the sunday night shop preview--on monday

Don't know if it's the holiday, end of summer doldrums, or what, but I'm a little bit behind. I'll be busy with shipping tomorrow--lots of sales over the holiday weekend!

Here's a peek at what's coming up in the store this week.

A nifty citrus-colored mid-century modern print shift by Aviva in Miami.

Stripey yellow and blue pleated skirt.




Lanvin abstract floral shirt dress.



Fruits of the harvest print oxford shirt.

Striped wiggle dress by Sue Brett.

Mod Vera Neumann abstract cotton tunic.

1950s floral print party dress.

Snowflake print a-line skirt.

1960s pale buttercup linen dress.

Vintage Abercrombie & Fitch blue plaid flannel ruffle blouse.

Nylon blue and white striped dress.

The CUTEST blue and green striped full skirt with bow belt!

1960s black-and-white plaid organza ruffles cocktail dress by Domino.

Navy striped Chemise Lacoste polo dress.

Beautiful, chic and bohemian, black floral print cotton sateen dress with full skirt.

Monet blue enamel and goldtone links choker.

Sparkly lurex ivory fabric slingbacks with rhinestone medallions at toes.

Tri-color suede oxfords. WHY aren't they my size???

xo
k

cozy

It's still summery and warm here, though the evenings are pleasantly cool. It puts me in the mood for cool fall weather, wearing sweaters and tights, drinking hot cider and cocoa--all the things that make you feel warm and cozy in the cold, crisp air.


And thus, the theme of my latest Etsy Treasury! Please click to see it nice and big, click on the lovely sellers included, and leave a comment if you wish. :)

xo
k

a couple days of fun

It's Labor Day weekend--and I will be laboring for the rest of it! But that is okay, because we just had a couple days of not-COMPLETELY-work-related fun.

As I've mentioned before, it's the 40th anniversary of the installation of Alexander Calder's La Grande Vitesse stabile in Grand Rapids. We went to Meijer Gardens to check out the exhibition about it before it ended. Here's Andy checking out Calder's Deux Discs.



After, we went for drinks at a new-ish place in Grand Rapids' Cherry Hill neighborhood, Corez Wine Bar. Very cute place. I can't wait to eat there; the menu looked great--mix & match charcuterie and cheese, BLT risotto, shellfish stew. We just had drinks (Andy had a Czech black lager, and I had a Negroni. Not many bars in Grand Rapids have Campari--which is weird, since it's not exactly obscure--so I was dorkily excited.) This photo is mainly for my Mom to see me modeling the beautiful crocheted cashmere necklace she bought me (on Etsy, of course!).



We had a fantastic--as always--dinner at Bistro Bella Vita. They had a polenta appetizer special that night that almost killed us with its deliciousness.

Yesterday we headed out on a little thrifting road trip. It's not like we NEED stuff, considering the garage is full, but anyway. We started the day at the wonderful Sweetwater Local Foods Market in Muskegon, where, along with a cooler-ful of jalapeno brats, short ribs, and maple syrup, we got some delicious scones from Earthly Kneads. Mine was lemon and fig.



We spent the whole day out, and found a few treasures, including a great vintage dress that I may keep! I wish I'd photographed more of the items as we went along, but we were too busy hopping back into the truck to head to the next place. But I did snap a shot of this cool vintage globe, which we'll be finding a spot for somewhere in the house.



Our thrift trips are just as much about finding new and exciting places to eat as they are about thrifting. This was our second trip to Muskegon's Mia & Grace. The concentration on local foods, and the general feeling, remind me of the sadly-now-closed Journeyman's Cafe in Fennville.




The menu is written out on giant strips of kraft paper hung on the wall, along with a list of the farmers and providers they use. It's bright and airy, and I love the work from local artists that is showcased on the walls.






One thing they do that I love is they make their own sodas. I rarely drink soda, but how can you turn down a lavender vanilla, or lemon thyme, soda? I had the lemon thyme this time, and it was delicious--refreshing and not too sweet.

We shared the fried goat cheese salad and buffaloaf sandwich for lunch.



Both were divine. I usually find buffalo burgers very dry. The buffaloaf was moist and delicious, served on homemade rye with homemade ketchup. So good! You can see that we also made a mini-buffaloaf sandwich for Lucy, who was patiently waiting in the car.

We were too full for dessert, but one day I will try the candied bacon ice cream!

Little dog wondering where her treat is.



It was a lot of fun, but now it's back to work! I have a ton of vintage to photograph today, and Andy is off to a flea market. I hope all of you are enjoying your Labor Day weekends!

xo
k

he must love me

He made me corn pie!

Of course, I've only been pestering him about it since last week, when Smitten Kitchen Tweeted the recipe.

And then, of course, the lovely Bethany over at Full Hook Ups blogged about the corn pie. Which just ramped up my demands for the corn pie. (And by the way, you really should be reading Bethany's blog if you aren't already. She is a great writer, hilariously funny, and posts about all my favorite things: food, travel, vintage. And, well, there's also Rudy. Who I happen to have a massive crush on.)

But back to the corn pie. He not only made the corn pie. He spelled it out on the corn pie.



And yes, it was really good. Really REALLY good. Everyone should make the corn pie. (Or, better yet, have someone make it for you!)

xo
k

september wants

It's September! And we just had our 200th sale on Etsy. Both put me in a shopping mood.

I have become pretty frugal. Andy and I love selling vintage, but running a small business means money is always fairly tight. Luckily, neither of us has particularly fancy tastes...well, except in beer and perfume. Since I work at home, I don't require much of a wardrobe. Loving vintage and thrifting means I can usually get some good cheap thrills regularly.

I do have an innate love of clothes and fashion, though, and that love seems to really percolate this time of year.

Here is what I'm currently desiring. Most of it actually isn't clothing--with the exception of a few key pieces, that's usually a pretty easy jones for me to fulfill.

First is this fabulous acorn necklace from blockpartypress on Etsy. I wanted to purchase it for my 100th Etsy sale, but didn't. (My mom got me a beautiful necklace from another seller that I adore, though--thanks, Moom! xo) The acorn necklace is kind of perfect for this time of year, and blockpartypress is having a 20% off + free shipping deal, so I think I may have to finally go for it.

Speaking of things that go around your neck, I just saw this adorable ascot neckwarmer over at Modish yesterday. It's from Etsy seller yarnovermovement and looks like the perfect neckwarmer for a dork like me who can never seem to get her scarf to tie just right. I also love the gorgeous peacock blue/teal color, though it comes in other moutwatering fall shades (cranberry! eggplant! olive!).

I wear a lot of skirts and dresses with tights in the fall and winter. But I've been wanting a pair of lined wool tweed or flannel trousers, a la Katharine Hepburn for a long time now. They would be great for the biting cold Michigan winters, but I can't seem to find just what I want. US Navy sailor pants like these are nifty, but they're a bit more baggy than I desire, and I want a different color. I'll keep looking.

Red lipstick is my #1 makeup staple. My friend Jessica over at the Now Smell This blog has been raving for some time now about Poppy King's Lipstick Queen line. The Sinner lipsticks are 90% opaque (love matte, opaque lipsticks! I rarely wear sheer shades or gloss), and I think I may need one in Rouge, Rose or Red. Sadly, the entire line of Sinner lipsticks seem to be out of stock on the website. I hope that's just temporary!

Speaking of red lipsticks, I recently misplaced my NARS Red Lizard. NARS, in my opinion, makes the best red lipsticks out there. Red Lizard is a bright, matte, retro glam red. I really have to replace mine.

Now that the weather is cooling off, I am ready to place an order with my fellow Team Treasury member, Vintage Confections. She has some delectable-sounding goodies in her shop, including lavender honey truffles and French sea salt caramels. And just look at these dark chocolate strawberry jellies!

Finally, and I sure hope we can swing it, I'd love a trip up north to the fabulous Legs Inn for some Polish food before they close for the season.

Some thrifting and leaf-peeping, followed by pierogis, kielbasa and Okocim beer in a setting like this--heaven!

Not to mention the crazy taxidermy.

Yep, I could go on all day about Legs Inn.

I'm sure I'll have more posts like this throughout autumn. What are your September/autumn desires?

xo
k

stuff!

There is a funny story about how one of my friends got duped into attending an Amway meeting. (I live in Amway country. Apparently Amway has such a bad rep that they have to be pretty sneaky in the ways they approach potential new Amway sellers. For example, if you get a flyer in your mailbox asking you to attend a neighborhood "Meet and Greet" in which you will "Learn and Discern," don't go. Unless you are interested in selling Amway.) Anyway, the guy heading the meeting asked the room, "Do you like stuff? Raise your hand if you like stuff!" I don't know why, but Andy and I find that hilarious and every now and then you'll catch us replaying that moment (even though we weren't there).

Anyway--here's some stuff! Stuff that's not clothing. Stuff that goes with clothing. They call this stuff: Accessories. (Or shoes.) I call it: Sneak preview of Stuff coming to the shop this week!

White raffia cone hat! By Maison's Washington DC.

Great little velour hat in autumn tones of russet brown, mauve, and pale pink.

Celadon velveteen fascinator hat.

Deadstock with box! Aspen Trail Finders hiking boots.

Deadstock again! Mahogany leather low heel boots.

1960s or 1970s gray suede oxfords.

Beautiful 1940s/1950s suede and leather D'Orsay heels by Tweedies.

1970s wood wedge mary janes.

1960s orange patent flower shoes.

Tooled leather saddle bag purse.

Tiki print mini-suitcase.

The Royal Tenenbaums leather tennis bag, by Land.

Red and black ombre umbrella. Ombrella! For rainy fall days.

xo
K