The Old Playground
November 29th, 2009
60’s velvet beret with bow: Thrifted
Gray wool jacket: Clothing swap!
90’s floral dress: Thrifted
Black tights: Hue
Belt: Thrifted
Boots: Modcloth
Excelsior purse: Estate sale
Hope everyone who celebrated had a great Thanksgiving! I shot these photos the day before, we were having a really beautiful and fairly warm November day and I had a nice walk to the park. Most of my outfit photos are taken within about 20 blocks from my house, and the photo above was snapped on the upper level of this area, a pleasantly scenic golf course that is attached to Rose City Park. I love the pointy trees! I went a little wild with the gaussian blur in photoshop, so as a result this picture looks a bit surreal! In other surreal news, I felt like I was dreaming when I got this coat at my friend Willow’s most recent naked lady party/clothing swap, because I’ve been wishing for something like this! I couldn’t bring myself to bid on any wool coats on ebay or buy any new, especially since I just spent a bunch of money on my legit NW rain jacket. But, this one was totally free! Clothing swaps are so fun, I brought a couple HUGE garbage bags of clothing, a box of shoes, and I came home with just a few choice items: this coat, a soft gray tunic, a plaid wool 50’s dress, some slippers, a 50’s cardigan and a funny little old Avon owl. I’ll take pictures of the rest of the stuff soon!
You can see my Modcloth boots (I posted about them here when I ordered them) a bit better in this photo, I am really happy with them! The heel is low enough for lots of walking, has a cool shape, and they don’t feel dainty or flimsy. Real tough and fun to wear. Another thing I like about this park (aside from the pointy trees) is the fact that the playground equipment is so classic! Everything is metal and painted with retro colors, like the schoolyard I grew up playing on. My childhood schoolyard didn’t last like this forever though, I remember as they slowly replaced all of the old tire structures and metal bars with boring plastic cubes and things. No more wood, just bright purple and teal plastic stuff that looked like a baby’s toys. No thanks!
Reasons number three & four to like this park: on clear days, you get a cool view of Mt. Hood! Mt Hood, up to no good. It’s hard to capture on my camera, it looks a lot brighter and more impressive in real life. It’s nice to be reminded that it’s so close, because it really is a crazy looking mountain that pops up almost out of nowhere. Once, on a flight back the east coast, we were treated to an incredible view of the mountain. It doesn’t get much better than that. Super mountain view! It’s scary though, people are always getting lost up there every winter. I would never go on a Mt. Hook super trek, I’m convinced I would never make it back. Oh, and reason number four to love the park is SQUIRRELS! Big fat ones. I swear I have met this squirrel before, it’s always in this tree and it’s so fat and very interested in what you’re doing.
After leaving the park I took a mellow walk back towards my house, really enjoying the sun and all the fall colors in relation to the cute homes that are all over the place. I’m confident in saying that Portland has some of the cutest houses I’ve ever seen, and they really are everywhere! There are so many residential neighborhoods here. I’m looking forward to the day when we are ready to buy a house, even though I know it can be a pain- it will still be fun to pick a cute new spot.
I met two cats! This little black cat and his (her?) friend, a spotty white cow cat. They both came up to me at once, so sweet. I love that there are so many cats in my neighborhood. It’s also pretty adorable in a vintage-nerd sort of way to see the old dates marked in the sidewalks, stating when (and by who) they were originally built! My neighborhood was originally planned out in 1907, which was the year of the first Portland Rose Festival! The park where I shot my outfit photos was acquired in 1920. I just found out that there is a book written about the Rose City Park neighborhood, it would be so cool to see that and check compare old photos to the current spots. I’ll have to track down a copy! Oh, sweet- my library has it!! When I get it I will definitely have to scan in some pictures.
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17 Comments
Add your own1. Michelle | November 29th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
These photos look amazing! They make me want to gaussian blur everything.
2. susan | November 30th, 2009 at 1:21 am
You look lovely in the first two photos. The photos themselves are beautifully sharp and clear. I like the way you have your hair straight rather than the wavy way you usually wear it. Straight really suits you.
3. Julie | November 30th, 2009 at 2:09 am
You live in the most gorgeous place on earth! Your pics are always so amazing – the colours are beautiful!
4. Sistinas | November 30th, 2009 at 4:04 am
No wonder I love autumn!!!
You look lovely and the place is a dream!
5. Quincy | November 30th, 2009 at 6:38 am
beautiful photos! I’m sooo jealous of your boots! hehe
6. meaghan | November 30th, 2009 at 8:12 am
Anja these photos are amazing! Honestly! Did you get a new camera?
They are perfect! And wow, I’m so jealous that you can see that badass terrifying eery ominous mountain from where you are! My boyfriend Mike is on the Canadian side of the Rockies right now and he has been telling me about how awesome they are! I’ve only seen them once about 5 years ago but holy moly big mountains like that one are just the best!
you look absolutely stunning! That dress and those boots and your perfect little face!!! This might just be my favourite post you’ve ever done!
Happy Thansgiving!
7. Sally Jane | November 30th, 2009 at 8:22 am
I love this set of photos. The lighting in that first one is stunning! I feel like I just walked around your neighborhood with you. Thanks for the tour!
8. Rhiannon | November 30th, 2009 at 9:56 am
I love the ’90s-ness of the outfit, and that coat was a great find. Clothing swaps seem like such a blast!!
9. Starr Crow | November 30th, 2009 at 10:39 am
these photos are so great, you make me wish i was there! i love your outfit and your new coat too, kinda grungy but still perfectly sweet. that book sounds really neat, can’t wait to see the comparisons of the old and the new.
btw, just saw your new etsy items on flickr and dear goodness … that scalloped black velvet blazer is amazing!
10. Dave | November 30th, 2009 at 11:12 am
That’s a fantastic coat, indeed!
We just did some winter coat shopping yesterday at Bombshell Vintage, and I found a fantastic black Navy peacoat, and a kind of old-man-ish long tweed coat, that I think is kind of funny and kind of handsome at the same time
We just moved this fall not too far from that park, so I’ll have to go check it out sometime, I’d love to see the play equipment.
I always notice those sidewalk markings too, I have a bit of a photo collection, though I don’t have many from our current neighborhood yet. I don’t know why really, but I always found them fascinating
11. Lindsay Jean | November 30th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
these photos are incredible! I’ve always wanted to go to Portland. I love clothing swaps – it sounds like you made out well. I can’t wait to see your new stuff!
and I love cow cats! LOVE THEM!
12. Alli | November 30th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Oh, gorgeous coat! What a great swap find. These pictures capture fall perfectly.
13. anne | November 30th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
what a beautiful post! i love all the photos. you look adorable and your new boots rule
mt. hood looks pretty awesome too. portland sure is a gorgeous place!
14. calivintage | November 30th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
you look so lovely in your mix of black and white patterns with those super cool boots. i want a pair like that, too!
and that’s so amazing that the merry-go-round is still intact. i will never forget when they pulled the one out from my favorite playground because they said it wasn’t safe for children. boo.
15. Kassie | December 1st, 2009 at 7:48 am
These photos are so pretty.
That dress looks amazing on you!
16. Beatrice | December 1st, 2009 at 11:24 am
Very lovely outfit!! I especially love that little clutch bag ^.^
your pictures make me miss Portland!
17. Rosa | December 2nd, 2009 at 1:31 am
que guapa! beautiful! i need that handbag!
xxx
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