So true!

"I'd Rather Be Thrifting" by Ashley G

I love this print! It's so true, haha! Too bad I have so little space on my walls; there are so many fantastic prints on Etsy!

Spending Hiatus + Etsy = Unbearable Temptation!

Okay, so I've been spending way too much money lately, and have put myself on an unofficial spending hiatus. Only essentials...food, gasoline, utility bills, etc...are allowed to be purchased while I get my bank accounts back into shape.

Unfortunately, I spend a lot of time "window shopping" on Etsy.

This is not a good combination!

Today, for example, I just spent a little bit of time searching for vintage sewing/embroidery tools on Etsy. (To go with my new hobby, of course!) And what did I find, but three of the most perfect vintage items...items that long to be in my hot little hands, I'm sure of it. They're all vintage, all sewing-related, and all have owls on 'em! (I also love owls.)

I mean, would you just LOOK at these fantastic things?!

Vintage Owl Scissor and Push Pin Duo
from The Vintage Treehouse

Okay, so this is the best thing ever. It's a pair of sewing scissors and a pin cushion...shaped like an owl! The finger holes in the scissors are the owl's eyes! :-O

White Owl Pin Cushion
from Definitely Different

And SPEAKING of pin cushions, look at this beauty! If you put it on a shelf and turned it just right, it would look like a nothing more or less than a decorative owl statue. Yet you turn it around, and it's functional as well! I love it when functional things are beautiful as well.

Vintage Owl Thimble
from Whimsey's Vintage

And, okay, so I don't usually actually USE a thimble while I'm embroidering, but for this little fellow, I might have to make an exception! Precious, mais non??


Hmm....I'm starting to think that in addition to my spending hiatus, I might have to declare an ETSY hiatus as well! :-O

Vintage style with a modern twist-- Ab Fab mugs!

Aren't these mugs from McCheek's Mayhem...well...exactly what they claim to be...absolutely fabulous? They are cast from a plaster mold the seller created from a vintage mug...and I'm sure I know almost exactly what that original mug looked like, too! I know the style...tres 1970s. The original was probably avocado green, harvest gold, yellowy-brown, or orange, and had the word "JAPAN" stamped on the bottom but no other maker mark...just like these or these from our vintage shop, in other words!

With this updated version, though, you get the funky style and the stacking ability with the modern twist of cheeky typography and chopped-up florals.

Holiday decorating in style!

Not vintage, but adorable! I'd love to hang this plushie owl ornament by OrdinaryMommy on my Christmas tree!!

I can't help it; I'm a photographer AND a vintage maven!

I love Polaroid cameras. I love SX-70 Polaroid cameras. I especially love the FOLDING SX-70 Polaroid cameras. So you can guess that I love this SX-70 Polaroid camera from elksme!

Vintage Style -- Rhinestone brooch

There are few kinds of vintage jewelry I love more than rhinestone brooches, the more sparkly and over the top the better. And oh, how I love love love this multi-colored vintage rhinestone brooch from DearGoldenVintage!

Coldest day of the year so far!

Today is the coldest day out we've had so far this year, so I decided to search Etsy for some lovely vintage cold-weather gear! This adorable cream pom-pom hat from Thrush definitely fits the bill! Cute, but functional!

Style Icon -- Rizzo

Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee, lousy with virginity...! Okay, so we all know that little Miss Sunshine Sandy was the Nice Girl...but it was the dark-haired vixen Rizzo who really knew how to have fun! That short haircut, those red lips...the tight pencil skirts, high heels, pedal pushers, big dark glasses, and of course, the iconic Pink Ladies jacket...yeah, Rizzo was a gal who exuded sexy sizzle! But there was definitely a heart under all that attitude, too. She's the gal we all want to be like...or be liked by, at least! Luckily for us, the popularity of 50s style and rockabilly makes it easy to take some fashion hints from this vintage icon!


First thing's first...the perfect black pencil skirt!I thought this black leather number from SiftedVintage would make Miss Rizzo's heart skip a beat:

Then we need a sexy little black blouse to be tucked into the skirt. This embroidered blouse from FindMeVintage would work nicely!



Every 50s bombshell needs a kickin' pair of heels! I think that these red snakeskin heels from fancypantsvintage fit the bill! Pure sizzle!



Top things off with a big pair of over-the-top, over-sized sunglasses like this pair from BowTieVintage.



And that just leaves...you guessed it! The Pink Ladies jacket! This one gave me a bit more trouble...but I finally decided that this pink Members Only jacket from BelovedLight would have to fit the bill. Not quite the right era, but a lot of 80s fashion was directly inspired by 50s styles, so I'm calling it close enough!




And that's just for a casual look! Who could forget Rizzo's smokin' prom night look? If fancy dress is more your bag, I'd suggest this sexy pink cocktail dress from TimelessVixenVintage and these bright lights heels from DearGoldenVintage!

And there we have it! 1950s bad-girl style that wouldn't be out of place walking down a modern city street! Pencil skirts and heels never go out of style, nor should they! Nothing makes a lady feel more sexy than a skirt that hugs her curves and heels that make her legs a hundred miles long!

Holiday Entertaining, Vintage Style!

What I like most about these vintage reindeer tumblers from jollytimeone is that they're not TOO overtly Christmasy. In fact, I personally think they look more like gazelles than reindeer. And the colors...red and blue, instead of red and green...also help tone down the Xmas, making the tumblers appropriate for year-round use. They'd still be perfect for some holiday eggnog, though!

Vintage Reindeer

Oh, I love these white plastic reindeer from willislisa! My parents have one just like it, and it was always my favorite ornament. I'd always have to find the perfect branch to perch it on. I might have to consider adding these guys to my own ornament stable!

Photography in style!

Okay, so it's not vintage...but seriously, how cool is this?! I love this idea from peppersprouts! A laser-cut white acrylic brooch shaped like a Polaroid picture and meant to have a photo of your own slipped into it. Instant wearable Polaroid! How fun!

Vintage Style--The Holidays

Wouldn't this vintage enameled metal poinsettia brooch from The Water Fairy be perfect pinned to a holiday-party cardigan?





P.S.: We have something similar in our shop...not a true poinsettia, but a similarly-shaped enamel flower in all green.

Vintage Style Files-- 1970s Disco

My husband and I are going to a 70s-themed costume party/birthday party tonight...specifically, a 1979-themed party, since that's the year the birthday girl was born. After doing some digging to find out what was going on in pop culture in 1979 (is it more 70s disco? more early 80s punk? etc) we determined to work the disco angle. He's going very over-the-top Studio 54 glam...aren't I lucky to have a guy willing to dress up in skin-tight sparkly pants and a faux-fur vest? I think I am! My outfit is a little less shiny than his, but definitely still bright and colorful!

So, in honor of all the truly fantastically awful fashion I expect to see tonight, I thought it might be fun to search Etsy for some 70s style! Here's what I found!

Vintage 70s Platform Wood High Heels by PlanetClaireVintage



Sexy 70s cotton/polyester halter full skirt by ilikeyams



1970s Disco Platform Shoes by slapmefabulous



THE Jumpsuit 1970s Black Palazzo by tractordog




1970s Maxi Dress by Bill Blass for Neiman Marcus by FlanneryCrane




Vintage 1970s Button Front Print Halter by VintageEyeCandy



70s Navy Blue Suede Miniskirt Zippery by violet64



Vintage 1970s leather wedge platform oxford shoes by honeybeevintage

Style Icon -- Sophia Petrillo

Picture it. My living room. This morning. An old episode of "The Golden Girls" is on TV. Blanche, that meddling flirt, has just completed a make-over on sassy Sicilian Sophia Petrillo, dolling her up in a tight red dress and making her take her glasses off. And a light bulb goes on over my head. Just what was so wrong with her style before the makeover, I wondered? The vintage wicker purse, the big glasses, the stylish cardigans and blouses and dresses, oh my! She may have been the oldest of the ladies living in that house, but her get-ups were generally much better than some of the crazy things Blanche and Dorothy came up with! (I recall a lot of shapeless blouses, often in metallic fabrics....)

So I decided to see how easily I could reconstruct the iconic Mrs. Petrillo using finds from Etsy! The wicker and bead purse being the most recognizable item, I started with that first. Sadly, I didn't find anything that was a near-exact replica, though I did find multiple wicker purses that were cute cute cute! Probably the closest I got was this beaded wicker purse from VivDelight:



I then went looking for a pair of those big framed glasses she wears so proudly. Those were a bit easier, with multiple options. Probably closest would be this pair from maijutzeler:



Shoes were next. I don't recall Sophia's shoes as well, so I opted for these gold snakeskin shoes by VintageEyeFashion...low heels with some cool detailing to them, but nothing crazy!



Then came the really fun part! The outfit itself! I paired a sweet pink-and-brown plaid skirt from Thrush with a pale pink tie-necked blouse from allencompanyinc, and topped it off with a lovely cream cardigan from prettylittleworld!



And there you have it! Sophia Petrillo, reconstructed! With the possible exception of the crazy-big glasses, all of the pieces would slot nicely into the average gal's modern wardrobe, either worn together or separately! And perhaps instead of big retro glasses, you could try big retro sunglasses!

Keep in mind, there were other options for this style icon reconstruction, of course! Multiple tie-necked blouses and dresses, other wicker purses, other cardigans...Etsy is just a treasure-trove of vintage finds!

So Very Happy

This is nothing to do with vintage, but I've always loved this print by dazeychic and thought it would make a nice thought for the weekend!




It's a bit goofy, but also so true, isn't it? Have you ever seen a bird with a french fry looking anything other than purely happy? I sure haven't! It can be hard to cultivate that sort of pure, visceral joy...the kind that has nothing to do with thinking and everything to do with feeling.

Vintage Style Files -- Capes and Ponchos

One thing I've seen popping up a lot in stores and on fashion blogs lately is the cape or poncho. Some with arm holes, some without, the cape can be a great topper when paired with skinny or straight jeans and heeled ankle boots. I even saw cape styles in Target recently! But why buy a reproduction of this vintage style when you can find the original?

I've been searching Etsy to find the perfect vintage cape, and I found way too many choices! Here are some of my favorites....

Vintage Plaid Metal Clasp Blue and Red Mod Cape Jacket

Vintage MOD 60s Red Cape



Vintage Fringed Boho Hippie Nordic Norwegian Wool



Trouve a Paris Pendleton plaid cape



60s JAEGER Wool Cape