Monday, February 28, 2011

Advice Wanted...and a Thank You to a Friend :-)

 This is a recent photo of my girls.
 They looked like this *yesterday*, really they did :-)
 Growing up too fast, I'd say.
you can see Serena's natural streak here. We're all a little jealous :-)

These two photos were taken by McKenna Pendergrass

My oldest daughter is to be a bridesmaid in a wedding this summer.
(How can she possibly have friends old enough to get married?)
(When did that happen?)
The wonderful couple will be having a vintage themed wedding.
The sweet bride-to-be told her bridesmaids to pick out their own dress, 
something they love and will want to wear again.
Everyone will be in different dresses. Her only requests are vintage style,
knee length, and a neutral color.
Oh, and she wants them to spend no more than $50.00. She's a budget minded girl :-)
(I don't think that will be possible though)
Now, here's some of the styles we've found,
but they cost a bit more than that!
(these are for style, not necessarily for color,  and they are all a bit too long)


Dresses by Nataya
So does anybody know where we can find sweet vintage 
dresses for a song? Any ideas? Maybe you know of some vintage shops 
or online stores. My sewing skills are not that good,
especially in this type of fabric.
I know that some of you visit my blog from other countries...
perhaps you might know of something
that we here in California might not have thought off.
I'd love and appreciate all of you suggestions :-)

If you have an old dress like any of these hanging in your closet,
we'd be interested too :-)

 Also, I want to say ♥ thank you so much ♥ to my bloggy friend P.J. 
She did the sweetest feature on my photography. 
I feel so honored :-) I can't begin to tell you what this meant P.J.!
I was so touched by your thoughtfulness.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!
Blessings,
Marcia 

45 comments:

  1. good morning.

    so beautiful girl you have,so mutch of life and smile..
    Icant help you with dresses, but I wish you good luck whith it..

    have a nice dag.

    love from sylvia

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  2. If you're up for an adventure I know there are a lot of thrift stores that sell vintage clothing in LA on Melrose. Their prices are usually pretty good albeit they usually know what they have. Don't forget Ebay. Sometimes you can find good deals on Anthropologie or Free People dresses there and they have that vintage feel. Good luck. I'll come back if I think of anything else. P.S. Your daughters are beautiful.

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  3. I love that you said they looked like this yesterday.... oh how I know that feeling. They are both truly beautiful!

    I wanted a vintage style dres for my wedding and then I wanted to always be able to wear the top for anniversaries, so I wanted two pieces. (this did not happen long story hated my dress)In a spot you could - find a Vintage style ruffled blouse and then a nice flowy skit and wide ribbon belt or belt of some kind maybe something like that would work.... I agree ebay is good for a real vintage dress and of course a good thrift store but I don't know your area.

    Good Luck Don't forget to post a picture of what you find!!

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  4. Your daughters are beautiful!
    They grow up so fast and as Mom's we just want to keep them little forever.
    I think your daughter's friends wedding idea is wonderful. I think if you search the thrifts, ebay and blogs you will find what you are looking for.

    hugs
    Sissie

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  5. Your girls are gorgeous!

    I have no helpful ideas about the dresses, except to look online. Are the photos the style of dress the bride wants them to wear or can they wear any vintage style? I love when people are creative with their wedding choices!

    Blessings!
    Deanna

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  6. your daughters are absolutely beautiful, marcia. i wish i had the perfect dress to send her. i think going with something extremely simple in design, neutral in color, and accessorizing vintage might be the way to go.

    best of luck with the search, i can't wait to see what the end result will be...

    xo
    ~molly

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  7. Your girls are beautiful....just as others have said.

    That first dress is my favorite. Soooo cute!

    Hope you can find what you are looking for. I wouldn't know what to tell you to find something inexpensively. Sorry.

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  8. Your girls are so beautiful that either one of them could tie an old feed bag on and look gorgeous. I LOVE that 2nd dress...oh my! I guess you will just have to poke around different web sites to see what is up. And also, google Victorian Trading Company.. (I think that is it)...they sell all manner of vintage (newly made) dresses...but, again, they are a bit more than $50.00 ~ Good luck xxoo Diana

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  9. Your girls are beautiful. Love those pony tails! The dresses are very dreamy. I would think vintage shops would be your best bet. How much time do you have to look? Keep yours peeled at regular thrift stores too. You'll probably find the better deals there where it's not labeled vintage!

    Have I told you how much I like your header? It's really pretty!

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  10. Yeah Congrats on the feature. I will go check it out. No vintage dresses here. Can't wait to see what you get.

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  11. Very beautiful girls. I don't know but when I bought my daughters wedding gown, I bought it from a place online. I am sure if you did a search for like affordable vintage gowns you might come up with something like that. I have all of my mother's clothes from the 50s and 60s but nothing like your pictures. I wish I had kept my grand mothers clothes,
    Good luck, I can't wait to see what you find.

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  12. Well, first may I say that your daughters are gorgeous. And YES it was only yesterday when they were that little. Crazy isn't it!?
    Wish I could help you with the dress problem. I couldn't even tell you where to start. In fact, I'm not sure you could make one for $50.00. Maybe. Best of luck with your search.

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  13. I was just saying to my husband the other day, how beautiful your kiddos are! Really they are!
    I love to check out Goodwill and Salvation army for these type of dress "challenges". Many times you can find a formal that you can modify a bit- or even an everyday sundress that could have a few lace details added (you know, like the lace you added to your bulletin board;) Just stay persistent and I feel confident that you will find something in that price range! Blessings!

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  14. Your girls are beautiful. Sounds like your daughter's friend has a really neat idea for the wedding. You could have some fun treasure hunting at thrift stores looking for just the right dress. Gunne Sax in the 80's did some really neat tea length dresses. Good luck!

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  15. How sweet of your friend, PJ, to do such a wonderful feature on your photography. Your photography IS amazing, as is all the beautiful things you make. You are truly talented, and you have a wonderful way of pulling it all together. :)

    I cannot offer much advice about the dresses other than to check out thrift shops. You never know what you might find there!
    Hope you're having a great week!
    (hugs)♥

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  16. They are beauties, Marcia. And yes, they grow up way to fast. My Mom had a natural streak and that was the first to go gray...just FYI. LOL
    How fun to pick out your own bridesmaid dress and vintage too.
    I can't help you there with any ideas on where to find oe. I'm sure you could make one if you could find an appropriate pattern. Wish we lived closer, I could help you through it.

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  17. Marcia,

    Oh what fun to be in a vintage themed wedding. My daughter's dress was $120...they are expensive. We had a very hard time finding vintage dresses. We looked online too but wanted to be able to try it on. There is a site called Mod (something...I will have to ask my daughter again. But I did just see it mentioned on a blog recently too. I can't remember which one.). I will find out the name of that online shop and get back to you with it. If I come across anything I will let you know.

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  18. Hi Marcia. What a lovely post and those dresses are so beautiful. I wish I could offer help but I know someone who knows the right places will help. Hope your week is wonderful.
    Blessings,
    Debbie

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  19. Marcia you daughters are gorgeous just like their momma! My daughter has a natural blonde streak as well, I do not! :) I love those dresses and unfortunately I have no ideas where to get one. I hope that you can find one and congrats on the feature! I am off to go take a look-see! :)

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  20. What beautiful girls my friend...and I am thinking that those dresses are stunning. I am sure you will find a beauty of a dress somewhere....hugs and love xoxoxoxo

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  22. there's quite a few over at etsy.com

    here's a sampling, with the main link shared at the bottom of this response.

    blessings,
    jAne

    http://www.etsy.com/listing/69154393/vintage-1950s-semi-formal-pink-floral?ref=sr_list_29&ga_search_query=prom+dresses&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintage

    http://www.etsy.com/listing/69151400/tangerine-sweettart-60s-special-occasion?ref=sr_list_37&ga_search_query=prom+dresses&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintage

    http://www.etsy.com/search/vintage?q=prom+dresses

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  23. How Beautiful!!! I LOVE their HAIR!!!

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  24. What beautiful daughters you have. I'm always jealous of my children's gorgeous blonde hair. So sad that by the time you realise what you have, it's gone!!!

    Sarahx

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  25. Gorgeous girls you have! You must have been ecstatic about her being a bridesmaid that you have a hand at her dress. Have a lovely day, Kellie xx

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  26. Hi...I came across a shop on Etsy called Dear Golden Vintage that sells vintage dresses and shoes. She has a website too www.deargolden.com.

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  27. Hi Marcia, your girls are beautiful! And what a lovely friend your daughter has. The idea of a vintage wedding with the bridesmaids choosing their own dresses is fantastic. It certainly will make for a very charming and memorable day. I'm sure you will find something out there that is just right. Best wishes and blessings, Tammy

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  28. I can't believe how fast the years fly by when we're raising kids. Your daughters are just beautiful, Marcia. Sorry, but I'm the worst person to ask for fashion advice. Love those dresses though... so pretty.
    Congrats on the photo feature, girl! You deserve it... your photography is beautiful!
    Have a wonderful evening!
    ~ Jo

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  29. What fun that will be!

    What about that place where we saw the lacy tops at the Rose Bowl? Did they have any dresses? (I don't remember). It should be a fun search! ::Jill

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  30. I am always hunting for vintage style dresses and I know it's odd but right before Christmas Forever21 was carrying a 40's (with a few pieces from the 20's) inspired line and they are always affordable.
    Also, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters and Free People are all the same company and have well made vintage feeling pieces pretty often (just shop on their sale section).
    But most of my vintage pieces have come from whole in the wall vintage stores I've found on accident. It may be a wonderful mother daughter day to just stumble around vintage stores in the LA area for a day :)

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  31. Hi Marcia! Your girls are so beautiful!!! How wonderful to be able to pick out a vintage dress of your daughter's choosing...so much better than most of the bride's maids dresses you see. I wish I had a good suggestion for where to shop but I don't...sorry! Good luck!!

    xo

    :) T

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  32. Congratulations on your feature Marcia! You do take beautiful pictures. Your girls are gorgeous. You must be so proud of them! What a neat idea for a wedding. The dresses you have in mind are gorgeous. Good luck with your search!

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  33. hello! I am your newest follower!
    I have a closet FULL of clothes from when I worked as a makeup artist. I will never wear them again! Sizes 4-8. Would they fit? If so, I can send a few photos of the dresses.

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  34. That is a good point about the Pasadena flea market. When my 23 year old daughter was home (she lived in NYC now) she saw lots of vintage things she liked there...actually bought a warm coat.
    Mary Ann
    Following you!

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  35. your kids are so so beautiful!! oh goodness :-) i like that first dress the best. she would look like she walked right out of a fairy tale in that one. better keep a shot gun handy ;-) don't know where to find any tho.

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  36. Wow Marcia, your daughters are stunning! Actually, I then scrolled down your sidebar and your whole family is stunning. Good genes!

    Hugs,
    Judy

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  37. New to your blog. What color and size of dress are your looking for? Certain style: sleeveless, two piece, lace>>>

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  38. www.coldwatercreek.com has a good sale on now, not sure if they are fancy enough or not, but I love their clothes....can only afford them when they are on sale!!

    Love your site!!

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  39. I can certainly offer you my entire closet! Tell Serena to write me. :)

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  40. Hi Grandma,
    I couldn't find a blog or email address for you so I'm answering here, although I don't know if you'll see it or not. We're looking for a neutral (cream, beige, tan, pale pink) knee length dress. The wedding is in the summer, so short sleeved or sleeveless would probably be best, but we don't want strapless. She's probably a Size 2 or 4 in dresses. The bride wants a vintage look, so a little lace would be nice, but really I think she'd like vintage with a modern feel, kind of like these photos, except knee length.
    Thanks for writing!

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  41. Hello Mrs. Murphy!
    This is a great blog! I've enjoyed wandering around it! :)

    As far as dresses... http://www.shopruche.com/ is a
    gem of vintage style dresses! A lot of times for less than $50!

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  42. I am a new follower and I have to tell you...your blog is the most peaceful, beautiful blog I have ever seen. I am calmer just visiting you. So thank you for that.
    There is a great website that features vintage clothing..I'm not sure if it would help with your dress search (for those beautiful children of yours)..but you never know. www.vintageous.com
    Good luck!

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  43. Those dresses are very cool, Marcia. And what a neat idea for a wedding theme.

    =)

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Thanks so much for stopping by :)
Blessings,
Marcia