Flower Power! Part Two!

Last time we talked florals, they were entirely of the patterns-printed-on-clothing variety. Since then, I’ve realized that flowers are literally everywhere in my life and on everything, including my head and toes!

I scored the hatbox for a few bucks at a little thrift store in Frederick, Maryland.  Aside from the daisy pattern on the side, it's cool because it's local to DC...which I also consider myself local to even though I don't visit that often.  Inside the hat box I've been storing a few vintage fascinators and assorted supplies for making floral crowns!

I got the vintage millinery flowers off of eBay (and I highly recommend this dealer; great selection/prices and so kind!) and while the twine and tape were thrifted, they're easily and cheaply available from craft stores. 

Now, I haven't gotten around to (ahh, isn't that always the case...) actually making my floral crowns  but  mentioning it on my blog certainly motivates me to follow-up on this like it's going out of style...aka going to an outdoor music festival circa 2012.  Anyway, it started last year when I actually paid full-price for one I saw on the Free People website, got it in the mail and was not impressed, and decided it was an easy diy.  Because. Obviously.  But until I get my diy-time, I can get some floral headpiece action with these babies:

I have a bit of a bigger head and big hair doesn't help but these floral fascinators are truly one size fits all (I wish I could find the picture of my brother wearing the gold one...) and the detail put into the design and the flowers is incredible.  They add some serious interest and whimsy to your ensemble.  

I need to build up my fierceness to wear them on a more regular basis and/or go to San Francisco and/or find a church with a rich and proud tradition of women rocking awesome headwear to get inspired.  When I was interning at the vintage boutique in college, I loved that I got to spend a Saturday morning helping an octogenarian pick out a new church hat and later saw a young lady trying on some of the same hats for a theme party.  Vintage: it brings generations together!  I have a couple of fascinators (and a watercolor floral pillbox hat!) going up in the shop.  

And speaking of awesome head-attire and flower-related-adornments, I love this girl's style.  And I've always been a fan of this one...  So naturally, I was delighted when I noticed Zoe was rocking Frida earrings in a recent post:

Those glasses. That crown. Those earrings. That lipstick.  That ribbon.  Everything.    

 

These docs are more evidence of my nineties grunge-meets-granny floral appreciation.  I live in them during the colder months and they're holding up nicely.  They make me smile whenever I happen to look down and they seem to make other people smile, too: they're crowdpleasers that have collected compliments from random people at random places and times.  Example: peering underneath bathroom stalls...   

I got them off of eBay a few years ago and I've only occasionally seen them in thrift stores (usually marked up, but not over $20) yet never in my size!  Dr. Martens has had a bunch of floral patterned boots over the years, but these are my favorite.

Floral brooches are something else I've been collecting for awhile.  Consequently, they're a little harder to part with, but some of them will be in the shop.  The one in the first row, third from left is a favorite; it's usually affixed to my coat lapel or the front pocket flap of my denim jacket.

Remember in the mid-nineties when sixties hippie-style made a comeback? (How about those flared jeans from Mudd that came with their own fringed/crochet belt?!) And daisies, notably Gerbera daisies, were everywhere, too?  I had earrings for that.

They'll be in shop.  And they'll be sold in a bundle with a couple of other nineties gems from Claire's Accessories. 

In the daisy department (there is no actual daisy department), I also have a recipe box and a trivet going to the shop.  Perfect for the kitchen!

In the bedroom, I've got these flowers on my walls:

And these ones in other places:

The trays are great for corralling the random junk that collects on top of coffee tables and dressers.  That cookie jar kind of reminds me of a chamber pot and presently it's just on a bookshelf.  The hangers were thrifted and I intend to make more using other wooden hangers and fabric scraps and the iron side table is perfect for plants!  In the shop, I'll have a couple of pillows, a tray, and a really cool new old stock thermos just waiting to go on your next picnic.  The tag (still attached!) says it's 'perfect for home & patio, picnic & camping, sporting events or office' so you probably definitely need it (if you don't already own one!) since I definitely don't need two...

The comforter below was thrifted maybe five or six years ago and it has since become a personal summertime favorite and a picnic/beach essential for me.  The pattern is one part Marimekko and one part Vera Neumann and it is colorful, kaleidescope-like perfection:

I've grown quite attached to this comforter, not in the sense of carrying it around with me like Linus, but whenever I look at it I'm reminded of fun times outdoors with family and friends.  

On a morbid/bizarre (but probably not so bizarre) note, when I was a kid (and before I'd gone to an actual funeral) I thought of caskets as, literally, little beds (because c'mon, what else would a 'final resting place' look like?!) and imagined that, whenever I died, I'd be wearing pajamas and tucked into my casket with my Sesame Street bedsheets and comforter.

Beyond floral comforters, I have a stash of vintage bedsheets that I have assorted plans for.  But I'll get to that in another blog post.  (And maybe this blog post could have just been called a diy project to-do list...)  As far as linens go, I also have some great floral (of course, see theme) vintage (also, a given, see blog) tablecloths around.  I love the pom pom fringe on this one:     

In other tablecloth news, I scored the Soraya Maxi Dress from Anthropologie last week.  I don't recall being mesmerized by it online, but when I saw it in store I freakin' loved it!  I didn't see my size at first, which wasn't a biggie since I really had no intention of buying it, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found it in the sale section being sold 'as-is' (and at almost $100 less) because the zipper had gone off track.  Now, sometimes I've seen a bunch of the same product in the sale section of Anthro because they all have an identical issue and it's clearly some kind of design defect but this was random and it should be an easy fix, as I won't need to replace the whole zipper.  So it's just a matter of finding the time for it!  But back to tablecloths... I went to read the reviews for this dress and several people complained that it looked/felt like too much of an old tablecloth for their liking.  Ironically, that's exactly what it reminded me of and exactly why I love it (oh yeah, and it's flattering) so I'm not sure what that says about me...  

Once the zipper is fixed, I'll probably wear it with my platform espadrilles and with either a denim jacket or cropped sweater (shown) so I don't feel overexposed.  Other items on my mending to-do list include the purple and blue floral blazer on the left.  I love the old-lawn-chair-cushion-chic of the pattern and I've worn it on and off for a little over a decade but I've always wanted to change the buttons (easy) and the lining (not so easy). The lining is torn in a couple of places and since I usually scrunch the sleeves I was thinking it’d be fun to do it in an unexpected contrasting color like a bright red-orange. 

The yellow blazer on the right (made in Paris, ooh la la!) just needs to be drycleaned (easy). The fabric on it is great and so cheery and I love how it looks when worn casually with a white blouse and slouchy jeans, not unlike the way this yellow blazer is worn.

The fit on the blazer above is amazing and I love the strong shoulder/short sleeves but I haven’t worn it in a long while. It might be headed to shop! I also love the fabric on it, check out that detail of the raised petals!

Aside from (hopefully!) documenting the diy projects mentioned above, I think I've shared enough flower-related things for now...all that's left more to do is step away from the computer and smell some actual roses.  I'm a decent woman who exports flowers...the rest of the floral things will be in the shop this week!

Lastly, did anyone else finally get the opportunity to be an actual flower girl in an actual wedding only to commit career suicide by forgetting to do the one thing you're supposed to do?

It was the most important day of my life.  I received my cue to walk down the aisle.  All eyes were on me.  My hair, my dress, my shoes...perfection.  But I was forgetting something.  What was it?  What was my mom hissing at me through that strained smile?  I nodded and smiled harder.  I may have tip-toed.  I may have done the Miss America wave.  I definitely did not do anything with the silk petals in the ribbon-adorned basket I was holding.  When the bride appeared at the end of the aisle, I may have felt upstaged and it may or may not have shown on my face...

Scout's Style

Back in the day I was a Brownie. (Basically, pre-Girl-Scouts-lite, and, fittingly, Brownies wear light brown uniforms instead of green ones in a hideous not-quite-brown and not-quite-khaki color...)  I don't remember that much about it.

Once we tried camping but went home early because it started to rain. But not before making bird feeders by dipping peanut butter-covered pine cones in bird seed. I remember licking the peanut butter off my fingers and picking the sunflower seeds out of the bird seed. (Yeah, I was that kid.)

Another time we illustrated different constellations using a flashlight.   And we sang 'Kumbaya' a lot.   And we went on lots of fun (but random) field trips.

And cookies.   We sold cookies.  But not like this because the cookies basically sold themselves with minimum effort on our part beyond setting up shop outside of a grocery store on a cold day.  ('As I guarded the overflowing cash box and managed the crowd around our folding table, right then and there I knew I wanted to make my living by peddling a tax-free, highly addictive, recession-proof product with mass appeal, and very little overhead.'  I'm pretty sure that's a line from an unwritten autobiography I'd like to read.  We sold cookies to learn skillz, afterall...)

Aside from hanging out with my friends, I think I just liked collecting the patches and other paraphernalia.

Troop 1452 foreva!

I gave up Brownies so I'd have time to pursue other extracurricular activities (namely dance) but I realized I haven't quite stopped collecting the paraphernalia and trying to cop that scout style: Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts, International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, if it comes with a colorful and kitschy looking patch or pin or membership token...I want in.

This movie is adorable.   And I want to be a Khaki Scout.

I got this scarf from Madewell a few years ago...it's one of my favorites.   The navy blue design on a golden yellow background reminds me of the Cub Scout neckerchief and the beekeeper/bumblebee theme reminds me of my old school mascot.

Also, in blue...

I came across the following vintage Boy Scout coin purse when I was working at the thrift store.   (I know I highlighted some of my other favorite finds from when I worked at a thrift store before, but seriously, if you work at a thrift store, it quadruples your odds of coming across cool stuff.   Trade off: you work in a thrift store and also come across a lot of gross stuff.   So many stories to tell...)

It's official.

This is what's inside the box.

This is what's inside the zippered case.  Inside the box.  (...that crack built!  Loved that book!  And I love having organized coinage...)

Awhile back I came across a Brownie pocket knife from the sixties in an antique store and did some more research.  (Novelty pocket knives for kids were kind of a thing...)

I love the color and the little reminder on the reverse side reads 'Be wise, beware, use me with care' and is super cute and mini-er, pocket-sized.  I didn't really have an immediate need or use for a pocket knife (like that's stopped me from acquiring things before) but  I knew it'd make for an interesting necklace.

It wasn't until earlier this  month that I found an ideal chain for the necklace part on etsy.  (And the shop where I found it,  MadMadCrafter, is equally cool and worth a look-see.)  And once my fancy rhinestone-bead lanyard chain arrived *drum roll* I couldn't remember where I'd put the pocket knife.  This weekend they were finally united.

Awesome + Awesome = Awesome²

And there it is again, in action!  Compliments and street cred galore!  Okay, so that last video features switchblades, not pocket knives, but how could I not share that clip from West Side Story?  (PS: I finally joined the iPhone 5 party and am now on instagram @amberofmaryland)

This was an easy enough diy, just make sure the necklace you choose has a secure chain and/or lanyard hook strong enough to support the knife...and, more obviously, don't wear this to the airport.

Next, I found this bakelite Boy Scout compass.  I figured I'd switch it out with the Brownie pocket knife, but it's a little more massive than I thought...and it looks more like a pocket watch and, in turn, a Flavor Flav inspired clock necklace.  Not what I'm going for.

Love it anyway!

[More creative transition here] That's all the scout stuff I have...for now.  In other interesting/unexpected and time-telling necklace news,  I saw this round watch at Free People last week:

This is perfect for someone fidgety, such as myself...

The twirling-globe-on-an-axis design reminded me of this Martin Luther King, Jr. pendant I got from my grandmother years ago:

Whoa!  Look at that fancy animation!  Happy (belated) B-day MLK!

I'm going to see what other trinkets I can attach to my necklace.  I have lots of random charms, and some old keys and beads:

Is that a gorilla?

Why, yes.  Yes it is...

Endless possibilities...  Weee, I'm feeling so inspired lately!

What the (arma)dilly-yo!?

I love anything with a cute little animal on it.  I'm impressed (in awe of?) wildlife and maybe I'm just a little too easily amused by personified objects.  This has been an ongoing problem for me.  Stuffed animal and doll storage was a huuuge issue when I was a kid:

My bed, circa 1991.  The slightest movement resulted in random lights flickering and sound effects heard, or worse: an avalanche.  (And don't think I didn't take a trip down memory lane 'researching' those names!)

I've finally accepted that Beanie Babies will never, ever, be as popular as they once were.  (Seriously?  I waited in line for over an hour for a stuffed platypus named Patti?  What the...)  And it wasn't until embarrassingly recently that I whittled down my stuffed animal collection to the essential dozen or so relegated to a single plastic storage bin.  Save for my main squeeze, Bear, the creatively named plush toy (that's actually a puppet with a workable mouth and arms!) who remains a fixture in my bedroom...

Today I collect animals in the form of random figurines that I get from thrift stores, usually made of brass but I don't discriminate and also have critters made of ceramic, chalkware or other materials...and in other non-figurine decor things, like wall art and trivets!  Weird color? Sold!  Homely looking?  Sold!  Big-ass eyeballs?  Sold!  Here are some favorites:

I'm like a unicorn.  But cooler.

How often do you come across cheetahs hatching from eggs?  Not often enough.  (Fun fact: Platypuses, like Patti the Beanie Baby, are one of the only mammals that hatch from eggs.  Cheetahs are not.)  I discovered this miracle of nature a few years ago while organizing the shelves one afternoon at the thrift store I worked at.  Customers were not amused by this discovery.  Co-workers were not impressed by it's rarity.  It made my day to become its proud owner and it makes quite the conversation piece.

This guy is usually hanging by his tail from my curtain rod.  I also got him from the thrift store where I was working.  He's kind of tattered and completely useless as an eyeglass case (what we think it's designed for) but how could I resist those sparkly eyes and big, dopey ears?

I've got brass birds perched throughout the house and this (tiny!) elephant is  supposed to hold matches.

Animals on the walls.  How adorable is the long-legged owl?!

And a few more critters I rounded up for pictures: bunnies and squirrels and frogs, oh my!

Stay tuned for my episode of Hoarders where I sing amongst my figurine collection like a deranged Snow White in an enchanted animal kingdom.  (And also, stay tuned for some of them making an appearance in the shop.)

They make for great (not at all creepy) accents throughout the home.  Station one in a windowsill, on a bookshelf, a nightstand, part of a tablescape, whatever.  Add some whimsy to your vintage-y vignette!

The more random the animal, the better.  I feel like cat and dog related items are everywhere.  (And a cat lady without a cat figurine collecting dust somewhere in her house is not a cat lady...)  Owls had their heyday in the seventies and have made a huge comeback (hipster spirit animal?) and foxes more recently had their moment in fashion.  I'm still searching for a brass monkey.  One of these days...

Last year I found this belt with an armadillo buckle while out thrifting; and I even styled one of the skirts from the Holidayz Collection with it:

Skirt is available here

Aaand since that's almost impossible to see, here ya go:

Ready for his close-up...

The cashier thought it was an anteater, or an aardvark, but I'm pretty sure it's an armadillo...and that's only because I remembered what they looked like from this level on Donkey Kong Country.  (Granted, mine my kid brother's was for Nintendo 64, but this looks about the same...)  It's not like armadillos are the too-often seen squirrels and pigeons in my neck of the woods...  So I was all "OMG!  Isn't that an armadillo! What?  That's sooo random!  And sooo cute!  I love it!"  (And once again, like with the hatching cheetah, no one else in the aisle was amused or impressed by my find...)

But.  When I was at Madewell recently, I saw this necklace and ring (apparently not even online yet) with armadillos, too!

Awww, look at that little guy!

And here he is again...with Mom!  Hanging on a necklace!  With tassels!

Great minds thinking alike, Madewell, great minds...  So armadillos are officially trending.  Get yours now: the belt is in the shop and we'll have some other (non-armadillo but equally cute and random) friends joining him...because the animal collection (of mostly figurines) is coming soon here!  Prepare to be amused!  And impressed!

Here's a shot of the whole gang going to the shop...they were a hard bunch to round up for a group picture.  Kitty is not impressed.