my favorite blogger...

Small Earth Vintage Top, originally uploaded by pleinairstream pics.

...wears one of my favorite tops! And I get to see it. Yay! This is the first time I've seen someone wearing a Small Earth Vintage piece, and it makes me so happy. Isn't she adorable? And those boots are incredible.

"She", by the way, is Bethany, who writes about Airstream travel, food, and Rudy my #1 Internet Dog Crush in her witty and wonderful blog, Full Hook-Ups: http://silverstreamer.blogspot.com/. She also has a great Etsy vintage shop: http://www.roadtripjournal.etsy.com. Thanks for letting me see you rocking your purchase, Bethany!

xo
k

by the pricking of my thumbs...

...something wicked this way comes. Halloween! It's been too long since I got to wear a Halloween costume, but I still love this time of year.

The above are classic circa-1940s Halloween decoration designs by Beistle, a company that is still in the party goods and decorations business. I don't believe they still make the above designs, which I remember vividly from my own childhood in the 1970s-1980s. Sadly, my mom--who is the opposite of a hoarder--got rid of our old Halloween decorations ages ago, but I was able to purchase the above set from Retroween.com, which describes them as 1940s reissues.

I particularly remember and love that black cat with the monocle, the owl, and the cat hissing at the pumpkin head up on the post!

Click here to read a fascinating history of the Beistle company.

xo
K

brrrr!

It's gone from Indian summery autumn to downright chilly here in the blink of an eye, but I guess we're lucky, since some places in North America are already getting snow! We're taking advantage of the weather by cozying up with fleece blankets, turkey chili, and apple crisp. If I were to venture outdoors, the sweet plaid hooded poncho above would be just right!

Here are a few more items that will shortly be showing up in the Etsy shop.


A pretty much perfect Little Black Dress, with beading and three-dimensional crescents at the neckline.




Brown and yellow plaid pencil skirt.




Cherry red shirt dress with belt.




Adorable folklore print cardigan.




1980s lilac plaid dress.




Blue wool plaid Evan-Picone high-waisted skirt.




Gray striped 1950s dress with lace trim at the cuffs.




1960s Vera Neumann blouse.




1950s rayon rose print shirtwaist dress.




Lacy Gunne Sax prairie blouse.




Sage butterfly print jacquard cardigan by Garland.




Paisley print blouse by Shapely Classic.




xo
k

lucky

That is the view from the deck, i.e. where I take photos, i.e. my workspace. Lucky, right? This is just the best time of year--and the colors aren't even at their peak yet.


You're lucky, too. Look at the lovely vintage items coming your way soon!


L'Aiglon black dress with brown embroidery.




Cute little pouf-sleeve cardigan.




Great print shift. It has some fading, but is still really cute.




Plaid pleated skirt.




Sheer shirtdress in autumn colors.




Yellow and amber rose print blouse.




Pixie-ish blue knit dress with Peter Pan collar.




Pleated red plaid wool skirt.




Paisley print shirtwaist dress--more autumn colors!




Short sleeve fisherman style sweater.




Blue chevron dress by Henry Lee.




Stripey knit top.




No. Words.




1940s or early 1950s cream corduroy jacket with mother-of-pearl buttons.




Olive plaid schoolgirl dress.




1970s jacquard sweater.




The cutest print dress.




Look at the terrier in the sweater!




Wild 60s roll collar sheath.




Gorgeous wool knit green rose print shawl collar wrap dress.

xo
k

my best friend

It was my best friend Stephani's birthday on Monday, and she spent a long weekend with us. Look at her! She's just as cute now as she was when I first met her at the Henry Holt fax machine almost 20 years ago!

If I didn't know Stephani, I wouldn't have met the love of my life, Andy, and I wouldn't be selling vintage clothing, either.




We always have a blast together. We started out the weekend at a Polish hall, sharing some delicious Polish food, courtesy Grand Rapids' Pulaski Days.




Aside from eating, Stephani and I also love walking around. So we headed downtown with Andy and Lucy for some ArtPrize viewing.

Lucy and a rubber tire sculpture in Calder Plaza.




Steph and I both loved the Beerhorst Family Wonder Wagon.






We had a delicious dinner out with friends at Corez Wine Bar. (As usual, Steph and I, shared our meals. Having a best friend who has similar tastes and likes to share is fantastically convenient!) Afterward, we visited a local favorite, the Pickwick Tavern, where Andy cracked us up with stories of his childhood.





We ended the weekend at an orchard, where, after fortifying ourselves with hot cider and doughnuts...




...we entered the Corn Maze!





I felt pretty safe from the Children of the Corn in the company of these two--they're both strong and fast.




It was a fantastic weekend! But then, I always have fun when Stephani is around.




Happy Birthday to you, my friend! Here's to many more years of sharing food, pleasant strolls, afternoon cocktails, movie and trash TV-watching, and road trips. Love you!

(If you want to see more photos from our weekend and ArtPrize, you can check them out on my Flickr page.)

xo
k