rave on, cats

Here is a nearly all-1950s shop preview, perfect for the guy whose style icon is Carl Perkins or a young Elvis Presley.  Rave on!

1950s mustard Donegal Fitzhugh shirt.

1950s chainstitched work shirt, by Personality.

1950s reversible atomic speckle windbreaker.

1950s turquoise corduroy shirt by Pilgrim.

1950s yellow and brown chainstitched bowling shirt.

Howling wolf cowichan sweater.

1950s green wool coat, Weather Wise by Minnesota Woolen Co. 

xo

K

vintage Halloween

I love vintage Halloween photos.  I found some good ones from when my dad was little in the family photos and have been waiting until now to share them.

This was marked "Glenn's party Oct. '50" on the back.  My dad is the kid in the "Kill the Umpire" outfit--lower left corner.  What an insane mask.  If some kid carried around that sign and wore that mask today he'd probably be sent immediately to therapy.  (For the record, my dad is relatively sane, and probably the nicest guy you'll ever meet.)  The skeleton costume is awesome...and how freaking creepy is the mask?  I think the poor kid next to Skeletor dressed as a pierrot is little pissed, frankly.

Here are the adults.  Not surprising for the time, I'm seeing a little bit of ethnic insensitivity sprinkled amongst the costumes.  I'm liking the bottles of beer, though, and the banjo as accessory.  This photo and the following three are from October 1949, and I'm guessing this is a party in my grandparents' basement.

My grandma as a cowgirl.  Her outfit is awfully cute--I just wish she wasn't wearing that creepy mask.  Looks like the other gals didn't quite get into the Halloween spirit, but they sure are wearing great dresses!

See the cutest kid the photo?  The hobo in the bow tie?  That's my dad!  And holy smokes--there's a kid with the devil on his costume in the back, on the left.  I'm pretty sure they don't let kids dress like Satan for Halloween anymore.

Is that kid on the left dressed as a Civil War soldier?  Whoa.  I'm loving the decorations--the witch's hat and the pipe cleaner skeletons!  And I'm pretty sure there are actual cornstalks in the background.  Well done, Grandma Edna!

I hope you all have a very happy and creepy Halloween!  My big Halloween plan is a long overdue viewing of the original The Wicker Man.

Don't forget to enter in our 3rd Etsy-versary Giveaway here.  And enjoy 15% off all purchases at the Etsy shop with code HAPPY3 now through Monday!

xo

K

we are 3! [giveaway closed]

11/1/11 update: And the winner--chosen via Random.org--is vegAnn!  Thanks so much to everyone for entering.




Editing this post to let you all know: save 15% on all purchases in the Etsy shop with code HAPPY3 now until midnight 12:00 AM EST on Tuesday, November 1, 2011.

And don't forget the enter the giveaway (details below)!

This Saturday, October 29, will be the third anniversary of the day I opened my Etsy account.  Andy and I had sold vintage in shops and online for several years before then, but I truly didn't start having so much fun doing it until Etsy entered my life.

To celebrate, we'll be sharing a sale code with those of you fabulous friends and customers who follow me here, on my Twitter, and on the Small Earth Vintage Facebook page.  I'll be sharing the code tomorrow, and it will be valid through Monday, October 31.

I'll also be holding a giveaway for $30.00 toward any purchase in the Small Earth Vintage Etsy shop.  To enter, leave a comment on this blog post telling me what you'd like to see more of on the blog or in the Etsy shop.  Only one comment per person, please.  You can get a secondary entry by tweeting a link to the giveway (be sure include my Twitter handle, @SmallEarthVtg, so I know about your tweet), but again, just one secondary entry per person, please.  I'll stop counting comments at midnight 12:00 am EST on Tuesday, November 1, and will then randomly choose a comment, and announce the winner sometime on Tuesday.

And finally: the shop is closing in on its 2000th sale.  A special surprise will be given to the person who purchases that 2000th item.

Thanks so much to all of you--customers, readers, commenters, and friends--who have helped make the past three years so much fun!  We love you.  

xo

K

shop accessories preview

Here is a preview of some shoes, specs, belt buckles, and an assortment of other items coming to the shop.

And stay tuned to the blog for an exciting announcement coming in the next few days!

1970s brown leather oxford pumps with brogue details.

Doc Martens two tone brogues.

Two tone gray oxford pumps.

Sebago tassel loafers.

1950s browline eyeglass frames, by US Optical.

1950s black Bausch & Lomb eyeglass frames.

1950s  marbled dark gray browline frames.

1950s jeweled cat's eye frames, by American Optical.

1950s black suede handbag.

1981 brass Mustang belt buckle.

Flying geese belt buckle.

Paralyzed Veterans of America belt buckle.

Painted and tooled leather belt.

Silk jet setters novelty print scarf.

1960s toy soldiers Italian made linen tea towel by Brigitte.

Mod Irish linen London tea towel.

Calder-esque fish mobile and boats frosted tumblers.

xo

K

old books

Oh dear.  It looks like I might have started to collect old books.

Only a few so far.  I was really excited to find that copy of Here Lies: The Collected Stories of Dorothy Parker.  I wonder if books, especially old books, will increase in value as people start using e-readers more and more.

No, no, don't worry.  I'm not stockpiling these like gold, hoping I can retire on the profits of selling them.  Much worse, actually.  I'm just collecting them because I like the author...or thought they were pretty.  For example, I doubt I'll read The Man from Red-Keg.  But what a gorgeous cover!  And I love the author's name.  Eugene Thwing.

Great dust jacket on the Ferber stories.  And I pretty much only bought Jo's Boys for the acorns on the cover.

Sometimes what's inside design-wise is just as exciting as what's on the outside.  Look at these Dorothy Parker endpapers.

I'd like wallpaper made from the Edna Ferber endpapers.

xo

K

cozy up

There's a shop on Etsy that sells cableknit cozies for your home: a knit ottoman, little knit legwarmers for sofa legs, and even an entire cableknit slipcover for a chair!  That's the kind of cozy home decor that looks very appealing right now, with the rainy, blustery, cool fall weather we've had in western Michigan.  

And this shop preview is full of similar cozies: coats, wool, and sweaters galore.

Green and black buffalo plaid wool jacket.

1950s butterscotch check day dress.

1950s golden brown cardigan, by Petti.

1970s bohemian print dress.

1950s plaid pleated wool skirt, by Madison.

1910s or 1920s dress with Grecian embroidery.

Gorgeous fitted mauve Harris tweed blazer.

1960s Mondrian abstract print dress and jacket.

1950s Givenchy for Talbott cardigan with bows on the back.

1950s black and white polka dot dress.

Insanely cute kitty cat and butterflies knit set.

1960s Pendleton wool plaid dress.

Maple leaf cowichan sweater.

1950s striped day dress.

1950s silver beaded snow white cardigan, by Monrose.

 1950s peach nubby knit wiggle dress, by Arkay.

Woolrich Hudson Bay jacket.

1940s floral scalloped bodice crepe dress, by Helene Scott.

1970s folklore embroidered sweater vest.

1960s brown plaid dress with Peter Pan and bow collar, by Bleeker Street.

xo

K