Tuesday, April 30, 2013

You're All I Need To Get By...

Today April 29th ...is Tammi Terrell's birthday......she achieved such great fame in her duets with Marvin Gaye.
When I first saw this dress at an estate sale, I heard Tammi's voice singing with Marvin.....
I was pretty happy to see pics of her in a dress so much like this one....






 My neon green dress is sold....but...
Here's the lovely sequin neckline and the cutaway arms.......and I had this very hairdo in 8th grade....


In dark green chiffon...similar style....with Marvin Gaye....



and a full length view....


Terrell's career was interrupted when she collapsed into Gaye's arms as the two performed at an October 14, 1967 concert, with Terrell later being diagnosed with a brain tumor. She had eight unsuccessful operations before succumbing to the brain cancer on March 16, 1970 at the age of 24.



2 of my favorite songs from the  60s....






Friday, April 19, 2013

Oh Marilyn, Oh Spring! The gnomes are so happy! so are the flamingoes !! flamingii !!



 the purple alyssum are blooming.....it's spring! they smell so good.....like honey........the white alyssum has a more intense fragrance...but don't pass the purple by....
It's spring......I'm so excited. I've planted a lot in the garden.....here's some tiny Swiss Chard.





little seedlings are springing up........



 and new spring things to wear are coming to the etsy shop....

Lovely candy colors in a printed plaid, this 70s cotton sundress, is from Nordstrom. It's got a wide elastic waist, a full bodice, and a gathered skirt. The skinny ties are so cute and really say "It's a beautiful day and I feel pretty!". 

this pretty dress...... is a classic......scroll down to see its Inspiration!





this pretty dress sure looks like this iconic Marilyn dress!




 Along with the late winter/spring blooming burgundy primroses,  I paired up some greenhouse nicotiana, and a bit of  blue lobelia.........courtesy of the greenhouse....


The flamingos are excited!





60s vintage Blue sharkskin suit !




80s vintage cotton Gant plaid button down short sleeve shirt 





60s vintage Fedora with gold feathers 





60s green cotton check short sleeve shirt 





Jams World shirt in bright blue, turquoise and green





60s vintage blue and green plaid shirt, short sleeve 





The gnomes are excited!! They are sooooooooo ready for spring.....



the little blue chionodoxa are blooming....
they only show their little blue heads in spring......
 known as Glory of the snow, they are a bulb, originally from Turkey. Like bulbs will do, they bloom in spring, sometimes thru the snow, and must be planted in the late fall.
This variety is named for Lucille, the wife of the botanist who named them.....discoverers get to do that....I'm sure Swiss botanist, Boissier wasn't really the first to notice them in Turkey, but he was the first to write it down in Latin, and make a big deal of it!!
these are beloved by gardeners because they are the rarest of colors in the garden, Blue.....
seems odd, eh? One would think blue would be very common....but no. The sky tries to keep as much blue as possible, I suppose..


oh look! a big healthy dandelion.....oh well.....the bugs and the birds and the butterflies appreciate a little wildness.....


pale daffodils.......


Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Mad Purple.....

well, much has been made of all the purple in the season opener of Mad Men  .....I don't watch Mad Men, but I do love purple!
one of the first flowers to bloom in late winter.......the purple crocus.....



 What is history of purple?  well......

1. Any of a group of colors with a hue between that of violet and red.
2. Cloth of a color between violet and red, formerly worn as a symbol of royalty or high office.
3. Imperial power; high rank: born to the purple.
4. Roman Catholic Church
a. The rank or office of a cardinal.
b. The rank or office of a bishop.
Purple is is the color of the imagination,creativity .... the not serious......or.........it is the color of royalty.....ponder that contradiction for a moment.......I've never thought those who are wealthy or in power have a damn lick of sense.....Only artists have a flipping clue.....and my whole life is one big purple art project! 

Pop on over to Tom & Lorenzo's place for all the gritty details........Here's Joan in purple.......




and Megan in purple and pot.....



and purple is popular with funkomavintage.......whether you are looking for spring purple....or winter purple down under....... Here we go!

Gant shirt for the guys.
Gant Purple vintage shirt Preppy button down cotton half sleeve L

Purple Vera 60s top....perfectly timed for the 1968 Mad Men women....... 



Vintage Vera Blouse 60s Purple grapes Napa wine magenta modern print shirt  S M

Purple handknit sweater cardigan with Beatrix Potter buttons....



 Purple velvet blazer......

Vintage Purple Velvet jacket Eggplant Aubergine 70s cotton steampunk blazer  M

  Laura Ashley vintage sailor dress...for the tiny set....

 Laura Ashley Sailor Girl nautical childrens vintage dress Purple calico S 2 3

 Purple knit dress...so simple and modern...
love the back!!
Purple dress Vintage 1970s boho  faux wrap sleeveless Small Medium

 Purple dress Vintage 1970s boho  faux wrap sleeveless Small Medium


Need more purple?? don't be shy!! clicky and see a lot of purple right now at funkomavintage!!!

Lavender wedding dress Bride dress spooky sheer  vintage 1960s S M

Monday, April 8, 2013

The daffs, the clouds, the promise of seeds in spring......

and now ...a few Spring words from Wordsworth, about the dreams of daffodils....
I wander’d lonely as a cloud
 That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
 When all at once I saw a crowd,
 A host, of golden daffodils;
 Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
 Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.....

 the full poem and its history at wikipedia.

 


Spring did finally come.......it took its own sweet time...as it always does.  I was out turning over the grass, liberating worms, and rolling in a lot of chicken poop and compost!
I'm really happy with the selection of old fashioned daffodils I planted last fall, and in late December.....I often have bulbs unplanted come spring when they should be blooming!! finallllllly this last fall, I only bought 50. and I got them all planted.
...this one is ... Fortissimo. It came on the market in the 1940's....since my house was built in 1942, I think it is a perfect match. 

Daffodils, botanical name, Narcissus....there is delightful and sad story there...another post to come. Daffs are native to Spain and Portugal. that seems strange, since I think of daffs as a cold weather flower, and Spain and Portugal are warm and sunny...but not always I suppose.....
Oh, look there. Somebody has a new cold frame.... courtesy of the husband.




(those apricot daffs are called "Accent")

A cold frame is such a handy dandy thing in the garden. A perfect place to harden off plants just before they go into the garden.....the big bad world full of storms, and hard rain, and bugs and slugs!
Here, in the cold frame, just a translucent box with a lid, that captures warmth (a mini-greenhouse), plants can ease themselves into the summer life of the growing season.

it regularly registers about 5 degrees warmer than the outside temp....and on a very warm day...say 72 degrees, I'll lift the lid or prop it open a few inches to be sure to vent the air if becomes too hot in there. We don't want to cook them!
I'm gonna line the bottom with rocks and bricks to act as heat sinks.




right now, I've moved my Black Krim tomatoes, and heirloom cherry tomato seedlings out here. Since these are old varieties, they are more cold tolerant than many other varieties of tomato.

Black Krim tomatoes are from Russia, near the  Black Sea region. So yeah, doesn't mind cold as much as say, Brandywine!  Black Krim is a beefsteak, so it will end up being about a 3" - 4"  squatty deep red/blackish tomato.  ....and the taste...so deep and rich.

Back in the early 90s, when I grew for my organic farm, and the farmer's market, I specialized in the Weird!!  green flowers, the black fruits and flowers, and of course, heirlooms. 



Hungarian hot wasx peppers, 3 different lettuces, pak choi, turnips, rutabagas, beets, radishes, and colorful carrots, 2 kinds of broccoli, peas, spinach.....

and that's just the spring planting!!