Tax season

Gollllly. One can really tell that tax season is upon us - I've been running around like crazy trying to get both my store stuff and interpreting stuff in order.

PHEW. Glad that's finally over and done with.

In other news, my house is positively exploding with vintage. 

Wanna see some things that'll be hitting the shop? :)

 

Bill Blass designer 70's dress w/ mink trim. Can you believe I almost didn't pick this up? It looked TERRIBLE on a hanger - but gorgeous on a form! 

 

30's liquid satin bias gown. The sleeves are killer. Wait until you see the back!

I love this skirt. I think I need to retake photos for it though - but couldn't resist posting a close up of the pattern!

I hope to be working on the shop soon! Stay tuned.

Shoes

So, I went on over to Amazon.com today and saw this:

Check out the top and bottom left silhouette. So 50's! 

Made me feel like I was traveling back in time :)

♦

In other fabulous news - new items were added to the shop! 

Purchase here

Here

Here

Here

 

 

 

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So delightfully drool worthy.  And there are more in the store! 

Click to see more etsy.me/XMDFSM

I'm dragging my wonderfully tolerant hubby along with me while I go vintage scouting tomorrow.

A guy called stating he was cleaning out an estate - perhaps fabulous treasures will be found!

Auction Anxiety

I went to *two* auctions with vintage clothing this week. 

And I'm considering going to a third this upcoming week. 

Problem is, I'm slowly running out of room in my apartment to store all of this lovely vintage! 

Wish we had a bigger apartment! 

Anyway,

Here are some sneak peaks of what I got at both the auctions ;) 

Lovely, lovely. I just adore all those 40's shoes.

Everything will be up in the shop in the next few weeks!

Some love from Lindyshopper!

http://lindyshopper.com/2013/02/20/swell-farewell-vintage/

 Tadaaaaa! *trumpets sound*

I have officially become a supporter.

 

and she wrote a snazzy article about the shop. Check it out!

...ppsstt. Sneak peak for a few things up and coming in the shop: 

 

Find them all here at some very near point in the future <3

Blues

After a long night shift, all I want to do is go home and sleeeeeeep. 

.....and not wake up until at least 12 hours has gone by. 

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In other news - I discovered this dress and I'm completely in love with it.

So in love that I contemplated making a replica.

That would be quite ambitious considering I haven't even made a simple pillow.

I do crazy amounts of simple mending on all of the vintage that comes through the shop but being able to physically construct an item from several different pieces and have it look good on me (or someone else?) ......not sure I'd be great at it - but it's on my list of things to learn how to do!

Anyway, here is the lovely that took my breath away.

Purchase here

Isn't she beautiful? I want someone to buy it and wear it on their wedding day. It'd be so divine.

My favorite part? The wide satin blue waistband with attached back swag. Love it.

Dance, Dance

Photo credit - McFreebird Photography

Love it. 

I always get out of the 'habit' of dancing. 

Life catches up with me, work becomes overwhelming, I make excuses.

Then I decide to go & bam. 

I fall in love all over again. 

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Speaking of dancing - Prom is soon! 

Check out these lovelies that are hitting the shop just in time for Prom!

Others will come soon! My 'pile' of things to photograph never diminishes. Ever.
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I just recently discovered Pic Monkey on a Discussion Board on Etsy where you can make absolutely FREE collages and edit photos. I haven't tried the edit photos option, yet (I use lightroom, so no real reason to use it) but the collage option is brilliant for showing detail in the shop. 

I'm officially addicted to it!

Hope your week has been fabulous!  

1920's

I'm going to a 1920's prohibition Swing/Charleston dance tonight in York, PA.

I'm SO excited. But I gotta tell ya, the main reason for my excitement is this:

My super amazing, ridiculously cool fringe-tastic dress that I splurged on 2 months ago. 

I just can't get enough of it!

I'm practically bubbling with excitement!

Sun Fun

I'm addicted to swimwear.

No, really. I am.

See here

See here

See here

Mmm, so classy.

I love that they had internal support for shaping to give one a killer figure. 

To this day, I've been searching for the perfect retro inspired swimsuit with good bust support.

Sounds impossible, right?

Not so!

Check out this lovely one piece from Lands End.

Here

                                                                              

 The slender suit.  (tadaaaa!) 

One piece. Multiple colors. Petite, Regular and Plus Sizes available. The side ruching hides a multitude of sins and the mini skirt front is just so retro it's almost too good to be true.

I've been stalking eBay for years for these. At one point it was my goal to get one in as many colors as was humanly possible. I was a woman obsessed, which was ridiculous since I go swimming a grand total of 4 times a year, max.

Two pieces more your thing?

Freya, hands down, makes fantastic, supportive, gorgeous swimwear in an array of band and cup sizes.

 I could go on and on! Check out their website, they make amazing lingerie, as well!

Here

Curvy Kate also started making retro bra sized swimwear this season.

Here

Anyway, I digress. 

Retro swimsuits are amazing and there is so much more retro inspired (and true vintage!) swimwear available today thanks to the wonder that is the internet.

  Happy Valentines Day! 

Buy these lovelies here

Aren't those bookends the cutest? 

They literally made me grin and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

...Which is a feat, considering it's only 7:30 EST. I am so not a morning person.

My husband & I don't really pay much attention to holidays. 

So, my Valentines Day will be spent photographing,

 doing laundry and cleaning various parts of my studio. 

Enjoy your day!

Sky Rocket

Ugh.

Just went to the post office to get some things straight. 

First off - international shipping can be downright confusing. Not to mention exorbitantly expensive.

See these for sale here

Overall, it's discouraging that shipping Priority (which is, apparently the safest and fastest way) costs $23.95 for a small padded flat rate envelope. Granted, a lot of the dresses/slips in the shop will fit into these but there will be quite a few that just won't.

Let's use our imaginations, shall we? 

Try fitting this: 

  

Into this: 

.... it just isn't gonna happen.  Sigh. 

I could choose to ship things First Class International (which is cheaper) - but I can never guarantee that it will arrive at all, much less arrive in a timely manner. 

 Perhaps I should leave the choice up to the buyer? 

Priority Mail: more expensive by more than half, arrives faster and has tracking.

First Class International:  no tracking, cheaper and can't guarantee it'll arrive. 

Obviously the choice is clear - but the price is ...sad. To put it lightly.

Anyway, I digress. Enough complaining. 

Time to change all my shipping profiles and hope that my lovely overseas buyers will continue to buy things regardless of the crazy US shipping prices.

 

15% + peaks

Prom season is almost here!

I'm scrambling to get photos up of prom dresses from a range of eras :) 

Here's a sneak peak of a few before they hit the shop!

Don't miss out!

Enjoy %15 off on any item in the store with the coupon code 15OFF at checkout.

For a limited time! ;) 

-k8

Goals

My newest goal (as far as Etsy/eBay goes) is to clean up my office
 enough to take photos of it so I can share where my workspace is.

 Um.......

Perhaps I'll start working on that next week.
 I keep promising myself that I won't take much work but it just seems to happen.

Anyway - want to see a blast from my Etsy past? 

 

This is my dorm room 3 years ago. A huge closet stuffed with vintage is to the right and 

my mannequin on the wall is where I took all my photos.

 That's my best friend Logan working on some kind of school work.

So - here an example photo of when I first started out in my dorm room :

 

And look how far I've come!

 

It's amazing what a studio backdrop and lights will do! :)

 I can't help but be proud of my photography journey

Off to print shipping labels and prepare for my day job! 

Coat weather

All will be added the shop within the next few hours. ♥

 I'm addicted to that 'new look' 50's black coat. Va voom!