I am so excited to share a sneak peek of what will likely be a staple "spot"  for vintage clothes and stylish notions come tomorrow.  The traveling trunk show known as the Frock Shop has found a permanent home in the MONA (Museum of Neighborhood Art) building,  a local art gallery and studio space, which sits happily on the corner of Central Avenue and Hawthorne in Plaza Midwood. The Frock Shop Style Lounge fits perfectly into the renovated space which already houses a delightful assortment of locally made art, jewelry, sculpture and other Charlotte-centric goodies. 

I was introduced to the Frock Shop and the adorable Caroline Cook-Frers last year by friend and proverbial shopping instigator, Nikki Mueller, who dropped in on one of Caroline's trunk shows hosted at Eco-Licious. That day, we arrived early and got our own sneak peek shopping experience before the droves of women came in to devour the racks of well-curated clothes and accessories.  I found my most favorite pair of red vintage flats along with an armful of one-of-kind clothing.  I was hooked and have been stalking, I mean, following Caroline and the Frock Shop ever since. 

The Style Lounge is charming and the MONA house itself is laid out in a way that invites exploration. Natural light floods the space, the wood floors creak with character and the handcrafted archways gently lead you from one carefully curated area to the next. Caroline has put the same care into her new space as she does with her collection of handpicked clothing and accessories. The drippy chandelier that hangs above the Style Lounge is her grandmother's, the wallpaper is vintage and the mirrors that adorn the space are bright and colorful.  It's all the perfect accessory to her unique collection. Have a look! 

 INSIDER TIP: Frock shoppers that visit the Style Lounge will get first dibs on all new arrivals before it hits Caroline's online shop and ongoing trunk shows.  

The Style Lounge opens to the public tomorrow with a Grand Opening celebration beginning at noon until 8 p.m.  MONA is located at 1200 Central Avenue.  I'm thinking I'll be there quite often. Maybe the handsome MONA owners, Dan and Brian will be so kind as to let me pay rent.  Happy Frocking! 

Collecting vintage clothes and purses has long been at the top of my  list of "things that make me happy."  There is something truly wonderful about discovering treasures in unlikely places and creating an individual style.  It's a creative outlet that really resonates with me. 

 I was trying to pinpoint the exact moment I fell in love with vintage clothes and can trace it back to the garage of an ex-boyfriend's Argentinian mother who happened to be a hoarder and a little cuckoo. Her best friend was a bird and she hoarded everything from scraps of cardboard to fake flowers to receipts from the 1970's. She also happened to have insane treasures like vintage Emilio Pucci and Gucci handbags. I was able to pry the Pucci and a few purses from her grips which began my love for collecting vintage fashion and made the days  spent cleaning her garage and listening to Klezmer music on vinyl all worthwhile.  I wish I were making this up.  

When it comes to clothing, I  have always been a bit impractical. I gravitate toward statement pieces that would be far too obvious to wear repeatedly.  If I did, people would say things like-...."There's that girl with the red Hawaiian muumuu again!!" or "If I have to see those saddle shoes one more time, there's going to be hell to pay!"

For me, vintage pieces offer that "one-of-a-kind" quality without draining my wallet, which means I get more statement pieces (so I'm not always wearing the same thing) at a fraction of the cost.  I always wondered how broke New Yorker's managed to have impeccable style, pay exorbitant rents and still eat. Well, this is how.

I wanted to share some of my most recent purchases from my trip to Philadelphia where I stumbled upon the vintage boutique Puss in Boots. They were in the process of relocating so the items below were on sale for a grand total of $23.00. 
I mean, does it get any better? 

I hope to continue to share my finds with you and the outfits that come out of my shopping adventures. Please feel free to share your treasures with me. Leave a comment or send me a photo at keia[at]the-sunnysideup.com. Happy Tuesday! 

One week ago today, I took my very first trip to the Metrolina Antiques Classic to peruse the plethora of new, old stuff. 
Having never been before, I wandered in like a baby deer in the woods and soon fell victim to sensory overload. There were objects as far as the eye could see and any semblance of rational thinking was out the door. My head began swimming with a million ideas and the temptation was too much. I lasted three hours before I lost my will to go on.  

I did, however, manage to find a few random things:
- Five small, amber apothecary bottles
- Two R&B records for my vinyl collection 
- One milk crate with two glass milk jugs
- One ditty bag (a.k.a. stinky military bag chosen by the Mister) 

Suffice to say the show was A-MAZING despite the overstimulation.  It was huge and vast and oh-so-delightful! I'll be looking forward to tackling the beast when the next Classic rolls around. 

Speaking of A-MAZING, my lovely buddy Nikki of  Not Made in China has been a busy bee. Not only did she rock out a fantastic series dedicated to antiques, she has been cranking out new goodies for a vintage NMIC collection. Since this past week was an insane series of scheduling nightmares for myself, I encourage you to take this Sunday afternoon and check out her Antiques Week posts.