On Saturday I had the good fortune of bumping into GoodWood, a charming store selling vintage furniture in U Street. I am pretty sure I had been there before, but I couldn’t believe I didn’t remember it. I love that store – so much so, I want to live there. I wanted all of their furniture and curious knick-knacks. They also had clothing designed and crafted in Finland by a company that uses recycled military uniforms, dead-stock textiles, and disposed car parts to create their clothes. Pretty cool spot. If you are in the area, I highly recommend checking it out. It’s a fun place!
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GoodWood
6 Sep
Vintage and Horror
28 Jan
She
I have not been doing a good job of blogging lately, so I decided to rummage through the interWeB for good ideas. I came across Kelly Reemstem’s art, which is fabulously tragic, to say the least. Is she doing heavy garden work? Is she going to kill her husband? I don’t know, but that’s part of the charm. You can check out more of her work here.
It’s been a while…
19 Dec
Well, Hello. It’s been quite a while since I last blogged. What can I say? I can say I have been busy, which is a completely valid and acceptable excuse. I can say I have been pondering on the meaning of existence…ah, who are we kidding? This city girl has been up to her neck in work. As customary, I am back in Miami for the holidays and able to relax and do more of what I like – eat, drink, socialize, sleep, and blog. I suppose I have to blog about something now, don’t I? For now, how do you fancy a wonderful remix of a classic Christmas song (a la Miami) and a vintage photo of some chick with a half-dead and bare tree? Works until I find something interesting to blog about. Happy Holidays!
House of Lavande
18 SepIf I could have any other job in the world, I would have Tracy Smith’s job. She’s a jewelry connoisseur that travels around the world collecting vintage rarities. She established House of Lavande, a vintage couture jewelry collection. Here are a few of my favorite pieces she currently has up on her website:
1970's Vidal Silver Pendant Necklace: 1970's Vidal long silver chain with a huge tiered abstract pendant. Worn by Jessica Alba.
Unsigned Diamante Collar Necklace: Unsigned diamante collar necklace with a small row of baguettes, three rows of round cut stones and large emerald cut stones on bottom row.
1940's Joseff of Hollywood Snake Clamper: 1940's Joseff of Hollywood gold snake clamper bracelet with a red cabochon between the snakes mouth.
1950's Miriam Haskell Earrings: 1950's Miriam Haskell floral diamante button earrings. Worn by Eva Mendes for the 2010 MTV Awards.
Calla: Updating Romance
14 Aug
Former model, Calla Haynes, created her own clothing line as a modern homage to romantic vintage construction. Her minimalist color palate and soft, yet rigid, structure captured my eye. Haynes adds femininity by incorporating her own French touch, and she suitably describes her collection as “relaxed luxury.” Calla revels in wearability and modernity while embracing the beauty and craft of vintage styles.
Mid City Dog Days this Weekend
6 AugCourtesy of MidCityLife.com
I’m excited for The 11th Annual Dog Days of August this weekend. I’m especially excited for:
* The Studio Theatre’s garage sale with tons of antiques from last year’s shows
* Junction Vintage’s awesome sale
* Redeem’s sale – 25% off spring and summer apparel from designers like Feral Childe, Wrath Arcane, Kai-aakmann, Kaylee Tankus and Religion
* Cake Love cupcakes for just $2 all weekend
*1905′s extended happy hour all weekend
A new find: The True Vine Record Shop
12 JulI just checked out The True Vine Record Shop’s website. They are pretty awesome. They are located in Baltimore and they sell mostly vinyl records. It’s a great place to find local Baltimore band records and other amazing stuff, like indie consignment records and just good old music. I haven’t been there yet…but I’ll surely be taking a trip to Baltimore to check it out!
Inspirations – Marilyn Monroe: A Birthday Tribute
1 JunToday would have been Marilyn Monroe’s 84th birthday.
Marilyn was a role model of mine since I can remember. I grew up watching her movies, especially Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Prince and the Showgirl, Niagra, Let’s Make Love…ok, I grew up watching ALL her movies and idolizing her thanks to my aunt’s collection of Marilyn memorabilia. I dare say I’m in love with vintage jewelry, Chanel, and jazz because of Marilyn. Behind all the glitz and the glamour was an intelligent and lovely woman. What was it about her that captivated the world? Surely, many women before and after her have equaled her beauty and talent, yet Marilyn Monroe has remained an unforgettable icon, a legend. Something about her air and manner is indescribably captivating and entrancing. In honor of her birthday, I would like to share with you a taste of some of my favorite peices from the Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe. These items were auctioned in 1999 at Christie’s New York.
Vintage Dresses and Jewelry
- A Simulated Diamond and Faux Pearl Brooch
- Couture Cocktail Dress by Galanos: Tag inscribed “Miss Monroe” and dated 6/22/56. Worn at London press call with Laurence Olivier and Arthur Miller.
- A royal blue halter-neck dress labeled Ceil Chapman
- Black silk crepe dress, with deeply cut front and rear (unlabeled). A brooch with 19th century inspiration.
Household Items
- A neoclassic style green and colorless glass and gilt metal chandelier
- Marilyn’s copy of The Fall by existential philosopher Albert Camus, 1959
- Marilyn’s first edition copy of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, 1957
There’s so much more to Marilyn than these few dresses and trinkets, more than I can depict in this blog post, a book, or a volume. I especially love that she owned books by Camus and Kerouac because she wasn’t just a sex goddess and a muse, she was an intelligent, deep thinker. Happy Birthday Marilyn!
