What Disowned is, was, and what it's going to be.

With my 4-year blogiversary coming up in May, I thought it's be a good time to look back on its brief history. I'm still sort of amazed.

It's been four years now since I first came up with the name "Disowned Clothing" and purchased the domain for my then vintage clothing store, and, consequently, this blog came into existence. Everything was pink and a lot of retro, and this was mainly a place for highlighting new additions to the shop, and maybe doing an outfit post once in a while. Maybe a "how to style it" type of thing.

One of our first photo shoots in Philadelphia

Taylor and her beloved kitty, Ludwig

I had a business partner in the beginning; Taylor lived in Philadelphia, and I commuted back and forth from NYC for shopping trips and photoshoots. She's the one with the camera and the real photography skills, of which I had none, so she was always a really crucial component in the shop's existence. But eventually, long story short, it became one of those long-distance relationships that just became a hassle instead of fun, so we decided to part ways on the business and I took it over. You can find her now over at Girl on a Rope, when she's not off climbing one of the world's largest mountains.

And then it morphed a little in the spring of 2013, I got a "new" (read: cheap and refurbished, already outdated) camera (which I still use, by the way, for everything), and went nuts. I loved learning to use that camera, and it's like a permanent extra appendage on me every time I leave the house. I'm in the process of making yet another homemade camera strap, because I keep wearing them out.  So this became a lifestyle blog where I shared my daily goings-on and what have you. I moved the shop to Etsy, because it was cheaper and generated more traffic, and actually sold a LOT of vintage that year. It was really fun, and I became really passionate about my little business.

And then in October of 2013, I went even more nuts and got married. By the way, Taylor was the photographer for that, too. So long story short, I then  had other things on my mind/someone to come home to, and I didn't have time to do interesting things as much as I used to. The shop slowed down a bit, but I still blogged my heart out, and did a decent amount of sales to cover my expenses (and thrifting addiction).

Then I like, went broke. I lost my job due to downsizing, I was unemployed for three months and had to work in - *gag* - retail over the holidays, then I took a pay cut and finally began working again in January of 2014. By July, I was on a plane to England to start a new life. So stuff got crazy, and here I am. The shop... isn't open anymore. I'm sad about it, but I still have most of the inventory that I was able to keep (read: that fits me), and I wear it all the time. In fact, I'm wearing a killer pink 50's dress as I write this. But I don't feel like setting up my tripod, so here's a photo of Brittani Kline wearing it at an old photo shoot, instead.

I miss vintage buying trips, and photo shoots, and sending off all of my gems to faraway places. But it's just not feasible here; things here in the UK don't work the same, vintage is harder to come by, and less affordable, which means I'd be one of THOSE Etsy shops with ludicrously overpriced items.
I still do it on a much more scaled-down version for myself, because:
1) I freaking love it, and
2) I'd rather buy used/vintage than new stuff, thus helping to dream of ending the cycle of fast fashion and cheap overseas factory goods. Quality over quantity, folks. I'm not proud of the industry I used to work in.

Then this was a semi-food blog for a while, before I launched my baby, Street Cred. So now it's a little bit of everything. A little me, a little vintage, a little food, a little of my amateur photography, and sometimes some travel or something that's actually interesting. And I love doing it, so I'm not going to stop. But if you're a new/recent reader, and you want to know where this blog came from, or how it's evolved, or where the name/url came from, there you go.

Oh, and a little foreshadowing: I'm going to have a lot more to talk about next month, when we [finally] move into our new flat!!!

PS- the dress is white and black.

Turn Left

There's this path type thing, sort of in the woods, that borders a whole big ton of acres of land that, to the best of my understanding, is fenced off for military training purposes. But it's a big piece of land with walking/running/biking trails bordering it, and I like to go wandering some days. On clear mornings, you can see all the way to London, and it's pretty beautiful. Not to mention, it's where Millie (the dog) goes for her walk every day.

So I usually get to this path type thing, and turn right. And then it does a sort of loop, and sometimes I wander off on another trail that goes into the woods more, and then circle back around and eventually end up on my way back to the house.

But today I turned left.

And boy oh boy, and I glad I turned left today. What a way to end the week.

Antiques, Cakes, and Pleats

Antiques - need  I say more? This past Sunday, after church, the hubs and I had a little adventure in what I'm now referring to as the Hogwarts of antique stores. Seriously, this place looks like a little old mill house from the outside, but when you get inside, the tiny rooms jam-packed with antiquated delights just keep going... and going... and going... and going. And going. After what seemed like the fifth floor of exploring, I turned to head downstairs, only to find that the staircase lead up to yet another floor of treasures. If you're anywhere near me over here in England, Bourne Mill Antiques in Farnham is totally worth a trip. I cannot emphasize that enough. And it's not hoity-toity antiques, either. Once we're moved into our new place, I'm going to be using finds from there to decorate our new abode at every opportunity.

On a completely unrelated note, I've been in the mood to bake things lately. It kind of sucks, because I can't eat what I'm cooking (the woes of the gluten-free life), but I suppose my waistline will thank me. That being said, it didn't stop me from concocting this vanilla cake with tangerine buttercream. If you like dense, moist cake and bright, sweet citrus, you'll probably fall head over heels. I know, I know, where's the recipe... I'll be popping it up on Street Cred as soon as I get a chance.

So yesterday I had to do a little sewing - put a button on Steve's coat, fix the hemline on my mother-in-law's skirt. But once I get into the sewing mood, there's no stopping me. Out came the vintage collection and the alterations began. This pleated teal early-1970's Leslie Fay dress is a favorite, but it needed a few nips and tucks before it was wardrobe ready. I love snatching up old Leslie Fay dresses in thrift stores whenever I can; my grandmother worked in their dressmaking factory, and it makes me wonder if maybe she had a hand in the making some of the dresses in my own collection (as if I needed a reason to have more emotional attachment to my vintage stash).

I'm really itching to go thrifting lately. I still can't get over the lack of true thrift stores in the UK - these charity shops just will not do. I want my massive warehouse of old stuff that I can browse through for hours, seeking out those gems that make it all worthwhile. It's a bit of a downer that I can't enjoy it as much as I used to, but I'm sure to get my fill (and bring an extra suitcase full back) next time I'm in the States.

*Apology for the blurry photos. I only had my phone on me in the antiques shop, and the dim lighting did not help!*