Friday, May 21, 2010

Aqua Blue Heaven Friday: Pretty As A Poodle

It's Aqua Blue Heaven Friday, kids!

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What is it about poodles that makes us so nutty? Vintage poodle novelty prints will always be hot and coveted by the vintage-lovin' gal. Even celebrities of eras past loved their pet poodles...

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...French singer Genevieve loved her poodle so much she took him to a New York antique store, as seen here in 1959....


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...Actress June Havoc apparently liked to bury her poodle in the sand, here in April of 1950...


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...and Zsa Zsa Gabor pranced around her penthouse in a peignoir with her poodle, because, of course she does dahling.


But why poodles? Why not schnauzers? Or basset hounds? Or pit bulls? I guess we'll never know how exactly they became the kitschy dog print of choice and you know what? Who cares. They're fun and girlie and whimsical, end of story! So today's theme for Aqua Blue Heaven is, natch, the poodle. More specifically, the vintage 50's/60's poodle handbag. Enjoy!



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Poodle and Wiener in Love, available on Etsy from seller Vintage Philosophy.



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Sparkle Poodle, available on Etsy from seller Neat Old Junk.


(The next 3 aren't even aqua at all, but they're too fab not to show off! Deal.)


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Le French Poodle, on Etsy from seller Eclectic Gourd.



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Pink Fuzzy Poodle, on Etsy from seller Big Yellow Taxi.


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Beaded & Google Eye Poodle, available from yours truly, Fast Eddie's Retro Rags.



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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Way-Out Wednesday: Don't Send In The Clowns, Part 2

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It's a "better-late-than-never-so-for-the-love-of-all-things-holy-quit-yer-bitchin'-already" Way-Out Wednesday! Today's vintage pick is another creepy-ass clown. It comes to us courtesy of Etsy seller Violets and Grace. Can you even stand it?! Yeah. I didn't think so.






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Uncle Buddy The "Bad Touch" Clown told me a secret. I can't tell you what he said, but I can tell you it rhymes with "Uncle Buddy The Bad Touch Clown is going to jump out of the painting while you sleep tonight and turn your pelvis into a gravy boat." Damn. And I said I wouldn't tell. Oh well. Sleep tight!


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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Atomic Tuesday: Wish You Were Here!

Welcome to Atomic Tuesday!

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I wasn't sure if today's vintage pick is really apropos for Atomic Tuesday or more of a Way-Out Wednesday thing, because today's item is a little wacky. (Which. We. LOVE!) After an extremely intense game of "Eenie Meenie Miney Moe", Atomic Tuesday won. (Suck it, Way-Out Wednesday!)


Today's pick is this Vintage 60's Postcard Holder Shadowbox, currently available on Etsy from seller Madam Pickay:

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I'm not sure if it's a homemade thing or if it was mass produced, but I love how many "non-necessary" items came from the post-war years! A display case for a postcard? Well of course. Please pay extra attention to the petrified wood pieces added for dramatic effect, I would assume.


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It literally just displays a postcard. Oh, and there's a drawer. Can't forget that. Maybe the drawer is for storing extra postcards, for when you're feeling zany and want to change the mood of the display case. In which case a drawer is
totally necessary. Sick of the tropical paradise theme? No probs. Just slide in the postcard from that time your neighbors went to Gator World and voila! Instant feng shui.

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Monday, May 17, 2010

A Nickel And A Dream.

On my way home from the gym this morning (yes, I said gym! more on that another day), I stopped at a totally random monday morning yard sale almost exactly 1 mile away from my house. It was at this amazing Victorian house on a Christmas tree farm that I've admired for years. While I love mid-century modern design, I appreciate all old architecture but have a soft spot for Victorians. This place is the type you'd see on a card or in a movie or something equally as cheesy~ huge white Victorian house with a wraparound porch, stained glass windows, beat-up 1950's truck parked next to a red barn, and of course the acres and acres of Christmas trees. I should've taken a picture, it was that dreamy!

Anyway. Yard sale. So I stop, not getting my hopes up or expecting to find anything great, and that's partly true; while I didn't get any major scores, I did find a handful of wonderfully tacky crap I couldn't pass up. Plus, everything I bought was a nickel. Seriously. . The owners of the house were of course, the cutest, white-haired old couple you'd ever meet. Sweet as pie and happy as clams that a dork like me bothered asking them 20 questions about their home & Christmas tree farm business. The stuff I bought is far from impressive, but hey, you can't beat the price or help being suckered in by cute old folks!



The crapola I bought, let me show you it~

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Vintage drinking glass with super cool graphics- it says "Aviation Terrace, Sport Service". The wildflowers I *just* picked a second ago! Or a few minutes, whatever, time nazis.


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Not vintage (I don't think so anyway), but I have a thing for garden gnomes. This little guy is terra cotta and looks like it's a do-it-yourself paint craft type dealie. Great. Me and completing craft projects go together like oil and water. I think he'll just stay unpainted. And he'll like it that way.


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Vintage fruit basket stained glass thingie. The old lady said she made it herself in the 70's and that made me really sad for some reason, like no one wanted her poor , useless stained glass project so out it went into the yard sale. My mom made tons of stained glass sun catchers like this back in the day, so I must have been feeling nostalgic and sentimental. It even came with fishing line & a suction cup attached already, so it got splatted onto my kitchen window as soon as I got home. It does look kind purdy in the sun. Bonus feature: it helps hide the dirty window so that's a plus. Now if only I can find 87 more, I'll never have to wash the windows again.



And the most tacky of all is this plastic beaded homemade plant hanger. Oy vey...

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Good lord, what was I thinking?

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The 10 year old, 1986 Kim loves this. If it had rainbows and glitter and puffy stickers and unicorns hanging off of it I probably would've had a stroke. I recall making lots of junk out of these same exact beads, like necklaces and whatnot. Ohmygosh, it's fug. But if being sentimental only costs me a nickel, then I'm a tacky ol' fool with 5 pennies less in my pocket!


Total spent: 20¢
I tried giving the old man a quarter, but he insisted I wait for my 5¢ change. Now that's service!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Prints Charming Sunday: The Big Bamboo.

Welcome to Prints Charming Sunday!

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Today's vintage novelty print is currently available on Etsy from seller Elsewhere Vintage- this glorious (glorious? yeah I'm a dork, but it is pretty damn glorious, so sue me) and wickedly fab Vintage 50's Bamboo Novelty Print Sarong Halter Dress:

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Did you get that the first time? Bamboo! Sarong! Halter! (I can throw other words in there with emphasis and an exclamation point for dramatic effect, such as ShamWow! Now you try.)


The shades of green are among my top favorite to wear, because I think they're so flattering when you're a redhead with green eyes and are as pale as Wonder bread such as myself, but those hues look good on just about everyone! (Except, maybe, if you yourself are green. Then not so much.)

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