Rose

I've loved this trench coat ever since one of my very good friends passed it on to me a couple of years ago. It belonged to her grandmother maybe in the 1970s(?) and then was given to her, but it didn't really fit her so she then passed it on to me. In the pocket was an ancient ticket stub for the ballet, Cinderella. I was quite honoured to be given a piece of her grandmother's history, and really love it. It feels very Edwardian, with it's slight drop waist in the back, exaggerated lapels, and double breasted buttons.
It seems silly that I don't wear it more than I do. It's such a lovely, simple shade of rose pink.

I promise I am truly not a morbid person. I blame it on my parents dragging (well, maybe not quite the right word!) me all over Europe as a kid and growing up with the European mentality that cemeteries are a perfectly okay thing to take a walk in and admire. I am so happy that I married a sweetly odd man who shares my same interests and not only puts up with my silly whims to go exploring old cemeteries, but usually is the one suggesting the outing!

It was REALLY cold!

Rose Trench Coat - Gift from a friend

Black Vintage Dress - White Elephant Sale at Etsy

Hand Painted Pendant - Brought to me from Russia around 1991 or so by my father

Headband - Antique lace sent to me by a friend in Sweden

Yes, I'm still here

I apologize for falling off the radar for a little while. I had a really bad cold that lasted two weeks and I've been really busy with "real-life" things, getting ready for the holidays and planning to host our very first Christmas eve with Patrick's family as well as getting ready for my own relatives to arrive from out of town for a Christmas day celebration at my mother's. Many secret missions (mostly of the handmade variety) are underway as well as menu planning for our big fat vegetarian feast! (I will post more about our veggie-interpretation of this traditionally meat-friendly feast next week!) I even have an extra special 1950s Christmas dress that I ordered for the festivities, and I hope it fits! I promise in the next few days I'll try to be better about posting. (as well as commenting!) I do want to show you our beautiful Christmas tree, so hopefully tomorrow or Friday there will be photos!

Dressed for the Ballet

This post comes a little late, as I wore this outfit on Sunday evening, but I really wanted to show off this regal and wonderful coat from my collection. I'm not one for fur, being a vegetarian and animal lover, but vintage fur has always been one of those weird grey areas. To simply let it rot or throw it away seems kind of disrespectful and sad. So, when I found this coat in a thrift store several years ago for $6, I couldn't let it slip through my fingers. Nevermind that it happened to fit like a dream, as though it was made for me. However, due to my awkwardness about wearing fur, it's barely been worn in the years that I've owned it. I think the last time I wore it was as part of my costume for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie almost three years ago (eek!), but I figured there is no place like the ballet (or opera) to wear such a grand piece of clothing, so I decided to wear it to go see The Nutcracker on Sunday evening.

It happened to be bone-chillingly cold on Sunday night, so I was quite glad for it's thickness. I must confess that I ended up trading it out later in the evening for my more cocktail party-friendly black velvet blazer, but I enjoyed wearing it while I did. I felt very much like some snappy little 1930s socialite, with my curled hair piled up messily on my head and my sleek-fitting little black dress. Now I'm a little bit sad that there won't be any more dress-up events for a while. Part of the fun of the holiday season is being able to dress up in fancy coats and dresses every weekend! (and I confess I've been very bad and have not been at all good about getting outfit photos over the past few weekends!)

Coat - Vintage, thrifted
Dress - Handmade by me
Flower Hair Comb - Blooming Leopold
Mary Jane Shoes - Walmart
Handbag - Vintage, thrifted

Crochet Fingerless Gloves - Vintage, antique store in Texas

The serene bedroom...another interior installment

Have you ever noticed when you go to someone's new house and get the "grand tour", they always leave out the bedroom? Maybe it's because the bed is never made and there are always laundry baskets on the floor! At least in my house that's the way it often seems to be. ;) Or perhaps because it's a very personal space. But I do love decorating and I feel that some things are just too pretty not share.
So here it is, all tidied up and ready to show off, the third installment of my little home tour.

I must confess that the bedroom is really quite a feminine Victorian style space. Patrick is very patient with my girly decorating style! With that said, I don't think that anyone could deny that it is a very serene and calming space. The sage green walls (which we had at the old apartment and loved so much that we had it painted this colour in our new place), white furniture, pale pink accents, and white curtains make it a very quiet and old fashioned space to unwind in.

All of our vintage furniture in the room belonged to either my dad or my aunt when they were kids. As newlyweds, there was no way we were going to buy a bedroom suite on our budget, so we had to pool together furniture that we already owned individually. I've painted everything crisp white to give it a fresh start. My vanity has been missing its poor middle drawer ever since the day it came into my possession about 16 years ago. On the journey from my aunt's house that fateful day, the little drawer disappeared into thin air! Poor little drawer, but I don't mind. If I ever have a daughter, this furniture will continue to be passed down.

I have always been a collector of vintage glassware and apothecary jars, so my vanity is the perfect place to display them where they can also be functional. I've always been a little bit of a clutterbug where my vanity is concerned (it can often end up covered in hairpins, elastics, stray jewelry, and makeup items), so they're the perfect little places to easily stow away things.

Our duvet, throw pillows, etc, all comes from Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic collection at Target. Sadly, a year later, it's not holding up nearly as well as we'd hoped (how is it that sheets my mom got as wedding gifts back in the 1970s lasted over 20 years, and these are tearing at the seams after only a year?), so I'm keeping an eye out for something equally pretty but a little nicer in quality.
The giant oval 1940s print of a Victorian lady came from a nice lady at an antique store who gave it to me for only $22. I'd been eyeing it for ages so when she told me she'd give me a discount, I jumped at it. :)

This beautiful little round painting was painted on the lid of a barrel in 1927 by my great-grandmother. Her daughter, my grandmother, would also grow up to become an artist, as did I! I feel honoured that it's been passed down to me, and I treasure it.

The pink gown is a vintage estate sale find.

That's it for this leg of the tour. Stay tuned for the fourth installment next weekend!

Madeline Wood

Even though there is a current trend towards more boyish/menswear inspired styles, which is always lovely in its own way and I am sure I will be incorporating into my winter wardrobe in some way, I can't deny my ongoing love for all things girly and ladylike. I guess I'm just too much of a Victorian girl at heart. :)

So, continuing with that vein, this morning while reading Beyond the Pale's lovely blog post on Wearable Victorian Style (with plenty of Helena Bonham Carter references!) I stumbled across the beautiful shop of Texas designer Rachel Nichelson and I just had to share my little discovery with you, because I instantly fell in love with her romantic designs. Her shop, called Madeline Wood, features pleats, pintucks, lace, and meloncholy tones which inspire an elegant and feminine Victorian mood.

Evelyn Pleated Lace Holiday Dress

Virginia Pleated Blue Dress
Black Evelyn Dress
Mauve, Light Gray and Brown Lace Dress

Indigo Dress

Be sure to check out more from her lovely shop! I know I've certainly found a few things to add to my wish list. :)

Heavy Coats and Evan Picone Skirts

After being afflicted with this annoying cold since Monday, I finally forced myself to venture out of the house today. It would seem that while I was bundled up inside with blankets and a thermometer this week, winter came! While I wore a nice heavy coat (which I bought in London a few years ago and I love because it has the most exaggerated lapels!) over my Edwardian inspired outfit, it was much colder than I expected so I found myself really wishing for a big scarf and a little wool beret. Actually, these pictures were really rushed because it was so cold and I couldn't stop shivering! Perhaps I wasn't quite ready to brave the elements, sniffly as I still am...

(oh no! no hat?!)

I also wore my new vintage brick red wool Evan Picone skirt. (which the pictures don't really show off as well as I'd like) I originally bought it for the shop, but when I tried it on, I just couldn't let it go! I have always had a weakness for vintage Evan Picone pieces, perhaps because I grew up watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show on Nick at Nite and admired her Evan Picone wardrobe. Besides that, the vintage pieces all seem to be so well made and timeless in design, while still retaining interesting details.

Black Wool Coat - H&M
Teal Sweater - H&M
Ivory Belt - Vintage, thrifted
Brick Red Wool Skirt - Vintage Evan Picone, thrifted
Tights - Target
Victorian Boots - My new trusties

Enjoy your evening, and if it is also cold where you are, stay warm!

Barbara Stanwyck in Christmas in Connecticut

I've fallen victim to the cold that seems to be going around just about everywhere - Patrick caught it from work, and then I caught it from him! So, as I snuggle on the sofa with my kitties and lemon and honey green tea on this rainy day, I thought I'd take the opportunity to highlight one of my very favourite silver screen ladies, Barbara Stanwyck, in one of my very favourite holiday movies, Christmas in Connecticut.

The story is about a WWII hero who returns home, and in order to convince him of why marriage is a great idea, a nurse decides that he needs to spend Christmas in a real home. Who better to have him spend Christmas with than Elizabeth Lane, the Martha Stewart of post-war America? The problem is, it's all an act. Elizabeth Lane isn't a housewife, or even a wife for that matter, and can't even boil water without the help of her adorable Uncle Felix, a chef. She writes her domestic column from a tiny, sparse apartment in the city. But when her boss orders her to host the war hero for Christmas at her Connecticut farmhose, in order to save her job and continue to keep the whole lie a secret from her boss, a farmhouse, fake husband, and babies in Connecticut are conjured, and she manages to make everyone believe that she really is a household diva - at least temporarily...

I've loved Barbara Stanwyck ever since I saw her for the first time years and years ago in this slightly lesser-known holiday movie. There is something so charming about her quirky, sarcastic humour and her girlish flirtations with the dreamy Dennis Morgan (who reminds me of my own husband, one of those tall, curly haired boys!), not to mention her amazing wardrobe! The incredible and wonderful Edith Head created Barbara's gowns in this movie. Every year when I watch it, I am inspired to sew up a gingham jumper and white blouse, and don a full-length dress soley for the purpose of decorating my Christmas tree. :) (perhaps this year my tree will even be dripping with silver tinsel!)

Watching this movie always refreshes my love of the 1940s. (which I needed, because I think I kind of burned out over the summer) The hair, the clothes, and the preoccupation with domesticity always attracts me. Besides, what isn't to love about those snowy holiday scenes in Connecticut? It always puts me in the mood for the holidays!

Inside my studio...

I think I promised a tour of my little creative space quite a long time ago, so here it is, the second installment of my interiors. (you can read the first here) I'm sorry it took so long! My studio is everything to me - I paint, I sew, I take care of Etsy orders, and I store/measure vintage pieces in this space. For the record, it's not normally quite this organized. I'm a pretty organized person, but it still manages to get turned upside down quite regularly. It's still pretty short on storage space (there is a walk-in closet, but it's highly unglamourous - mounds of giant plastic storage bins full of vintage clothing!) and I am still in need of a couple of cabinets, but I'm making headway.

The little sewing corner is comprised of a hodgepodge of girly inspiration. The wall hangings are a vintage 1940s bedjacket (on a vintage Neiman Marcus fabric hanger!) given to me by a family friend, my original painting Yellow Dress, Yellow Drip, and two small prints from Vanessa Valencia of A Fanciful Twist. My sewing desk also came from a family friend - I painted it white. :)

My favourite chair, ever. I came across it at an antique store and I think it was only $45. The legs are painted white, and I truly feel that it is not 1960s tacky but Versailles awesome. (a little background - when I brought this chair home, I got a lot of flack for it from almost everyone I know. But Patrick and I are defensive, we think it's lovely) The little Marie Antoinette hand-embroidered pillow was made by me.
The prints above it are in vintage frames and came from Irena Sophia.

My desk is a giant dining room table from Ikea. It's pretty great because it cleans up better than wood when paint gets splattered on it. The dress form on the left is named Martha.

My inspiration board. Measurements for sewing projects, jewelry made by Maasai ladies in Kenya, Victorian photographs, sketches, and random 18th century themed ephemera.

The unfinished big painting is mine...I keep meaning to finish it, but something keeps me from it. I like the odd, unfinished quality of it for some reason. The tiny square picture is one of a set of four originals done by my good friend Andrea of the Plastic Aztecs. All framed, I really need to hang them!
The little pink 1940s dress was in horrible, dirty condition when I found it. I paid almost nothing for it, soaked it for an hour, and voila! Perfect again. (well, except for the shoulder pads that had been stuffed with rotten raw cotton - they were half exploded and there were even leaves in the cotton...ick!) She's going to get a little hem, though, as ankle-length isn't so practical.

And my bookshelf, full of books on fashion and fashion history, art history, and sewing, alongside a few vintage hats that were too pretty to hide away.

That's all for now! I hope you're all enjoying your holiday weekend!

Thanksgiving Recap and Etsy Sale

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a great day, though we certainly covered quite a lot of ground. We started off with a mellow but massive vegetarian dinner with my mother and brother, and then headed on to two different Thanksgivings with Patrick's family on two opposite sides of town. There wasn't much vegetarian food, so we just visited and nibbled at dessert and coffee while we visited. This is our second Thanksgiving together, and it's kind of nice because I'm starting to feel a little more comfortable going to his family's events - especially since his family is massive in comparison to my tiny little family!
Overall, it was quite a nice day. I enjoyed listening to my brother, who is a musician, play his new banjo, and Patrick's wonderful pumpkin pie, made with a recipe from the cookbook that we bought while at the pumpkin patch back in October.

In other news, I am jumping on the Black Friday/Cyber Monday bandwagon having a sale in my vintage shop! All buyers will receive 20% off their orders - refunds to be issued via PayPal. The sale lasts until Monday. There are also a few new things in the shop, and more to come tomorrow, including some lovely holiday evening wear.

Beige Shoulder Bag and Turquoise Accordian Pleat Skirt

Wool Tweed Skirt and Brown Wool Beret

Black Lace Inset Dress and Teal Flower Print Mini Dress

That's all for now. Enjoy your holiday weekend!

New Boots and Black Flowers

As much as I love my old trusty Victorian boots, they were sadly way past their lifespan. After 3 1/2 years, hikes through the Scottish Highlands, rainy Parisian walks, daily wear at university, and countless wanderings through Georgia woods, the heels had started to disintegrate quite badly, and the polish had pretty much worn off of them entirely. It is odd, as comfortable as I am with things having that aged look about them, even I was beginning to feel self-conscious about my shabby boots. But I loved them too much not to wear them. So, as an early Christmas present, Patrick bought me a new pair! They are the exact same pair, just shiny and new! They need quite a bit of breaking in (these are some serious boots!), but they're still amazingly comfy even so.

In addition, I wanted to show off the beautiful little black floral hair comb that I recently purchased from the adorable Lauren of Blooming Leopold. (who, as I'm sure most of you know, has a fabulous blog) It's just the perfect size. I've always loved hair flowers, and somehow it seems a little odd to wear brightly coloured 'real' looking flowers at this time of year, so black feels perfect.

In other news, we've had such gloomy weather over the past few days! Inspired by DearGolden's and Left Hand Endeavor's posts about the gorgeous Toast collection, with photos that surely were taken in the blustery, grey, Scottish Highlands, I've been feeling the need to pull out my old tweedy blazer and pile on layers, topped with a huge woolly scarf. It seems so appropriate, in light of this very 'Scottish' weather we're having.

Tweed Jacket - Vintage, thrifted
Muslin Blouse - Primark (from '07)
Pumpkin Cashmere Scarf - I can't remember, I bought it so long ago!
Black Skirt - Vintage, thrifted and altered by me
Black Tights - Target
Boots - My new trusties! ;)

Have a wonderful rest of the day, and for all of you who are traveling today and tomorrow, be safe and have a wonderful trip!