Friday, November 25, 2011

Welcome to the 21st Century....



Welp! I have joined the rest of you all in the 21st century. Livin' Vintage is now on facebook.

Look forward to finding sneak peaks for up coming blog posts, shop updates, and much more. That's right... I am re-opening my etsy and let me tell you -- I have found some really stellar stuff, if I do say so myself! Look for new items being added the first week of December.

I also figured that the facebook page would be a wonderful way for me to connect with my readers more. I look forward to this. :)


Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!!!



Happy Thanksgiving to all my American Readers!!

This year I will be remembering my fabulous Grandma, who went to live in Heaven last Thanksgiving. I am so thankful that she was my Gram and that she was with us for so many years.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

I'm Singin' in the Rain


I have finally found a dye that I like and that achieves the rich redness that I have been hoping for. I found it at Sally's. It's Loreal Excellence HiColor HiLights in the shade RED for dark hair. I really did not want to have to take the plunge into bleaching my hair first to get the bight red; this does it in one step. While I loved my Garnier Fructis, this dye trumps that for sure.

Anywho, it was kind of warm last weekend -- I didn't even really need a coat or sweater -- something I am certainly already longing for!

If last winter was the winter of experimenting with boots and tights, than this winter is definitely the year of pushing boundaries when it comes my color palette. I simply refuse to adhere to the "traditional" or "acceptable" colors of the season. Plus the brightness of these dresses helps beat the winter blues. And anyways, aren't the "fashion rules" kind of dead now?

Emily

P.S. Isn't that street art awesome?! It's on the side of a sandwich shop in Royal Oak, a trendy downtown area near my home.



40s Dress: Chocolate Vintage

Tights: Target

Flats: JC Penny

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

PA Trip Part Two

Some of my finds from the trip. I did get a lot of clothes as well, but those will be appearing on the blog soon in some outfit posts.



1. Vintage Tapestry Handbag, $15 Retrospect (A Goodwill Vintage Retail Store)
2. Vintage Owl, $2 Philly AIDS Thrift
3. 50s Pattern, $2 Antique Mall in Adamstown
4. Bakelite Bangle and Earrings Set, $16 Adam's Antique Mall, Adamstown
5. Vintage Bamboo Vase, $5 Adam's Antique Mall, Adamstown
6. 50s Revlon Aquamarine Lotion, $6 Adam's Antique Mall, Adamstown
7. Vintage Barkcloth Fabric, $2 Antique Mall in Adamstown (from same vendor as #3)
8. Vintage Seal Salt and Pepper Shakers, $2 Philly AIDS Thrift
9. Vintage Plastic Belt Buckle, $1 Antique Mall in Adamstown

That is pretty much all the "smalls" that I picked up on my trip. I couldn't believe I was able to get that bakelite set for $16!! I would have paid that alone for the bracelet.

I have to say, I was pretty impressed with the offerings in Adamstown. Apparently, they do a yearly fair/festival thing and it is something I would definitely consider attending in the future.

If anyone is interested, I can do a post on the different stores I went to and give a sort of review.

Emily

Monday, November 21, 2011

PA Trip Part One

I'm finally getting around to recapping my trip to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Jesse and I had a wonderful time and did a ton of shopping! :) This post is packed with pictures, so I split it into two posts. Check back tomorrow to see some of my finds.

DAY 1
On Thursday we started out for Pittsburgh, which is about 5 hours from Detroit. It was a smooth ride and it doesn't hurt that the Ohio Turnpike has some of the nicest rest stops around! I wore one of my new Swirls for the drive. Comfortable without sacrificing cute.

OUTFIT DETAILS
Swirl: eBay
50s Sweater: Regeneration
Flats: Target

Later that night we checked out some of the nightlife of Pittsburgh. We wondered into a tiki themed bar and I ordered the "Big Bamboo Love Song." If you paid a little extra, you got to keep your mug. Pandas are among my favorite animals, so I opted to keep the mug. It is now awaiting a plant.


DAY 2
The following day, we spent the morning in Pittsburgh and ate a scrumptious breakfast at Quiet Storm. It was so yummy! Then we checked out a few vintage stores and one giant record store, where Jesse and I both found some vinyl to add to our collections. I bought this skirt from ActDecoDame right before my trip and was delighted that it came in time for me to wear it. I just love it!

OUTFIT DETAILS
Modern Sweater: Great Centers of Hope Thrift
60s Top: Church Rummage Sale
Belt and Flats: Target
60s Skirt: Etsy


DAY 3
The night before we go into Philly late and decided to just take it easy for the night. The following morning we got up early to check out SAZZ vintage -- a warehouse of bins of vintage clothing. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. Their website lead me to believe that there would be a wide selection of 40s and 50s dresses. There was not. The woman's section was much smaller than the mens and the older stuff was few and much higher priced. On top of that, for the $18 price tag you were NOT getting pristine pieces. With all that said, I did come away with a few pieces and Jesse made out like a bandit. He digs the 70s and there was plenty of that at cheap prices.

In the afternoon, we stopped at this little diner for lunch. It appeared to be a real Paramount Deluxe Dining Car. I had a simple grilled cheese and Jesse opted to try "mexican fries," which were regular fries with peppers on them.


DAY 4
On our way home, we stopped at "Antiques Capital of USA" aka Adamstown, PA. This little town packs in several antique malls and stores. I could have spent a whole day here, but time was semi-limited. We were able to hit up three of the malls and we both found some really great deals -- some of which I will share tomorrow. If you are ever passing the area, I would highly recommend planning to spend some time in this town. The shopping is excellent!

OUTFIT DETAILS
40s Dress: etsy
Modern Sweater: Plato's Closet
Tights: Kohls
40s Shoes: Estate Sale



Emily

Monday, November 14, 2011

Shabby Apple Winner


Hey guys! Sorry for the silence! I promise I will be back soon with some great posts, including my trip to Pennsylvania. Until then, here's the winner of the Shabby Apple Giveaway.
#3 was rosemariee!!! Congrats!!! Please email me by Friday with your name, phone number, shipping address, email address, and size of dress. Thank you to everyone that entered and of course to Shabby Apple for sponsoring this giveaway!!



P.S. Check out Coedith's post on Fall Fashion. She featured me as one of her favorite looks!! Thanks Coedith!!!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Cider Mill


Two weekends ago, Jesse and I drove out to one of our local cider mills to enjoy some fresh apple cider and donuts. It still is quite warm here in Michigan, especially for November, so we strolled the path along the river. I wore my rain boots to be practical, plus they are pretty comfy too.

I love this dress; it's among some of the earliest that I own that is still in wearable condition. It fastens on the side with buttons, has a slightly higher waistline, and has a longer hemline, so I am dating it to before WWII. I had kind of forgotten about it, luckily the weather was still warm enough to justify wearing it!

Emily



Early 40s Dress: Bloomfield Vintage Apparel Show

Tights and Rain Boots: Target

50s/60s Sweater: Salvation Army

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Catching Up


It's so good to be back! My trip to Pennsylvania was a ton of fun and I can't wait to share it all, but first I have some catching up to do.
A week and a half ago was my 24th birthday. The day started off with hitting up a thrift store with my mom, where she bought me an awesome green vinyl chair. We then went to some estate sales and my mom bought me the COOLEST mid century modern rocker. I cannot wait to share it!! Later on, Jesse took me out to a wonderful dinner at PF Chang's where I devoured the salt and pepper calamari -- my favorite! After dinner, we went out for drinks. It was a great birthday!

And to show what a keeper I've got, look what Jesse got me for my birthday! Vintage carved bakelite earrings and a sweet mushroom glasses case holder -- both I LOVE! He also got me a Swirl, but that's for another post.

Emily





Late 50s Dress: Regeneration

Belt and Tights: Target

60s Lizard Shoes: Estate Sale

Vintage Bakelite Earrings: Gift from Jesse

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Shabby Apple Giveaway


Recently, I was contacted by Danya at Shabby Apple to do a giveaway; which I thought my readers would love. I selected Boogie Woogie, not only because the name is so cute, but also because it is pretty versatile little black dress. Shabby Apple has many other women's dresses, many which have a vintage flair to them, however, I felt this one was prefect for the up coming holiday season. I especially like how Shabby Apple has chosen to style the dress -- I'm totally digging the long white gloves, pearls, and hat!

Love this dress and want a chance to win one in your size? Here's how to enter:

Check out Shabby Apple on facebook and like their page. After doing so, leave me a comment telling me that you did.


Want additional entries?
1. Blog about the giveaway, linking back to this post. Leave me a comment with the link to your post.
2. Follow my blog and leave a new comment. If you are already a follower, leave a new comment as well for an extra entry.
3. Tweet or post to facebook, linking back to this post. Leave a new comment with the link.


You have a total of 4 entries per person. Winner must live in the U.S. There are no exchanges. Giveaway open until November 11, 2011.

Readers of Livin' Vintage have also been offered a 10% off code. Enter "livinvintage10off" to receive 10% off your Shabby Apple purchase valid for the next 30 days.



Good Luck!!!!


Emily