Creative Challenge Part Two Week 4: Vintage:

 

If you can’t tell I love vintage everything, I even read about vintage in my spare time I love it so much. My submission is actually this first photograph. Our county fair starts on Tuesday and I have been submitting entries in the Antique Division called Old Clothing which really should be renamed to vintage clothing but I digress. This 1960’s black dress has sequin sewn all over it so it catches the light and sparkles. It is a drop waist dress so any body type can easily wear it and look great doing so…as I like to say you would be “One Hot Mama!”

 

 

This photograph show my fair entry last year (2013).

2012’s entry. I won first place and Best of Show that year.

 

Creative Challenge Part Two Week 3: Still Life

Still life art is something I have struggled with, and after multiple attempts to create this piece I finally have something I actually like.

I have a pretty decent collection of Zane Gray first edition books, I was introduced to Zane Gray by my Nana Janet. Apparently my Grandpa Jim enjoyed Zane Gray and she would let me borrow his books, after reading all of his I started checking them out from the library and buying the earliest editions I could find at flea markets, book stores and antique malls. I don’t think I ever paid more than $10 for a copy. I was gifted several first editions by friends and family for birthdays and Christmas throughout the years. You see I live less than an hour away from Zanesville, Ohio the birthplace of Zane Gray which ironically wasn’t named after him the city was founded by his maternal great-grandfather Ebenezer Zane. Per Wikipedia “Zanesville was named after Ebenezer Zane, who had constructed Zane’s Trace, a pioneer road from Wheeling, VA (now WVa) to Maysville, KY through present-day Ohio. In 1797, he gave land as payment to his son-in-law, John McIntire (1747–1811), at the point where Zane’s Trace met the Muskingum River. With Zane’s help, McIntire platted out the town and opened an inn and ferry by 1799. In 1801, Zanesville was officially renamed from Westbourne (Zane’s chosen town name).”

The small horn is my salute to Christmas as it is my favorite holiday besides my birthday. (wink wink).

The shoe form is new founded collection of mine I have several different kinds laying about the house waiting for their own special place to reside.

The wooden box was found in a large cardboard box of tools my husband had purchased at a local auction, I just love the patina on it and the fact it actually held cheese at one time. It has a place of honor on my bookcase that is to my right of my desk.

Throwing the Gauntlet

 

I adore ladies gloves and the over all look they give an outfit, the only downfall is that I wear a size 8 glove and most vintage ladies gloves are between a 6 and a 7 1/2. Darn these large hands and no they are not man hands just large ones.

    

Oh The Pretties

I am not sure which one I like better, the brown handbag with the Lucite knob clasp (LOVE!) with the blue leather gloves or the pale daffodil yellow gloves. Which one do you prefer?

Creative Challenge Part Two Week Two: Patterns

Patterns are all around us, not just in physical form either. For instance I see patterns in life a lot, let me give you an example; I am the middle of 5 children who collectively have 12 grandchildren for my parents. Now with the exception of the oldest and youngest grandchildren there are what I like to call cousin twins, 2 cousins that were born in the same year.

Another example of patterns or as my one sister calls it serendipity, my oldest is taking swimming lessons with a boy who is a family friend. This boy is exactly a year younger than my daughter to the day, now her swimming teacher has them both on the color orange to swim at the same time.

Those are the kind of patterns I see around me all the time, many others may not notice them however I get a kick out it.

Now there are patterns that we live with that are hideous such as this one

 This pattern is the fake rock wall paneling in my kitchen, I hate it because I feel like I am in a cave rather than my kitchen. Plus it is a pain in the neck to clean.

Then there are patterns that only the sun or a bright light can make like this one.

 The sun is shining through the window in my living room and leaves this shadow pattern.

So you see patterns are all around us, we just have to keep looking for them in all forms and fashions.

~Kristen

Gene Kelly….Dancer and Actor

Growing up my parents were very particular about what kind of things my siblings and I were allowed to watch and for that I am very grateful. My Mom showed us what talent there was to be hand in musicals. Gene Kelly is one of my favorite dancers, I could sit and watch him tap dance all day long.

New to the Shop June 10th

Fresh and new to the shop this morning. My children decided they all needed to be up at 6:30 this morning, as I am not a morning person I really wanted to sleep at least another hour or two. So I used this extra time to put a few new listings in the shop.

All of these pieces are found in my Etsy shop.

Creative Challenge Part Two Week 1: Nature

After much debate it was decided that my shop girlfriends and I would do another round of our creative/art challenge. This week our theme is nature.

 

What I love about vintage

I have loved vintage clothing and accessories since I was a child and it wasn’t until I was an adult did I realize why I loved it so. Because a majority of vintage clothing is sexy while still being modest, I don’t have to show a lot of cleavage (not that there is much there) or leg to look great. I love this quote from Audrey Hepburn “There is more to sex appeal than just measurements. I don’t need a bedroom to prove my womanliness. I can convey just as much sex appeal, picking apples off a tree or standing in the rain”

The other day I was shopping for a pair of shorts, almost every pair of shorts I came across were so short my hoo-haa would have been sticking out. Out of dozens of pairs of shorts I found 6 pairs that were a decent length in my size, when I say decent I don’t mean all the way down to my knees just my mid thigh. Of course only 1 pair out of those 6 actually fit comfortably, but isn’t that how it always is?

Modestly doesn’t mean you have be covered from head to toe, just remember that less isn’t always the way to go.

21 Years and Counting…

It has been 21 years since you’ve been gone, 21 years since you hugged me, 21 years since I’ve seen you fishing in the pond. I remember that day with more clarity than 9/11. I was 9 years old and my brother Ben and I were about to head to the bard to feed the animals when the phone rang. We immediately knew it was something bad by our Mom’s reaction, Dad wasn’t home at the time and after a brief Q & A we were told that Dad was fine.

As Ben and I went ahead with our chores we discussed what may have happened, I brought up the thought that perhaps something had happened to you our Grandpa. After many tears on Mom’s part and Dad finally arriving home, he sits all 4 of us kids down and tells you died. You had sat down in a chair and keeled over and they were unable to resuscitate you.

This was Tuesday, the previous Saturday Dad had taken Ben, our younger sister Katelyn and I to see you and Grandma. I almost didn’t want to go but I am so glad I did and I was able to give you one last hug and say goodbye. I didn’t know it was the last time I would see you and I wish it wasn’t but life isn’t fair and it must go on.

My Grandpa died of Heart disease from being an alcoholic for most of his life, he had been sober for the last 2 years of his life. He was what you called functional alcoholic, he wasn’t one to get what you would call shitfaced (pardon my french) but he drank beer like most people drink water throughout the day in little glass bottles that only held 6 or 8 ounces.

 

 My dad is the oldest of 6, back row left to right: Bob, Dan, Sue, Kathy, Wes and Tim. Front row my Grandpa, my Great Grandpa (maternal side) and Grandma.