a nod to mod (a guest post by Sarah Beckman)

Hi there -- I'm guest posting for Olivia today. Olivia, we're all so glad you didn't blow away last night -- or lose power!

If I had to pick my favorite fashion trend right now, it would have to be mod. Mod makes me think of little skirts, big lashes, stripes, peter pan collars, pixie cuts -- all things that scream classy retro. I want to share with you my three mod inspirations.

A muse of Andy Warhol and a shopoholic socialite, Edie Sedgwick's fashion influence is still felt today. Edie was known for wearing her jazz ballet garb on the street. Leotards, shoulder duster earrings, tights, dark eye makeup, and fur were Edie's favorites.

Get the look: [head scarf] [striped dress] [tights] [chain bracelet] [chandelier earrings]

Fun fact about Edie: After she shopped away her inheritance, Edie used waterpaints to do her dark makeup.

Gorgeous and gamine, Twiggy was the world's first supermodel. Her big, doe eyes  and pixie cut made her the "Face of '66." Twiggy was known for big patterns, big accessories, and pea coats.

Get the look: [silk scarf] [halter top] [high-waisted mini skirt] [striped dress] [gold shoes] [watch]

If you haven't seen Rosemary's Baby yet, stop whatever you're doing and go watch it right now. Besides the awesomely eerie story, you'll see Mia Farrow wearing the most adorable tent and trapeze dresses of the 60s.

Get the look: [trapeze dress] [chiffon dress] [pearl earrings] [huarache sandals] [gloves] [clutch]

Tell me, do you love mod style? Who's your inspiration?

Author bio: Sarah's a bride-to-be with a love for vintage style and antiques. She works as an editor at Affordable Style.

Now For Sale: Olive Tree's PS Actions!

I've had many people remark on the loveliness of my photos (thank you very much). But you know what a huge part of getting a good image is?

That's right. Image editing.

Which is why I have decided to finally put on the market my very own set of actions!

These beauties make image editing easy. Just click a button and voilá! A lovely, professional-looking photograph is created.

My actions will work with Adobe Photoshop CS (Version 8.0) and up. So pretty much all of Photoshop.

This set is called "Vintage Magic" because it contains 15 actions to add that nostalgic, magical look to your photos.

The best part? It's only $7.00!

In addition to the actions below, the set contains a "Back to the Beginning" action (which will erase all edits on your photo and go to the last saved version, very handy when testing new techniques) and a "Flatten" action, which will compress all layers on the file into one, for handy JPEG saving.

(once you click that button and pay, I will send you the download link where you can get the actions.)

the original photograph.

"Back in B&W" gives a high-contrast, gritty feel to your photos.

"Burn the Edge" gives a nice vignette.

"Cooler Than You" cools down a too-warm photo, or adds a 70's-ish feel to any picture.

"Ethereal B&W" was used to edit all these photos.

"Faded Glory" keeps details sharp but adds a soft glow to the photo, creating a magical look.

"Faerie Magic" sharpens and edits your image so that only warm tones remain. This makes reds really pop!

"Indoor Lighting Fix" is a handy-dandy solution to that horrible, dark, yellowish tone caused by artificial lighting.
Obviously this photo does not benefit from it, but all of my photos taken indoors use this action.

"Lighten Up" does exactly what it sounds like — slightly lightens your image. 

"My My, Time Flies" gives an utterly lovely, vintage feel to any photo. (And yes, it is named for the Enya song.)

"Retro Glamour" is another vintage action that gives that 70's/80's tone to your photos.

"Snapdragon Petals" is a favorite of mine — it darkens darks, lightens lights, and gives an irrisistable vintage tinge.

"Vintage Candy" is a lovely little action that adds a sweet, warm tone to your photo.

"Warm Hug" is a beautiful fix that makes any photo seem friendlier — it adds a warm tone and lightens the picture.

Ready to buy? Just click below and you're off!

Converse Love

I am now officially hooked on Converse. They're so cute. So retro. So not-make-my-feet-look-big! (This is a real problem of mine. I always feel like bigfoot in sneakers.
I had some pretty Converse sneaker-flats and was thrilled when the real One-Stars went on sale at Target.
So... of course I had to take pictures! :P

I learned that "Boyfriend" by the new band Best Coast (free on iTunes right now!) goes especially well with Converse...

This next one is going on Etsy!

And retro messages in bottles go great with Converse too...
(Also going on Etsy!)

... as do vintage cups and intense eye makeup. (Photo by my mom)

So how about you? Are you suffering from obsession over loving your Converse too?