summer sale

Starts tomorrow in the Etsy shop and ends on Tuesday morning July 5 at 12:00 am EST!

xo

K

The Collector: Part 10.

The tenth (!!!) collection I'm going to be sharing is my collection of brooches! I like new ones, old ones, big ones, small ones, colorful ones and ones not so colorful, I don't discriminate! ;)

To be honest, I don't really wear them as often I'd like. In high school I had a really bad habit of losing pins and brooches, they would fall off my coat or backpack and I wouldn't notice until it was too late to look for them. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy them. I keep them in a little container that I dump out every week or so to dig through. It's the same small rush that digging through a container full of buttons gives me.

It's hard to pick favorites because I really do love them all. I try to only buy ones I'm absolutely crazy about so my collection doesn't get too out of control. Here are a few of my absolute favorites;

A replica of a Cochise County (Arizona) sheriffs badge. My dad gave me this a few years ago, he found it in a dollar box he bought at an auction. (My dad loves going to estate auctions and cannot resist buying a box of junk as long as it only costs a dollar. Literally some of the best stuff comes in those boxes that no one else wants!)

And an ugly little caterpillar with a knapsack, also from my dad. There's just something really charming about this little guy.

Of course, my enamel flower brooches are some of my favorites as well. It's kind of hard to find more of these for my collection when I refuse to pay more than $5 per piece. I've found that even thrift stores mark these darn things up.

Anyone else collect brooches?
xoxo

happiness is

...a big fat stack of books on my bedside table.

What's making you happy?

Read any great books lately?

xo
k

What I wore; 6.27.11

the details:

dress - Little Bit Vintage

belt - ModCloth

sunglasses - c/o Tumbleweeds

bracelet - c/o Flourish

hair bow - Red Velvet Art

I am so in love with this dress. The second I saw it I knew it had to be mine. It's probably my second all time favorite dress (this one being my favorite, which is actually really really similar) I wish I could have one in every color so I could wear it everyday. That's the only bad thing about buying vintage - you can't stock up on your favorites. Little Bit Vintage has a few other super cute dresses I've got my eye on (the green gingham & milk chocolate in particular!! so pretty!!)

Did you notice my turtle?! (Any long time readers remember when I bought him?) I love that silly thing, I actually can't believe it's taken me this long to take photos with him. Best bench ever! After taking pictures back there (he sits in the back corner of my yard on a random concrete area that was there when we moved in) I feel really motivated to decorate back there. Just simple stuff like flowers...well lots of flowers. I think I'll do that this week. A certain house guest coming in late July is motivating me to do all kind of house sprucing, I'm loving it.

Well I've got to get back to work. I hope you all have an awesome day!
xoxo!

stripes forever

My dad--second from left in plaid shirt--and friends in cool striped shirts, circa late 1940s.

The first items of clothing I ever bought for myself were two striped shirts, identical except for their color (one was red and white, the other blue and white).  I was 12, it was 1981, and I bought these with allowance money earned mowing the lawn.  I think I bought them at the mall.  I was a few years away from being a cool thrift store shopper.

I'm feeling the stripe love again lately.  (Well, honestly, it never left me.  I've posted here previously about my chevron stripe love.)  It started up again in earnest when I saw the Coco avant Chanel biopic, specifically when Audrey Tatou wore a version of the wonderful outfit below.

This got me searching for Breton stripe shirts and sweaters.  (You can read a really interesting history of the Breton sailor shirt in fashion in this old article from The Independent.)  Which also led me to a sometimes-frustrating trip through Etsy on a search for Breton striped items.  So I expanded my search to just striped items, and did find some neat stuff.  Check it out!

Adorable felt Claude brooch, from poosac.

Obviously, it's not just the stripes that make this sundress amazing.  From MsZinski.

Stripes and a bateau neck on this fab sweater from pineapplemint.

Gorgeous 1940s olive and black striped skirt.  From HeyViv.

This striped knit cap with anchor applique from dollsandrobots is so cute--I'm quite disappointed it only comes in children's sizes!

I really wish this amazing green dress from TopSpecialVintage was my size!

xo
K

What Doctor Octopus Wore...

When we brush the kitties we do it in the bathtub (so fur doesn't go eeeeeverywhere) It usually involves me brushing the kitties and Kevin picking up all the hair clumps and rolling them into strange little balls. The last time they got brushed, I made kitten sized toupée!

...And Doctor Octopus looks pretty suave if I do say so myself! :P

I'm not sure which picture is my favorite but the third one down cracks me up because it looks like he has a mullet. And the last one looks like he has A Flock of Seagull hair do. 

On a slightly random note; the word toupee never ceases to make laugh. Once Kevin said "men's wigs - is it pronounced too-pay or tooop?" It's not really that funny when typed but I guess I just think "tooop" sounds hilarious and he was so serious, it was really cute.
 xoxo!

PS. I made "what Doctor Octopus wore" a tag and today I'll work on tagging all the old posts so you'll easily be able to find all the photos of him dressed up for your amusement! You're welcome. ;)

The Destash Squid!

I just wanted to let everyone know The Destash Squid is up and stocked again. After giving The Dainty Squid shop a make over last month I decided to sell all of my fabric. I've been working hard the last week and a half to organize, photograph and list it and I've finally finished (well...all except scrap lots which I'll work on after I get some sewing done in the next week)

That's just a peek of what's listed, there are currently over 175 listings, so many cute prints in all different sizes.

Also, I just wanted to mention - it's really hard to calculate how much money something is going to cost to ship when I have no idea what one piece is going to be shipped with. So if when your cart is filled with lovely fabrics the shipping cost is crazy you can either shoot me a message and I'll give you the estimate of what you're buying will cost -OR- just purchase and receive a refund as soon as the order has shipped.

Click here to visit The Destash Squid!
xoxo!!

shades, specs, and things for your home

Some wonderful vintage eyewear, plus a few other accessories and home decor items coming to the shop shortly.

1960s striped sunglasses.

1950s aluminum Shuron eyeglass frames.

1960s black plastic Liberty frames.

1960s tortoise shell plastic Liberty frames.

1950s slate blue French sunglasses.

1960s Luxottica metal and plastic frames.

1950s rhinestone-studded aluminum cat's eye frames, by Artcraft.

1960s smoky gray plastic frames, by American Optical.

Vintage eyeglass frames with original case.

1960s mod plastic serving trays, by Deka Plastics.

Two 1950s plastic children's cups.

Mod red plastic Dansk pitcher.

Deadstock Lilly Pulitzer butterfly print fabric.

Wonderful vintage fencing scarf.

Vintage canvas miliary backpack with leather straps.

xo

K

Thrifty Finds!

Recently I've been hitting the thrift jackpot, perhaps it's thrift karma? I've been doing some serious house cleaning the last few weeks and dropping off car loads of clothes, knick knacks and more to the local thrift stores.

I'm so excited about all my recent finds. I'm not sure I can pick a favorite although I must admit I've been looking for that "Try A Little Kindness" wall hanging for quite sometime so when I found it at a newly opened local Goodwill I probably shouted something about how it was my favorite thing ever...

I hope you all have a fantastic Monday! I've got a busy week a head of me! (PSST. I've got some really great kitty pictures for you later this week, Doctor Octopus was a really great sport and I can't wait to show you!!)
xoxo