The Sunday Snag – Plaid About You

Plaid #5!! Yes, it seems that this wardrobe staple is definitely helping me fill out my vintage closet. I had said on Friday that I would've never taken myself for a "plaid girl". I grew up in the grunge age full of boyish tough looks for plaid. Never had I associated it with ladylike femininity (the exception being young school girl uniforms), so it quite surprises me how much I'm now drawn to the print. I've had four plaids come up on Sunday Snags so far (#1, #2, #3, #4,) and I'm happy to include today's as the fifth. Plaid seems to make any old cotton house dress a bit more "put together", in my opinion, like having your accessories built right in. The print gives dimension and color interest, and I'm sure it rather helps that you can't see staining as easily too! 

I bought this cute little #5 from Wildfell Hall Vintage back in June from their sale section (a place I frequent often). Actually, last week's Sunday Snag (see here) was also from Wildfell!

Cool beans note: Amy from Wildfell has recently become my newest sponsor!! So thrilled to have her gorgeous shop grace my blog!  

Okay, so there I was, trolling the sale items and this 1940s beauty was there! "Why was this in the sale section within my grasp?", I asked myself. Reading description...zipper head missing (whateves)...staining on collar (don't mind that a bit)...and, that's it? Uhm, sign me up! This was a genuine snag at $28. I could kiss Amy on the mouth for this one! I got it in the mail a few days later, tried it on, and God Bless America there isn't a lick of alterations needed! I just looped a little piece of embroidery floss through the zipper loop and we're ready to go! Don't you love the color of the plaid? Deep blue base with navy, green, white and red mixed in. The original belt was missing (not surprising), so I thought I would pull out the red accent with a ribbon belt. That term makes it seem so classy, but don't be fooled. I just cut the hem of a seven years ago Forever 21 dress (which I wanted to make into a shirt) and kept the hem in case I needed it (which as every hoarder knows is absolutely inevitable). Also, calling label lovers, did you see that wonderful dress tag below?! My dress is an Alamo and apparently very confident in its lasting power as they promise a new one if the color ever fades. I guess I'll cut them a break for a little fade (it is 70 years old!) Still looks pretty bright and saturated though, so well done Alamo, well done.

        

        

Couple other snags today too! I got myself another vintage purse! I purchased all three of my "first" vintage purses on the same day (you can see one other one here) a few weeks ago at the open air flea market in Raleigh. This one is a 1940s cord purse in navy with such a pretty design and in very good condition (you can't see it here, but the lining inside is violet!). The other snag is my shoes! Oh my gosh, you guys, these are so darling! They are 1950s wedges in white braided straw? wicker? I'm not sure what they call that in shoe land. I snatched 'em up from ebay for $10 plus shipping. Not bad, said my husband. They fit very comfortably and have the cutest little pinkish red and blue flowers along the edges. 

The other two accessories seen here are both from my shop. The ring, "Woo the Wind", is perfect for those vintage white (which basically means ivory or cream) outfits where it once was a bright white but now isn't. Ivory can be a hard color to find in jewelry, so this worked perfectly. My hair flower "Lips Like Berries" was also an easy choice for this outfit. My belt and lips were already a deep red, so why not pop that color out again! The center of this particular flower is an antique black glass button with a blush luster finish. 

Fun Fact: I went to the post office in this outfit and the older gentleman at the counter was just tickled by my appearance. He helped me with my boxes and shipping and as I was about to leave he said, "Whoowee, man, I just love your style."! How deliciously fun is that?! I think we made each other's day at that moment. :-)

Outfit Details:

Dress: 1940s Plaid Cotton from Wildfell Hall Vintage

Belt: Red Jersey Ribbon, made by me from spare fabric

Purse: 1940s Cord Purse from local flea market

Shoes: 1950s White Wedges from Ebay

Ring: "Woo the Wind" from my shop ChatterBlossom

Hair Flower: "Lips Like Berries" from my shop ChatterBlossom

Last Week's Sunday Snag:

Sorority Sisters

Saturday Shop Talk – The Enlightened One

"The Enlightened One"
Personality: The Peaceful and Wise

Places you'll find yourself: Contemplating life's meaning while helping others to find peace 

Can you even believe this ring?! I couldn't quite comprehend that this piece of art was once on a garment a hundred years ago. This ring was made with a gorgeous antique button from the late 1800s (probably made in China or Japan, as most Asian inspired buttons were at the time). It is a beautiful golden brass with a gray patina background. Lovely bamboo leaves sway behind a tiny framed scene of the Buddha meditating in a pagoda. This is so detailed that you can even see the tiny smile of peace upon the Buddha's face. 

"The Enlightened One"

View my entire shop here.

Last Week's Saturday Shop Talk:

Daisies From Dawn til Dusk

Friday Photo Swoon – Plaid Prerogative

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Plaid. Seems to my best friend lately. I don't think I ever would have said, "Why yes, I love plaid", but based upon my recent purchases, I most certainly do! I had always associated plaid with oversized grunge because I grew up in the '90s. Yes, it was cool then and made you feel tough, but I had never used plaid to look feminine or stylish until recently. But, as with most clothing, the 1940s/50s did it well in my opinion. And often, apparently! I feel like you couldn't shake a stick at a vintage clothing store without hitting at least a few plaid pieces. Same goes for my closet now. You've seen my most recent plaid outfit (which I lurv!) and on this week's Sunday Snag, you'll see a second!

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Last Week's Friday Photo Swoon:

Sisters

Thursday Thrill – My New Tea Companion

"Do you know any good books to read?"

I get this question a lot. I also see this question posted a lot on facebook. Well, finally, I can answer with a resounding YES. Yes, I do. Not that I didn't already have books that I could recommend. It's just that I tend to read books from over a hundred years ago and I feel like maybe when you get this question, they aren't looking for that kind of book. I rarely read modern books. Not that I'm foolish enough to think they're all bad. I just love reading old books. Specifically books from the 1800s written by women. That is not an exhaustive list unfortunately and sadly, I have indeed exhausted it.

Fortunately, opportunity, once again, fell in my lap! Stephanie Lehmann, author of Astor Place Vintage, contacted me to become a sponsor of my blog. Excited about the prospect of a new book to read (and a lovely new sponsor), I quickly responded and also asked if she would be willing to send me a copy to read myself. Please note, she is a sponsor on my blog. However, it was me that asked her for the book and it is me that is writing this post about said book and I am in no way under any obligation to review it favorably. Luckily, a favorable review it will receive!

For those who are super busy:

Condensed Book Review 

for Astor Place Vintage:  

This book is wonderful. You should read it sometime now.

Offered as Ebook and in paperback.

Click here for purchasing options

For those that have a bit more time:

  Expanded Book Review for Astor Place Vintage  

"Amanda Rosenbloom, proprietor of Astor Place Vintage, thinks she’s on just another call to appraise and possibly purchase clothing from a wealthy, elderly woman. But after discovering a journal sewn into a fur muff, Amanda gets much more than she anticipated. The pages of the journal reveal the life of Olive Westcott, a young woman who had moved to Manhattan in 1907. Olive was set on pursuing a career as a department store buyer in an era when Victorian ideas, limiting a woman’s sphere to marriage and motherhood, were only beginning to give way to modern ways of thinking. As Amanda reads the journal, her life begins to unravel until she can no longer ignore this voice from the past. Despite being separated by one hundred years, Amanda finds she’s connected to Olive in ways neither could ever have imagined."

Are you excited yet?! I was! A book about a vintage lover written by a vintage lover?! How could this be disappointing? Plus, half of the book takes place over 100 years ago in old New York City, which makes for a fun adventure in history. The book is written from the perspective of two women set 100 years apart each living in the same area of NYC, so the overlap continually made for an interesting read.

I got this book in the mail, made myself a big cup of tea, took my shoes off, and began to read. I was sucked in almost immediately into these two girls' lives. I finished the book only a couple of days later and still find myself thinking about Olive (1907) and Amanda (2007) at night as I lay in bed. History and those who have lived in it tend to stay with me and I'm always fascinated to think that someone so long ago with just as much life would have sat in the same chair, saw the same sight, loved the same book, touched the same clothing as me today. That sense of others coming before us, shaping the world we live in, and a vague connection to them in general is one of the reasons I love vintage and antiques and this book touched on that same idea. 

Honestly though, you don't need a love for vintage to love this book. It is just a great story that is easily relatable, pulls you in from the start, and keeps your interest all the way through. I was sad (as I usually am) when the book ended. I wanted to keep reading, keep listening to the girls' stories. 

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Reading this book came at the perfect time too. Autumn is always busy, busy, busy and my husband was just injured in an accident which made me rather frazzled. I wanted to escape and relax and peek into someone else's life for a bit. This book gave me that opportunity. 

Thank you Stephanie Lehmann for giving me the perfect companion for a cup of tea and a quiet evening of escape. I appreciate it more that I can say.

Last Week's Thursday Thrill:

A Very Crappy Kind of Thrill