nyc

My last visit to NYC (where I lived for 11 years, and where many of my dearest friends still reside) was in January 2011.  When I found out we would have some items in the Etsy Holiday Shop, it seemed like a good time to take a long overdue trip to the city.  Here are some snaps I took during our quick weekend visit.

Holiday lights in Astoria.

Love the edifice of this apartment building!

Breakfast on vacation means macarons and coffee at Mille-feuille.

Andy between the Dior and Etsy shops.

I thought the Etsy shop was really nicely done.  It looked pretty much exactly how I would imagine an Etsy brick and mortar store would look.

They were holding a holiday ornament workshop when we were there.

Some pretty jewels from jeanjeanvintage and a cute handmade ring holder!

The rack of vintage.  There wasn't a ton of it; we were there on one of the last few days the shop was open and were told much of it had sold.

Small Earth Vintage shoes on the right.

The tags they used on the vintage.  I love that: "Vintage by Karen of Grand Rapids, MI."

We escaped the cold drizzle with lunch at Randolph Beer--pickles, brussels sprouts and smoky corn!  And beer.  (I knew there would be lots of cocktails later, so I thought I should let Andy get some good beers.)  It was funny for us to see beer from Grand Rapids' own Founders Brewing in NYC, and it was hard not to laugh while the bartender tried to sell us on it.  

But forget about the beer.  Cocktails!  That kind of dark and blurry photo above is from Andy's Blackberry (I pretty much concentrated on drinking and talking once we started with the cocktails), and was taken at Amor y Amargo in the East Village, which has a fantastic bitters-based cocktail menu and informative drink makers.  I also loved the Darling Clementine cocktail (like drinking a pomander: gin, clementine juice, and cloves) and fried pickles at Sweet Afton in Astoria.  But my favorite was Long Island City's Dutch Kills--amazing drinks and perfect speakeasy ambiance.

If this vintage shop window is any indication, NYC hipsters are hugely into the Ugly Christmas Sweater thing.  It's a bit weird to see the not-very-vintage ugly sweaters bookended by a couple really nice cowichans, but hey, what are you gonna do?

Anyway, it was a short and densely-packed trip, and was completely fantastic.  I love NYC, and visiting always feels like coming home.

xo

k

cocktail: applejack old fashioned

I'm not a big fruit person, but I do love apples--their scent, texture (nice crisp ones only please), and flavor (the Pink Lady is my favorite, but I like most varieties that have a good tart/sweet balance).  Unfortunately, this was an awful year for apples and apple farmers in western Michigan.  Unseasonable 90 degree temperatures in March, followed by a very late April frost, killed off most of the local apple production.  Maybe it was the dearth of local apples and cider that drove me to finally add a bottle of applejack to my home bar.

Laird's Applejack is the oldest commercially distilled American spirit.  In the American colonies, the usual sources of whiskey--corn, rye, and barley--were not available.  But apples were.  These were made into cider, that was then distilled into applejack.  Laird & Company started making applejack in New Jersey in 1698, and you can still buy a bottle of Laird's today.  It's not very expensive, and it's the ingredient in a number of classic cocktails.  It has a slight sweetness and, yes, a delicious apple flavor.  (You can read much more about Laird & Company and the history of applejack in this New York Times article from 2005.)

I've mixed up a couple different applejack-y cocktails (it makes a nice hot toddy), but my favorite by far has been this very simple Applejack Old Fashioned (recipe found here).  Here's what you do:

In a rocks glass, stir the following together:

*2 oz Laird's Applejack

*2 dashes bitters (Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged preferred; I used Fee Brothers Old Fashioned, and Angostura would work, also)

*1 tsp (or to taste--I like a bit less) maple syrup

After stirring, drop in a large ice cube or two, stir a bit more, and enjoy!  This is a strong drink, but it has a very drinkable sweetness to it.

cheers!

xo

K

all the good winter things

A short shop preview for a short week...we're taking off Thursday through next Monday to visit friends (and the Etsy Holiday Shop!) in NYC.  It may be a small preview, but it's still chock full of all the good winter things: plaid, velvet, taffeta, wool.

Have a look at what is coming to the shop this week.

1960s Irish wool cape with wooden buttons, by Merrywear.

1950s blush pink embroidered tulle party dress.

1970s striped wool polo sweater, by Pandora Scotchkin.

1960s brown velvet mini skirt.

1950s pale blue and turquoise taffeta party dress.

Vintage Shetland wool argyle button up vest made in Scotland by McGeorge of Dumfries.

1970s plum velvet blazer, by Adolph Schuman for Lilli Ann.

1950s red plaid wool Pendleton skirt.

xo

K

lumberjack by day, james bond by night

The ideal man.  He chops wood for your fire, and can mix a martini.  He looks great in both plaid wool and a sharp sharkskin suit.  Yes, it's time for another man-centric shop preview.  All these items to suavely stride their way into the shop soon!  (And if you're a guy, or shopping for the guy in your life, you can view what's currently available in the vintage menswear section.)

1950s Pendleton red shadow plaid shirt.

1970s Pendleton authentic Menzies black and white tartan plaid oxford shirt.

1970s Pendleton authentic Prince Charles Edward Stewart tartan plaid shirt.

1970s Pendleton red plaid wool robe.

1960s blue sharkskin suit, by Rocklyn Clothes.

Black and white houndstooth clip on bow tie, by Ormond.

Red print clip on bow tie, by Best Clip.

xo

K

etsy holiday shop + sweet deals

If you're a fan of our Facebook page, you'll already know this, but I'm really excited to announce that Small Earth Vintage is part of the Etsy Holiday Shop in NYC this year!  The shop opened yesterday, and will remain open until December 8, so if you're in the NY area--go check it out!

Andy and I will actually be able to visit in person, since we're taking a long overdue trip to NYC next weekend.  It looks like there will be a lot of fantastic vintage there.  You can see a preview of what's available here (scroll down to see all the featured items).

And in other important holiday news, have you been over to Honey Kennedy to check out some of the amazing holiday shopping deals Jen has posted?  You really should: there are tons of great deals from wonderful independent shops.  (And you might find a little code for shopping Small Earth Vintage in  there, too!

xo

K

obsessed: pomanders

This might be the start of a new series on the blog of things with which I'm obsessed.  We'll see.  But first of all, the title of this should probably be "obsessed: the scent of pomanders," or, "obsessed: the scent of pomanders and other things with clove in them."  But let's start with pomanders.

Aren't they cool?  I've made three of them, using this tutorial from Mrs. Meyer's, the cleaning product line.  It's really easy, even for a non-crafty all-thumbs gal like myself.  They smell lovely, and look pretty neat, too.

Speaking of Mrs. M, I bought some of this stuff, and it also smells wonderful.  As with all orange/clove products, I find myself wishing it had a bit more clove in it, but that's just me.  (I even put extra clove in our homemade sloppy joes when Andy made them recently.  I was the sous chef, so I snuck 'em in there.)

I bought this Clementine Clove candle from Sydney Hale on Etsy, and I love it.  It has a wonderful scent, is a nice big size, and the old timey label and amber glass container are nice bonuses.

I bought two of these wonderful clove and lavender sachets from AdobeHouseVintage on Etsy last year, and kept one for the house, where it hangs in my bedroom.  It has a wonderful scent--plenty of clove for me--and is cute as heck.  I feel like a need another one--or six--for my house this year.

I've been a fan of Burt's Bees lip balm for a long time, and was happy as heck when they came out with this balm with clove oil.  So good!

Please tell me about your favorite pomander or clove-scented products and recipes in the comments!  I would especially love to find a nice clove-y or pomander scented perfume.  Or a clove-centric cocktail.  I know cloves are a staple in mulled wines and cider, but is there a way to use them in other cocktails?  (See...I really am obsessed!)

xo

K

accessories preview: party shoes, boots, collars and more

Here's a megabig-ginormo-extreeeeeme shop preview (well, it certainly felt that way when I was photographing and editing it yesterday) full of fabulous accessories:  party shoes and winter boots, cocktail hats and festive collars...and an amazing peacock bag that I can't believe I'm letting go!  All items will be tiptoe-ing into the shop beginning this week!

1960s metallic gold party pumps, by Life Stride.

1970s Bass snow boots.

1960s black patent strappy pumps, by Socialites.

Zip-up brogue boots.

Two tone suede bowling shoes, by Dexter.

LL Bean Maine Hunting Shoe boots.

Crazy 1960s mod patchwork suede shoes.

1980s brown woven leather oxford flats.

Black leather Enna Jetticks corset pumps.

1970s caramel leather wedge oxfords, Cream Puffs by Softspots.

Red and blue fabric purse with plastic handle, by DeLanthe.

Ourageously cool button beaded peacock tote bag.

1950s black fur cocktail hat/fascinator.

1950s gray and mauve, mink, velvet and satin demi-chapeau, by Mr. John.

Clear pink plastic round sunglasses/frames.

1950s etched leaves cat's eye eyeglass frames with green stones, by Victory.

1950s brown fur detachable Peter Pan collar.

Large crochet lace detachable bib collar.

Mid century party girl handpainted plate.

Copper repousse JFK plaque.

xo

K