Category Archives: holidays

We Wish You A Retro Christmas, part II

Freelance hasn’t kept me as busy as I would have hoped this year. I don’t have the extra money to buy whatever ornaments and decorations strike my fancy, let alone extravagant gifts. Instead, this is an opportunity to rewind to the Christmases of my youth. To use the ornaments I’ve collected from past years of color-coordinated decorating, and to let my tree reflect those childhood memories of color and light. And don’t forget the paper chains!

I’ll drink cocoa, made with my mom’s homemade mix. My outfit, ready for my friends’ annual party: a ’50s-vintage red velvet dress, found at a thrift store and paired with a matching rhinestone necklace, a bargain from Art Deco Dame. In my hair I’ll wear a fascinator, a gift from Erin at Urbanity Studio, and made with a vintage brooch. I’m making as many presents as possible, as part of an unintentionally retro, “use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without” theme. One thing won’t change, though. The holidays aren’t about what’s on or under my tree. Modern or retro, my holiday is about spending time with my family, both by relation and by choosing. And tinsel! :)

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Truth in blogging: Candice DeVille, the author of Super Kawaii Mama, is holding a contest where entrants must write how they’d create the perfect vintage Christmas, in 200 words or less. The lucky winner gets the MOST. AMAZING. EVER. Prize package chock-full of gift certificates from some of my favorite vintage/retro vendors. Click on over for more details on this Very Vintage Christmas Competition.

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Filed under family, gardening, holidays, nostalgia, vintage

All I Want For Christmas

pile o' presents given by Wink, 2006

People are asking me what I want for Christmas. How very kind and generous! For anyone who isn’t aware, I keep an ongoing list at kaboodle.com and I have finally (to Mandy’s delight, I hope) moved the sold-out or discontinued items under a separate heading.

But there are things that don’t fit neatly into an online shopping list. Such as:

The Ungiftable
– I would like steady contract work, or, barring that…
– A very large sum of no-strings-attached money paired with unsteady contract work

The Unlikely
– Many, many months ago, I found a pair of ’50s or ’60s bronze glitter pumps at Boss Vintage, my favorite reseller here in Denver. The shoes are barely, but definitely, too small. More recently, I spotted a similar pair at Femme Fatale Vintage, but those are also too small. I would like a pair in my size.
– I absolutely love my gold De Weese swimsuit, but I’ve worn it to the annual Tiki Pool Party two years in a row, and it needs a rest. However, how do you “top” a metallic swimsuit embellished with embroidery and rhinestones? I need something fabulous, yet swimable (nothing in velvet, for instance). And, of course, in my size.
– I would be SO HAPPY if my car was the color it is supposed to be. Stealth Gray Pearl (RP24P).
– My car’s antenna is of the power variety. The motor still works, but the mast wore out and then the antenna snapped off a few years ago. This can make listening to the car radio a bit… frustrating. An aftermarket antenna/mast kit is about $55, but I’ve looked up how to replace it and I think it’s beyond my limited skill set. Not to mention my tool set.
– I have what could be considered an obscene number of shoes (although still far fewer than Megan, thankyouverymuch) and desperately lack the shelving required to store them all.

The Ongoing
– Some of you know that I have developed a small collection of tiki mugs. I don’t collect for rarity or value, and I don’t know anything about the few mugs that I have. I just like how they look. I hope to someday have space for little tiki bar and a few display shelves. In the meantime, I’m always on the lookout for more mugs.
– While it’s true that I actually enjoy cheese-in-a-can, for the most part I have a more refined palate. More refined than, say, my budget. Please know that washed-rind cheeses, macarons, springerle, and other fancy foodstuffs are always appreciated. Heck, I’d even appreciate a can of Easy Cheese. Mmmm, snacky!
– A MaxLifeâ„¢ oil change at Valvoline runs about $50 these days, I think. I’m just saying. I know, it’s no fun whatsoever.

Now, how about YOU guys? Whaddya want for Christmas this year?

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Filed under holidays

We Wish You a Retro Christmas

One of the things that I do well is shop. I have a bit of free time these days, which I can spend searching online for pretty, useful, and/or elusive things (like a faux-jaguar hat to match my ’60s-vintage coat). As a public service, and to further make it more difficult for me to find time to sew, I thought I might start occasionally posting cool finds that I stumble across on these here digital pages.

As an etsy shop owner, I have a certain bias towards that particular coalition of artisans and vendors. Oh my, there are wonderful treasures to be found there! And, as regretsy.com has hilariously made everyone aware, some real stinkers as well. While you can find many wonderful and perhaps wacky vintage Christmas treasures within the shops there, the Vermont Country Store has a reputation for stocking brand-new versions of those items that you remember from Christmas at your grandparents’ house.

collage

The items shown above are, clockwise from top left:

Truth In Advertising: I am receiving NO compensation or any other “encouragement” from VCS for this post. I was simply tickled by the items in their Christmas catalog and decided to write about them. However, if VCS wants to thank me in some box-at-my-door way, it would be rude of me to refuse a gift. ;)

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Filed under holidays, nostalgia, shopping, vintage

as promised: pro photos

The umbrella was NOT part of the costume, but a fun prop in the studio!

Ah-ha! The link for the pro photos from Halloween 2009: The Future Is Now has been posted. Feast your eyes on this slide show from Peek Photography, our wonderful and hard-working hosts.

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Filed under friends, Halloween, holidays, sewing

This (was) Halloween

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Present at the “The Future” themed Halloween party:

  • Ripley and Kane (Alien)
  • Obama Christ
  • Dr. Who
  • Axiom passenger (Wall•E)
  • Miss Galaxie 1959 (yeah, that was me)
  • Star Trek TOS and TNG
  • Terminators
  • Jayne, Inara, and the “Two by two, hands of blue” guys (Firefly)
  • Seth Gecko and Santanico Pandemonium (From Dusk Til Dawn)
  • OctoMummy and her archeologist
  • 2012, uh, “ascenders”
  • My New Bikini Body (STAR magazine cover)
  • Illegal Aliens (aliens in convict stripes)
  • Fortune teller
  • Robot vampires
  • Pigs In Space
  • Jessica 6 (Logan’s Run)
  • Zombie (only one!)
  • Jane Jetson
  • a few others, yeesh!

Snapshots taken by me, @jgamet, and @lesafumi are posted on my flickr page. Professional photos to come later. Also, stay tuned for photos from my current client’s office Halloween party, which was postponed due to snow and is being held this coming week!

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Filed under friends, Halloween, holidays, sewing