Traces of New Year's Eve

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Saturday a.m.

Happy New Year, dear blogging friends!
I trust that you all had a lovely New Year's Eve, in one form or another...

I've been having a pleasant hangover-free morning, catching up on blog posts & reading about your latest adventures.  I was hunting for others with New Year's resolutions, since mine aren't quite finished yet and I can use a little inspiration. 

Snoodlebug came up with an amazing and ambitious list of "New Year's Revolutions" - and I have faith that she's going to do a great job with the follow-through.  She already went to work on her Pincurl Project & posted about it this morning.

In keeping with my own "Social Butterfly" resolution, despite the warning of freezing rain, I courageously headed out the door at 7:30 pm last night and drove (very slowly) to a New Year's Eve gathering of friends on the far side of town.

Was I a little foolish to be driving on New Year's Eve in bad weather?  Maybe.  But I was a good girl.  I only had one drink the entire evening! Pretty proud of myself about that, actually.

At the beginning of the night I went to the bar and ordered a Whiskey & Water. "Lots of ice," I said, "and just a little bit of water, but heavy on the whiskey."  When the bartender heard that, he suggested I make it a Double "for just $1.50 more." What the heck, why not! I love whiskey - but oh my, this was strong! So I nursed that baby all night long by adding more ice every time the glass was one-quarter empty - and it gave me the perfectly heavenly low-key buzz I was looking for.

This wasn't exactly a glamorous affair...a neighborhood type "lodge" in a blue collar suburb.  But on New Year's Eve anything goes.  Many were very casual in jeans - but one brave soul wore a tux (good for him!) and some of the women were in glitz from head to toe.

I was somewhere in between...  Purple dress, black tights and this pretty vintage bracelet that I picked up for a song a few months ago and have been dying to wear...

Isn't she sweet?   This vintage bracelet is signed "ART (c)" - is anyone familiar with that company?  I found some wonderful examples of other ART pieces online, including these at Enchantment Vintage Costume Jewelry.

I don't have any photos from last night, but here's how my hand looked in the bracelet.  Wow, huh?

Oh yes, and I almost forgot - I also wore a pretty vintage three-strand pearl choker (costume, of course).  This sweetie pie was only $2.00, and I've already gotten so much use out of it...

It looked lovely on my neck...really it did... 

You're starting to wonder if I really went out last night, aren't you?   You're probably thinking - "She's just trying to fool us with these props..."

Well here's further evidence...

Traces of New Year's Eve mascara on my bleary morning-after eyes...

A few friends from the party who may end up reading this blog post can confirm (please vouch for me guys, okay?) that I was there.  But they will also probably question my use of the term Social Butterfly to describe me at this party... 

Yes, I did a bit of dancing - and I smiled a lot - and met a lot of lovely new people...

But...I ended up deciding to leave the party at 11:15.  What an awful party pooper I was!  I guess I was a little nervous about the drive home...but it turned out to be just fine.

Too bad I missed out on a New Year's midnight kiss, though.  Oh well, maybe next year.

Hope you all got your share of kisses last night - and the promise of many more to come in 2011.
Happy New Year!

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January 2, 2011

P.S. - I have proof!  One of the New Year's Eve party attendees took lots of photographs that night and shared them online.  Here I am clearly enjoying (smiling so hard my eyes are squinty!) the company I'm with. Handsome devils, aren't they?

Oh, and there's that glass of whiskey I was telling you about.  By the color in the glass, I think this pic must have been taken before I had started diluting it with ice.  Forgot about those stunning green wristbands they chained to our wrists when we entered the door.  Ugh.

Costume Jewelry Is This Girl's Best Friend

Marilyn Monroe may have needed diamonds to make her happy...

photo courtesy of Top 100 Female Celebrities

But girl-next-door types like me love costume jewelry!

I don't see too much talk about jewelry in the vintage blogs I've been reading, but I want to sing its praises!

There is an endless variety out there...

It can be casual and fun!  like this 1960's jewelry.

Or you can add a touch of glamour with 1950's rhinestones and pearls...



And best of all, it's often very reasonably priced (50 cents - $12) at estate sales.  And that suits me just fine because I'm Ms. Frugal.

As an example, this group of red clip-on and screw-back earrings came in a little bag at an estate sale for $1.50 on half-price day.

I also love costume jewelry's versatility.

Compared to many of my very fashionable blogging friends, I really don't own very many vintage clothes (that fit me).  Plus, I work in a rather conservative environment (fundraising at a college) and have gotten odd looks the few times I've been brave enough to show up at the office in a dress or jacket that was obviously vintage 40's or 50's.

But I can get away with wearing vintage jewelry.  In fact, it's brought me lots of compliments.  It's a great way to spice up ordinary office attire, like this turquoise top and black sweater combo - and give it a bit of a 60's flair.



Most of the jewelry I find is unmarked, but occasionally I stumble across a well-known name. This gorgeous blue set (below) had the Coro tag still attached to the bracelet.

I had to pass up the matching necklace - the most expensive piece of the three ($5.00) - because I didn't have enough cash with me that day.  Drat!

Don't forget to bring a magnifying glass to those Saturday sales!  I almost stepped away from these intriguing lilac and irridescent pearl earrings because they cost more than I usually like to pay (a whopping $4). But my trusty magnifier revealed that they were marked Germany on the back - a sign that they were likely made before 1949 when Germany split into East and West Germany.  I decided the little Germany mark made them well worth the $4 bucks. 

These are unmarked, but very intriguing - don't you think?

And here's a sampling of silver costume jewelry that I've collected in the past few years.  One can never have enough silver!  It goes with almost everything...

My favorite in the group - one that I wear quite often - is the chunky expandable bracelet. It's vintage, but has a contemporary look to it - and is a great accessory for dressing up a pair of jeans when going out on the town.

Most of you probably have pierced ears, and may have been hesitant to wear clip-on earrings.  I was hesitant too.  I remember playing dress-up with my mother's clip-ons as a kid - and my ears got so sore! 

Actually, that still happens to me sometimes when I wear them, and then I'll have to take them off after a few hours.  But it really depends on the earrings.  Some are so comfy I hardly know I'm wearing them.  I find that the screw-back type of earrings (see sample above, in the "reds" photo) are often more comfortable than clip-ons. But screw-backs are a little harder to find because once clip-ons were invented in the 1930's, they rapidly became the earring of choice over the next 20 years for most women. 

In case you were wondering where I keep all this jewelry that I've accumulated...

Well, as with most things in my life - I make do with what I already have.

Most of my vintage necklaces, bracelets & pins are in this old tin Louis Sherry candy box.

 

And I decided that this antique sewing cabinet that I've got on my dining room buffet would work perfectly to store all my earrings - grouped by color and style in little bags.  (Believe me, I'm not usually this organized .)  

Perhaps the dining room is an odd place to keep jewelry, but it works well for me because I'm usually putting on earrings as I'm racing out the door for work in the mornings - so this is very convenient!

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Oh my! - I just noticed that it's 3:30 pm!  Where did the afternoon go?  Sometimes time just speeds by when I'm happily blogging.  I guess that's a good thing.

One final note, and then I'll let you go.  While digging through my jewelry boxes today, I spotted my diamond wedding ring - which I (sadly) took off about 10 years ago, and planned to give to my daughter when she got older.

You know, I kinda liked wearing a diamond ring.  And if a man comes along someday and wants to give me another one...well, let's just say that I'd happily exchange all of my costume jewelry for one pretty little  diamond.  And yes - a small one would suit me just fine.

The song "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" famously performed by Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 film, "Gentleman Prefer Blondes."  Video courtesy of YouTube's Chiswick2

Traveling in Time...to the Year 2010

Just in case it wasn't obvious already, I thought you should know:  I am Passionate, with a Capital P, about all things vintage.

courtesy of WeddingClipArt.com

Judging from the blogs I've been reading, I'm guessing that many of you feel the same way. 
Aren't we lucky?

But I'm wondering if any of you can also identify with this problem...

I find myself going through long periods of time where I become so immersed in that long ago world of the 1920's to 1960's...

...that I'm hardly conscious of what's happening in the world around me today -2010.

I'm gloriously happy being in that state for months at a time.

Completely surrounded by my old, musty & worn things, day in and out.

Spending evenings and weekends caught up in antiques: buying, selling, researching, and blogging about them...





And then suddenly... BURN OUT! 

Things that are old and worn lose their charm.  Life feels out of balance.  And I have a longing to be part of the modern world,  but I don't quite know how to pull myself out of the time warp I've been in, and move into the present.


Photo courtesy of Creepy Shack

Well, that's what happened to me about a month ago. Big time vintage burnout. You may have noticed - my blog posts were dwindling, I stopped selling on eBay, and I had to drag myself out of the door to estate sales on Saturdays.

Does this sound familiar to you at all?  Do you go through these cycles too?

Luckily, a few weeks ago my thoroughly modern sisters...

...came to my rescue and took me to...

...for a post-birthday celebration and a huge dose of modern-day commercialism.

After being surrounded by old, chipped, cracked, crazed, torn and worn for months - I was suddenly immersed in shiny, bright and new. 

I loved it!  It was exactly what the doctor ordered.   I felt like going on a buying spree, but I limited my purchases to a couple pairs of brand new shoes from Payless Shoe Store.  (I'm used to shopping in second-hand stores, so this was a step up. ;-)

These are my favorites.  As you can see, there's nothing vintage about them...

See how they sparkle!  I can't remember the last time that I bought something so shiny...

No way was I going back to the 20's, 30's, 40's...  Not yet.  I needed to get a good dose of the 21st century first.

The first item on the agenda:  Sign up for Facebook.   

courtesy of Ads of the World. Maximidia Seminars - ad agency, Moma - Brazil.

I swore I was never going to do this.  I spend so much of my day on the computer already!  But I'll admit that I'm enjoying it. I've accumulated 30 friends so far (whoopee!)...and I've been writing on Walls...and changing my Status...and all those exciting things that I was missing out on in my pre-Facebook days.  I feel so hip.

Next on the list (to go along with my new shoes and social life) - Start Exercising Again.

As luck would have it, the college where I work just opened up a brand new athletic and recreation complex - with a huge pool, and an aerobics and weight room.   What perfect timing!

And they have all the latest in workout technology...

Sears advertisement - Look magazine, Dec. 2, 1969

So I've been heading to the gym about 3 or 4 times a week these past few weeks, and have lost a pound or two. It's a good start... 

The pendulum swings back and forth.  I'm still enjoying my trip to 2010, and am going to hang around for a while.  But I can tell that I'm getting that vintage itch again.

Today, I had the urge to play dress-up with some pretty vintage costume jewelry.

I'm a little shy about having my picture taken.  But I always appreciate seeing photos of all of you in your blogs, so I figured that fair is fair!

And then after I took these photos, I grabbed a big pile of old magazines and catalogs, and plopped them on my bed...

...and spent the rest of the afternoon paging through magazine after magazine, lost in vintage heaven.

So, no worries - I've still got that passion in me.  And I won't desert you.  Because I've still got plenty of visions of vintage sugar-plums dancing around in my head that I want to share with you.

But I'm also determined to try to lead a more balanced life, and avoid future burnout by keeping at least one foot firmly planted in 2010.  That probably will mean less blogging for a while - but I know you'll understand. 

Thanks for your friendship...enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Wm. Silverman of New York Vintage Hat...1930's Djer Kiss Vanity Box...1950's Bathroom Curtains with Poodles!

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I've had so much fun at weekend estate sales lately, I thought it was about time that I shared some of my recent purchases with you!  Welcome to Heavenly Finds Sunday - where each week I'll be showing off some of my great buys...and fabulous finds that make my heart sing...

When I walk in the door of an estate sale, usually the first place I head is the bedroom - with the hopes of finding vintage clothing or accessories.  Yesterday I found this sweet little hat, probably from the 1950's.  I am intrigued with the colored bands of mocha, dove gray, black and a hint of red at the front.  The single long black feather adds a touch of drama.

This is a Wm Silverman of New York designed hat...

I'm always intrigued by vintage clothing labels, and this one has two!

I just put this hat up for auction on eBay (bidding ends Sunday 7/18).

Click here if you'd like to take a peek...

I think these pretty sweater clips are so...nifty!  This one is still on the original card...

Here's a close-up.  Look at all the tiny pink & gold colorful confetti inside!

And here I am modeling the sweater guard with a pink sweater.  Very sweet! 

(This one is hard to give up, but I just posted it for auction on eBay.  Take a peek - the auction ends on Wednesday night, July 21.)

Here's a fabulous find, probably from the 1930's - possibly earlier...  A Djer Kiss Parfum box for your vanity!

Inside it's a lovely pinky salmon, and it has the Djer Kiss label on the lid.  I suppose this might have been a gift set, filled with talcum powder, cologne or perfume, etc.

 

Here's a close-up of the fabulous illustration on the cover of the box!

These next three items are my super buys of the weekend.  Each cost me just $1.00...

Okay...I'll admit that there's a catch.  One has a chip, and two have cracks - but displayed on the shelf above my piano, or in my curio cabinet, I'm the only one who will ever know!

 

Isn't this a lovely bud vase?  It's probably from the 1920's, maybe a bit earlier.

This porcelain vase (early 1900's, possibly as late as 1920's?)  is decorated with soft peach lustre and has a lovely transfer on the front.  Marked "Germany" on the base.  At 10" tall, it's not small.  And, yes - it was just $1.00!    I would definitely have paid more than a buck for this - but I won't complain...

Here's a close-up of the baby and little girl.  They're enchanted with the butterfly.

The baby's face is rather adult looking, wouldn't you say? But it just adds to the charm.

Isn't she lovely...

And my third $1.00 find is this pretty yellow planter, marked "Ransbottom, Roseville" on the bottom.  (Robinson Ransbottom Pottery Co. of Roseville, Ohio mark is often confused with Roseville Pottery Co. which was also located in Roseville, Ohio.)

 

I really love the nice textures on this piece.  What a deal!

The mission style plant stand, ca. 1920's or 30's, was a bit of a splurge....$8.00.

When I bought these 1950's (or 40's?) drapes, my intention was to turn around and sell them right away.  But when I brought them home, I thought I'd try them out in my bedroom - and they were perfect!

I love the subtly textured fabric, and the soft green trees against the crisp white background.  

 

I spend so much time in bed reading....it will be nice to have this new lovely view...

I've still got another pair of these drapes. Hmm...maybe I could be resourceful and turn them into a long matching robe - like Scarlett did in Gone With the Wind.

And finally....another set of curtains....with a very different theme.  Poodles!

When I first spotted these vintage 1950's vinyl curtains at an estate sale yesterday, I thought it was a shower curtain.  But when I held it up, I realized it was a bit too short - 54".  Plus there was a matching panel.  Clearly this was meant to be used as a bathroom curtain for the window above a bathtub. 

What makes these bathroom curtains special is that they're sprinkled with poodles!

Aren't these crazy!

I'd keep these curtains too, if I had the right window in my bathroom.  But no such luck!  So...I'm selling them on eBay this week (bidding ends Sunday, 7/18).  Click here to take a closer look at the curtains and some of my other items up for auction this week...a vintage cake topper, sewing patterns and an Oscar de la Renta scarf.

I've got lots more to share, but I think I'll save some for next Sunday!  Hope you all have a wonderful week...