A Staycation Week of Vintage Outfits

I had my winter break from work last week and John too off too.  I spent it doing my favorite things spending time with the dogs and cats, eating, watching Star Trek and Mystery Science Theatre 3000, and of course dressing up.  

As I mentioned in previous posts I have been selling off a lot of my clothes in order to fund new ones.  I have decided that in order for me to keep it an article of clothing needs to fit several criteria:

1. It must be fun.  I'm old enough I'll dress as I like and I only want fun, happy clothes that make me smile.
2. It must be comfortable. Despite what people thing full skirts and petticoats really are comfortable.  Nothing, not even sweat pants, are more comfortable then full skirts.
3. Preferably it will be something I can wear while biking.  This isn't a total must but its a big plus.  Thankfully, most things can be biked in.  I find biking in high heels easier then walking in them and petticoats are a breeze to bike in.
4. I have to love it.

Most of these outfits I have featured on here before, but some I have, the one's I haven't will get their own posts eventually but I thought it would be fun to record the week (actually 9 days with the two weekends.)  This was a very unusually warm February with temperatures in the 60s, hello global warming, so that is why so many of these outfits are spring like, and no I didn't wear them any place special.  I wore them to go out to lunch, to get bubble tea and to bike with the dogs.

Outfit Number , Saturday:  Jumpsuit from Maria Guye and Mexican Tourist jacket from Girl In A Whirl:

I bought this jumpsuit to wear to the NYC commicon but then we wound up not going due to massive lines that meant even ticket holders like us would have had a 3 to 4 hour wait in the rain.  I was very upset, but at least I love the jumpsuit! It, and the jacket, will get their own outfit post eventually.

Here are the accessories:

 

1950s gold tone poodle scatter pins, a red Chatter Blossom hair flower, cat's eye sun glasses, and my poodle purse (oh and of course pug and cat hairs).   The shoes are remix flats.

Outfit Number 2, Sunday:  Bernie Dexter Kitten Dress and Doll Me Up Cardigan:

Accessories: A pink snood from Arthelia's Attic (I love her snoods), a little 1950s or 60s  mink cat brooch with googly eyes (I think this was someone's craft project which is why I love it so much, pastel bakelite braces, Remix Baby Doll Pumps in ivory, a pink crinoline fro Amazon, pink dotted What Katie Did seamed panty hose, and my 1950's Siamese cat purse).

Outfit Number 3, Monday: This was my only outfit that consisted primarily of true vintage pieces.   1950's vintage western shirt, 1950's vintage western wool jacket and Freddies of Pinewood jeans.

Here is a close up of the embroidery on the blouse

Accessories: 1950's Western Barette, Luxulite Western Novelty Brooch,  Bakelite Bangles, and 1950's Novelty Horse Purse.

Day 4, Tuesday-A  1930s Winter Drindl by the Black Pinafore:

I did a full post on this outfit here.

The accessories: A 1940s Deer Brooch, Chatter Blossom Hair Flower, 1930's Embroidered Gloves and 1920's Needlepoint bag.

Day 5, Wednesday-Bernie Dexter Dress in Let Me Entertain You Print:   

This is my first Bernie Dexter dress in her long sleeved Nichole style and I love it!  This, along with short sleeved Kelly, is probably my favorite style of Bernie Dexter dress.

The print is super fun movie theatre themed novelty print that called for equally fun accessories. A chiffon hair scarf, primary colored bakelite bangles, a red crinoline from amazon, Miss L Fire shoes, and luxulite earrings and necklace.

Day 6, Thursday-Rocket Skirt from Girl In A Whirl and Swell Dame 1950's style Blouse-

This was my 38th birthday outfit last year, you can read about it in this post.   The skirt is a copy of the cover of my favorite children's book, a Trip to The Moon, by M. Sasek.  It's about the early days of NASA in Cape Canaveral.

The accessories for this outfit where a Chatter Blossom hair flower, gold remix shoes, a white crinoline from Amazon, lucite purse,  and bakelite bangles.

Day 7, Friday- Bernie Dexter Kelly Dress in Ticket to Ride and 1960s Pale Yellow Cardigan:

This dress is in my beloved Kelly style, short sleeves and zip front, with a nice full skirt.  The print is adorable, different tickets!   I also low the color of the cardi, such a pretty soft yellow.  This is an outfit I definitely plan to post in more detail soon.  

Here are the accessories:

 

Yellow Chatter Blossom hair flower, pastel bakelite bangles, 1950s or 60s novelty train brooch, 1960's flower purse, Miss L Fire pumps, and a green crinoline from Amazon.

Day 8, Saturday-Mexican Dress and Jacket by Maria Guye:

This is actually a bit of a sneak preview.  I purchsed this dress as my gift to myself for my upcoming 39th birthday.  It was so beautiful though I couldn't resist wearing it early.   Like all of  Maria's clothes the construction is exquisite.
I'll definitely be writing more about it.

The accessories I paired with this are my beloved 1950s horse novelty purse, red Chatter Blossom hair flower, and Remix sandals.


Day 9, Sunday-1950s style Zip Front Jump Suit by Kim Clark 

Kim did such a great job with this jumpsuit!  It is so comfortable and the fabric is  a gorgeous sea foam green with gold thread, real vintage fabric.  I wore this is in August to Star Trek Mission New York and had my picture taken with LeVar Burton, see this post.


Accessories: 1950's Cat's Eye Sunglasses, Gold Belt from Amazon, 1950's Novelty Cat Purse and Remix flats.

I dress in vintage style every day for work, but I definitely take it to the next level on weekends and vacations.  I had so much fun dressing up this week. I definitely think I'm getting younger, and crazier, in my style with age!

Kitsch Collectables-Miss Ponytail and Miss Traveler Cases

As a novelty purse fanatic I spend a lot of time perusing vintage bags, purses and cases on easy and ebay.   My ideal purse isn't one of those chic subtle leather ones:

What I want is the wackiest, craziest, kitschiest novelty hand bag out there: dogs, cats fish, coconuts, crazy sayings etc.

 

 

 I've learned over the years to not limit my online handbag searches to traditional adult hand bags, but rather to look outside the box and search for things like travel cases, sewing bags, book bags, lunch boxes, hat boxes, and most of all children's bags.  That last search item is how I discovered Miss. Ponytail.  

Miss Ponytail, and Miss Traveler by Ponytail, are Barbie like teen queen character who appeared on diaries, record cases, travel bags, purses, and lunch boxes in the 1950s and 60s.

 

 

I knew I wanted a Miss Traveler or Miss Ponytail bag in my collection but I wanted it to be the right one for the right price.   It took me  a while but I found the perfect specimens on ebay and even bargained the seller down!

It's a Miss Traveler case and spiffy young Miss Traveler with her adorable pill box hat and Jackie Kennedy like bob is accompanied by a charming well groomed poodle.  As a poodle mom I knew this was the case for me.  It really made me think of a 1960s airline stewardesses, a look I admire

So using my 1940s style pinafore dress from The Black Pinafore  (you can read about it in this post) I put together a  cute 60s sort of look 

Around Town: Fry's Trip to the Jersey City Holiday Market

Living  in the city as we do holiday markets are a big thing.  We used to go into Manhattan to the Union Square Holiday Market, but now there is no need too.  As legions of New Yorkers have been priced out of Manhattan and the boroughs, they have crossed the river to NJ and Jersey City, where we live, is becoming the 6th borough.  This has meant a glut of new restaurants and stores and events.  One cool new thing is Project Market,  a bi-monthly outdoor market with food vendors and artists.  

This past weekend Project Market had their biggest market of the year, the Holiday market.  We biked down town with Fry in his basket to check it out.  Fry is currently our best bicycling dog and I really should have gotten a picture of him on the bike.   (Incidentally we have been seriously considering going car free which would mean investing in some different pet bike trailers for the other dogs.  We rarely drive and I love the idea of being car free, except for occasional rentals, if we can figure out how to manage it. Luckily we are two blocks from our vet.  Not only is biking it better for the environment, it saves money, and is great exercises.  My husband is really passionate about biking.)

Fry after his  bike ride.

The market was pretty big and Fry was maybe a little overwhelmed.

We tried S'mores hot chocolate with a gingersnap cookie rim and fried Wisconsin cheese curds.   I didn't get a picture of the curds but they were delicious.

There were tons of stands, more then I could photograph:

My favorite stand was unsurprisingly, the vintage one.  They had a cute collection of vintage valentine cards:

 and some fun poodle things,   I bought the 1950s poodle book ends.

The one thing the market was missing was dog treats!  I was pretty disapointed.  We made it up to Fry by giving him part of a donut from the Italian bakery, so he was happy.

All in all we had a great time at the market, and I love my new book ends.

Kitschmas Decorating (And a Review of The Vermont Country Store Tinsel Tree)

I may never achieve my dream of a mid century home perfectly decorated for Christmas:

but I still enjoy decorating my urban home for the Holidays every year.   I generally collect much more vintage clothing then I do knick knacks and home wares, but over the years I have gathered a sizable collection of kitschy vintage holiday stuff.  In fact in our home I say we celebrate Kitschmas.  

The number one Kitschmas requirement is of course a tree in a color never found in nature: pink, white, or silver.   I've been in love with such trees every since I saw Edward Scissorhand's at age 12 and begged my horrified mother for a tinsel tree, she said no.

As soon as I grew up and got my own home I bought a vintage 1960s tinsel tree.  I loved that tree:

Sadly though it lost more and more tinsel each year until it had sizable bald patches and I began to worry about the dogs or cats ingesting shedded tinsel.  So last year I tossed it. 

 At first I planned to buy another vintage tree but in my research I learned lights on vintage aluminum trees are a major fire hazard (obviously I hadn't known that).  So I decided to go with the Vermont Country Store's reproduction tinsel tree that is pre-lit and fire safe.  The tree retails for for 170 dollars in the 6 foot option and ships quickly with no extra charge.  

Initially when I opened the box I was a little disapointed because the trees material is very different from the 1960s original, but then that is probably why it is fire safe.

 

Once I got it up and decorated though it started to grow on  me.  Silver is the perfect background for Star Trek ornaments and I have a lot of those (we celebrate Trekmas in our house too.)  My latest ornament is the Gorn Captain, I got it at the Star Trek Convention in Cherry Hill and I gave it a prominent spot on the tree.  Nothing like Christmas with the Gorn.

I have a lot of talking Star Trek Hallmark keepsake ornaments that John has gotten me over the years too and I never tire of listening to them.  The Tribble one is my favorite.

I have some mid century blown glass ornaments too.  I just got this little pipe cleaner angel on a pink ball for a dollar.

I had to take a selfie with the tree when I had finished decorating it.  You can see some of the blown glass ornaments I inherited from my mother in law.  

Once I saw the tree lit I had no more doubts.  I love it!  It's really, really bright.  

The color wheel is from Vermont Country store too.  I reviewed it here.  

Isn't it pretty?

Of course the tree is just one part of the Kitschmas decorating.  I had to put up the dog and cat stockings.

 and my 1950s punch bowl and Christmas corsages, and I have a lot of mid century greeting cards.

On the mantle I displayed most of my cards and my Christmas albums.  

I was so excited when John got me this Colonel Sanders album, I had wanted it for years.

The card on the end was made for me by a former student, my favorite ever.  I almost cried when I found it.

I also have a 1960s Christmas Dream Pet poodle, its so cute I want to leave it up all year.

My all time favorite decoration though is my geeky garland, its my one and only somewhat successful crafting attempt. 

Three years ago used photo shop to make myself cards form all of my favorite shows.  I posted about it here.   Talk about geeky!


What are your favorite Holiday decorations?