Me and Tessa Marie

Having Tessa here was a dream. I love all of my sisters, but Tessa is my favorite. She's everyone's favorite. If any of my sisters, mom, or grandma say otherwise, they are fibbing through their teeth. My great grandma, at least, admitted her favoritism: "I love all of you girls. I just love Tessa a little bit more." My grandma replied, "Mother, that's not nice! I love all of you girls equally. But Tessa is very special."

It's not just because she's the baby. She's just one of a kind - so genuine and sweet, and 100% her own person. She does her own thing and never seems to be susceptible to peer pressure. She's wildly intelligent and she has a killer sense of humor, to boot. When she decided to dye her hair blue (just as mine was, in college), her dad's friend said "She's just finding herself." When they called her into the room, Tessa replied, "One minute! I'm busy finding myself!"

In short, I love her. I miss her. I miss all of my sisters. It's a shame we're all so different, only because we choose different areas to reside in, according to our own tastes. It does keep the fighting to a minimum, though. Absence makes the heart grown fonder.

Outfit Details:
Elizabeth and James dress - Gilt (click if you need an invitation)
belt - thrifted
cardigan thingy - beacon's?, slightly altered (I just rolled the sleeves and machine stitched them)
Love to Strut heels - courtesy of ModCloth
Carpenter bee bag - courtesy of Spotted Moth

Love love,
Keiko Lynn

p.s. While on the brooklyn bridge, I ran into a lovely reader named Leah (not sure if she spells it that way). It was really cool. Funny that I was having my outfit photo taken!
p.p.s. I realize that saying I have a favorite makes me sound like a jerk. Rest assured, I love all of my sisters. We just all dote on the wee one;)

Forever Friends

Before anyone comments on how wrinkled and unkempt this looks, let me present to you my defense. Bobby and I woke up very early, on one of the hottest days of the summer, and made the 4+ hour drive to Washington, DC. Oh, I forgot to mention: Bobby's air conditioning broke. So, 105 degree weather, no air, and 4.5 hours later...this is what I looked like. It's my own fault...what was I thinking when I got dressed that morning?


The trip was well worth the misery. We met up with my forever friends (the best kind of friends), Lauren and John. You may remember them from my last trip to DC. It's kind of a halfway point between us. Lauren and I have been best friends since 6th grade. John and I have been friends since 2nd grade. Years later, they married:)




At least I wore flats. I actually did remember to bring wrinkle spray, but completely gave up on the idea when we got there. I just wanted to run to the nearest spot with central air. About the bracelet: it's a beautiful leaf bracelet, and arrived with the leaves pressed together a little bit (to prevent breakage, I'm sure). I think you're supposed to spread them out, but I kind of liked them overlapped. Next time, maybe I'll shape them in a different way.

Last time we met in DC, we went to the zoo. This time, we went to the Smithsonian American Art Museum. I love our little halfway meetups! I miss the two of them so, so much. Tell me, are you still close with many of your childhood friends, or are most of your friends newer? Most of my friends are people I've been friends with for a lonnnng time, but I do have some newer friends (mostly through blogging!)

Outfit Details:
You Were Mint For Me dress - courtesy of ModCloth
50s cardigan with crochet details - a gift from my mom
pink belt - thrifted in Cape Cod
Twinkle Toes T-strap Flat - courtesy of ModCloth
Everlasting leaf and branch bracelet - courtesy of Kellyssima
Carpenter Bee Bag - courtesy of Spotted Moth

Love love,
Keiko Lynn

p.s. For one week only, Kellyssima (the maker of my leaf bracelet) is offering a 30% discount for purchases over $20 to my readers! Mention KEIKO when you check out and she'll send a refund via PayPal. Discount does not apply to shipping costs and to items on sale.

She took my love, then ran around.

Keep away from this girl!

Whenever I wear an outfit like this (or basically anything that doesn't have a doppelgänger in the children's department), Kim says something like, "You little hoochie mama!" or "I taught you well." It is all in love and fun - we pick on one another. You see, Kimbly is the type of girl who believes anything that covers your butt is a dress and that your boobs belong at your chin. We tend to be polar opposites in many ways (bra sizes included), but sometimes I catch her buying girly 50s dresses (that you'd normally find in my closet) and other times, I can be found wearing a fitted little mini that's a wee bit scandalous. I like to balance it out with a loose fitted top. I really can't be bothered to wear much more in this horrible heat.

p.s. Let it be known that Kim is not really a hoochie mama. Like I said, we poke fun:)


Outfit Details:
skirt - forever 21
Walk 'n Roll top - courtesy of ModCloth
peep toe heels with bows - courtesy of Smashion
(I left my purse upstairs, when we were taking pictures. Oops!)

Makeup Notes:
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light (face)
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Refined (cheeks)
MAC blacktrack fluidline (eyes)
Julie Hewett cheekie cheek and lip shine in Bette (lips)

Love love,
Keiko Lynn

Bear Mountain

I wasn't kidding about wearing the same outfit twice! At least I had the decency to change shoes and add a sash, right? It just seemed like a nice dress to wear on a hot and humid day, since it's lightweight and airy. Bobby, Kim and I took a trip out of the city and up to Cold Spring, which ended up being an epic fail. We wanted to go antiquing and enjoy the quaint little town, but it apparently shuts down on Wednesdays. Cold Spring, how dare you!

We salvaged the rest of the day with a mini exploration of Bear Mountain State Park, where Bobby failed at climbing trees and Kim and I won at eating ice cream. You can see more photos at Bobby's blog and Kimberly's blog. Yeah, Bobby jumped on the bandwagon. Follow his blog, This Fellow.
Outfit Details:
In Yo Lace Dress - courtesy of ModCloth
sash: Postlapsaria
shoes: I can't even remember, but they're falling apart
vintage bag: gift from my mom, from her store, Hourglass Consignment

Kim's cute little bunner necklace is from an Etsy shop called Anirtak. I just had to explain that Anirtak is Katrina (shop owner's name), backwards. Her response? "Ooh, that's fancy!" She may have streaks of pink and purple, but she's all blonde, people.

Love love,
Keiko Lynn

Last Light

I'm going to warn you right now, I wore this dress twice in one week and I plan on posting the other one right after this (better pictures, more detail). On this day, I ended up not going anywhere and changed into pajamas halfway through the day. I just got a white background for product shots, and wanted to test it out. It was an obvious fail (and overexposed, but that's not the point), because my apartment has a dismal amount of natural light and even less space for proper lighting. Even my favorite lens (50mm 1.8f) can't handle it very well.


What a bummer.

I plan on getting an SB-600 speedlight, since I don't really have enough room for a lighting setup. One issue is that I don't think I can trigger the flash remotely with my D50 (I *think* that's the case). Does anyone have an experience with the SB-600 that they would like to share?

On a completely unrelated note, how cute is my little pup? Miku likes to be by my side at all times. She even waits outside of the bathroom door for me.


Outfit Details:
In Yo Lace Dress - courtesy of ModCloth
belt: thrifted
shoes: Nine West
vintage bag: gift from my mom, from her store, Hourglass Consignment

Makeup notes:
Blacktrack fluidline by MAC on eyes, Julie Hewett Cheekie Cheek and Lip Shine in Bette on lips, Mineralize Skinfinish in Refined on Cheeks

Love love,

Keiko Lynn

Nine Five Four

Our back to back, Sears-portrait-style photo

K for Keiko and Kimbly.


Take two girls raised in The Sunshine State and anything below eighty degrees will give them the shivers. When Kim checked the weather and said it would be in the low seventies, we both opted for tights and I, for a lightweight jacket. WRONG. It was in the high eighties within an hour. Weather widget, you are a trickster.

We spent Saturday the way I prefer to spend most of them: at the Brooklyn Flea, eating delicious local food and browsing vintage bric-a-brac and antiquities. Afterward, the two of us wandered around our neighborhood and peeked into some of the cute little boutiques Park Slope has to offer. I only bought one thing, but Kim picked up several little gems, which she will eventually post on her blog, along with more pictures from the day (and of her outfit).

Outfit Details:
Merrylegs skirt in two-step - Postlapsaria (I don't have white in stock right now, but I'll have a limited run of periwinkle on the site this week)
blue camisole - thrifted
tights - Target
Blimeys - courtesy of Seychelles
Finally Friday Blazer - courtesy of ModCloth
bag (which the cats just freaking ruined) - courtesy of Coach

Visit Kimberly Grace to see what Kim is wearing! I'll make her update it as soon as she gets home from work:) Edit: She updated, yay!

Love love,
Keiko Lynn

p.s. My cats are ruining my life. Not only did they shatter my mirror, but I just came home and found that one of the cats clawed my purse (the one pictured). It's my favorite and I'll never be able to afford to replace it:( About one second after that discovery, Lacy threw up at my sewing station. They are lucky they are so cute.

Lazy Bones, Lazy Lovers and Lovers of Magic.

Cry Wolf sent Bobby and me a couple of their adorable t-shirts, and while we have both worn them several times, I never got around to photographing them until now. I have a tendency to forgo the outfit pictures on my lazy days, but this shirt is just way too cute to go undocumented. It's bunnies. GETTING MARRIED. You know it has to be unbearably cute in order for me to choose it over a panda shirt. But then again, I made Bobby get the panda shirt so I could borrow it. Win/win. You can never have too many pandas in your life.



Don't worry, Snowball. You're still my number one panda. (She tends to get jealous.)


Outfit Details:
Bunny Love t-shirt - courtesy of Cry Wolf
striped cardigan - thrifted
stretch denim shorts - self made
socks - Urban Outfitters

(on Bobby)Giant Panda t-shirt - courtesy of Cry Wolf
panda ears - Smithsonian Zoo

Love love and bunnies getting marrrrriiiiieed,
Keiko Lynn


p.s. Cry Wolf didn't ask me to promote for them or anything, so don't think this is a calculated sales pitch - but if you're thinking of purchasing one of their many shirts, please do it now! They're currently donating 10% of all sales to relief efforts of the Gulf Coast oil spill.

p.p.s. If you didn't get what Bobby was doing in his second to last picture, he was impersonating the panda. I didn't get it, either.

In the Flowers

I often see these strips of flowers in the garment district, and I always spend a few minutes debating on whether or not to pick some up. I inevitably leave without them, because anything that involves an exorbitant amount of hand sewing makes me want to gouge my eyes out, and I rather need these eyes of mine. One day I will find the ambition to do something a little more extravagant, but in the meantime I like the simplicity of one little flower on the shoulder of a t-shirt. Best of all, I didn't have to make it.

p.s. Completely off topic, but I'm really excited about True Blood tonight!! Anyone else?

Outfit Details:
deadstock vintage skirt: thrifted
Whimsical tee: courtesy of Shop Mamie
Baby Ruche Bag in Blush: courtesy of Jenny N Design
shoes: dots
sunburn: courtesy of Renegade Craft Fair

Love Love,
Keiko Lynn

Coney Island Baby

My friend Ilia came to visit for a couple of weeks, and he got to see a good deal of NYC. For the most part, Bobby played tour guide during the day (he works nights) while Kim and I stayed home and worked like old ladies. Bobby and Ilia were attached at the hip, and this was their first time meeting! At first, Kim and I were a little bitter about the lack of attention being paid to us, but you can't deny anyone their true soulmate;) On this particular day, we took Ilia to Coney Island. He wouldn't ride the Cyclone with us (so intense), but he did go on the Wonder Wheel. Coney Island may be a little run down, but the history behind it all maintains its charm. I love it so!

Outfit Details:
Ground Control to Major Cute Top - courtesy of ModCloth
denim shorts - cutoff jeans
Moccasins - courtesy of Darlingtonia


Love love,
Keiko Lynn