Sunday 28 November 2010

Exotic drama queen


Egyptian style deco necklace from firelightanitques ebay, now sold;
Gold compact from shakespeare86 ebay;
Gold shoes, adelinesattic, etsy, now sold;
Black perfume bottle, etsy, sources not noted for the rest.

Monday 22 November 2010

...Greetings


Don't hate me. I work in retail and we are surrounded by it starting with September if not earlier in some cases. Anyway, it's not long now and, with Halloween out of the way, you ladies must be planning the outfits for the winter parties. What do you have in mind? Where do your fancies take you?
I've been playing around with the red/green combo, not everyone's cup of tea, or perhaps just a cliche not worth pulling off for some. It works for me though, but then I come from a place where people don't necessarily think "Christmas" when seeing red and green together.
I am curious what is it really that constitutes a faux pas in the western world of fashion: wearing something like this at Christmas, or wearing the combo on any other occasions?
Regardless, I do like it myself and might try it out at my work meal/Xmas outing, unless I'll whip up some other flamboyant idea that will get your eyes rolling :)

1940s silk velvet red jacket with modern dress and shoes
Xmas tree - zoehall, flickr
Red clutch from Planetclaire vintage etsy
Hairpins from vintageheaddresses.com
sources for the art deco watch, the jewelery, the 1940's green shoes and bag not noted

Sunday 21 November 2010

There's something about bookends

1930's bookends from vintagespecial on etsy

There's something about bookends that conveys to me the coziness and protective grounds of a proper home.
The time spent with the books not only to read them but to look after them surely must show for a soundness of character.
The sheer exhilaration of plunging in world after world other than your own (oh how I could write hymns to escapism) only comes once one has taken firm steps to lock outside the crazy pace of what we overrate as reality. Then comes the quiet happiness of showcasing them, these soul and mind feeders. It's a way to delimitate a personal corner that shows a certain degree of self respect. Or so I imagine.
Needless to say I'm lacking bookends in my life altogether.


Stag bookends from HydrangeaRow on etsy


Art deco bookends from englishpreserves on etsy


1940's acorn bookends from JaysTreasures on etsy


Mid century elephant bookends from fieldsofsea on etsy


Comedy and tragedy bookends from thevintagehideaway on etsy


Copper deco horse bookends, now sold, from oldandwise on etsy


Wednesday 17 November 2010

My precious - the brooch collection


Rather than show you my usual and forever growing wish list I decided it's time to share some of the little treasures I enjoy in reality. Like any old fashioned being, I do have a thing for brooches.

Brooches for some reason are a either loved or hated, like marmite.
My best friend for example wrinkles her nose when it comes to them. Really?!...She also has a very strong hat aversion.
I find that absolutely scandalous :) But then again there's a lot in this life beyond my comprehension. These cuties, luckily, aren't.












Wednesday 10 November 2010

Come to me


I thought I'd share with you, once again, some of my etsy fancies, as at this stage window shopping still seems to be the nearest I'll ever get to have anything of the kind in my life.

Art Nouveau belt buckle, luvintage, etsy


1900's moss agate ring, IvyCottage2U, etsy



Art Nouveau rooster brooch, TheDustyDog, etsy

Art Nouveau tile, EmilyLynch, etsy



Hand painted Limoges box, spiralechostudio, etsy



Art Nouveau bar pin, kingjickie, etsy



Edwardian mop bead necklace, daggerlane, etsy



Silver brushes, ddb7, etsy

Long time no see


So what did I do all this time?! Well I went job interviewing and got myself a brand new job which, for the first time in 6 years, will NOT involve wearing a uniform or a company's clothing. Instead, I will get to wear my vintage at work! Ha! Ain't that somethin'?! Could it be that my planets may be finally aligned in the right position?!

Among other things my absence also involved a short holiday spell in Paris, a rather very crazy thing to do giving the state of my finances. And one of the reasons why, in the end, I didn't quite enjoy it as much as I should have, which is pretty criminal when you're talking Paris. But with everything else on my plate, and things on other people's plates beyond my control, the reality is I didn't get to chill. It was the first time I've not cried my eyes out on return from Paris, where I have been a couple of times before and always felt very much at home.

This time though the city seemed cold and unforgiving, a living machine that functions oblivious to any human dramas. Not set to achieve a greater, incomprehensible purpose, but a pure mechanical existence, yet of absolute power in its crushing routine....So has Paris succumbed to its big city condition.

We were there at Halloween time, and our odd camera was definitely in the right mood - more than I can say about our party - and it achieved some pretty eerie effects. For some reason looking at these pics takes me straight into The Hunchback of Notre Dame atmosphere. This dark, Gothic novel, with its story of fate and destiny, and severe separation between social classes, seemed that night every bit as actual as when it was written nearly 200 years ago.