new year's eve fantasies

I would happily wear any of these ensembles tonight to celebrate New Year's Eve. But in reality I think I'm going to be a good girl and wear a dress I already own. It's a toss up between a little yellow sparkly brocade number and a black lace tiered dress... but I'm sure I will change my mind at the last possible moment!

neighborhood delights

The magical kingdom in these photos is a bar halfway between my apartment and Nicole's, a place that serves free food (deviled eggs, sausages,  chicken wings!) and is frequented by only the strangest folks imaginable. It's often referred to as the "Hooker Bar." So obviously we had a little holiday party there!

new favorite shoes

I only received a few gifts for Christmas this year but they were quite magical ones. Victor set the bar way too high for any future gift giving on my part by giving me a new MacBook. It's my first Mac and the first computer I've ever owned that isn't a hand-me-down and covered in someone else's lame stickers. I also bought myself a few Christmas gifts, including these dreamy vintage Ferragamo flats. I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw them on Etsy. The color, the mix of suede and leather, the oxford styling... I couldn't have conjured up a more beautiful shoe! 

I went home (to Santa Rosa) to visit my family over the holiday and I couldn't leave without hitting up my favorite vintage stores from my youth. I left with a beautiful navy blue silk wrap dress, a purple satin polka-dotted romper (a cross between Lolita and Disco Rollerskating Queen) and a few other treasures I will share with you soon. I also found some things for the Fancy Fine shop which I'm still hoping to launch next week. Stay tuned, dears!

a tattered dress & a giveaway winner

dress  vintage

necklace  the vamoose

shoes  vintage ferragamo

I found this lovely silk 20's dress a while ago and it sat in my closet unworn for months because it was almost floor length and looked horribly dowdy on me. I was nervous about hemming it because it's so old and delicate, but I'm so glad I finally did because now it's almost perfect. I say "almost" because I managed to puncture a large hole in one of the sleeves with my bony elbow, oops.

Ok, on to more pressing matters... the winner of the lovely tapestry bag from Vintagetastic is Leilani, who said her best Christmas gift ever was an MRI report saying her dad's cancer was dormant. It would be pretty difficult to top that. Congratulations to Leilani, and thanks to everyone else who entered!

non-stop holiday fun times

dress  vintage
belt  j. crew

hair bow  thrifted

I've been to (and hosted!) a good streak of holiday parties lately. I'm sad to know it will all be over so soon. Then I'll have to go back to inventing reasons to have parties in January... National Bath Safety Month Party anyone? In other news, I joined the two T's: Twitter and Tumblr. I've also been planning for the grand opening of my vintage shop on Etsy which I'm hoping to launch on January 1st. So many pretty dresses, I can't wait to show you! In the meantime, happy holidays to you and yours... it's been a wonderful year thanks to all of you!

sponsor fancy fine in the new year!

January is sneaking up mighty fast, which means it's time to put out the call for sponsoring Fancy Fine in the new year! Just email me at hi@ashleyording.com for rates and details. I will only have a few spots open, so let me know before the month is over! Take a peek at the lovely stores in the sidebar on the left to get an idea of what sorts of shops I love promoting.

giveaway: a beautiful tapestry bag!

Do you like this beautiful tapestry bag? Good, because one of my lovely sponsors, Vintagetastic, is giving it away to one lucky reader! I think it would look quite nice with a black long-sleeved vintage dress, burgundy stockings and a gray winter coat. It's a wonderful mix of ladylike and bohemian.

Want to win the bag? Please leave a comment with the following:

1.) What is the best Christmas or Hanukkah gift you've ever received?

2.) What is the silliest thing one might find inside your purse?

3.) Your email address!

Good luck to everyone who enters! I will announce the lucky winner on December 28th.

shopping adventure: ver unica

Victor and I are creatures of habit. As much as we love discovering new places, we find ourselves most comfortable going back to the same spots over and over. Boring? Perhaps, but I find a lot of pleasure in being a "regular" at my favorite spots. One of our morning rituals is pastries and coffee at La Boulange in Hayes Valley followed by a peek at one of my favorite vintage clothing stores: Ver Unica. I have found many treasures in both locations (there are two on Hayes street), including this magnificent dress. So imagine my delight when they decided to become sponsors of Fancy Fine (insert many gasps here)! I decided the best way to share with you the many wonders of Ver Unica was to document an epic shopping trip. I fell in love with many things and eventually went home with a beautiful silk blouse (a gift from the owner, Cindy) and the most amazing black lace circle skirt.

There are more photos after the jump, so be sure to click on "read more" below!

Silver heels from the 30's... oh how I wish these were my size!

Amazing 50's white fur coat with rhinestone details.

60's lace chiffon cocktail dress (this one was hard to leave behind).