Vintage Layer Cake:

Lately I've been really intrigued by layering and experimenting with new textures. Today I felt like using really delicate, sheer fabrics in order to create a gentle, feminine layered look. I collect vintage nightgowns, and I decided to wear one of my favorites underneath this sheer pink pleated skirt that I bought at a vintage boutique in Atlanta. I figured it would work perfectly because the top of the nightie has an adorable lace collar and is very blouse-like.I love that the lace hemline of the nightgown peaks out from beneath the skirt! I figured that my huge Betsey Johnson belt would contrast perfectly with such sweet fabrics. Here is a look at my outfit:

I had a lot of fun skipping around campus in this frilly ensemble. My favorite colors lately have been pale pinks, golds, and nude. Wait til I show you my new Betsey Johnson tutu...

Well, tomorrow I have two language finals and then I may not update until saturday afternoon because my fate is riding on the accounting exam that I have on Saturday morning, wish me luck! Worry not, I have some really fun projects coming up! First off, I just gathered up some supplies to create a longer, more wearable version of my tutu from the tutu-torial (this time in lavender). I will also be sewing up some really nifty leg-wear accessories, but I don't want to spoil any surprises. You all should follow me on twitter because not only have I become addicted, but I also frequently tweet about my tonnish touch secrets.

Until next time!

Love,

Flavia

Playing Dress-Up:

At times, I'm so confused as to what exactly my "style" is. I love it all: granny-chic, baby-doll dresses, ruffles and bows, boy-meets-girl, trekkie, vintage vixen, senorita...

So many things inspire me. With the current chill, I've been really inspired to pile on furs, frocks and silk scarfs. I've been channeling old hollywood glamour and mixing it with my everyday basics. Yesterday on my treasure-hunting adventure, I stumbled upon a beautiful vintage turban that I simply couldn't pass up. Here are some photos of my new hat, and a few of me playing with it:

I absolutely love this piece! In person, it is so delicate and in perfect condition. The cap itself is made of a thick lace, and the overlay is a fine creme and gold tulle. Here I'm wearing it with a vintage mink capelet and my new Betsey Johnson crinoline tutu. Definitely expect to see me wearing it with my new black coat!

These are the things that keep my happy and calm during finals week...

Love,

Flavia

Fuzzy Flavita:

First and foremost: I am so sorry for the recent lack of updates! School has just become so hectic and now that finals are coming up I'm frantically preparing my color-coded index cards and highlighters for a week of studying. However, today was an absolutely fabulous Saturday, mainly because my boyfriend surprised me with a day of thrifting in Ocala, so I couldn't help but update about a few of my finds. Here's what I wore today:

Target ruffled cardigan, thrifted gold belt, Betsey Johnson heart tights, and DIY prepster shorts

Last night I was feeling crafty. I took a pair of vintage Levi's trousers that I thrifted a while back and decided to crop, hem, and cuff them into cute little prepster shorties. I have a feeling that shorts will be a key piece for winter layering. I love that they are part pin-up girl, part geek-chic, plus they're pleated! Let me know if you want any details on this fun make-over project. I would have posted a tutorial, but I pretty much improvised throughout.

As for today, I found a few amazing pieces while on my thrifting adventures, including a top reminiscent of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" days, a beautiful 1950's turban cap, and a great pair of vintage frames that I'll be turning into sunglasses. But those things will have their own posts. I wanted to post about my favorite find of the day, an amazing black, fuzzy, faux-fur coat! Please excuse the silly photos, I couldn't help but twirl around in this beauty.

What do you think? I absolutely love it! Faux-fur is my latest obsession. A while back I posted about my brown faux-fur coat from Urban Thread. Over the Thanksgiving vaca, I also acquired this adorable leopard printed cropped jacket. This black coat is so glamorous though, I think it stands out on its own among the collection. It makes me feel like an old Hollywood movie star! I cant wait to pair it with sequin tops and dresses. Like I said, expect quite a few more posts before my cramming frenzy begins!

P.S. Leah would be proud, I'm wearing all black!

Love,

Flavia

Double Knuckle Heart Ring

Dear Wolfgang,

Your LA treasures always make my day.

Love forever,

Leah

Tutu Cute:

Sorry about the slight lack of posts lately! Last week was absolutely hectic for me, three midterms in one week! As of now things have cooled down until finals (at least I think), so expect lots of great updates from The Tonnish Touch.

Today's post is a look at some of the wonderful tutus that were inspired by my Tutu-torial. First of all, I got so much great feedback about this post, thank you to everyone who enjoyed the tutorial and especially to those who tried it out!!

I wore my tutu to an on-campus event hosted by Reitz Union Board: Entertainment (which I happen to be a proud member of). I dressed up as a fluffy cloud. I made my head-piece and tutu from recycled tulle. All of the other elements of my costume were straight from my closet: AA tank, Target tights, Steve Madden flats, Vintage silver leotard, Granny's pearls.

This is my friend, Amanda. She dressed up as a stunning ballerina for Halloween. I love how voluminous her tutu is! This girl is tutu-cute!

Here is my gorgeous friend, Gretchen. Her mini-tutu is absolutely adorable! The cropped length makes the shape irresistible. Is it so wrong to want to wear this every day?

Thanks again to my lovely friends for letting me post their fabulous tutus. You guys were so creative and looked amazing! Did anyone else try out the tutorial? Let me know! I'm hoping to attach a slip to mine so that I can defend it as "wearable" in everyday life. Hah, we'll see how it goes. Are there any new requests for things you'd like to see on our blog? We're always looking to post newer, fresher material. Hope to hear from you, cuties!

P.S.- go see Coco Avant Chanel, it was a beautiful film.

Tutu-loo,

Flavia

They love us, they really love us!

Breaking news: Guess who's featured in this month's issue of INsite Magazine?!?

-That's right, THE TONNISH TOUCH!!

Leah and I are ecstatic because our lovely little blog was featured in their "Gainesville's Best Blogs" article. How exciting! You can read a little bit about our blog, learn fun facts, like the origin of the name "The Tonnish Touch", and see what we love about blogging. We are in great company too! The other featured blogs were:

- Gator Tailgating

- College Food Experiments

- The Sassy Crafter (I love Kim Taylor!! This is an amazing DIY and craft blog!)

- Center For Art Lovers

- GVILLE.INFO

Leah and I have been pouring our hearts into our blog with every free second that we get, and we want to thank all of you loyal readers for supporting us! Thank you thank you thank you, expect many more wonderful things from The Tonnish Touch to come!

Read the INsite article here, or pick up an issue anywhere around town, they're free!

Thanks also to Amelia Harnish for writing the wonderful article!

Love and hearts and kisses and bows,

Flavia

Fall Fashion Event at Dahlia

Hi all,

Our friend Christy, the owner of Dahlia, a darling boutique in Gainesville, gave us the deets on her in-store Fall Fashion event next Thursday, November 12. Here's the deal:

• You'll get a substantial discount on Dahlia's freshest looks
• New styles from Karina Grimaldi, Rebecca Taylor, Madison Marcus, Genetic and Velvet
• scarves, clutches and jewelry for under $50
• DJ and champagne
• a potential gift with purchase
• 6 to 9 p.m. at 2441 NW 43rd St. (in the Thornebrook plaza behind Fresh Market)
• We'll be there =)

Because she loves us (and you) so much, Christy gave us a sneak peak what she's got in store (literally) for the party. Enjoy.

Um, gimme? This Rebecca Taylor dress is to die for.

Madison Marcus dress with cowl-neck, tiers, and ostrich feathers. yum.

PS this is a romper by Karina Grimaldi. iwantiwantiwant

If you'd like to come browse and have a drink with us, RSVP on the Facebook Event. We hope to see your pretty faces!

For more information, contact Christy at 352-381-0061 or visit Dahlia's Web site, Facebook page and Twitter.

Hearts,

Leah

Street Style: Amber

NOTE: I am so sorry about my dinky iPhone photos!

Yesterday I was strolling towards my Italian class when I saw a vintage cutie sitting on a bench. When I asked her if I could photograph her, I realized it was Amber, the adorable singer from one of my favorite local bands, Platine! First of all, you guys should really check out this band, they are awesome. Plus, their house show/parites are amaaazing! Second, let's admire her style, shall we? I was immediately drawn to her floral skirt, glasses, and cute shoes. Here's a full body shot:

These vintage frames stole my heart. I recently put prescription lenses into a pair of my own. They are a gift from her granny! I don't care what anyone says, dorky glasses are the greatest!

These are the shoes that this lovely lady was wearing. SO CUTE, right?! I couldn't believe they were Steve Madden! I thought they had been sniped right off of a cute old lady's feet.

I thought Amber and her friend Yiraa looked so sweet sitting on a shady bench eating Krishna. I'm so glad that I stumbled upon them.

Amber wears: Urban Outfitters floral skirt and tank, Steve Madden flats, Vintage glasses.

Yiraa wears: Tee from China, purple acid wash jeans, traffic sandals.

Look out for me at school, I want to take your photo!

Love,

Flavia

Even My Wheels Are Trimmed In Lace:

I'm not sure about you guys, but in my life everything serves as an accessory. All of my appliances, tools, and everyday items are pastel, lace, or ruffled in nature, be it a coffee machine, clip-board, , pens, or a bike. I don't know what it is but when simple things come in a cute color or pattern, it makes going on with everyday tasks all the more pleasant.

My bike is one of my most treasured possessions. It is a gift from my sweetheart, a project that we started before we were even an "item", and has evolved into one of my loveliest and most fun belongings. It started out as on old, unwanted bike, and is now a cupcake on wheels. It had been a while since I wanted a top tube protector, because people at our campus bike racks really seem to lack any courtesy. It is really hurtful to knock over and scratch someone else's bike for the sake of parking your own, don't you think? Anyway, that is what inspired me to do this little DIY project, and it ended up turning out rather wonderful. Here's a peek at my bici with its new accessory:

I wanted it to be girly, of course, and I was so lucky to find this LACE-printed plastic to layer over a deep purple. The foam interior protects my pastel paint job from evil.

Close-up of the print. Isn't it darling?

A special thanks to my favorite sewing partner, I couldn't have completed this without you! Don't you guys agree that it's the little things that put a smile on your face? Another secret, yet endearing detail about my top-tube protector: the velcro that closes it together is bright pink : )

Let me know if you'd like any details about the DIY project itself. It was a little difficult because we basically had to wing it. Hope you enjoyed this post! Much more to come...

Love,

Flavia

Friends of the Library Book Sale:

This is the first year I've gone to the Friend's of the Library book sale (off North Main St behind the Junior League thrift store) and I'm pretty pissed at myself for it because it's like heaven for book lovers. I can't believe I only have one more to attend in the spring and then I'll never get to go again. Anyway, I picked up a good number of books that I'm pretty excited about reading. I don't care that this has nothing to do with fashion because I get asked about books constantly. So here's what I got:

This is a beautiful old copy of The Stranger. I really love old copies of books. This one and the Vonnegut book are actually from The Humane Society thrift store in Ocala, which I got for 40 cents each. Yeaaah

Pictured from right to left:

• Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut (never even heard of it but Vonnegut kills)
• The Fuck-Up by Arthur Nersesian (obv it's gonna be good)
• The Average American Male: A Novel by Chad Kultgen (super raunchy as you could imagine by the title)
• Vox by Nicholson Baker
• Sold As Is by Kal Rosenberg
• Filth by Irvine Welsh (think Trainspotting...don't read if you want an easy read)
• The Pornographer's Poem by Michael Turner
• Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates by Tom Robbins
• Life of Pi by Yann Martel (one of those books I just feel like I have to read to understand popular literature)
• Microserfs by Douglas Coupland (I've also read JPod by Coupland, which was great. He writes about techy geeks when PCs first became popular in the early 90s)
• The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
• The Stranger by Albert Camus

I bought so many (and want to go back to buy more) because they were each $2 and under. Kind of a big deal considering most books are about $13 each. So if you haven't gone, GO. Or wait until Wednesday when everything is a dime and you can go buck wild.

Let me know if you're reading anything interesting these days or would like other recs.

Hearts,

Leah

Effortless Beauty:

You know, every day I pretty much dress like a maniac. I pile on tons of jewels, ruffles, and the shiniest shoes that I can find. But it is really the girls who are so effortlessly chic who I envy the most. You know, those girls who can just pull their hair back, wear a classic top, skinnies, minimal jewelry, and look like a stunner. I caught Ching-Ya Ni out of the corner of my eye and couldn't help but ask for her photograph. She just looked so cool and naturally beautiful. Take a looksie:

Ching-Ya Ni wears: basic button-up, Forever21 high-waisted jeans, Aldo flats, Urban Thread hobo bag, and Forever21 sunnies.

My heart also skipped a beat over this girl's marshmallow-white manicure! I need to try that out! I was so happy at how eager Ching-Ya Ni was about being photographed for the blog. It really makes me weak in the knees when people embrace fashion and want to gush about it until they're late for class. To my petite beauty: you really made my day!

With Love,

Flavia

School Cool:

Everyday as I rush from class to class, dodging people on my bike and dorkily dropping all of my things on the ground, it can really be a breath of fresh air to see someone who put caring thought into their outfit. I know that for me, getting dressed in the morning is a special treat, the calm before the storm, as my weekdays are typically so hectic. A polka-dot romper or a pearl collar can really make the news of a pop quiz or an upcoming project a bit lighter on my shoulders.

Well, today as I was rushing out of Italian class, I saw Lauren sitting by the library and I thought that she really had a look of her own. The little details like her feather earrings, pompom flats, and teeny vest are what drew me to her. Plus, I was amazed at how budget savvy this girl was! Check her out:

Lauren Wears: Ray Ban Sunnies, H&M Vest, Walmart Tee, Forever21 Skirt, and Gap flats.

Can't we all just dress up for school every now and then? Thanks for letting me attack you with my camera, Lauren! Just so you guys know, I'm constantly lurking for cuties around school to photograph. I really want to boost the street style aspect of our blog, so if you see me with my hot pink bike, don't be shy! Hope to bump into you soon!

Love,

Flavia

Furries:

This update is a bit random, I apologize.

A while back I bought this wonderful faux-fur jacket at Urban Thread. I absolutely love it! This past weekend was surprisingly chilly and my jacket kept me warm and cozy throughout the ordeal. The satin bow is lovely because you can tie it with an over-sized bow, a mini bow-tie, or the ribbons can flow loosely. I think it channels both a 50s vixen and Lil Kim.

I have also fallen for a wonderful vintage accessory that I wish was still common today: Vintage Shoe Clips! They are simple in theory, but add such beauty to your flats and heels. I'm hoping to make some of my own. They take your shoes from this....

To this! So pretty, right? These are lovely mother-of-pearl with gem details.

The long weekend gave me a lot of time to do some serious thrifting and sewing. I adjusted so many skirts and dresses, I'll be posting those very soon. I have lots of ideas in the works right now, but I'll have to keep them secret until everything is set in stone. There's a chill in the air so hopefully I can post some lovely street style looks this week!

Readers, are you out there? Let us know what you've been thinking of the blog and what you'd like to see more of!

xoxo,

Flavia

Night Life:

Due to academic obligations, my being born in 1989, and sheer exhaustion, I haven't been going out very much lately. For the most part I've been seeking relief by thrifting, making girly crafts, and modifying vintage finds into modern beauties. Since we were so fortunate to have a long weekend, I figured I deserved a break and decided to step out last night in full "geek chic" attire. We went to this fabulous house party where the theme was anything GLBT. Of course there were some amazing outfits. I only had the bright idea to start photographing by the end of the party, but I did capture some sweet looks. Here's a peek:

Agnes and I were a nerd "couple"

I think Andrew won the award for best outfit

My buddy Sam, he knows mesh is in for fall.

Alex and I love blazers. And no, we're not sisters.

I'm newly stalking Sara, I loved her hair and this leather backpack!

Girlfrienz

Obsessed with leather and lace

A cute couple pic was necessary

All in all it was a great night, and I'm totally embracing the mini cold front happening here in Gainesville. I was wearing a fun mix of vintage and new pieces. My blazer, blouse, and oxfords are from Urban Outfitters, my hot pink trousers, beaded bag, and belt are vintage. Oh, and I merchandised the outfit up with geek glasses and vintage cardigan clips! Readers, you have a lot to look forward to! I've been modifying tons of clothing and have several projects coming up. Give us some feedback on what you'd like to see.

Love,
Flavia

Finger Decor:

I didn't get to do much shopping this past week, too much work and too little time. Of course I managed to squeeze a little treasure or two into my weekend. On Friday, Leah told me that Wolfgang had gotten some new accessories in, and that there was a bow ring that I absolutely needed. Of course, I stopped in and snatched it up! Here's a looksie:

Wolfgang has a ton of mesh gold and silver rings in right now. Leah and I both bought this bowified beauty are wearing it non-stop! I love that it matches perfectly with my Betsey bow watch. Oh, and that amazing neck-piece is the pearl collar that Leah gave me for my birthday. I'm obsessed!

Another amazing find I came across this weekend is Essie's "Matte About You" matte finisher. My bestie Agnes discovered it and it looked so cool on her I just had to try it. This product is absolutely amazing! Basically it is a shine-free top coat that when applied over any of your favorite nail colors, gives you a matte finish that is so glamorous and beautiful.

This is a picture of my current "matte" manicure. This red polish is normally super shiny and even has sparkle, but with the "matte" finisher it looks like my nails are channeling Dita Von Teese. I love it. The best thing is that matte nail polish colors are normally so expensive and really difficult to find, but by buying this simple top coat it gives you the option of changing any of your current hues into fashion forward, luster free lacquers. I'm buying this ASAP!

Well, that is my short and sweet Monday post. Let's hope that this week isn't too hectic!

Love,

Flavia