Adopt NY: Save the date!

Outfit Details:
sweater - c/o Corey Lynn Calter
top - c/o Trina Turk
skirt - Madewell
tights - We Love Colors
Ampersands shoes - c/o Seychelles
DVF Mimosa Clutch - c/o DVF
peter pan collar necklace - c/o 80/20 glasses - Ray-Ban lipstick - Revlon Berry Haute Adopting Miku was the best decision I ever made. Well, it was the best decision my mom made, since she was the one who adopted her for me. I can't imagine life without my little pup; she's my best friend and the tiny little love of my life. All of my little critters were adopted or rescued straight from the streets, so you can imagine with adoption and rescue initiatives are extremely important to me. That's why I am organizing a fundraiser with my friends at Bollare for Adopt NY, a wonderful team of animal rescue groups who are working to make New York no kill (you can read more about them here). They focus on pulling animals out of kill shelters and placing them in foster and forever homes, and after Hurricane Sandy, there are more displaced animals than ever. We want to help them fix that!  I'll have more info and a flyer for you early next week, but in the meantime, please save the date for December 10th, 7-9 PM. We'll be hosting a blogger closet sale, auction of goods donated by designers and influencers (we have some *amazing* donations up for grabs), and raffle at Bollare (135 fifth avenue, 8th floor). It's open to the public, so please spread the word and help us raise some money and save some furry lives!
p.s. If you or your company is interested in donating an item or sponsoring the event, please email me or leave a comment. The more, the merrier!

Meet My Cutiest Cousins

Porter Flea Photobooth from Claudia Cofer on Vimeo.


Clearly, I have the cutest cousins ever. Claudia (and her house) and Presley the pup are no strangers to this blog, but I believe this might be Jeremy's (my younger cousin) and Mark's (Claudia's husband) debut on here.

Claudia and Mark are setting up their photo booth at Porter Flea in Nashville this Saturday, from 11-6. Download your photos for free, and order their letterpress cards to send out for the holidays! Watch their stop motion video above, and check out Claudia's blog for more info on the event. Give them a hug for me if you see them! Or just say hello, if the hug feels too creepy!

Birdie Forever

Outfit Details:
Rachel Antonoff Birdie Forever sweatshirt - c/o ModCloth
cut off shorts - Free People
tights - Bloomingdales
Carol Marie bracelets  bag - c/o Brahmin
Jeffrey Campbell boots - LF  collar - JewelMint lipstick - Bobbi Brown Roseberry
glasses - Ray-Ban Presley the dog - my cousin Claudia's
I have two types of go-tos in my closet and they are on opposite ends of the spectrum: cotton dresses and denim cut-offs. Okay, three, because you know I wear my motorcycle jacket with both variations. I wear one or both every single week, which is why my collaboration with Cotton was a no-brainer. I can throw on a cotton day dress and look put together with just one garment, or pair it with tights and a jacket when it's colder. My vintage ones have stayed in my closet for years, and will probably always make the cut. That's the great thing about vintage: the older it gets, the better. I feel the same way about denim.

My cut-offs aren't quite as polished (understatement), but they're just as easy to throw on with anything and run out the door. This pair is quite literally falling apart, which makes me love them even more. The zipper broke last year, and instead of replacing it (which I am more than qualified but less inclined to do), I sewed it shut and now I just pull them on and off. I never said I was classy, you guys. But I did mention that I used to major in musical theatre, didn't I? Since this sweatshirt combines a love of musicals and Rachel Antonoff - two of my favorite things! - I had to have it. I have a feeling it will be another one of those pieces that stays in my closet forever. Vintage dresses, cut-offs, and Birdie, forever.

ShoeMint and JewelMint Giveaway!

Today's giveaway is courtesy of ShoeMint and JewelMint. The winner will receive their choice of one pair of shoes or five pieces of jewelry.

Here's how to enter:
- Start a ShoeMint or JewelMint profile to view the collections (free to join with no obligations!)
- Leave a comment below with your favorite shoes or jewels. Must provide contact information (or have it readily available on your page) and selects to win. -Entries will be accepted until next Monday, 9 PM EST. I will pick a winner at random and contact directly.

Good luck!

My week, on instagram.

My week, on instagram. Follow me @keikolynn.


Left to right, top to bottom:
1) 1910 postcard; one of my favorite finds on my antique road trip.
2) The note on the back of the card: a thank you for a lovely apron.
3) Miku, wearing my shirt.
4) Pinky and Roxy Mae sleep in pretty much the same position. 5) Syroco flowers above my bed. 6) An antique picture and colorful bowls full of jewelry. 7) A lonely doll at the flea market. 8) New shoes from ShoeMint, sitting on my polka dot chair. Tomorrow, you'll have a chance to win some new shoes of your own!

Shop Small

(click for larger photos)

Darling dress and assorted bags, all from Emerging Thoughts.

It's Small Business Saturday, so I thought it would be the perfect time to post these photos from my Nashville trip with Kim. It's so important to support small and local businesses; they are what help keep our economy afloat. When you support a small business, you are making a direct impact on an individual's livelihood. Keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive and thriving; encourage creativity and innovation! Isn't that what the American Dream is all about?

I've known Lauren, the owner of Emerging Thoughts, for years - we met when she started carrying Postlapsaria in her shop. Lauren truly cares about her customers and the designers she supports, and that connection is one of the major benefits of shopping small. In honor of the holiday weekend, Emerging Thoughts is offering 25% off storewide with the code "HOLIDAZE" (pssst...that means my designs are on sale, too). Go shop, support, spread the word!



p.s. follow Emerging Thoughts on Facebook or Twitter - she always posts fun giveaways and exclusive discounts.

Black Friday

Outfit Details:
Trina Turk cardigan - c/o Trina Turk
cat shirt - from my dear friend Christine
lace shorts - Madewell
dot tights - Madewell
over the knee boots - c/o ShoeMint
bracelet - c/o JewelMint

Vester the cat and I teamed up with ShoeMint and JewelMint to bring you news about our favorite time of the year: Caturday! Black Friday! Actually, I'm the last person you'll see in line at crazy hours in the morning. I prefer to do online shopping, especially since my family is in Florida. I usually buy it all online and have it shipped to my sister's house! She loves me for that, and by "loves," I mean she gets really excited that she has mail and then really bummed when she realizes she can't open it. But I digress!

For online shopping lovers like me, ShoeMint and JewelMint are joining in on Black Friday fun and offering great discounts for first time and current members, alike (sale items excluded). JewelMint is offering 70% off the first piece any new member orders, and 50% off current members' entire orders. As for ShoeMint, new members get $40 off their first pair, and $20 off additional items. Current members get $20 off each pair! Whether you're a new or current member, you can get the suede boots I'm wearing for under $100. Go get them!

p.s. There will be more deals on Cyber Monday - check cybermint.tv for details!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Outfit Details:
Trina Turk pink coat - c/o Trina Turk (see how my friend Helena wore it)  Enduring Love lace top - c/o Ruche  pleated skirt - Topshop   sheer tights - Target DVF Mimosa clutch - c/o DVF  lipstick - Smashbox Electric Pink   Lissandra over-the-knee boots - c/o Alberto Fermani (30% off all boots with code "keikoboots" Saturday Nov 24th - Monday Nov 26th)

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Bobby and I are having a low-key holiday to ourselves. He's in the kitchen and cooking most of the meal himself, because I am not so great in that area. I've offered my help but he keeps shooing me away, so that should tell you something about his faith in my culinary skills. What are your plans for today?

do what you love, love what you do

Outfit Details:
dress - Supayana (I also bought this magical version)
bow belt - c/o Ruche
dot tights - Madewell
Bass Loves Rachel Antonoff shoes - gift from Lauren of Emerging Thoughts  "Be Brave" and arrows screened boards - Sisters of Nature  "Do What You Love, Love What You Do" screen print - Fifty Five Hi's

I bought this cotton, handmade dress from Supayana. Yana and I go way back to the LJ Indie Designer Club days (I made that club name up just now; it isn't real but the name needs work), and I've been following her line for years. I was excited to add this dress to my collection, since I already have a couple of her tops from a few years back. Though I haven't had it for long, I've already worn it twice. I tend to wear cotton dresses all year long, adding layers and tights as the temperature drops. It was warmer in Nashville, so I was able to get away with a lightweight sweater, but it's cold in New York! I'm rearranging my room at the moment, and everything in this corner seemed to match the dress perfectly. A happy coincidence, because it was a little too chilly outside to go without a coat, and this dress needed a moment of its own.

Speaking of cotton style (that transition also needs work), last Friday, I met up with Cotton’s Style Search Squad in Williamsburg to scout and photograph Brooklynites in their own cotton duds. I was nervous for two reasons: 1) I am timid when it comes to asking to photograph strangers and 2) I wasn't sure how easy it would be to see everyone's outfits under their Winter coats. I did ask a few people, but mainly avoided the first one by pointing at people and nudging the person next to me to ask them to be photographed. Street style photographers: you are one gutsy bunch. The second fear went out the window; within the first hour, we found so many people with crazy good style, we could've filled an entire bus. We also met a cute little dog named Monster, and if it was up to me, he would be winning the $2,500 grand prize and getting the VIP trip to South Beach. But alas, I'm pretty sure he wasn't wearing cotton. And, you know, he's a dog…so there's also that.

If you haven't entered yet, hop to it! You can either find one of Cotton’s Style Search Squads in a city near you, or simply upload your own photo. In addition to the aforementioned grand prize (which will be awarded to six people - one for each region), there will also be a weekly prize of $1,440. The odds are pretty great that you could be that lucky guy or gal, so you might want to start uploading now!

be thankful.

Outfit Details:
necklace - Sea of Bees (coming soon to Emerging Thoughts)
dress - Free People
Hansel from Basel thigh highs and Darling cardigan - Emerging Thoughts bracelets - c/o Sorrelli  Shenanigans boots - c/o Seychelles lipstick - Smashbox posy pink suitcase - Mark's.

Okay, so I wasn't actually going anywhere; I'm a total fraud. My cousin's husband has this great suitcase that's covered in travel stickers, from its past owner's life. I've always loved anything with a story, and this has its story all over the surface. I started wondering why I haven't collected anything from my modest travels. I only buy postcards when they're ancient (I just picked up this gem from 1910) and I couldn't really think of anything else I'd be able to collect within the confines of my Brooklyn apartment. But after a little thought, I realized that I have a different kind of collection that can't be put into just one category. Everywhere I go, I search for something one of a kind, whether it's vintage, antique, or simply handmade. On this trip, I came home with a trunk full of goodies: a vintage chenille bedspread, lots of artwork for the walls (old and new), that 1910 postcard (with writing on the back), a slew of vintage hats and a couple of dresses. They may not be your typical touristy souvenirs, but I'm pretty sure I'll hold onto them a lot longer than anything from a gift shop.  What do you collect when you're on the road?