thanks!

thanks to everyone who shopped Bazaar Bizarre Boston this year! It was lots of fun and the move back to Cyclorama was great - the lines were long but quick moving and inside, the shopping was much more convenient and breathable. I'll have some pics posted soon!

cheers,
Alana

memories of thanksgiving past

it seems like it was over in a flash. Thanksgiving was just a week ago and I had a nice extra-long weekend with little to do but cook, eat, and craft. Here are some pics of the lovely dinner I had with my friend alyssa:
The table was brimming with sides - stuffing, sweet potatoes w/ marshmallows, peas and mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. We went without the traditional turkey this year in favor of a less expensive, smaller bird - the roaster chicken. mmm mmm good!
Alyssa's pumpkin pie didn't get photographed - we were in a haze by dessert time (some 3 hrs and a nap later...) but it was yummy!

although it's all gone now (save that last of the cranberry sauce which needs to be ditched) this is why i ate salad again today!

enjoy the holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving - prelude to the holidays

As Thanksgiving approaches, preparation for the holiday season looms. Luckily, this year, I get to spend the holiday with one of my best friends - Alyssa. I'm thankful for the relaxation that awaits instead of the stress of travel and family get togethers (sorry guys! I still love you). We've planned a nice little break with food, wine, movies, spa treatments, Christmas tree shopping, and whatever we damned well please.

Alternately, my thoughts turn to everything I have to get done in the upcoming days and weeks. As usual, I'm far behind on all of the things I've intended to get done like training for a 5K that's now 3 weeks away. Creating a to do list would be helpful, but I've even put that off. Right now, as I sit in my living room going through old inventory, I can't help but think of the new inventory and how it needs to be ready by December 6 for Bazaar Bizarre. That seemed so far away, especially with 2 birthdays and Thanksgiving next week and the shortened work week (that includes an increased workload!). Looking at the complete disarray, it's time to buckle down and get organized... so here's the 1st draft of my to do list (a work in progress)

1 - update etsy page with clearance items

2 - update blog/twitter/facebook with etsy holiday sale info

3 - check inventory and update

4 - design new tags

5 - think about promo items (this is probably the part that will give me the most trouble!)

6 - buy ribbon for new labels

7 - stamp, iron, cut, sew in new labels

8 - keep making new stuff (eventually get it posted on etsy)

9 - prep thanksgiving dinner (this can wait til Wednesday)

10 - Clean apt! (no big spring cleaning, but a dust, polish, vacuum would be nice).

11 - and clean out refrigerator

12 - Hope random craft elements (findings, headbands, etc.) make it here by the end of the week so new pieces will be ready for Bazaar Bizarre!

I'm sure there is something I'm forgetting, and this list will grow (and shrink!), but it's a start. Wish me luck! No matter what your holiday plans, I hope you have a fabulous time and enjoy the company of whomever you're with!

cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!

Alana

so...

Finding time to do anything these days seems nearly impossible. I haven't started thinking about holiday shopping and it's already hectic! With the spare time I've managed to find, I've been doing some internet research on images in the public domain. I'm not sure what took me so long to look into this stuff, but there are some cool sites out there with vintage illustrations. If you're a crafter, designer, scrapbooker, or just like vintage images, these sites are a treasure. Most of the images posted are for personal and commercial use - and they're free!

The top hit was a site called Old Book Illustrations - it's full of interesting illustrations from books of every era. From nature and wildlife to literary characters, this site focuses on black and white images.

Another interesting, and free site is Victorian Vignettes. This site has tons of images (I haven't sorted through it all yet) and they're sorted in so many convenient ways. Looking for a vintage image? You're bound to find it here!

and it also has links to other sites for more illustration. Take a look, but if you plan on doing some serious browsing, set aside some time - it's definitely worth it.

Hello there - it's been way too long!

So after nearly 3 months of blog-abandonment, I'm back! Blogging is hard when you are so busy with work, crafts, life, etc. Reading the blogs I love, I have to wonder what it is that they do to make it work? Maybe that's it... work! I've decided to set aside time each day for Maxine's blog, so I'll be back tomorrow with a new blog topic and a renewed sense of purpose. Right after I get my birthday root canal...

See you then,

alana

fashion to get mad about

Ok, so everyone's jumping on the MadMen bandwagon... that's fine by me, because it means more vintage inspired looks are popping up all over. While I appreciate the style of all of the characters, both male and female, Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks), sports my favorite style - sexy, bombshell, but not tarty. Her look is office appropriate, but not dowdy. She turns heads but leaves enough to the imagination - by today's standards at least.
I'm keeping an eye out for new and vintage pieces to compliment my wardrobe. Hopefully I can conjure up a little Joan Holloway style of my own! Follow up posts on my finds to come.

Beautiful Bride

Check out the lovely photos sent to me by Yami in Florida - a happy customer and beautiful bride. She's wearing a Maxine in Trousers one of a kind Deco Bridal Fascinator.

Sporting feathers to both her wedding and her honeymoon, Yami gets the most for her money! Way to budget and look adorable in this economy.

Disappointment

It wasn't as if I had high hopes for Public Enemies - I should say that I'm not a fan of Michael Mann (both director and writer of this movie). However, I thought I'd be entertained for 2+ hours. I found myself laughing at inappropriate moments, mostly because the dialogue was so unbelievable and stilted.

Not even Johnny Depp (LOVE HIM!!!) could save this movie. He was awesome as usual and his co-stars gave good performances too. I enjoyed watching doe eyed beauty, Marion Cotillard, my runner up girl crush after Zooey Deschanel. Christian Bale was tense and focused as the G-Man in charge of getting Dillinger. Numerous favorites had cameos too - Giovanni Ribisi, Lili Taylor, Billy Crudup (creepy as Hoover), Stephen Lang (of Crime Story - one of the only Mann projects I liked), even Diana Krall as a nightclub singer.

The stars, costumes, props, locations - all fantastic and still this movie was a flop. Michael Mann just regurgitates his cliche-ridden, formulaic nonsense - good guy, bad guy, shoot up, love story, bloodshed, the end. This might have worked in the 1930's when movies were young and gangster films were at their bloom but it left me feeling like there was so much potential and no delivery.

Happy Independence Day!!!

Summer is finally here even if you couldn't tell by the weather in Boston! Bar-b-que's, fireworks, picnics, maybe some swimming and hopefully some sun. That's what most people want on the 4th of July.

I'd like to take some time to remember our soldiers who can't celebrate with us at home. While female pin-ups aren't for everyone (sorry straight gals!), I think they're amazing! Check out Gina Elise's Pin Ups for Vets Her site struck me as that wonderful combination of retro, fun, and patriotic. It may be considered risque, but while she's boosting morale of soldiers serving overseas, she's supporting health care for vets - something all Americans should want to do. Cheers to Gina Elise!

In the same vein, there's Pinups for Troops - a modern take on morale boosting pinups of the 1940's. Not to be confused with The Pin-Ups for the Troops project - also a morale booster, this one recreates Gil Elvgren paintings and includes a section of male pinups! Proceeds from sales of the books are donated to Fisher House.

So, if you want to support our service men and women or show your patriotism, why not get a beautiful pinup calendar you can ogle year round? In the spirit of the holiday, and good old retro fun, here are some patriotic pinups:

Happy 4th!

No frizz? Really...?

Spring and Summer in the Northeast mean massive amounts of rain and humidity. For my curly hair, that means lots of creative updos (and not so creative ponytails). While I like to change my style when I can, I am generally low-maintenance and I like to wear my long hair down and curly. However, on days like today, it poofs up like a poodles coat and I am pulling it back less than ½ way through the day.

That’s why I was so excited to see a new product for curly hair with so much buzz on the market. I should have been wary of the buzz. My friend ordered 2 bottles from QVC and offered me one of the bottles to try it myself. Admittedly, I only used it once, but there are no miracles in a bottle here. I styled my hair according to the directions using an ample amount cream. While I was impressed by the light fragrance and the texture (not too sticky), I was unimpressed with the results. The weight of the product made my hair fall flat and while that solves the poof-factor, it does nothing for my style.

I’ve read a good deal of positive reviews online, so it must be working for someone, just not me (or my friend – who is returning her No Frizz today).

Overall: overpriced, nothing special

more red...

Continuing along the color theme, I thought I'd post a picture of my new bathing suit. Of course, this is the model, not me! I wouldn't dare photograph myself in a bathing suit (especially not at the end of April) without some serious photoshop help.


Isn't it amazining?! Check out My Baby Jo for more retro suits. It comes in the mail today, so I'll let you know how it fits - fingers crossed! Maybe I should do another yoga session instead of stopping at the liquor store tonight...

April showers...

are nowhere in site in Boston this week, but with all the rain we've had, umbrellas are on my mind! Check out the gorgeous parasols from Brollies Galore (in the UK). Of course, the one I love is 88 British Pounds! So red, retro, feminine and beautiful!

It almost makes me wish that it would rain... almost!

Fabulous!

Thanks to all the shoppers who made it to the Burlesque Expo this past weekend!

I had a great time and met some very cool people -customers and vendors. Hopefully next time I'll get a chance to take a class or see a show - I heard they were fantastic! If you didn't make it, stop by facebook and check out some more pics.

Special thanks to Sasha and Melissa for their help and to Devon for being my first sale of the weekend. Don't you think she looks fabulous in her black and white fascinator?!

***

I'm busy with visitors this week, but next week I'll get my etsy page up to date! Keep an eye out for my Spring sale coming soon!!

BURLESQUE!!!

Have you ever wanted to see a live burlesque show? Thought about what it would be like to see some real vaudeville acts? Just like the retro fashion? The Great Boston Burlesque Expo has is all!
This weekend, from Friday night through Sunday night, April 10-12, the Burlesque Expo will showcase global and local acts, Burlesque veterans, classes, parties, and vendors! I'll have a table at the Vintage Fashion Fair (which has all kinds of vendors - just check out the list) from Saturday-Sunday.

Hope to see you there - cheers!

BUST!

So, my ad is in the April/May issue of BUST magazine (with Lily Allen on the cover). It's exciting to see my first print ad and it just happens to be across from the info on (my next venue) the Great Boston Burlesque Expo! If you're looking in the print version, I'm on page 19!


Cheers,
Alana

Spring has sprung!

I finally got featured in the Etsy Gift Guides:
http://www.etsy.com/gift-guides/nostalgic-whimsy/99

For those of you not familiar with Etsy, it's a great site with tons of original arts, crafts, clothes, vintage stuff that you can buy, sell, or peruse. It's also the place where I made my first sale (to Courtney Love of all people)!

This is great timing since it coincides with the release of my tiny Etsy/BUST magazine co-op ad (you can check it out online at www.bust.com) - in the upcoming April/May issue.

Last but not least... save the date for the Boston Burlesque Expo, April 10-12 at the Hyatt, Memorial Drive, Cambridge. Advance tix for the Vintage Fashion Fair, where I'll be setting up shop for the weekend, are $5 in advance and $10 at the door. The expo features Burlesque acts, burlesque instructional classes, costume displays, the Fashion Fair, Friday night pool party, and more (all separate charges). Check it out: http://www.burlesque-expo.com/ Hope to see you there!

BUST

My favorite magazine, BUST, has paired up with my favorite crafts/arts site, Etsy, for advertising - my tiny square of an ad comes out in the next issue (more info to come). If you haven't read BUST yet, I strongly encourage you to do so. It's packed full of articles, information, music reviews, interviews, pictures, recipes, how-to's - you name it (even the "one-handed read - check it out at the end of the issue)! While obviously geared toward (and run by) women, men can enjoy it too.

BUST describes itself:
"With an attitude that is fierce, funny, and proud to be female, BUST provides an uncensored view on the female experience. BUST tells the truth about women's lives and presents a female perspective on pop culture. BUSTing stereotypes about women since 1993."

BUST is available at Borders Books, Barnes & Noble, Universal News, and Hudson News, but the best and cheapest way to get BUST is to subscribe online.

Check out the latest issue online here.

something to blog about...

In an effort to keep up with this blog, I'm looking for some good blog topics. Any suggestions?

Meanwhile, I just wanted to mention Johnny Depp's upcoming movie (due out July 1, 2009) Public Enemies. 

I was hoping to post a trailer, but couldn't find one. Not only does this film feature Johnny Depp and Christian Bale (whom I still love despite his anger issues), 

it looks like it will features some fabulous 1930's headwear. It may be the Depression, and they may be a bunch of criminals, but they know how to wear hats. Look for Marion Cotillard as John Dillinger's main squeeze (loved her in La Vie en Rose).

Hopefully, it won't romanticize crime too much (sure) and it won't be a bomb with Michael Mann directing. With the costumes, the men and the cars, I plan on seeing this one in the theatre. 

In the meantime, I'm waiting for my millinery book, How to Make Hats, to come in the mail. The drawings remind me of my grandmother's Lady's Auxiliary Cookbook - 

I can't wait to try some of the patterns!

More on Lincoln...

I don't know how I forgot to mention the other show I've been catching bits of on PBS (and need to sit down and watch in it's entirety) - Looking for Lincoln. This show is hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and explores Lincoln as a myth and a man - quite refreshing considering how Lincoln has been idealized in recent times. Although I'm all for the idealistic view, its fantastic to see Lincoln as a human being. You can watch it online if you miss the broadcast (see the link above) and there are activities that may interest the history teachers out there!

The fascination with President Lincoln

So, it seems like everywhere you look, there's something new about President Abraham Lincoln. I am learning a lot more from this revival than I ever did in school. Right now, I'm [trying to] watching PBS American Experience show on the aftermath of Lincoln's assassination. Its great stuff - not to be missed. I'm sure I'll get back to this topic because I find it so intriguing, so more to come!

I LOVE Cambridge Antiques Market

Easily one of the best places I know (not just in Cambridge, but anywhere), the Cambridge Antiques Market is 4 floors of vintage goodness. Last week I saw the sunniest yellow vintage canister set and it was love at first sight. You know that feeling when you walk away from something in a store, and its calling your name? I did it and thought about those canisters all week. I had already purchased my new (old industrial chair) and this beautiful peacock tray 

 

so, when I got a gift certificate for the market that same day, I knew I had to go back. After a little soap and hot water (they were already in perfect condition) I filled them and put them to work.  

They're where my IKEA jars used to be (those will find a new home in the pantry or on my craft shelf), just below this great free poster I got on re-nest. 

Three new additions to the kitchen for virtually no money!

1st sales on etsy and new supplies...

So many exciting developments - I made my first 2 sales on etsy.com this week and I'm hoping to keep the momentum going. Turning my sales into supply purchases this week has been fun. I love shopping and now I can turn some beautiful feathers (pictures this weekend) into new creations. Since my visit home to NYC, I've been building up my millinery supplies and my new project is organizing a functional craft space. So now the space is carved out, a new (vintage) industrial chair has been purchased (picture to come), but the perfect desk has yet to be found. For now, the dining table will remain command central. 

Happy New Year!

Jessie M. from Boston recently bought a fascinator to wear out for New Year's Eve. She sent me these pics of her getting ready for the big night on the town - beautiful! Thanks Jessie!