Outfit Details:
It's fitting to end this year with photographs from one of my favorite spots in Florida, The Fellsmere Inn. Fellsmere is the quaint little home of our horses and goats, and just down the street/dirt road is an old inn that was built before the town was even founded. Once an actual inn, as its name depicts, the building eventually served as a private home of a lady named Margaret, who also ran an antique and vintage shop out of part of the building. Before I moved to New York, Florida was hit with a slew of hurricanes that left many homes in ruins - including The Fellsmere Inn. Margaret sold me the entire contents of her vintage collection, including several bolts of fabric, for $50. We filled my mom's truck bed with all of the damaged goods and I was able to salvage quite a good deal of them that are now in my personal closet, including but certainly not limited to this dress, this little outfit and a feedsack dress (a favorite of mine).
With its original wiring, wood floors and, well...nothing updated, The Fellsmere Inn - post hurricanes - was a major fixer upper but never fell short of charm. Since the hurricanes, it was purchased and renovated and currently sits unoccupied. The grand ballroom has been divided into smaller rooms and the oak floors have been replaced with bright and shiny pine; the magic and glamour is gone. I hate it. I understand that it needed updating but at almost 100 years old, I do wish they would have restored it as closely to its original state as possible. I still love it so, but I long for the old ghostly qualities that stole my heart. Maybe one day I will be able to afford it and bring it back to life. I've always wanted an old house with a wrap around porch. 2011, can you help me out?
69 comments:
Wow, what a beautiful treasure of a dress. You look so pretty. And such lovely wedges too.
That's so sad aboiut the Fellsmere Inn. I hope you will get your wish come true and restore it back to it's originality. Some things just don't seem quite right when they are updated "modernly."
Have a wonderful new year.
www.TheFancyTeacup.com
much love.
Très jolies photos, et j'aime beaucoup ta robe et tes chaussures, magnifique
Bonne et heureuse année 2011
i think i leave the same comment on all of your posts but your lipstick is amazing, and your outfit is just gorgeous. lace is a favorite of mine. you're so lucky to have gotten all of that for $50!
Love your Outfit As always...
Wish you a great Year. :)
I'm officially in love with the dress!
Love this dress! <3
http://luluandthestyle.blogspot.com
I am SO in love with this outfit! So feminine and pretty!
Oh my goodness, these photos are absolutely stunning! I adore your dress & shoes, and what a perfect setting to take photos! It's beautiful! And such a sweet story, too. Happy New Year!
you look so gorgeous! Everything fits so well together and I especially love your shoes! I hope for all the best in 2011!
Gorgeous lace dress! And I can certainly imagine what charm the old inn had. Hopefully you'll be able to buy it, haha. A wrap around porch is enough of a reason for me! ♥
Have a wonderful new year. :)
You look super beautiful, and that dress!
What a gorgeous dress! Love the lace detail.
Have a happy new year. :)
http://bonjourgazel.com
That is such a bittersweet story. I love the you got some lovely pieces out of it and wish you the best of luck coming up with the money to purchase the Inn... 2011 might be it!
Gorgeous dress!
http://fashionagony.blogspot.com/
Happy new year Keiko..
Wish you all the best in this new year and see all your wishes coming true! You look like the hottest angel in your dress.. totally in love ^__^
what a gorgeous dress! Happy New Year!
http://inthehammockvintage.blogspot.com
This outfit is so cute and romantic! You look absolutely stunning. Happy New Year Keiko!
<3 Ashley
AcuteObsession.blogspot.com
That white dress is so lovely- it's like something a princess would wear! Happy New Year!
What a gorgeous, gorgeous dress. You look fantastic! Happy New Year!
Looks like such a relaxing place! Happy new year.
these are gorge photos, loving that lace dress
http://elenavasilieva.blogspot.com/
x
Can you do a post sometime about what sewing equipment you use, any helpful tips you have about sewing and how you got into it, learned, etc? I think it would be really interesting to know!
oh i love this dress.
i featured you on my dress a few weeks ago on a post about little white dresses!!
you suit them so much :]]
Charlotte xxx
cute dress
beautiful :D :D I really love this dress, so gorgeous! And the clutch is so cute.. well I love all your outfits :D
http://www.style1509.blogspot.com
Live.Laugh.Love. - everyday!
Great look, i like your dress.
xoxo
wonderfullace dress!love ít!happy new year!!!
I know what you mean. I love houses with history. I guess they should really be called museums--I wanna live in a museum! Haha...Lovely dress btw :]
This look is beautiful!
I love the way your bun looks! Can you please do a hair tutorial one day?!
<3Heather
You always have such beautiful, thrifted dresses! You must have good luck because every time I go thrifting, I only find strange 70s pant suits and dresses that look like old, unwashed couches.
These photos are so gorgeous, that Inn is amazing and you've managed to capture the dreamy quality of the place. Love it!
Happy New Year from France Keiko!
Les Soeurettes Dalyne
http://lessoeurettesdalyne.over-blog.com/
You look so sweet ! Happy new year to you ;)
you look amazing in that dress x
www.thefashionmom.com
Happy New Year and lovely dress!!!!
Beautiful photos! You are looking like a bride in this white dress :)
WWW.RENEBRAUN.COM
That dress is simply beautiful. I'm glad you were about to salvage it. Happy new year - hope 2011 brings you all that you hope for (including an old house).
Nice dress! Happy New Year!
kiss xxx
i think there's a need to completely renovate homes rather than restore them; it seems to me that people think that worn in floors and plaster walls are dirty or unsafe. i don't understand, personally. there's no way to replicate the intricate woodworking and careful details that original components show.
Veronika: I completely agree. The main thing that needed to be replaced was the wiring. Also, they just put a waterline in. The problem was that when the hurricanes hit, there was so much damage that it really did need to be renovated. The walls were decaying and there was a lot of mold and the roof was partially gone. Since it wasn't kept up the way it should have been, it couldn't all be salvaged. Still, I wish they would have at least tried to save the floors and restore the rest as it was intended. They really did a number on the inside and I'm not into it!
Jen: Another reader suggested the same thing, so I think I will have to work on that when I get back to New York! Thank you for the suggestion:)
Circe Style: A lot of people have asked me for a bun tutorial but there isn't really a method to it. I feel silly posting a tutorial for something that evolved from laziness, but if you guys want one I will give it a go. Promise not to be disappointed that there is no technique? haha.
Beautiful pictures and dress! And that place Fellsmere Inn seems to be a very idyllic place by your description to judge!
Such a lovely outfit and a great location!
That dress is perfection. I'm sorry they changed the inn :(. I have my fingers crossed for you to buy it and redo it, and show us pictures!
teri at tintedseaglass.blogspot.com
WOW! Beautiful face at a beautiful place.
You look absolutely gorgeous :-)
Happy new year :-)
Oh that dress is beautiful!
I'm so disappointed to hear about how the inn was "restored". My grandfather is a carpenter and a pro at using the same methods to restore old houses by which they were built. It's landed him contracting jobs at some of the few big houses left in South Carolina after General Sherman came through-- A little bit of history... I love some of the stories those resourceful women told to save their houses. Like "Oh! I'm not really from the South.. I'm from the North! (insert terrible fake northern accent) I'm stranded here, please dont burn down my house."-- Growing up with him, it's no wonder I've come to find old buildings so enchanting. I wonder what kind of fancy schmancy stuff went on in that ballroom...
Oh, and I love your dress. Every vintage lace piece I've bought has been ripped during my first time wearing it! I'm such a klutz.
Happy New Year....I simply adore your lace dress.....you look gorgeous as always:)
Stop by and say Hello:)
Statements in Fashion Blog♥
This are such beautiful photos. The dress and clutch are so cute.
I just came across your blog and love your posts! Can't wait to read more of it.
REally loving the pictures!!! I agree I'm big fan of old vintage homes!! We have pretty old houses that probably is in their 100 years old, and I hate the way new owner tried so hard to make it more modern:-(
Loving the vintage dress!!
<3
http://reserveradefashion.blogspot.com
Beautiful images! Love your vintage dress and the coach clutch!
I recently found your blog and I am already love it! You are adorable.
You look angelic! And I love your dress and that sequined clutch is to die for!
Dear Keiko,
You are too cute for words! I just found your blog and I'm very glad I did :)
Dropstitch
xox
Oh my! I love that dress! Such an amazing find! And that belt is to-die. You look marvelous!
nice find!The dress so pretty and those shoes are to die for!
Happy New Year :)
What a lovely dress! I so long to be bare legged again.
this entire outfit stopped my heart! so gorgeous and perfect.
I really like your blog! I put one of yours lookbook's picture in a collage that I did here: http://stylec.blogspot.com/2011/01/photographie-dandy-julia-photographie.html#links
Oh, dear, Keiko, what a sad story.
It's beautiful that you were able to salvage so many wonderful vintage things, but still, the fact that the inn fell victim to modernization is really, really sad.
Your expressions and your own personal magic seem to revivify the old place and give it back it's mystical charm.
I hope you can buy it one day, too!
XX.
Mae Lu, @ thereafterish.
Love the beautiful all white wood porch and your detailed white dress match it perfectly!
This dress is amazing! You're a lucky girl to have it :)
love your blog!!!!
what a lovely look
hope you dont mind me asking what blush are you using?
i have a skin tone very similar to yours and always looked for a color like that!
xx
Ana
Man, that's so awesome that you go such a good deal on it!
i love this dress so much! that i could not keep myself from getting a similar one!!!
thank you for wonderful inspiration!!!!
-laura
http://thesemanyyears.blogspot.com
Wow that dress is such a find!
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