Why am I in a cabin kind of mood? I need a vacation, that's why. and that's why I made a cabin display in the shop......I want to sit in a cozy living room with a fireplace, I want to drink a boozy cinnamon hot tea, I want to have a stack of books sitting beside me.
I want to hear the chickadees sing, I want to hear a wooden rocker creak, and I want to bake some bran muffins......
I want to wear leather boots, I want to wrap myself in a warm wool blanket, I want to watch the evergreens sway in the breeze.
Well, tough luck on that...at least for awhile...;-)
So, I found a Cynthia Steffe corset dress...in black.
and a leather briefcase banged up just the way I like it.
some crumpled vanilla wrapping paper, many copies of The Stranger Genius issue... a very vintage Irish hotel laundry basket
my wood Nordstrom hanger, old wood yardsticks, leather brouges, fringe moccasins and a leather tote bag.
Some of these will be listed on etsy in the next few days..... And some wool camp blankets, and an Indian print blanket. Some safari dresses and linen. What got me going was this man-selection I'm sure.
These are up at etsy right now! 30s - 40s A-2 leather jacket...
Red and Black plaid Woolrich vintage jacket.
Red Wing leather vintage work boots.
Air Force N 2B vintage hooded jacket with real fur.
As I was outside on Thursday afternoon, burning holes in my camo pants, soon to be skirt......of course anyone who walked by was darn curious about what I was doing. Picute this: a lady (me) sitting in the driveway in front of my shop burning her laid-out pants, lighting wooden matches and holding the flame to folds of fabric.
I simply explained I was working on my costume...I was doing an art project... Ron said: "hot pants!" Which honestly, I hadn't thought of! Others said "Burning Man Pants"..."Burning pants not bras"......I have some funny neighbors !
While I'm sure folks don't see this sort of activity everyday, I like to think that I'm doing my part to Keep It Weird. Mark was watching me, and asking why I didn't use his propane torch. I explained that I wanted to use a flame-making device that I was familiar with, since I didn't know how quickly the fabric might flame up. Standing off to the side was a young man, tossing a football between his left hand and his right. He was nervous, as he watched me make holes, & pat out the small fires.
He finally asked me what I was doing. I explained. He told me that seeing camo pants being burned was very upsetting to him, since he was recently discharged from the military and he had buddies that died in the muck, in the war.
I was surprised that my art project, my afternoon fun, had caused such a strong reaction. I told the man that I understood his feelings..that seeing camo being burned would have an emotional effect on him.
We chatted some more about camo, burning, why was I using camo. I said that I'm making a costume for an Apocalypse-theme party here on Broadway on Saturday night. My thinking, I told him, was that after the war or devastation that might happen to plunge us into a post-apocalyptic world....that there would be lots of camo and military clothes around, and if I was to make clothes, which is what I do with my real life, I might use what is most plentiful and just keep on creating. And since I'm going to a party, I was going to make a party dress. Post-Apocalyptic Finery from bits of whatever is left ..........
I think he thought I was nuts and disprespectful to the military. He told me so. (that last part, anyway) I've heard this line of thinking many many times before. I am, after all, a flower child that grew up in the SF Bay Area, and was a war protester. I also spent my childhood growing up next to the Veterans Home in Yountville. I know veterans. I know the cost of war.
I told him I wasn't disrespecting the military. I don't know if he believed me. I do know he was quite emotional about watching me. It struck me that ......here was a young man who had received military training. He is capable of many brave acts. And, I saw that he was somewhat afraid, apprehensive at least, to talk to a tiny middle-age woman who was sitting on the concrete burning her camo pants.
Mark asked him what he does in the office next to us. He replied "We help people refinance their mortgage rates down." Well,neighbor, that's a good thing, I told him. Helping people stay in their homes.
Here's what I didn't tell him, because he had used up all his bravery and now just wanted to get back to his office, with the amazing view of the Tideflats and Tacoma industriousness, and the Cascades........
I know from decades of living with America's military presence all around me that I know exactly how to love the veteran, the soldier, the men and women who think they are protecting me from the Bad People. I love the military people, but I hate war. I think the best way to show respect to those who pay the ultimate price, who sign up to give the ultimate if asked to do so.... is to work for a world that has a smaller chance of creating wars.
To oppose war is to honor the military. I would love for the world to train soldiers, for Generals, and Admirals and Presidents and Captains of Industry, on whose behalf we fight war, to look at young, oh so very very young men right straight in the eye, and tell them that our most fondest wish is to equip them with what they need in battle and to work harder to make sure they never really have to use it.
I also learned that cotton camo pants require about 6 seconds of direct flame before catching fire, and one or 2 pats will extinguish a 3 inch high flame. This information made me feel better for the soldiers who had to wear these pants in the year they were made, 2001.
some days.... I wonder why my mom didn't give me cheekbones instead of her chins? Huh? Damn. I used to watch the Country Music Channel on the boobtube back in the 80s....that's where I first heard the Judds (The Juggs) Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam, Ricky Scaggs..o\post Emmylou.... The Forrester Sisters...
and this one......well, values like honesty, fairness, empathy...where did they go?
well I am almost always in black......gray.....dark green.....navy....purple.......The Jewel Tones......The Dark Jewel Tones....
I know I'll always feel dark.....still.
So what's at work here....it's been brewing for a year or so....
is a slight shift in color and texture.
I always loved velvet, velvet, velvet and lace. And Leather.
and, being of A Dame of a Certain Age, I know I want to wear things that are simpler in style and fabric, and color.
and sepia, gray, cream, oyster, ivory.......
and black...
Some women want to keep with the multicolors....
the big prints...
the ooky pastels.....
And that's fine for them.
A closer look. The owl pin was a xmas gift. I love the autumn colors, the sparkly, and the fact that it has worn paint....Patina.
And I'm tired of looking at my burlap jacket that I thrifted in the 80s from the Salvation Army store on 6th (back in the olde days), and never wearing it ....there's a liquor store there now...so that's a pretty good trade.
So, my burlap jacket from the 70s. It has the Campus Casuals label. That's what I wore the other day. and a linen skirt, Espirit label from the 80s. And these chocolate leather otk boots from Ginchybaby on etsy.
Underneath...a simple gray cardigan and gray stripe mitts. Oh yeah, argyle tights in the same brown tones. a color scheme faded as an old field in late winter......instead of shocks of separate color, my scheme flows neatly into each other........and the texture has spark and interest.
just about, but not quite sophisticated. More fun.
The jacket came with the holes.......and I love that.
I love the contrast between the fact it is a fairly structured jacket with holes..made of burlap. I love the shell buttons. I love the color of the lining. Faded. and torn. It's the color of junk.
What possessed the Campus Casuals line to make a jacket of burlap? Were they trying to reach the college gal that was hearing the call of social justice, of ending the Vietnam War?
Was she listening to Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell instead of Van Halen and Kiss? A college girl......or a college age girl....she must have had more on her mind that matching her shoes and handbag.
about Tacoma and neat stuff to wear and neat stuff to do, blah blah blah....... I just have to say: I know this isn't a new subject......and that's it. Why oh why are people still doing this? further proof that Idiocracy Is a Documentary. wtf is wrong with these parents? Turning your child into a Plastic Pageant Monster is a sign of a major distortion of parenting, lack of boundries, self-esteem.....Just the obsession with some weird beauty Ideal.....is bad enough, but doing this to your own child, and thinking this is a good thing?
I'm winkin' 'cause I know Spring is gonna be here soon because Valentines Day is sooooon...... a selection of things of pink...... on etsy, and in the shop....... Saturday and Sunday, or available by mail.......
handmade Key to my Heart.....necklace on etsy, or in the shop..... if it's on etsy...it's at the shop....just ask to see...
Amazing....40s rayon crepe WWII dress......Capri ! side zip, novelty print and full of pink... on etsy now.
I Heart this dress ! simple babydoll dress has a huge heart applique on the front skirt.... now on etsy....
Felted llama wool purse lined in very very hot pink....in the shop
70s hand made, handstamped and carved and hand painted........sweet little boots....
etsy.... Deceptively sweet...curve-hugging knit suit in pink and white........on etsy
50s silky soft nightgown....on etsy
Soft pink 50s/60s Kayser slip.....with tag still attached......on etsy.
well, this is red.......but I bet it will make someone Blush pink........ glorious Lip Service red vinyl corset dress....M....in the shop.
