Vintage Inspiration: Marilyn and Friends

So last week I talked about sitting in my parents basement when I was a kid watching old movies and TV shows.  A favorite was How to Marry a Millionaire from 1953 starring Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Betty Grable.  If you like 50's fashion I highly recommend it as it does include a fashion show as all three ladies work as model.  They team up to get a penthouse apartment so they can meet millionaires that they hope to marry.  It is quite cute and funny so if you are looking for something light this is for you.

Ps I love Marilyn in catseyes maybe that is why i like to wear them myself.

Style Inspiration: Audrey Hepburn

I remember as a young girl I would spend time in my parents basement (where we had the big TV) watching old films.  One of my favorites and still is to this day was Breakfast at Tiffany's.  Audrey Hepburn was a class act through out her life and could where any style and look lovely.  She had both grace and beauty in abundance.

Happy Summer Everyone

Hello I hope you are all have a fantastic summer. I can't believe we are already well into July already.  Since it has been so long since I have posted I thought I would just give you a few tidbits of things I have been up to.

My Garden
Here is some of the harvest from this week.  I have also gotten cucumbers but I eat those as fast as I produce them.  Others things that have  come out of my garden this summer, strawberries, service berries, raspberries, swiss chard, lettuce, peas, gypsy peppers.  Pictured is part of my over abundance of peppers, jalapeno and banana peppers ( I am never quite sure what to do with all those early jalapeno since I usually use them in salsa and so far I have no ripe tomatoes).  eggplant, basil, and green beans all in my vintage pink Pyrex nesting bowls.

My Pie
I have to say I can bake cookies but rarely do I venture into other baking areas but my some begged me to make pie the other day.  Whats a mom to do?  So I gave it a whirl I don't think I have made a pie in quite a long time (maybe back in 8th grade).  I know it does look that pretty but every one loved it.  The recipe was a french peach pie (if you are french let me apologize not I it is a pudding pie that I am sure has never been made in France).  It was very simple recipe which is what I was looking for in a pie.  If you want a more complex pie take a look at my friend Christine's blog about pies, Pies and Aprons

Flamingos
Have I ever told you I love flamingos here a few shots from my yard.

Take Care All I will try not to stay away so long before my next blog because I have more to tell you. xoxo

Spring clean declutter!!!

Ok so when you love vintage you tend to accumulate and sometimes it is hard to let go of what you accumulate since you never know when you will find it again as it is no longer made and is perhaps over 50 year old.  But at some point somethings got to give and as my closet was busting at the seams and so were many other closets in my house I decided now was to time to start to declutter, well actually both my husband and myself have been working on selling off unused items in attempt to not just declutter but to also reduce some debt.  So what do you do when you want to get rid of your over abundance of vintage and repro wears?  Well I have been a seller on both etsy and ebay.  Right now I have put a few items on my etsy shop.  I also have tried some of the face book swap sites in the past for some of the repro items I have with out much luck but I am trying that out again with this pair of Johnson Shoes, Lovely shoes but I have wide feet and while they fit my foot I found them uncomfortable I was rather disappointed as my husband had a pair that he thinks are the best and very comfortable perhaps it is just that they are higher and I tend to stick with a lower wedge.

So sorry to say I spent my time I should have been sewing, taking pictures, posting on my etsy shop which I only got 2 items up but at least have pictures to try to put up more.  

So readers in what way have you had the best luck reselling you vintage and repro items when you no longer want them?

Oh and if anyone can tell me how to make a link to my etsy shop on the side I would be forever grateful as it wouldn't do it for me when I tried in the past.

Time to Get Sewing

OK I gotta admit that I spend more time thinking of sewing than actually sewing.  In the advent of having my own sewing space in my house I have been taking inventory of my sewing supplies and i gotta tell you I have an enormous stash of fabrics.  I guess thats what happens when you spend more time thinking about sewing than actually sewing.  So know how much I have it makes me determined to get going on a project.

Well I have to confess myself as a bit of a sewing failure in the past.  While I have many reasons and excuses for my failures I decided if I commit to a project on my blog it will spur me on to actually complete a project.So now what did I decide to start this project with?  Well I thought since I have not sewn in a while and my tendency it to stop (although I don't admit to myself that I am doing this) when I hit on a snag like something hard like inserting a sleeve that I have never done before.  So well I choose a modern retro pattern to get back in the swing of things.  My pattern is from Decades of Style the New England dress.

I started tracing the correct size last night on my pattern paper.  I ran out of time and didn't fully complete but did get the major pieces traced out.  My next step will be to make a muslin of the dress.  I will report back soon and let you know how I progress.

 

VLV past (pictures from 2003) Outfit post from the past

I was thinking this morning what would I be doing if I was in Vegas right now at Viva Las Vegas so I decided I would look through some old pictures and well I was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers recent post Straight Talking Mama recent post a trip down memory lane (if you do follow her already I recommend that you do not just because her post are fabulous be she is such a sincere lovely person too). 

So anyway I thought I would do my own.  These pictures are from Vegas 2003 I think it was my 3rd trip there but I think it was the first time I must of had a way to back up digital pictures (or maybe even a digital camera) because they were the earliest ones I could find saved on line. I guess that will call for some scanning for those earlier years I went.  Here we go some outfit post which I personally rarely do as I have been struggling with my weight the last 4 years.

Here I am with my friend Sean in a black Cheongsam for the Vegas preparties.  Not vintage but I thought it had a good vintage look then.  You know I used to go to Vegas by myself and find new friends from forums that we posted on or from weekenders past.  I never went with someone from home until I met my husband.  Good thing I am not shy I guess.  I did always manage to have a good time.  

I love this red vintage dress it had some fabulous cut outs.  I think this was my Friday night outfit but not truly sure that I remember that well.  Aren't all these ladies adorable though!!!  See I was never really shy wall flower even though I traveled alone.

Ok this is by far the best of the lot of that year so I know I would have saved this dress for Saturday night.  Its a pink vintage sarong dress.  I still have it.  It was my first sarong dress I think.  Not a Shaheen and it did have a wee bit of fading on it which at that time is probably why I was able to afford it.  I do still have it and love hopefully I will fit into again some day.

Finally this was the dress I wore to the car show. It is a terrible picture of it hmm perhaps my lack of posing was to blame.  It is vintage, I think I still own it but I do remember it got a cigarette burn in it from a careless drunk.

Well thats all folks if you are at Vegas now I hope you are having a gay old time if not hopefully you are spending today with the ones you love.  Take care and happy Easter.

Save the Vintage Bathrooms!!!!

Images found mid century homestyle

Well I am sure I am preaching to the choir here but I really hate to see people Modernizing and tearing out those colorful 50's bathrooms.  Today I was saddened to see a colorful green blue toilet in a dumpster bag when out on a walk. I was very tempted to go back with my car and get it, is that weird?

When we were house hunting one of the things I was looking for in a house was a nice vintage (hopefully pink) bathroom but it was a really tough house market at the time and I did not get my dream bathroom. As a result I have often scoured the free section of craigslist for pink pottys, sinks, or tubs.  I do have a toilet not yet installed in my house as well as a pink sink to go with it but so far a tub eludes me as often they are heavy and people choose to remove them in pieces rather than try to take them out as a whole.  I am sure many of you have seen the sight save the pink bathroom if not you really need to check it out.

Pink bathrooms have been around since the 30's but Mamie Eisenhower is really credited with making them the popular mid century choice for bathroom decorating.  Well my personal thanks goes out to Mamie and well to all of you who love and preserve your pink bathrooms.

Oh and well not sure if some will consider this a sacrilege but when found the sink it came with a toilet that had been chipped when removing if from it original home and as we had another I decided to install it in our back forty.  Here it is in the bloom of summer.