You can download and view the latest (and the first!) Look Book for this Summer 2009 update to my Greentag Vintage Shoppe on Etsy.com by clicking here!
Lots of accessories, Vintage designer 50's, 60's 70's and 80's items from Coach, Halston, Guess. Everything revolves around a little summer party theme, but I can assure you these pieces can be stylishly worn anytime! I also have several Plus-sized pieces. Stop by after July 4th!
Happy Independence Day~ A.
I have so much to share with you! I have bumped into so many cool finds lately that they just pile up and have to be dumped into one big post to clean off the blog heap on my internal desktop!
This week, my husband and I celebrated our seven year wedding anniversary. I was visiting with my mom and grandmother after church on the Sunday before our anniversary day, and they were joking with me about the "seven year itch", and yadda, yadda, yadda... (and "What are your goals for your marriage in the next seven years?") Seriously!? Yikes!
My grandparents would have celebrated their 60th anniversary a few days earlier if my grandfather hadn't passed away, so I guess I will take the quizzing and questioning from a pro-wife like her. They had 54 solid years together.
Ironically, they would have been married almost seven years when the movie The Seven Year Itch with Marilyn Monroe came out in 1955. I can remember first watching that movie and how it amused me and appealed to the Catholic-girl tease in me with words like automat and icebox, (which are repeated breathlessly and often throughout it.) Then there was the famous white dress blowing up in the subway station scene, which made me wonder at age 14: "What was so darn spectacular about that?"
And "Men are so predictable and easily amused," I thought.
But this day, (light bulb over head,) I thought....what if I could find a vintage inspired replica of that type of dress, in my chunky size?
So I searched around a bit and found out that you can buy many such COSTUMES, but few replica dresses. I did find a few sites that swim with that Rockabilly vibe and have some Marilyn-like dresses (even in PLUS SIZES!)The site that offers this Marilyn inspired dress from the movie Niagara, (shown left) is called Pin-up Girl Clothing. BEWARE you might have to dodge slutty, stripper clothes on their site to find the good dresses! The pale beige dress (shown below,) made my heart skip a beat, but it was SOLD OUT.
The site also carries Re-Mix Shoes which are vintage replicas. If you love the look of vintage shoes with the clean, ease of a brand new pair of your very own, check out their site. The quality is worth the investment if you can afford a pair. These are the type of shoes you'll keep forever.
I also love ModCloth which carries this Seven Year Itch dress. No plus sizes for the big girls, though. They have lots of other fun stuff to browse like a reusable cup that looks like a Starbucks throwaway,
and fun books like this one by the founder of Ann Arbor's own FOUND MAGAZINE, or this one (shown above,) which might be a belated anniversary present for my Mr. Smarty-pants. I think he had that hair-do once upon a time. Hmmm... actually, I want EVERY SINGLE BOOK in their little bookstore category! Look at them all and have fun.
Last but not least, I found this little company in New York called CHAIRLOOM.
I fell in love with the idea of an upholstery company devoted to chairs. I pick up chairs like some people pick up stray dogs and cats. I can't help it. I hate to see a good one go to the dump, when 99% of the time they just need paint and new coverings. Check out their site to get inspired. You might buy a staple gun and some upholstery nails and make a project out of your old chairs.. because they make old junkers look so fresh, sweet, and easy to reinvent.
I like the lines on this little bench, which just as easily could have been a coffee table/side table with great legs which was then repainted, batted up, covered and finished to be recycled into a perfect little bench. It seems to beckon me, "Here! Sit and put your fabulous vintage shoes on, (while wearing your Marilyn dress,) and go have a fantastic anniversary dinner!" Or something like that.
Seven year itches? I say, put him in stitches with ridiculous dresses and an icebox dinner for two! Speaking of stitches, at least this anniversary was less eventful than last year!
Nancy Reagan should be so proud. Her JUST SAY NO slogan lives on in 2009. This time it is put to use fighting the addicting demons of environmentally bad stuff and consumerism, (ironically a culture she and her husband helped create in the 80's,) instead of against dope and drug dealers.
I was/am an occasional user. (The first step is admitting you have a problem.) I admit I like re-using plastic grocery store bags for the cleaning of the cat box, or other liquid/smell-proof needs of disposal, but I am reformed when it comes to shopping.
I strongly recommend a shopping tote, like the cute one above, for all the rest of your retail transporting and whatnot. You can keep bags like these in the back of your car and pull them out whenever needed. You can't go into a store lately without seeing these little bags everywhere. Why not buy a fashionable, eco-friendly one like this? It comes from this SWEET shop in London, Lapin and Me. Only £5.00 for this cool tote! If you like quirky, UK-flavored stuff, you will soon be supporting the global economy with your cool purchases.
I am almost embarassed to use plastic bags anymore. Totes are cool. Totes are fun and make our Paul Bunyan sized carbon footprint smaller in a tiny way!
Not to peer pressure you or anything, but everyone is doing it!
Hey bloggersphere! I have been MIA with my many fires burning in the background right now. Work, work, work. Today is a good day to take a break from all of that and drink some whiskey. Okay maybe not actual whiskey, maybe Bailey's with coffee....or something...but I am 1/4 IRISH and come from the O'Connor clan...so if I don't join in the fun, I am sure to be ridiculed by my people as they throw slabs of corned beef at me.
While I am here to say hello, I want to share some fun stuff with you:
One of my dearest and most CHARMING friends, Ken Nottoli, was featured in a Kalamazoo Gazette article about the 50th Anniversary of BARBIE!This is an actual picture of his amazing collection in his new house. Ken finds Barbies everywhere: yard sales, flea markets, ebay, you name it!
My husband and I spent one evening in the BARBIE room of his old house....and he still has nightmares about it, ("They're all LOOKING at me!") Anyhow, Ken is a true kindred spirit and a very knowledgeable collector. In fact, our first trip to the five state garage sale was with Ken and his family trailing behind us in an RV! The totally cool full article can be read here.
(Photo credit: Kalamazoo Gazette)
Did you hear about Gwyneth's GOOP? Hmmm.... It's an overrated micro-blog alternative from another know-it-all celebrity, but I'll read it because I generally believe that Ms. Paltrow has really good (expensive and skinny) taste!
Two weeks ago I scored an ever so highly coveted doll from Ms. Emily Martin's shop. I would be remiss if I didn't mention it since everyone and their neighbors are in love with them and her sweet shop on Etsy is perhaps the most recognizable of all time. This particular doll has custom black swan fabric deigned by Emily herself through the wonders of Spoonflower. She had me at hello, along with all of Emily's charming creations.
(Photo Credit: Miss Emily Martin)
I am hoping to focus more on plus size vintage fashions in my little shoppe and have been completely enamored with this shop lately which has a variety of "close" to plus sized dresses and such. I stopped breathing for a minute when I was LUCKY enough to spot this perfect St. Patty's day dress. But alas, my luck ran dry when I saw it was already sold and didn't come in my size.
(Photo Credit: Vintageous.com)
I hope this day finds you in GOOD HEALTH and with plenty of charm, luck and GOOD FORTUNE!
P.S. Don't drink and drive, silly!
So the germs have finally begun to subside in the greentag house....thank goodness...and we are making some progress to get our weekend started right.
I think I am going to a mom-to-mom sale tomorrow with my mom. What is a mom-to-mom sale, you ask? These fantastic gatherings are like a big garage sale, swap meet, flea market, rummage sale all wrapped into one! Right up my alley! Everyone either buys or sells STUFF just for babies and kids. So if you sell at a mom-to-mom sale you rent a table at the venue (usually a church or school,) for around $25.00 and then you bring all of the nice things your kids have either outgrown or never used and make some quick cash.
For the shoppers, (the mom and daughter duo,) it is another environment for bargain hunting. We look for brand new jeans for the boy, or great unusual vintage toys and books. Last time my mom got him the cutest pair of unused Converse All-star tie-up sneakers for like $2.00. They usually have yummy bake sales as fundraisers within the mom-to-mom sale too. So you can stroll with your coffee and check out all the little duds and then reward your self with a cookie if you find nothing to buy. If you live in Southeast Michigan check out http://www.mom2momlist.com/, which has the number one Google ranking under mom2mom. I am impressed! On this site (which is run by, you guessed it: a stay at home suburban mommy, with a holiday sweater vest and all...) you can click on Spring Sales or Winter Sales and see a listing for every upcoming sale in our area and get all the details. It's a great resource.
Sometimes it feels good to get rid of old stuff (like well used kids toys)...but sometimes it's more painful.
Last summer, Detroit began to lose its beloved Tiger Stadium. When we drove by it in July, they had ripped into its side and I snapped these photos from the highway:
I was sad to see the place my grandfather used to take me to see ballgames get trashed like old bones, but we do enjoy the new COMMERICA park every year when season ticket time comes around (despite the new sell-out, corporate name.)
If you enlarge these photos you can see the tiny people standing at the fence where the hole is torn in the side of the stadium, feeling sad to see her go.
My husband has been purging old relics from his youth and selling like mad on CRAIGSLIST. It can be quite cathartic.
Yes, I know there can be plenty wrong with the "bad people" on Craigslist out there, but if you use the online bulletin board for good (and sell your goods by meeting in a public place,) then it can be fun and mutually rewarding for buyer and seller. Everything from old comics books to his Fender Squier Duo guitar are being cleared out of our basement.
Ahhh, (early) spring cleaning! I have no problem bidding a fond farewell to somethings to make room for the treasures this summer will bring! How lucky I am that he is in the spirit, too. (But I might hide the guitar and keep it for our boy to grow into!)
Whoo Hoo! This is my 50th posting! I have decided this means that my blog is no longer an infant. Since about a green girl has officially "taken flight" I thought the 5Oth post should be less about my political and cultural observations, which have been in heavy rotation lately, and more about the fun stuff: VINTAGE OBJECTS, ART, and RE-PURPOSING PROJECTS. This is the stuff I'd love to live and breathe (if the air was made up of rhinestone snow flakes, spray-paint mist and modge podge, decoupaged rain drops!)
Speaking of "taking flight"....my home-slice from the GC hood, Brooke from Creativity at My Own Pace, has a sweet download of original address labels with woodgrain birds which can be printed right onto Avery labels. Check this page for the link. Aren't they cute?
Keeping with the bird theme....if you are looking to go out on a limb with your fashion, (I mean way out ....like Napoleon Dynamite,) consider the fantastic vintage selections at Peppermint Vintage. I discovered them a while back and recently spied this adorably frumpy Bird of Paradise dress for only $25. If you have the gonads to pull off the eighties vibe, which is so respected by the kiddies right now,...I highly suggest checking them out. I particularly like that they have fresh, one-of-a kind stock for girls who have big butts and breasts. These are all too rare of finds on most vintage apparel sites!
Remember when we were kids and there was a run on Cabbage Patch toys? Think Christmas circa '84, '85, somewhere in there. Every girl just HAD to have one. Parents were in a frenzy to BUY them. Then the manufacturers went on to market and create the same frenzy over Cabbage Patch Preemies the next year. Then Cabbage Patch silk-haired dolls.(You could actually brush the hair!) I think mine was named Elyse Izadora. It had a birth certificate and everything.
Some evil (brilliant?) sales executive said "Yeah! What a great idea! We'll short order a supply of a toy we think every kid will want. We'll market the hell out of it. We'll advertise like crazy and they'll be so few in stock, they'll just fly off the shelves! We'll play upon the competitive, sick nature in parents. We'll guilt them into to clawing through the toy shelves so that their child won't feel left out!"
That guy also invented Elmo, and talking Elmo, and dancing Elmo, etc. I am pretty sure he is indirectly responsible for killing that guy in the Walmart stampede, as well.
Anyhow...it's 2008 and the "HOT" must-have item for boys 3-7 years old this Christmas is this:
The Batman Mega Cape. Retail Price at KB Toys $49.99 (Sale price at Walmart the day after Thanksgiving $30.00= Stampede.)
I never thought I'd be one of those parents. But.... (sigh.) I have looked at least 10 different places for this thing when it was on sale, and it's always sold out. My boy is absolutely nuts about getting it. I refuse to pay $49.99 for it online or otherwise...so I guess our son will have to be happy with whatever else he is getting and finally learn about the New Year's Panda.
What is the New Year's Panda, you ask?
The New Year's Panda comes on New Year's Day to all good little boys and girls who didn't get what they wanted on Christmas day from that old hack, Santa. The New Year's Panda understands the value of a dollar, a hard days work, and shops on clearance after Christmas. I am pretty sure the PANDA has about 12 of these batwings tied to his bamboo shoot sleigh! Now, don't feel bad for my poor son. He is getting absolutely spoiled, as usual. I will get those Batman Wings for him, of course. (It's too built up of a challenge NOT to!)
I would like to attempt a totally handmade Christmas one year, and I half-attempted it this year. Instead of buying toys for our friends' kids, Lucas helped me make a cozy Christmas eve blanket for each one. (20 in total!) I think they turned out great given my wonky "organic" sewing skills. Thank goodness my husband took home economics (since I didn't,) and he prevents me from kicking my sewing machine on a regular basis! Our son also "helped" with the sewing. It was quite fun, imperfections and all! Toys are more fun of course, but a practical gift is okay once in a while!
(Click to enlarge photos.)
If you aren't into "crafts" with a capital C... you could also come up with something equally thoughtful and creative like Stephanie's friend did at Cottage Thoughts. I love the idea of giving someone a taste of another city, in a box. She received "London in a box" from a friend traveling abroad. Her box included a beautiful tin of English Breakfast tea, an antique teacup, a candle, two chocolates wrapped in paper decorated with London scenes, two dried tea roses, and an envelope of British pence to show to her children. Even without the Spice Girls and the Queen...you get the flavor of the city. Simple, sweet, and thoughtful.Those types of gifts beat out lame gift cards, (you mind as well give cash in a box..) DVD's, and all the plastic, overpriced Batman crap you can handle!
Last Spring I drafted a family cookbook as a tribute to my grandmother as a Mother's Day gift. You may remember me rambling on about it in this post. WELL...it's finally done! My grandmother helped me edit it and I added a little intro to give a little background on our family and the FOOD!
I chose lulu.com for their print-on-demand publishing which makes managing inventory very flexible and keeps the production costs low. If you are interested in a hard copy of the book, just click on the book cover icon in the top right corner of my homepage. As a gift to my extended family, friends, and readers I am offering a PDF of the entire 36 page mini-book for you download. Just email me or leave a comment here and I will send it your way! (Just in time to bake something for that workplace Christmas party!) ~Enjoy!
I was jumping for joy yesterday when my very first box from the Home of The Sampler arrived! I love the concept of getting a variety of handmade artists together to promote themselves by providing adorable samples of their work, all in one neat-o box. I was a bit disappointed by all the paper/notecards that seemed to fill it. I wasn't envisioning a box of stationary, I guess. I am sure these are easy items to donate and distribute, so I accepted the minor let down. A beautiful pair of teardrop earrings, a cupcake zip-up pouch, and a letterpress card with a parachuting fox were among the highlights in the May edition of the box.
However, the absolute frosting over the whole kit-in-caboodle has to be the Stylagio purse holder. I was completely confused when I opened it and thought is was an odd shaped keychain, at first. Silly, me... after practically breaking the thing (ummm..shouldn't directions be provided?...) my few remaining brain cells kicked in and I realized what it was for. GENIUS invention! Who wants to set their handbag on the floor or take up valuable cafe' table space with a bulky tote? This little gadget solves that dilemma in a brilliant, stylish way.
I can confidently recommend the Sampler. The best part is that every month it contains different mystery items. It is the ultimate sweet grab bag via the mail! If you can, order one next month and get a sweet surprise!
