Ladybird

Photos: Bryn Sanders

I'm always fascinated by people who are effortlessly chic, whose style is timeless and laid back yet perfectly appropriate for any occasion. Women such as Ali McGraw, Jackie Kennedy and (dare I say it!) Amelia Earhart epitomize the look. Their effortless style transcends time and their influence is still seen on runways today.

In my own life, that person is my high school friend Allison Jayjack, who recently pursued her dream and opened a boutique in Columbus, Ohio called Ladybird. Offering a mix of indie labels and carefully selected vintage finds, Allison's store is like stepping into my dream closet. (Ahem, just look at the three ensembles above! Spot on.) The good news? Everything in Ladybird is affordable, and will easily compliment any existing wardrobe.

A few weeks prior to opening, Allison flew me to Columbus to decorate the space! We spent four days painting and digging our way through some hysterical antique malls, flea markets, and of course Ikea! The resulting look is both vintage and modern, relaxed and sophisticated. Enjoy :)

With a fashionable keep-all grandmother, Allison was often caught hunting around her attic and basement discovering family treasures. From '40s overcoats and fancy frocks to jeweled clutches and vintage scarves, she has now carefully hand selected every item in her store. (And hello! I want both of those bags!)

A cozy resting spot for boyfriends and sleepy shoppers, Allison offers up vintage issues of Life, Vogue and quirky design books.

We decided to purchase two oversized vintage wardrobes and remove the doors so that customers would feel as if they were peeking into a stylish friends closet.

Notice the red birdcage! We found this beauty at an antique mall for $35, and gave it a fresh coat of paint to make it sparkle against the navy walls. We also selected orange velvet Ikea curtains for the fitting rooms, a la Tory Burch ;)

This gallery wall was so much fun to create! The wallpaper was actually original to the store, so we decided to keep this section to highlight the cash wrap. The artwork is a mixture of flea market finds and framed images from books such as Painting People. I have a major obsession with the floral painting in the upper left hand corner! It's an original oil painting that we found at an antique mall for a mere $30, and I've already instructed Allison to leave it for me in her will ;)

How great are these suitcases?! Again, $30 at a goofy antique mall.

Our $5 Ikea lamp illuminates a vintage horse and beaded necklace combo. And finally a couple of ladybirds! Allison is on the far left, then there's me, Kim and Bryn who served as the inspiration for one of my newest Rubie Green prints! We're all friends from high school and we can't get enough of Ladybird.

Ladybird is located at 716 N. High St. in Columbus, Ohio between Jeni's Ice Creams and Rowe. It's open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. And yes, Allison is always available to offer her customers personal style advice ;)