Tales From A Vintage Wardrobe

Harvard-Yale "The Game" 1947

(photo credit: Collectible Ivy )

My treasure hunting expedition over the weekend landed a late 1960s Harvard crimson athletic jacket in my arms.  Sweet, I know.  So while doing a bit of research about it, I came across this program cover from 1947.  That year, Yale took the game with a final score 31-21.  But yesterday afternoon, Harvard dished out some embarrassment to them right in their own back yard.  Final score: Harvard 45 - Yale 7.  That's pretty sweet, too, if you're a fan of Crimson.

A Day at The Market

 

Coco sporting another one of my grandmother's fabulous vintage dresses. 

 

 

 

The Red Velvet Shoe's booth at The Top Shelf Flea III.

Christine of Carmen and Ginger.
 

Giuseppe of An Affordable Wardrobe, James of 10 Engines, Giuseppe once again and Zachary of Newton Street Vintage.
 

 

A collage of some fun & fashionable shoppers who visited our booth:  Starting at the top left and working clockwise:  Miss Sara, in her lovely cat eye glasses, scored two great 1950s dresses and an adorable pink cardigan, Laura searches through piles of vintage gloves, Remma & Laura leaving with bags full of goodies, including a hot pink & red caftan from Hawaii, one of the most adorable visitors of the day~~this tiny tot left with a lovely multi~colored pastel floral brooch pinned to her little sweater, my two nieces clowning around with some of our vintage hats, their Mom above them modeling a gorgeous hot pink silk dress from Peck & Peck, and a young lady with fire red hair checking out her look in a vintage straw hat.  

Thanks to everyone who came out to attend The Top Shelf Flea Market yesterday (it was most heartwarming to be reunited with some high school friends I haven't seen in over 25 years and to meet one friend's three beautiful daughters...), and especially those who visited my booth, shopped and spent some time chatting with me about our common love for vintage fashions & style.  This marked the third bi~annual Top Shelf Flea Market venue and I think it's safe to say it's on it's way to becoming another fine Boston tradition...

 
(Photo courtesy of Carmen & Ginger~thank you!)

 

Let's Bring Back: Filene's Basement

It was the road trip I looked forward to the most every year~~my grandmother would pile we three girls into the back of her 1970s Cadillac (which felt more like a ship) and off we would go, onto the Mass Pike, into Boston to spend the day shopping at Filene's Basement.  She was so short she had to look through the steering wheel and the dashboard to see the road.  She could park that boat as if it were a Mini Cooper.  And she got us safely there and back every time.  The trunk could barely close by days end . . .

 

"Voices From The Basement" premiering on WBGH Boston, December 9, 2010 at 8:30pm EST.

***Post update:  Share your memories of shopping at Filene's Basement Downtown Crossing and enter to win a $100.00 G/C from Filene's Basement!   Find the comment form here.  

***This post was featured @  Filene's Basement in Boston .

A VINTAGE BOUDOIR VANITY

I've always had a fascination with vintage vanities~~ever since my grandmother auctioned away some amazing Art Deco mahogany furniture at her country farm estate auction, I have carried within the belated realization that every child should/must be taught about antiques and heritage, about the importance of family heirlooms and preserving history, about how to determine whether this should be chosen over that, to learn which things one must never, ever part with, simply about how to know what one should inherently know~~from those who have come and gone before. . .

 

 

 

 

 

I have,since, taken this task very seriously with my daughter.  We make a weekly ritual out of visiting various antique stores, museums, estates,  yard sales, thrift stores & consignment shops for the sheer motive of educating her in what is truly

 

LOVELY

VALUABLE

CRAFTSMANSHIP

ART

IRREPLACEABLE

SENTIMENTAL

with the high hopes that my little princess, born into a very modern world, will find some way to show/express appreciation for what has come and gone before her. . .Now she will say "Mom, why would anyone ever want to get rid of that?  It was probably their great, great, great, great grandmothers and here it is at Goodwill~~What's wrong with people????"

I couldn't be more proud than at that very moment.

She gets it.

And so, one day, she will get this:

 

as part of her inheritance. . .

 

A lovely gift from my adored grandmother when I was just a young teen, this antique desk which, over time, has become my vanity. ..

A place to sit, each day, and take a moment to remember, reflect, refresh & prepare for what may, or may not,

ever come . . .

A place to be with one's own private self, to prepare to become the public person we all must be at some point every day,

with the comfort of being close to loved one's lost, yet still greatly loved, for the simple reason that this was where she once sat

doing the very same thing. . .

 

 (Vintage House & Garden magazine cover)

 

Do you have a vanity?  A dressing table?

Claudia at The Paris Apartment is collecting photographs of vanities to be used in a wonderful book she is working on and is inviting everyone to submit their photographs for consideration! 

What?  You don't have a vanity or dressing table?

Well, now you have the perfect excuse to create one for yourself. 

After all, every vintage loving gal must have one!

 

 

 

 

"LET'S BRING BACK. . ."

I just came across this wonderful post at Paris Hotel Boutique  and had to share it with you. . .take a moment to visit and see what some different readers of her blog would like to "Bring Back". . .as well as her wonderful, inspiring list. . .

 

Here is an idea of something I'd love to bring back. . .

"DRESSING FOR THE OCCASION"

Just imagine, arriving at The Theater, The Symphony, The Ballet, The Dinner Party, The Best French Restaurant In Town

and

instead of seeing jeans, sweats, men in baseball caps, sneakers, flip flops, and? pajamas?

You see something like this:

 

Glamorous Evening Dresses!!!!

There once was a time when a dress code did not have to be posted or demanded because ladies & gentlemen would never dream of going out without the proper attire for the occasion at hand.  While our society is much more relaxed in this modern 2008, we could still learn a thing or two from taking the time to dress for the occasion.

Don't you agree?

And remember. . .

 

Take Me Out to the Ballgame III

GOOD OLD~FASHIONED NEW ENGLAND CLAM BOIL!!!

( If you just logged on go back a few posts to Take Me Out To
The Ballgame I & II so you know what we are talking about!! )

This beautiful ad is from House & Garden many, many moons ago to advertise how wonderful it is to have a Clambake. . .(she looks a lot like THIS blogger vintage beauty!)

A Clam Bake is cooked in the ground with seaweed (and usually at the beach which it isn't quite warm enough for) so to make it a lot easier we chose to do a Clam Boil and this is what it looked like:

A good old fashioned Clam Boil~~so delicious!!!  And here we are enjoying it:  Handsome Hubby, Uncle Bunckle, Arden, long lost orphan friend Brad who excels at self extended invitations to park it at our kitchen table (we are thinking of adding him as a write off this year!) LOL! and my little pumpkin girl. (I, of course, am balancing on a chair taking the picture!)

I guess the dress code has altered once again. . .it's a bit on the messy side anyway so I wouldn't get too dressed up for it, even if I did live in the 50's.

Oh!  the joy of a weekend with family, friends & yummy food tastes better than ever!!! 

Michelle

The Run for the Roses

Having grown up around horses and stables and racing each other up the airstrip (yes, my grandfather had a Piper Cub very similar to this one!~~we used to "fly" out to get Chinese food, literally!) I love to take a few hours on a certain Saturday afternoon at this time of year to watch the infamous KENTUCKY DERBY.

You know the one:

Where all the ladies vie for the best hat in the house, the best horse on the track, and the best man!

Even if you don't have a passion for horses, just watching the hats is an event in itself!! 

It seems like a lot of fun, an excuse to really dress to the nines in an otherwise dress code~less world. . .or maybe it's all those Mint Juleps????

I have always dreamed of going. . .and since I've always dreamed of seeing Springsteen who knows?  Maybe my dream~giver will come through again??!!

Check your local listings if your interested in an afternoon of peace & privilege~~it is, after all, the SPORT OF KINGS!

Michelle

(Photos from http://www.churchilldowns.com/ & http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2008/)

P.S.If you'd like to check out some great one~of~a~kind Derby hats click on this link visit Honey Bend's Blog! Fun!

A Perfect Day to Picnic

Today was one of those "Spring Tease" days here in the North East. . .I do believe it actually hit 60 degrees around here, if not warmer!

So my daughter and I decided it was a perfect day to picnic. . .

I brought along my copy of "Emma" and a picnic basket full of goodies.  It was a beautiful afternoon and when the next blizzard hits we will remember this gem of a day fondly!

I love to picnic~~especially with a real picnic basket & not a big bright red & white cooler!  I do appreciate modern technology & the cooler has it's definite benefits.  But somehow it is not quite as romantic as a picnic basket.  I can't seem to imagine Emma taking tea with Mr. Knightley from a "cooler"~~it just doesn't seem the same!

Packing a picnic is a wonderful family tradition to continue or begin if you have not yet  made time for this nostalgic, relaxing, simple pleasure.  It is also a wonderful way to spend time with friends & family. 

And yes, you can picnic in the winter, in the snow!   Remember that scene at the very beginning of Out of Africa in Denmark?  There are so many beautiful ways to enjoy the seasons. . .I hope you are!