This outfit is almost entirely local!

Tank:  Mabel & Zora

(my new favorite) sweater: Radish Underground

Jeans: Levis

Rad Shoes: Terra Plana

Glasses: Amy Sacks from blink

Earrings: These are my new go-tos in my mixed metal collection, you can click on the pic to go directly to the shop.

We’re off!!!  Expect updates from the road.

***Song of the moment: Let it Fall, by Lykke Li***

]]> http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-oh-canada/feed/ 2 http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-picking-berries-at-prom/ http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-picking-berries-at-prom/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:11:35 +0000 Betsy and Iya http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/?p=1632 Last Friday, I spent the evening at one of my faves–Radish Underground, making custom jewelry for folks and having a grand old time.  Gina’s husband, Ammon, grabbed my camera for a moment and I took to the stage.

It comes out of that place of being slightly uncomfortable, but once it’s there, it just goes wild…

there it is.

and then it sort of takes off.

and once it’s going…

…it would be MORE awkward to turn it off…

…so we let it play out.

and see where it takes us…

The best is when we figure we can take a stab at those ridiculously unbecoming model poses.

hmmm…  it’s the face.  if the face is wrong, it throws the whole thing off.  The expression is key.  Look how I NAIL it in these last few pics.

yes.  if you hesitate, you’re in trouble.  it’s all about follow through, folks.  and then you’re smooth sailing—picking berries at prom.

Boots:  Portland Outdoor Store.

Textured Tights:  Nordstrom.

Vintage navy blue slip:  Folly.

Ocean Dress: Stewart & Brown.

Cowboy Shirt: Vintage shop in NY.

Glasses: Amy Sacks.

Sassy Hoops: betsy & iya.

I hope you all have colorful and productive Wednesdays in your own ridiculously awkwardly awesome model poses!  (If you choose to do any, please please take a pic and send it my way.)

***Song of the Moment: About Face, by Grizzly Bear***

This is the year of embracing the legs.  I dabbled in it last year; springtime brought on old frilly dresses and gunny sax, new jumpers and geometric skirts.  But this time, I’m for REAL.  I’m 29 years old.  It’s time to stop beating my long plump voluptuous legs into the ground because they aren’t good enough.  These things are great.

They’ve seen me through the worst and best of times.  They’ve taken me to places I never imagined I’d go.  They’ve broken and healed.  They’re super strong—holding people high (in chairs even, did you see Truth & Beauty?) And they make me funny sometimes…this is a good thing.

While I’ve spent a fair share of my life hating them, the truth is (somewhere in there) I’ve always loved them deeply and I can’t see us ever breaking up.  So this year, I intend to show them why.  I art thou dub 2010 an Ode to the Legs.

I will write that Ode on the streets of Portland and anywhere else these beauties might take me, then I’ll get back to you.

If I had remembered to represent b & i with this outfit, I would have chosen this:

"if" Morse Code necklace by betsy & iya. click for direct link to purchase.

I have loads and loads of orders in the queue right now, so I better take these hunks of love I’ve been talking up and get a move on.

Lost is on tonight.  I sort of can’t wait.

xox~betsy

***Song of the Moment: Trying My Best to Love You, by Jenny Lewis***

What a doozy!!  This week absolutely used me up and spit me out.  I have such a problem with getting back in the groove after a break.  I’m wondering if everyone experiences this or if it has something to do with being self-employed.  Without the insane holiday volume, I’ve caught myself with a hanging jaw, staring at the wall with a massive holiday hangover, thinking about…nothing?  OR playing online Scrabble, when I should be organizing my life and coming up with my coolest designs yet.

But with a killer feature, exhilarating rehearsals, my first international boutique order (lookout Dutch beauties, b & i is coming to the Netherlands), and amazing growth, I have absolutely nothing to complain about and I need to get my butt in gear!

What better to increase the pep in my step than Grandma and Cowboys??

betsy & iya earrings, click link to purchase

Sweater:  new favorite vintage spot in Portland…Margaret & Oliver’s

Cowboy Boots: yes I wore these with my wedding dress…Portland Outdoor Store

Wrap Skirt: just down the street from my studio…Folly

Tights: footless navy blue…Nordstrom (I think)

Earrings: yours truly…betsy & iya

Do something wild this weekend, will ya?

xo~betsy

***Song of the Moment: A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger, by Of Montreal***

It’s been a crazy week, you guys.  And this is only the beginning, until the new year.  My goal, though, is to refrain from neglecting the blog as I have this past week.  My other goal is to look at all that lies ahead of me and retreat from feeling dread (which is what has been happening, intermittently, this week).  Rather, I’d like to look at all of it and feel joy, excitement, and gratitude…and I’d like to share that with you here.

This became my favorite outfit of the week.  I put it on and immediately thought it was too much and needed to take it off; it looked like I was about to take flight with the bright turquoise alien brigade.   But instead, I sucked it up and went with it.  It’s been a week of wanting only to throw on the first pair of jeans and slothy tees I see…  I had to remind myself that I feel better when I offer some thought to my morning dressing ritual.

pants: tight overalls from Noa Noa in DK

tee: royal blue undershirt from American Apparel

sweater: bright turquoise (ish) geometric sweater vest from a thrift store in NYC

scarf: local, from Sloan Boutique

shoes: Dansko zip boots from local Imelda’s

necklace: brand new from betsy & iya, the Frank and Ava necklace

click on the pic below to be directed to my online shop

Don’t forget, nearly every weekend in November and some of December, you can catch me at awesome craft shows, art shows, and trunk shows.  I’ll be sure to announce them all here.  This weekend, come say hi at these places.

Y’all are awesome.  Hang in there and have great weekends.

I’ll be back.

***Song of the Moment: Fly, by Nick Drake***

The theme will be:  things that I would wear (maybe. if I were just slightly cooler).

From Copenhagen Street Style blog.  Man, I love those Scandinavians.

I love everything about this photo, also from Copenhagen.  Helga, Lisa, and all my other Scandinavian beauties—I miss you.  Bring your style back over here and visit me!

YES!!!!  This one hurts a little—it’s so good.  From Style Clicker.

Dirty Vintage.  love it.  From Face Hunter.

…will never be cool enough for those boots.  But Portland might dig it.  From Toronto Street Fashion by way of Shark Vs. Bear .

Cigar Chic.  From 2 Threads.

And this is what I would be doing in my cool outfit.  My travels have proven incredibly valuable…but I’m not finished yet.  I have 2 more days in NC to sell to my oldies but goodies and find new indie boutiques wishing to sell b & i.

In the boots/stripes pic, the only thing I would do differently is sport some rad betsy & iya earrings to balance out the elephantiasis-esque condition of the boots.

Inspired back into bold style, I must prepare myself for another day’s selling adventure.  Raleigh, here I come.

***Song of the Moment: Don’t Hide Away, by Bishop Allen***

Fashion does not have to follow the trends of the seasons.  Somewhere someone says that bright popping summer color is forbidden in the darker quarters of the year.  And we believe them??  Not this gal…  All the more reason to color me up.  Fight the norm I say, FIGHT IT.

Or at least, make your own molds.  (And then keep breaking them.)

Shirt:  Pink by Nature, Maui

Scarf: Sloan Boutique, local pdx

Pants: from high school (what!??  …not a pack rat, just a saver)

Belt: Buffalo Exchange, pdx location

Shoes: Shoefly, local pdx

Socks:  (my fave) Sock Dreams, local pdx

Earrings: (you guessed it) betsy & iya (in teal)

(click on the earrings to purchase…make sure to specify which color you prefer)

Brightly colored accessories can completely transform an otherwise mundane outfit.  Literally and Figuratively.  Do it.

***Song of the Moment: Weeks of Rain, by Hauschka***

Okay okay, I’m not actually going back to school…but…throw me a bone here, friends.  With the crispness of the fall Portland air and the newfound inspiration in today’s studio work, I feel like I’m coming back.  It’s that similar feeling to starting a new school year and wanting to impress with that fresh, blank-slate of a first day—in those nostalgia filled halls of new textbooks, new crushes, old loves and old looks.

Today I’m ready to start my new school year.  I met with a new (for betsy & iya) store in Portland.  One that I’ve adored from afar for some time now, but have been too busy/intimidated to approach:  Radish Underground.  I love everything about this shop.  The two women genuises who created the sexy beast are no less impressive than their perfect storefront.  I’m super excited to be a new addition to their store and I’m looking forward to continuing business with them…the sweetest gals on the block.

Sweater:  Benetton

Shirt: old long johns

Skirt: grandma’s Basement

Hat: grandaddy’s Basement

Tights: textured wonders from Nordstrom

Boots: Frye from Johnny Sole

Scarf: Coclico

Earrings: betsy & iya

Brand new earring design…so much more to come.  You can click on the picture below to be directed to the listing.

Cheers to fall, to colors shifting, newness, crispy clear heads, new discoveries, new partnerships, new designs and killer outfits.

Bring on the layers, I say, BRING THEM ON!

***Song of the Moment: There is a Kingdom, by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds***

]]> http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-back-to-school/feed/ 4 http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-no-boundaries/ http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-no-boundaries/#comments Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:30:53 +0000 Betsy and Iya http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/?p=1044 (I know this picture is super blurry, but there’s something about it that really appeals to me.)

Okay okay, I keep aplogizing for neglecting my blog and it looks like I’m just going to have to let that go, for now…not the blog, but apologizing for not being here every day.  When I’m here, I’ll be here fully—know that.  Sometimes keeping up with a thriving jewelry business, creating plays, and planning a wedding at the same time, gets to be a little hectic!

No boundaries:

(Again with the blurry photo.  There’s so much action behind me, lots of blended colors and short breaths.  But there I stand in the middle, brightly signed, focused, breathing…it says to me, “I’m gonna get through this.”)

And boy did I get through it!?!!  The Bargain Hunting 101 sale at the Crystal Ballroom was such a wonderful event.  I first attended the bi-annual sale in February, as a shopper.  I was so overwhelmed by the amazing indie goodness and MAD sales, that when presented with the opportunity to sell there, I jumped onto the wagon head first and didn’t look back.

I wore:

Dress: strapless bright orange linen, with frilly hot pink detail from Zachary’s Smile in NYC

Cardigan: purchased at United Colors of Beneton seems-like-they’re-going-out-of-business sale in DC

Hosiery: I can always find the best/craziest tights at Nordstrom.

Boots: do I even have to say?  The most awesome Fryes from  Johnny Sole in PDX.

Apron: an original made by my amazing assitant, Lupe, for these such events.  It helps keep me in check.

Necklace & Earrings: Two one-of-a-kind pieces from yours truly.  The earrings were made with scrap ribbon from online orders; and the necklace from aftrican trade copper on ribbon.  The earrings are mine and the necklace was purchased off my neck at the event.  I made many new designs to test at this huge sale event.  Luckily, they were all a hit and I have MUCH work to do in adding new items to my shop.

I’ll leave you with this new design as a teaser:

(These are the Lindsay SUPERsass earrings; named after my lovely, spunky little cousin.  You can click on the picture for a direct link to purchase.)

This outfit was inspired by my assistant, Lupe.  She always storms into work with the most daring color combos, textures, and shapes all under the same-day-outfit roof.  I thought I was a wild dresser!!  I had no idea.

I knew I wanted to wear my new(ish) orange dress.  And then I wanted stripes and arms, because it was cold.  And then I wanted semi-protection on my legs and instead of opting for the most coordinating hosiery, I chose my favorite.  That set the tone for the rest of the outfit.  I continued picking my favorite choices for the purposes they could fulfill, and then I had a wacky outfit set out on the bed—and I went for it!

I felt FANTASTIC and ended up having a great/relaxed time selling.  (I like how I say “relaxed” and in these photos, you can see Lupe in blue, to the left of me, working her butt off with customers—taking payments, answering questions, wrapping purchases, etc…ah, life is good.)

I hope this bright orange, purple, striped, no boundary outfit is an indication of how this week will pan out.  I need it!

***Song of the Moment: The State I Am In, by Belle & Sebastian***

It was super hot and muggy in Portland when I put this number together.  At first I thought it would be a real bust, but then it grew on me and I decided it deserved OOTD status.  I know there are a number of you out there missing my regular OOTDs, and I’m going to try my hardest to hop back on the cool outfit wagon as time rolls on.

You know though, with shows in foreign places, awesome press, wonderful new stores selling my wares, and …oh yeah, getting married in one month…time has sort of slipped out of my hands.  I do think this outfit was the perfect thing to pull me back into it.

Shirt:  old cut off wife-beater.  (I know that’s not a very PC term for a shirt, but where I’m from, that’s what we call it and I can’t just call it a white tank top…I can’t do it.)

Skirt: Vintage prairie skirt from Village Merchants on Division.  Love it.

Shoes: Soda from Ether on NW 23rd.  (While I don’t love how the employees act while shopping in this boutique, I do still love supporting local.  Just…come oooon girls, be nice!  It’ll make your day better, I promise.)

Earrings:  b & i shamless love line.  These make me feel happy. (click on the earring picture and you can get some for yourself.)

I know it’s been awhile, but I’m still here.  I always was.  And I always will be.

Thanks for stickin’ with me, y’all.

xoxoxo- betsy

***Song of the Moment: Temecula Sunrise, by Dirty Projectors***