Pretty

How much do I love this website?
Polyvore
Go play.

Everything Should Taste Like Bacon

"Everything Should Taste Like Bacon"...that is the motto of the folks
over at J&D's Bacon Salt.
And except for The Boy's "everything is better with pie" there
really have been no truer words.
This is some good shit.
Bacon flavor without the calories.
So far we have used it on smoked turkey sandwiches,
omelets, in potato soup,
on baked potatoes, cheese fries,
Rhamen Noodles and hot dogs.
So far, so good.
The Boy likes the peppered better, I like the original.
They even have a blog with recipes and updates.

Fab But Flawed

Over on Zuberbia the writer has a post on Dec. 21st discussing the value of vintage clothing with flaws.
Finding beauty in imperfection, Wabi Sabi.

Wabi Sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection. Instead of shunning decay from time, weather, love and age, it celebrates it. And for a vintage fashionista, that means learning to embrace frayed edges, subtle color fading, minor snags and other imperfections.

It is a lovely way to live your life.
It is also a great way to buy and wear vintage.
Not only because you will stop worrying about the chance you might get a spot on that mint condition vintage dress, but also you will spend less on it.

The 40's suit above is a great example. Lovely color, sharp Noir lines, but it has flaws.
I would wear it in a minute if it fit me.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

Here is what I'm doing.

Sent The Boy and Mr. Goddess off to Mass at the Cathedral.
I am home with a Vodka Cran, tons of presents to wrap
and A Christmas Story on the TV.


Before


and after!


"Deck the Halls with brows of Howrey, ra ra ra ra ra rarara....."

Buddy Christ

I've taken pictures of Buddy Christ all over the place.
He likes to travel....don't judge me.....
The newest image is him sitting on top of my signed copy of American Gods by Neil Gaiman next to my Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club mug (yes he is now the Pope, but I've had it since he was just a Cardinal in charge if the Office of the Inquisition) "putting the smackdown on heresy since 1981". Three of my most treasured "stuff".
The things I would grab if the house was on fire.

Good Times.
This was also a reason to try out my early Christmas present a Cannon, PowerShot A570 IS. It has this thing called "image stabilizer" that really makes taking pictures inside without a flash so much easier.

Kitties!

I'm not sure what Nico did to piss off Mr. Kitty, but he spent the evening with his back turned to the rest of us.


Kitty loaves.

Drunk Actors

The Golden Globes will air Jan 15Th.
If the writers strike is still on there will be no script.
This is like a gift from the gods.

Drunk actors on TV trying to not act drunk and show their asses.
This could be one of those golden moments that will go down in history.

I can't wait.
Good times.

If you are in the least bit interested in the strike Deadline Hollywood Daily
is a good industry blog to read. A lot of the folks leaving comments are writers and others
involved in the business.

Dear Abby Approves

Guess what?
Even Dear Abby knows the value of a good vintage dress:

Dear Abby: I go to church with a woman who is generous and means well, but she likes to give away her old hand-me-down clothing. Recently she gave me two old dresses that fit me, but I wouldn't be caught dead in. I'm 15, and she doesn't understand that.

I didn't want to hurt her feelings, so when she asked if I liked them, I told her they were pretty.

My mom is planning to donate the dresses to charity. But now the woman is saying she wants to give me more of her old dresses. I don't know how to handle this.

-- Second-hand Teen

Dear Second-hand Teen: Your neighbor is both kind-hearted and generous. She also appears to be into recycling, which is a good thing.

Before you turn your nose up at what she is offering, please consider that vintage clothing can be valuable. Some of it is "classic" and can be worn regardless of what the current fad may be. Members of the Hollywood crowd, as well as fashionable members of New York society, already know this. I often see their photos in magazines wearing some of the marvelous items they have collected. However, if your neighbor's dresses are really not your style, then you should be honest and graciously tell your neighbor that they're not for you.

So there you go.
Wear VINTAGE, Dear Abby said so.
And where are these old ladies who like to give away their vintage clothes?
I need one of them in my life.

New Look vintage dress shown above is here at Damn Good Vintage.

PS

I should have added to my last post a bit about some of the Christmas songs I just hate.
Songs like The Christmas Shoes, The Little Drummer Boy, Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time, White Christmas (why? I have no earthly idea.) and that horrible Dominic the Donkey song.
Jesus, that one sucks.
It makes me want to cut a bitch.



I also neglected to mention how much I love Christmas All Around By Billy Mack (An aging rock star looking for one last big hit to start a comeback. A brilliant bit of acting from Bill Nighy in Love Actually) in all of its cheesy brilliance.

Christmas Songs

I just spent a bit of time downloading a few I did not have on my computer.
I think my favorites are:
Fairytale Of New York, The Pogues with the late Kirsty MacColl


Mary's Boy Child, Boney M


All I Want For Christmas is You, Mariah Carey (Don't judge me)


I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, Sarah McLaughlin
A great version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman from Chet Atkins

and a slew of Christmas standards from Frank.
Sinatra that is.


ALSO some of the music from A Charlie Brown Christmas.


So what are your favorite songs I should have?

Thriftin'

I was heading out to Big Lots today to pick up a new pillow (one of those memory foam ones) that a friend recommended. They were $12 and the same brand is sold at "Bed, Bath and OMG! You don't Need This Shit Beyond" for around $50.
I thought since I slept so well on our new memory foam mattress topper last night I would try one.
(and really I slept really well. I woke up only once, I normally wake up 2 or 3 times, and my back did not hurt as bad as normal.)
There is a huge thrift on the way.
Of course I stopped.
I do not look for vintage clothes at thrifts, I don't have the time and really, for the most part don't find anything older then the 1980's on the racks.
I do look for clothes for The Boy and myself and always check out the "household" stuff.
You never know when some one will donate a house full of vintage Danish Modern furniture or an awesome Haywood Wakefield sofa. I'm on the lookout right now for a MCM tall and narrow china cabinet for my kitchen. Always have an eye out for a cool two tier fiberglass lamp shade, or kitschy stuff or a flash of turquoise and gold.
Today I saw some turquoise and gold.
Look at what I did find today:



Those are some awesome glasses.
$1 each.
I love them.
I actually said "SCORE" when I walked up to the shelf.
I got six of the gold and turquoise highball glasses and six of the cocktail glasses and then six of the red and gold cocktail glasses.

10 Years of Vintage

This month Dandelion Vintage Clothing is 10 years old.
Wow and Congratulations!
Think of all the amazing vintage clothes that Carol has had
the pleasure of selling.
To celebrate her 10 years of selling she is doing a "give away a day" promotion on her blog, Life of a Jersey Girl:

December marks the 10th Anniversary of Dandelion Vintage Clothing going online. Check out the website for a month long celebration with sales, gift bags, drawings for vintage giveaways and gift certificates and gift items from other websites. Something different every week!

There will also be weekly special on her website so make sure you stop by Dandelion Vintage Clothing often this month!

Greedy Much?

In an radio interview on NPR a woman from Iowa, a REPUBLICAN voter said:
"I make a great deal of money through my own hard work. I don't want to pay for someone else's child to eat breakfast at school anymore."

I.
Am.
Speechless.
Even the Witch King is blown away by the evil, ugly, greedy honesty of her statement.

So we will let Devilstower on Daily Kos respond:

"Get that? She makes not just enough money, but a "great deal of money." How dare anyone take it away for something so frivolous as feeding a poor child? And yet Republicans, through their actions in blurring the lines between church and state, have become the "party of faith." Because they say so. Because they are bold in their actions and snarling in their defense.

We need to be just as adamant. We need to not hide behind any abstraction or evasion. We need to be unafraid to address this voter and say "I am going to take some of your money, and give it to that poor kid, because it's more important -- both to the child and to society -- that he eat, rather than that you have an extra week in Cabo."

Note that we should not pretend that "a program will take your money." Or "the government will take your money." This is a democracy, and we are the government. I will take your money. I will. Some of that money you worked hard for and want to keep. I will give it to a kid who is hungry. If your concern is that poverty should be addressed by individuals, then there's a simple solution: feed him. If there are no poor children needing food, I won't have to take anything for them. If your position is that people would be more generous if only the government would stay out of it, then sorry. I'm not willing to put this child at risk to as part of your experiment. Besides, if that were true, then why were their more hungry kids before we started these programs to give them a little breakfast? If your position is that your being able to keep all your money is more important than a child being fed, then I simply think you're wrong. And sick. You want to keep that money? You better beat me at the polls."

If it helps these greedy bastards who don't want to spend their money on things like free food for poor kids, I'd rather not spend my money on the war in Iraq.
and in the end money spent feeding poor kids so they can do better in school benefits not just the children, BUT all of us when most of those kids go on to be tax paying adults. It works in the same way the GI bill worked after WW2*, for every dollar the Government spent back then, seven dollars were put back into the economy after those guys became college grads with good jobs.

Just a reminder that there is an election next year and that there really are folks like that woman in the Republican "I got mine, screw you" party. These are the folks who elected Bush, who love Bush and see nothing wrong with him or the hatred exposed by the Religious Right.

For Democrats the whole entry is good read. Like Kos says "we do not need to elect Democrats, we need to elect BETTER Democrats".


*just a reminder. Today's vets do NOT get the same GI Bill of the 40's and 50's, theirs is crap compared to that one. Mostly in Bush's America we like to just screw our returning war heroes.

Bringing The Cute Back To eBay

Normally I only list once a month on eBay and for the most part
it is vintage clothes, but this week I decided to do something
different.

How can you refuse?
Teh cute-ness is overwhelming, is it not?
Look at that poor little kitty working so hard everyday of the week.
~sigh~
They really are as sweet as can be.
The vintage kitty cat Days of the Week towels can be bid on here.

I also decided to list a group of old vintage photographs of miners at a mining operation.
I think it is in Rhode Island, but it is hard to read the writing on them.
I find old photographs fascinating, epically ones of folks at work.
Here is a peek.
and this cute little toddler (with old man eyes) all bundled up in a sweater.
You just know that when he (she?) walked they will just waddle like the brother in A Christmas Story when his mom bundled him up to go outside.


Last I put a group of vintage sewing patterns up on Sew-Retro and thought this one deserved a shout-out. It is the perfect rockabilly wardrobe (if only it had some sexy cigarette pants) in one pattern. It looks like a vintage halter dress, but is actually a button on skirt with 3 different blouses; a sexy off the shoulder number, a great pin-up wrap blouse and the halter top.
That would make a killer vintage dress with ANY of the tops.

Caterday

Black Rider LOLcat.....

Books For the Vintage Lover

I know I said that I would be reviewing David Sedaris's book next, but I did want to get these two gift giving recommendations out first.
If you are looking for a gift for the vintage clothing lover in your life (or yourself) here are 2 of my favorite books.

First off is The Seductive Shoe by the wonderful Jonathan Walford of Kickshaw Productions.
The book has all the shoe eyecandy one could ever ask for while exploring the effect of historical and societal changes on footwear . Organized chronologically, it includes an illustrated appendix of designers and shoemakers. Really, the pictures in this are just some of the best I have ever seen, clear and crisp.

The next one is Fashion, The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute: A History From the 18th to 29th Century. This is, of course, just a lovely book with beautiful garments and a nice heft that makes it also good for self-protection since one could wack an intruder with it. While the scrumptious photographs take center stage the small amount of text is rich with details. This has been re-issued a few times, the last being 2006 when the book was split into 2 volumes.
Loses the protection aspect, but may make it easier to handle.

If you are going to buy from Amazon, please use this link that helps support the Vintage Fashion Guild. Better yet, forget about Amazon and support you local bookstore.

Asshats and Tears

Normally I can just ignore that part of the American public that exists just to make me feel all shouty and stabby.
Not today.
After having spent some time in the annoying Target store avoiding all manner of asshattery I come out to my van to see that the lady who pulled in next to me did so at the diagonal.
So close that I had to go around the front of my vehicle to get in the door.
I sat there for a few thinking of all the things I'd like to do, like scrape her car door as I got out of the space or let the air out of her tires.
Instead, for once, I wrote that note that I always think of too late:

Dear Asshat Target Shopper.
Hi.
Awesome parking skills you have there. Thanks for allowing me to practice my mad driving skills by getting out of this parking space without scratching your craptastic van.
Merry fucking Christmas!

No not very nice, but damn it, it would have taken her 2 min to straighten her van in the parking space. I wish I had a camera with me so I could have taken a picture and posted it here.

After that I got to be annoyed at the library, Lowe's and then WalMart.
While waiting in line to pick up my prescription there was a gal with a little guy.
Maybe 2ish.
He was just being a little guy, but mom was tired and bitchy and I felt sorry for her.
He really was not being bad, but you could tell her day had already been long.
What I wanted to tell her was that they go from this:
to this:
in a nano second and there is no going back.
I wanted to tell her to lighten up and enjoy the silliness and the little kid-ness and just let things go. How many times did I scoff at folks who told me to enjoy my son while he was little, the time goes by so fast.
I was a fool, they were right.
and while I was thinking this I began to CRY.
Seriously, in WalMart, standing in line waiting for a prescription.
Jesus, I'm such a sop.

Vintage Blow Out Sale

Just a reminder, there is a sale going on right now on eBay.
The Vintage Blow Out Sale or VBO.
Four times a year some for the best sellers on eBay get together and list tons of vintage
clothes at $19.99 or less.
Buy it Now or Fixed Prices, no auctions.
Go to eBay and use VBO as your search.
Here are a few of the items I have listed that have not been snatched up yet.

Bitter

Got a bit of a Battlestar Galactica fix tonight which helps rid a bit of the bitterness I am feeling since noticing that Pushing Daisies (the BEST new show on TV...sweet and funny and cool and smart and odd and I cry at the end each week, I'm such a sap) is going to be pre-empted* by a freaking razorback basketball game.
Do I care about a basketball game?
No I do not.
I must see what happens next to Chuck and the Pie maker.

Of course Tivo could be wrong....I can only hope.


*Yes I know that in the big scheme of things missing a favorite tv show ranks pretty low, but with the dreck that passes for tv (what with BSG not coming back till march and no HBO for The Wire, Pushing Daises and Dexter are about the only really entertaining shows out there) these days I feel a bit bitter and I can't tell if it will be shown later or on another night.
And I don't trust myself to write a nice email at the moment to inquire.

Battlestar!!!!!!

Ack.
I almost forgot, Battlestar (best show on TV, besides The Wire) Razor is on tonight.
It is the bone that ScFi is throwing us BSG freaks to keep us happy until the new season next year.
Enjoy.

ETA:
Harbinger of the freaking Apocalypse!!
WTF?

Caturday Quick Post

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris came in the mail today so it is next up for a book review.
My 1st order from Roger That! also came!
They really are "all that" folks.
Me so happy.
Go buy some.
Now.

Here is a funny LOLcat from icanhazcheezeburger ya Trekkie Geeks out there:

Why I Love Ellen Green

More YouTube stuff, sorry.
But I have just loved Ellen Green ever since I saw her in Little Shop of Horrors.
If you only know her as Aunt Vivian on Pushing Daisies here are a few clips from LSH.







The movie is worth a look just for Audery's and The "Greek chorus" of Chiffon, Crystal and Ronette's costumes.

and yes, I did try to find a clip of Herbert on Family Guy singing "Somewhere That's Green" in his special pervy way.

Why I Love Pushing Daisies

Besides the sweetest stories with snappy dialoge, they let Ellen Green and Kristin Chenoweth sing.
Sing They might be Giants and Cat Stevens and "Hopelessly Devoted to You" from GREESE, for heaven's sake.
With dogs and Pagoda hats and Swoozie Kurt's crazy ass eye patches.
Totally delish and really, Morning Has Broken (you would have to have been watching for a bit to know how important it was for the Aunts to swim again) made me bawl this week....and go to itunes and download songs from Little Shop of Horrors so I could enjoy Ellen Green a bit more.
I love the aunts.

Now watch these clips and fall in love.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Eat till you bust, drink some good spiked cider, try not to fight with your family and then go take a nap....hopefully your dreams will not involve turkeys armed with knives.
Good times....

Is Your Best Friend a Psycho

My friend Ang thought I needed to take a look at the cards over on Roger That! Laboriously Handmade Cards.

How did she know (except she knows my sense of humor and has spent many hours laughing at the LOLcats with me over on icanhascheeseburger whilst talkin' on the phone) I would find them so LOLROTFLOMG!!!1111!!!!!! and all that.
She was right.
I dig 'em.
Seriously, they are right up my alley with cards like "Happy Holidays from ASSHOLEVILLE!"
and "Is Your Best Friend a Psycho?" and a ton of cards with MCM furniture* on them.
There are boobie! cards, and glam vintage gal cards and bizzare "what the hell does this mean" cards and oh, yes Jesus cards.
And most of them have little gems written next to them, like this:

Here’s where reading all these damn card descriptions actually pays off. The police use the following test on suspects to see if they’re dealing with a psychopath. It’s a REAL TEST. REALLY.

Call your best friend and casually tell it the following anecdote:

Maggie is at her mother's funeral. She meets George. They go out a few times, and she falls madly in love with him, but George seems indifferent and finally stops returning her calls. Maggie kills her sister.

Now here's the test: ask your potentially psycho best friend, "Why did Maggie kill her sister?"

If your friend retorts, "Well, OBVIOUSLY because she wants to see George again," then your best friend is, indeed, a psycho.

See.
Jesus, that is brilliant!

So I ordered a set of "Glam" cards for a "Secret Santa" gift and also picked up some of the Xmas cards to give to my bitches (they know who they are).
I'll let ya know what I think when they get here, but I'm pretty sure that the Roger That! folks will be raking in more of my money in the near future.


*A category that has a long paragrah explaining just "why" there are so damn many furniture cards. Who cares? Cards with Danish Modern Furniture on them are made of awesome in my book.

Serendipity

ser·en·dip·i·ty (sěr'ən-dĭp'ĭ-tē)
n. pl. ser·en·dip·i·ties

1. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
2. The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.
3. An instance of making such a discovery.

I got this vintage 1940's velvet evening dress the other day.


Today I was playing on eBay and found this 1947 vintage pattern.



Like I said....Serendipity.

Good Times

As Carol, over on Life of a Jersey Girl has already blogged, it is that time again.
No not the holidays, sweetie, but Project Runway.
Once again we get to watch Tim Gunn walk around with this

and This:
look on his face whilst a designer does something craptasticlly idiotic.

So far I think Chris and Steven will be my favorites.
Yes, Rami is hot.
I can't wait to see Ricky cry more.
and I am so glad to see Mango is on the show!
Check out my favorite PR blog:
Project Rungay

Good times!

On the Watch List

So I love Bes-Ben hats.
Who dosen't?
Crazy ass, wild, quirky and sometimes just down right chic.
What a sense of humor Mr. Green-Field must have had.
I love this little tid bit:

The prices for Mr. Green-Field's creations, which originally ranged from $37.75 to $1,000, tended to exclude women on a budget. However, every summer he would clean out his inventory for the new season at a midnight sale, marking down the hats to as little as $5. At 2 a.m., he would begin to toss the rest out the front door to waiting bargain-hunters.

I would have stood outside every year for a chance to be thrown an awesome hat like this:
Or This:

Or, dear GOD(!) like the Creepy Owl Hat!

You could not be meek and wear one of these hats.
There is even one with two freaking pineapples sticking out on either side of the hat.
Awesome.
These come from a large collection that will be auctioned on Sunday in Chicago.
They are also doing eBay live auctions for the hats along with various other vintage garments, purses, hats and textiles.