Wanderlust & Pixie Dust

Love this fake Barbie

I realize that I am a grown woman and all but geez,  I just love this doll! 

Discovered her buck naked (or butt naked as my husband says) for $1 her ('cept for earrings) at a yard sale. Isn't she sassy?

Gotta dig the sidelong glance.  The eyeliner.

The be-bop doo.

The earrings, natch.  Nary a hair out of place.  I cropped that lampshades that need redoing from the picture.  Guess I should probably cover her up before I redo the lampshades.

I suppose that I should explain why I think that she is a fake Barbie. She has no marking whatsoever.  She is also incredibly light not solid like a real Barbie.  Maybe she is just an early Barbie? I couldn't say.  I haven't held in early Barbie in my hands in quite a long time.  I purchases her from a seller who was orignally from England.  Maybe she is an Englihs knock-off of Barbie?   I'm just curios.  It doesn't matter anyhows as I think she is plenty cool no matter where she originated from. 

Yay, Heritage House and Random Stuff That I Love

I'm a tad bit excited.  Tomorrow I do my first stint volunteering in the gift shop at Heritage House.  We first moved to Riverside, an hour away from friends and family when I was a flight attendant and based out of state.  It's been a bit of a trial meeting like minded people.  Especially when you like the sort of things that I do. 

I'm certainly looking forward to just being in this beautiful, historical atmosphere, if only for a few hours a month.  A chance to chit chat with others and a an opportunity to dress up in a get-up!  I was asked to wear a long black skirt and a white blouse.

While I do have several wearable vintage and antique blouses, I don't have a wearable black skirt.  The one long skirt I do have will no longer meet where it should at my waist.  What I mean is that I've put on weight around the middle and it NO LONGER FITS.  There.  I said it.
I'm not sure exactly which top I'll be wearing but I am preparing myself just in case I turn out to be the volunteer with her shirt half unbuttoned under her jacket. 

I made a last minute visit to the local thrift store and was able to find a workable white skirt and black velvet jacket.  To my horror the skirt was in a size that I have never had to fit into before sigh...at least it's a wee bit large.  I should put this skirt on every morning.  I imagine that it would be a surefire way to motivate me to move my behind and get to the gym.

I'm listening to Ruth Etting and Josephine Baker on my beloved Pandora to put myself in a very vintage mood.  Who am I trying to kid?  I'm always in a vintage state of mind.

Photos above were all taken at Heritage House at Christmas time. 

Now for the random stuff that I love.  Whilst poking about attempting to decide how I was going to embellish myself in the morning, I dug up some fun stuff.

First off is lovely vintage (Edwardian?) belt that I can only dream of fitting around my waist.

It features red leather and embossed brass stampings.   With all the stuff I have in my craft room I should be able to figure out a way to elongated it sooner or later.

Next I pulled out a beautiful pair of leather gloves I discovered in an antique mall in Bartlett, TN. 

 

They still have their original price tag.

 

Love all the markings on the inside.  Reminds me of how every once in awhile you can just barely still see old painted words on the side of an ancient brick building.

 

 

Darn it.  I should have photographed them next to something so that you can get a better idea of their size.  They're much too small for any grown female that I know, to wear.  Still soft and buttery after all this time.  I'm very much a city girl so I don't know these things but are these "kid gloves" that  I was always reading about?  Didn't quite know what that meant as a young girl reading about Annie Oakley and the like but the struggling vegetarian in me shudders now.

Sorry kids but I still love them.   Now look at this next picture closely.

Do they looked hand stitched to you?  These stitches are sooooo tiny in person that it's very hard to imagine such a thing.

 

And see these tiny little bows?

 

They're not really bows.  They're tiny wisps of twisted tissue meant to protect the buttons. 

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Time out for a cheap date with the husband.  We had the Subway "2 Meals After 4 for $8.95" special.  We then spent the next two hours hours chasing one another around Barnes & Noble sharing various books.  Eventually we wound up on the floor in the religious section as he perused a bog about doggies and I swooned over a delectable 10 lb book (it felt like it!) on the history of fashion.

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This last item is interesting.  I found this brooch in a sea of nothingness, the Roadium Swap Meet in Torrance, CA.  I hadn't been there is years and one day we decided to check it out.  Everything seemed to be either new or used but not much in the way of collectible or antique. Something made me do a double take at a pile of costume jewelry and bam!  I spotted this.  

I'm not quite sure what is made out of.  I guess it wouldn't be too hard to figure out.  Jet?  I don't think so.  Maybe gutta percha?  Oh my goodness.  I just double checked it out on Google and I actually spelled it correctly!  Can't believe that I remembered how. 

I'm assuming that it was meant to be worn as a mourning piece because it is do decidedly black and matte in appearance.   When I flipped it over I could see that it had an old simple c-clasp.

Reminds me of an ant.

A Peek in Sis's Room

While visiting home for the Christmas I couldn't resist snapping a few photos of sis's treasures. Much to her chagrin. But she didn't bother to stop me so I took that to mean go ahead.  She knows better I guess.  After all, I'm older.

She has had this advertisement for the movie Howards End since the movie came out.  Every time that I see it I wonder why didn't it dawn on me to do the same?

I've been eyeballing this vintage Virgin Mary for the longest time too.  This time sis replied  "Aww you can have it.  Never could stand the frame"  when she saw me giving it the eye. Thank you Sister Sledge!

Note the cool silver sparkly bits?

Now this pair below sis is loathe to part with.  I think she paid something like $5-15 for them.  Beautiful Art Nouveau bookends.  Once upon a time she had them appraised for well over $100 One of them is damaged.  I wouldn't mind! Lucky chick.

Now this pretty little turn of the century reverse painting (Dogwood? Apple tree?) with a sky blue background was given to her by none other than myself.  Found it at a nearby flea market for mere pennies. Such a delicate sweet little piece in person.

A pretty old vintage parasol.

Sis and I are fond of anything that has to do with "sisters" or that is sister-like, implying sisterhood etc...

This wonderful old beveled mirror is another of sis's great vintage finds.  It's amazing the number of cool mirrors to be discovered out there.  Especially when you see how much they want for something similar but brand spanking new.  We still see them all the time for about $5.  Which reminds me of one that I have propped up buried behind a stash of books.  It's massive, heavy, vintage (natch!) and shaped like a heart.  I'll have to drag that one out tomorrow.

The cutie pie in the pix is little sis. She's gonna kill me for saying this but I think that this is one of her favorite pictures of herself. No, I take that back.  I think that it's another photo showing her posed just so with a phone in hand. 

I can hear the phone call already.  Uh-oh.  But I'm the big and bossy sis remember?  I can say what I want. What is she going to do about it? Tell on me? Ha.

A Belated Merry Christmas from Heritage House

I took these pictures of Heritage House in Riverside California about a week before Christmas. I've been so busy the last couple of weeks that I hadn't had a chance to post them.  I still wanted to share.  Especially since it looks that I may very soon become a volunteer at this beautiful gem of a house.  I am soooo excited! 

After several days spent at my parents, it's time to catch up on errands and stuff.  I will try my best to add a bit more information and some additional photos about the house later today.  I never seem to find the time to get back on the computer much lately.  Hope you enjoy what I have up so far.

 

The front of the house.

Entrance at the side of the house, leads to the lovely little gift shop.

The beautiful entryway.  Note all the gorgeous wood!

A close up of the ceiling.

I want this big white thingy.  Marble?

I would love to have her too.

The mantel above one of the fireplaces.  If I remember correctly,  all of the fireplaces in this house are original with their original tile work.  Always nice to discover!  I think that it is just heartbreaking when a beautiful old home has been stripped of all its pretty bits.  Dreadful!

I just love this whole setup.  The mirror, the candelabra, oh my.

The parlor immediately to your left as you enter.

Do I even need to say it?   I'm crazy about this magnificent gilded, gothic etegre.  Goodness gracious!

 

 

This piece below is amazing in person.  It's hard to get an accurate look at it in this picture but it's an incredible and detailed needlework.  And quite large. The colors remain quite brilliant. I'll have to try and get a better photo of this in the future.