Macabre sells

It's getting close to Halloween and macabre visuals seem apropo.  Many children's fairy tales have completely gruesome imagery and violence.  So then I came across this vintage postcard with the dog that had torn the arms and stuff off a child's doll (at first I thought it was a child and had to look closer as I wondered for what occasion this postcard would be appropriate.)  If you look in the background, the child is just crying like crazy as the dog tears up the dolly.

These and other macabre images definitely have an audience.  I bought the card to resell because I just knew there would be someone that would adore it.  And sure enough, it sold only a couple of weeks later. 

I just wish I knew what the intention of the artist and the company who created it were in the first place.

Macabre postcard, The Victory.  

Trinkets in Hollywood

Not sure what Hollywood Regency looks like?  It is glitz. It is glam. It is black and white. It is bright yellow. It includes a lot of brass.  It is fresh but it incorporates modern furniture with vintage elements like a crisp colorful upholstery. If you still aren't sure, check out old 1940s movies. Look at the styling of the homes.

Hollywood Regency?  Think Audrey Hepburn. Or Katherine Hepburn. Clark Gable. Marilyn Monroe. Vivienne Leigh. Elvis Presley. Rita Hayworth....or even Mad Men.

The stars were known for their cocktail parties.  At a cocktail party, you need room to move around and room to be seen.  The personalities are the focal point, not the room.  The room should be clean lined, with small furniture and perhaps some ornate artworks or mirrors. 

Here is a Hollywood Regency trinket box.  It is vintage and a bit dusty. But clean it up and this baby could sit on any piano or dresser in any Hollywood house in the Mid Century.

Teddy has been loved

Did you have a favorite Teddy Bear when you were a child? I did. His name was Teddy and he was a panda bear--not your usual teddy bear. I wore his ears bald dragging him around and then one night my older sister and I were fighting across the narrow space of the two beds. She had Teddy's head and I had his body. We ripped him in two and I was devastated. Teddy would be considered an antique now had he survived. And I do have other toys from my childhood that are antiques--though not in pristine condition.

These delightful patchwork Teddy Bears are well loved and have some slight scruff factor but darned if I don't adore them. I hope, when I get my RV renovated that I'll be able to find one or more of these adorable bears to sit on the bed.

Vintage or possibly antique patch work Teddy Bears still
have so much comfort and love to give.

A Rose by Any Other Name...

In the Mid Century (1950s - 1960s) Roses and flowers were a very popular home decor element.  The light pink/coral color and the greens are reminiscent of a set of pictures that had a place in my mom's bathroom for more than 40 years.

Now these rose/floral decorating elements totally Bohemian and truly Shabby Chic.

Items designed with roses could be found in bathrooms, in bedrooms, in living rooms, in dining rooms and in kitchens.  Some women went wild with their floral decorations.  And back in those days, most husbands gave their wives carte blanche to decorate however they wished.  I am sure that upon entering their overly floral homes some men wished they had thought better of that decision.

I myself had a mother who loved flowers and although they weren't EVERYWHERE in our house, they were prominent in the bedrooms and bathrooms.  When I first went out on my own as an adult, not only were my perfume choices full of floral notes, but my wingback chair in the living room had floral upholstery, my bedspread was floral, and many, many of the items in my closet were floral.

Vintage rose placemats.  Taking these beautiful roses into the kitchen
and dining room are for the truly rose loving fan.

Pops of Color

I recently watched a movie on Netflix about Iris Apfel.  That woman sure knows how to dress and express her creative self!  I was so inspired that the next day I dressed up and made sure that I was being true to my creative, artistic self.  I layered the bright colors that I adore in strands and combined it with clothes I had not thought to combine in the past. 

Last night, I watched a documentary made by a fellow blogger Advanced Style--featuring women over the age of 50 - 94 who dress in high fashion and don't give a hoot about what people think.  

I am dearly fond of all clothes from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.  I have decided to incorporate into my daily style vintage scarves, rhinestone brooches, lovely flowing skirts and delicious heels. As a woman who is at the very peak of the first half of my first century, I don't want to slide into the second half of my century being boring and blah.  I, too, like Iris, want to be fabulous, expressive and memorable in my personal styling.  

If you haven't seen Iris Apfel or the ladies from Advanced Style, you absolutely must see them.  Perhaps you'll think they are too over the top...but they are as true to themselves and as comfortable in their skins as they are in their varied finery.

Vintage silk scarves are full of beautiful color and oh so stylish
no matter what era we're in.  

Perhaps a Gift for the Teacher

I assume that most teachers receive many Holiday gifts that are charming and delightful if for no other reason than that the givers are sweet (mostly) and lovely little beasties, I mean, children.  But if I were a teacher, I'd love to receive a little school bell with a black wooden handle, or a brass apple to put on my desk as a paper weight. I might love to get an old church key so I could open a grape nehi or...after school, of course, a cold beer.

When you're ready to go shopping for the teacher's gift, consider a vintage or antique shop.  There's a veritable treasure trove of options from which to choose.  If you can't figure out where to go, try Flower Child Trends or Nifty Groovy online.

This Holiday season give your child's school teacher a unique gift
with a vintage history.

A Vacation in Sunny Florida

I got overwhelmed this past two weeks with many tasks and just had to catch up with some things at my home.  That didn't stop me from continuing to try to get all of my vintage inventory inventoried.  It takes time to photograph, catalogue and upload items to my online shops.  And I spent a couple of days working on upscaling some vintage furniture with a modern twist.

Luckily, I don't have to take a vacation since I live in the land of vacations.