Wednesday, April 27, 2011

I ride my bike....

Long ago my bike's name was Elvis. She, (I know, but my bike was a girl) was repainted a frosty green, had a big metal wire basket, fat tires and wide fenders....and Elvis handpainted in man-handwriting on the front fender.




This 1930s model was my bike for awhile, but it sold. ugh. I have the pictures tho! So like a heartsick soldier pining for his girl back home, I carry this picture around, and made it my funkomavintage logo.


I also figured out how to print it myself...For this project, a tiny print of my bike, a miniature  Schwinn with a big metal basket, fat tires, wide fenders, cruiser handlebars, and a kickstand on the back tire became my  first project with the old girl....




The first pins I made....are appliqued on some vintage cabin design outdoorsy cotton...and as a cameo on some sweeter girly calico and chintz.



Pinned to a Betsey Johnson Spring floral jacket.....



But always toggling back and forth from fancy to rustic, I combined coffee bag burlap, vintage ultrasuede, wool tweed, and a coffee-dyed picture made into 1.5" x 3"  pins for the lapel, the fedora or summer straw hat,or, in the case of Mark's sartorial choices....pinned to the lapel of his WWll pea coat.
We went to a real fun party in Seattle a couple of weeks ago, and 4 people ordered a Coffee burlap and Bike pin...I just finished a small batch, and they're ready to ride on your location of choice.




Monday, April 25, 2011

I Like Black....

A Little Black dress....add a red rose, add a red scarf....wear it with white, wear it with green....add some yellow or gold, saffron, or mustard, and be a Bee!

Now that's Springy!
Bee pin...handmade from vintage thingies....




Oooo Betsey Johnson Punk Tag....Vintage 80s Batwing Avant Garde Jacket




Black dresses....Polka Dots,  sailor dress, ethnic prints, black lace, black rayon, black chiffon,  black satin, black velvet....from the 40s thru the 80s.......



Black dresses....Polka Dots,  sailor dress, ethnic prints, black lace, black rayon, black chiffon,  black satin, black velvet....from the 40s thru the 80s.......




Black dresses....Polka Dots,  sailor dress, ethnic prints, black lace, black rayon, black chiffon,  black satin, black velvet....from the 40s thru the 80s.......



Black dresses....Polka Dots,  sailor dress, ethnic prints, black lace, black rayon, black chiffon,  black satin, black velvet....from the 40s thru the 80s.......




Black dresses....Polka Dots,  sailor dress, ethnic prints, black lace, black rayon, black chiffon,  black satin, black velvet....from the 40s thru the 80s.......



Black dresses....Polka Dots,  sailor dress, ethnic prints, black lace, black rayon, black chiffon,  black satin, black velvet....from the 40s thru the 80s.......

Friday, April 22, 2011

Sun House

The sun has arrived here in the upper edge of America....for a short while it will appear from behind the ice cream castles in the air (aka...clouds).



I don't forget that 10 months of the year it's a cold and freezing wasteland...so this summer, while I'm in a good mood, and have some energy, I'm constructing a Sun House in the garage.
I'm gonna hang full spectrum Blue Max lights, and set out my rickety wicker 20s rocking chair, and buy many palms and ferns. Like this....


Then when the days start getting dark and suicidal (aka...October 31), I'll have a Happy Place to go to....It will be a real darling...bright....and full of plants....it'll be a great place to start seeds early in next January...not quite as sweeeet as a greenhouse, but, pretty neat. I have a great stereo out there already, and I think it will make an nice place for gatherings with the fam, come the holidays.

 2 kids....3 of the 5 grands.....




I'm gonna use these lights...compact florescent with full spectrum light....cheery and energy efficient.
Blue Max
High CRI up to 93+ for unmatched 
color rendering
• Flicker-free Electronic ballast
• Balanced full spectrum color and  
sunset models available

oooh Kew Gardens....


Yes, something Old Worldly....like this...


hanging plants and lots of big indoor 
ferns and palms.....


Saturday, April 16, 2011

big plans, stupid ankle

 Hardly anyone is more inspirational in my life than people who make something nice out of something that other people have thrown away. If it wasn't for things that people get rid of, I'd have to get a job pumping gas....Thanks! people. I pick the best stuff and keep it real...and, bingo.... I'm a Vintage Pusher. Vintage clothes, Vintage ladies, and Vintage flowers and vegetables for the garden.........so,
all set to put in the garden this sunny weekend,  &  I'm a laying around with a sprained ankle. Me, an ice bag, and computer for entertainment..
When I think, I'll never own my own home again (thanks to corrupt lawyers and evil republicans)...I go searching for  inspiration.

*******Criteria*******

1. I am not impressed by people with money. It's Too easy to make life work if you can just pull out a wad of cash.
2. I'm real sick  of tall skinny people, especially women.
3. I love gardening, and this year, I shall have a lovely yard, based mostly on annuals.



Here's the story of Tressa Prisbrey. She had a hard life, a real hard life, and after the age of 60, she finally got to own her own home. A trailer on a little plot of land,she made a junk paradise, and I hope I get the chance in a few years to own my own trailer, and make the world pretty....

 “Anyone can do anything with a million
dollars—look at Disney. But it takes more
than money to make something out of
nothing, and look at the fun I have doing it.”
— Tressa Prisbrey












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Models. Everything looks perfect on tall young girls. Big Deal.
Here's a few pics of women who are not tall, pretty, or young. They are, however, gorgeous.



 from etsy seller ajohns16


from




 from

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Annuals are easy. You plant them, they grow, they're pretty. Annuals, they usually are tough too. I bought 32 packages of seeds....over the next 2 weeks, and all of May, I'm planting....sunflowers,poppies,calendula,pink and purple radishes,purple, cream and red carrots, gourds, tall corn, indian corn, climbing beans, sweet peas, pink and white turnips, sweet peas, eating peas,lots of alyssum, pink cosmos, variegated nasturtium,bachelor buttons,onions,morning glory,striped zinnias, green zinnas, and white marigolds, moonflower, then tomatoes, potatoes, peppers,okra, tomatillos....and I'm probably forgetting quite a few.....


These gardens are mostly annuals....

2 gardens from.....






a sunflower garden from ......... 

It's vintage and it's retro....

vintage is that which is oh...at least 20 years older than today...preferably more than that...
retro is a design that looks like, and takes many design elements from another era....such as the proliferation of 50s style diners that popped up in the late 70s and all thru the 80s. All that pink, all that black, all that chrome, all those cateye glasses and motorcycle jackets....Copies of the original, and copies of the copies of the original.


This style of dress, very popular in the 1940s, was re-created in the 80s...the wide shoulders, wide collar, the tucks, the fitted waist with a dropped seam at the hip...and the peplum skirt which mostly falls from the waist as a ruffle....Often the dropped seam, is an influence from the 1920s, but in the 40s, the dresses became quite form-fitting...which is quite different from dresses in the 20s that were like wide tubes to hide the female form and make it appear fun, young and boy-like.

Dramatic tucked 1940s Rayon crepe black vintage dress in my etsy shop now....

 Yes, a dramatic tucked 1940s rayon crepe black vintage dress with deep tucked pleats on the bodice, deep tucked pleats on the skirt, this is a classic 1940s crepe dress....the fabric we love!

Simple yet so effective, ....I love the back!



It has Gathers ...so it makes a bit of a fishtail...for lovely looks coming....and going




This original 40s rayon crepe dress has been used as an influence in zillions of 80s dress....Here's a few from around etsy and the blogosphere...

here's a vintage 80s does 40s black peplum dress L, storylandvintage

"This vintage number from the 80's calls upon earlier times with its peplum and cinched waist and classy style."



Black Drop Waist Rosette Dress from BeckyDrolen

 "This is a lovely vintage 80s does the 20s flapper style drop waist dress with beautiful large rosette fabric details at the waist."
yes...the dropped waist detail is a feature of  1920s dresses. See...it's borrowed and influenced from designs from times past...



Casadei Gilded Black Fishtail Dress from  apocalypsevintage

"Cap sleeves, pencil skirt, and a devastatingly scandalous plunging V back. Fabulous ruffle fishtail in back!"

That fishtail is  a charmer! 

 

 1920s dresses.....
dropped waist hip seams ....

Art Deco Glamour Risqué Erotic French Print from seller  thetinbox