Paisley and Flannel-Not Just For PJ's

We've had a bit of a cold snap, and so it was Danny discovered none of last year's clothes fit. At not-quite thirteen, he's now taller than his mama and weighs about the same. He has no problem lending me his clothes but for some reason the child is completely uninterested in wearing mine. I suspect it is the polyester. Anyhoo, off we went today seeking shirts with long-enough sleeves (harder than it sounds) and trousers that don't look like they've been slept in before being worn (also a bit of a challenge). I will say that I'm lucky having a son that is completely indifferent to fashion. He likes checked shirts and jeans without a bunch of crap on the back pockets. As teenage style goes, his is blissfully plain. Danny requested a denim jacket, which we bought, and a puffy ski-vest to keep his arms free when out bird-banding. Two hundred dollars and an hour later he had the jacket, vest, three pair of trousers, four shirts, a dress shirt, and something else I've forgotten. I'm going to be sad when K-Mart goes under (the death knell is already sounding) because you can't outfit a teen in a winter wardrobe for $200. at Target. 

My dress cost .99 cents at Goodwill, but I'm easier to dress and don't have long arms or legs. Hard to believe I carried that kid around in one arm. He was such a little thing coming into the world just over six lbs. His dad is 6'4 so I think this might be a yearly shop sort of thing for the next few years. 

You can see the leaves starting to turn on the street behind me. the large maple behind our place hasn't started changing yet, but soon I'll be outside doing a daily sweep of leaves off the patio. I loved raking leaves as a child, even if it gave me terrible allergies. We didn't burn them as my mum once ended up in hospital after inhaling god-knows-what in the air from a pile of burning leaves. Understandably she was reluctant to repeat the experience. We didn't burn them on the farm either, but we didn't have that many trees outside of the windbreak.  I still like bringing home interesting leaves from my walks, and I always have a basket of pine cones for decorations. Oh, I know you can go to Big Lots and buy silk leaves for decorating, but I prefer the real ones when possible. 

Anyway, all this babbling is my way of saying Autumn has arrived, and it is being reflected in our wardrobes. For my part, it wouldn't be autumn without paisley. 

Outfit Particulars:

1980's rayon dress-Goodwill

1990's bolero-Goodwill

Carole Dauplaise necklace-Goodwill

Brooch-Sarpy museum sale

Vintage crocodile handbag-Hand-Me-Ups

Shoes-K Mart (years ago)

Fragrance-Norell (thanks, Emily!)

Lippy-Estee Lauder Maplesugar (my standard autumn lippy)

 It wouldn't be autumn without some flannel either. This 80's does 50's number is perfect for a day that isn't quite cool enough for a jacket.

I do feel a bit more casual in a fabric intended for sleepwear and outdoor work clothing, but somehow I resisted the urge to go back to sleep (or cut down trees like a lumberjack). I think the velvet boots helped 😀

The boots might look familiar as I own the same pair in black leather (well, vinyl, actually). I bought these at the end of last winter at K Mart and I regret not buying another pair. The rubber heel is deeply grooved and provides excellent traction for a high-heeled boot. I'm of the mind that velvet boots go with everything, and I plan to wear them quite a bit. I hope you don't get tired of seeing them.

 Outfit Particulars:
1980's dress-Goodwill
Vintage handbag-Thrift World
Belt-Hand-Me-Ups
Earrings-hand-me-ups
Leaf brooch-can't remember
Vintage necklace-Hand-Me-Ups (has matching earrings and bracelet)
Boots-K Mart
Fragrance-Vintage Revlon Moon Drops (well that was an expensive trip down memory lane for something I'd describe as, "Meh").
Lippy-Wine With Everything (if only that were possible!) my "Other" autumn lippy

We're down to our last three apples from the visit to the orchard. Just in time too, as the pears are now ready for harvesting. I'm going to bottle some mini Seckle pears in brandy this week so they'll be ready for Christmas. Yep, it is time to start thinking about the holidays. Sorry.

Hope you're having a good week so far.

Best of the 80's-More Black

One of the better things 80's fashion had to offer was polyester crepe. 

 Wash and wear-are there more beautiful words in the English language? Well, okay, "Free money", but how often does that come up? I can do without the oversized jumpers with leggings, and the linebacker shoulder-pads, but give me a polyester crepe dress with an elastic waist, and I'm all over it. As they're underappreciated items, I frequently find them for a dollar or so.

I think this dress probably would have had shoulder pads originally as it is large in shoulders, but no matter. I love the (washable) lace detail, and the nice pleat down the centre. My first impulse was to wear it with my black and white cameo, but I'm breaking out of my tendency to wear black with silver, opting instead for gold accessories. I'm still not convinced, but sometimes it is worth trying something different. I also really wanted to wear my new brooch!

 Gosh, I wore a lot of black when I was young. I look back at photos of myself in the 80's and I'm always wearing a black suit to work-I swear, I wasn't working as an undertaker even if I looked the part. I'm fortunate that I look good in black, but once I moved to Nebraska from Boston in 2001, I noticed almost no one wears black. It was one of many culture shocks. That's not to say we don't have stylish people here-we do! They just don't tend to wear as much black as people back East. Over the course of sixteen years my wardrobe shifted from mostly black (or grey) to only a few items. I jumped at this dress when I saw it as finding a nice black, non-formal dress in Omaha is no easy task. The fact it cost .99 cents made me even happier.

 Outfit Particulars:
1980's polyester crepe dress-Goodwill
Shoes-Goodwill
Vintage tapestry handbag-Goodwill
Belt-Hand-Me-Ups
Brooch-New Life Thrift
Bracelet-New Life Thrift
Jacket-Goodwill

Granny Hands!

I'm going to pack these shoes away so I wear something else! What can I say? They're comfortable, and they go with (almost) everything. Still, if I'm going to own as many shoes as I do, I should wear them once in a while.

Bake-a-thon rolls on today with oatmeal raisin biscuits, ginger nuts, and coconut washboards. Next week the breads and rolls start-that will be busy, ending with cakes. We perfected a chocolate/raspberry icing that can sit at room temperature without going off, or becoming too soft. That had me losing sleep, if I'm honest. Only three of the cakes require icing, and we'd already decided on the spice cake/maple combination, and the yellow cake with penuche icing-but the Devil's Food cake was worrying us. The fresh raspberry puree in the frosting we developed will avoid any concerns about cream at room temperature for a few days. I was pleased with how easy it is to spread-even a twelve year old can do it!

Finally, I won the auction! Here's this year's State Fair hat (unless something goes wrong) I bought from 1860-1960. It should arrive Tuesday. This is my fourth purchase from this seller and I can enthusiastically say, "She's one of the very best on the web." I'm not being compensated in any way to say that-she's just one of my favourite places to buy great vintage.

I still have time to glue some mini-tractor toys and dollhouse pies to it before the fair. Fingers crossed it arrives in good condition.

That's about it for now. Busy week ahead, but I managed to get in a quick 10 miles today to save my mind (and my back). I'm going to go drag Danny outside in a bit to look at the meteor shower. Hopefully, we won't go blind or hear any tapping plants in the garden😁

Have a great weekend.

Oddities

I've run across my share of odd items in thrift shops, but this gold-plated seashell is certainly one of the strangest.

I have to wonder at the artist's thought process that finally arrived at, "Hey, I'll gold plate a seashell." It is a genuine shell (you can't quite see inside in the photo) which also makes me wonder how many tries it took to get something that didn't break. This isn't very carefully made, but it was just so odd, I felt compelled to purchase it. $1.99 has been spent on sillier things.

I have no idea what this basket's intended use is. I'm using it as a straw handbag, but I suspect it began life with other use in mind, I've thought about decorating it with some pom-pom trim but I also like the plain look of it. I still feel like I ought to be carrying tamales in it or something.

 I'm wearing it here with a favourite skirt.

The belt is another oddity-the edges of the brass disks are sharp and thin leaving me terrified I might give myself abdominal surgery if I lean forward suddenly. I take it off to ride in the car-can't be too careful. That would be such an embarrassing way to die, disemboweled by your vintage belt. 

Now this is odd! Anyone for a cross-body lunch bag? I'm already wearing my lunch on my stomach-can't I just carry the bag by the handles?  

I thought I'd just wear it as a shoulder-bag, but as you can see, the strap is too long (and not adjustable). I might just give up and carry my lunch in a paper sack like we did in the stone-age before paved roads and wipe-clean lining in Laurel Burch cross-body bags. 

Funny story about the denim shorts-I bought them in the late 80's at the Gap and my mum was horrified telling me I was, "Too old to wear them." Yeah. My Back Pages, etc. etc. I spent my youth dressed like a middle-aged widow in head-to-toe black. The only reason the shorts survived is because I rarely wore them as they were so out of character for me-an odd item if ever there was. They're VERY high-waisted, even by 80's standards. I'm getting caught-up with the 80's fad for day-glo as well. I had no idea how much I'd end up loving this cheap tee shirt when I bought it (or I'd have purchased a dozen).

*Whines* But I really like this bag...

This one is more a coincidence than an oddity. We drove out to Lake Wanahoo (in Wahoo, Nebraska-no, I'm not making that up) to try and see the Aurora Sunday night (there had been a recent solar flare and the chances looked good). It was only upon returning home that I noticed I was wearing my vintage cha-cha bracelet with the AB crystals. We never did get to see it, but we spent a lovely night at the lake being eaten alive by mosquitoes looking at the stars.

We could hear barn owls hooting in the distance, and plenty of frogs. I did see a meteor, so the night wasn't without excitement. You don't need to get too far outside the city to get free of light pollution in Eastern Nebraska. This was a 30 minute drive from home. 

Have any odd items found their way into your collection that you now love strangeness and all? 

If You Really Like Something...

...buy it in every possible colour.

Yes, the faux-Mexican tourist skirt appears in yet another colourway.

 Someone removed most of the sequins from this one. That's actually okay with me-I might go wild and decorate it with rhinestone studs instead.

I can't wear them day after day, or it would start to look like a uniform, though as uniforms go, it wouldn't be a half bad one. I spent enough years in jobs where I had to wear "respectable" (read, "dour") looking clothes that I'm having the time of my life these days getting dressed. Nothing makes you appreciate a fun skirt like five days a week in a navy Brooks Brothers suit. God, I'm glad those days are over-not just for myself, but for the office workers of today.

 I remember a rather unpleasant coworker complaining to my boss that I was wearing an animal print scarf with my suit and that it didn't project the proper, "Decorum." That was 1986. I kept wearing it and no one else said a word, but I did feel slightly rebellious doing it. You youngsters that grew up in the era of, "Office Casual" have no idea what it was like. Of course we didn't have to go outside and stand on the street to have a smoke, so it wasn't all bad😉

Outfit Particulars:
Faux Mexican tourist skirt-Goodwill
Peasant-style top-K Mart about 8 years ago
Shell earrings-Cost Plus World Market
Sandals-Goodwill
Hand-tooled leather belt-can't remember
Vintage Mexican hand-tooled shoulder bag-New Life Thrift
Glass necklace-Shop Ko
Mayan calendar bracelet-Goodwill
Hair flowers-Tiff and Tam
Fragrance-Sunflowers (an Arden I don't hate!)

This skirt is 70's vintage, but it isn't Mexican either (though definitely done in the style). It is by Russ when it was still, Rrrrruss Togs. I always loved their logo with the red and yellow Rrrruss. I think the company is still around (probably bought and sold a dozen times over) but those 60's/70's labels were the best. Anyway, enough nostalgia about the brand, let's look at the skirt.

I wouldn't call the material burlap, but it is definitely burlap-like. That said, being so old, it isn't the slightest bit rough, and it was cool and comfortable to wear on a humid day. There's a pocket where the skirt buttons on the side, and the last owner took the skirt up several inches leaving a wide hem of the dark blue colour that could be lowered. It might leave a hem line, but it is good to know the extra fabric is there. The skirt is a vintage size 8 US. I am not a vintage size 8 US, so I employed a button extender to give me two more inches in the waist and no one would know if I didn't tell. If you like vintage skirts, but aren't willing to wear vintage undergarments to get a smaller waist, button extenders are a great way to expand (see what I did there?) your skirt/trouser options. That said, they only extend so far, and two inches is about all you can count on without the extender breaking. Still, if something is close-it might be worth investing in a few-they're quite inexpensive. You can sometimes link together two extenders but then it will definitely show, so you'll need a belt.

 Outfit Particulars:
Vintage Russ Togs skirt-Can't remember
Top-K Mart a few years ago
belt-came with a dress
Vintage shoes-Goodwill
Vintage bag-New Life Thrift
Shell earrings-Sears, ages ago
Hair flower-Tiff and Tam
Fragrance-Ma Griffe

We're back into the awful heat again by the end of this week. I hope my rubber chicken purse doesn't melt at the Wayne Chicken Show. Cock-a-dooodle-doo.

Don't Be Chicken...Unless You're Headed to Wayne, NE.

 No one needs a rubber chicken purse, but I can at least attempt the argument as the Wayne Chicken Show is coming up.  Danny will be competing in the Cluck-Off for the second year (he took 3rd place last year) and I'm tempted to enter the, "Chicken Legs" competition. Anyway, I saw this bag and thought, "Gee, that would be great for the Chicken Show." As for the recently purchased vintage taxidermied armadillo purse I bought off eBay...no, I haven't any excuse for that one. You know how it is, you see a taxidermied armadillo purse and think, "Ewww, why would anyone...?" and the next thing you know you hit the, "Buy it now" button.  We've all done that, right?

Right?

Here's an impossible-to-photograph skirt. It looks just as bright in person as it does in the photos. My first impulse was to wear it with my gold lame pleated-sleeve blouse-but I was afraid I might blind someone(it was sunny today). I find it challenging to dress-down a fancy skirt, but I thought the addition of a slouchy cotton blouse and leather sandals might work. This wasn't my first attempt-black, white, even a wine coloured top were all tried before I settled on the gold blouse. Most mornings I don't need to work this hard getting dressed. Still, in the end i liked the overall effect, and perhaps in the dead of winter I'll try it with the gold top, or a velvet tunic. The skirt is 3 sizes too large and hangs on my hips, but I like the casual look that gives it. 

Outfit Particulars:

Skirt-Goodwill (no tags to indicate age or origin)

Sandals-Can't remember

Blouse-Hand-Me-Ups

Belt-Retail, about 20 years ago

Earrings-Shop Ko about 15 years ago

Chicken purse-Hand-Me-Ups

Bracelet-Garage sale

Fragrance-Sofia Vergara Tempting 

If you will are local and plan to attend the Chicken Show, drop me an email and we can hang-out together. There's also a large flea market in town the same weekend that I'm told is worth going to. There are a few thrift stores in town along the parade route as well. Should be a good time. Now, to find an appropriate event for an armadillo purse...haven't been to Oklahoma in a few years...

The Judgement of Plaster of Paris

Sorry, had to. 

You can't take me anywhere. 

I'm confident I'm not the first person to take advantage of a photo-op in the statue area of Mulhall's garden centre. Now give me my golden apple and I'll just be on my way.

What is it about statues that encourage silliness?  

Memorial Day is the official point (in the US) where it is considered acceptable to wear white. I don't give a toss about that rule (or most others for that matter) but it has been far too cold for a gauze/cheesecloth. We finally had a nice day with sun and temperatures in the 60's, so I broke out the white and headed to Mulhall's. Mulhall's is my "Happy Place."  I never leave there in a bad mood. I never leave there with any money, but still-you can't put a price on happiness. They have a rewards membership programme, but that just encourages more spending. I came home with a few more pepper and tomato plants, as well as yet another bay laurel. I keep killing them. This one is already Christened, Apollo III. I also purchased a jelly-feeder for orioles. Less than 24 hours after hanging it, the orioles started coming to our balcony. I didn't think we had orioles, but I guess I was wrong! 

I bagged up sorrel and set it out by the sidewalk with a note to help yourself-no one took any! I have pounds and pounds of sorrel and there's only so much schav I can eat. I might need to start leaving it at people's doors. Our cool weather resulted in the bumper crop from hell. We're about to be overwhelmed with peas as well, but

I can freeze those. Ah well, I guess you can have worse problems. Sorrel makes a nice sauce for fish, so I can always do that.

This is my first wear of this beautiful Judith Leiber belt. I was so happy to find it at New Life Thrift. If I ever find a Judith Leiber handbag I'll probably fall into a coma from the shock. I'm happy with the belt. White accessories can look naff, but not this belt! It is heavy, and well made but not adjustable. It is a bit large, but I don't care. 

Outfit Particulars:

Gauze blouse-K Mart

Gauze skirt-Hand-Me-Ups

Vintage Air Step handbag-Can't remember

Judith Leiber belt-New Life Thrift

Gold shoes-Goodwill

Shell earrings-Sears

Whiting and Davis vintage panel bracelet-Goodwill

Damascene bracelet-Goodwill

Gold bangles-various places

Fragrance-Vintage formulation Diorissimo

 My skin is finally healing with the multiple salves I'm using now. I'm happy it wasn't my wrists as that would impair my ability to wear bracelets and that would be like running around stark naked (or as we say, "Starkers.").  What do you call it when you walk down the stairs naked? Starkness descending."

 Want to know how much the ointment cost? With insurance, it was $2.00. That's the price our insurance company negotiates for it. Without insurance a tube of generic ointment would have cost $869.00. I often wonder if the people screaming about being forced to buy insurance have ever had a serious case of allergic eczema? The second salve cost $35.00. I have no idea what that would have cost without insurance and a coupon from the drugmaker. This isn't some rare disease people are unlikely to contract-everyone gets a rash at some point in their life. I don't know about you, but I don't have eight hundred bucks sitting around to pay out of pocket for a rash ointment. Yes, our premiums are high, and yes there are co-pays, but if rash ointment costs this much I shudder to think what it would cost if I broke a leg. Young, healthy people have accidents too.
*Steps down off soapbox*

On a happier note, I baked my first cherry pie of the season. These are sweet Bing Cherries from California. I used instant tapioca as a thickener.

 I also made vanilla ice cream because you can't have cherry pie without ice cream-not at my house anyway.

I didn't wear white to bake the pie!

I'm finishing up the syllabus writing this week and next. The paperwork for next year needs to be in by 15 July, but I feel better having it done by June. We homeschool year-round, but I build in breaks during the summer. Half-days in July gets our work out of the way by the time the pool opens. The teacher needs a holiday too.

I wonder if a fish and sorrel pie would be good? If you live in Omaha and need some sorrel, drop me an email!

True Vintage Rayon Dress

Here's one I don't wear much.

 I've owned this dress so long I can't remember where I purchased it. I do know that it is slowly falling apart, and is in need of being completely taken apart and restored. I have a box of items needing repair I call, "The Vintage Hospital" and I believe this dress is due for admission.

 I'm not sure if it is 40's or 50's. There's a metal side zipper, and the length (which appears to be original) seems more wartime (rationing) to me, but the neckline feels later. It doesn't matter much to me, but it is a difficult piece to catergorise.

I added the brooch in the centre, but the other adornments are original to the dress. I'll get the stones replaced when I do the repairs.

The original belt loops are still there, but the belt is long gone-I'm not sure if I ever had it.  A red belt would look better, but as fate would have it, none of my red belts are the right shade! That isn't a spot on the hem-it is the light shining through. Next time, I'll remember a slip.

Outfit Particulars:

Vintage rayon dress-Can't remember

Vintage rayon handbag-Hand-Me-Ups

Shoes-Goodwill

Belt-Goodwill

Blue sheer stockings-K Mart

Cinnabar bangle-Hand-Me-Ups

Vintage coat-Thrift store in Wahoo, Nebraska

Earrings-Can't remember

Brooch in centre of neckline-New Life Thrift

Fragrance-Vintage formulation Geminesse (haven't tried the re-issue yet)

Lippy-Revlon Fifth Avenue Red

 If you've been wondering what's up with all the heavy fragrances I've been wearing lately I can only say it is a combination of strange weather, and strange moods. I seem to be wearing all the "Dead of winter" perfumes these past few weeks. Geminesse, Passion,Bandit, Cabochard, Knowing, l'Origan, Femme, Opium, Samsara, and Dark Brilliance. What's wrong with me? God only knows, but it has been interesting giving these a go without snow on the ground. One mistake I did make was spraying on a vintage bottle of Blue Grass. NO, NO, NO. Oh god, no. I apologise if you love it but it was as I furiously began trying to scrub it off that I remembered it is known for some serious longevity. *Shudder* It might work better in warmer weather, but I don't think I'm willing to try it again to find out. It isn't grass I smell, but hay. Bales of hay left out in the rain that have started to mould. Blech. I'm not sure I've ever liked an Arden fragrance, though Danny is partial to the Green Tea range which are generally inoffensive.

Speaking of things that stink...the big stinky flower that only blooms once a decade is about to go at Lauritzen Gardens. I'm going to take Danny over there tomorrow sand with any luck we can witness the bloom. It can't be any worse than Elizabeth Arden Blue Grass.