Random Thought of the Day: Photography

When I eat my breakfast in the morning I get about five minutes to think about my day and what I want to accomplish. Recently it occurred to me that 9 times out of 10 photos of some kind make it on the agenda, and even when it's not planned my camera somehow magically ends up in my hands.

It's been about 8 months now since I made a serious commitment to learn more about photography and I am head over heels in love with it all. I get giddy when I get to snap a few pictures, and feel all gooey inside capturing little moments so easily forgotten in the day to day. Even when I have loads and loads of photos to edit I sit back and think how fun it will be to transform these moments into even more captivating snapshots of life. I still have so much to learn and that is the best part! big kiss, bekuh

PS- Don't forget to enter the $25 Anthropologie gift card giveaway!

BFV Autumn Additions

Katie and I will be stocking the Button Factory with lots of new dresses for Autumn TONIGHT! just in time for our free shipping discount code ("BACKTOSCHOOL") and the back to school season. Both long sleeved and short sleeved dresses will be added in a variety of fall themed hues. Grab one for yourself and don't forget our newly added shoes too! Let the fall season grab hold of you; if you're anything like us you can't wait to pull out those tights. big kiss, bekuh

PS: The lovely red head below is my good friend Lauren, we're so excited to welcome her to the modeling team. She's gorgeous. Also, Don't forget to enter the $25 Anthropologie gift card giveaway!

The Lovely Ilana in Black and White (Guest Post)

I am so lucky to have my first ever guest poster on Secondhand Sundays today. The lovely Ilana from My Modern Vintage, agreed to spend the day over here while I'm taking a breather and getting stuff ready for the weeks to come. I love Ilana's vintage style and knack for accessorizing. I just know you'll love her too!

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Hello everyone! My name is Ilana and I write a fashion and lifestyle blog - My Modern Vintage. I feel so lucky to be blogging on Second Hand Sundays as I love Bekuh's quirky style and the honesty in her posts. I am such a sticky beak and love getting a glimpse into people's lives! I live in Australia so although most of you will be heading into fall/winter (lucky!!) I am unfortunately going to be sweltering in just a few short weeks. However I admit that the longer days and warmer mornings are definitely looking good. I am terrible at getting up in cold weather.

Thought I would do a little "If you knew me" feature like what Bekuh did the other day. It was so much fun to read!

If you knew me.... You would know that I love my family and pets more than anything in the world. I would do anything for them (and pretty much do) You would know that I love to be alone. I know some people absolutely hate it but I love solitude. I tend to get social anxiety and being surrounded by people too much just drains my energy. You would know that I am studying Law, Journalism and Graphic Design and have no idea how to combine my passions. I will just take everyday one step at a time at the moment. You would know that I never lie. I don't believe in lying as it always comes back to hit you in the face. Honesty is one of my favourite things. You would know that I work in admin and am very good at it but it is not my career/passion.

Outfit Details: blouse and skirt- Vintage (both from Etsy)// bag- Leather Satchel Company

Make sure you visit Ilana's blog and share a little love with her today! You can also see my guest post on My Modern Vintage here. big kiss, bekuh

PS- Don't forget to enter the $25 Anthropologie gift card giveaway!

Lacy Clutch DIY

I'm so excited about this DIY for two reasons. One this involves updating a vintage item that would have otherwise been thrown out; two it combines both my love of crafting and vintage in a super practical, and pretty way. What more could a girl want out of a project, am I right? I think you'll like this project too because there are a lot of faux leather purses to be had in thrift stores and a lot of them are in need of a facelift. So here you go, a remade clutch lacy DIY.

I really liked the lace for this project because it covered the flaws, without completely obstructing the design of the purse, but that being said you could easily substitute the lace for a pretty patterned fabric too. My lace and trim came off the bottom of a dress I was restyling so this whole DIY cost me less than $5. You'll need less than a half yard of fabric to cover a clutch or handbag similar in size to mine. Woo hoo.

Step 1: Open the flap of the clutch and drape the lace around the main body of your handbag, making sure that there is excess lace around all of the edges.

Step 2: Cut your lace so that there's at least 1/4 inch excess around the tops, and side of the clutch. 

Step 3: Now grab your lace trim and using the clutch as a guide measure and cut pieces for the tops, and sides of the handbag with at least 1/4 inch excess, like you did with the lace. Set aside.

Step 4: Rub off any dust or dirt from the purse to prep it for the spray adhesive. Take everything outside.

Step 5: Covering the inside flap and button with scrap paper or newspaper spray the front of clutch with the spray adhesive. Let it set for about 10 seconds and then apply the lace to the front, smoothing and realigning as you go. Don't worry about covering the button, you can trim that out later. Repeat on the backside, making sure to remove any bubbles, or creases before the glue completely sets.

Step 6: Let the spray adhesive set under the lace for at least a half hour before continuing.

Step 7: Using your scissors trim off the excess lace around the edges of your handbag, as close to the handbag as possible without cutting into it. Also carefully cut around the button, if your scissors won't work try an exacto blade.

Step 8: Grab your lace trim and liquid stitch. Draw a line of glue along one side, pressing the lace trim slightly over the edge, covering up where you trimmed the excess off.

Step 9: Repeat along all four sides of the lace covering.

Step 10: Where the lace trim meets in the corners cut off any excess, and round the corners to finish the trim. Let the lace set for about a half hour.

Step 11: Enjoy your "new" clutch ready for use.

I'm pretty much obsessed with this project, and love my clutch for date nights, and girly nights out. I've already used it in an outfit post on My Modern Vintage! I really want to try this on all of my handbags, but it would probably be over kill, no? I hope you enjoy this project! big kiss, bekuh

PS- Don't forget to enter the $25 Anthropologie gift card giveaway!

Giveaway: $25 Gift Card from Anthropologie!!

Did your jaw just drop? Your eyes are not deceiving you, today I have an amazing giveaway from Maddie of Thritary. You could win a $25 Anthropolgie gift card to spend towards your heart's desire!

The giveaway will be open from today August 27th to September 3rd, and the winner will be announced on September 6th! As if Maddie isn't already amazing enough, you have 6 ways to enter this giveaway! What are you waiting for? Enter now:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks Maddie for offering such an amazing prize! Make sure you visit Thriftary and thank Maddie in person, and also enter for your chance to win a feather necklace from the Button Factory. Best of luck! big kiss, bekuh

Weekly Obsessions: Clean House

Guys it's confession time, I've gone a little crazy editing, and cleaning up the house lately. I mean really crazy. I pulled one trash bag full of clothes out and I've been trying to convince Ryan that we should get rid of half our furniture (he's not into it). This wave of obsessive cleaning hits me 2-4 times a year and afterwards I feel good for about a week. At that point it starts to hit me just how much stuff I got rid of, and how empty certain corners of the house have become because of it. That's when the "I wants" take up residence and I start day dreaming about new items for the house. From pillows, to kitchen utensils, to paint colors, it's a dangerous game to play. Instead of hitting the checkout button on my computer screen I thought I'd share a few items I'd really like to add to our abode now that the crappy stuff is gone. All this in hopes that I can keep this just a window shopping game and nothing else.

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Fawn & Flora is one of those online shops that mesmerizes you with pretty objects and good product photography and suddenly three hours have passed and you have a shopping cart full of goodies. Or is that just me? I'm obsessed with these little wicker tumblers and wish we had more cabinet space to put them in. sigh.

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I've always been a fan of vintage floral trays and already own a few, tucked here and there around the house. When I saw this one I immediately stopped in my tracks and the song "At Last," started playing in my mid. Etsy will never cease to amaze me.

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My second confession of the day, we have one lone pillow that sadly sits on our couch with no one to keep him company. I love pillows, they're fun, and add a lot of character to a room, but our leather couch is slippery and it just doesn't like to play nice with decorative pillows. Oh and Nellie ate the other one I had sitting there. Anyway I always love the pillow designs at West Elm and their newest collection has me begging for more. Yes I will take three, thank you.

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Urban Outfitters has a magic way with rugs, I immediately fall in love with whatever design they come up with. For the longest time I wanted one of the chevron rugs, but now this is my new obsession. I would either move our current living room rug to our kitchen and replace it with this one. Or, use this one in the kitchen instead. I'm thinking way too deep about this.

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About a year ago I started noticing a lot of Vera branded scarves at thrift stores in my area, and then I inherited some, and then some came to me for free, and suddenly I thought this Vera must really be somebody. I looked her up and she is somebody, a big somebody. Vera is Vera Neumann a pioneer in the modern textile industry. Her bold patterns and lush designs are still sought after today and recently retailers like Anthropologie and Crate and Barrel have started offering up re-invisioned Vera designs. Like Crate and Barrel's towel above.

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I don't know if I've ever mentioned it on the blog but my goal is to only have original, or limited edition prints hanging in my house. It can create issues when you have a lot of wall space like we do, but for the most part it makes finding a piece even more special and it's placement of utmost importance. I've been a fan of United Thread for some time now and when I saw this print of Zebra's and Guinea fowl I knew immediately this was the piece I'd been waiting for. Well I'm hoping it will wait on me just a little longer. I just love how from one angle it's animals at a watering hole and at another it looks like leaves and feathers.

Some links for the home:

This post about messy interior photos is fabulous.

I am so going to stamp "wallpaper" onto our walls a la Rebekka Seale when we buy a house.

My bosses' wife had their bathroom renovations featured on Design*Sponge. Hollah!

I'm still in love with bubble tea, even if everyone else has forgotten about it already.

And because we're all thinking about fall, even though it's still summer...Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwiches

There you have it links, pics, and a desperate attempt to still my shopping crazy heart. Happy sundays! big kiss, bekuh

SHS Sweethearts: Small Sponsors

Saturday afternoons are the best! I love going to estate sales, catching up on blogs, and enjoying time with Ryan. I also love spending a little extra time perusing the internet and finding new reads like all the lovely ladies below. Today you've got a chance to be introduced to some real sweethearts. Meet the August small sponsors!

 BLOG / PINTEREST / TWITTER / FACEBOOK

Hello everyone my name is Meike! I'm May and after I recently graduated from university in Mainz, Germany, I moved to London to live there with my boyfriend. On my blog All Things Pretty, I write about all of the things in life that make me smile: sewing, baking, travelling, DIY-ing and many more! I would love to see you there some time soon!

 BLOG//FACEBOOK//TWITTER//PINTEREST

Hi I'm Nicole, a New York native with a passion for creativity and an obsession with french bulldogs (especially my own!) My blog, Happy Pretty Things, focuses on taking time to appreciate the finer things in life. When not blogging, Nicole can be found illustrating and designing greeting cards under the Etsy shop, Stuff by Nicole (www.stuffbynicole.com)

 BLOG//STORE//PINTEREST

Hello! My name's Taylor. A twenty-something happily married young lady residing in Florida with my husband and our dog Iver. I own a Etsy shop where I sell vintage treasures, and a blog where I share my favorite things, how-to's, recipes, photography and my everyday life.

 BLOG//TWITTER//FACEBOOK//INSTAGRAM @chestnutmocha

We're Ben and Katie. We met in Montana, lived in Ukraine, South Korea, Russia and just moved to the US. We blog about photography, travel, thrifting, food, lomography cameras and things that we do as a couple. 

 BLOG

Hi everyone! I'm Cynthia, an English instructor living in Spokane, WA. My blog documents me and my husband's move from Marquette, MI and whatever food, crafts, places, or books we are currently enjoying. Our little gnome Cedric shows up every once in a while too. Looking forward to meeting you!

 BLOG//TWITTER//FACEBOOK//INSTAGRAM: @kitkatherine

I'm Katherine, and my blog is Of Corgis & Cocktails, which I assure you, is not about feeding my corgi alcohol, that would be bad! I am all about quirky style, adorkable pups, and great food - which of course includes yummy drinks. I love to adventure in cities and you will always see new places on the blog!

 BLOG//FACEBOOK//PINTEREST//TWITTER

Hi I'm Meagan! The Egg is a personal lifestyle blog about living in a gorgeous mountain town. Based in Jackson Hole, it features local cuisine, mountainista fashion, crazy adventures and my personal travels around the world! I'm constantly snapping photos and sharing the beauty of this laid back and fun mountain life that I live. Stop by and say hello. We tend to have a lot of fun!

 BLOG//PINTEREST//TUMBLR

Hi, I'm Shani of The Girl Collected. I blog about being an introvert, photography, movies, life, God, and other random things. I'm originally from the Midwest now living in the Southeast and looking to relocate to the Pacific Northwest. I'm an undercover cat lady, crafter, and collector. My blog captures my journey through life.

BLOG//TWITTER

Hello, I'm Jane from ddalkijane. I love cameras, Blythe dolls, my cat whose name is Gamja(which means "potato" in Korean), and my hubby. Since English is not my first language, I found that I feel more comfortable with expressing my feelings and my daily life doing "ddalki diary". If you like to check out more ddalki diary, please visit me.

 FACEBOOK//FLIKR// PINTEREST//INSTAGRAM @emily_and_blythe

Hello! My name is Emily and I am a 13 (soon to be 14!) blogger from Australia! I spend my days making things, taking photos and short films, thrifting, fashion and fun! I blog about craftiness and diys, inspiration, fashion and what I love! Come visit me at Crafty Girl!

BLOG//FACEBOOK//TWITTER//PINTEREST

Hi, I'm Maddie! Thriftary is all about inspired life with a satirical eye. I love to write about things that inspire me personally: fashion, design, love & marriage, food & cocktails, people doing good in the world, health & wellness, music, art, adventures, and more! And that's also why it's inspired life, because I pretty much cover everything under the sun. In life. I write like I talk, and that is usually is in jest. Unless we are talking about something serious... I'm not a jerk or anything. Stop by sometime! I promise I won't bite :)

I love reading the bios of blogs and thinking about all the amazing adventures the bloggers are having. I'm amazed that they are all doing SO much! I hope you visit each of these ladies and share a little love. big kiss, bekuh

I'm Learning A Lot

Both images from Instagram, follow me @bekuhdoo

 I feel like my catch phrase this summer has been, "I'm learning a lot." And though I may be over using it just a little, it doesn't make it any less true. I've been rather retrospective lately and I've spent a lot of time evaluating what's important to me, and what I'm willing to let go for the sake of a better me. When we're faced with trials it's really easy to crawl into a corner and hide from them, but I'm trying to be more open, and accepting of failures and life's little (big) lessons. I've felt so vulnerable and free simultaneously in these last couple of weeks, thanks in large part to this space. In this spirit of openness and sharing I thought it would be fun to join in the "If You Really Knew Me," feature that has been floating around.

If you really knew me...

You would know that I need my alone time, and that though I love to socialize I have pretty strict limits as to the amount of time I like to be around people in the day to day. If we hang out with people for two days, I need at least a 24 hour break before we jump back into to more social commitments. Strange but true.

You'd find me really sarcastic and ornery to a fault.

You'd see that I am constantly over committing myself, but can't let go of any of them. I like to be busy all the time, and get bored incredibly easily. If I didn't have about 20 projects going on at once I'd probably be depressed and just find new projects to start to fill the gaps. Relaxing is not in my nature.

You'd know that I've always been a bit of an odd eater. As a kid I cried if my Mom made homestyle foods like mashed potatoes, but I'd eat cans of spinach and pickles in one sitting. Veggies have always been my thing I guess.

You'd find that I pace uncontrollably when we watch TV shows like Dexter and the Walking Dead. Something about highly stressful situations make me want to jump up and start moving. I do this when Ryan and I fight as well.

You would know that my family means more to me than anything else on earth. I feel incredibly guilty that I don't live close to my Dad and his family, and that I rarely get to see my Mom and hers. I have an intense devotion to them and would jump through fire for them without flinching. That being said I'm the worst correspondent and forget to call and send cards when I should even if I've been thinking about them non-stop.

You would know that I do not function on less than 7 hours of sleep, unless you want to call the dragon lady I transform into functioning. I also need at least one cup of coffee before talking to people or I may just strangle them in the morning. When traveling this rule applies as well.

Now some fun ones:
I think cheese is next to godliness, except American because that's not really cheese.
I giggle uncontrollably at Ron and Leslie when we watch Parks and Rec.
I like to immediately change in to PJs when I get home from work.
Food is sometimes the first and last thing I think about in a day.
I still kind of like skorts and wish they would come back in style.
I stopped riding bikes at 13 and only last October decided it was time to ride again.

Summer's Almost Over

I can't believe those words just escaped my mouth, but it's true. Summer is almost over. The hottest months are about to be behind us and the leaves will start to change colors and fall before we know it. This summer has had a lot of awesome highs, and couple of devastating lows so I feel like it's time to reminisce about all the thing's that have happened to us Browning's this summer.

1. We spent a good amount of time outside this summer, in direct contrast to last summer when I worked too much to enjoy the hotter weather, and we had a wedding to plan. We've gone hiking, camping, tubing, and we've been on countless walks.

2. We went on a little trip to Charlottesville, to tour the historic parts of UVA and shop.

3. Nellie went camping for the first time, and another weekend trip was had by Ryan and I!

4. We made the painful decision to hold off on our cross country road trip because of Ryan's being laid off, and subsequently starting a new job. Maybe we'll turn it into a cross-country trip next summer?

5. I redid my bike! You can get all the details here.

6. We went to a lot of estate sales, and I thrifted a lot. Including two amazing mid century lamps that now sit in my studio illuminating me with inspiration, and a dresser to replace my falling apart one from childhood. Hooray!

7. Katie and I worked really hard getting the Button Factory inventory in check and preparing the necklaces to launch! We also made plans to attend Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago, just for some good old girly fun. Just two more weeks!

8. My good friend Lauren came home from Asia, and I cried happy tears, and we talked a lot. Oh, and she brought me chocolate and candies that I ate almost immediately. She's also been a super willing model for the shop and I'm grateful to her always.

9. I didn't exercise enough, but I rarely sit still. Does that count?

10. We've hosted some amazing get togethers including the BBQ which featured a lot of cool Uncommon Goods items.

11. We've seen three movies which is insane when you think we only saw one movie altogether last year. We've seen Dark Shadows, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Dark Knight Rises. The last two blew me away and Moonrise Kingdom now holds the key to my movie loving heart.

12. Ryan and have been taking a lighting e-course together to better our photography, called the Study of Light, It's been very informative and I'm super excited about my new scrim for those winter months when outdoor photos become hard to do.

13. We pickled and canned for the first time ever, and joined a CSA. It's kind of an unmentioned goal of mine to produce less waste and eat less foods with pesticides. So cheers for eating in season, and organically.

14. We've spent so many hours hanging out with friends, and enjoying the little moments that come from good conversation, knowing glances, and a night filled with laughter. It's been the best.

15. My blog grew three times it's size this summer and my heart is overflowing with love for all of you lovely readers. I've loved getting to know some of you, creating fresh new content, and stretching my photography muscle as I delve deeper into my passions. I really feel like I'm pushing myself in a healthy way and learning so many new skills.

Well that's a recap of my summer thus far, just a few more weeks to push through some goals and enjoy the heat. What have you been up to this summer? big kiss, bekuh

DIY Circus Tent Flats

You may be noticing a strange pompom trend on my blog, it's not an illusion. After last week's pompom trimmed pencil case I decided I loved the trim too much not to give it another go in a totally different way with shoes. I had purchased these shoes for a friend's wedding and they got a little muddy and stained due to unforeseen rain showers, but I'm not one to throw something out because of a little stain. So, these pretty little grey flats sat in my closet for over a year until I finally came up with an idea of how to bring them back to life and make them wearable again. Join me for a shoe transformation diy, or circus tent flats as I've so lovingly named them.

What you'll need:
flat shoes (mine are grey, obviously)
liquid stitch
white acrylic paint
masking tape
pompom trim
scissors

NOTE: I first scrubbed as much of the dirt off as I could, and luckily the areas with the most stains concentrated around the toe, heel and rim of the shoe. If you're working with new shoes you won't need to worry about this step.

Step 1: Using the masking tape, tape off an area around the toe and heel. I angled my tape out slightly to create a more dramatic toe and heel on the shoes. A little drama never hurt anybody. Paint in the area around the toe and heel, and let dry completely. If there is still fabric showing through paint the area again, and again let it dry.

Step 2: Grab your scissors, liquid stitch and pom pom ribbon. Loosely drape the ribbon around the opening of the shoe, make sure you allow a little extra drape so it doesn't come up short. Cut. You're going to do two layers of trim around the top of each shoe so repeat this step three more times. You're now ready to attach the trim.

Step 3: About 1/4in away from the top of the shoes start drawing a line of glue with the liquid stitch from the heel. Don't circle the whole shoe because the glue dries fast. Start attaching the trim, making sure to hold each section for a couple of seconds to ensure it sticks. Continue gluing, and pressing until you attached the first layer of trim, cut off any excess trim at the heel.

Step 4: Repeat step 3 for the second layer, making sure not to get any glue on the first layer of trim, and that the layers slightly overlap so they look like they're all one piece. Repeat step 3&4 on the second shoe and you're done.

I finished both shoes in less than an hour, including drying time. A quick and easy way to update a pair of worn out flats for spring, summer, and fall. Try this project with different types of trim and paint colors to showcase your personal style. big kiss, bekuh

Online Yard Sale/Shop my Closet

I'm joining the masses once again folks and opening up an online yard sale/shop my closet site for the blog. It's called Sunday's Child and I've just filled it with lots of brand name clothes and accessories I no longer need in my wardrobe, household items that have been well loved, and a mishmash of items left over from our wedding decor. A free for-all if there ever was one. I'd super appreciate it if you'd check Sunday's Child out, and maybe buy an item or two ;).

Happy Tuesday friends! big kiss, bekuh