Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Treasury Tuesday – Early Afternoon Sunlight

As you can probably tell from my last two Sunday Snags, I'm really enjoying the early autumn colors. Greens are just beginning to turn to gold and the ground is becoming scattered with the first of the falling leaves. I've also had to break out my cooler weather clothing and snuggly knits. Today's treasury, curated by Ana of Sohlful Photography, easily represents what my eyes have been seeing lately with the beautiful forest floor photo, the soft boot cuffs, the grooves of unshaded tree bark. I love it all and I was so happy to see that my necklace, "Golden Lanterns", was seen as a fitting early autumn inspiration too!

To view individual items in this treasury, click here.


Last Week's Treasury Tuesday:



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Monday, October 14, 2013

Make My Monday – Dance, Chat, and Shop with Me!!

Vintage Dance Event #balboa #swing #dance #vintage
Wanna meet me and chat face to face, maybe even get a hug or two?! Here's your chance!! I will be vending at The Eastern Balboa Championships dance event weekend on Oct. 31st - Nov. 3rd. I will have my entire shop's contents plus many more unlisted items with me too.

Plus! Vintage lovers, listen up! Not only will my happy-to-see-you face be there with lovely vintage accessories, but Raleigh Vintage's happy-to-see-you faces will be there too!! Two vintage lovin' shops for your vintage lovin' hearts!

Dancing vintage Balboa in vintage clothing #dance #vintage #fashionYou don't have to attend the dance weekend to be able to come and enjoy shopping with us either. The event is taking place at the Hilton North Raleigh and the vendor lobby is open to the public. So you can chat and shop and gawk at all the lovely dancers (many of whom are donning fantastic vintage styles!). Orrrrrr, if you wanna try a little dancing of the glorious Balboa and have never done so before, the event has a Beginner Track available and also an a la carte pay for classes and dances, so you can drop in and take a few lessons. I highly recommend that you do, as you will LOVE it! This is their 10th anniversary and the theme this year is Cirque du Soleil! Fun!

This is sadly the last EBC being held, so if you want the chance to try out or see this style of dancing, get the chance to friend it up with me, and peruse some beautiful vintage fashion, then clear your schedule and meet me in Raleigh! It's gonna to be a blast!


To give you a taste of what will be offered, check out these sites:



Before you leave, be sure to check out yesterday's Sunday Snag!


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Sunday, October 13, 2013

The Sunday Snag – Woodland Keeper

Vintage for a Woodland Walk #vintage #fashion #1940s #style #woodland

Last week, you saw my quintessentially autumn outfit (see here). Today I'm keeping in that same vein with another brown and green ensemble, this time a bit more formal, but still with that comfy fall feel. The fall does seem to work rather perfectly for slightly more formal attire being worn out of doors. It isn't hot, there is less humidity, and it seems almost as if the trees themselves were clad in fancier attire with their golden green leaves rustling for attention.

This outfit makes me feel a bit like you would find me sweetly chatting with birds and butterflies in the heart of the woods somewhere. Almost like a feminine woodland key keeper. I think it's the mix of lace and flowers, leaves and a gossamer veil. This lace dress is actually the first and only vintage lace garment (or lace garment of any kind) in my closet. I only have one other dress that has an accent of lace (see here), but otherwise my wardrobe is severely lacking in this ladylike fabric. I love lace, so I was surprised too! I think it may just be that nice quality lace pieces tend to be out of my price range, which makes them immediately go in the "look, but don't touch" portion of my shopping list.

My 1940s Woodland Walk #1940s #dress #vintage #fashion #lace

This demure brown lace dress is from the 1940s and was part of a double purchase from Dronning Vintage during a sale they had in early August. I already featured the other dress I bought, seen here, in a previous Sunday Snag. I mainly wanted the other dress when I went shopping, but this shy sweetheart asked to come home with me too. She is a deep chocolate brown, which I think makes having an entirely lace dress much more versatile. The lace, if you look at the close up photo, is such a darling floral design too! Also, bonus, the lace is a super soft and worn in cotton. Typically, the older lace pieces that I've come into contact with have a tendency to be stiff, starched, and a tad scratchy, I'm assuming from age. You may be able to soak and line dry some stiffness away, but I've never owned a vintage lace piece to give that a try. This one is nice and soft though, so luckily I don't have to worry about that. The bust is ever so slightly to large for me, but I didn't want to mess with altering such a pretty lace, and it really doesn't bother me that much. I may, in the future, try to add a couple of darts to help that out. 

The original belt was missing, but it was rather fun deciding on what to use to take its place! You could use almost any color ribbon/sash with this chocolate brown and it would work. I just decided on a green because I wanted to pair it will my hair accessory. My green sash is just the spare bit of hemline from a bridesmaid dress I had and altered. I didn't want to use a belt buckle for this dress, so I decided to add a little decorative floral piece instead. These blue and green velvet flowers are actual 1940s millinery pieces from my personal stash (it may be used in a hair accessory for my shop in the future!). 

Detail on a 1940s lace dress #40s #fashion #lace #1940s #style

1940s Autumn Outfit #vintage #fashion #1940s #style #lace

My fascinator, coincidentally, has the same green velvet leaf color, so it paired perfectly. The belt doesn't match exactly with the other greens in the outfit, but I don't care. I've never needed things to be matchy matchy and often enjoy when colors "clash" ever so slightly as I think it adds interest and texture to an outfit. The fascinator is a 1950s piece that I bought from a wonderful vintage shop in Pittsboro, NC called Beggars and Choosers (I'll be sharing photos and an interview about the shop & owner this Thursday!). I picked it up on a mad 15 min dash through the store (see story here). It was only $8! It has an entirely leaf construction (no flowers), the base is a pretty velvet bow, and the smallest peek-a-boo of green veiling softens the entire look. 

The jewelry is super minimal this time round. I wanted the lace and millinery to be the stars of the show. However, this tiny tiny deer ring, "Keeper of the Wood" needed an outing in the autumn sunshine. You may not be able to see him (like I said, tiny tiny), but he is a strong stag and I thought he could be my woodland protector for the afternoon. 

Early 1940s Suede Heels #40s #shoes #1940s #heels #vintage #fashion

My shoes are marvelous! Nuf said. Okay, I guess I can say a bit more... I picked these beauties up while visiting my most bestest friend in Colorado. I asked her if we could go to a local vintage shop, Goldmine Vintage, while I was there and she very generously said yes. I purchased these gorgeous early 1940s brown suede heels at the end of that shop visit. The double buckle strap is both adorable and makes the shoes more stable and comfy for me to walk in.

Note: I did eat a mega huge breakfast/brunch filled with syrup and gravy right before going to said vintage shop. I do not recommend this. Not surprisingly, the shoes were the only thing I could fit into at the shop. However, the shop staff were incredibly helpful and patient with me as I asked to see a billion things just out of reach behind counters and hanging high on the wall. One thing behind the counter was a GORGEOUS late 1920s/early 1930s dress that they didn't let people try on (understandably). I asked if they could measure it for me and it was SO close, but I didn't want to pay for something that expensive if I didn't know 100% that it fit. Luckily, the shop lady took pity on me and quietly let me try it on with the help of my friend and many promises that I would be really really really careful. It was unbelievably beautiful and I'm soooo glad I got the chance to have it on me for a minute or two, but unfortunately it was a smidge to small on the hip so it had to wait for another lucky, but smaller, gal to take her home. 

1950s Autumn Leaf Fascinator #vintage #hair #accessory #1950s #veil

Outfit Details
Dress: 1940s Cotton Lace from Dronning Vintage
Belt: Made by me with spare fabric & vintage millinery 
Fascinator: 1950s Velvet Leaf and Veil from Beggars and Choosers
Shoes: Early 1940s Suede from Goldmine Vintage
Ring: "Keeper of the Wood" from my shop ChatterBlossom

Enjoying the Fall in Vintage #1940s #fashion #40s #style #vintage


Last Week's Sunday Snag:



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Saturday, October 12, 2013

Saturday Shop Talk – Dot

Tiny Ladybug Ring! #antique #jewelry #ring #ladybug

"Dot"
Personality: The Fluttery and Dainty
Places you'll find yourself: Gently settling into the porch swing for a quick afternoon nap in the sunshine
Tiny Ladybug Cocktail Ring #antique #ring #ladybug #jewelry

Isn't she cute?! This darling ring was made with an antique stamped brass button, circa 1880 to 1918, and pictures an itty bitty ladybug perched atop a leaf. I named her Dot for obvious reasons, but also because I've always loved that very vintage name (usually short for Dorothy or Dorothea). I'm actually pretty tempted to keep this for myself as I've always loved ladybugs, but alas, I'm in love with most of these wee buttons and I can't keep them all. I'm sure she will make someone else very happy too!
Antique Ladybug Ring #ladybug #jewelry #antique

 "Dot"

Tiny Antique Ladybug Ring! #antique #jewelry #ladybug #ring
 View my entire shop here.


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