Spring Flower Giddiness

These flowers are in bloom in my yard right now.

It makes me want to wear all of these pink flower things! Possibly all at the same time!

(Sources: Melanie Collection clutch from FIAZCO; Rosette Fascinator Headband from Giantdwarf; Delicate Brooch from Calexandra; Cecile Brunner Earrings from Leavesofglass; T Hairpiece from SmittenXOXO; Pink Glass Peony Ring from Monomatic.

Early Christmas

This year for Christmas my amazing friend Antiope got me this Wobbly Octopus Magnet. She likes to enable my octopus addiction.

And she also gave me a orange elephant-shaped ornament made from elephant dung. Processed elephant dung -- it feels like papier-mache and smells faintly of hay. Hilarious and wonderful.

I gave her citronella candles shaped like eggplant.

And some vintage maps from my favorite ephemera source, Etsy seller Inkpainter, because Antiope is a geographer.

Afterwards we tried to decide which set of Christmas presents was the most bizarre. We decided it was a tie.

Back Home Again

For Thanksgiving week, I'm back in my hometown of Bloomington, Indiana. (And I can't believe I thought winter in Florida was cold.) Bloomington is a lovely and artistic college town with all sorts of shopping to offer, including these finds from Etsy:

Onion, a photographic print by Komoriblue that would be very appropriate for my kitchen.

Octopus/Squid Inspired Pendant from Miabeach. I love anything that looks like a cephalopod ...

... and I'm also fascinated by other strange sea life, which is why I like this Abstract Pottery Sea Anemone Sculpture from Canderson Creations.

Faceted Grape Vintage Pendant Necklace by Abeautifulnotion, who makes all sorts of jewelry out of old buttons.

And this! From Squaretones, it's Drawdio: a pencil that lets you draw with music. I really want to try this thing out.

My Christmas List

Last year I had a very traumatic Christmas when I decided to make all my presents myself. This year I decided to buy early and often, and I have accumulated a substantial pile of presents. But you know when you're looking at your Christmas present pile, and it seems like a weird and random assortment of things? That's what my Christmas list looks like this year.

Someone I know (I'm sure none of these people read my blog) is getting a Lucky Mojo Charm from Mojohatchery. It's made of something called devil pods or, hilariously, bat nuts -- and in person it is terrifying. Those little black seedpods really do look like bats from one angle and scary faces from another. I think the recipient will appreciate this. Plus, it's supposed to ward off evil, and what more does anyone want for Christmas?

Someone else is getting a set of 1930s French chessmen in a wooden box, similar to the set available here. It's not quite as cool as a set of devil pods, but I think he might like it better.

Another person on my list will be getting an Art Deco brooch like this one, a hand holding a water lily.

And if you have someone on your Christmas list who likes antiques, used to be a locksmith, and was once almost kicked out of the navy during WWII for smuggling a pet monkey on board, this is the perfect gift: a Chinese lock in the shape of a monkey, over 100 years old and available here.

Let's hope that my friends and family are ready for some interesting and unusual vintage presents, because that is what everyone is getting this year from me. And if any of you are reading this, I wouldn't mind getting that sort of present for Christmas either.

Today I'm Thinking About

The perfection of earrings that are two different colors.

Top image: Black Forest Earrings by Circ; bottom image: Jewel Tones by U2erin.

A Vote for Brooches

My Florida town was an exciting place to be on Election Day. I loved seeing the way people were dressing up to vote. I saw a lot of American flag colors, but also lots of people who, like me, dressed mainly in blue. (We were so giddy at the idea that this might actually be a blue state this year! And it was!) I also saw women paying tribute to Michelle Obama in fabulous outfits like this one from Kimberly of Fab Finds Under $50.

I like the way Michelle Obama pins a single brooch at the v-neck of a dress or sweater, and I am totally going to copy this look with various brooches like these:


As always, Etsy has a zillion options for vintage brooches that would go perfectly with this outfit:



From top left: Vintage Mod White Glass Sunburst Brooch on sale from RelicsRenewed; Pretty Vintage Turquoise Rhinestone Brooch from Susantique; Vintage Amethyst Stone Brass Brooch from AuthenticAntiques; Late 1800s to Early 1900s Art Nouveau Brooch from LunabudsAttic; Vintage Gold Bow Brooch from HopelesslyDevoted; Vintage Marcasite Bow Brooch from PattycakesPatterns; Stunning Trifara Signed Gold Tone Leaf Brooch from Beatomicbeauty; awesome and bizarre Vintage Egyptian Cat Brooch from Vickisvintagelane.

Next Halloween

Let's face it, I own a lot of costumey clothing that I wear every day. I like ruffles. I like gaudy jewelry. I like anything that looks like it came from a previous time period. Usually I try to keep it to one costumey piece per outfit, with everything else fairly simple. But Halloween gives you total freedom to wear all of your over-the-top pieces at the same time. This year I wore the puffy shirt, the chain belt (as a necklace), a bright green belt (actually from Lane Bryant), and as many piratical accessories as I could scrounge up. This was a last-minute costume attempt. Fortunately, I already owned a pirate hat and an octopus necklace.

I think I looked more like one of the Three Musketeers than a pirate. But Oliver was wearing a black beard, hook, and eye patch, so that helped people identify us.

I like the idea of creating a costume out of real-life clothes just by adding an accessory or two. Next year I'm thinking about basing my costume on something like this gorgeous tiara from LuxeDeluxe ...
... or maybe a giant butterfly hat from Jenniferbelland ...

... or -- my favorite idea -- one of these amazingly cool felt beards from Imadeyouabeard.

More Inspiration From Books

Classic fantasy writer E.R. Eddison was a little obsessed with jewelry, and wrote some of the best jewelry descriptions ever.

From Mistress of Mistresses:

"Then he laid out a hand palm upwards on the table; hers came, daintily under its shimmer of rings ... The alexandrite stone was upon her finger, water green in this light of evening, yet with a stir as of embers below the green ready to flare red when lamps should be lit."

Totally makes me want to wear an alexandrite ring and rule over a mysterious realm.

(Images: top: Edwardian Alexandrite Ring from Cypress Gallery; right to left: Three Bubbles Ring with Synthetic Alexandrite from Grocgroc; Large and Bold Alexandrite Ring (synthetic) from LisaLisa46; 14K Alexandrite Ring from ShopNBC.)

A Jewelry Fix

Some days I feel the need for a new piece of jewelry that is simple, shiny, and cheap. On one of those days I bought this bird and flower charm from Michael's, added a jump ring, and wore it on a silver chain. There are so many super cute pieces in this line; I will definitely be back for more.

Other days, I want to wear something gorgeous and unique that was made by an artist, and on one of those days I bought this necklace from Etsy seller Circ. I love the thoughtfulness of her designs. Everything in her store has a romantic, vintagey beauty -- I'll be a regular customer there as well.

Ginkgo Leaves

"Amy's house was a high red brick one. In front of it there was a tall and graceful ginkgo tree whose roots made the worn red bricks of the sidewalk bulge and whose branches fanned the sky. The ginkgo tree has little leaves shaped like fans that Amy and Clarissa liked to press and give to their dolls. The fruit of this tree is orange, but it is not good for eating. It has an odd fragrance that grownups do not like but that children do not mind, for it makes them think of fall and Halloween."

From The Witch Family, by Eleanor Estes

OK, so most of what that passage says about ginkgo trees isn't true. I like their smell (although I'm pretty sure I qualify as a grownup), and I also like ginkgo nuts. But this is one of my favorite childhood books, and that will always be the quintessential description of ginkgos for me. (Also, I wish I lived in Amy's house.)

There aren't many ginkgo trees where I live now, but every fall I get homesick for the trees in my hometown. Right about now they are showering the streets with golden leaves, and people are busy picking up their fruits to eat or sell. Meanwhile I'm doing all of my gleaning on Etsy.

(Images, reading to the right and down: Ginkgo Earrings, $13 from ColorMeBella; Three Gingko Necklace, $200 from Katnfiddle; Gingko, $34 from Archaicdesign; The Gingko Cuff - Yellow Brass - Made to Order, $44 from Bijoutiful; Ruby-Crowned Kinglet Linocut in Bright Red, $20 from BirdNerd; Orange and Pink Ginkgo Pillow Cover, $20 (on sale!) from Appetitehome; amazing 8x8 Yellow Ginkgo Leaf Wall Plaque, $30 from Jonathanshuff; Tourmaline Ginkgo Leaf Earrings set in Sterling Silver, $225 from Beaucoupdebijoux; Ginkgo Leaf Pendant, $40 from Gingko; Orange Ginkgo Letterpress Stationery, $15 from Satsumalynn; Ginkgo Leaf Ring, $34 from Esdesigns; Hammered Copper Ginkgo Leaf Pendant, $25 from Knitsteel.)

Ginkgo, gingko, ginkgo ... if you type it enough times, both spellings start to look wrong.

Bookish

I almost called this post "Love Story Part Two," because that is how much I love books. I love them so much I think it might be a problem. So much that I always want to buy anything that even reminds me of books. Right now, I'm really, really tempted by the amazing jewelry of Etsy seller Julieinwilkes' shop, Inspired by History. She makes these incredible necklaces with souvenir picture lockets, tiny books that fold out into a sequence of old pictures of scenic locations. Who could possibly resist the Nature Enthusiast's Delight, with the tiny binoculars and the little red book of 1960s photos from the Wisconsin Dells?

I can't even resist anything that looks like print -- like the newspaper purse from yesterday's post, or this Distorted Diary bag by designer Lucie Pritchard, available at All Things Original.

I'd like to buy a mix bag of these buttons and sew them onto a black cardigan.

And then there are all the things you can buy that have been made out of books, like this American Literature Book Belt Buckle from MaxineDearest. Some people (like my mother) find it unsettling to see books cut apart to make fashion accessories. I like to think of it as giving new life to a book that might have been mulched and sent to the landfill.

Which is why I've been thinking about getting a book purse. Maybe a book clutch like this one from Nerdbomber -- so simple and cute!

Or a shoulder bag purse, like this one from SackReligious.

If I had the money, of course, I would go with the top-of-the-line book purse: one of the gorgeous book-shaped clutches from Femme Sud.

Or maybe I'll just keep my eye out for the perfect purse book that needs to be rescued and reworked, and try altering it myself. I would do it in a second if I found one of these books.

(The Brown Satchel Mystery, by Betsy Allen; The Empty Purse, by George Meredith; The Power of the Purse Strings: Do Congressional Budgets Restrain? by Richard Forgette; The Case of the Golddigger's Purse, by Erle Stanley Gardner; A Clutch of Constables, by Ngaio Marsh; The Purse, by Honore de Balzac)

Cold

It's finally cold here. Cold enough for me to justify buying this vintage silk and wool Oscar de la Renta scarf from Mrsdepew? Um, no. "Cold" where I live is still so warm that a scarf like this would make my neck burn as I walked across campus. Do I still want the scarf? Um, yes.

Dress Clips

So I recently discovered dress clips and went a little insane. An entirely new way to wear jewelry! An entirely new type of jewelry to shop for! This week I bought this vintage German dress clip with odd little spiky flowers that change from green to gold to violet as you move. It goes with almost everything I own. (If you want a dress clip exactly like this, check out GoAntiques.)

I got mine from the fantastic Etsy shop Dollherup, which has some of the strangest and coolest vintage jewelry I've ever seen. Oh, and they also sent me a second dress clip as a thank-you gift, a pretty gold-tone filigree piece. They are awesome. And they are having a 20% off sale on all vintage jewelry September 22-25!

Dress clips were most popular in the 20s and 30s, and could be used to gather up a loose dress for a tighter fit, but this is my favorite way to wear them. (This website has a nice summary of other ways to wear them.) I've been clipping mine onto v-neck sweaters and dresses. They seem to stay balanced better than a brooch, and they don't leave holes in your clothes. And there are so many different kinds of dress clips:

Carved bakelite clips in juicy colors. (1940s Red Bakelite Floral Clip, $26.50 from AriesgirlVintage; Vintage Butterscotch Bakelite Carved Pineapple Dress Clip, $35.00 from The Antique and Collectible Exchange; Pea Soup Green Carved Bakelite Dress Clip, $65.00 from Ecrater)

Ornate clips in pairs. I'm planning to get myself some of these and wear them pinned to the corners of a square-necked top. (Rhinestone Dress Clips, $2.00 from Katseclectics; Vintage Fur or Dress Clips Pair Art Deco, $6.50 from MyCreations4U; gorgeous Sterling and Rhinestone Dress Clips, $18 from Ohmymilky.)

Cameo clips. (Antique Cameo Dress Clip c.1900, $95 from Eric J. Phillips; Vintage Figural Silvertone Dress Clip, $4.50 from FarawayEyes; Vintage Victorian Dress Clip, $44 from Darling Harbor)

Sculptural dress clips. Some of these are so bizarre and wonderful -- moving windmills, chessmen, vases that hold real flowers. A little more normal but just as lovely: Cluster of Grapes Vintage Dress Clip, $16.50 from Ohmymilky; amazing Goldtone Dress Clip with a Bird, $18 from Hollywooddesign; Leaf and Berry Rhinestone Dress Clip, $18 from Ecrater)

And the classic Art Deco rhinestone numbers. (Vintage Dress Clip, $50; 1930s Dress Clip with Rhinestones, $65 from Ecrater; West Germany Signed Marcasite Dress Clip, $14 from SeeJayneKnit)

My plan is to start shopping in the $2.00 range and work my way up to the terribly expensive ones.

The Snake Goddess

This dress of the day from The Fashion Police reminded me how much I like a few tiers or ruffles in a skirt. It also reminded me, however, of the time a few years ago when I interviewed for a teaching job. I was wearing a black suit. My interviewer was wearing something that looked like this:

Oh, yes, seriously. There is a lot of freedom to dress the way you want in my profession, which is one reason I love it. And while I had some trouble focusing in the presence of giant rainbow-colored tiers, I knew the look my colleague was going for, and I sympathized. She had just been inspired by this fashion icon:

The Minoan Snake Goddess. She's one of two little figurines discovered on the island of Crete, made around 16oo BCE. They might be goddesses, or priestesses -- no one really knows much of the details of Minoan culture. (And we won't know until someone manages to translate Linear A. You might want to get on that, Internet.) As far as I'm concerned, the main thing this figurine tells us is that the Minoans had cute outfits. I mean, you probably want to shorten the skirt, lose the apron, and, I don't know, put on a shirt. But once you've done that, this is a totally wearable outfit:


It's just a tiered skirt with a fitted, three-quarter-sleeved jacket. You could add a wide belt if you want to look even more like the Snake Goddess. Cute and trendy!

The other Snake Goddess figurine appears to be wearing live snakes for bracelets.

I would replace them with some snaky jewelry.

(From top left, reading across and down: Itty Bitty Drop Sterling Silver Earrings from Phoebestreasures; Serpent Necklace from Zeba; Ouroboros Ring from PocketandSpark; Vintage Snake Arm Bracelet from Ricracandbuttons; Vintage Etched Snake Clamper Bracelet from Viciousvintage; Brass Wurm from Ragtrader.

I don't recommend wearing a cat on your head, though.