My Recent Purchases: Dresses!

Not all of these dresses were purchased recently, but they all have yet to be seen by a sizeable amount of people. I really had so much fun taking these pictures because they all make my family's property seem vastly more interesting than it is. However, it was quite a pain as I do not have a kind photographer friend who wants to see me twirl about for hours on end. Another thing I don't have is a tripod... so instead, I made do with all sorts of mostly-flat objects to get these shots. Now that all of my disclaimers are out of the way, enjoy my dresses!

This first one is a sheer Carol Brent dress, and one of the only ones that has a label. It's also one of the only dresses I bought from a vintage clothing seller (As You Like It, in Grants Pass), rather than a thrift store or antique mall. As it is very sheer, you can see my slip underneath, but I like that the lower 6 inches of the skirt seem really filmy compared to the rest of it. The bow on the collar has a sailor-esque feel that I just couldn't pass up. I'm wearing it with a thin navy belt (OSU Thrift Store) and navy pumps (Payless ShoeSource).

Dress number two is a simple button-up black dress I found at the local St. Vincent de Paul. It's trimmed in multicolored plaid and has a matching fabric belt. The fabric is very substantial without being hot and it features some pintucks right at the front. My shoes are nice low heels that I've found perfect for summer, and tend to wear almost every day since finding them at the Gospel Rescue Mission Thrift Store.

I swear I hadn't worn polka dots before this year, but this little black-and-white number begged to be rescued from the Goodwill. For the second polka dot dress in this post, I had to go really matchy and pair it with polka dot and red shoes (Fred Meyer's) that matched the red buttons on the dress. On the buttons, there are little anchors stamped in, but they're impossible to see in the photos. 

I don't know if I like the belt and shoes I used with this one. This is a salmon-pink cocktail dress with a lace overlay that I found at the OSU Thrift Store in Corvallis. From the looks of it, this dress was homemade and let out from the original design. It's big for me and I haven't taken it in yet, but I couldn't help but photograph it. Under it, I have a crinoline that is just a tad too long long, but fun to pose in nevertheless. Buster (the kitty) came to pose with me for a few of the pictures before losing interest in my odd behavior.

This is one of my favorite dresses, but it rarely gets to go out. I bought it over a year ago from As You Like It, and only really took it out for the "Back to the Fifties" concert my town held this past July. The print includes blue and yellow flowers on a black background and it trimmed in black eyelet lace. The matching head scarf came from Buckingham Palace in Corvallis, and I added flower shoe clips made of grosgrain ribbon that I found in a favorite antique booth in Grants Pass.

I had shoes to and a belt to complete this dress, but it was just too hot, so I opted to go barefoot in the garden. I found this at the Goodwill in Corvallis and wear it all the time, usually pairing it with my Keds and either a green or white belt. The waist is loosely elasticized, so it's not too tight on hot summer days. The crinoline that I have under it isn't a usual occurrence, but I had already been wearing it for the party dresses above.

By late afternoon, it was just too warm to have my hair down any longer, so this last dress got a neat bun treatment. This dress was another Corvallis Goodwill find, and also homemade by the looks of it. However, when I got it, it was missing most of its buttons. Luckily, I found some pretty green buttons and a matching green belt at Buckingham Palace to freshen it up. The print is lovely, with blue, white, and pink flowers with lots of green stems on a white background. 

And there we go! I feel very long-winded with this post, but the dresses all deserved a little time in the spotlight, since they make my life so much prettier.

My Recent Purchases - The Yard Sale Edition!

I have so many new things in my life- and these are just a few that I've recently acquired. About two weeks ago, I started very early on Friday morning and went to about 10 sales before noon. I found myself in yards, garages, and even a barn, and a few things found their way home with me.

 This is a Lady Sunbeam bonnet dryer in a lovely carrying case. The man who sold this to me said his wife went to beauty school in San Francisco in the early 1940's and was very particular about her appearance. I have tried the dryer and it works wonderfully. Setting are Off, Cool, Warm, Medium, and Hot. The case is a teardrop-shaped, tapestry-printed vinyl case in my favorite aquamarine color.

 I picked up this GE Hairsetter months ago when I was still in Corvallis, but didn't use it until this summer. I have a lot of long hair, so it gives me beautiful waves, but not defined curls. The case is cream, tapestry-print vinyl case that zips up for easy travel. If you haven't noticed yet, I'm sort of falling in love with travel cases!

 I picked this up for the box, but found out that it was full of old aluminum perm rods. They are not however, the "Bell Professional Kurl Klasp Kit" but curlers stored in here after the fact.

 This First Aid Kit tin is very study and perfect to put in my purse, as I've broken two or three plastic kits in the past. It had the original bandages, gauze, burn ointment, and inhalant as it details on the lid of the kit, but I replaced them with my own bandages and a little tin of pain relievers.

 Speaking of my purse, I just got a new one. I admit, it's not actually a yard sale find, but I do believe it deserves a little time in the limelight. I found it at TJMaxx, and the friend I was with may have thought it was the most horrible thing I picked up, but I was in love. It's a light camel-colored canvas with a grey faux-leather bottom and shoulder strap, and light brown faux-leather handles and clasps.

These little darlings may not go perfectly with my decor, but I needed some tins to store knick-knacks in. My favorite is the Ocean Queen Coffee tin on the right, but the Shredded Wheat girl and Hershey's Cocoa baby are both pretty adorable.

Books books books! I picked both of these up at the same time and cannot find a date in either of them. On the left is Dream Life by Ik Marvel and on the right is Holmes Poems. Both are very fragile and look like they have been read many times.

This sewing machine and I were meant to be. Besides being in my favorite aquamarine color, it had the original instructions booklet, buttonholer, and blind stitch attachment. I had to scrub quite a bit on the faceplate to clean off some ancient dirt, and tried at least 10 times before I properly brought the bobbin thread up, but this beauty is worth it. Now I just need a carrying case for her!

Also salvaged from many years of had wear were two Ballerina Mist dishes in light blue with silver edging. All they need to do for me is hold my hair brushes and elastics. I'd call that a pretty cushy retirement, wouldn't you?

There will be more to come, including a couple of new dresses, some accessories, and an entire post of new/old kitchenwares I've been collecting for my eventual kitchen!

Fun, fun, fun to work, work, work.

Moms weekend was a complete success. We indulged in some Royal Wedding highlights on Friday night before going to bed. It was a sugar coated but still appropriate, and I loved the fly-over of Buckingham Palace. Did anyone else see "the cousins" as we've so lovingly dubbed them? I won't go into detail, but I swear that one was wearing antlers. Isabella Blow may have been able to pull it off, but this woman could not.

On Saturday and Sunday, between the sitzprobe, load-in, and first rehearsal on stage for Kiss Me, Kate, Mom and I perused antique malls and junk stores for buried treasure. She wound up with many things that she couldn't live without, while I only found a few little trinkets I've been looking for. Among her finds were an electric skillet with a heating element in the lid, a few vases, dresses and shirts, a platter, and a large cast-iron skillet. I ended up with some Lady Ellen Klippies for my pin curls, a new pair for wedges, a knitting book from the 40's, and a little neck adornment that matches some shoe clips that I found last summer. 

My Saturday outfit was very matchy and entertaining for all to see, I believe the faux bangs and matching polka-dots made it the funnest outfit I've ever worn. The real "want" for both Mom and I was found on Saturday in the form of a huge hotel mirror that could have been a wall of its own. I had to snap a couple of pictures, so in addition to the gorgeous mirror you get a sneak peek of little old me! 

On to this week, time is ticking away from me, it seems. I indulged in a homework-free weekend, but now the week is going to be very busy for me. I may not seem shy to people who know me, but around those I don't, I'd rather just be invisible. This makes it very hard for me to interview people for a news piece in my writing class. I need to drop my shyness for a bit so I can get these interviews for my story! Everyone wish me luck, and hopefully I'll still be alive and kicking by next week!

A picture-perfect weekend

Unfortunately, I don't have any photos to show exactly how picture-perfect my Saturday was, so this promotional shot from the show Pushing Daisies will have to do. An adorable gal from Kiss Me, Kate and I took Saturday to have a picnic in a local park. We had everything for a picnic, bar the  basket. Our blanket was spread out in a sea of daisies right by a playground.

While watching the numerous children play, we ate pb&j sandwiches on yellow plates, had juicy and exotic fruits, drank sun tea from my new iced tea jug, and had much too much fun with melted ice pops. I brought my cribbage board along, but with such a gorgeous day and many distractions, we didn't even get halfway through they game.

Looking ever the young ladies we are, we were both in spring-ish dresses (or in my case, a long skirt worn belted with my new crinoline) and got the cutest comment from a little charmer. As he was speaking to his father, we overheard the little boy say, "Those girls look like they're in a movie!" Gee whiz -  that little chap sure knows how to flatter a girl!

Other tasks were accomplished on Sunday, including mending a new dress that I acquired on Friday that was a little long in the bodice. I also finally made an ill-fitting half slip a wearable straight slip by attaching darling little straps of ribbon and lace.

Now, it's back to another week of schoolwork and theater work. I do, however, have something very exciting to look forward to next weekend... Mom's Weekend! All of the mothers of OSU students are invited up to spend some time with their college-aged kiddies. I'm planning to see many an antique and thrift shop and a trip to the Architectural Salvage in Philomath. Let's cross our fingers that my mom will be giddy with that particular destination!

Spring is in the air!

It may be a little bit premature to  proclaim my love of the start of spring weather (as Oregon has a nasty little habit of mid-spring hailstorms) but it's how I feel nonetheless. As most of my blogs seem to start, I must apologize for the absence. My life has been two things as of late: Busy and boring.

As soon as spring break ended for my university I found myself spending more time in the library than any first weeks prior to this term. In addition, after a weeklong break from Kiss Me, Kate the cast was lagging a little, especially in the dance sequences. Outside of the theater, my term is filled with accounting, macroeconomics, media writing, and retail buying classes. As a studious college girl, responsible cast member and choreographer's assistant, I threw myself into my real life, completely forgetting about my online life. Only after I caught up reading blogs that I had neglected to check for the past few weeks, did I feel like writing again.

I regret this, but I have not been wearing vintage all that frequently lately. I shall blame the weather and my constant running between my room, the library, and the theater. However I must confess, dear readers, that I've also been bit by the lazy bug. Having piles of washing, mending, homework, and books to sell can do that to a person. But fear no more, for I am back and as fresh faced and ready to return to the interwebs as ever!

After quite a drought of good shopping trips this past winter, I am glad to report that my last few shopping attempts have treated me well. I've added five dresses, a shorter length crinoline, navy pumps, a purple hat, and a babydoll nightgown to my clothing collection in the past few weeks! In non-vintage buying, my mom treated me to new black and white cardigans which I have been wearing all the time! And then, there are the things. I try to keep my collection of "things" to a minimum because my storage space in my world is minimal at the moment. Still, I could not pass up mini-muffin pans for $3 apiece. Likewise, a jewelry holder for traveling, a dress pattern, and a card of snap fasteners, the book The World with a Fence begged to be taken home as did a red-handled biscuit cutter (which I have needed for some time).

After all of my previous indecision, my hair is brown again. It really was a fluke, because the result was much darker than expected, but I've been told it suits me. Brown may suit me, but this monster that is residing atop my skull does not. Very high on my to-do list is to get my hair cut, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for a middy long cut, which is what I'd really like. Oh decisions, you must wait until another day.

In the meantime, I'll be dreaming of summer and relaxing in style like Ms. Charrise.