Happy Halloween!!

Ever since finding this dress in early summer, I have been patiently waiting until Halloween to wear it. It really is the perfect Halloween dress.

Happy Halloween!!

Emily

Late 50s Patio Dress: Regeneration

Sweater: Target

Bracelets: Estate Sale, Flea Market, & Value World

Earrings: Were my Grandma's

Shoes: JC Penny

Sponsor Livin' Vintage

So, I have decided to start accepting sponsors for Livin' Vintage. As I prepare to relaunch my etsy and work to create a "brand" for myself, it was about time to offer some advertising space here on the blog.

I am currently accepting sponsors for the Month of November. If interested, you will receive a space to the left of my blog. Right now I am offering three sizes, which are pictured below.

Those prices reflect one month's fee. Discounts apply for three, six, nine, and twelve month commitments. I'd also be delighted to trade ad space for clothing, shoes, accessories, etc.

So you want to advertise on Livin' Vintage? Here's how it works: send me an email at livinvintage@hotmail.com outlining duration of ad (1 month, 3 months etc), a copy of the ad itself, and payment method (i.e. paypal or a trade). I will then send you an invoice and once payment is received, your ad will go up and will be live on Livin' Vintage until the end of the month.

Emily

Untitled

I had a heck of a time trying to figure out a title for this post, ergo the "untitled" name given to it. This past weekend, Jesse and I went to see Dennis Coffey at this theatre/concert venue, which very much had the feel of an old night club -- sans cute cigarette girls and cozy booths. It was a great show and if you haven't listened to Dennis Coffey before, I highly recommend him.

I wore this 60s/70s polyester zip front dress and now that I look back on it, I have mixed feelings about this outfit. The dress is too big, so I belted it. It did keep me warm, which was the point, so I guess that is a plus.

Emily

60s/70s Dress: Value World

Boots: Target

Bakelite Bracelet: eBay

Earrings: Salvation Army

Road Trip

Two weeks from today, Jesse and I will be taking a road trip to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia -- sort of a belated birthday tip. I wanted to ask my readers, first if I should visit any shops that I do not have listed below, which is our tentative itinerary. And second, if there was any vintage bloggers in either of these locations that would like to do a blogger meet up?

I have done some research online and these are the places I have planned for us to check out while in each city.

PITTSBURGH

Yesterdays News

Hey Betty

Eons Fashion Antique

PHILADELPHIA

Sazz Vintage Clothing!!

Buffalo Exchange

Philadelphia Vintage

Decades Vintage

The Goodwill Outlet - South Philadelphia Outlet Store

Retrospect Vintage

Of course, if we see a thrift store or the like, we are planning to stop, however, these are the major planned locations. Am I going to miss out on anything? Also, are there any great restaurants they we should try? Jesse has been to Pittsburgh, but neither of us have been to Philadelphia and I am so excited to check out the city!

If you are interested in doing a blogger meet up, please send me an email!

Emily

Telephone Cord Purse

For a whole now, I have been wanting a telephone cord purse. I have always been attracted to the colorful aesthetic of these bags and their fun designs. I found this bag this weekend at the vintage clothing show I went to. I was pretty surprised that it was priced under $20 and it hadn't been snatched up yet. Minus a few stains on the cords, which I am sure I can get out, its in really great shape and was quite the bargain! And other than the dice bracelet I got, is my favorite find from the show.

Does anyone else have a vintage telephone cord purse? I would love to see it! :)

Emily

Dice and Sailor Pants

This past weekend was the Bloomfield Hills Jewelry and Vintage Apparel Show. Its a twice yearly show and tends offer the cream of the crop selection of vintage clothing. This is my third year of attendance (don't know how I didn't hear about it sooner) and I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the selection this year. Granted, I didn't get to the show until it had been open for several hours, but I have done that in the past and still walked away with arms full of goodies. I suspect that the lack of good estate sales this past year might have something to do with it. Regardless, I was still able to find three really nice pieces.

One of which is this vintage dice bracelet. I love novelty items and this was too cute to pass up. Plus, if I ever make it to Viva Las Vegas, this bracelet will be a great addition to an outfit. I also bought a cute dress, which I will have to wait for spring to wear, and a purse that I will share with you all tomorrow.

It got pretty chilly here this weekend, so I was finally able to break out some of my fall clothing. I have had these vintage sailor pants for a few years now and never had quite the right top to wear with them. I recently found this vintage wool sweater at the thrift store and I think they match pretty nicely. I also have been living in these shoes. They are comfortable and are oh so cute!

And you might be able to tell in the first photo, I re-dyed my hair -- as it was in great need of a touch up. This time I tried Loreal Fiera Power Red in the shade Ruby Rush. I liked it alright, no major complaints. We'll see how long this one lasts until it begins to fade.

Emily

50s Wool Sweater: Salvation Army

Vintage Navy Pants: Estate Sale

50s Mesh Flats: eBay

Vintage Dice Bracelet: Bloomfield Hills Jewelry & Vintage Apparel Show

Final Bits of Summer

This past week was probably the last bit of warmer weather we will see here in Metro Detroit. I say probably because you never know with Michigan. It could snow here one day and be 75 degrees the next. This is one of the reasons I opt not to have a seasonal closet; though I think I might enjoy having one.

I have had a good run of estate sales lately -- many with vintage clothing and lots of mid century modern home goods. I have been able to get a lot of the final pieces for Retroville and once I get the rest of the carpet pulled up, I plan on hosting a tour here on my blog. I am shooting for December, since I will be finishing up with my last fall semester of grad school.

Also around this time will be the relaunch of my etsy store. After doing the D.I.Y. and enjoying it so much, it made me want to get back on etsy, so I have been compiling tons of vintage goodies to load my shop with and plan to go live in December!

Anywho, I got this top, which I am pretty sure is a vintage apron, at an estate sale a few weekends ago. I don't think it was ever worn, as the fabric was crisp and stain-free. I feel it's too cute to wear over a dress and get spills on it during cooking, so I'm wearing it as a top.

Emily

Vintage Apron worn as Shirt: Estate Sale

Jeans: JC Penny

Keds: Plato's Closet

Tulips on a Swirl

Hi, I'm Emily and I am addicted to Swirl dresses.

Another Swirl? Yes, but this one was just so cute, I just couldn't pass it up. I could just live in these dress...... oh wait, I kinda do! ;) Whenever I am not feeling like getting dressed or picking out an outfit, I always turn to my trusty Swirl dresses. They are flattering and you only have one piece to put on -- which I love. And, the major bonus is these dresses almost always have pockets, which I am a huge fan of. Whoever designed this was a smart person!

Emily

50s Swirl Dress: eBay

White Tennis Shoes: Target

Kitchen King

I think this is by far one of my favorite vintage kitchen gadgets that I have ever found. Not only are the graphics on the box super cute, but there is actually a French Fry Potato Cutter on the inside!

I got this over the weekend at an estate sale that was being held in a warehouse. I filled up a box and got the whole box for $28, which was filled with vintage purses, records, and vintage children's clothes. I haven't tried this guy out yet, but I cannot wait to, as it looks like it hasn't really been used. The cutter is in near perfect shape, no rust and the leaver moves smoothly. I only hope I will look as glamourous as the lady on the front of the box while I "cut 25 in one stroke." :)

Emily

Perfect Weekend Dress

I wish the weekend was longer. It always seems to fly by so quickly, probably because I normally try and pack as much as I can into these two days. I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Here in Michigan, we were treated to summer-like weather, with the temps in the high 70s and low 80s! Because of this, I was able to take a few of my summer dresses out for one last spin before the colder weather arrives.

This is one of the dresses I acquired at the Midland Flea Market for $10. It's a sweet little 40s wrap house dress that I am sure was some lady's favorite, due to some holes, faint stains, and repairs. None the less, I love the dress and feel it is the perfect thing to wear out to the farmer's market and to estate sales. The pocket on the hip is perfect for holding some cash and my cell phone while out, eliminating the need for a purse. And, while I love purses, I love the ability to just throw the essentials into my pocket and have my hands and arms free for shopping.

Emily

40s Wrap House Dress: MIdland Flea Market

White Tennis Shoes: Target

Adventures in Canning

A few weeks ago, I found 10 "quilted" canning jars at the Salvation Army for a few dollars and decided to buy them and try out canning. In the past I have done the freezer jar canning, which is near foolproof, but I have never done any "real" canning.

Fast forward to two weekends ago, Jesse and I got up early and headed to Eastern Market to stock up on some fresh produce for me to can. When we got home, I got busy and put my jars and rings in the dishwasher and starting on prepping the produce. After I found the jars at the thrift store, I ended up purchasing four large jars and six freezer jars so I could preserve more. I made peach freezer jam with the plastic jars and pickles and salsa with the glass jars. Overall, I thought my first time canning went well. I wish I would have taken pictures while canning! Above are some of the pickles and salsa that was left over for me after I gave some away to my parents and Jesse.

I followed the recipe for pickles on the jar of pickling spices by Ball and just made salsa like I would normally, brought it to a boil and then placed it in the jars and proceeded with the canning process. It was really quite easy. So, if you are thinking about trying out canning and haven't before, it isn't hard, just a bit time consuming, but it's SO worth it. :)

Emily

The Wild

It's not very often that I score really collectible vintage stuff in the wild. Finding bakelite, lucite purses, and Swirl dresses normally requires searching the good ole interwebs. However, occasionally I get lucky and find one of these such items while out thrifting, a.k.a in The Wild.

This Swirl was such a find. While combing the racks at a booth at the Midland Flea Market, I came across this dress, realized it was a Swirl and was super giddy at my luck. There was, however, no price tag and I was sure the seller was going to say some crazy number. Instead she held up 5 fingers. $5?! Ummm.... Yes!!! Seriously, the best deal I have ever gotten on a Swirl and I am sure I will probably never get this lucky again. Isn't the print just darling?

Emily

50s Swirl: Midland Flea Market

Sweater: Target

Old Navy Jelly Flats: Plato's Closet

Midland Flea Market 2011 Haul

Two weekends ago, Jesse and I made the drive to the Midland Flea Market, something I wait for all year long. The Midland Flea Market is the biggest flea market in Michigan and only happens three weekends a year. I always choose to go the last weekend it is held and on the Sunday, as dealers are trying to move their stuff and the prices always seems better. Jesse and I both found some really great stuff. Here are my finds:

1. A "Swanky Swig" pitcher with glass top. I found one like this last year and was delighted to find another one this year. The Midland Flea Market is the only place I have ever seen these before and I use my other one all the time, so this was a great find at $10.

2. A vintage elephant planter -- $3

3. Vintage owl eye glasses holder. I about squealed when I found this!! Your glasses rest on his nose and he is currently residing on my bedside table. For $3, this HAD to come home with me!

4. Vintage birdie vase -- $8 I love birds and this vase fits right in in my new kitchen at Retroville.

5. Plate with vintage transfer -- $1

6. Daguerreotype -- $10

7. Five vintage metal curlers -- $1

8. Vintage chalkware birdies -- $4 for the pair

9. Fireking Peach Glaze pie plate -- $5 I actually have never come across one of these before and am kinda kicking myself for not just buying the other one that was there, but I was trying to be frugal and plus, do I really need two Fireking pie plates?

Not pictured is four vintage dresses, including a Swirl (check back tomorrow for its reveal), a lobby card, and a record of the Grasshoppers singing the Beatles.

All in all, this was a great year and I already can't wait for next year.

Emily

Pushing Comfort

Lately, I have been trying to have more fun while dressing, paying less attention to being "matchy" and more attention to trying new things. This ^ was such an attempt.

The more I wear vintage and shop for vintage, the more I realize why I am so drawn to it. Yes, I am attractive to its aesthetic nature and the fact that it hails from some of my favorite decades in history, but I also love it because it is different and, for the most part, a one-of-a-kind item. It's because of its uniqueness that I am partially drawn to it and I have come to desire this to reflect in the way I dress. Clothes are one of the major ways we shows others who we are and I want my clothes to reflect who I am.... or at least try to. :)

Emily

60s Warp Dress: Killer Estate Sale

Green Sweater: St. Vincent de Paul Thrift

Purple Tights: Kohls

50s/60s Mesh Mary Janes: eBay