Happy Blogiversary to Us!

Two years?! Yay us!! We decided to commemorate this milestone with a lil celebratory ladies brunch, and It. Was. Delicious. As you well know, I love to get good and dressed up for a Sunday brunch and who better to do that with than your fashion partner-in-crime? You can tell we’re getting old though, because instead of bloody mary’s and mimosas, hot tea and a latte were our drinks of choice.

Here’s what we wore!

JESSI:

I went for something a little bit Valentine’s inspired, but strayed from the classic red I wore on Valentine’s Day. Mint green and magenta seemed to make sense to me (yes? no?), and they most definitely matched this incredible wall that I’ve somehow never noticed before. Purrrrfection!

Dress:: Urban Outfitters | booties :: c/o Shopbop | sweater, heart necklace :: Forever21 | belt :: Hill Vintage
MARLENA:

I went full blown Valentine’s Day down to my heart tights! This top was a dress with a black skirt on the bottom but it was a super dowdy length. Think ankle length. Anyway, I had cut it shorter but it really needed hemmed. Flash forward 2 years and I had never worn it and I thought… HELLO! Just cut off this silly skirt and make it a top. Voila, kitties! I’ve already worn it like 3 times since I did it. Success story!

Outfit details: Ribbon :: Michael’s | Peplum top :: House of Vintage | Collar :: thrifted | Earrings :: Forever 21 | Skirt :: My mom’s from the 80s | Black heart tights :: Target | Black booties :: Jessica Simpson

Love you all, pretty kitties, and thanks for reading!

Cows, corn dogs and crazy rides: The Iowa State Fair!

The Iowa State Fair is one of those annual events that fellow Iowans either love or hate: there doesn’t seem to be much in-between. I for one love it! This year we kept it pretty simple; we saw the cows, ate a corn dog, and rode the Berry-Go-Round (which.. yikes! Charlie may have loved it but I thought I was going to get sick!). Then as we were leaving we stopped for some ice cream! We did meet up with Jessi and friends and took a state fair time-out to take some pics of our outfits.

I decided to keep it pretty easy and breezy for the fair this year. Jessi gave me this dress for my birthday and I have been wearing it pretty much every week. It’s so comfy and pretty! I decided to pair it with some ruffly socks and my boots for a bit of a country-fied look.

One of my favorite things about the fair is that I’ve been going pretty much every year for the last 7 or so years, and I know for a fact that I’ve never seen everything. Take this pretty garden Jessi and I discovered right by the agriculture building; I’d never noticed this little beautiful pocket right off one of the main roads before!

Outfit details: hair bow :: JCPenney | dress :: birthday gift from Jessi, from Hill Vintage | belt and socks :: Target | boots :: Steve Madden, from Von Maur

Have a fabulous Saturday! And if you live in the Des Moines area, may I suggest a visit to the fair tomorrow? It’s half price!

On crop tops in your 30s

As Jessi mentioned in her last post, 80/35 is always a highlight of the summer, and this year was no different! Fashion-wise, I declared this year to be Crop Top Year at the music festival. Before you cringe and think, “Oh God, isn’t she in her thirties?” please know that high-waisted skirts are the solution to the “How DO I make this a crop top year when I’m 32?”

DAY ONE

I found this gem of a denim crop while thrifting with Jessi in Kansas City earlier this summer. It actually has a hole in the middle of it to show off your totties but I opted out of that little circus and instead tied this scarf around myself like a little gift and pulled the bow part out! The first day of the music festival was July 4th, so naturally I had to milk that for all it was worth. This amazing Western-style skirt I found just days before the festival, and it’s really the perfect skirt to get your twirl on in.

Friday highlights: Watching my son tap his little foot to the beat of the music and Conor Oberst taking me back to 2002 when I loved Bright Eyes!

Outfit details: sunglasses, earrings :: Forever 21 | Denim crop top :: Re-Runs in Kansas City | red scarf :: thrifted | skirt :: Atomic Garage | sandals :: K-mart (yep. and I love them. AND they are on sale right now for $8)

DAY TWO

Day two I of course continued with my crop + high waisted skirt theme, although this time I left the country at home and went with a bit bolder ensemble. I decided on tights because I felt like I was going to end up accidentally flashing my butt to strangers every time I sat down on the street curb to eat a corn dog. Problem solver!

This outfit is my favorite of the two, which surprises me since I admittedly didn’t have it on all day. In the morning I opted for an easy, summer dress because my hangover was saying to me, “You want to wear what? Here, just put this on.” But in the middle of the day Joe and I went with my mother-in-law and Charlie to my brother-in-law’s house for a fun BBQ and after we got back I decided to step it up.

Saturday highlights: Boy and Bear, Har-di-Har, cheeseburger at Proof, Those Darlins, banging down the bathroom door and running full speed to get to my girls for “The Distance” by Cake. Yes, I am that fan.

Outfit details: gold bow :: seriously found this at the Dollar Tree | sunglasses :: Forever 21 | Triangle necklace :: Nicole & Dime (bought this the day before at 80/35!) | Crop top :: I Heart Ronson at JCPenney | skirt :: Vitae Design Collective | Tights :: Target | Booties :: Charlotte Russe

Talk to you soon kitties!

Truly exceptional times

Another year, another 80/35 notch in my belt! 80/35 is a major highlight of the summer and this year didn’t disappoint. I love the mix of seeing my friends, local bands play (Gloom Balloon, Foxholes and Quick Piss) and rocking out to bigger acts that have filled my iPod for years (Best Coast! Those Darlins’!). Nonstop music, plus friends, plus zero commitments to anything other than the festival make for some truly exceptional times.

DAY ONE

I try to plan my outfits in advance; I think long and hard, but this year my ideas were derailed at the last minute on both days. Day 1 was super sunny so I wanted to stay cool and yes, get some sun. This denim racer-back dress is comfortable, fairly lightweight and has pockets (important, duh!) my favorite thing about this outfit though are the new Ray-Bans my hubs gifted me after he recently bought new ones for his birthday. Lucky for me his head is too big for them (his words) and I must say it’s a bit of a luxury to rock some sunnies worth more than $10 in cost and quality.

Outfit details: Dress, sandals, purse :: thrifted | sunnies :: Ray-Ban | bow :: gift from Marlena! | necklace :: Domestica | ring :: Big Button Archive | belt :: gift! (Thrifted)

DAY TWO

On day 1 I ended up in bed before the headliner was even done. Oops! Too much fun! But that meant I had plenty of time to rest up for day 2. The day was overcast and actually pretty perfect temperature-wise. I scrapped a seventies floral dress in lieu of this gingham skirt and vintage sweater tank. I got the top from a friend’s garage sale a few days before for two dollars and thrifted the skirt in Omaha ages ago. I threw on boots just in case it rained (it didn’t) but left my jacket and umbrella at home. Also this year I downsized to a smaller purse and I have to say it was a good move for me. Dancing with a bulky purse is tricky, ya know?

After the festival was over me and Mar, our husbands and my brother and his lovely girlfriend ate a gigantic brunch the next day and went on our separate ways after pretty much spending the whole weekend together. It was *so* fun and I can’t wait til next year!!

Outfit details: scarf, belt, boots, skirt, top :: thrifted | necklace :: White Rabbit

80/35 Music Festival Street Style

Luckily while we were taking in all the music and booze this past weekend, Jessi and I were smart enough to stop some pretty kitties that brought their A-game to 80/35 this year. Since the first day of the festival was the 4th, we loved all the creative patriotic outfits. Of course, we were also pumped to see so many cat prints!

Anna | Derek

Bradie | Will | Jes

Carly | Austin | Hillary

Josie | Josh | Ramona

Arin | Gina | Katie

We’ll be sharing our festival outfits soon!

 

Outfit Inspiration: 80/35 Festival!

Hi Pretty Kitties! Are you as excited as we are for the big festival tomorrow?! MEOW! For those of you dear cats not in the Des Moines area, tomorrow is the start of one of the best weekends in Des Moines: 80/35! Piled full of great bands, fun people, endless booze and fireworks, the result is too. much. fun! So do you need some last minute inspiration on what to wear? Look no further, we have a couple ideas for you:

FRIDAY (picked by Marlena)

Since it is the 4th of July and all, why not represent?

1. This hat will keep you cool while looking cooler.
Catarzi Fedora Hat :: ASOS

2. Time to take your outfit up a notch with this dazzling coin collar necklace. Let’s hope it’s doesn’t get too hot in the sun!
Chanour Antalya Coin Collar Necklace :: Free People

3. Acid wash is always a yes in my eyes.
Kid Cutie Dress :: Modcloth

4. Bring it all together with these patriotic sunnies.
American Flag Sunglasses :: Zooshoo

5. You’ll need a tote for all those festival necessities: water, sunscreen, and toilet paper!
A Cutout Above the Best Tote :: Modcloth

6. If you are one of those people that can rock a giant wedge for 12 hours, this is your shoe! Otherwise, better store some standby flip flops in that tote….
Paris Hilton Amina Wedges:: Heels.com

SATURDAY (picked by Jessi)

1. Rock star it up with some easy gold hoops.
Vanessa Mooney Stevie Gold Hoops :: Urban Outfitters

2. Stripes + floral = my summer obsession!
Stripe Cotton Crop Top :: American Apparel

3. A festival is the purrrrfect place to break out something crazy from your wardrobe. Live it up!
Nora Kitty Shorts :: Pixie Market

4. Keep track of set times so you don’t miss your fav bands!
Casio Women’s Denim Watch :: American Apparel

5. Those booties are too cute (if not the most practical…) Don’t worry if your feet get sore, that’s what the booze is for!
Wild West Side Leather Bootie :: Nasty Gal

6. Ok, fine, a clutch may not be super practical either for a festival but if you’re in it for the fashion who cares?! Just convince one of your besties with an oversized tote to store it for you when you’re busy clutching beer in one hand and water in the other. That’s what friends are for!
Raffaella Straw Clutch :: Francesca’s

 

Hope to see you there!

Skywalk Style

News flash: it’s cold outside! On this particular day there were record breaking low temps and schools and businesses were closing due to the frigid weather. But we braved the elements to bring you some skywalk style! We couldn’t bring ourselves to shed our winter jackets outside and pretend it’s not THAT cold, so we took to the fairly vacant skywalks in downtown Des Moines to showcase our style.

This is a dress I got recently from a local fav, Hill Vintage. The knit fabric is fairly light but also pretty warm. Also this dress is not itchy!! As much as I love me some vintage clothes, often the fabrics are less than comfortable. This dress, however, takes the cake as far as comfort is concerned.

I restrained myself from taking scissors to the hem immediately and gave it a shot at it’s given length. And you know what, it works for me! As much as I love to shorten a hem on a dress it’s nice to have some variety in my closet as far as hemlines go.

The scarf I’ve had forever and works as both a headscarf and neck scarf (yay!) I also thought it added a nice extra bit of color on an otherwise bleak winter day.

I love these booties, but sometimes forget about them, as it’s easy for shoes to go missing in my closet. For one my closet is very large and for two, I have lots of shoes, boots, etc. Not to be cliche, it’s just a fact. The heel height in these booties is perfect for long term comfort and they remind me of granny shoes, which I love!

Stay warm kitties and dream of warmer days ahead!

Outfit details: dress :: Hill Vintage | scarf :: thrifted | booties :: Modcloth (similar) | earrings :: domestica (gift!)

Here, Pretty City: Des Moines Holiday Shopping Guide

We here at Here, Pretty Kitty try our very finest to shop local and shop often. So today we are bringing you our very first gift guide of the season (with plenty more to come!), dedicated to our pretty city of Des Moines! And since plenty of you don’t actually live in DM, we threw in a few favorite online shops just for you at the end. Happy shopping!

kitchen collage

430 e. locust street | des moines | mykitchencollage.com
Kitchen Collage is that perfect little kitchen store for not only your foodie friends, but also the kind that loves little quirky gifts. I found Jessi a fabulous heart-shaped egg mold there one Christmas!
Perfect for: Your favorite foodie or hostess
Gift ideas: darling aprons, cute cupcake-centric gifts, and anything Bodum!

vitae design collective
400 e. locust street | des moines | vitaedesigncollective.blogspot.com
Here you can get original, amazing dresses for a reasonable price, plus they stock a Here, Pretty Kitty favorite: Dear Creatures! Also they have some of the absolute best hair accessories in town.
Perfect for: anyone who loves the finer things in life
Gift ideas: hair bows, dog bow ties (really!), unique jewelry, original vintage inspired dresses

hill vintage
432 e. locust street | des moines | hillvintageandknits.com
This vintage shop is a favorite of ours at Here, Pretty Kitty. Jessica and Erica are top notch ladies and (bonus) they LOVE kitties!
Perfect for: shopping for your BFF
Gift ideas: dresses, handmade cowls, vintage purses, cute jewelry

domestica
321 e. walnut street | des moines | ilovedomestica.com
When the Hubs doesn’t know what to get  me as a gift I always tell him to head here and get me anything! It’s all so adorable and original I’m guaranteed to love it.
Perfect for: your significant other
Gift ideas: original artwork and awesome band prints, super cute earrings and necklaces
bonus! they have an online shop at domestica.bigcartel.com

green goods for the home 
333 e. grand avenue | des moines | greengoodsforthehome.com
Sharon, the owner, is a super sweet woman and I always find something not only eco-friendly, but also darling and perfect.
Perfect for: your favorite environmentalist 
Gift ideas: pretty earrings, cute totes, nice beauty products

raygun
400 e. locust | des moines | raygunsite.com <— they have an online shop too!
This store is known for their punny shirts mostly about the Midwest, but they also have cute jewelry, stickers, and more in their store. They have a lot of cute cat-themed items, too, so you know we love it!
Perfect for: your ironic midwesterner friend
Gift ideas: Iowa native shirts, cute buttons, cool onesies (for babies, not for you)

dorothea’s closet
1733 grand avenue | des moines | dorotheas-closet-vintage.myshopify.com
This lovely store has high end vintage dresses but also a sure to please sale rack always stocked full. Be sure to check out the jewelry cabinet up front, drawers filled with scarves and the lingerie section upstairs. Ooh la la!
Perfect for: the hard core vintage lover
Gift ideas: costume jewelry, scarves, or a vintage nightie

zzz records
2200 ingersoll avenue | des moines | zzzrecords.com
This local record store may be small but it’s jammed full with gems. It’s the best place in town to find new and used vinyl. And if you purchase a gift certificate they use old 45s in place of a boring old gift card. Fun and original!
Perfect for: your favorite music snob
Gift ideas: a ZZZ Records t-shirt, local music cds, box sets, gift certificate for anyone especially hard to buy for

tandem brick
2722 ingersoll avenue | des moines | tandembrick.com
This cutie pie shop is first and foremost a framing place, but they also have some really cute gifts, too. Everything is really bright and cheerful, and they have light-up stars for sale that are super sweet.
Perfect for: your fun coworker
Gift ideas: unique laptop cases, quirky stocking stuffers like keychain games, funny cards

winter market
downtown des moines |  december 13-14 | desmoinesfarmersmarket.com
The winter market is the perfect place to go for a little holiday spirit. Carolers, an ice sculptor, and a giant Christmas tree await, along with yummy local goodies galore!
Perfect for: your mom (no, i didn’t step back and make a joke in 1998. your mom would love some of the cute, locally made stuff from here!)
Gift ideas: Christmas decorations, homemade pasta, awesome cheese

ONLINE SHOPPING

Okay, so maybe you aren’t anywhere near Des Moines. We didn’t forget you! Here are a few of our favorite online shops to buy gifts:

buyolympia.com

This online retailer features over 100 different artists, so check it out if you want some awesome variety.
Perfect for: anyone who likes cute, quirky and original!

Gift ideas: amazing artwork, mugs, t-shirts, bumper stickers and more!

scoutmob.com

I just discovered this online shop this season when searching for a nice cutting board. Local artisans are featured that sell anything from bamboo sunglasses to art prints.

Perfect for: pretty much everyone, especially those that love their city

Gift ideas: personalized city ornaments, tons of fun food & drink kits, so many things!

popdeluxe.net
This is one of my go-to websites when Christmas comes around. They have some unique things I don’t see anywhere else, and they have an array of stuff from kitchen & entertaining finds to orla kiely bags to random baby stuff.
Perfect for: the girl who has everything!
Gift ideas: pantone mugs, kitschy salt and pepper shakers, lomo cameras

We hope we’ve inspired you! xoxo

Pumpkin Patch Party

Hi Kitties!

So technically it’s not my turn for an outfit post, but my lovely co-captain blog heroine Jessi is gone away on her honeymoon! That’s right: the wedding was last weekend and now she’s living it up with her new husband for the week. Bonus perk for being the maid of honor: I got the leftover macaroons since they couldn’t take them along! Anyway, look for a couple fun posts to come all about the Best Wedding Ever; for now, though, it’s just little ol’ me at an apple orchard/pumpkin patch:

Charlie, Joe and I took a little day trip up north to Center Grove Orchard a couple weekends ago. I’ve been to probably 3 others over the years and this one is the best. Although maybe I only say that because we now have a little crazy boy running around to make it more fun. He fed goats, pointed at pigs, road a little tractor, jumped in a pool of corn, and picked out two little Charlie-sized pumpkins to take home.

I’ve wanted to put a sweater over this dress since I bought it back in the spring, but could never find a sweater that didn’t just add bulk to my ensemble. I think we have a winner! I’ve had this unicorn sweater since college; I distinctly remember spilling red wine on it while watching Wet Hot American Summer on fall break in fact. Oh the memories! Luckily that wine came out and I can still wear this beauty years later.

We’ve had a super busy couple of weeks! In addition to the Big Wedding, Charlie turned two on Tuesday (Twosday?) so Joe and I threw him a little Glow-in-the-Dark Birthday Party with just the three of us. We had his favorite foods for dinner (shells & cheese, pickles, and blueberries in Rice Krispies), opened some gifts, played with glow sticks, and now he’s been happily going to bed with a different race car every night.

Outfit details: sunnies :: Forever 21 | polka dot shirt dress :: Old Navy | unicorn sweater :: thrifted | tights & bow flats :: Target

Have a lovey dovey rest of your week!

Arghhhhh! I’m a kitty pirate

One thing (of many) that make Jessi and I very similar: if we find a dress we love, we will wear the hell out of it. One lovely afternoon we stopped into Hill Vintage and both found our own all-star dress! Things I love about it: the keyhole and button, the pockets, the color…. and it’s not too lightweight either, so these days where it’s cool in the morning yet warm in the early evening are a-okay with me.

On this particular day we had a fun afternoon with our boyz playing in the playground at Union Park. Jessi went on a super awesome albeit super hot slide (metal + the sun = danger!) while Charlie (my son) ran around like a maniac and Joe and John took pics of funny graffiti. But we all came together to ride this super sweet carousel.

Summer is officially over, and the carousel officially closes for the season tomorrow. But I’m laser focused on the coming month, which is going to include pumpkin patches, the best wedding ever, and this dress with tights!

Outfit details: hat :: Jessi gave it to me! similar| dress :: Hill Vintage | belt :: Target (similar) | orange flats :: Charlotte Russe

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