Pears and the brandy....

another pleasure of autumn is the golden and russet ripening of pears.
yes, yummy right off the tree, organic style.....like this one that grew on my old old pear tree.

 It is an old French trick to grow a pear in a glass bottle, yes. Right in the pear orchard, you encase a tiny pear in a bottle and let it grow. Then, snip it and bottle it with brandy.

If you'd like to try it...here's a link to the UK's Telegraph and a lovely explanation of the olde technique.

Look, Pear Brandy!!!


Did you know there are more than a dozen varieties of pears that are grown all over the world? Well, there are! Most people in the US have only seen 2 ...maybe 3 varieties.

My tree is an old Bartlett, and probably the most common and well-known. In US supermarkets, I've seen green  Anjou, Bosc, Comice, and once in a while, the red Anjou.
I love that the green Anjou don't change to yellow....they stay green even when ripe and juicy. That makes them fun to decorate with......I love a shot of green fruit or flower in a display.... shakes up the usual expectations. That's why I've always grown green zinnias, variegated leaves, black pansies, purple leaf anything!
USApears has more info.....




 Here's some Pear shades of autumn in vintage separates listed at funkomavintage........

vintage Hawaiian cape blouse in lovely fall colors....

gold sequins, vintage 60s party blouse..with sparkly fringe!

golden, rust orange, earth brown and autumn blue sky in a 60s cotton provincial print blouse...charming and cute folk art farm scenes...

vintage pocket watches, old compacts, and the details on a lady's dresser in an autumn tone vintage blouse

60s Mod op art party skirt......lovely cotton sateen with gold dots, with brown and gray....

here's the pear.......chilling and relaxing on the sofa......

It's New to You....

Quite a few vintage separates this week ...including a weird and wonderful fringe sweater jacket from the 70s....and quite a few vintage dresses....and oh my! sizes from XS to XL...

60s jacket with fabric roses....

with fringe and crochet balls....a 70s extreme textures thing going on....

Oooh shiny! 70s mini-trench in shiny black nylon....like a windbreaker, but with STYLE !

70s boho pink plaid top...

and Vintage Dresses! are you ready for Spring? Cause it's ready for you!

cutwork halter with BUTTERFLIES !

MOD. dress.

all of these are in the etsy shop, Right Now! well, you know, unless they are sold...wink.

Crazy metallic wild print dress....with rhinestones......cause it just needed a little bit more....

Malia Hawaiian dress........Bright and Happy !

70s calico peasant dress.......

Black silk party dress !!

Rockabilly 50s style Halter dress..........pretty pink flowers !

I Can't go Naked, this isn't a desert island...

I have clothes, but sometimes I stare at my closet and can't find anything to wear!
That's when I know I have to spend an afternoon just trying things on, with accessories and the proper shoes......
to, you know,
Play Dress Up with myself.
As the months go by, my color favorites change, the weather gets warmer or cooler, and I simply grow tired of certain things.

I try combinations that are not your usual Cuppa Tea, because, well, sometimes the ordinary can be quite boring...

to wit:
50s atomic pattern dress is basic enough to toss some very interesting accessories at it....or it can be a pure copy of a 50s gal...paired with a hot yellow cardigan, yellow pumps and purse.....or something unusual.............your choice!
I've paired it with a handmade tote to pick up the yellow in the dress print....a fun handmade bag.



Interesting shoes eh? Simple oxfords with a twist.......
Black and shiny, they bring the outfit down to earth in a gothic manner.



Or 70s banana platform slingbacks!


Going a bit more conservative....I love pieces that match and mix.......

Here's 2 basic suits....exquisite fabric and work. If you are used to buying your clothes at a mall store or bought new anytime in the last 15 years, You have been cheated!
In contrast....the fabrics....the details.....the overall quality of vintage will just blow your mind. Clothes started to become very cheaply made....throw-away actually.....in the 70s. I'm not gonna count the paper dresses of the 60s.........

I'm talkin' about so many shortcuts while sewing a garment together that it had no seam allowances, shoddy button sewing, and such a lack of cute details. The recent inflow of cheap garments from places like China has really given clothing a bad name!

These 2 suits are designer names, a classic military influenced chocolate brown Escada set and for the adorable 60s set, Curilette Originals from San Francisco have workmanship that is in the same class as the most famous designers of today and the kind of clothes that used to have those finishing touches that you can only find today in tailored made, or very expensive.

Both are in quality wool, and are in colors that can be worn 4 seasons a year. In summer, the jackets would work with sheer florals and flowing lace summer dresses, to cover bare shoulders when the air conditioning is too cold, or when a late summer evening gets a bit of a chill.




I love them both with rustic huaraches city sandals.....or classic wingtip flats.

Pair the pieces with black, white, creams or other pastels....
and get your fashion dollar worn wisely.......






Which is another reason to buy vintage!
Clothes that will last longer than a half-season.
Most of the clothes made in the last decade will end up in the landfill. But these, for instance, have been worn and now can be added again to a wardrobe for another time around, and then, can be passed on to another generation.





The cut of this 60s suit, this jacket in particular, is curvy.......look at how the bottom button is inset just a bit.....and not to mention the classiness of bound buttonholes.
This looks as lovely with pearls and chains as it would with a necklace of chunky polished agates, or a fat 60s floral brooch. It doesn't have to team up with a skirt.....a great pair of jeans or a floral dress is just as appealing.


A skirt........A blouse........both cute and both vintage.