Sunday, December 30, 2007

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.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

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.

Monday, December 24, 2007

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.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

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.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

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.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

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.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

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?

Saturday, December 15, 2007

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.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

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!

Sunday, December 09, 2007

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.


Thursday, December 06, 2007

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.