oh, you pretty things

I lied. HERE is the last shop preview of 2009! Gotta make way for the vintage superior. (My apologies, Mr. Bowie.)


Probably my favorite thrift store find ever (or right up there, anyway), a 1940s rayon dress with mesh and a feathery-shaped applique at the front bodice, by Lucky Star New York.

1950s baby blue cardigan with rhinestone buttons.

1950s red calico and rickrack dress.

Pinstriped cocoa brown fitted jacket.

1960s embroidered stripe dress by Leslie Fay.

1960s wool plaid skirt by Jack Winter.

1950s purple and peach patchwork shirtwaist dress.

1960s wool coffee bean cardigan, new old stock with tag still attached.

1950s azure snowflake print wiggle dress.

Pale green tweed wool coat by Bromleigh.

1950s red hot tomato dress.

Vine print jacquard sweater by Catalina.

This may look familiar. 1960s buffalo check dress by Jonathan Logan, which buttons up the back, and which I had photographed backwards previously. Oops.

Plaid Peter Pan collar blouse.

1950s black watch plaid dress.

xo
K

jonathan logan

The big houseful of clothing we purchased this summer (and mentioned many times here) included a large number of dresses by Jonathan Logan, including several dress-and-matching-jacket outfits like the one above (recently sold in the Etsy shop to a favorite customer!).

Here are a few more that I've sold (and including the black-and-white one yet to be listed, and which I finally photographed correctly, after originally photographing the back as the front--oops!):












I think I may have had even more of these in the collection, but many times labels were removed.

Here is a funny little 1962 Time magazine article about Jonathan Logan and the New York "rag trade."

But the REAL reason for this post is to tell everyone to check out this fantastic post on Casey's Elegant Musings blog. You should already be reading Casey's blog; if you aren't, you're missing out! She is an incredibly talented seamstress and her posts are always inspiring. Today's post includes several wonderful fashion ads from a 1949 Seventeen magazine that Casey acquired. There are a couple Jonathan Logan ads, and I immediately thought that those of you who have owned or purchased Logan dresses would want to see them. Go check it out! And thank you, Casey, for sharing with us.

xo
K

merry and bright!

I hope your holiday was merry, bright, cozy and fun! Mine was. I received some fabulous gifts--including the amazing 1950s Franch Poodle Lamp you see above. Every girl ought to have one of these, don't you think? I love his little cap and the rose in his teeth.

And how awesome is my cool new mobile from Mobilosity on Etsy?




I also love this sweet little birdie my parents sent us. It looks very happy perched in our tree.




We spent the day making our traditional timballo and playing the new Monopoly card game my parents sent. Oh, and we watched Inglourious Basterds, which was a hoot (only Tarantino can make the killing of Nazis so dang much fun), and has me wanting a pair of pants just like the ones Shoshanna wears (and which Clever Nettle blogged about, back in August).




Much of the day was also spent cuddling with this spoiled little creature.




It's been hard to get out of the lazy holiday pace and back into the swing of business. I took a lot of photos today, so I'm getting there--slowly!

xo
K

holiday bonus!

We took a little thrifting trip yesterday, destination Holland, Michigan. Not that the thrifts there are particularly good, but so that we could enjoy a holiday lunch at New Holland Brewery. It was--as always--delicious, both beer and food, but the real highlight was this brazen little squirrel, who had parked himself outside the Fabiano's candy store nearby.





He was dining on what appeared to be bits of candy and nuts probably tossed to him by Fabiano's customers. One little girl went right up to him, probably expecting him to run away, but he just sat there and stared at her. I think it freaked her out. She ran away. The squirrel remained. (Andy had to distract Lucy with lots and lots of treats so she wouldn't see the squirrel and start a ruckus. Not that it would have bothered this crazy, Clint Eastwood-staid squirrel.)




The other treat of the day was finding some great vintage items at the thrifts. I found a 1940s gabardine suit, and a gorgeous navy rayon 40s dress. At thrift stores! Not the kind of fare I often discover in thrifts. I also found the above R&K Originals black velvet wiggle dress with a beaded neckline, so perfect for New Year's Eve that I'm listing it in the shop today, just in case someone needs it!

Happy holidays, everybody! Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.

xo
K

last shop preview of 2009!

Probably. Unless I get really productive before then.


Sparkly gold, red and blue Lurex striped 1980s party dress by Sue Brett.

Gold and gray sparkling diamonds cardigan.

1950s houndstooth dress with matching jacket.

My NEW new favorite dress--1940s or 1950s charcoal dress with rhinestone buttons.

1960s floral screenprint cardigan.

1960s snakeskin print sheath by R&K Knits.

Olive green herringbone pencil skirt.

1950s swirly blue floral shirtwaist dress.

Pink nautical prep cardigan.

1960s coral pink and red lace print scooter dress.

Very cool reversible Pendleton wool plaid skirt!

Other side is similar, with a little bit more green.

1950s olive paisley print shirtwaist dress.

Here's to lots more vintage goodness in the new year!

xo
K

let your heart be light

Yes, the holidays are upon us! We have been busy getting a tree, decorating the house (I'd leave silver garland up all year long--it makes me happy), making cookies, and best of all, watching old movies.




I think old movies are the best part of the season, and I don't know how I'd live without TCM. Some of my favorites: Holiday (you simply cannot go wrong with Cary Grant and Kate Hepburn), Christmas in Connecticut (Barbara Stanwyck as a faux Martha Stewart), Meet Me in St. Louis (the songs! Judy! and Margaret O'Brien in her hobo costume!), Fanny and Alexander (stunningly gorgeous), A Christmas Carol (the 1950s film version and the 1970s musical with Albert Finney). A Wonderful Life, of course. And for those times when you are fed up with the holiday cheer, the Canadian slasher starring Margot Kidder--Black Christmas. And of course, the Thin Man movies! I love Nick, Nora, and Asta. Great news: TCM is running a Thin Man marathon on New Year's Eve!




I love decorating with all the old ornaments I remember from my childhood, and baking cookies, too. So much of the season for me is--obviously--about nostalgia.




But Andy and I have our own, new traditions. We like to take a road trip out to Holland (Michigan) to thrift and have lunch at the New Holland brewery (we'll be doing that on Wednesday). And we'll have Polish food at the Kopper Top, a local place that likes to over-decorate for the holidays (I'm all about excess, especially this time of year!).

We will likely make a timballo--that crazy Italian pie filled with pasta, sauce, and meatballs and made famous in the movie Big Night--on Christmas day. If the lake is safely frozen over, we may make time to ski across it. And we'll probably play some backgammon or cards. And talk on the phone to many family and friends who are far away, and who are sorely missed.




What are your holiday plans? Whatever they are, I hope they find you healthy, happy, cozy and warm.

xo

K

it's damn fine! new etsy favorite, the great northern

I admit to going through phases where I do obsessive searches through Etsy listings for particular things. Anyone who's seen my embarrassing Wish List posts already knows of my (quite on-Etsy-trend) thing for woodgrain items and squirrels. And candy. I just took a short break from some serious stalking of Etsy's many soapmakers and turned my attention to...cross stitch!

And there I found The Great Northern, a shop that magically combines my latest obsession with an old one: Twin Peaks. Twin Peaks aired when I was in college, and I well remember the nights I gathered with my friends and our 40 ouncers to watch. I recently re-watched the series and loved it even more the second time around.









The Great Northern sells not only cute cross stitch samplers, but also a Log Lady pin and earrings, Bookhouse Boys earrings, and cute fingerless mittens. Look at these There's a Fish in the Percolator Mittens!




I can tell you that the cross stitch samplers are just as fabulous in person, but I can't say much more as the one I got is a gift "for Andy" (quotation marks because Andy never watched Twin Peaks, so it's really kind of a gift For Me, or as I like to think of it, For Us).

I don't see that The Great Northern does custom items, but I wonder if I asked nicely if they would make me a "That gum you like is going to come back in style" cross stitch.

xo
K