Try Not To Be Jealous...

...Look at my new spice racks.  I'm not exactly a culinary goddess, but I do have spices, which require racks like everyone else's.  Anyway- look at my new spice racks and try not to be jealous.

These are steel Kenberry spice racks from the 50s.  They were practically given to me at an estate sale.  As I write this blog, there is one like it listed on eBay for $75.  I now own 4.  Now this song will be in my head for at least a day : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVMLm08Hq7E I know, I'm a mess.
I love serendipitous moments when I find really cool things, and it only sweetens the deal when I find out later that it's worth a lot more than I paid.  Now I just have to find a spot for them, since my little pantry door is too narrow for them.
I've been switching around things in the kitchen anyway.  I scrubbed the dumpster-acquired (trashcanside, really) vintage Coca Cola crate that has been a makeshift ashtray/drink "table" on my porch for over 8 years, and made it into a makeshift shelf for kitschen knick-knacks.

It now houses my salt and pepper shakers, miniature plates, and shot glasses.  Now if I can get the rest of my fridge looking halfway orderly...
I've come across more interesting vintagey goodness lately, but I've been slacking on the blog again 'cause I've been doing way too many other things, as usual.  I'll be blogging more again, promise.  You might even get to see some of the sewing I'm doing... maaaaybe....

I Collect Nekkid Ladies.

Really.  I do.  It all started with a Sailor Jerry style military tattoo on my uncle's forearm and little bitty me getting in trouble for trying to replicate it on paper.  Anyway- I really do collect nekkid ladies- vintage ones.  I've drawn ladies my whole life and collected pinup art since before it was trendy, back when I could fit in my punk rock pants ( I will again- forserious) and wore enough eyeliner for five of me. I always loved the classics- George Petty, Alberto Vargas, Gil Elvgren, Rolf Armstrong... Then my Fairy Godfather got me hooked on the art of Olivia DeBerardinis.  I eventually found Tyson McAdoo's art.  I've acquired a big stack of books over the years.  Now, I have nekkid ladies here and there around the house, too.
They can help in the kitchen, like little cocktail forks. Hors d'oeurves, anyone?

I also have some bachelor cake dolls with sheer nighties on, but I thought maybe I shouldn't post them.   If you remember the "Sexy Sue" bachelor cakes at grocery store bakeries, you know which dolls I'm talking about.  They're too sexy for this blog.
Nekkid ladies can help you open letters, too.

This letter opener is just a curvy leg.  I can't find my Gil Elvgren lady today.  I have a habit of putting things in safe places, out of harm's way, and inadvertently hiding them from myself.
Mermaids are almost always nekkid, and are lovely for decorating the bathroom.  I have the mold for these chalkware beauties, which are waiting to be painted.

And then there are women of ill repute, like the girl leaning on the lamppost on the shot glass I found a couple of weeks ago.   She's not nekkid, but.... yeah.

So there's a fraction of my nekkid lady collection.  It pales in comparison to my friend Sam's- hers is way more varied- but it's a start.

By the way- Question du Jour:  Do you people read this every week?  Do you want more?  Post comments.

Make Do and Mend.

The publication Make Do and Mend by the British Ministry of Information became a wartime slogan and a way of life during WWII.  For those of us who grew up poor, it was always a way of life.  I learned to be careful with my clothes, fix things, alter them to fit me better or to suit my style, and last but not least, I learned to love vintage.

Picture from theleantimes.com

When I didn't quite like my hand-me-downs, they got modified.  When I hated current fashion, I learned to secretly raid my aunt's old closet at my Grandma's house, full of the late 70s and early 80s pieces she wore in high school.  When jobs were scarce, my brother and I were perfectly content to go school-shopping at Goodwill instead of making our annual trip to the mall from our small town. And that ain't the half of it.
I always say poverty breeds ingenuity.  I've continued my rummaging and craftiness, sometimes combining them, and "make do and mend" is one of my mantras.

So I ordered this purse; a knockoff.  It was cute, sparkly, and on a clearance/overstock type website for half price.  I should have saved my money, 'cause now I'm saving for a Trophy Queen https://www.trophyqueen.com/.  The first time I carried the purse which will remain unnamed, the coating on the edges of the straps peeled away.  The straps continued to crack and peel and pull and look downright ugly.  The materials are not the same used in auto and boat upholstery.  The purse is made in China.  (Trophy Queen purses are made in the USA.) So anyway- the straps looked ugly and scary.

I perused thrift stores until I found a hideous mini-purse from the 90s with long chain straps.  I removed the chain with needle nose pliers and stripped the pleather strap that was woven into the chain.   I went to the neighborhood hardware store (not the corporate one) to get some nuts and bolts.  I trimmed the ugly cracked, peeling straps from the purse (it already looked better!).  Then, I borrowed my mancreature's drill, and drilled holes where I would bolt my shiny,  new (used) chain straps on. TADAAAAAAA!

Kustomized!  That'll work for now, but I'm still saving for a Trophy Queen bag.  I'm a sucker for their Texas flag bag, but I think I'd use a red one a lot, too.  Time will tell- it's gonna be a while.
Note: The company that makes the bag pictured does offer to possibly repair bags or give future discounts if you mail them your bag with an original receipt,  but I didn't anticipate needing the receipt because I didn't expect the bag to fall apart.

Speaking of making do and mending,  I found a badass Dalton cashmere sweater from the 50s a while back for about a dollar.  I didn't tell you because I've been meticulously stitching manymany mothholes, and I'm finally done.

I'm gonna wear that baby with something high-waisted and black.  I usually stay away from mock-necks, but the asymmetrical split and diamond-shaped shell buttons KILL me.

I had to have sewn up 20 or more tiny holes, in addition to completely redoing 3 button loops in the back, but it's worth it.  So go though your wardrobe, make do, and mend!

You Need a Bullet Bra.

You just might not know it yet.  You need one if you have vintage dresses and blouses cut for a silhouette that was once shaped by bullet bras, so you can fill 'em out properly.  Mostly, you need one 'cause it's winter.

It ain't easy being glamorous and feminine with layers of clothing.  Face it- our curves can get lost in sweaters and whatnot.  Bullet bras help.  Forserious. And warm and fuzzy angora sweaters are so girly and pretty and soft, but the fuzzier they are, The more I feel like my shape is lost in them.  The only solution is to get your ducks in a row, up 'n out.

I know a lot of people have aversions to bullet bras.  Don't be scared.  Some of them can be really pretty.  

I particularly love the circle stitched ones.  A nice lady from Australia bought this next one from my Etsy shop a while back.  Believe me, if it had been my size, I never would have parted with it.

Sometimes I find these babies with tags still on them. The pale blue one below will soon be relisted on Etsy with better photos:

And this one is cute and really interesting- the Exquisite Form "Just A'Just".  The concept of cinching the center and having a back extender to adjust to any size- obviously invented by a man.  I can tell you it probably only fits a B or C.

And these are always pretty if you like or need longline bras:

Some of these have already sold, and some are soon-to-be listed or relisted on Etsy with others like them.    The thing is, only natural boobs (yes, I said boobs) can fill them out.  Furthermore, if someone convinces you that you need pointy tip inserts (unless your boobs are processed), you have the wrong bra size.
So, air out you angora and cashmere, sweater gals.  You can hand-wash those sweaters (the non-beaded ones) in cool water with mild detergent, roll them in a towel, and then lay them out to dry even though the label says "dry clean only".  It's a conspiracy.  And make sure you're wearing the right bra size, then go forth and search for bullet bras.   There's always eBay and Etsy, or the following vintage reproduction stores: http://www.secretsinlace.com/category/Bullet_Bras, http://www.vickisnylons.com/, http://www.whatkatiedid.us.com/.
Sooner or later, I'll post photos of pieces from my personal collection.  Until then, get your ducks in a row, stay warm and toasty, and happy shopping!