Saddle up

very detailed saddle pin from thejewelseeker on Etsy

Conveying a Wild, Wild West, cowboy rodeos or fancy races, this Depression and wartime horse jewelery has an irresistible, if somewhat primitive charm. Today I am bringing to you the best of what Etsy and Ebay have to offer on the matter. All of these pieces are available for purchase as we speak.

As far as the blog goes, stay tuned for one of my ever favorite looks for the fall season. Have you guessed already? Why yes it is the equestrian look!

1930s wood horse head & jockey cap from ATouchOfRoseJewels on Etsy

butterscotch Bakelite from casadelunatic on Etsy


gorgeous detail on this pin from My-MOD-MOD-World on Ebay

another charming wood pin, from PastSplendors on Etsy

Bakelite charms from bellabellabutton on Etsy

a large size 30s example from metroretrovintage on Etsy


another great piece from vintagewaresplus on Ebay


white painted metal pin from KimmysKitch on Etsy

Art Deco wooden example from shadypast on Etsy

sterling silver piece from kariana84 on Etsy

A bit of fun

from jarjade on Ebay

Several acorn pieces have caught my attention lately, during my on line quests for tasty bits of vintage fashions.
They vary period wise, spanning from the 30s to the 50s (the ones pictured here), and also differ in terms of the material they are made of: celluloid, Bakelite, wood, leather, porcelain or metal.
In spite all these differences, they have a great common trait: they never fail to bring a smile to my lips. I thought I'd share them with you.
They are so much fun and a perfect choice if you're after a "conversational" piece. Can't wait to find my perfect acorn this autumn!

Some of the examples pictured are still available for purchase, others have already found happy homes :)

from myclosetshelf on Etsy

from getreadygo2 on Ebay

from marcy13 on Ebay

from VillaDiZuZu on Etsy

from halsll on Ebay

from vintagewaresplus on Ebay

from dmanson101 on Ebay

from theriverdreamer Ebay

from Frogandthescorpion on Etsy

Giving in

It's autumn. I have finally given in and accepted the obvious. Autumn has been poking me from all corners for a little while now, but I resisted and turned a blind eye. And stubbornly blocked out all unwanted information, starting with shop windows and ending with other blogs.
Or at least I thought I was doing that, because it crept up on me, insidiously working its way in unseen crevices and slowly wrapping itself around me like ivy around a house.
I've been invaded and am now conquered, looking forward to a new slavery, excited at the thought of crisp, sunny days, hearty food and pub fires, the spicy smell of wood smoke lingering in the air, the cosines of wool and leather...anticipating all that like you do with a kiss, guessing it like you feel the nearness of a hug...

1930s repro jumper from miss-jennifers-vintage-emporium on Ebay, many thanks!;
modern skirt by Great Plains;
50'/60's military port map, it belonged to my late father-in-law;
brown suede shoes from a vintage fair, I have retrieved these beauties after leaving them behind at another fair, longer than a year ago!

Lace baby

It wasn't really hot enough to wear this, but I couldn't resist showing off one of my latest purchases, from lovely 1940sweetheart on Etsy.
I bought it with the money I had from selling the lace coat I posted here a little while ago. So lace lead to more lace :), in proper lace junkie fashion. Because it has to be said, along with velvet, crochet & knit, lace is one of my biggest vintage fashion crushes.
I love you pretty dress!
Now I need things to pair it with, preferably picking up the bright accents on the lace, and I'm thinking red or green. I'm doing well here I think with my snake skin (moc) Poetic Licence shoes.
I never said to you how much I like this brand, I do have several shoes from them as they are so much fun, from the designs to the packaging!
But my accessorizing stops there, and I need a bag and a cardigan, to prevent unwanted chills. See? Not matter how much one is buying, it's just never enough! :) So, if you'd like to help me and suggest things, do send a link!

Back to blue

Blue glass and enamel bracelet from showmeyourfamilyjewels on Ebay;
Blue hat from catspajamasvintage on Ebay;
Lee Morgan jazz single from robbiemusic on Ebay;

1930 music sheet from abq-collectibles on Ebay;

Art deco silver compact from bleueclectic on Etsy.

The small things that make us happy

from TheOrdinaryBeauty, darling little mother of pearl buttons on a gorgeous card

from BAYTREEGIFTS, Sheffield scissors with a long and elegant shape

from the same, a beautiful oriental bottle with a hand painted

heron design and enameled body

moving to a completely different part of the world, yet to be found in the same shop, this Norwegian silver and enamel brooch makes winter dreamworthy

from curiousknopf, an art deco German coffee set from the 1920s,
not perfect but oh so charming to me!

from starfreckles, a 1920's aeroplane pin that I fell in love with at the first glance

from HeyVivDiscovered, a mustard celluloid manicure kit with
a scene of Balaton Lake in Hungary, a 1930's souvenir

from bubblepipe,
these 1920s lantern shaped Christmas light bulbs sing to my heart

from scottishart, more winter gorgeousness with an art deco

original lacquer chocolate box from the 1920's

from AnotherWomansTreasur, beautiful illustration on this vintage piano sheet

from leesasimpson, stunning enamel and silver earrings

from JOEBERN, a beautifully shaped art deco French compact
that still has the powder and rouge inside!

This time my fancies carried me out and around the world of vintage fashion and I found myself gravitating, as always, towards the unassuming little objects that seem to give a lift to my heart. So here I am, sharing this week's Etsy finds, and hoping to spread a little happiness.

Is it coming? It has arrived...

When I think of autumn my heart hides in a corner scared. The invading rain and indoor breaks are memories not yet healed.
Nor is the menace of winter on the horizon, later the winter that doesn't want to leave: always a guest who overstays their welcome.

This morning though, waking to sun and crisp, cool air, I can dream the best dream of autumn, and look forward to crunchy leaves, the smell of chrysanthemums, the plumpness of pumpkins, the coziness of woolens elegantly draped, and that special luxury the shop windows seem to convey on the very cold days...

The very cold days when, if you're lucky, you don't have to go out at all, and you curl up next to your four legged best friend and slowly drift away while your chimney sends up signals of peace...

Bakelite bangle from bigyellowtaxivintage, etsy:

Acorn brooch from tomatored, etsy;
Navy buttons from thevioletpansy, etsy;
Brown bag from emerald_eye_creative, ebay.

The wonderful world of combs

The earliest combs were made of bone, ivory and wood;
silver, brass and tin were used later on, and in the early to mid-19^th century, tortoise shell and horn became the common materials for comb making.
The advantage of using tortoise shell and horn was that these materials were soft and moldable when heated and they retained their new shape as they hardened.
The feathers of the Chinese Kingfisher were also used at one point in time for designing the combs.

In the late-19^th century, celluloid was developed through the experiments of two brothers, Isaiah and John Hyatt, who used nitro-cellulose and camphor as primary ingredients.
The aim was to find a cheaper alternative to ivory and tortoise shell. Celluloid rapidly grew popular, leading to the formation of a whole new comb industry.

There are numerous examples of celluloid combs - some in museums due to their quality and beauty - other still out there within the reach of the vintage fashion lover.
There is also an Antique Comb Collectors Club funded not very long ago, in 1993, and contributing to further research in the comb's history.

Check out the Etsy examples bellow:

All the above combs are part of the extensive collection of ElrondsEmporium onEtsy

Storiesfromthepast, Etsy

TheLittlestSister, Etsy

MattiesMenagerie, Etsy

Vintageartshome, Etsy

leesasimpson, Etsy

hblanchard25, Etsy