Still here and there

It's been a while. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the weather. I decided to take a small break from blogging. I still read and commented on blogs I follow. I felt that my everyday life isn't as exciting or interesting as some of you out there. My day-to-day isn't all that different. Chores, breakfast, feeding Ridley and working on some project. I don't usually go thrifting unless I have something else to do in town. No point in wasting gas just so I can go shopping. I try to do several errands whenever I have the truck.

Over the last few weeks, I've been working my hand at altering a vintage pattern, mending and fixing the waistbands of a few skirts, altering and fixing sweaters. I had a few successes and a few failures. I had great luck finding  sweaters for the colder months.

I was able to find my first vintage Pendleton sweater. A nice Navy blue wool sweater. I'll probably need to wear a camisole underneath it since most wool makes me itchy.





I also found this awesome red wool sweater by St. Croix. I thinks it's vintage from the looks of the label. I love the bright red color. It also had these awesome armpit gussets. It has a few tiny tears but I fixed them and it looks fantastic.





I bought this beauty on the same trip as the Pendleton. I almost passed it up thinking it was a small but (woo-hoo!) it was a large. It fits me beautifully.  I love that the color combo isn't totally whore-y. It's muted and classy. I can't wait to wear this in with winter with a nice wool skirt.

 



The last few trips to the thrift stores have proved fruitful. I've gotten a lot of wool fabric. I have three very vintage friendly colors that will be turned into winter skirts. Now if only I would find a cute pair of winter boots.



Whenever I go out to thrift stores I always keep my eye out for vintage notions: buttons, zippers,that sort of thing. I went shopping in one of the bigger thrift stores in Carson when I cam across a giant metal cookie box. I love looking through them because you never know what you will find. It was full of vintage buttons. These were the ones that I could used and weren't super tiny. Like for baby's clothes.





I love looking for belts that I can remake myself. I got this lovely belt for 50 cents. It was half off. It's so cool even Jess liked it. I'm going to change the belt to an elastic one.


These are my Sputnik earrings. I found these at the Carson Goodwill. They were hidden in a plastic tub of crappy broken jewelry. The base of them is made out of cork. I've never seen anything like that. I love them.


I bought a few other things but right now I can't really remember what. Last week I got the crazy knitting bug again. I started and redid these gloves a good 3 or 4 times. I couldn't find a pattern I liked so I kept undoing my work. I fianlly found a pattern I liked but it didn't have a thumb gusset so I tried my hand at altering the pattern. It wasn't hard. I followed the directions on one of my favorite patterns. it turned out pretty well. I used some yarn I'd had for years. My grandma Ines sent it to me years ago since she knew I liked making things.




Since the hubby and I havent gone out a lot lately, I haven't done my hair all that much. We went out for Cinco de Mayo and I did my hair and wore my South of the Border skirt. Unfortunately I didn't get an outfit pic (like usual). I really like curling my hair with a wet set. The curls last a lot longer and you can manipulate them easier than with a curling iron.


Day 1



Day 2: I brushed it out. I still had curl left so I made a bumper bang and put the rest up in a pin curl look.



I'm sure I left something out but I just wanted to let everyone Im alive and doing well. I have a few projects to finich before packing to visit the families back in California. We're taking a mini-vacation and visiting the family. It'll be a nice break from our routine.

I leave with Ridley. Cuddling in his momma's wool sweater.

Bedspread? Done.

Well it's been a  couple of weeks since I last blog. Again. I've was busy. I mean, really busy. I was finally able to finish making all of the squares for my bedspread. Then I proceeded to join the squares into row and then those rows into a bedspread. But now it's done. Yay! Hooray! I did have to make one final run to Wal-Mart for some yarn to finish joining the squared and add a final edge. I'm happy to be done with this project. The bedspread is heavy; it easily weighs 10 pounds. The heaviness lends to it staying in place until we go to bed.

Well, here she is in all her colorful glory. I was really worried about how she would turn out. Every time I start  a major project, I always feel that it looks, well, bad. It really doesn't look good, to me, until it's all said and done.Every knitting or crochet project pretty much goes like this.











A couple of months ago, Jess and I finally got around to put our pin up girls well up. There aren't original prints or anything. I don;t think we could afford an original print unless I happen to find it at a thrift store. Most of our prints are by Olivia. We love her art style and tasteful nudity.I really want to sand and re-stain the night stands and my dresser but Jess says to leave it alone and keep the old varnish. Jess likes the original stain on most furniture.



A few weeks ago, I bought a couple pairs of shoes. I'm always on the look out for vintage-inspired shoes. Unfortunately, my feet are  "too big" for vintage shoes. "Big" being a US size 9.5  Whenever I'm bored, I will look through Amerimark's website and check out there shoes. They are mostly "old lady" shoes and clothing. However, a lot of the shoes have a vintage feel and look to them. I came across these shoes in the clearance section. Heck yeah. $6 a pair? Don't mind if I do. I bought a pair in Bone and Brown.







These shoes are very 1940's to me. They actually look like some of the shoes I've seen on vintage ads.  I love the wedge heel and the elastic on the top of the foot. These are really easy and comfy to wear.  I just wish I'de been able to buy another pair in black. I need a good,solid pair of black shoes. I would LOVE to get a pair these beauties. I just can't bring myself to spend that much on a pair of shoes. I mean, if I had endless amounts of money sure but that's more than half our car payment. Maybe one day.



I think my jewelry box is getting a bit crowded. I've been keeping my eye out for another one. I've come across a few but they're either in bad condition or too expensive. I'll wait. Garage sale season is starting up again and I'm gonna be looking for new additions.



I've had the green, the oranges, and the rainbow spiral earrings  for almost ten years. Back before thrifting was a popular, mainstream  pastime. I've found some great items since moving out here but in California items are scarce.



I bought this straw purse last summer when my sister was visiting. I love me a good straw purse. I lined the purse with some fabric my mother-in-law gave me and didn't really do anything else with it. I later bought a dead stock plastic floral ring and didn't do anything with that either. The other day I was on Etsy and it hit me. I can use the plastic flowers to make my purse more summery! So what do y'all think? This is how I have them arranged for now. I haven't glued them down or anything because it always takes me a while to figure out how I want things.




I've been sewing up a storm lately. I'm in the middle of finishing a circle skirt and plan on starting a new dress either today or tomorrow. I realized that I don't have a lot of blouses to pair with my many skirts. I also want to make a couple of pairs of trousers for Fall and Winter time. I know it seems insane to thing of Fall and Winter so early into Spring but around here Winter lasts the longest.

Here's a pic of Ridley patiently waiting for his Momma to finish sewing. He does love petticoats. He likes to play with them and sleep with them. Luckily, this one is a bit sturdier than more petticoats. I converted it from a bridal petticoat I bought a few years ago. The netting is thick and very stiff.




On a side note, I've finally reached 50+ followers! Yay! Thanks to everyone who reads and comments on my posts. I love hearing from everyone and seeing what they think. In order to celebrate my first blogging landmark, I plan on hosting a giveaway. These a few items I need to get together but once I do I will post it and let everyone know.  : D

I hope everyone has a great week and weekend. Have lots of fun, great food, and spend it with those you love.

Bex is holding a Giveaway

Hope everyone is having a pleasant Tuesday. Just wanted to make a quick, short post.

Wanted y'all to know that the lovely Bex over at Subversive Lesbian Anarchic Femme! is having a marvelous giveaway to celebrate the launch of her new line Historical Stitches. So be sure to check out her blog and her Etsy store. She has some great vintage knitting, crocheting, and sewing patterns.

A Little Bit More About Me

Today was reading up on blogs and came across an old post on The Nearsighted Owl.  Rachele did a list of her A to Z. I read through it and thought it was a great way for me to share some more info about myself. A list of facts is way quicker to read than a huge paragraph.

Presenting my A to Z. Hope y'all enjoy it.


A. Age: 28
B. Bed size: We have a queen size bed and sometimes it feels like a twin. I toss and turn a lot. Having the cat sleep beside me or at my feet is nice but constricting.
C. Chore that you hate: I hate putting away anything . Oh and folding clothes. i can do a ton of laundry, dishes, clean the toilet, even yard work but putting the dishes and clothes away will take me forever.
D. Dogs: I like visiting dogs but I'm a born cat lady. One of the earliest photos of me is at sic months old holding a cat in my stroller.
E. Essential start to your day: If I want natural energy I'll drink some orange juice. If I need a burst of energy coffee it is.
F. Favorite color: It's a tie between red and black. I've always liked red but black can be sexy and flattering.
G. Gold or Silver: I like light colored metals: white gold,silver, stainless steel. I prefer silver just because to me yellow gold seems so gauche. I grew up around people who would have gold plated teeth and decked in gold jewelry. I just seemed so tacky to me.
H. Height: 5’6"I always felt I should be 5'8" though.
I. Instruments you play: I don't know how to play any instrument. The school I grew up in didn't really encourage musical learning. That and there wasn't much money in the budget for that.Too bad. I always wanted to learn the piano or violin.
J. Job title:I'm presently a stay-at-home wife. I have been a forklift driver, a delivery driver, hay bucker, cashier, manager and secretary. I wore a lot of hats when I was working for my father.
K. Kids: Just Ridley, our handsome cat child.
L. Live: We live in Douglas County Nevada. Rural but at least we got a Super Wal-Mart.
M. Mother’s name: Gloria. She was born on Ash Wednesday and my grandmother wanted to name her Cinderella but felt it would cause her too much trouble.
N. Nicknames: My mom calls me Marien, and all lot of people call me guera (someone who is light complexioned) or Mari.
O. Overnight hospital stays: Nope. Although I have been to the ER very late at night.
P. Pet peeves: I dislike people who extreme coupon and don't share. Some of them donate their items to food banks or have a storage where people can take what they need. But the people that just hoard that stuff really make me sick. They don't need even use the stuff. To me it's almost gluttonous.
Q. Quote from a movie: "Hail to the king,baby." Army of Darkness.
R. Right or left handed: Right handed.
S. Siblings: I am the oldest of 5 kids. 2 younger brothers and 2 sisters. I also have 2 half-siblings that I'm 25 years older than.
T. Time you wake up: 7:00am. Time to get the hubby up and on the weekends usually before 9:30am. But 9 Ridley is wanting his wet food and making it very obvious that he is hungry.
U. Underwear: Oh, yes. I can't go commando. I feel weird if I do.
V. Vegetable you hate: I don't really think I hate any vegetable but lately I've been avoiding green beans. They make a weird noise when I chew.
W. What makes you run late: My husband and myself. I think I have the appropriate allocated time but sometimes it just slips away. The only time we have a schedule is on work days or trips otherwise it's all tentative.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: I've have the typical dental x-rays and chest x-rays. I contracted tuberculosis when I was a kid so whenever I get tested for Tb I test false positive. I guess will happen until I die.
Y. Yummy food that you make: I love to make pita bread. It makes the house smell so good and test great.
Z. Zoo animal: Big cats. I would love to own a big cat sanctuary someday.

The thrift gods have been kind

I haven't been thrifting since I got back from our Vegas trip so I figured I'd post some of my recent finds.  I have a dentist appointment tomorrow to finally get my tooth filled. Once I get done I'll be hitting up the local thrift stores and see what goodies I come across.

Last weekend we spent the whole day in Reno. We went to get my rings cleaned. They're insured so I have to have them cleaned every 6 months or else the insurance becomes void. We also went to the local swap meet which was really small. We went to the Goodwill on Neil Rd and I found a few items at great prices.

Vintage Fox fur collar $1.99 The cashier let me have it cheap since there was no price tag. :)  I really want to find a vintage coat with a fur collar but this will definitely keep me happy for a while.









Vintage Golden Harvest Glass Pitcher $1.99   I love collecting pitches but am really picky about their conditions and style. It was a little dirty on the inside but a good soak with vinegar got rid of all the gunk.



My first piece of vintage Pyrex $1.99  Jesse is always saying while I like glassware. There' s several reasons: 1) I  like the weight of it and to me it makes them more stable. 2) They last a long time willing you don't drop them. 3) Fabulous designs.


I also bought a few glasses, a picture frame and a necklace there. It  was a great score there.

At Junkie's I just bought one thing. I've been tryng to limit myself to one item that really makes a statement. I haven't bought anything there in a while besides vintage buttons. Until this weekend. I found these awesome Celluloid carved earrings. They have that vintage bone color to them. Like a nice cream color. They're also very light and comfortable to wear.



These guys I bought off of eBay for a steal. I really like the glitter Lucite earrings but they're either in bad conditions or way too expensive. My lovely lipstick holder gal  has been modeling them for me. I love her to pieces but my lipsticks don't fit in there. Oh well I'm sure I'll find her a something to do.


This lovely pair of chalk-ware poodles I bought at a local estate sale. I originally wanted to go on Saturday but we spend the whole day in Reno so we went Sunday. I figured all the good stuff had already been bought. Not everything. They were hanging out in the garage and I snatched them up. Since it was Sunday everything in the house was 50% off! Yep I got these puppies for $1.75 for the pair. Jess thought I was gonna sale them. Nope, they're going up in the hallway. I also bought a bag of yarn for $2.50 There were at least six skeins of yarn in there. It was a steal.



As I mentioned in my previous post, while we were in Vegas we went to a swap meet.  I love me a good swap meet and this one turned out great. I came across a booth that had a a look of cool looking stuff so my mom and I stopped to check it out. I'm glad we did.

Cute pair of hound dog salt and pepper shaker.


This is the girl dog. You can tell by her blue eyeshadow.


Boy dog.


Cute Scottie dog shakers.

 Both of these shaker sets are in great condition and have the original plugs

I bought a few near-mind condition vintage sweaters. This sweater is still in package. I washed and dried all of sweaters so they are ready to sell when I get around to it. I bought these two ivory sweater, a blue sweater, and a green wool sweater.





I bought this on a whim because it reminded me of the type of blouses women in the 1950's wore during the summer on the beach. Wish it were my size but I don't think I could ever get that small.


Brand-new with tag garter belt. *sigh* yet another items I wish I could wear.


Mint condition  silver clutch. This still has the original stuff to hold it's shape.


A cute vintage women's work shirt. At first I thought it was for a little boy but then I noticed that it has "Helen" on one of the sleeves. I love bowling shirts and shoes.




Not sure if these are men's or women's shoes. They're leather and have never been used. The only down side is that they shoes laces don't match. No biggie.


This dress was hidden in a 3 foot pile of clothing. I love Asian print clothes and I just saw the color of this peaking out. I dug through everything and pulled this beauty out. Mint condition with tag Peony Shanghai dress. It is so gorgeous! Beautiful color and detail. Yet again making me wish I was all petite and tiny.







That booth made my day. I was getting great prices on these items until the man's wife stepped in. It never ceases to amaze me how men will sell items a lot cheaper than women. Oh well. Once I set up a shop, I'm sure they'll sell. I've decided to open an Etsy shop once I figure out a name I like. I've been having a great time finding vintage items and decided that I may as well sell them instead of just letting them collect dust in my closet. Once I get everything set up, I'll let everyone know.

Here's Ridley helping. He decided that the pitcher need to be investigated and given his seal of approval. That cat is so nosy. It's cute.



Has anyone every seen a Disco ball but a saddle? Yup it's a Disco Saddle. Jess took this photo at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno. It's pretty cool. It hangs over the dance floor at the cowboy themed bar. I hope everyone had a great week/weekend. Wish me luck, I'm going to the dentist tomorrow.

Vegas Roadtrip (part 2)

Second installment of Vegas Road trip! Last I left of with how great out trip was going despite a a couple of errors on my behave. We were going through Spanish Springs which has a small air force base and saw the most interesting thing ever. Drones! Yeah we saw the feared man less aircraft that much of the world fears. I didn't get a photo of it but it was one of the things I'll never forget. It was  very impressive to see how smooth and graceful they are.  So we were we totally jazzed about it say : "Best road trip so far!"  Then traffic crawled to a stop and we sat in traffic. And sat. And sat. My mom calls and they're in Vegas.  We were less than 20 miles from downtown Vegas and weren't moving. They finally started diverting traffic and sending people back south Hwy 95. We waited around for a while to see of it would clear up. No one really new what was going on.  It wasn't until later that we learned about this horrific accident.  It was such a bad accident they shout down the highway for several hours. We had to turn around and take a "short cut" through the mountains. It wasn't very short. It took us an extra hour and a half to get to Vegas. It was pretty tired and drained.
 

We finally got to the MGM Gran around 8 pm. It wasn't too busy and we got our keys right away. The room was nice but nothing too fancy. I totally forgot to take photos before the room became a mess. We had a quick bite to eat and just relaxed for the rest of the evening.

The next day we got up had brunch breakfast at the MGM Grand buffet . I had like six mimosas at 10 in the morning. They were pretty good. Lol. That's the earliest I've ever started drinking. I figure since we paid $25 per person I may as well get our money's worth out of it. After a hearty breakfast we headed out to Broadacres Swapmeet.  It boosts 1150 vendors and boy was there a lot to see and do.  I found a stall with a ton of vintage clothing and accessories in great conditions. It was a lot of fun but then the wind started to pick up and my mom was getting cold. We went to the Forum Shops at Caeser's Palace.




This is my sister, myself, and my mom in front of Caeser's Palace. I have an uncany talent for closing my eyes when my photo was taken. The other one was worse.


 There were quite a few Chinese decorations up in celebration of the Chinese New Year. I love how awesome the hotels decorations can be.





One of the fountains in the middle of the shops. There was a fountain show somewhere in the Forums but we couldn't find them.


These lovely goddess were huge! They held up the floor above them. The Forum Shops were a three story structure with awesome spiral escalators.



There were a ton of high end stores there. I checked out the Betty Paige store. I wanted everything I saw but then again I didn't want to spending a ton of money. Besides I have a lot more fun making my own clothes. I loved this little tv unfortunately I wouldn't get a good photo of it.



We walked so much that I was able to break in my moccassins. And I got a ton of blisters. For dinner, we went to the Harley-Davidson Cafe. It was a motorcycle themed restaurant which was pretty cool although the motorcycles on a chain track above our heads did make me a bit nervous. Their BBQ was some of the best I've had in a while. The service could have been better. We were a party of six so the server got the auto 18% gratuity fee and I think that contributed to him not being a great server.

Here's a photo of Jess and I looking all nice like.





And heere's a photo of me being silly. He likes what he sees. :)


My mom and I didn't go to Thunder From down Under. She was tired and said " I don't want to see men swing their things (penis) around."  We checked out a couple other shows but they were too pricey. I guess next time I should just buy the tickets online where their cheaper.

It was a great trip. My mom had fun and so did we. I actually didn't spend any money.  I wanted to but I didn't find anything I just had  to have. We all had breakfast together before we went our separate ways.
I really enjoy spending time with my family and so does Jess. Now that my parents are divorced my mom had more of a say in how and where she spends her time.

On the way home we stopped at this little place. They sell fireworks and sex there. Yes, it's a fireworks shop next to a whorehouse. There were a ton of whore houses through the desert. I tried to take photos of all the ones we passed around six or seven of them but they were too far of the highway.  It was really interesting to see how those little podunk areas had a whorehouse to keep it going.





We got home around 8 pm and Ridley  was happy to see us. We were very happy to see him.

I leave you with a couple photos our first trip to Mitch Pond. We tried to fish but the fish weren't biting. And the wind picked so we decided to pack up and come back another day.




I hope everyone has a great week.