The popularity of Etsy has started to make it very difficult to find the “real goods”.  I have spent hours trying different keyword combinations to find cute, tailored clothing only to realize that I found a handful of lovely designers that charge $200 per handmade dress.  oy!  Recently I have tried to change my search and destroy methods by using my peeps on twitter.  If you follow gals with similar style, chances are good they will post links that you will enjoy. With that said I must introduce you to Patricia Valery a.k.a. Evil Needles.

Patricia hand makes all of her clothing and still manages to be affordable, I love that!  Her clothing is tailored without being high maintenance or fussy (so I think the washing machine should be safe for most of these cotton blends) and the fall color combinations are right up my alley.  The teal, olive, red and leopard prints make me want to put on some tights and a three-quarter sleeve jacket and walk through a pile of leaves during sunset. (obviously in a very glamorous fashion shoot kind of way.)

Oh, did I mention that she also designs some of the ladies merch for Reverend Horton Heat?  *swoon*  You must check out her Etsy store, as this is one gal that does not blend in the DIY crowd.

Oh wow, these Monday’s creep up so fast!  Last week was a bit of a whirlwind–I was in LA for work and I didn’t stop moving the entire time I was there.  I was told that I could still blog from my new little iPhone, but to be honest, I don’t think I am ready for that yet.  You understand, right?

So this week for Mad Men Monday, I am relying on the trusty Mod Cloth to help me out.  All the clothes I like are usually very Joan-ish.  Next week, I will try to find some Betty goods.

We have a day and night version of the same dress and then the navy number is a little of both.  It has a nice professional collar, but the short length is all about the par-tay!

Well I have and I must say she is surely something special.  Now if you take a glance at the lovely photo below you might be thinking….hmmm…that girl looks a little familiar, but I can’t quite place it.  Well, take away the pretty blue eyes and the fun hairstyle and well….yes, it looks sort of like Kendra from Budget Retro. (This is me talking from your perspective not me using myself in the third person. he he!)  You would be right though, this gem of a gal, currently featured on the Beauty Bar Salon blog, is my sister.  And she is no sister from another mister, this is the real McCoy, Sarah Jones.

If you click on over to the site you can see the mini interview with her.  She is the queen of retro hairstyles and just about any up-do you can imagine.  She is also the only reason why I can even slightly pass as being pulled together.  Love you, Sarah Jean!