kelly dreaming ...

The beachy before, un petit yawn ...

($12.50, Old Navy)

The after, featuring some vintage gold buttons:

These shorts make me want to groove to Blondie whilst eating fondue. I'm continually amazed by the big differences seemingly tiny accents can make.

Images via nymag.com

before & after

I love recycling old jewelry and clothes.
 Beading is oh so therapeutic.

 My older sister had this bracelet that she never wore even though she loved the stones.

So she asked me to restring it into a necklace for her, and voila! 

I wish that I could've found a gold clasp somewhere in the scary depths of my bead bag ... I cannot wait to be back in New York where I'll have the bead selection on 37th street at my disposal!

buttons

This wonderful mess just happens to be my grandmother's vintage button collection, a recent and most inspiring rediscovery.

Whilst rambling to my mom one Sunday morning, I happened to mention my newfound love for recycled and personalized clothes, especially those with vintage charm.

My mom squealed with excitement as she remembered that my Grandma Jean's vintage button collection was sitting in our attic ... collecting dust ... desperately needing love ...

A few gold favorites

I remember sorting through this big wooden chest of buttons with my younger sister - in fact, I distinctly remember us fighting over this sparkly number:

This is exactly the kind of discovery that I love most - a distant childhood memory that takes on new meaning with age. What I love even more is that they've been handed down from my grandmother to my mother to me!

Who doesn't like seahorses?

I'm going to personalize and revamp some boring old cardigans - I love the idea of a simple cardigan with tiny, mismatched, pre-loved buttons. Will be sure to keep you updated on this project(s)!