out, i dyed it in about 20 teabags and it turned a faded shade of ivory. it's kind of hard to see from the pictures, but the lace looks aged, and you can really see the pattern against the slip underneath.

now that we're done the dining room table, i decided that i'd start working on the chairs. i figured that it would be pretty easy to find a decent pair on craigslist - until i saw these. a wingback chair? for eating in? i mean, i'm not sure if that could be any more perfect. oh, except for the price tag. i think i'd rather eat dirt than pay $799 for something that i'd occasionally put my butt in. anyway, i found a pair of small wingback chairs at a thrift store and thought i'd try my hand at upholstery. i spent about 4 hours removing staples from one chair, cut the cuticle off of my left index finger, and purchased new fabric - only to realized that i was about 2 yards too short. a successful start, no?

ringing in the new year.

2012-01-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

dress: vintage
shoes: courtesy of kork-ease

new year's was pretty mild for us, which is kind of how i prefer it. we had dinner at a friend's house, then went to another friend's house for drinks and snacks. i'd spent the earlier part of the day finishing up the benches for the table, so i was pretty tuckered out by midnight. unlike last year, we didn't set sparklers or fireworks off - the only real disappointment.

building our dining room table: take 1.

2012-01-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

when we moved into this new house, we knew that we'd have to get a dining room table. our old house was very small and we used a section of the living room as our dining area (our kitchen was much too small to have a table). i had a clear idea of the kind of table i wanted - a large slab farmhouse table with large post legs. i figured i'd eventually be able to find something on craigslist, and searched the listings on a daily basis. unfortunately, everything was much more expensive than what our budget allowed - some tables were upwards of $2,000. i started looking for plans for a farmhouse table and stumbled upon this tutorial by ana white. it seemed pretty simple and cheap, as you could use low quality wood and cover it with a dark stain (my original plan). lucky for us, my dad stumbled upon a local guy who sells high quality lumber and handmade pieces of furniture. through him, we were table to order ash, a hard wood that is very durable and strong. he cut the wood to size for us, which was extremely helpful. it was also neat to pick out the exact pieces of wood that we would use for our table - there was no mystery with what we were going to get.

we loosely followed the original plans. because we used a hard wood, we were able to eliminate the support pieces that went across the apron. we also modified the legs to include 4 x 4 legs. we already had almost all of the tools and supplies that we needed for the project, except for a table saw. with a christmas sale and $15 off coupon, i was able to get the table saw from a sear's hardware store for just over $100. we used high quality screws made specifically for hard wood. all of the holes were first pre-drilled to ensure that the wood didn't crack.

all of the pictures were taken with my iphone, so i apologize for the poor picture quality.

bryan at the table saw. i'm honestly surprised that neither of us lost a finger during this project.
this step took us a bit of time to figure out. we had to notch out sections for the side supports to fit into the legs. it seemed nearly impossible at first, but after some research, we figured out a quick way. you make slits in the wood in the area that you need to remove, maybe every quarter or half inch. then, place a chisel at the deepest point of the notch and hit it with the hammer - all of the pieces will come out. it's a little choppy, and you could sand the notches out to be smooth. however, we took the legs and ran them over the table saw. it was kind of scary (see below).

kind of scary, but it works really well. sanding those notches would have taken hours.

once you run the notches over the table saw, they're totally smooth. this allows the pieces to fit together better and be a bit sturdier. you can see how large the legs actually are in this picture - 4 x 4 posts!
we attached the stretcher to the bottom supports. this part was fairly simple. we hid the screws by drilling up through the bottom of the supports into the stretcher.
after you attach the supports to the stretcher, you need to attach the legs to the supports. you can sort of see how everything fits together like a puzzle. i wanted to be sure that the screws were hidden on the legs because they're a highly visible part. we used huge 3 inch screws to drill into the bottom of the legs (where they'd touch the floor) and into the stretcher. we used a large bit to sink them even further in.
i don't have many pictures of the next step, probably because it was so infuriatingly frustrating. remember how i said that we changed the measurements up to use 4 x 4 inch posts instead of two 2 x 4 inch boards glued together? well, turns out that there was a reason for using the 2 x 4s. to sit the apron (the rectangular piece) onto the legs, you need to notch out a 2 x 4 x 4 piece in each leg. it's pretty much impossible to make the cuts on the saw, so we sat outside with a chisel and hammer to make the cuts. it took forever - about 3.5 hours to do all 4 legs, not including sanding. after the notches were made, we put the apron together and placed it in the notches. the apron was secured to the legs with 3 inch screws. next step was to add the overhang supports. these pieces allow you to connect the tabletop to the table body while still keeping the screws hidden. the overhang supports are hidden underneath the table, so we just attached them from the fronts into the table with large screws. now we're at the last step of assembling the table! after drilling pilot holes for the screws (we used 1.5 inch screws), we drilled up through the bottom of the overhang supports into the table. i had never worked with briwax before, but had read that it was pretty much a miracle-worker. i can't say enough good things about the product after using it. it's extremely simple to use and allows you to still be able to 'feel' the wood, if that makes sense - it doesn't feel like a piece of plastic like some highly polyurethaned tables. we chose the light brown color, which actually didn't end up changing the color of the wood much at all. the grain was deepened a bit but that's about it.
pretty, huh? i like that the wood is a little darker now, but the wormholes and cracks and grain are still highly visible.
here's the table with our old kitchen chairs pulled up to it. you can see the breadboard ends really clearly. we're in the process of finding a rug for underneath the table now.

besides notching out the 2 x 4 x 4 sections out of the legs, the table was actually pretty easy to put together. i'd say that we spent about 10 hours on the table, including the briwax application. in my next post, i'll review how we made the benches.

delightful dozen.

2012-01-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

i'm over on the delightful dozen blog, where it's my turn to style this awesome suede skirt. i'll be back with a big post on our dining room table tomorrow. stay tuned!

a sizing mistake.

2012-01-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

jacket: vintage
blouse: vintage
shorts: forever21
shoes: courtesy of blowfish
tights: loehmann's

bryan and i promised each other that we'd only do small presents for each other this year, since we had just purchased the house. i had plans of filling his stocking with little treats and purchasing him one neat thing to open. i thought he'd like a letterman sweater and spent a decent amount of time searching ebay for the perfect one; i found this one last minute, and stayed up until midnight to bid on it. the posting said it'd fit a size medium or large - you can imagine my surprise when i opened the package and saw a sweater that almost didn't fit me. total bummer. it turns out that bryan wasn't super into the sweater anyway, so it sort of fell into my lap.

anywho, i wore this outfit to a little engagement party at jen's house. so far, five couples i know have become engaged in december. woohoo!

liz of montana retro is offering tick tock vintage readers 15% off with coupon code COWGIRL. she has some super cute things in store (like this gorgeous coat) at amazing prices.

mummers parade.

2012-01-02T10:00:00.002-05:00

the mummers parade is one of my most favorite philadelphia traditions. new year's eve isn't a huge deal in philadelphia; sure, fireworks are set off and there are lots of parties, but the real party is the next day. the mummers are a group of philadelphians that dress up in fancy clothes (usually covered in sequins and feathers) and parade up and down broad street. there's a ridiculous amount of public intoxication that goes completely unnoticed by the police. the parade starts early in the morning and continues all night on second street.

you'll notice in the photographs that the mummers differ greatly from each other. each club goes with their own theme, anything from the prohibition to sweets to alice in wonderland. there are also different types of clubs; comics, fancies, string bands, and fancy brigades. the comics are just insanely drunk men (and boys) in dresses that parade around in dresses and parasols. they're usually in huge groups and pretty unruly. the fancies are smaller groups that make floats and sometimes have music that they dance to. string bands are pretty much what you'd expect. the fancy brigades are the most elaborate; there are huge floats, props, synchronized dancing, large costumes...it's quite the sight.

this was my favorite costume out of all - an ice cream cone! the pants are so funny.

this string band went with a carnival theme.

gumball machine on his head. so, so awesome.

here are the parasols i was talking about - they just pump the umbrellas up and down in tune with the music. there's lots of face paint and beads and crazy accessories.

i laughed SO hard when i saw the guy's face in the background, and i just had to make this.

of course, pretzels vendors are everywhere.

this guy's costume was pretty awesome - i love how serious he looks.

and one more picture of the ice cream man...

hahahaha. so good!

january sponsorships.

2012-01-01T21:06:00.000-05:00

i'm now accepting sponsorships for january and beyond! i have lots of neat things planned for this month, including more hairstyle tutorials and DIY posts. as always, sponsorship proceeds go towards materials and supplies for my third grade classroom. my students are all reading chapter books now, and i'd love to get a couple of class sets of books for us to read together. i'd also love to purchase a couple more math games to start friday math centers.

to celebrate the new year, i'm offering a 12% discount on all medium and large sponsorship spots! this discount will only be open until midnight on january 2.

feel free to email me at veronikaplacek@gmail.com with any questions, or to book a sponsorship space.

seven fishes.

2011-12-30T11:46:00.001-05:00

dress: vintage
tights: we love colors
shoes: bow tied heel, courtesy of dalaga

remember those truffles that i made for a seven fishes dinner? well, this is what i wore to the dinner party. i'll take any excuse to throw on a party dress and this one hadn't been worn since i found it in a thrift store over the summer. i'm usually not a huge fan of off-the-shoulder things, but this dress is an exception. i love the soft draping and pretty chiffon and tulle underskirt. the shoes seemed to fit perfectly, and the bows added a little something to an otherwise simple outfit.

this week has flown by, no? i'm trying to keep myself busy now that the table is done. today i'll be cutting glass bottles with a combination of yarn, alcohol, and fire, so uh, stay tuned for that.

dalaga is offering 15% off anything you'd like with the coupon code TICKTOCK15. if you'd like, you can also follow them on twitter and facebook.

the wissahickon: part 1.

2011-12-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

it's still kind of hard to believe that this is essentially our backyard now. the wissahickon park surrounds chestnut hill and it's just a short bike ride or walk away from our house. bryan's been going mountain biking there for a long time now, and we used to take trips with friends in the summer to go swimming in the wissahickon creek. there's a whole bunch of historic homes in the woods (not occupied, however) that are remnants of the mills and other industry that lined the river in the 1800's. we went for a long hike yesterday, crunching through the leaves and poking about the streams of water that trickle down the stone walls scattered throughout the park. i still can't believe that this is so close to us now - granted, it's not the vast expanse of space that i grew up on, but it's a huge step up from the concrete slab patio in south philadelphia. it makes being a little farther from center city totally worth it.

you are free.

2011-12-28T10:00:00.001-05:00

dress: forever21
blazer: vintage
tights: we love colors
shoes: anthropologie
necklace: untie (a christmas present from my mom)

christmas isn't a huge deal at our house. my family is very small to begin with, and my dad and sister are almost always out of the country during the last couple weeks of december. my mom visited my grandma in ohio this year, so that left bryan and i by ourselves. it was nice enjoying the house and decorations and tree together on christmas eve; we played owen, drank lots of wine, and opened presents. because we just bought the house, we didn't do large presents for each other - just stockings (which are my favorite things to open anyway). bryan's grandma lives in northern new jersey and we made the drive to visit her on monday. this is what i wore; it was a pretty simple get-together, just us, his grandma, and his aunt. we made a big salad and pasta and just hung out.

i hope you had a great holiday! we'll be going hiking and spending time with friend today. any special plans for the rest of the week?

ps: dalaga is offering tick tock vintage readers 15% off all shoes with coupon code TICKTOCK15 - but just for 1 week! stay tuned to see how i wore these puppies.

truffle overload.

2011-12-26T10:47:00.000-05:00

our good friends tim and chrissy hosted a seven fishes dinner on friday night, and we were responsible for bringing bryan's famous ceasar salad (it's amazing) and dessert. i'm really into baking (if you've been a tick tock vintage reader for awhile you might remember some of the baking posts that i used to do), but not very skilled in candy making. i've always been nervous about the precise temperatures that are required when melting sugar and chocolate as i'm a little haphazard and messy in the kitchen. after reading the instructions for a truffle recipe that popped up in my google reader, i realized that there really wasn't much to it. you'll want to be sure that you buy those wafer chocolates (the kind that you would get at a craft store) as they harden into a shell that will encase the filling.

we loosely followed these recipes: pumpkin spice truffles and chocolate truffles. the wrappers are martha stewart.

bell curve.

2011-12-22T10:20:00.000-05:00

sweater: vintage - i believe it's handmade
skirt: vintage (lord and taylor!) from the punk rock flea market
necklace: forever21
boots: rachel comey
tights: courtesy of falke

this is one of my favorite school outfits that i've worn so far this year. the skirt was a recent purchase from the punk rock flea market, a bi-yearly event that i've been going to since i was 17. it's a blast; you can see pictures from the summer one here. the sweater was from a thrifting trip and i can't get over how ridiculous the sleeves are. i think the sweater is handmade, as the seaming between the sleeves and the bodice is a little wonky, but i still love it. it's toasty but breathable, and the neat knitted patterns make it a bit more interesting.

we had parent-teacher conferences yesterday and i'd be lying if i said that i wasn't nervous. it's the first time that i've ever held conferences on my own and i didn't really know what to expect. luckily, most of the parents ended up coming to their meeting (even if they were 2 hours late). one parent stayed for a whole half hour and looked at everything in the room: posters, charts, her daughter's work, books that we were reading, and the bulletin boards outside. it was so nice to see how interested she was in what her child was learning. we have another half day worth of conferences today and i'm hoping that it'll go just as smoothly.

pretty plain.

2011-12-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

sweater: thrifted, no tag. i don't think it's vintage.
shorts: vintage from jen
necklace: forever21
tights: american apparel (thanks, steph!)
shoes: courtesy of kork-ease

i totally forgot about this outfit until i was sorting through photos, readying them to transfer to the external hard drive. i wore it a couple of weekends ago while the weather was still relatively mild. i don't think you could have forced a turtleneck sweater on me a couple of years ago, but i've been all about 'em this year. they're a tad bulky, true, but so ridiculously cozy. i've been trying to stay away from pairing them with jeans as i don't want to slip into the sloppy weekend wear trap (most of my weekday nights are spent in my grandma's sweatpants and a hoodie).

we finally finished our new dining room table over the weekend. in case you missed it, we bought a large amount of ash from a guy nearby my dad's house. i really wanted a large farmhouse table but they're so expensive, especially if you want one with a solid wood top - like upwards of $2,000. after a bit of research, i found a plan to make a farmhouse table that is over 8 feet long. we chiseled and sanded and sawed and notched all weekend and it's finally done. we're working on the matching benches now and will be applying the wax stain and sealer next. i took lots of progress pictures and will be posting a tutorial as soon as it's totally finished.

floris.

2011-12-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

blazer: vintage
blouse: j. crew, thrifted
shorts: h&m
belt: vintage
shoes: BCBG

i've been on the hunt for a fitted vintage blazer for a long time. with how many racks of blazers are at the thrift store, you think i would have found one pretty quickly. not the case. if i found a blazer that was in the right color and fabric, it was either much too large or way too small. on my last trip to the thrift store, i quickly walked past a rack of boy's suits on the way to the shoes. out of the corner of my eye i saw this blazer, with a pair of pants hanging below. because i didn't need the pants and re-donated them at the register, they gave me the blazer for $5.99. not bad!

i wore this outfit to 'boozeyanna' last weekend. jon and his roommate organized an alcoholic-pollyanna. you submit a list of 3 favorite alcoholic beverages and someone is matched with you to purchase something from your list. my first choice was any of the floris beers (except for chocolate, bleh) from huyghe brewery (the same place that makes the delirium beers), not expecting that i'd actually get it. i was totally surprised when i ended up getting three bottles of floris apple; it's ridiculously delicious. i'm on the hunt for floris cactus or floris honey in philadelphia, but am 99% sure that it's impossible to get outside of europe. if i'm wrong and you know of a retailer (either online or in the philadelphia area) please let me know!

poshlocket giveaway.

2011-12-16T18:00:00.001-05:00

poshlocket is offering one tick tock vintage reader a $25 gift card to use in their shop. you'll find lots of pretty cocktail rings and necklaces and earrings - i've included some of my favorites above. in order to enter the giveaway, you must:

1) be a follower of tick tock vintage
and
2) follow them on facebook, like them on twitter, or join their mailing list.

comment below with your email address so i can contact you if you win. this giveaway is open to all US readers. it'll be open until december 23rd at 11:59 PM.

good luck!

DIY suede elbow patches.

2011-12-16T10:30:00.001-05:00

i've always liked sweaters and blazers with elbow patches, and thought that it'd be super easy to sew suede patches onto a sweater. jen and i visited the thrift store, looking for cozy sweaters to apply the patches to. i had leftover suede from the purse i made over the summer; we cut the suede into ovals after carefully measuring the area that we wanted to cover.
after cutting the ovals out, we mixed gold metallic paint with fabric medium and carefully painted designs onto the patches. i originally thought i'd just do the border of the ovals gold but decided to get a bit wild and crazy and do stripes. yup.
we pinned the patches onto the backs of the sleeves and tried to wrap our minds around how to sew the patches on.
let's just say that it wasn't easy. i don't think i've cursed so much in one short time period.
ta da! all done. i think that i'll make another sweater, but keep the elbow patches more simple. i really liked the combination of jen's navy sweater with the tan suede. anyway, this was a really easy project once you figure out how to attach the patches. hand sewing the patches on might be the easiest and most stress-free, albeit the most time consuming.

a tick tock gift guide: for the ladies.

2011-12-16T09:30:00.000-05:00

i know that you've probably been inundated with all of the gift guides floating around blog-land recently, but i can't help but post another. as someone who naturally likes making lists and organized sets of things, this is actually really fun. pinterest has really fueled my gift-guide making habit as it's so easy to categorize things. we never made christmas lists in my family, but if i were to make one, this would be it.

two hearts initial necklace • silk ikat pillow • donna wilson tea towel
gingerbread spread • nude cleansing facial oil •the vintage modern home
lensbaby 'the muse' • purple wedge booties • antler hair pins • matte topcoat

turquoise and caramel.

2011-12-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

blouse: vintage
sweater: j. crew outlet
skirt: vintage
belt: vintage
ring: courtesy of moorea seal
shoes: PINK

like everyone else, i usually really like what j. crew has to offer. their stuff is generally versatile and well made, and their lookbooks are nicely styled (particularly the last one). i just can't get over the prices, though. there's a j. crew outlet store not too far from us and i'll occasionally find good deals there, like the sweater above. they were originally $68 or so, marked down repeatedly to $24. all sale was an extra 50% off, so i got it for $12. awesome, huh? i bought it in a creamy white, too, and have been wearing them non-stop.

today's going to be a long one; i have to stay at work for a family night until 8, on top of being at school all day. let's just say that the weekend could not come any quicker.

messy bun tutorial.

2011-12-13T12:01:00.001-05:00

i had a couple of comments about how i do that giant-poofball-messy-bun-thing that i throw on top of my head, and i thought i'd show y'all how to do it. it's the easiest thing ever and i hope the video explains it well. i find that it's a good go-to hairstyle when you haven't washed your hair recently. if your hair is a little greasy, just throw some dry shampoo in it so it's easier to tease. please excuse my repeated sniffles and coughs, as i have a nasty cold. if you have any other questions, please let me know!

ps: how hilarious is my face in the preview image of the video? it makes me think of divine.

a daily representation.

2011-12-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

top: banana republic, thrifted
skirt: vintage
shoes: bass
jacket: vintage
belt: vintage, from my mom
glasses: courtesy of bonlook
necklace: courtesy of maya brenner

with the super short days recently, i haven't been able to take many pictures of my teaching attire. i want to be sure that i'm representing that side of my life as well, so i've been trying to make time to snap a couple of pictures of my work outfits. this is a pretty good representation of what i wear on a daily basis to school. i try to wear loafers or flats at least twice a week to give my feet a break from heels and wedges. my room doesn't have a coat hook so i have to drape my jacket on the back of the chair, and it sometimes drags on the floor or gets caught in the wheel of my chair - meaning that blazers are usually a better choice. glasses are a given, as i'm pretty much useless without them when i'm reading.

on a side note, do you guys ever have trouble photographing red things? i'm absolutely awful at it. i remember that photographing red items for my etsy shop was the worst and i'd usually end up getting so frustrated that i'd just toss the garment to the side. the color seems really bright and saturated and even tinkering with the levels, saturation, and exposure in photoshop don't seem to help. any pointers?

a little late.

2011-12-12T17:15:00.001-05:00

top: forever21
skirt: vintage
tights: unknown
shoes: forever21
belt: vintage
earrings: courtesy of francesca's collections

this might be the last outfit post from our old neighborhood! i had a long night last night and wasn't able to get a post together. we have a cold going around school and i think that i caught it. i have a whole bunch of neat-o posts lined up for this week, including another gift guide, a DIY project, and my weirdo self giving a hair tutorial.

i had some really great news from school today that i thought i'd share. i teach the low level literacy class; it's a combination of some of my homeroom students and some students from the other third grade class. their reading levels are all over the place. some read slightly above where they should be as of now, and others are several years below (totally serious). we take a very big standardized test in third graded called the PSSA; it basically tells you how much the third grade material the students know. they take two tests: literacy and math. historically, the kids do much worse in literacy than in math. their reading comprehension skills and basic reading skills just aren't there. to prepare for this giant test in march, we take several predictor tests throughout the year. we treat these tests (called 4sights) the same as the PSSA and the kids are totally serious about their performance. anywho, students can get one of four levels - below basic, basic, proficient (where they should be by march), and advanced. my job is to move the kids up in the levels. when i first started, most of my class was at below basic. i found out today that, after 3 4sights and 3 months of school, almost all of my literacy class is...

proficient!

this is a huge deal to me because a) it means that my kids are mastering the material, b) they are ahead of where they need to be at this point in the year, and c) i'm doing okay as a teacher. the testing coordinator said that my low-level class is performing as well as the high-level class and i'm pretty excited about it. i have awesome help, like after school test prep teachers and a reading specialist, and the kids couldn't have done it without 'em.

woohoo!

some new finds.

2011-12-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

i have mixed luck when it comes to thrift shopping. i'll either find a literal cartload of stuff, or walk out with absolutely nothing. lucky for me, i've been walking out with a couple of bags each time i go. i usually don't take pictures of what i find while i'm thrifting but i was so excited about everything i found last week that i couldn't help sharing on instagram. there's a bunch of stuff not shown but you get the idea. i'm most excited about the shoes, blazer, and corduroy skirt. i'll be sharing some of my finds each week on instagram. if you'd like, you can follow me at ticktockvint.

ash and berry.

2011-12-09T11:00:00.001-05:00

top: vintage
jacket: vintage
belt: j. crew outlet
jeans: romeo and juliet
shoes: some no-name brand from local discount shoe place

since losing a bit of weight, i've started to feel more comfortable in jeans. i wore them occasionally before i started teaching but always felt better in skirts and dresses. i found these jeans in a loehmann's while i was in college; if you're from philadelphia, it was the one on chestnut (yeah, THAT long ago). i loved the length and the zippered ankles and the neat embroidery on the bum pockets. they didn't fit then, so i shoved them in the bottom of my pants drawer and didn't pull them out until last weekend. they're a bit tight (as the fit should be), but they fit and i actually don't feel super self conscious in them. i'm still on the fence about them being so light-colored and i think i might take some dark blue rit dye to them this weekend. this whole pants adventure that i've been on recently has been tough and i'm still learning how to dress around my shape; i'm sure that through trial and error, i'll find a style that works.

also - karyn of dethrose vintage (one of my favorite vintage shops) is holding a giveaway on her blog. she's giving away a $25 gift card to her shop. you can enter the giveaway here. she's also offering 15% off to with the promo code gift2you. good luck!

a tick tock gift guide: gifts for gents.

2011-12-09T10:30:00.001-05:00

i have the hardest time shopping for guys. i'm inclined to buy bryan clothing, since he never purchases it for himself, but i'd like to mix it up a bit with other doohickeys and trinkets. i put this together with his help, so it has the man stamp-of-approval (well, bryan's at least). honestly, i kind of want most of these things for myself, too - how gorgeous are those boots? and that satchel...my goodness.

1. meat grinder & sausage stuffer 2. leather baseball coasters 3. shaving soap
4. striped bow tie 5. chrome razor 6. leather satchel
7. chili infused pasta 8. maine woodsman boot
9. pendleton wool blanket 10. rosewood pocket knife

the way you wear your head.

2011-12-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

blouse: vintage
shorts: vintage
belt: vintage
sweater: vintage
socks: modcloth
shoes: courtesy of lulu's

i can't stop wearing shorts. there, i said it. i think i've worn them more than skirts this fall, which is a bit odd since i never really wore them much before. with the unseasonably warm weather that we've had lately, it's actually been very comfortable. the top half of my body is always chilly, and the bottom half is usually roasting - making shorts + cozy socks + a big sweater the perfect combination. i figured that at 24, i don't have much more time to pull off the whole over-the-knee sock look so i'll work it in as much as i can while it's still...okay .

where in the world is...

2011-12-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

hat: vintage, previously my mom's
skirt: vintage
blouse: vintage
blue dress, worn as a blouse: laundry by shelli segal from tj maxx
shoes: BCBG from DSW

i have a love/hate relationship with hats. i absolutely love them, but more so on other people than on myself. bryan can't stand them and thinks i look like an absolute nut in any sort of headwear. i actually didn't pick out this hat on my own, though i might have if i had seen it in a thrift store. my mom had a bunch of hats that were my great-grandmother's and brought them to our house over thanksgiving. this one is the most mild out of the bunch; the others are bright blue and my personal favorite, a hunter-green hat with feathers on the side. i figured that since the hat makes such a um, statement i'd stick with neutral pieces for the rest of the outfit. apparently i looked like carmen sandiago, so i guess i must be doing something right.

it's amazing how fast december is going! this friday marks the end of the first trimester for school and i've been spending most of my nights grading projects and papers. i gave the kids a project last week to make a menu and bill for a group of friends going out to dinner to practice addition, subtraction, and counting money. it's been a blast grading their work - they put so much time and effort into their menus. the wood for our living room table is almost done and i'm really looking forward to building it. we might have the wood as early as this weekend! in case you missed the earlier post, bryan and i are building our dining room table from ash that we purchased from a carpenter in my hometown. it's beautiful and i can't wait to see the finished product.

DIY painted geometric clutch

2011-12-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

jen and i have been on a DIY kick this month. one of the ideas that we had originally talked about was to paint leather clutches. jen had purchased these faux leather wallet/clutch things awhile ago, making the starting point of the project much easier. you could probably find something very similar at a thrift store; you could even use a simple purse or bag, too.
here's the cast of characters: something to paint on (wallet or clutch), acrylic paint, painter's tape, brushes, sandpaper. not pictured: fabric medium, suede, scissors, matte finishing sealant spray. here's the before picture of the clutch. simple - not exactly hideous, but nothing special.
i knew that i wanted to use a coral pink, teal, metallic gold, and black in my design. the white was an afterthought, as i thought the four colors weren't enough.
we sanded the face of the clutches first because the surface was so smooth. this gave the edges a neat worn-in look, and lets the paint adhere to the "leather" more. i think this would work better on a genuine leather clutch since the surface will be more rough.
using painter's tape, we blocked off the sections that we wanted to paint gold (the background color). make sure that you press down hard to seal the tape securely to the clutch. mix up your paint! don't forget to read the instructions on the fabric medium. mix everything well together. you'll probably want to put a drop cloth or newspaper down as the painting can be a bit messy.
paint paint paint! you'll need to paint several coats. let each thin coat dry completely before starting on the next coat. you might notice that the tape is a bit different than the image above - one clutch is mine, the others is jen's.
once that's done, cut the design that you want to use out of painter's tape. this is the trickiest part so we didn't get many pictures of it. try not to pick anything too complicated or with small pieces since it can be hard to keep the paint neat. using thin layers, paint over the design. again, you'll probably need several coats.
i made the suede tassel out of a scrap piece of pants that i had chopped up. it's just attached to the zipper pull with a metal link.this was such a fun project to make! i'll definitely be using this same technique again. if you have any questions about the project or need details on products that i used, feel free to shoot me an email.

a tick tock gift guide: stocking stuffers.

2011-12-02T14:00:00.001-05:00

i think i like opening my stocking more than i do presents. there's something so fun about little tchotchkes and toys. i've included some stocking stuffers that i've received in my stocking in the past, and some that i'll probably be purchasing this year. hope you like 'em!

southern tier creme brulee stout • hot hands warming packets • chai tea • salted caramels • hand-knit fair isle socks • badger balm • wooden cooking spoons • playing cards • fox notebook

native species.

2011-12-02T10:45:00.001-05:00

blouse: vintage
skirt: vintage
belt: vintage
tights: we love colors
shoes: marc jacobs

here's an outfit from our old neighborhood that i never got to share. truth be told, i've been kind of uninspired with my closet lately. i think it's a combination of stress from moving, an overload of work from school, and the changing seasons. most of my clothing is more summer-appropriate than winter-appropriate, so it's been kind of hard to get in the swing of dressing for a colder season. layering isn't a skill that i'm well versed in; i feel like i'm either completely mismatched or bulky or just overdone. i've also decided that i don't own many basics, which is partially contributing to the problem. it's hard mix and match a shirt covered in nuts (see above) or a bunch of pink floral dresses. i've been keeping my eyes open at the thrift stores for solid colored skirts and simple blouses, but i haven't had much luck. i've checked around at the ring of big fast-fashion stores; everything just feels low-quality and is so overpriced that i can't convince myself to buy it. i guess you get what you pay for, right? i'm getting to the point where i might start buying patterns and sewing myself some basic skirts. i love the one that i'm wearing above and it matches with everything. if i could make one in black, dark brown, and something colorful (i'm thinking blue, or maybe dark green), i'd be one happy lady.

i realized the other day that i haven't been giving much of an update on school. things have been busier than ever. sometimes i come home from school around 4:30, take an hour long break, and work on lessons and grading from 5:30 until 9. it's nuts! my class has finally gotten into the swing of things, adapting to my expectations and working together really well as a group. we're working constantly on preparing for the state exams. right now, we're studying multiplication and how to write a summary. they're making incredible strides and i'm constantly amazed at how much they're capable of learning.

i've got a pretty awesome weekend lined up and i couldn't be more excited for the prospect of two days off. julia and i are taking the pups hiking on saturday, and jen and i are working on a bunch of DIY projects on sunday. i'm also going to try my very best to do a couple of hair tutorial videos. do you have any suggestions for hairstyle how-tos? i'm thinking about doing ones on a braided crown and voluminous bun.

first date dress.

2011-12-01T11:45:00.001-05:00

i'm over on the delightful dozen blog today with a red velvet dress. you can check out my post here.

ps: please excuse any blog-layout-weirdness over the next couple of days. i'm adjusting things with the layout and it's not going as smoothly as i had hoped.

motherland jewels giveaway.

2011-12-01T09:00:00.004-05:00

melissa is a great sponsor of both tick tock vintage and the delightful dozen, and i'm very happy to hold this giveaway for her. she makes unique jewelry out of vintage components. my favorites from her shop are the cabaret bracelet and the everest necklace. she's offered one lucky tick tock vintage reader a $20 credit to her shop. to enter this giveaway, you must:

1. follow motherland on twitter
and
2. comment below with your favorite piece from her shop.

this giveaway is open to all US and canadian readers. this giveaway will be open until sunday, december 4th at 11:59 PM. please leave only 1 comment for this giveaway. be sure to leave your email address so i can contact you if you win!

and now, the winners of the blowfish and dusana botswana giveaways! the winner of the blowfish shoes giveaway was...
gladys! congratulations!

the winner of the dusana botswana giveaway was...anna! thanks so much for all who entered, and i'll be contacting the winners today. woo-hoo!

mermaid lane.

2011-11-29T10:30:00.000-05:00

jacket: courtesy of chloe loves charlie
shorts and sweater: h&m
shirt: american apparel
tights: not sure, maybe forever21 or marshall's
shoes: two lips via century21

reading terminal market is a bit farther from us now, which is kind of a bummer. we were spoiled by all of the ridiculously cheap (and fresh!) produce at our disposal and going to buy fruits and veggies at the grocery story has just been too expensive. taking the trip into center city to go to the market is bearable, but definitely not ideal. looking for a closer option we headed to the chestnut hill farmer's market this morning. it's about a mile walk from our house - down a big hill getting there, up a big hill coming back. because we're a) dumb and b) dumb we didn't check the farmer's market times before we left the house and realized that the market was cancelled that saturday when we got there. thank goodness i wore my walking boots!

my sweet november giveaway.

2011-11-29T09:30:00.000-05:00

the very lovely candy runs a jewelry shop on etsy called my sweet november, and has generously offered up this anchor necklace and earring set to tick tock vintage readers. i think i'd wear the necklace tucked underneath the collar of a button-down shirt, with the charm peeking out. to enter this giveaway, you must
1) be a follower of tick tock vintage
and
2) tell me what you'd wear the necklace and earrings with in a comment below.
this giveaway is open to US readers. please leave only one comment below. if you have any questions about the giveaway, please contact me here. this giveaway will be open until 11:59PM on december 3rd. good luck!

down the halls.

2011-11-28T10:30:00.000-05:00

jacket: vintage
pin: vintage
belt: vintage
sweater: ralph lauren via t.j. maxx
shoes: bass
socks: h&m
skirt: vintage

bryan and i found meow over three years ago. we were leaving a halloween party and had just stepped outside to unlock our bikes. we heard a whiny meow coming from behind us and saw this tiny kitten sitting on the sidewalk, staring up at us. we immediately dove for him as he ran under a car. after laying on the road, wildly sticking our arms under the vehicle, he calmly walked right towards us and let me pick him up. after a good scrubbing and checkup (and neutering!), he was part of our family. i guess we're not very creative - his name is meow - but he has about a million nicknames (cat, catbeast, catcheeks, catling, babymeow, meowcakes, catshackle). since we brought him in three years ago, he hasn't really experienced the great outdoors. i'm too scared that he'll sprint away and we'll never see him again. now that we've moved and have a fenced in backyard, bryan and i have allowed him a couple of minutes outside to explore (with us hovering over him every second). he absolutely loves it and protests greatly when we try to bring him inside; he essentially throws a kitty temper tantrum, meowing and wriggling and waving his arms about.

the result of this? possibly the funniest picture i've ever taken of one of my animals.

december sponsorships.

2011-11-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

hi there! i'm now accepting sponsorships for december and beyond. i've completed updated all of my sponsorship information; if you've been thinking about sponsorship, you can view it here. december's going to be a big month for tick tock vintage. i'm planning for several gift guides, a couple of video hairstyle tutorials, a few DIY projects, and a bunch of outfit posts. if you have any questions about sponsorship, or want to get the ball rolling for december, shoot me at email at veronikaplacek@gmail.com.

around town.

2011-11-25T22:05:00.001-05:00

i've been meaning to share this pictures for a couple of weeks now - they're of our new neighborhood! before we moved, bryan and i rode out to chestnut hill from our old house in south philadelphia. we tucked my camera away in his pannier bag, snuggled in tight between rain jackets and a patch kit. after some apple cider and hot chocolate, we walked around and took pictures of the beautiful houses. granted, these homes are much larger and grandiose than ours but you get an idea of the neighborhood. there are lots of tree-lined streets and manicured gardens and ridiculous attention to detail.

ps: candy of my sweet november is holding a 15% off sale in her shop until money, and lulu's is offering 15% their entire site (use coupon code BLKFRI).

dusana botswana giveaway.

2011-11-23T20:00:00.002-05:00

dusana is one of the sweetest gals i've met through blogging. she was one of the early sponsors of tick tock vintage, and helped me purchase books for my classroom. she recently opened her own shop, selling embroidered blouses and textiles. the blouses are from local artisans of oaxaca, mexico. 100% of the profits that she makes from the blouses are reinvested into the community. i'm very excited for this new project that she's working on, and can't wait to see the many ways that it'll benefit the members of oaxaca.

dusana has generously offered up to a $44 credit to her shop. these blouses are gorgeous - i could see wearing one with high-waisted jeans and boots. to enter this giveaway, you must:
1. comment below with your favorite item from dusana's shop.
2. follow her blog via google friend connect or blog lovin'.

for an additional entry, you can tweet about the giveaway on twitter. if you do this, please leave another comment for this entry. this giveaway closes at 11:59 on november 30.

float through the streets, breathe city lights.

2011-11-23T10:30:00.000-05:00

shirt: ralph lauren, thrifted
skirt: vintage
boots: rachel comey

i'm the cheapest person ever when it comes to buying vintage. i think it stems from all of the years of thrifting i've done; whenever i see something in a vintage stop that i like, i always end up telling myself that i'll be able to find it in a thrift store in the future. i came across this skirt in a little vintage shop in a town nearby where i grew up. after trying it on and debating for over 15 minutes if i should buy it, i finally put it back. i figured that it was just a simple full red skirt and i'd be able to find it on my next thrifting trip. fast forward 6 months - i'm back at the same shop, digging through the racks. i saw this skirt on the sale rack at the back of the store and kind of gasped - i couldn't believe it was still there. it still wasn't cheap, but i'm definitely glad i ended up purchasing it. it's a great length for wearing to work, and i really love the patchwork pieces of the skirt.

coming together.

2011-11-21T17:09:00.002-05:00

shorts: vintage
camisole: vintage
tights: american apparel
sweater: harvest legends sweater courtesy of lulu's
shoes: BCBG
necklace: forever21
belt: vintage

things are finally coming together at our house! pretty much everything is unpacked and organized now, including all of my clothing. i was most excited to find the box with my shorts; as you can probably tell, i've been really into the whole shorts and tights thing this fall. i guess this is partially because i'm sick of all of my skirts (i don't know how many more times i can wear this one or this one...if you have ideas, let me know!) and they're a tad more casual. jen gave me these shorts over the summer, but they were a bit too snug to be comfortable. since they fit better now i've been getting more use out of them.

we drove to an area past allentown this weekend to pick up our new living room chair. i've been searching for a large, worn-in armchair for weeks now but everything i found was either a) not the right shape (too modern), b) not the right color, or c) too expensive. after creeping on craigslist daily for about 2 weeks, i found the perfect one - it was even more perfect at $45. after being constantly disappointed at finding chairs that we just what i wanted but costing $3,000 (seriously) i was pretty excited. here it is:
i love it! i'm going to throw a cozy blanket over the ottoman and add some kilim pillows, too.

blowfish shoes giveaway.

2011-11-18T19:30:00.001-05:00

two giveaways in one day - woohoo! blowfish shoes is giving one lucky lady a free pair of shoes. if you win, you'll be able to choose any pair of shoes that you'd like from the blowfish shoes site. i have to admit that i'm pretty partial to the vance booties (they're the most comfortable shoes ever, i wear them to work all the time), but i love the valora booties and tom boy boots, too. in order to enter this giveaway, you must:
1. be a follower of tick tock vintage
2. comment below with your favorite shoes from blowfish

please leave one comment for this giveaway. if you have any questions, please email me or leave a comment below. this giveaway will be open until 11:59 PM on november 25th.

the winner of the simple thrift giveaway was...crystal! congratulations, lady!

when decades collide giveaway.

2011-11-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

dress: courtesy of when decades collide vintage
belt: vintage
sweater: forever21
tights: we love colors
shoes: marc jacobs

the two lovely ladies behind when decades collide vintage, candice and vanessa, are offering tick tock vintage readers a great giveaway. their vintage store is packed with adorable dresses; i really like this floral print dress and i'm not sure that i've ever seen a more gorgeous vintage swimsuit than this periwinkle blue one. one lucky winner will be given a $25 credit to the when decades collide vintage shop so spend on whatever their little heart desires. to enter this giveaway, you must:
1. be a tick tock vintage reader
2. like when decades collide on facebook

that's it! easy-peasy. please leave one comment for this giveaway. for example, if you are already a tick tock vintage follower and like when decades collide on facebook, please leave one comment telling me so. if you have any questions, please email me or leave a comment below. this giveaway will be open until 11:59 PM on november 25th.

stay tuned for another great giveaway later today and for the winner of the simple thrift giveaway!

the big woods.

2011-11-17T11:48:00.000-05:00

shirt: vintage
necklace: DIY
belt: vintage
jeans: daughters of the revolution
shoes: steve madden

i bought these jeans with the intention of wearing them for work, but find myself wearing them after school much more often. i feel like they're walking the thin line between 1970's chic and too costumey. i paired them last time with a sheer, geometric print blouse, trying to make them look a bit more modern. this time, i went for a more casual vibe - i'm not sure anything gets more laid back than plaid. the tassel necklace is something i made while working on a suede purse for the TODAY show. i had a bunch of extra suede left over and figured i may as well make it into something.

we cleaned out our old house yesterday, completely and totally. it's empty of all of our stuff, and i must admit that i don't miss the place at all. i loved the house while i lived there but the last 2 or 3 months were painful. between packing and clutter, i couldn't wait to get out. each time we made a trip to south philadelphia to fill the car up, i always wondered if i'd feel a bit sad about leaving east passyunk, and in all honesty, i never do. i guess that means the move was right.

vertically aligned.

2011-11-16T10:30:00.000-05:00

sweater: vintage
shoes and necklace: forever21
skirt: urban outfitters
belt: vintage

i've been keeping my eyes open for interesting vintage sweaters recently; they're so versatile, and i've been pairing them with everything from shorts to jeans to skirts. this one is from a thrifting trip in early october. because it's a bit fitted on the bottom of the sweater, i think it looks better tucked into skirt. bryan doesn't usually come with me when i go (it's not really his thing at all), but he tagged along this particular time. his commentary on the stuff i pick up is hilarious. he hated this sweater, but i threw it in the cart anyway.

i'm so excited for next week. not only do we only have 2.5 days of school (who-hoo!) but my grandma, great uncle, and mom are coming to stay with us over thanksgiving. my grandma and great uncle live in ohio so i only get a chance to see them once a year. i can't wait!

macallum.

2011-11-15T11:38:00.000-05:00

dress: vintage
belt: forever21
tights: loehmann's
shoes: anthropologie

this 1940's dress is a recent flea market find. i fell in love with the neckline with the lattice and the little bows. it's been perfect for teaching, since i can just throw a cardigan on top to make sure that i'm warm enough in the room. the dress was a bit big when i first got it, but shrunk in the wash - no mending needed!

there's been a couple comments lately about me looking skinnier or like i've lost weight. i've always found that if there are a couple of comments made about a particular subject, there are generally a whole bunch of people wondering the same thing too. i just wanted y'all to know that everything is fine. i'm on my feet now for 8+ hours a day, running around like a crazy person. with the move, we've been also running from place to place, lifting tons of boxes, and just really stressed in general. now that i'm teaching full time, my lifestyle has changed a lot and my body is responding to the increase in activity, i guess. hope that clears things up a bit! believe me, i'm still healthy and eating (lots) of food.

ps: this is the spot where i'll mostly be taking outfit photos - our new backyard!

live it out photography: take two.

2011-11-13T09:30:00.000-05:00

amber sent over the rest of the pictures from the photoshoot we had with her earlier this year, and i thought i'd share them with you. she has such a ridiculously good eye - i must admit that it makes me feel like i should go out and practice my own photography skill. in case you missed the first post, all of the styling was done by me (including flowers and tablescape and such). my dress is vintage, and i actually debated wearing it at our wedding. we shot in shannon's backyard (a truly magical place). most of the furniture, plates, cake stands, jars, etc. are vintage and all of it came from my own collection of housewares.

flashback.

2011-11-11T10:30:00.000-05:00

dress: vintage
bow: belt off of a romper
shoes: steve madden
tights: not sure, i think forever21

right before we packed up everything at our old house, i spent an afternoon going through my mending box trying to fix as much as i could before we moved. i wore this dress for about 5 minutes before my arm ripped the sleeve. all it needed was a few stitches in the armpit area but it sat, ripped, in the box for 6+ months. anyway, all fixed now! i added the bow onto the collar to break up all of the blue, and tried to keep the rest of the outfit neutral.

i have off today (thank. god.), but still have a huge list of stuff to finish. we're almost completely out of our old house, just a few things left in the kitchen and basement. after everything is removed, we need to clean the house from top to bottom. the gal i mentor and i are heading to center city for some window shopping, and then i'd love to stop by fête noel (in our new neighborhood!). bryan and i are building our dining room table and we need to drive out to my hometown to pick up the wood this weekend. i'm hoping we can work in a flea market visit, too.

what's your weekend shaping up to look like?

my herd.

2011-11-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

shirt: vintage
skirt: vintage
boots: vintage
pin: vintage

these pictures are from way back, but since all of my clothing is in boxes right now and i haven't been able to take outfit pictures, i thought i'd share this with you. plus, who doesn't love cute puppies?! taking our three dogs for a walk is an interesting process. as soon as they see the leash, they collectively freak out and start running around the house and dancing on their back legs. after wrangling them up and squeezing out of the front door, they attempt to sprint down the block. henry and louis are pretty small and mostly made out of hair, but oliver is 19 pounds of fluff and muscle and can be hard to control. after a block of so, we finally get into our swing of things and they start to walk normally. i can't tell you how many times people have stopped me and ask if the dogs are "all mine" or if i have a dog walking service. hah!

wolf and water.

2011-11-08T10:30:00.000-05:00

sweater: vintage
shirt: j. crew, thrifted
pin: vintage
tights: we love colors
shoes: unionbay via tjmaxx
belt: forever21
bow: heart city vintage
glasses: courtesy of bonlook

this was one of the last outfits i wore while we still lived in south philadelphia. everything else had been packed away except for comfy causal clothing and some work stuff. i guess i blended the two together and this is what i came up with. this sweater is one of my most favorite finds from recent; it was actually a bit larger (almost too large) but i accidentally shrunk it in the wash and now it fits perfectly. the crazy bun is a product of not washing my hair for several days and having nothing else to do with it. hannah gave me this little bow-tie at the punk rock flea market, so i slipped it at the base of the bun.

today's picture day at school and i'm wearing a very typical teacher outfit - cowl neck sweater, boots, and a pleated skirt. i always had really awful luck taking school pictures (my mom literally laughed aloud one year when she opened the picture envelope) so i'm hoping that this year's won't be that terrible.

guest posting for delightfully tacky!

2011-11-07T11:33:00.000-05:00

i'm over at elizabeth's blog today while she's off getting married. she asked us delightful dozen gals to come up with an outfit that we'd wear to her wedding if time/space/real life didn't exist. you can check out my post here.

also - if you're waiting to hear back from me from an email or comment, hang tight. i was super sick this weekend and just opened up my computer for the first time since friday afternoon.

no accessories required.

2011-11-04T11:07:00.000-04:00

dress: vintage
tights: h&m, i think
shoes: anthropologie

remember how i said that i'd be sharing lots of outfits from the past several weeks? well, here's another. i wore this sort-of fancy dress out to dinner for bryan's 26th birthday the first week of october. we had bought a groupon (such an amazing site, i use it constantly) for le virtu, an italian restaurant in our old neighborhood. bryan really likes the food there, as it's mostly smoked meats and cheese platters, and i like the outside garden seating. it's right of of passyunk avenue so you can people watch and look at the pretty storefronts.

today was the first day that i've stayed home sick so far this year. i felt pretty awful all week, but particularly bad last night. i took my temperature and it was 101.1. after chugging nyquil and water, i expected to wake up feeling much better, but that wasn't the case. i know my class is in capable hands but i still am so curious about how the day is going without me.

okay, time to pass out with a huge mug of tea and ru paul's drag race. i'll be sharing pictures of our moving process (!!!) tomorrow on twitter and facebook, if you're interested in following along. have a great weekend!

little black dress.

2011-11-03T10:30:00.000-04:00

dress: vintage
shoes: anthropologie
necklace: vintage
hairbow: off of a belt

here's an outfit from the early fall that i never got the chance to share; with moving this week, being grossly sick, and having a ton of schoolwork, taking outfit pictures has proven to be impossible. it's hard to see from the pictures, but this dress has the neatest skirt. there's a drop waist and the skirt is very full and gathered. i usually stay away from drop waist skirts because they're not particularly flattering on me, but i think that because the bodice on this dress is fitted it doesn't look terrible and i can still have a defined waist, ya know?

ch-ch-ch-ch-chevron.

2011-11-01T18:15:00.000-04:00

shirt: vintage
skirt: vintage
necklace: forever21 (looks vintage, huh?)
clutch: red velvet, sent around to the delightful dozen
shoes: cynthia vincent

when this chevron clutch came up in the delightful dozen forum, i jumped right on it. i've never been really good at wearing purses; i generally just wear the same black london fog bag over and over again because i know that it will comfortably hold my camera, keys, phone, wallet, and two bags of random toiletries and such. i can also sling it over my back when i ride my bike, a definite necessity. i totally get that the right purse can transform an outfit - it's just so hard to switch everything over! this little clutch might just change my attitude towards purses, though. it really does make the green shirt pop, right?

in other news, our house was egged last night...by 1 (one) egg. i actually didn't notice until i got back from work this afternoon and when i saw the yellow yolk dripping down the window, i laughed. i'm not sure why, maybe i'm crazy. it just seems so ridiculous that one would put forth the effort to buy a dozen eggs, run around in the cold, risk getting in trouble for vandalism, and waste food that you could otherwise eat to hit my window with a singular egg. it took me almost 24 hours to even realize it was there, so, uh, yeah.

has your house ever been egged before? i feel like i've joined some elite club.

eastern state penitentiary.

2011-10-31T19:00:00.000-04:00

since it's halloween, i thought it was only appropriate that i share one of my favorite historic philadelphia locations - the eastern state penitentiary. bernadette and i visited in the summer and it was (embarassingly) my first time at the prison. i've passed it countless times over the years, and actually nannied for a family that lived right around the block, but never made it in.

one of the most fascinating parts of the prison, to me at least, is that it sat abandoned in center city philadelphia for almost 20 years. this isn't a small building - it spans over several blocks and has a giant brick wall scaling the outside perimeter, with guard towers at ever corner. when it closed in 1971, things kind of went to shit and the inside was destroyed. it sat there until 1988, when developers came to the city with the proposition of turning the lot into a shopping area. a group protested the redevelopment and 6 years later, it opened for tours to the public.
the way that the penitentiary is set up is very unique; it was designed around the belief that prisoners should show repentance for their sins in solitude. basically, it's set up for solitary confinement. each of the cells has a skylight, which was supposed to be a metaphor for the "eye of god". the cells were extremely small and had a small lot in the back for exercise, but other than that, prisoners basically sat there in silence all day and repented for their sins. i read in the prison that even talking between prisoners was against the rules!the construction of the prison was revolutionary for the time; the guided tour that i was on said that there was a contest to design it, and this one was chosen due to the nature of the solitary confinement of the prisoners. the outside is shaped like a large rectangle, with eight huge hallways connected to a center hub. there are different wings for different sorts of prisoners; one of the most interesting was the wing for woman. one cell housed a woman who became pregnant after she entered the prison. her child lived with her in her cell until he was 5! can you imagine?
most of the rooms look like the two pictures above. after the prison was closed between '71 and '88, i imagine that the interior was destroyed by vandals and squatters. the prison has recreated several of the rooms to show what they would have looked like. tiny, huh? most of the rooms had a small toilet in order to reduce the time that inmates could talk to one another. there was a huge wooden door that slid in front of the cell, with the cell number above it. pretty much everything was painted white and the ceilings were very tall with huge skylights above.
i really like historical stuff like this, so i thought the tour was a blast. if you have 2 hours or so, this is a great place to visit in philadelphia. there are tons of neat facts that are scattered around (one of the pennsylvania governor's dog was sentenced to life in the prison for killing his wife's cat) and the photographs that are displayed around make it very easy to visualize what the prison would have looked like 150 years ago.

happy halloween!

this fall's uniform.

2011-10-31T12:45:00.000-04:00

blouse: forever21
skirt: vintage
shoes: steve madden
belt: vintage
necklace: forever21, i think. not 100% sure.

my goodness. i've been meaning to share this post since mid-september and haven't gotten around to posting it until the last day of october. i'm sitting here in all-day professional development so i don't have time for a long post (sorry!). it gives me time to catch up on grading and worksheets, but the day really does feel like it's dragging on and on - especially because we closed on our new house today. i wasn't able to take off of work so bryan went to the actual closing and did the final walk through and i'm a bit bummed out that i couldn't be there. we're going to be moving over a bunch of boxes throughout the week and dealing with the furniture on saturday.

i'm going to share pictures from one of my favorite philadelphia spooky spots later today - stay turned!

the reading terminal market.

2011-10-28T10:00:00.000-04:00

the reading terminal market is one of my favorite places in philadelphia; i know it's a bit touristy, crowded, hectic, and tad overwhelming, but i can't help it. we go there almost every week for our fruits and vegetables because it's so ridiculously cheap. at iovine brothers, we can stock up on a week's worth of produce for under $30. there's also a large assortment of fish, meat, and specialty cheese vendors.

i love that the market isn't just grocery items - there's also specialty stores (like spices and coffee), as well as restaurants and food stalls. there's a thai restaurant that's really good, as well as south cuisine, korean seafood hoagies (bryan's favorite), an oyster bar, and ribs. flying monkey bakery makes amazing desserts; we got our wedding cupcakes there and they were some of the best i've ever tasted.

the florescent signs hanging around the market are pretty neat. there's one in particular that i forgot to snap a picture of that looks like it's at least 50 years old. there are three vendors that have been in the market in some shape or form for over 100 years.
i can't stop looking at this pizza.
huge stacks of produce at iovine brothers. the variety here is ridiculous; they sell mushrooms that are $50 a pound, wheatgrass, beets, and some of the biggest sweet potatoes i've ever seen.
i love these signs.
a long line of barstools and a mountain of brussel sprouts. there's also some pennsylvania dutch families that run stalls at the reading terminal market. they make traditional pennsylvanian treats (shoo fly pie!), canned goods, candies, meats and cheeses, spreads, salads, and crafts.
quite a collection of utensils, huh?

i hope you've liked these pictures! if you're ever in the philadelphia area, you should definitely stop by the market. it's right next to the market east train station, and only a couple blocks away from city hall. chinatown is right next to it, so you could make an afternoon out of it.

granny smith.

2011-10-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

dress: vintage
shirt: j.crew, from my sister
belt: vintage
shoes: aldo
necklace: courtesy of francesca's collections

when i think back on my style when i first started tick tock vintage, i can't imagine myself wearing anything close to apple green. bright colors were never really my thing - i never thought they looked good with my skin tone, and i felt more comfortable fading in with pastels. that's definitely not the case with this vibrant dress; it was originally jen's. she offered it up to me before donating it to the thrift store and i decided to give it a whirl. i've been trying to layer tops under sleeveless dresses to make them fall-appropriate instead of falling back on my standard tan cardigan.

any other ideas on how i could wear this? any color combinations you think might work?

simple thrift giveaway.

2011-10-26T22:02:00.000-04:00

gwen, the adorable gal behind simple thrift, is offering a $25 credit to her vintage shop. not only are her items timeless and carefully chosen, her styling and photography is spot-on. this giveaway is open to all tick tock vintage readers (including those outside of the united states!), so you'll definitely want to enter! to be considered for this giveaway, you must.

1. be a follower of tick tock vintage and post below with your favorite item from simple thrift.

for an additional entry, you can:
2. follow gwen's blog, simple thrift

please leave one comment for each entry. for example, if you are already a tick tock vintage follower and post with your favorite item and follow the simple thrift blog, you would leave two comments. if you have any questions, please email me or leave a comment below. this giveaway will be open until 11:59 PM on november 1th.

the winner of the chloe loves charlie giveaway was...
congratulations, stephanie!

tapestry.

2011-10-25T10:30:00.000-04:00

dress: vintage
belt: forever21
tights: we love colors
shoes: BCBG

the folks at the lucky style collective wanted to do some pink-themed posts for the month of october as it's breast cancer awareness month. i've always felt that awareness and research donations should be raised for all types of cancer; did you know that the second highest cause of deaths in children is from cancer? if you're feeling so inclined, you can donate towards to the american cancer society or national foundation for cancer research to help fund scientific studies of cancer.

we're having a fall festival at school this week, and kids/teachers can only dress up if they follow a circus theme. i was thinking about altering last year's costume and dressing up as a ringmaster, but realized that i packed up the jacket and the hat. any ideas on what i could be? keep in mind that i've packed up most of my clothing (include the box of costumes) so it would have to be easily made or cheaply bought. i'm trying to stay away from being a clown because i'm not the biggest fan of face paint and they're, well, creepy. i have no idea!

open weave.

2011-10-24T10:30:00.001-04:00

sweater: calvin klein outlet
shirt: vintage
shorts: forever21
boots: rachel comey
purse: won from a giveaway at what the frock?

here's an outfit that i wore a few weekends ago, but never got around to posting. with things so crazy at our house right now (see: this giant pile of stuff in our living room - and that's not even 1/4 of it), outfit pictures have been the last thing on my mind. on days that i'm not able to snap a picture of what i wore, i'll be sharing pictures that i never got the chance to post. if you follow me on twitter or facebook, you might have seen some of the nail polish designs that i've been doing - i'll also be posting those.

to say our house is a disaster right now would be an understatement. the living room has a 10'x10' cube of boxes and furniture that goes all the way to the ceiling. the office is completely packed up and full of packed boxes. the guest room is almost done, just a table and typewriter and random clothing laying around. our bedroom is going to be the most difficult room to move, furniture wise, so we haven't really tackled it yet. we have a huge queen-sized sleigh bed that is solid wood and pretty dang heavy. the kitchen, bathroom, living room, and basement are just a half-packed cluttered mess. i can't wait to have everything settled and put back together!

november sponsorships.

2011-10-23T11:21:00.000-04:00

hi there! just stopping in to let y'all know that i'm currently accepting sponsors for november (and beyond!). rates are affordable, and i offer three size: large, medium, and small. i love to work with small retailers and etsy shops, too!

as i've said before, sponsorship profits help fund supplies and materials for my third grade classroom. in october, i was able to purchase tons of rewards for my classroom reading and morning work programs, organizational supplies, and math games.

if you have any questions or would like to get started on a partnership, please email me at veronikaplacek@gmail.com.

a new winter coat.

2011-10-22T10:00:00.000-04:00

coat: vintage
tights: HUE
shoes: anthropologie
gloves: courtesy of tulle

i got a bit ahead of myself when packing for our (quickly) upcoming move, shoving essentially everything i could get my hands on into a box. i guess i forgot how cold october can get because i ended up packing all of my coats up, too. about halfway into the packing process, we stopped labeling the outside of the boxes with what's inside. instead of ripping apart all of the boxes, i thrifted this one at salvation army. i've never worn a swing coat like this; almost every piece of outerwear i have is belted or has a defined waist. however, i loved the oversized fur cuffs and tie at the neckline. because the sleeves are so short, i paired them with these lemon yellow gloves. i wanted brightly colored gloves to stand out against all the gray of the coat, but i think red might look better next time. as i was wearing them, all i could think of were these. i think i'm going to pair these yellow gloves with full length sleeves so it's not so overpowering.

lemon curd.

2011-10-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

top: ASOS
shorts: vintage, altered
belt: forever21
shoes: courtesy of blowfish
coat: vintage

this outfit is from a couple weekends ago; bryan and i went grocery shopping at the reading terminal market and it was lightly raining. i've found that it's easiest to wear tights while biking in the rain because they dry much easier than pants. the coat was a thrifting find from the summer, but the weather has just turned chilly enough to warrant wearing it. the shorts are another summer find - it was originally a skort! i took the front flap off and replaced the back zipper so it was more, um, secure.

anyway, i think i'm going to do a post about the reading terminal market soon. it's such a neat philadelphia landmark. some of the stores have been there for decades, others are more recent additions (like my favorite, flying monkey bakery). you can find everything from smoked meats to expensive cheeses to exotic mushrooms to dried herbs. there's even a stall that sells items made from beeswax and honey!

i've always liked messy hair.

2011-10-18T10:00:00.000-04:00

dress: french connection
sweater: vintage
boots: vintage
belt: vintage

i wore this a couple of weekends ago, when the weather was still relatively warm. how ridiculous are these boots? i found them in a huge farmer's market nearby where i grew up. there's a pretty large vintage store inside the market (DEFINITELY not catering to the local crowd, believe me). they were a bit more expensive than i'd usually spend on vintage shoes - $20 - but they were in such good condition and so, well, crazy that i couldn't resist.

bundled up.

2011-10-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

sweatshirt: forever21
shorts: express
bag: courtesy of melie bianco
shoes: courtesy of blowfish
tights: american apparel
watch: vintage

rebecca asked me (as well as a few other bloggin' ladies) to style an outfit including a scarf for her scarf saturday feature. i've found myself dressing much more casually on weekends now that the weather is colder; tights and denim shorts have been my go-to outfit. this sweatshirt is pretty different for me, as i don't think i've worn a sweatshirt in public (except sports stuff) since i was 15. it reminds me of the big varsity letter jackets and sweaters that i haven't been able to find while thrifting and can't afford on ebay.

don't forget to check out the rest of the looks for 'scarf saturday' - you'll find some great new blogs to read, too! i know i did.

the shine project.

2011-10-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

ashley mieux from the shine project has one of the most inspirational projects i've recently read about. during an internship with inner city high school students from phoenix, arizona, she realized how much potential her students had for furthering their educational careers - but not the financial means. she's made it her mission to provide scholarships to four students from cesar chavez high school through the shine project. ashley's goal is to raise $20,000 to help students afford college. she's made a short video about the project that you should definitely watch. as someone who works in a school with a high poverty rate, i can tell you that i've seen firsthand how important it is for someone to recognize potential in kids, and help them make the most out of it.

if you are interested in making a donation, you can contact ashley at ashley.theshineproject@gmail.com. she also makes these shine necklaces (pictured above), donating a portion of the proceeds to the shine project. if you are interested in purchasing one of these necklaces, you can do so here.