Weekly Wishlist: New Year's Eve

Well, it's New Year's Eve-- the biggest party night of the year. Unfortunately for me, I have to work. Yes, it's also the most lucrative night of the year for waitresses, so I'm going to suck it up and forgo the party dress for an apron in hopes of making some much-needed mad cash. Ah well, c'est la vie. To cheer myself up, I did some "window shopping" on Etsy today, and here's my wishlist entitled "What I Would Wear" this NYE, featuring lovely shades of pink and silver!

1. Vintage 1940's Everlasting Light Party Dress, by Dear Golden Vintage

2. Afternoon Delight Floral Headband, by Crafts2Cherish

3.  Vintage Fluorescent Orange Pink Coat, by Animal Head Vintage

4. 1920's Pink and Silver Beaded Belgium Clutch, by Frocks n Frills Vintage


Happy New Year's! See you in 2011!

XO,

Jess

Thrifty Thursday! on the road in Atlanta

Happy Holidays! I hope Santa was good to you all. I just returned from a week long trip to my homeland, Atlanta. It was great to spend so much time with the family, as well as old friends. We didn't do much besides eat, drink, watch the snow fall (yes, we actually had a White Christmas in Georgia!), and of course, shop. Josh was such a good sport-- on Tuesday he let me drag him all over town to various thrift stores, antique malls and vintage boutiques. Mostly, I re-discovered places that I had been to before- Little 5 Points is a favorite neighborhood for shopping vintage.

These pics are from a vintage shop that I've been to several times- the Clothing Warehouse. I was really bummed when they recently closed their "clothing by the pound" outlet store on the south side of Atlanta, but their flagship store in Little 5 is always worth a visit. It's a tad pricey (like most stores in Little 5) and very popular with the young hipster crowd, but I love browsing their  selection of dresses from the 70's and 80's, and especially their huge wall-o-boots!
Btw-- in case you can't tell from my "Hipstamatic" photos-- I got an IPhone for Christmas! It's a huge step up from the archaic flip-phone that I formerly used. . . I'm so excited!

My absolute favorite vintage store in Atlanta has always been Stefan's, also in Little 5 Points. This place has been there for as long as I can remember. It's very swanky and, of course, pricey-- but everything in the shop is in pristine condition, and most of the items are at least 40 years old. They have a great selection of 1950's party dresses, furs, men's suits and rhinestone jewelry. I splurged on a lovely black cashmere cardigan from the 50's with pearls and beads lining the front and hem.

So, when I googled "great vintage shops, Atlanta" this place came up several times-- Kudzu Antiques in Decatur. I couldn't believe that I'd never been! The place is huge-- we must have wondered around for at least an hour and a half, and I'm pretty sure we didn't see everything. In classic antique mall-style, they have it set up in booths, which vendors can rent and do whatever they like with. The refreshing place about Kudzu is that all of the booths are great-- they have very high standards for what kinds of items people can sell- no junk. Everything is authentic vintage and in great condition. Again, that makes for pretty high prices-- I found some great vintage dresses in one booth but they were all over $100! Still, if I were looking for a special occasion outfit or a nice gift, this is a great place to go.
Well, we're home now, and I'm pretty excited to get back to work on the website. However, I'm not excited about tomorrow- I'm working at the restaurant for their NYE extravaganza which goes until about 6 am. Better rest up!
Happy New Year's!

XO,

Jess

Gift Wrapping

Tonight I'm staying in and getting some last-minute gift wrapping done before Josh and I head to Atlanta on Thursday to spend Christmas with my family. I think this year I put as much, if not more time into wrapping my presents than I did picking them out. But presentation is important, right?
I know you've probably all seen several how-to-make-a-bow tutorials out there. I've been obsessed with vintage bowties lately (maybe you read my earlier blog post. . . ) and recently decided to make more bows with all of the scrap fabric that is accumulating in my studio. I use them for all kinds of things-- bobbypinned in my hair, safetypinned on a jacket, or sewn onto a piece of clothing, like in this skirt that I recently put up on the website.

Most recently I decided to use fabric bows to decorate gifts. It adds a nice touch because the recipient can re-use them over and over again! Here's my version of the bow tutorial:

In addition to the bows, I found these adorable gift tags to add to my gifts! Download this one and more designs by Amy Moss at Eat Drink Chic!

The final composition (with vintage fabric instead of wrapping paper). . .

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

xo,

Jess

Thrifty Thursday!

Wow, yesterday was the most amazing thrifting experience I've had in a long time! I was out running errands, and decided to "quickly" stop in this new-ish thrift store to see if I could find a winter coat for Josh. . .Well, 2 hours later, I left with a full cart of beautiful vintage goodies!

 

As soon as I came home and dropped the bags of clothing on the floor, Hank the cat made himself right at home.

I got everything cleaned, steamed and hung on the rack last night.  I was trying to decide what, if anything, I would keep for myself. . .Here are 2 of my favorite things that I'm having trouble parting with:

 

beautiful 1940's-inspired dress from the 1980's: silky semi-sheer black fabric with a red and blue floral pattern, and the sweetest little buttons at the cuffs. For sale on the website.

Metallic Silver Oxfords! Amazing, right? Unfortunately (for me), they're a half size too big for me. . .oh well- they're on the website too!

So, in case you're wondering-- yes, I also found the one thing I was looking for. . . an amazing 1960's plaid peacoat for Josh. . .and one for me!

More lovely items will be up on the site very soon.

Happy Thrifting!

XO,

Jess

new additions. . .

I'm finally getting around to putting new items up on the website. . . Some pretty yummy goodies, I think.

 

1940's Saks Fifth Avenue Blazer

AMAZING mint green and white 1950's party dress

Super-cute black and white patent leather oxfords. . . unfortunately a 1/2 size too small for me :(

You may notice that I'm trying new things with my product photography. . . still not totally happy with it. Any suggestions?

XO,

Jess

Thrifty Thursday! The Wishlist.

Brrr. . .it's nasty cold outside! It's snowing. It's been dark for hours. I do not feel like leaving the house. So instead of going out thrifting today, I decided to stay in and do some "shopping" from my computer, with a cup of hot tea and my coziest sweater on. I started out looking on Etsy for Christmas presents. . . my sister wants a pair of black cowgirl boots, my boyfriend needs a new winter coat. . . but, of course, I ended up finding several things that I want as well. I'm so selfish. Anyways, here is (part of) my Holiday wishlist:

I mentioned before that I'm obsessed with gold. . .This is an amazing black and gold lace party dress from Maries Vintage! After all, a girl can never have too many party dresses, right?

What a divine peacock blue peacoat from Nickie Frye. I can't have enough blue in my wardrobe, and I always love a pop of fur! Great for this chilly time of year.

Ok, I really don't need another pair of boots. . . I believe I'm up to 9 pairs now- cowgirl boots, ankle boots, snow boots, etc. I'm obsessed. I still don't own a pair of Frye boots, though (well, not in my size. . .I have one pair in my shop in a 6 1/2).  I also don't own a pair of camel-colored cowgirl boots. So, these very reasonably-priced Frye boots from Bootmeister are going on my wishlist.

One thing that I do kind of "need" is a new go-to handbag. I currently use (the majority of the time) a wonderful cream-colored leather bag, much like this one, from Valhalla Brooklyn.  I simply cannot say enough wonderful things about these handmade bags. For one thing, every time I look at mine, I think How did someone make this by hand? it's too perfect! That being said, my current VB bag is still in amazing condition (nearly 2 years after I bought it!), but it may be time to change things up a bit. I'm thinking something darker this season. . . maybe chocolate?

What's on your Holiday wishlist?

XO,

Jess

Pop-Up Shop Wrap-Up

So, I haven't been blogging lately because I was so incredibly busy this week with the Vintage Madison Holiday Pop-up Shop! We started setting it up last Monday, opened on Thursday and took it down yesterday. It was a whirlwind! I had a ton of fun though, and was quite sad packing everything up yesterday.
Thursday night was our "sneak peak" opening party, with DJ Record Jammer Slayron (great name, right?!) providing music, and I was so pleased with the turnout. We were really busy all weekend, and everyone who came in was so sweet and wonderful. It made me think even more about opening a "real" shop of my own. . . Well, I've been thinking about it for a long time, and think it would be great. However, I'm aware of the fact that having a shop wouldn't always be as fun as the pop-up shop was. But, still, it's an idea that I'm kicking around.

I think we had a pretty good variety of clothing, accessories, Holiday gifts. . . And people were amazed at how well we transformed the space in only a couple of days. So, I'm curious-- what do you like about your favorite vintage shop? Or, better yet, what makes you excited about any shop in general? Now that I've gotten my feet wet, I'm thinking of ways to improve the next pop-up shop (or full-time shop).

XO,

Jess

Lust List: Gold

I'm so glad that fashion is cyclical. Lately I've been noticing all of these amazing metallic hues on the runway, in fashion mags, online. . . And I don't think it's just because it's the Holiday Season. No, gold and silver are back in a big, bold way.  From clothing to jewelry and accessories, home decor, even make-up, I just cannot get enough of this decadent shade!

Luckily, I've been able to indulge my obsession with these hues (gold in particular) while shopping for the site. Anytime I see something sparkly out of the corner of my eye, I go for it!  It seems that this color was particularly popular in the 1960's and early 1970's, so I've found some really great pieces from that era.

Need a pick-me-up when the weather's gray and dreary? Wear gold! It'll make you feel like a million bucks.

XO,

Jess

Thrifty Thursday. . . err, Friday!

Ok, obviously I got behind on my posts because of Thanksgiving. Mine was lovely, by the way-- how was yours? I've been spending the Holiday in freeeezing South Dakota with Josh's family. When we arrived yesterday it was only 5 degrees! Luckily, there's not much to do around here besides stay inside and eat. . . oh yeah, and then there's the best thrift store in the world 20 minutes away.
So, this is our Thanksgiving ritual-- spend Thursday with the fam, stuffing our faces, then Friday ("Black Friday", haha) we bypass the mall and go straight to our favorite shopping center: the thrift store in an old school. I hope you won't hold it against me that I must keep its name and exact location secret. . . You see, in just the last 3 years, since I've been going there, I've seen their prices nearly triple as more and more "hipsters" (well, the South Dakota version) discover its treasures.

Poor Josh, I dragged him (and his little sister!) through every room of this schoolhouse. And we were thorough. . . He got lucky and found an amazing pair of vintage speakers for only $10. I had great luck too, I picked out a slew of gorgeous dresses from the 50's, 60's and 70's, as well as two coats, a sweater, some jewelry, ties. . . I don't even remember everything I bought! I figure, between the Vintage Madison Holiday Pop-up Shop (which is next weekend-- ahh!), and on-line sales, I can justify buying a lot right now. So, you want a sneak peek? Here are some of my spoils. . .

I have beaucoup work to do when I get home!

XO,
Jess

 

10 things to look forward to this winter. . .

Ok, I'm in a funk. This week, it finally feels like winter has made it to Wisconsin. . . The days are so short (it's dark by 4:30!), there's a bitter chill in the air, and I fear I'm on the verge of the usual "change of seasons" head cold. My mantra is "I'm not getting sick. I'm not getting sick." Having moved here 5 years ago from the Sunny South, I still find Winter a bit fascinating, and I do love actually having 4 seasons (in Georgia there's only 2: hot and not-so-hot). But, still, the feeling of being on the verge of 4 months of bitter cold is a little bit daunting. So, to counter-act the beginning-of-Winter-blues, I've made a list of all the things to look forward to about Winter.

1.     Snow days

2.     Hot toddies, hot buttered rum, hot cocoa, hot cider

3.     Holiday Parties

4.     Wool leggings, wool-lined boots, scarves, fur coats

5.     Eating whatever I want because there are no beach days in sight

6.     Walking/skating across the frozen lake

7.     Fireplaces (ok, our fireplace doesn’t actually work, but I plan on finding a restaurant/coffee shop with one that I can curl up next to)

8.     Sleeping in (because it’s just too cold to get out of bed!)

9.     “Indoor Activities” (i.e. sewing, cooking, crafting. . . )

10.  trip to a cabin in the woods


What are you looking forward to this Winter?

P.s.--I'll leave you with some beautiful Winter-themed photos. . .

                a la New York Times

                          a la W Magazine

XO,
Jess

Thrifty Thursday--Back from Minneapolis

Well, I think I've said it before, but Minneapolis is one of my favorite thrifting towns. . .I never spend more than a day or two there at a time, but I always make sure to stop in at least one or two thrift stores. This week, Josh and I went up for a night because he was playing a house concert with our friend Brianna Lane. We had a great time-- our hosts cooked an amazing spread of food, and all of the guests were so nice and welcoming!

Brianna is wearing an adorable 1950's-style dress with a watercolor bird pattern (*she bought the dress from me-- I'm so happy when my clothes find a good home!)

OK, so onto the thrifting. . . On our way out of town, Josh and I stopped at a couple of good thrift stores.  Value Thrift (on Hwy 94) was one of the absolute best thrift stores I've ever been to! First of all, it's enormous! Like a whole thrift store mall. . . Unfortunately, I didn't really have the time to properly devote (like a whole weekend), but in about an hour I was able to the at least skim the whole place. Now, the prices are not as cheap as many thrift stores, but the selection is amazing, the garments are all well maintained, and the place is pretty clean, so maybe that makes up for it.
Here's what I found: boots, boots and more boots! As well as some great leather men's jackets.

 

All of these new goodies will be up on the website soon. . .Promise!

Holiday Lookbook!

So, in preparation for the Vintage Madison Holiday Pop-up Shop, Claire and I decided to have a photoshoot. It was tons of fun! We staged a sort of Holiday party at our friend Alice's house. . . complete with cocktails and very yummy cupcakes. My sweetheart, Josh, was nice enough to "model" for a few shots (doesn't he look handsome in the 3 piece suite--so Don Draper!)

We also had two sweet girls, Erica and Victoria, model for us. I think they had a lot of fun playing dress-up!

I did all the photography myself, and was pretty nervous about it because I had just gotten a new camera (a Nikon D5000 digital SLR-- it's pretty sweet).  So I had to quickly browse the manual and familiarize myself. I think the photos turned out not-half-bad, actually.
Check out the entire lookbook here.

Thrifty Thursday!

I am so inspired and overwhelmed with projects right now! I can't wait to get started! I don't think I've mentioned yet that we're having another Vintage Madison event (following the success of our Fall Fashion Show/Sale). . .This time were doing a Holiday "Pop-Up" Shop!

I'm so excited, because we're able to have it at this great art gallery/concert venue/general-use artists' space called the Project Lodge. This morning, I met with the director of the Project Lodge, along with my Vintage Madison co-sponsor, Claire (of Mamushka Marie Vintage). We started brain-storming display and decorating ideas, and came up with some great ones! Claire is making jewelry and vintage ornaments to hang on our faux-tree. So, I got inspired to make things as well--I'm thinking pillows, for starters.
So, after the meeting, Claire and I went to Goodwill to find more inspiration (and, of course, there was lots of shopping involved!) We found all kinds of cool display items, as well as things to sell. I got an armful of funky vintage plaid fabric to make pillows out of. Claire found a funky red suitcase and several adorable garments. . .

Besides fabric, I found the most wonderful thing-- something I've been looking for for a long time. . .

Yes, it's a birdcage. But Jess, you might say, do you even have a bird?  Well, no. . . but I've always thought that birdcages were the most beautiful items. Now, it needs some work, but I will turn it into a piece of art. First off, I need to spray paint it (probably bright gold). . . I'll post some "after" pics when it's done. 
Time to get crafty!