great gifts for cooking mamas

panda bear skillet

from fredflare.com

baker's edge brownie pan

from fredflare.com

scooter cutting board

from elsewares

bamboo cutting board

from elsewares

mushroom pot holder set

from modcloth

love to bake measuring set

from modcloth

beehive kitchenware heart measuring spoons

from cut+paste

And for the future cooking mamas of the world:

colored tights

pictures courtesy of flickr, face hunter and hel looks

Brightly colored tights are my personal must-haves for Fall. My wardrobe is fairly neutral - mostly blacks, greys and creams - so colored tights are a great way to add an interesting twist to an otherwise plain outfit. I recently bought a pair of copper-colored tights at Target for only $5.99. I was really surprised at how wonderfully they fit. The waist isn't uncomfortably tight and doesn't reach up to my armpits like a lot of tights tend to do. I definitely plan on going back for more colors. Though the ladies above pull off the color quite well, I'm personally a bit wary of bright blue. Maybe because of the Superman connotations? I'm thinking of getting a pair in ruby red and eggplant.

If you don't have a Target nearby or are looking for a wider selection of colors, here are a few online shops you might want to check out:

sock dreams

stockingirl.com

welovecolors.com

american apparel

top 5

1. these guys

2. neneee wallpaper dress

3. envirosax reusable shopping bags

4. keep company new fall designs

5. Michael Cera in Superbad

(and everything else he's been in or will be in, ever.)

what's the hold up?

I've been in the process of moving and haven't had access to the internet for the past couple of weeks, which explains the absence of any new additions to Ninja Vintage. Once I get settled I'll be adding dozens (yes, dozens!) of new things to the site, including dresses, sweaters, shirts and scarves. I'm very excited for this update, I hope you will be too! Thanks for all your patience.

vintage picks: black and white

Bold Silk Dress

from porkchopgirl

Scalloped Cocktail Dress

from sveet couture

Hep Cat Wayfairer Sunglasses

from upsidedive

Angelina Dress

from v for vintage

I love makool

I recently discovered makool clothing by way of cut+paste, and I am completely and utterly smitten. In addition to their lovely screen-printed clothing (the faux cross-stitch alphabet print is so clever), makool also carries cute fabric birds (each with its own distinct personality) and a collection of whimsical circus-inspired bags. It's difficult to decide on my favorites because I literally love everything on the site, but here are a few notable pieces:

long time, no blog

So what's new? Well, this past weekend marked the 2-year anniversary of Ninja Vintage! To celebrate, most items currently in the store are now on sale until July 5. I also updated the site with some new dresses and skirts, all in bright colors and flowy fabrics for summer. I've got a couple more items to put up this week and a big update in mind for July, sometime around my birthday weekend (also known as the weekend Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out!).

In other shopping news, there's a pretty sweet summer sale going on at Old Navy right now. Lots of stuff in the store is 50% off. Admittedly, I'm usually disappointed whenever I pay a visit to Old Navy, either because I can't find anything that I like or, if I do find something, they never have it in my size. But I was just there yesterday and managed to snag a simple knit jumper tunic (though it's a dress on me because I'm short) with pockets in a nice shade of dark heather grey for only $9.75. Can't beat that. I can see myself wearing it well into the fall with the right layering. If you're looking for some cheap basics for summer, you might want to check out this sale.

31 corn lane

The ladies behind 31 Corn Lane never fail to amaze me with their fun, retro-inspired collections of bags and accessories. I first fell in love with their "holly hobby" collection early last year. The primary color scheme, patchwork details and oversized buttons were right up my alley. I still use my hobby messenger bag all the time. I even thought about purchasing a second one in case the one I have gets misplaced or destroyed by my cat (though she seems to love it as much as I do, or at least she loves sleeping on it), but I was sad to find out that it's no longer being sold. I got over that disappointment quickly, though, after catching a glimpse of their new summer collection, which is now available through fredflare.com and 31CL's online shop.

The oversized tote is perfect for daytime summer outings at the beach or park. The foldover clutch bag is, as fredflare.com so aptly put it, "totes genius"! I love its versatility and playfulness. Both bags also come with cute removable pins and, like all of 31 Corn Lane's designs, are 100% vegan-friendly.

san francisco

I'm taking a little trip to my favorite city in the world, San Francisco. I'll be gone until next Monday. After I get back I'll start preparing for a big May Ninja Vintage update. See you soon!

top 5

1. Björk at Coachella

2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix trailer

3. baking (thank you, allrecipes.com)

4. Keep Company

5. Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream

(and Stephen Colbert in general)

april showers

The next Ninja Vintage update has been delayed once again, this time due to rain. It's been windy, rainy, and cold all weekend. No need to worry, though. As soon as the sun comes out I've got a bunch of cute things to put up on the site, including a pretty embroidered cotton blouse, nautical skirt, and even more warm weather attire.

In the meantime, check out Yellow Bird Project, a non-profit website featuring t-shirts designed by a select handful of bands and musical artists, including Devendra Banhart, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and Rilo Kiley. Each shirt is $25 and all proceeds go to each artist's charity of choice. You can do good and look good at the same time!

delays

The small update I planned for this weekend will have to be delayed for a few reasons. First, my internet and computer have been on the fritz for the past week. My internet loses connection at least every 20 minutes, which is starting to get very frustrating. Also, I don't have access to my camera at the moment, so I can't take photos of the goods. On top of that, I'm just starting to get over being sick with a fever for the past couple of days. Now how's that for a triple whammy of suck?

So because of all this, the next update is going to be delayed for another week (probably less than a week, maybe 5 days), but the longer wait means that this update will be even bigger and better. Right now I have a couple of dresses lined up as well as some cute accessories and shoes! I'll try to post some previews of the new items after I get my camera back. Until then, take care and have a lovely weekend!

crowded teeth sale

One of my favorite online shops, Crowded Teeth, is having a "Goodbye Winter" sale - almost everything in the store is 25-60% off! So if you're a t-shirthead (a word I just made up, kind of like a sneakerhead) like me, or just a fan of cuteness, head on over to Crowded Teeth to snag some great tees (and equally cute hoodies, scarves, necklaces and patches) on the cheap. My personal favorite is the Eat! T-shirt, which I own and wear at least once a week. What can I say? I'm a sucker for food with faces (to look at, not to eat, because I'm a vegetarian).

spring updates

ninjavintage.com

nautical nonsense

The weather has finally been getting sunnier and warmer (time to invest in some good sunscreen!) in my neck of the woods and it's got me looking forward to Spring and Summer. So apparently, nautical is IN this Spring. I've been a fan of nautical clothing for a couple of years, and now sailor-inspired Spring/Summer collections are popping up everywhere, from A.P.C. to Built by Wendy. I shouldn't be surprised that the look is so popular - it's clean, classic, and fits in perfectly with warm weather. After this past winter, which was unusually cold for Southern California, the recent sunshine has sort of rekindled my love for all things nautical. This will definitely be evident in the next Ninja Vintage update, coming this weekend.

In the meantime, I rounded up a little list of my favorite seaworthy pieces (both vintage and not) from all over the internet.

Sunset Sailorette Dress

from V for Vintage

Come Away With Me Necklace

from V for Vintage

Sailor Tank

from Built by Wendy

DIY Seagull Print Top

from PrettyRaccoon Clothing

Anchor Duffel

from fredflare.com

Pirate Ship Tunic

from day-lab

Whale Necklace

from Erica Weiner Jewelry

Sailor Shorts

from Chocosho

she's a betty

Ninja Vintage recently got a little mention in a great fashion blog called She's A Betty. The Navy Lady Suit Set (available in dresses) was included among a short list of "vintage finds" for February 15.

"Super price for a nice suit, plus Peter Pan collars and three-quarter sleeves were huge on NY F/W '07 runways. Pair with long black gloves & black tights."

Check out She's A Betty for a first look at upcoming trends, fashion and design news, affordable finds, and much more. It's one of the most interesting and comprehensive fashion blogs I've come across in a while.

hair & ebay

Today I decided to get a haircut (since I haven't had one since November) and ended up spending a lot more than I wanted to. So now I can't even enjoy my new haircut because every time I look at it I just end up thinking about how much it cost! Oh well.

Speaking of spending money, my two favorite eBay stores just happened to put up new auctions this week after a few months of being MIA:

The first store, lovelovelovela, is run by a cute and stylish young lady from Los Angeles and offers hand-picked vintage, new and designer pieces as well as the most adorable band t-shirt reconstructions you've ever seen! There aren't any reconstructed pieces up right now, but you can view previous designs on lovelovelove's eBay "me" page or on myspace. Thanks to lovelovelove I am the proud owner of a pair of one-of-a-kind Weezer track shorts that count among the most beloved items of clothing in my closet.

My second favorite eBay store is the Olive Shoppe, which not only offers amazing vintage and contemporary pieces, but also shows you how to wear them. The way the owner (who is also the model) puts together outfits is always fun and eclectic. Her auctions tend to attract a lot of bids, but even if they ultimately end up falling out of your price range, you can still take inspiration from her outfit ideas and incorporate those ideas into your existing wardrobe.

I feel like I've been doing way too much eBay shopping lately, but in actuality I've only been doing a lot of bidding and just a little bit of winning. The last couple of things I won, though, I really love. I'll be sure to share pictures of them in a future post. Just like with thrift shopping, it pays to be patient when sifting through eBay listings. If you search long enough you're bound to find something amazing.

Karen O

What's not to love about Karen O? The woman doesn't just have style, she is style. She has something about her - an inexpressible, unattainable air of cool - that allows her to do (and wear) things that mere mortals cannot. There is nothing she can't pull off. She's simply a goddess. A screaming, kicking, spitting, modern day goddess.

(originally posted on 10/06/2006)

Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola looks so smart in black and white, so it's no wonder that she wears it all the time. It suits her. Everything about Sofia is just so effortlessly cool. She directs cool movies, designs cool clothes (her clothing brand Milk Fed), and of course she belongs to one of the coolest families on the planet. Her style is understated, but not bland. She knows what looks good on her and she always seems comfortable in the clothes she wears. Plus she's Marc Jacobs' muse, which automatically makes her a style icon in my book. (originally posted on 10/29/2005)

Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel might possibly be the cutest girl on the planet. Even her name is cute! I love her sense of style. It's never trendy, always feminine and quirky with lots of little details and big patterns. She's always perfectly put together, but never looks like she's trying too hard. She has mastered the art of wearing vintage and still making it look totally fresh and modern. (originally posted on 10/10/2005)

Here's a more recent collage of Zooey's style. The girl loves her stockings! My personal favorites are the top and bottom left outfits. The black and white checkered dress looks even better up close and the blue (Marc Jacobs?) coat paired with plaid scarf and boots that she wore to this year's Sundance Film Festival is unbearably cute!

third time's the charm

This is my third attempt at a Ninja Vintage blog, and I'm confident that I'm going to stick with it this time. This past year has been a time of extreme change for me, in ways both good and bad. It truly has been a transition year, a time that has challenged me to rethink my priorities and my general outlook on life. The past year has also gotten me so motivated for the current year, both in my personal life as well as in my work life (Ninja Vintage is too fun and I love it too much for it to ever be a "job", but it certainly does involve a lot of work!). I admit that I put Ninja Vintage aside a bit last year, simply because I was dealing with so many personal distractions, but this year I'm throwing myself back into what I love and planning a lot of interesting changes that I hope you will love.

This blog is one of those changes. In addition to updates on Ninja Vintage goings-on, I hope to share with readers some of my inspirations, both fashion-related and not, as well as aspects of my everyday life. I'm excited to share with you some of my favorite places to visit (both on the internet and out in the real world), things to watch, read, look at and enjoy. I aspire to always keep my blog full of photos and interesting things to browse through.

Well, that's enough talk for today. The next few entries will be photos of some of my favorite modern style icons, carried over from my myspace blog. That's all for now. Until next time!

-Jenny