SHRINKY INKY'S FINE ADVENTURES

Please Vote for Boo Kitty

2010-08-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

Hi All - I have been remiss in posting all summer but all is well and I do post more often on Facebook if you'd like to friend me there :)

I have a huge favor to ask - Moderncat.net is having a contest and I entered a photo of big old Boo Kitty in the hopes he wins. They are having a contest to narrow down 204 entries to five. If you could take a minute to vote for #76 Boo Kitty along with four other of your favorites, we would be most appreciative!

Photos here and Voting here.

Catchy Number!

2010-07-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

Mr Inky and I had a lovely day at the flea market and visiting the quaint town of Los Alamos to do a bit of antique browsing.

Here's a teaser until I have a bit more time to post (Michigan pics still coming soon!!)

Hartwick Tavern Pin Up Ashtray - located in Hartwick, Iowa and apparently once owned by Clarence Debner - I found this info via google:

MARBLE ROCK -- Clarence W. Debner, 78, of Marble Rock, died Friday, July 13, 2001, at Floyd County Memorial Hospital, Charles City, of natural causes; survivors include his wife, Helen; three daughters, Linda Debner of Marble Rock, Kim Nelson of Marengo and Joan Wright of Holmen, Wis.; five grandchildren; a brother, Dean of Greene; and three sisters, Viola Keith of Marble Rock, Della Van Fleet of Cedar Falls and Marlene Gerholdt of Waterloo; services 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, with burial in Westside Cemetery, both in Marble Rock; graveside military rites will be conducted by Stroud-Gates Post 387 American Legion of Marble Rock; friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Reid's Funeral Chapel, Marble Rock, where there will be a 7 p.m. Scripture service, and for an hour before services Tuesday at the church; memorials may be directed to the family; a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, Mr. Debner farmed in the Marble Rock, Greene and Colwell areas for many years; he was former owner of Hartwick Tap in Hartwick and a plumbing and tiling business in Belle Plaine.

Don't Deny A Hungry Girl

2010-07-11T19:37:00.001-07:00

I have been MIA for too long, dear readers, and I'm sorry. All is well here at Casa de Inky. We had a lovely week long vacation in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area that I need to chronicle for my blog - I hope I won't bore you too much with it.

And just so this isn't a boring post, here we are last night at a BBQ fundraiser for Jack's Helping Hand.

This pretty much sums up our relationship ;)

FOR SALE: Queen of Heartz Dungarees

2010-06-11T08:46:00.001-07:00

Get 'em a hootin' and a hollerin' with The Queen of Heartz high-waisted Dungaree Pants!

Traditional 1950s-fit with back zip. Sits above natural waist. Made from 6 oz. stretch cotton indigo denim. Size 2X (Waist 34/Hips 44) New without tags.

$60 plus $8.95 US Shipping (no international on these, sorry!)

Pro-Curler and Spoolies

2010-06-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

Pro-curler in box with instructions and a collection of bobby pins. Box and instructions in fair condition.

SOLD!

21 vintage small Spoolies. Opened measurement is 1.25 inches long by 1 inch wide.

The section your hair curls onto is approximately 0.50 inch.

One Spoolie is a little funky, the rest seem to be in good condition.

$6 US plus $4.95 shipping (US only on this one folks, sorry!)

Why Yes, It Is All About Me....

2010-06-10T06:06:00.000-07:00

This is so perfect and so me!

Sorry that I have been missing for a while - much to do taking care of some personal and family issues and preparing for an upcoming eight day vacation in Michigan. If you are from the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area, I'd love to know of things to do, good vintage/thrift shopping, general mischief and mayhem of the area! Please share with me :)

Off to Evil Ebay

2010-06-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

All items that are still available (super cool Keds and peasant blouses and jeans) are all off to Evil Ebay tomorrow - if you want them speak up ;)

/end enabling

More From The Closet

2010-06-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

Vintage (likely 1970's but these are timeless in style) hand embroidered peasant tops in EXCELLENT condition. Perfect for summer wearing!

White with multi-colored embroidery - cotton (not sure, no labels but likely cotton) fabric, long sleeves - bust measures 23 inches flat (doubled- 46 inches). $19 plus $4.95 shipping to US

White with blue embroidery - seems like a cotton fabric (again no label - possibly rayon? has a slight sheen), shorter sleeves, bust measures 21 inches flat (42 doubled) $19 plus $4.95 shipping to US

want both? $30 plus $4.95 shipping to US (international requests please inquire)

Adorable dark denim capri pants with satin leopard cuff and inside waistband lining. new with tags - size 12 - $19.99 plus $8 shipping to US (international please inquire)

Shoesies For Sale

2010-06-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a little house cleaning and trying to make some extra spending moolah for an upcoming trip - please help me out and put some pretty shoes on your feet!!

New and never worn, Green/white ladies Keds size 10M (US) - $60 plus free U.S. Shipping

International bidders please contact me for shipping price.

Worn once - Black/white ladies Keds size 10M (US) - $40 plus free U.S. Shipping

International bidders please contact me for shipping price.

Retro style T-strap patent Torrid four-inch heels - 10 U.S. and would fit a pudgier foot

$25 plus free U.S. shipping

SOLD!!

May 23, 2010

2010-05-24T17:13:00.001-07:00

I turned 50 on Sunday May 23, 2010
Five decades. Half a century. Beyond middle aged.
However you slice it - ~~OLD~~ VINTAGE.

But fabulous ;)

Blog Love: It's All Make Believe, Isn't It?

2010-05-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

woohoo!! so many lovely blogs posting giveaways lately and here's another beautiful gal to visit, Miss Stephanie Valentine at It's All Make Believe, Isn't It?

She's hosting a lovely giveaway with some gorgeous goodies and by know you know the score - go over, check out her post on the giveaway, leave a comment, follow her blog and re-post on your own blog for extra entries and Good Luck!

All Is Vanity

2010-05-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

We've decided that in the next year or so we want to redo our guest bathroom floor and replace some fixtures, so while we're at it this would be a good time to replace the cheesy bathroom vanity that is currently in the guest bathroom. I've been window shopping and found a few bathroom vanities just to see what's out there that we like.

Although I love vintage 40's style of dress, our home is a more eclectic mix of modern streamlined pieces, a 30's style dining room, other family antiques and wrought iron furniture thrown in. Eclectic for sure! It leaves the door wide open for choices as to the bathroom!

I love this style of modern vanity (it's a small bathroom) and the bowl style sink for a guest bath - what do you think? Then again, this style of a more classic bathroom vanity is lovely too. So many options are available!!

While perusing those bathroom vanities I was drawn to the bedroom vanities (of course, I always get sidetracked by pretty things!). I do have a small vanity where I perform the magic that is makeup - and if money were no object, I'd love to have this absolutely glamorous mirrored vanity!! It's just gorgeous!! I could see myself in a satin dressing gown turning myself into a goddess. Or just plucking my eyebrows ;)

(Produced in 1892 by then 18-year-old Charles Allan Gilbert, this famous illustration was first published in LIFE in 1902, and an instant success. A copy hangs near my vanity to remind me that All Is Vanity!)

A Lovely Blog Award!

2010-05-12T06:09:00.000-07:00

I'd like to thank Betty2Tone for a lovely Beautiful Blogger award!!

Here are the rules:

1. Thank & link to the person that gave you the award.
2. Pass this award onto 10 bloggers.
3. Contact Blogs to let them know they've won.
4. Tell seven things about yourself:

okay, here goes:

1. I was born in Camaguey, Cuba in 1960, shortly after Castro's revolution. My mother and I were able to leave Cuba in 1965 and I became an American Citizen in 1986.

2. I was an extra in the original Blues Brothers movie concert scene at the end of the film. Aside from Aykroyd and Belushi, I am most thrilled I saw Cab Calloway perform.

3. I once had hair down past my rear end. I also shaved my head for about five years. It's just hair.

4. I have more tattoos than I can count but I hate getting them, I just like having them.

5. I can sew, crochet, knit and tat.

6. My first car was a brand new 1978 VW Convertible Bug.

7. I used to own a 1955 Pontiac Hearse. It was purple and black.

and here's my list of 10 amazing bloggers you should visit:

Annie Pancake and the Time Machine
ZootsuitMama
Va-Voom Vintage
Past Life
New Vintage Lady
The Vintage Housewife
The New Vintage Wardrobe
The Painted Woman
Tart Deco
Livin' Vintage

Blog Love: Welcome to Deluxeville!

2010-05-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

run as fast as your fingers can go go wish my friend Mary Deluxe a very Happy 400th Follower wish over at Welcome To Deluxeville! Not only is Mary lovely and has an amazingly decorated home, but she is sweet and kind and adorable and takes in kitties - how can you not love her!

Also, she's hosting a GIVEAWAY of epic proportions - for one of her prized and beloved lamp babies!! (She has a real vintage lamp problem but shhhhh, don't tell her I said so). You know this lamp has to come live at my house - it's RED!! Check it out!! (cat not included in prize package). So you know the drill, go on over, say hello, enter the giveaway, tell her Inky sent ya :)

Kitty Von Purr Needs Our Help

2010-05-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

My beautiful, darling, wonderful and extremely special friend, Miss Kitty Von Purr is currently battling breast cancer and she needs our help!

The amazing Bernie Dexter, along with Dottie and Pussy, have created the beautiful Kitty Von Purr dress and she is generously donating 100% of the proceeds to the Kitty Von Purr Cancer Fund. Please take a minute to check out this beauty of a dress and if you can, please buy one!! Please re-post this on your blog, Facebook and Twitter as well to get the word out. Thank you soooooo much from the bottom of my heart!

From Bernie: This dress is a special addition for Kitty Von Purr Cancer Fund. 100% of the money collected for this dress will go DIRECT to Kitty Von Purrs cancer fund. Kitty Von Purr is a dear friend of mine. I have knows for over 10 years. 3 months ago she was diagnosed with 3rd stage breast cancer. It has devastated everyone who knows her. She is the coolest girl i have ever known. in all the years i have known her i have never seen a bad bone in her body. If you know her you absolutely lover her & if you don't you would!!! ;) I came up with the pink & black dress just for Kitty. This dress is made of 90% cotton, 10% spandex jersey fabric. Special thank you to Dottie & Pussy for their contribution to the making of this dress.

Size chart located here.

Blog Love: Arthelia's Attic

2010-04-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gents, please take a few minutes to visit my friend Naomi at Arthelia's Attic - home of some seriously lovely snoods, of which I am a proud owner of two and pondering a third one in green of her new headband style all available at her Etsy shop.

AND she's having a giveaway to celebrate 100 snood sales - what a sweet prize it is!! Go say hi, leave her a comment and maybe you'll be the lucky gal or guy to win this prize!!

Finally In A Finished Frock!

2010-04-25T08:34:00.001-07:00

Frock. I love that word. Why don't we call dresses frocks anymore? I am starting a campaign!

Any who, here I am in my finished frock before heading out to the blues show/dance. I love this pattern and the frock is so comfy and easy to wear.

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I call this my Fedora Friends Frock because the pattern was gifted to me by the lovely Cherry Bubbles and the red skull bandanna print was a gift from my dear friend Kitty Von Purr. Aren't they lovely friends indeed!!

The black fabric is a poly/cotton blend and the four black buttons are from a huge button collection I received from another friend back in the early 90's after his grandmother passed away. Her lifetime of button collecting is one of my treasures. These buttons are very cool as they look just like the buttons of a Swirl dress!

The pattern is Anne Adams 4799, size 44. The only modification I made was to leave out the side zipper. It wasn't really necessary and I wasn't looking forward to putting in a side lapped zipper on a curved waist area - avoid sewing pitfalls whenever you can (and hi, i'm lazy).

I definitely want to make another frock like this - i'm thinking gingham with white pockets and eyelet trim - summery and fresh. what do you think?

Blog Love: Grosgrain

2010-04-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

You know I love the giveaways!! Please take a minute to visit Grosgrain, who is giving away a JulieBell belt to TWO readers! Look how pretty!!

Make Do and Mend: Dying Leather Shoes

2010-04-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

In the interest of making do and mending, as well as No Spender Bender, I decided to dye a pair of shoes blue because, well, every girl needs blue shoes (and yellow and green and red, especially red!!).

I had a pair of neutral colored hand-tooled wedge sandals I'd purchased last year on Ebay and I rarely wore them because I'm not really a neutral kind of girl, plus I also have the same wedge shoes in a neutral with hand painted flowers and that's good enough for me.

After a bit of research and bitching that I don't have a decent shoe repair near me (there is one in San Luis Obispo but I wasn't going up that way anytime soon), I decided to order from Kit Kraft in Southern California. They promised same day shipping and with US Priority mail, I knew I'd have it the next day. Excellent service and a vast selection of interesting supplies. I recommend them highly.

I ordered Angelus Leather Deglazer and Preparer and Angelus Blue shoe dye (not listed on their site at this time). The Deglazer smells a lot like acetone and I wouldn't be surprised if that's all it is. The blue dye is odorless and applied with a soft round dauber that is included.

I prepped my work area to prevent accidental messes and gathered latex gloves (no blue fingers!!), q-tips, an old towel, old socks (for applying the deglazer) and a small paintbrush.

Disclaimer: I am by no means a shoe-dying professional. This was a first attempt and I am pleased with the results. If you choose to follow/use these steps, your mileage may vary ;)

Step One:

Clean with Deglazer/Preparer product. I applied it to an old sock and rubbed it on the shoe. This left the shoes dull and it dried rather quickly. I did this twice to make sure the shoes were clean. Be careful to use this in a well ventilated area and also please note it melted my latex gloves - I ended up wrapping the wet sock in a another cloth for the second cleaning so my gloves wouldn't dissolve. (This photo is prior to the cleaning step, but they didn't look much different afterward, just slightly darker and dull.)

Step Two:

Shake the leather dye well. The Angelus brand has a clever box that also doubles as a holder for the bottle to prevent spills. I used the dauber that came with the product and a small paintbrush to get the edges and any hard to reach places. Two light coats are applied, letting dry between coats. It doesn't say how long to let it dry, but it seemed to dry fairly quickly (it was a warm day today).

Step Three:

Second coat applied. At this point I completely freaked out as the color had oxidized to a bronze-blue color. EEK!! A friend who is a talented leather mask maker has since told me this is caused by either to thick of a coat of dye or using the tail end of an old bottle. This was a brand new bottle and since this happened on the second coat, I suspect it was not as light of a coat as it should have been.

Step Four:

Hoping for the best, I proceeded to the last step - waxing and polishing the shoes. I'm a fan of Meltonian shoe polish and always have several colors on hand, as well as their "neutral" polish. The only blue shades Meltonian has on their color chart seem too dark for my use, so neutral it was. Here it is applied to one shoe - thankfully it fixed the oxidizing problem as well.

Step Five:

I polished the shoes with a soft flannel cloth and horsehair brush (and a little elbow grease!), and behold my new blue shoes!! They are not quite as bright as the flash picture indicates, but they are definitely blue and look great! All in all this was an easy, affordable and satisfying way to bring life to a pair of shoes that were just taking up space in my closet.

Changing....

2010-04-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

The only thing you can change

You can’t change your entire life.
You can only change your next action.
—
You can’t change a relationship with a loved one.
You can only change your next interaction.
—
You can’t change your entire job.
You can only change your next task.
—
You can’t change your body composition.
You can only change your next meal.
—
You can’t change your fitness level.
You can only start moving.
—
You can’t declutter your entire life.
You can only get choose to get rid of one thing, right now.
—
You can’t eliminate your entire debt.
You can only make one payment, or buy one less unnecessary item.
—
You can’t change the past, or control the future.
You can only change what you’re doing right now.
—
You can’t change everything.
You can only change one, small thing.
And that’s all it takes.

--courtesy of mnmlist

Pitter Patter.....

2010-04-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

Just got a call from the Doctor's office and found out why I have been feeling out of sorts lately.....

I'M PREGNANT!!

Oh. My. God...... NOW WHAT???

JUST KIDDING .... APRIL FOOLS!!

Blog Love: Va-Voom Vintage

2010-03-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

If you aren't already reading Brittany's fun blog, Va-Voom Vintage, you should be! Especially now that she's hosting a GIVEAWAY (you know I love those!). Look at these prizes - a vintage purse, a vintage lipstick case with a NEW red lippie in it, vintage containers refilled with beautiful loose eyeshadow, an eyeliner and a lovely compact ready to fill with your powder. What a lovely and generous giveaway - everything that get's a vintage loving gal happy!

So you know the drill, go on over, leave Brittany a comment and be sure to tell her Inky sent ya ;)

I'm A Hooker!

2010-03-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's true. Sometimes I cheat on my knitting with my first love -- crocheting! haha, dirty minds, you thought I meant something else?

In my crazed sickness the last few weeks I did have moments of complete boredom (good grief there's crap on TV during the day - thank goodness for my DVR). I was looking for some cute snoods to make and came across the lovely website Annalaia.com, where I found this beautiful snood pattern, available as a PDF file. I purchased it in the evening and I received an e-mail from the very pleasant Anna, with the pattern attached, the next morning.

In a few days I was busy hooking up this project in Ecru/Gold metallic Knit-Cro-Sheen crochet thread (I used just about all of three balls) and a size E hook. I did make minor mods by leaving off the beads and I crocheted two cords to tie it to the top of my head instead of one. The pattern was straightforward and very easy to read and understand. I think even a beginner with a few projects under their belt could make this.

I haven't worn it yet and I'm not sure how will it will work with my hair, but it definitely will require that I put my hair in an invisible hairnet first to keep it under control within the snood (a great tip if you have lots of layers or are using a hairpiece to fill out your snood). Once I feel (and look) more human, then I'll give it a whirl and model it for you all.

Cooties Galore!

2010-03-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been quite a few weeks here at Casa de Inky. First I get a cold (AGAIN! my third this winter). Every single freaking time I'm around kids or crowds I get sick. I have no immunity to humans.

During this illness I get a lump in my right armpit (don't freak out, I am prone to cysts and this one is recurring). It came back worse than before in less than 24 hours - a big ping pong ball sized thing that I had to have drained. The aftercare is a huge hassle and uncomfortable and let's just leave it at that.

Then Mr. Inky catches my plague and now he's been sick for a week. Whatever is going around this time is very strong and very persistent. I am still not feeling well, cough and runny nose, but some improvement daily. I see the doc again on Monday for some further treatment on the cyst issue.

Then on top of that Aunt Flo comes with such a murderous vengeance in the middle of all this fun and frivolity. So I want to know why I can't feel like this when I have my period - the ads promised I would!!

Instead I feel (and look) like this, dammit.

Blog Love: Livin' Vintage

2010-03-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

Guys and Gals - time for another dose of Blog Lovin!!

Emily at Livin' Vintage is hosting a great blog giveaway - a copy of Blueprints of Fashion and a beautiful 40's dress pattern. Please take a minute, go say hey, tell her Inky sent ya and ENTER THE DARNED CONTEST!! whew, i love contests!!

Snoody Goodness!

2010-03-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

Hey kids, it really pays to enter blog contests!!

Remember the blog lovin' for Miss Cherry Bubbles over at Past Life?? Well, I was the very lucky winner of the Victory On The Home Front contest!! Woohoooo!!!

The cookbook is both wonderful and a little frightening with the questionable food photo styling common to all 40's and 50's cookbooks - I'll definitely be trying a few recipes though!

I love the Knitting for Defense book and already see a few things Mr. Inky will like and the Make and Mend booklet is just fantastic! I've wanted that booklet for a long time and it has really wonderful information in it - including a snood pattern I already picked up some yarn for!

The coolest things are always handmade and Cherry included a beautiful bright red snood that matches my hair perfectly!! Here I am wearing the snood and trying out my new frames. I hadn't worn a snood yet with rolled bangs. I really like the way it turned out. How cool is it that the red matches so well!! Thanks so much, Cherry Bubbles!!

By the way, thank you all for the feedback on the frames and Shuron. I really hope those of you looking for new frames for yourself will check out Shuron, they really are wonderful to deal with and make a quality product.

I had my eye appointment on Friday and come to find out that a previous solution to my vision problems of one very nearsighted right eye and one moderately farsighted left eye that battle for control and cause dizzyness and blurred vision is still the best solution - to wear one right contact lens and use reading glasses for computer, reading and needlework needs.

So the Nusir Royale's become reading glasses - I need to make or get a funky little chain to wear them 'round my neck!

My fantastic optometrist, Dr. Graham at Envision Optometry, is a real gem. Not only super thorough but get this - I was looking for new sunglasses. I don't like modern frames with all their logo branding. I commented that they should carry more vintage style frames. I had seen three pair in a display but they were all very small 50's era frames - not good for my face. The assistant says....oh, we have more. Suddenly she starts pulling out tray after tray after tray of vintage specs!!! It was the MOTHERLOAD!!

There were 40's era through 70's era frames for men, women and children. It turns out Dr. Graham's Dad was an optometrist and this was his old stock, and some old family frames as well. I narrowed it down to five or six choices for new sunglasses ;) That remains just a tease - I'll post a picture when I get them back next Friday!!

Uh Oh, Now She's Gone And Ruined Everything!*

2010-03-02T09:54:00.000-08:00

Is it true that men don't make passes at girls who wear glasses? 'Cuz I'm getting me some new lenses (it's okay - I don't want anyone making passes at me anyway!)

*(title nabbed from this cute little video about a "scientific approach" to choosing frame shapes)

I actually got my first pair when I was about 12 or 13, so it's actually nothing new. I've worn them off and on my entire life, including dabbling in contacts now and then. I have 20/20 vision in my left eye, but I am extremely nearsighted in my right eye, basically giving me a natural bifocal vision. Alas, the DMV thinks I need to see out of both eyes and well, that big birthday coming up is also expressing itself in a drastic vision change over the last year. I find myself squinting more often to see, or closing my right eye. I'm also wearing my drug store readers to sew and knit more often than not.

So, being the vain gal that I am, I started pondering glasses and frames. I really don't look good in cat-eye frames, and I was hesitant to purchase real vintage frames without being able to try them on. My hubby loves his Shuron Ronsir Zyl's so much that I decided to give some of the Ladies styles of Shuron's a whirl.

The Shuron Company is an absolute pleasure to deal with. This was our second and third purchases from them (hubby got new Zyl's for this year) and they way they process orders is you pay for one frame w/shipping, and they send you several colors/styles/sizes to try. After you are done you simply send back what you do not want to keep and your bill is adjusted if necessary. I provided them with my existing frame sizes and they sent me a sampling of seven frames to try. Prices are very good as well, mine were $110 (plus $12.95 Fed Ex shipping) and hubby's were $95.

Though I wanted to model all of them for you - only one frame stood out as the clear winner in my book (all were the same shape, just different colors or sizes). I've chosen the Shuron Nusir Royale in pewter with silver metal. I'l be seeing the eye doc on Friday for an exam and getting the prescription filled - in the meantime here are the frames and I'll model them after they are made up.

By the way, Shuron also fills prescriptions, but I have not used this service and cannot comment on it, as they are not covered by our vision insurance. I can't recommend them enough for their frames, quality and outstanding customer service. If you aren't lucky enough to have a local vision office that carries Shuron, contact Tony Rivers and he'll hook you up!

DISCLAIMER: I was not contacted, reimbursed or paid by Shuron for this review - all products were purchased directly by me.

March No Spender Bender

2010-02-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

Alright guys and gals, how did you do in February for the No Spender Bender? Please be sure to let me know in your comments!!

As for me I did okay, not great. I went over by three "free passes" but still spent far less than this time last year and since I started NSB, so I consider that a success.

I also did not buy anything on Ebay in February and that is a GREAT success. WIN FOR INKY!! That led me to think about Ebay (or any selling site) and the amount of stuff I have to get rid of. We can't do regular yard sales where we live, and some of my things have some value, so a yard sale wouldn't be the right venue. I have sold on Ebay before and while it's fairly convenient and easy to do, buyers can be a real pain in the ass. I won't go into how to sell here, there's a zillion websites for that, but just be sure you word your auctions carefully to cover your own ass. Some folks really like Etsy but the things I want to sell do not fall into their vintage/handmade guidelines so it doesn't work for me, so Ebay it is.

My own personal goal for March is only buy if you sell. I'll be a listing maniac the first week or so of March and then whatever I recoup from sales is my fund for any shopping I want to do. This should be interesting. Clearly not something I can do all year long - even I don't have THAT much stuff, but it's a good way to make a win/win situation - get rid of stuff I don't want/need and get things that I do want.

I'll keep you updated and good luck to you on your own personal NSB journey!! If you start up your own NSB please let me know - I want to make a list of NSB participants. Also if you are on the Fedora Lounge, we started a thread just for NSB ideas, tips, progress. Good Luck, y'all!!

Blog Love: Yesterday Girl

2010-02-25T12:47:00.000-08:00

So many wonderful blog ladies and gents having lovely giveaways to celebrate milestones lately!! We're all lucky to "meet" them via their blogs and learn a little bit about them.

Let me introduce you to Yesterday Girl, who is celebrating reaching 100+ followers by hosting a giveaway that includes a great little tin, a collection of postcards from the Imperial War Museum Archive (those would look marvelous framed up!!) and my favorite - two handmade felt brooches from 1940's designs. So go on over, take a look around Yesterday Girl's place and tell her Inky sent ya!!

Blog Love: Past Life Vintage

2010-02-22T19:46:00.000-08:00

That clever gal, Miss Cherry Bubbles is having her last giveaway of the month - and it's another outstanding prize package entitled Victory on the Home Front and it includes a snood that happens to be just my color - RED! You know the drill ladies and gents, please go visit Miss Cherry and tell her Inky sent ya - be sure to leave a comment on her giveaway contest for your very own chance to win these goodies!

If You Have It, You Should Use It!

2010-02-17T16:58:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time when I was in my 20's, I got married for the first time (1989). It didn't work out, however, I did gain custody of the beautiful Wedgwood china that we had chosen. The pattern is Black Colonnade and I first saw the Gold Colonnade design as a very young girl while touring the White House in the early 1970's or late 1960's. I remember thinking the China Room at the White House was like a jewel box with all the beautifully painted plates and cups. Gold Colonnade was selected by Edith Roosevelt for Theodore Roosevelt's term in the White House from 1901-1909.

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) - Plate - Mfg by Wedgwood and imported by Van Husen Charles Company. This is one of a total of 120 pieces selected by the First Lady. Actually, Mrs. Roosevelt merely chose a Wedgwood pattern from among several English and porcelain samples. This resulted in a border design of simple, radiating gold lines with the only dramatic change being the addition of the Great Seal of the United States. (with thanks to AmericanHeritage1.com)

I think the Colonnade pattern stood out because of it's graphic nature and modern look for the time. So when it came time to do the traditional china registry, Black Colonnade was chosen. I was fortunate to receive four full place settings as gifts, and the three companion pieces that you see here. The coffee pot, tea pot and small creamer. I haven't bought any additional pieces since 1989, and really have hardly used it, which is a shame.

Recently Mr, Inky and I found a lovely oak sideboard that coordinates with our oak dining set from the 20's/30's. We were fortunate to find it for an excellent price due to some condition issues - you can see that handles are missing and there is a small crack in the left beveled glass mirror. But it is so beautiful and the small size perfect for our dining room - and frankly, I do not like old pieces of furniture that are so precious you are afraid to really use them, so I consider "issues" to be signs of life and love and use. Plus there's the fun of hunting for new handles!!

The real true benefit of the sideboard has been clearing out a large cabinet in the kitchen and moving the Wedgewood , silverware and other serving pieces to the dining area where we can see them and best of all - USE THEM! Luckily, Mr. Inky loves the Colonnade pattern as much as I do and it holds no sentiment as being part of a previous life. It's just china, after all ;)

I am going to finally add to my collection soon - the sugar bowl for this lovely pattern (its no longer in production, but a fine company I have bought from before, Replacements, has a piece on Ebay). Isn't it the sweetest??

So tell me, do you you have any fine china in your collection and do you use it?

Blog Love: Past Life

2010-02-16T17:53:00.000-08:00

That fun gal, Miss Cherry Bubbles (winner of my first ever giveaway!!), is having her third giveaway for February and it's absolutely MAN-TASTIC!

I would LOVE to win this for Mr. Inky - he just so needs that bow tie!! Please take a minute to visit Past Life and say hi, but don't enter the contest so I can win - JUST KIDDING!! - please do enter, the more the merrier!!

Flowers Die.....

2010-02-15T07:49:00.000-08:00

........but hats can live forever!!

Meet my new vintage "Valentine's Day" hat - a furry pinkish-red creation with tropical colored feathers. "An Original Model by Pepi." I wonder whatever happened to Pepi The Hat Designer ;)

Yes, it's ridiculous and where will I ever wear it, but I loved it and after the fourth trip back to the booth to fondle it, well, we knew it had to "be mine."

As we were leaving three ladies sitting at a booth commented it was perfect on me (it's actually nearly the same shade as my hair right now) and had been taking bets to see how long it took for me to buy it!! Another very elderly lady and I spent some time discussing how to wear it, what era it was from (post WWII to very early 50's she guessed), and general topics of life during the war and shortly there after. She was charming!

A fun day and a lovely new hat, it couldn't get much better than that!

Won't You Be Mine?

2010-02-14T00:05:00.000-08:00

A special kind of Valentine from my Boo Kitty to you.....

FOR SALE: Squaw/Patio Blouse and Skirt

2010-02-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

I'm cleaning out my closet again and this outfit needs to go out dancing!

A very pale pink "Squaw" style patio skirt and blouse set with beautiful black and silver rick rack and ribbon trim. Blouse has "Mays" Tucson, Arizona label. Typical crinkle fabric, content unknown.

$35 includes shipping to US (international please contact me if you are interested). (Items come from a house shared with two cats, non-smoking.)

Additional photos available here.

Blouse:

V-neck, Dolman 3/4 sleeves, bust darts. (pull-over style - no zipper or buttons)
42" bust (measured flat)

The blouse is slightly lighter in color than the skirt, but it's barely noticeable except under a very bright outdoor light. It probably was laundered more than the skirt, I suspect. There is one small hole in the left front shoulder (see additional photos here), and some slight stains on both sleeves, again not noticeable but I'm all for full disclosure. I don't know if they would come out or not, I have never worn or laundered this set..

Skirt:

32" waistband (measured flat)
metal side zipper, 2 hook and eye closure (will need to be re-sewn for security!).
27" long from waistband to hem.
This circle skirt is in excellent condition and i could not find any holes or problems upon inspection.

Blog Love: Tuppence Ha'penny

2010-02-12T06:39:00.000-08:00

In honor of Saint Valentine and his day, Miss Charlotte of Tuppence Ha'penny is having a very glamorous giveaway of a pair of vintage mint condition stockings!!! I've never worn real honest to goodness fully fashioned stockings, have you? Who wouldn't love to have a pair of stockings, even as a collection item like these (brand new in the box, original tissue and even the little information card is still there!) Please go give Charlotte some blog loving and enter her contest!! Tell her Inky sent ya!

It Was Just Like Prom

2010-02-08T10:23:00.001-08:00

.....Air Force style.

The 2009 Employee of the Year awards at the Air Force base where Mr. Inky works was held this past Saturday. They had a photo op and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to be photo hams.

Mr. Inky won Employee of the Quarter (2nd Quarter) in 2009 and Employee of the Year for the Medical Group. He was then further nominated for Employee of the Year in his Category, going up against six other employees from different groups on the base. The winner was a fireman and with all the bad fires last year in Santa Barbara County, the base fire department went above and beyond the call of duty for months on end so the fireman deserved the win. It was a real honor for Mr. Inky to be nominated just the same and a very good thing for his resume.

I had the honor of escorting Mr. Inky during the announcement of the winners, and we got to walk through the Honor Guard's arched sabers, which was pretty cool indeed and certainly not something you do every day.

If they'd had dancing and flowers we would've felt like we were at the prom for sure!!

And The Winner Is....

2010-02-05T07:14:00.000-08:00

...Miss Cherry Bubbles of Past Life: Vintage Living in a Modern World! Congrats to you, Miss Cherry Bubbles, and I really hope you enjoy your goodies!

I really want to thank everyone for their wonderful, sweet, and often very funny stories. I'm not a romantic person at all so it was great fun for me to read your entries and learn what romance means to you. Thank you for giving me that gift, I wasn't expecting this giveaway to make me laugh AND cry!!

Miss Cherry gave me permission to post her story here:

One that always pops immediately to my mind is a ride in a 1939 Cadillac limo on a chilly snowy moonlit evening in Vermont. We got married at an old-timey B&B in Vermont and part of the package (and one of the reasons we went to this Inn) was a ride in the antique limo to a swell restaurant for dinner. There was no heat in the car, so we snuggled up close under a carriage blanket and smooched a bit. S'wonderful...

How sweet and romantic is that!!

Now go take a visit over to see Miss Cherry at her blog, she's got FOUR giveaways going this month to celebrate her birthday and blogiversary! The first one is a sweet pair of vintage RayBan "Bewitching" sunglasses and three floral vintage scarves - you'll be channeling your inner bombshell in no time at all if you win that lovely prize!

Blog Love: Romy Raves!

2010-02-04T07:51:00.000-08:00

I have lots and lots of favorite things - food (yes, it's always about food), make up, clothes, shoes, music, shopping, did I mention food? Yes, I think so ;)

I'll be sharing many of my favorites from time to time and I'd like to start with one of my new favorite blogs: Romy Raves. Romy's blog is chock full of info regarding beauty, culture, wine, food, romance, and DEALS! I found Romy's blog recently through her excellent review on Besame's newest lippie, the Voluptuous Lip Color Set.

I spent a bit of time (okay, way too much time) catching up and reading her blog, so I decided to subscribe. Romy hasn't let me down! She's turned me on to some sweet deals at Restaurant.com (see, food again), as well as new lifestyle and beauty products like the Vapur bottle, which I plan to order as soon as it's back in stock. Romy lives in Southern California and I can tell that she's tapped into cool new stuff AND she's willing to share the details with us! Romy has an extensive background in the research world and it shows!

Recently Romy had a giveaway and you all know how I love entering those! Well, this was for my favorite skin care line, Striking Skin Care. I've been using this line of products for a while now and I love everything about it.

Guess what - I won a full set of products from Romy's giveaway!!! Who says you can't win great stuff on the internet!!

For my almost 50-year-old skin this set of products has smoothed out fine lines, improved the overall tone of my skin and kept me moisturized during the drying winter months. Folks often ask what my secret to not looking 50 is and good skin care is always one of my top three answers (the other two are genetics and not having any children, seriously!!)

Thanks Romy, for a great blog to read, a wonderful giveaway and the heads up on new and exciting products. I hope you all will take a few minutes to pop over, visit Romy and tell her Inky sent ya!

Esther Wiliams Swim Suit Review

2010-02-01T09:55:00.000-08:00

Please join me in welcoming the lovely and sweet Miss B, from Living In The Past, as my first ever Guest Blogger. She's reviewing the Esther Williams Classic Sheath retro-style bathing suit. Doesn't she look marvelous in her new red and white polka dot swim suit? Are YOU ready for summer?

REVIEW:

When you go to www.esther-williams.com/swimwear and check out the shipping costs for myself here in

Canada

they range from anywhere from 19.00-39.00. Which on top of 65 dollars for a suit plus shipping, plus the fact that is in US funds, can prove to be very expensive. There is a store down in the trendy part of town here that sells them. They are just a regular size run, but they were priced at $98.00 and I just couldn’t justify it, but once a year…there is this magical time called BOXING DAY. This particular store always has 50% off everything in store. I waited very patiently for this day all year…and once it arrived, I was so excited. I rushed into the store saying hello to my favorite associates and there they were…hiding in the corner like a little gem…The Esther Williams bathing suit collection. They may have been picked over, but to my luck, the one I had my little eye on for months was there. The size 16 in red with white polka dots, I grabbed it and hugged it close and dashed towards the exit with my new suit. I couldn’t wait to get home and try it on. According to the size chart, it was my size.

When I finally got my chance to try on this beauty of a suit, I was thrilled. I purchased a similar suit from another company early this summer. I would define that one as more as a “playsuit” then a swim suit. The one I purchased this summer isn’t lined or cupped. I haven’t swum in it, just posed for a photo shoot. The Esther Williams suit is beautifully crafted, it has some side boning beside the breast and defined, lightly lined cups. Although they are not under wired, they give some shape and security, and most importantly, modesty. The size 16 fits me well in the waist and hip area, the elastic around the legs doesn’t cut it and it has a full coverage bum. The front is fully lined and it has a lined gusset which is nice. It’s a wonderfully made suit. However, because I’m a size 16 everywhere but the bust, it is a bit large up there. The halter straps feel a bit short but maybe that’s because I’m used to the long ones of 2 piece bikinis. They tie into a short bow, or a longer knot. I feel slightly more contained using a knot. I’m not concerned that I’m going to have a wardrobe malfunction, but the test will come when I go for a swim in it.

The swim was fantastic! I love the full coverage bum the most. I had my cleansing shower before getting in the pool, once I finally got into the pool it was fantastic. I swam 1000m in it with not a shift or a drag or anything. When I first kicked off the wall I felt a little shift in the bust, but I tightened my straps and didn’t have a problem for the rest of my swim. It was great. I got a few looks from the older gents who were aqua jogging but I’m sure they were just appreciating a modest suit at the pool. I felt great and confident.

All in all, it’s a great suit; it’s made well and comfortable. If you are looking for a great reproduction one piece, this is well worth the price.

First Ever Shrinky Inky Giveaway!

2010-01-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

Great Googly Moogly - look over there - 117 followers as of this post! Thanks so much and welcome to all my new readers. In honor of this momentous occasion - my first ever giveaway - since Valentine's Day is around the corner, what better than a Vintage Romance collection of goodies handpicked by me!

The Vintage Romance prize package includes the following:

Vintage cream colored pearl evening bag with satin lining and zipper closure.
Vintage chocolate brown linen handkerchief trimmed in a wide cream lace edging.
Vintage lavender and crystal brooch.
Vintage white chiffon scarf.
Silk rose hair flower with french hair barrette (made by me!)
OPI for Sephora in "Dear Diary," a warm light pink creme nail polish.
Cargo Essential Shadow Palette in the Dark/Neutral colorway - four perfect tones for a vintage look - pink champagne, light taupe, medium ash brown and charcoal brown in matte and satin finishes.

All prizes were purchased and collected by me personally. This giveaway is not sponsored by any business.

Entering is easy, just do the following:

1. Complete the entry form and be a "Follower" of my blog: (CONTEST HAS ENDED - THANK YOU!)

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FOR ONE BONUS ENTRY:

1. Post about this giveaway on your blog with a link back to Shrinky Inky's Fine Adventures. If you do this you must enter your blog address on the entry form in order to qualify for the bonus entry.

No duplicate entries will be allowed. Entries will be accepted until Midnight (Pacific Standard Time), Wednesday, February 3, 2010. This contest is open to US or International addresses and the winner will be selected by using the random number generator at Random.org. Winner will be announced and notified via e-mail by Friday, February 5, 2010. Please be sure to use a valid e-mail address that you actually check, as I will draw a new winner if I don't hear from the original winner within the three calendar days.

An Open Invitation to Join The No Spender Bender

2010-01-29T07:53:00.000-08:00

Back in October of 2009, the fabulous Kitty Von Purr and I came up with the idea for a "No Spending" month to help us get a handle on our frivolous purchasing. We also vowed to put at least five items on Ebay and sell our unwanted items off. It was a great success and focused us both on our spending habits.

In November of 2009 we created the November No Spender Bender. This was formulated around no unnecessary spending at all, but allowed for three "free passes" to be used at each participants discretion. In January of 2010, Miss B at Living In The Past got on board and coming up in February, I am happy to see that Andrea of New Vintage Wardrobe is joining us.

I extend the invitation to you all to join me in The 2010 No Spender Bender. This will be ongoing each month and you can participate whenever you want to (or don't want to - it's the honor system!). The rules are simple: NO UNNECESSARY SPENDING.

So what's unnecessary spending? Anything you don't need to survive or that is not replacing an existing worn out or broken item. Simple as that. You can have three "free passes" to buy what you want/need/desire/covet/find on sale. Naturally there may be emergency expenses we're not prepared for and those don't count (medical, car, family, etc).

You'll be surprised at what habits you can break (I've gone 4 weeks with not a single Ebay purchase - that's a BIG improvement!) and the obvious money you will save each month.

Let me know if you are participating by commenting on this post and feel free to add any suggestions. It's a free flowing idea and it's just there to help me (and you) get a handle on our spending habits. Good Luck!

Thank You All!

2010-01-24T15:46:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can totally feel the love!! 100 followers today and I'm so happy - thank you to all of you from the bottom of my heart!!

A big thanks goes to my friend Mary for the blog love she sent me from Deluxeville. That was a really wonderful surprise!

I've got the goodies for the 100 Followers Giveaway at the ready to photograph this week and will have the contest info up by next weekend so keep an eye out and tell your friends to follow me so they can enter too! I think you'll like what I've selected for the giveaway ;)

Follow Me!

2010-01-22T08:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all the comments on the "fat inky eats hot dog" picture - I love that picture too. It was taken in San Diego at a party with all my wonderful friends that I miss so much. The winds have scattered us far and wide now, but we manage to keep in touch. Those years were special and soooo much fun!

Okay, now I want to enlist your help, gentle readers. I have 82 followers as of this writing and would really like to increase my readership. Help me get to 100 followers so I can hold a giveaway! I have some lovely prizes I've been collecting and plan to head out this weekend to round up a few more - so please help by recommending my blog to your friends and readers!

Thanks a bunch :)

And coming VERY soon - reviews on Shoesgotsole.com and SunnyThreads.com (I'm just waiting for the torrential rains to stop for some wearing/photo ops!!)

The Real Me

2010-01-19T09:56:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged by Miss Mary Deluxe over at Welcome to Deluxeville to post a picture that represents the "real me." Hmmm, thanks Mary, I think ;)

Well, the real me. Who is that anyway? There's lots of versions of me but the first that came to mind is me doing what I love best - eating and goofing off. So here I am trying to devour a giant hot dog hat circa 2002 or so. Nothing is safe around a fat girl.....

So let's see the *real* you!! I can't wait to see your pics! I tag:

Laura at Come to C-dot
Amy Jeanne at It'll Take the Snaps Out Of Your Garters
Lolita at Vintage Starlet
Mishalla at The Mysterious Life of the Metropolitan Housewife
Cat at The Vintage Housewife

Are you Cinderella?

2010-01-15T18:44:00.001-08:00

Somewhere out there is a Cinderella with a size 10 foot waiting for this lovely pair of red shoes!

SOLD! To the lovely Fleur across the pond at Diary of a Vintage Girl! Thank you so much!

Red (not cherry, more of a dark red), all leather construction, including a leather sole that is perfect for dancing, adjustable heel strap and removable clip-on bows - like having two pairs of shoes! They are in great condition, as I have only worn these two or three times.

Approximate measurements: Heel to toe measurement 10.5” Width at ball of foot 3.5” Heel Height 2"

More photos available in this Flickr Set.

January Bargains

2010-01-11T11:09:00.000-08:00

So many sales, so few funds :) Hopefully you can take advantage of a couple of great wardrobe sales I've come across recently thanks to the fantastic enabler, Miss B., at Living in the Past!

Amazon is having a deep discount on some styles of Remix Vintage Shoes like the beautiful Black and White Spectators that have been on my wish list for over two years!

Freddies of Pinewood in the UK is offering a few of their fantastic vintage reproduction dungarees, overalls and cute tops on sale. Just use "sale" in their search feature to find the bargains!

And finally from Kali at The Makeup Drawer, I learned that Sephora is discontinuing carrying the Cargo line and everything is half off. This includes my new favorite pressed powder that does double duty as a foundation - Cargo's blu_ray Powder at $15 (usually $30).

If you have any bargains to share, let me know in the comments!!

Bare Naked Inky

2010-01-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

If you've been reading this blog for anytime know you know that once upon a time I weighed 322 pounds. Up until April of 2007 to be precise. On April 26, 2007, I had gastric bypass surgery and I lost 140 pounds over the course of two years (I found 15 of them in the last year but working to lose those again - better to catch on at 15 rather than let it get to 140 again, don't you think?).

I spent the better part of my 30's and 40's morbidly obese and really should be dead, but I had a second chance at a healthy life and I took that chance. Some may think I am shallow (hell, I think I am shallow) or narcissistic (and yes, I am). I wasted more than 15 years not giving a fart about how I looked or how I felt or how I was killing myself one pint of Haagen-Daz at a time. This is my time to take care of me.

Since the last post was a reader question from my formspring page (see over there on the right column - you can ask me ANYTHING!) - I thought I might show you what photos they were referring to. Behold the before. No hair or make up tricks. Just plain old ordinary me (Photo taken November 10, 2009).

Now the after picture - with potions, lotions, a little magic and a lot of smoke and mirrors

(no photoshopping - just some makeup magic)

Photo taken October 5, 2009.

The bare naked inky and her more fabulous alter ego.

From The Ask Me Anything File

2010-01-04T21:28:00.001-08:00

Q: Hiya! i saw your transformation photo on the fedora lounge and you looked gorgeouss! I was wondering what "potions and lotions" you use on your face daily/nightly? you look so great

A: Hi and thank you so much for the compliment! I have to say I am lucky with genetics most of all and I have avoided getting any suntans since I was in high school. Also drink plenty of water to hydrate yourself. Dehydration makes your skin look crepey and thin, and aging does that anyway so internal hydration is a must.

I am using a cleansing/treatment line right now called Striking Skin Care that has the four basic products I use all the time. Use a good cleanser that does not leave your face feeling dry (I also LOVE Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser), an eye cream, an anti-aging serum and a moisturizer (with sunscreen if you go out during the day). The anti-aging serum is optional depending on your age/needs. The eye cream is a MUST, as is a good moisturizer/sunscreen. Night creams are optional in my opinion but sometimes a heavier cream at night is good, especially in dry weather or during the winter.

I also like the Olay Professional Pro-X line very much and used it for a while before switching to Striking Skin Care. I don't think products have to be expensive to be effective - the trick is to use them day and night - we all get lazy sometimes!

I use witch hazel as a toner if my skin is feeling oily during hormonal times, but not daily. Typically it's in the normal stage and occasionally it's dry around my forehead/nose.

Under my makeup I always use a primer. Right now I love Urban Decay's Pore Perfecting. A good primer before makeup just makes things smooth out and helps my makeup last longer.

Now it's your turn to Ask Me Anything!

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me, except Striking Skin Care, which I originally won in a blog contest, but have since purchased my own. No compensation was received by me from any companies mentioned.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T13:24:00.000-08:00

Dear 2009: You mostly sucked. Thanks and don't let the door hit you on the way out!

Have a happy New Year
Hope you have as much fun as these lively kids did back in 1946!!

From all of us at Casa de Inky
May 2010 bring you oodles of good fortune and excellent health!

Ask Me Anything!!

2009-12-30T09:59:00.000-08:00

Here's your chance - ask me anything at all and I'll do my best to answer honestly (or lie completely, my choice!)

Changes are Afoot!

2009-12-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

Changes are underway here at Shrinky Inky's for 2010!

Coming soon will be reviews of products targeted to those with a vintage feel. Vintage-style clothing reproductions, shoes, make up, hair and all manner of things to help cultivate a vintage style without having to buy actual vintage items. Even some vintage style knitting! (yes, I still do like to knit!)

I know for many of us on the larger end of the size spectrum (both in clothing and shoes), it is getting more and more difficult to find vintage items to wear, especially without risk of ruining them. I'm not a vintage purist and I love to mix true vintage with reproductions.

Vintage shoes are especially difficult to find and particularly in larger sizes. And you all know how I love shoes! I'm happy to share that my first review will be a pair of shoes from ShoesGotSole.com, a part of the CSN Stores family. ShoesGotSole.com carries many name brands and they've recently added some new lines to their selection of work boots!

I'm hoping that my research and reviews will prove helpful to adding new vintage style items to your wardrobe and finding great deals! If you have anything in particular that you are looking for or need help with, feel free to contact me via e-mail and I will do my best to help you with your vintage reproduction search!

Plans vs. Execution

2009-12-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

The holiday party has come and gone - the salmon was delish, coffee was rubbish, and the company was, well, a bunch of people I didn't know ;)

Outfit was a huge success - the party had a "Hollywood Awards Show" theme and though few people dressed up, Mr. Inky and I managed to pull off a pretty good look. Sadly, I didn't get any pics of him - he always seems to run away from the camera!

A reminder of the original plan:

And then final execution (only the hose were omitted - hate them anyway!). My coat is a beautiful vintage cocktail coat I purchased last year tiny thrift shop for $9.99! it's a very heavy taffeta fabric with tiny ribbons crisscrossed all over it. The lining is the best - clock faces with different city names - and the coat is monogrammed. The cuff buttons were missing but I replaced them with two large vintage rhinestone ones. The velvet hat, velvet evening bag and black glass bead necklace are all true vintage as well. Dress and shoes are modern.

Blog Help Needed

2009-12-18T08:46:00.001-08:00

Can anyone out there in blogland tell me how to make my blog wider? it seems a total waste of space on either side of the blog and the actual journal part itself isn't wide enough either, know what i mean?

i am sure it's something in the template and whatnot, but before I go mucking about in there myself I was hoping someone could help. Thanks kindly readers!!

I Want To Live In Tim Burton's Head

2009-12-17T07:49:00.001-08:00

whoa. That is all. Just whoa.

Some Like It Vintage

2009-12-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

I invite you to visit to a great blog - Some Like It Vintage - and she's hosting 12 Days of Giveaways!

Today's contest is for Katherine Hepburn's book - Me.

Meet The Co-Workers

2009-12-14T17:23:00.001-08:00

After several years of not attending, we're finally going to Mr. Inky's holiday work party. Yay, rubber chicken and bad coffee. But, must look fabulous so here's the rough draft of the "holiday" look for 2009:

Med Group... by inky

all fashion suggestions/changes appreciated ;)

Do You Kaboodle?

2009-12-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

I have had so much fun with this Kaboodle thing - so now I want to know - do you Kaboodle? Add me as a friend so I can see what you can't live without!

After some great suggestions (yay for the fishnet suggestion - but I decided to go with footless tights, which I already have on hand) this is the new party outfit for the 80's theme (and yes, i know the outfit isn't very 80's, but really it's not an era I want to re-live, from a fashion point of view anyway). And no, I'm not shaving my head.

Mr. Inky is wearing black levi's, brothel creepers, black t-shirt and either my circa 1980 leather studded jacket (yes, i had the good sense to keep one thing from the 80's) or his own 1958 Sears Leather motorcycle jacket.

Holiday Party... by inky

Party Like It's 1980

2009-12-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

In an effort to get the bah out of my humbug, I spent/wasted some time today creating a holiday look for an upcoming event - an 80's themed birthday party for my soon-to-be 40-year-old baby brother. What say you people out *there* in space of this look?

Holiday Party... by inky

And yeah, people wore leopard in the 80's, didn't they? I can't really commit to my actual 80's look (circa 1984 to be precise) I don't think I could pull off "bald":

Oh Hai!

2009-11-25T07:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm still here. It's been a couple of weeks of plague at Casa de Inky (just me though, Mr. Inky managed to skip it all together - perhaps those mandatory flu shots at his place of employment really do work?). I had a severe cold that is still a lingering cough and in the middle of all that I get a sty in my right eye that had me looking like a prize fighter for over a week. It's now down to a red hard bump. I'm usually VERY careful about touching my eyes with dirty hands but I had a big FAIL this time!

Stay healthy, wash your hands, and don't eat too much turkey tomorrow!!

On the 11th of the 11th

2009-11-11T09:53:00.001-08:00

In Flanders Fields
John McCrae, 1915.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Hey, Lucy!

2009-11-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

This reminds me that not too long ago we went out for a drink and I wore my hair in the rolled bangs and a black chiffon scarf tied in a bow. Wide-legged denim trousers and a red/black plaid blouse. Black oxfords. My pretty typical casual outfit.

Some guy came up to me and went on and on and ON about how I looked just like that Lucy lady and he hoped I didn't think it was an insult and he meant it as a compliment, etc. It was very funny and hey, I do love Lucy (especially in Du Barry Was A Lady!)

Video and Audio Overload

2009-11-06T11:19:00.000-08:00

very cool!

A Housekeeping Request

2009-11-04T08:11:00.000-08:00

Hello lovely readers of my silly little blog - just a request until I can figure out how to change it....could you please put your name (and maybe your e-mail or blog url) too when you comment - I've had a few anonymous comments lately and I'd love to respond but I don't know who you are!

(except you Darla, you signed your recent comment - thank you!!)

The Cycle of Crap

2009-11-03T13:35:00.000-08:00

This is Ebay in a nutshell:

clean the _________________ (fill in location(s) of your crap)
photograph the crap
upload and edit the photos of your crap
make up the listings for said crap
wait for someone to buy your crap
answer 17 questions about your crap that are already answered in the listings
wait for someone to pay you for your crap
package up your crap to ship
silently thank the person(s) at the USPS that created click-n-ship/free pick up of your crap so you don't have to go to the post office

and all this is just so you can have some extra money to buy more crap.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T09:20:00.001-08:00

Dressed as ourselves ;0)

Happy Day After Halloween!

2009-11-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

Halloween is always a busy day around Casa de Inky what with our wedding anniversary, a fab holiday and general mischief and mayhem!

Sadly, this year I was under the weather and not feeling up to snuff, but we managed to do a few things - mainly take advantage of a fun event at a local tattoo shop - $31 Halloween Tattoos! Not knowing what they had to choose from and where we'd put them was part of the fun - and knowing its a great shop with great artists was a safe bonus - cuz $31 tattoos could be a very scary adventure indeed!

They had a fun selection of Halloween goodness and we decided to memorialize our wedding day with Nightmare Before Christmas tattoos. I generally am not of the belief that cartoon characters make good tattoos, but having a deep love for this movie (and a pretty ridiculous collection of original Nightmare toys that I really should sell someday), we chose Jack and Sally for me and Zero for Mr. Inky! Here they are right after we got them - extra added bonus real bloody bits for your enjoyment! Mine is on the front of my right leg above the ankle. Mr. Inky's is on his left outer leg above the ankle.

We then dressed for our Halloween celebration - no costumes, just went as ourselves, which everyone thinks is a costume anyway - I'll post on that later, I'm too lazy to drag out the camera right now and download the shots ;)

Much fun was had at the Blues Show at the Vets hall - our monthly dance opportunity, but I was still feeling poorly so we called it a night pretty early. All that matters is that we're together, married SIX years and still happy little freaks!

Hope YOU had a frightfully fun Halloween too!

Zombie Inky

2009-10-26T10:51:00.001-07:00

Fun for the whole family!! *

Zombify yourself!

*and perhaps this is just one of a bazillion reasons I chose not to breed ;)

A Bangin' Good Time

2009-10-12T08:52:00.001-07:00

Way over across the pond lives a lovely lass named Fleur de Guerre. She's been a tremendous influence and help on my vintage journey this last year or so. Her clothing, hair and makeup express a beautiful 40's girl look and it's been fun watching her own journey via her pin-up and modeling photos.

Fortunately she's recently been sharing some of her hair secrets and because I'm a learn by seeing kind of gal myself, I love watching on-line tutorials for anything and everything. Her first was for using Hot Sticks, so off I went and purchases a set and I love them! Now she's given us a tutorial on the faux 40's rolled bangs. I gave it a try yesterday and they didn't turn out too bad at all!

I had to make my own hair rat, and I think I shall make another that is more bendy to get the proper u-shape in the front, and one covered with bright red hair so the ends are easier to camouflage.

Give it a try gals, it was fun, easy and a nice "do" to add to your repertoire.

1942 Mugshot - San Francisco

2009-10-07T16:58:00.001-07:00

The very glam and lovely Miss Tanya Williams. Hair and make-up flawless!

Seems she was an "entertainer" and due to new "blue laws" in San Francisco, while working at the Melody Lane club, she and the club manager were arrested for putting on an "indecent show."

See the "Censorship feared in S.F. article on page five of "The Billboard" that mentions her arrest in 1942.

As best I can make out is she lived at 87 Taylor Street.

At the time of her arrest she was 23 (or maybe 26 or 28 - perhaps someone with better photo software can figure that out). She was 5 feet, 3 1/2 inches tall and weighed 106 pounds (a tiny thing!). Blue eyes, Blonde hair.

A woman just trying to make a living and hopefully not mixed up in something worse along the way.

Win a Fruity Bracelet at Retro-Modern Housewife!

2009-10-07T06:24:00.000-07:00

Tales of a Retro-Modern Housewife is celebrating 150 followers and is having a contest for this super cool fruity bracelet! Give her a visit and comment on her post - you could win and then let me borrow it ;)

Winter Weiner

2009-10-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

I had to turn the heater on today because it's 62F inside my house. I'm already wearing thermal jammies and socks and if I could type with full gloves on (remember I type for a living) I'd do it. I'm already wearing half gloves. My fingers and my nose are ice cold. I'm having hot tea.

Screw you cold, I'm turning on the heater to get to 67F.

We never even had summer this year. BRRRRRR.

October: Make Do and Mend - Darn It!

2009-10-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

In this disposable age we often throw things out instead of mending or repurposing them. I've made a concerted effort to repair or re-do whatever I can this year and I hope you are too.

Now that fall is finally approaching, we're taking out our wool garments and - gasp - there might be a hole! Or perhaps you found the perfect vintage wool garment but it's also sporting a hole or two. All is not lost! There's this great old thing called DARNING!

Give it a try, it's really easy - and can even be used as a decorative feature in contrasting or coordinating threads/yarn (like mending holes on a lovely wool scarf that has seen better days perhaps?)

Rocking Rockabillies!

2009-09-21T12:18:00.001-07:00

This weekend was Mr. Inky's Big Birthday Weekend. He's a whopping 37 years old now. I wish our ages were reversed, lol.

So aside from the whopping big TeeVee he got (one inch for every year), he also got 3 new work shirts, a Spock Sock Monkey kit, a couple new funny Bradley plates (I'll show you those later), the Mister also got an overnight stay at a local Victorian era Bed and Breakfast, The Garden Street Inn.

First we met another couple for lunch at the Splash Cafe, home of the best New England clam chowder outside of New England. Then it was off to check into the hotel where they had birthday balloons, a bottle of champagne and a german chocolate cake all ready for the birthday boy (I'm a dolt - forgot to take a picture of it!). We dropped off our stuff and headed out again for a 2 hour East Coast swing dance class. After that it was back to our hotel and time to clean up to go out to a blues show at the Vets Hall. I love it when those shows start up again from September to April!

To be honest, we were pooped and sore but we had a great time! Mr. Inky wore his new "Nashville Trash (it says that on the back yoke!!)" embroidered western shirt and I wore my vintage 50's squaw-style patio dress trimmed in silver rick rack. There's a petticoat under there too - good thing I wore nice black underpants, I hadn't realized how far that skirt would twirl up when we danced!

The next morning we woke up early for breakfast and headed home, tired, worn out and sore, but happy from a delightful weekend!

Hope yours was great too!

DeluxeVille!

2009-09-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

Folks - please check out Miss Mary Deluxe, and take a minute to visit her blog, Deluxeville! She has the most amazing house and comes across some great vintage finds, including a super cool GE Atomic 50's clock radio that she's offering a giveaway prize.

Mary is also a lovely person with a big heart and recently took in some abandoned kitties (read about them here and here) - and anyone that does this is wonderful in my book!

So give Miss Mary Deluxe a visit and be sure to say howdie-do!

I'm A Weiner - AGAIN!

2009-09-13T08:10:00.001-07:00

I never was a lucky person as far as contests go, but this past year has been fantastic!

I am the lucky winner of a contest from one of my favorite new bloggers, Cici Speaks! She's adorable, sweet and quite a good seamstress!

She sent me a very cool vintage belt buckle (my favorite color - black!). Embroidery floss, a great button set with chain (I can see this on a knitted vest I'm pondering), a needle with it's own personalized holder (how cute!) and some fantastic "shell braid" trim in white with gold edging that I can't wait to put on a blouse I have in mind.

Thanks so much Cici, it's been super getting to know you via your blog ;)

Remembering

2009-09-11T06:07:00.000-07:00

9-11-2001

8:46:30 - first plane hits North Tower
9:02:59 - second plane hits South Tower
9:37:46 - third plane hits Pentagon
9:59:00 - South Tower collapses
10:03:11 - fourth plane crashes near Shanksville, PA
10:28:00 - North Tower collapses

Win a Pattern!

2009-09-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite new blogs to read is giving away a beautiful 40's sewing pattern - and ruffles are all the rage! Now go visit Wasp Waists and Wiggle Skirts, make a comment and you're entered in the drawing - if you win it I want a copy ;)

I'm Coming Clean

2009-09-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

Alright, it's the start of a new month and I'm going to confess something....I've gained 14.5 pounds since May when Bella died. I could blame lots of things, but the bottom line is that I let go of myself and swallowed sadness in the form of any carb I could get my hands on. They did surgery on my stomach, not my brain, and my emotional eating got the better of me.

With a smaller stomach gaining 14.5 pounds was actually no easy task, but I stuck to it, lol, and then my pants got tight. I'd vowed to myself never to wear elastic band clothing when I lost weight, and I'm glad I did. Soon I would have to buy SOMETHING LARGER. Screw that.

I had not weighed myself since June, but I knew the ugly truth. 199.5 - OH MY GOD I ALMOST WEIGH 200 POUNDS AGAIN. Okay, hell no, this won't do. So last week I got back on the wagon and started doing the things that work for me:

Keeping a daily journal of food (i use sparkpeople.com)
Eliminating all "bad" carbs (white foods basically).
Drinking 8 glasses of water per day.

Just by doing those things over the last week has helped me drop 4.5 pounds, only 10 more to go to get back to where I was before May and then 4 more after that to my lowest weight and then let's see if I can't drop a few more, shall we?

I wasn't going to confess my sins publicly, but accountability is important and there you have it. I need to add walking back into the mix this week, add 2 more glasses of water per day and keep the calories at 1000 to 1200. I'll let you know how it goes next week ;)

Here's a good article on 9 Tricks to Eating Less that I can vouch for - these tips really do work.

So, do I consider this a set back? Of course. But was it negative? Not really, actually I learned a great deal about myself because of this. Over the last year emotional eating got the best of me and in the past I would have never stopped at 14.5 pounds....or 24.5...or 44.5...you get the picture. So did the surgery work? Hell yes it did - I'm just normal like anyone else now and struggle along with the best of you.

And for being "that kind of normal," I am eternally grateful.

Vintage Hairstyling Book Review

2009-09-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

A few folks have asked about the new edition of my favorite hairstyling book: Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques., so here's a brief review.

I learned a ton from the first edition about doing my hair - and believe me, I was a complete novice. Some gals are asking if the 2nd edition is worth it. In a word, YES! The 1st edition is 163 pages, with 25 styles; and the 2nd edition is 200 pages with 33 styles, 15 of which are brand new.

Lauren Rennells has done a terrific job improving on her 1st edition with the added information on using steam rollers, soft rollers, wave clips, spit curls and "marcel waves" with a wet set or a curling iron. The pin curl section has been expanded to include an area on end control, and the nails section has been expanded as well, with better information and photographs.

The "rosie" bandana information has an improved photo, and the section on "other options," which covers snoods, scarves, hair flowers, clips, etc., has also been improved with better photographs and added information.

Six styles have been eliminated from the original edition, but as I mentioned earlier, there are 15 brand new styles, PLUS three original styles to the 1st edition have been revised.

The 2nd edition includes a great selection of hairstyles There are a couple of 20's/30's looks, a wonderful selection of 40's/50's styles and six styles from 60's, great for that "mad men" influence that's very popular.

I will happily keep my original edition, but if you're only going to buy one - buy the 2nd edition and be on your way to the perfect style to complete your vintage look!

Good job Lauren, the 2nd edition was worth the wait!!

Even Rosie Took a Break!

2009-09-07T06:51:00.001-07:00

A day to remember all who labor in the U.S. Enjoy the day, hard workers, and hopefully you can take a rest even for just a few minutes with a nice sandwich!

September: Make Do and Mend From Men's Clothing!

2009-09-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

A most clever little clip showing British war-time ideas for a baby bassinet (though it seems precarious and dangerous - I'd have put the baby in a drawer on the floor myself, but what do I know) and some clever re-made fashions from men's garments.

I'm off to see if I can turn Mr. Inky's suit jacket into something interesting....

More Cat Lolz

2009-08-31T10:46:00.001-07:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

She Must Know Mr. Inky

2009-08-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

see more Funny Graphs

Best Monday News

2009-08-17T09:58:00.001-07:00

Your jury service is completed and you are no longer required to check this message. We appreciate your serving as a juror in the United States District Court.

thank goodness, because I hadn't even pondered packing or preparing the house to leave AGAIN.

The Best Part of Federal Jury Duty

2009-08-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

Well, my options were exhausted and I had to go to Downtown Los Angeles on Monday evening to appear at Federal Jury Duty at 8:00 a.m., Tuesday morning. We stayed at a very pleasant hotel in Little Tokyo, the Miyako. Mr. Inky came with me too since he's on vacation this week. That evening we enjoyed a lovely walk through Olvera street down Alameda Avenue and dined at Philippe's - Home of the French Dip Sandwich. Yum Yum.

Jury duty was mostly comprised of the usual waiting and listening for your name. The person sitting next to me was a nice chatty fellow that is a production assistant on Extreme Makeover. He certainly has an interesting and fulfilling job, that's for sure! Our group was the 3rd group called to court and we got over there about 11:00 or so. LOTS OF WALKING was involved in the day, that's for sure. Walking to court from the hotel, walking from the court building across 3 blocks to another building and walking back. Thank goodness for my sensible 40's style wedgies!

I was lucky to be in the first 14 interviewed the Voir Dire process and ultimately excused, along with 3 other persons that have law enforcement contact as part of their jobs or relationships. I expected that since this was a civil case involving a police office as the defendant. I got back to the hotel around 12:30 and we headed home. Unfortunately I am on-call so I have to check back in next Monday and perhaps go back down again.

But the very best part was being in the beautiful U.S. Courthouse, built from 1937 to 1940, my favorite era. Sadly absolutely no photography is allowed inside the building, and the pictures I can find online really do no justice to the architecture, but much of it's charm and beauty remains. There were beautiful mail chutes on each floor, lovely marble and brass stair rails. Incredible lighting fixtures and the most ornate entry doors. I could have spent all day just photographing the building itself! You can find the history of this beautiful structure here.

And now it feels like Monday all over again!

I Am Nine Again

2009-08-09T15:18:00.001-07:00

Except my saddle shoes weren't nearly this cool WAY back then.

Authentic all leather saddle shoes from Muffy's.com (highly recommended and excellent customer service).

Make Do and Mend....Yourself

2009-08-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday was my experimental "no" day. A day to do whatever I want, when I wanted, without any technology driven assistance (as in no phone and no internet, but I did use the TV, which I simply consider entertainment). A day without worry or guilt about how I spend my time. A day without agenda or plan. A day when I said no to anyone needing my time or assistance.

It was an absolutely WONDERFUL day!

I started out early, as is my norm, because I am just not physically capable of sleeping in. I can take naps and/or go to sleep early, but after years of my banking career, getting up around 6 or 6:30 is just deeply embedded in me. I had my usual fiber cake and coffee, then set about to read for a bit (the latest Sookie Stackhouse story - Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris).

I did some mending on a purse strap and also added an elastic strap to a vintage hat that needed some repair. By then Mr. Inky woke up and wanted to go out to breakfast, but I didn't feel the urge to dress, so I made a nice breakfast at home. He decided to vacuum. I went back to reading.

A few times during the day I thought about using the computer for something or another and walked in to my office, but remembered that the thing was turned off and I wasn't about to turn it on. I did realize it's just too easy to go to this box and look something up then the next thing you know you've been sucked into a time loss of a few hours.

I spent the rest of the day doing some laundry (because I felt like it, not because I had to) and reading and watching TV. I love television and don't feel at all guilty about it - ever.

This week I am going to do the same thing I did on Sunday but for an hour a day. An hour without technology (if you call during that time, i'll call you back!) and permission to not worry about anything or feel guilty about how I use my time.

I feel positively refreshed.

This was me on Saturday headed out to attend the grand opening of Lady Luck, one of our local rockabilly shops that recently moved to Santa Maria. Fun was had!

Sunday Sunday Sunday!

2009-07-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

I am declaring this Sunday the official NO WORRY day.

No internet, no phone, no worries, no pondering, no concern, no chores, no negativity, no balancing, no accounting, no cleaning. Just rest and relaxation, physical and mental.

Who wants to join me?

Lazy Vintage

2009-07-28T15:37:00.001-07:00

To lazy to be vintage? Want a makeover Mad Men style?

Check it out here and be sure to show me yours. wink wink.

Positive and Good Thoughts Needed.

2009-07-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

While I am not a religious person by any means, I do believe in the power of positive thinking, so please if you could offer up a positive thought for my Father-In-Law. He fell off a ladder last Tuesday and spent a few days in the hospital and is now recuperating in a nursing home. He did have a small brain bleed and is terribly bruised and battered, and also suffering from some amnesia regarding the incident, but so far no surgery is scheduled for anything and there were no broken bones. Things could have been far worse I suppose.

Mr. Inky is beside himself with worry and we are trying to figure out a way to afford sending him home to Michigan to see his Dad, even though his Mom doesn't feel it's necessary, but you know how kids and moms are.

All good thoughts appreciated please.

Sleeping With Boo

2009-07-25T10:51:00.001-07:00

Boo kitty likes to spoon in the morning. Personally I think it is just what he considers payment for being fed.

Alice In Wonderland Trailer!

2009-07-22T15:03:00.001-07:00

More Alice in Wonderland (2010) News & Previews

I Love The Internet

2009-07-22T14:04:00.001-07:00

Because it brought me this!

I was watching 1000 Ways to Die on teevee (it's on Spike, in case you are into that sort of show) and they ran an episode of a fellow who was cleaning the toilet in a used RV (aka a truly mobile home). He used chlorine and when it mixed with the foul ancient sewage in the rv's tank, well, science ensued and he created a deadly chlorine gas and....died.

But I digress....in his adorable little death trap he had a plate much like this one. I thought it was a prop, but doubled over laughing yelling to the hubby I MUST HAVE ONE!! In less than a couple minutes on the fabulousness that is the internet, this silly thing was on it's way to my house and now hangs in a place of honor in the kitchen, right on the dreadful wallpaper we haven't re-done.

I don't love living in a mobile home, but it's only a mile from the ocean as the crow files, so I don't complain. and now my life is complete with my funny little plate.

and this is how collections begin....

Proof

2009-07-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

Proof that there are no new ideas and that vintage ladies were not so prim and proper and one might assume. It has always taken "all kinds" to make the world an interesting place.

Uh Oh!

2009-07-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Time Travel

2009-07-13T13:57:00.001-07:00

A little fun shot from our weekend in Santa Margarita at the Charity BBQ for Jack's Helping Hand.

Past Due Thanks To Some Generous Bloggers!

2009-07-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

I really come across some great blogs out there and I have been remiss in thanking some wonderful bloggers for hosting contests where I was lucky enough to be the winner! So in chronological order of winning -

Many thanks to Betsy at From Betsy With Love for this beautiful Lady Head Vase. I have always lusted after these and never acquired one, especially a gilded one! So behold the start of a new obsession!

Many thanks to Matilda at Miss Matilda for a generous and glamorous prize of a Royal Purple Satin garter from What Katie Did. I love it so much and it's going to spark me into getting the rest of this lucious lingerie! And be sure to check out Matilda's gorgeous dress available at Able Grable! It's stunning!

Many thanks to Jessica at Wardrobe Refashion for the chance to win one of Sarai's lovely Colette patterns! Have you seen these? They are modern patterns with a lovely vintage feel. I chose the Beignet skirt and can't wait to make it!

Make Do and Mend: A Fashion Fix For the Fourth

2009-07-06T09:18:00.001-07:00

I bought this dress as a birthday gift (to myself) from the Vermont Country Store. It was cute enough, but it had better potential. To fit the bust I had to order a large, but it was too big in the waist. Easy enough fix, just took it in about an inch at each side seam. This dress has pockets and princess seaming, but this did not hinder a simple taking in of the side seams.

It was also much too long, so I lobbed off about 6 inches from the bottom and reused this fabric to make a belt for the dress. I cut a length of Dritz Belting and covered it with the fabric, hand-sewing it with center seam on the inside of the belt. I then used a vintage white buckle I had in my stash and taaa-daaa, a minimally reworked dress that looks more flattering than the original did.

So don't miss out on buying a dress you ALMOST love especially if you think you can make some changes to it to suit you better. Although I am capable of making a simple dress like this, with all that applied ribbon and buttonholes, I wouldn't have bothered, so for me, this was worth it.

Hair Inspiration

2009-07-02T07:42:00.001-07:00

LustrePier
Originally uploaded by Inky Knits

If only I had Lustre-Creme then I could have hair like Pier!