Archive | February 2012
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Tempest Storm
Happy birthday to one of burlesque’s most talented and inspiring performers: Tempest Storm. While there may be other women out there with gorgeous red hair, bountiful bosoms, and luscious legs, none can boast a career like hers. Over the last 60 years, Tempest Storm has packed theaters around the world. She’s posed for thousands of photos–some for […]
Compact makers: Cara Nome
I have a collecting/reselling dilemma. While I collect compacts, I also resell them. When shopping for inventory, I usually have a pretty good idea of which pieces are for resale and which are for my own enjoyment. But sometimes, I change my mind. I’ll receive something in the mail and like it more than I […]
My mother’s visit in photos
When my mom arrived yesterday afternoon, she brought me a lovely green depression glass juicer she found in her attic. We had sandwiches, then headed out for some antiquing. At our first stop, we evaluated some reference books on vintage jewelry. My mother has discovered a ton of jewelry in her attic, mostly Coro, and […]
The lost art of audio recording
The other night, Tim and I watched a fascinating show on PBS about George and Ira Gershwin. The show had some great interviews, but also included wonderful performances by current musicians. Both of us were enthralled. We started talking about how the concept of seeing live performances has changed dramatically. Recording technology has experienced an even […]
My vintage roots: Aunty Doll
As I may have mentioned before, my grandmother was the youngest of seven sisters. She was born in 1922. Her father died just a few years later, leaving a widow with seven children under the age of 14 to fend for herself during the Great Depression. While that sounds like a recipe for disaster, the outcome […]
The Avon addiction.
My mother’s discovery of a large cache of vintage Avon goodies in her attic started me on my compact collecting adventures. Today is my mom’s birthday–though our schedules don’t permit us to see each other today, we’re hoping to connect next weekend. Some celebratory baking, some vicious Scrabble competition, maybe some antiquing…all kinds of stuff to look forward […]
The magic of rayon
An ad for a rayon dress: Life Magazine, September 28, 1942 Where would we be today without rayon? What makes this particular fabric so special? Most vintage lovers know that rayon grew in popularity during the 1940s when natural fibers such as cotton, wool, and silk were crucial to support the war effort. What I didn’t know: Rayon is […]
The Homemaker: Spring 1946
While cleaning her attic, my mother found a small collection of magazines from the 1940s. My favorite is called The Homemaker, which was published by the Institute for Better Cooking. The name of the publisher fills me with glee. Who doesn’t appreciate better cooking? Periodocally, I’ll explore different issues and share tips from some of the magazine’s […]
Cat + compact = FAIL.
Cats and compacts: Not always a great combination. Especially when your cats think pushing things off dressers, shelves, tables, etc. is a great way to get attention. Or that frolicking through boxes of vintage inventory makes for great entertainment. Worst cat v. compact clash yet: cat puke on dresser and compact. There’s nothing quite like […]
My shorthand book arrived!
My vintage Gregg Shorthand Manual Simplified arrived the other day, but this week has been so busy I didn’t really have a chance to examine it properly before now. Next week I’ve got to attend a ton of meetings for work, so I’ll try to start using some of basics when I take notes. Should […]
