Nine Days of Flea Market Finds and We Have a Winner!

Looks like a beautiful weekend is upon us - anyone feel like hitting a Flea Market? How about a nine day long virtual Flea Market hosted by Etsy's Vintage Market Team? Sound too good to be true? Well, it isn't.

Each participating shop sets their own terms so do check shop announcements for details.

I'll be offering a discount on every single item! My terms:

All items ON SALE from 12:01 am EST on August 28th through 11:59 pm EST on September 5th!

Items under $50 will receive $5.00 back.

Items between $50- $100 will receive $10.00 back.

Items over $100 will receive $15.00 back.

Payment is due at time of purchase, through Paypal only.

Discounts promptly made via Paypal.

As always, combined shipping rates and discounts apply, including cross- site savings from retrotrend and RetroHommeVintage.

Search vmteamflea for more items from Vintage Market Team sellers. Don't forget to check out our video by Antiques Galore Gal.

And, a winner has been chosen for my FAN-Tastic Fans Giveaway! Zen Hen chose this amazing silvered tin Modernist link necklace by Luciano of Mexico. Great choice!

Also, a special thanks to the lovely Weezi for featuring one of my dresses in her Friday Finds post. Guess I know where she'll be shopping this week.

Enjoy your weekend!

What's in your bathroom?

Reading or rinsing, plucking or pooping, people spend loads of time in the loo. Don't ignore one of the most visited rooms in your house. Choose a bold color, a large piece of art or anything that will make you smile. A bit of kitsch goes a long way!

Large painting and retro YSL hand towels.

"Approved Sample" pewter box and an antique chamber pot filled with travel toiletries for unexpected guests.

1970s wooden signs. Peter Meter conveniently hangs over the toilet.

Cotton balls are stored in the "Grease" can. Feathers in the "Salt" beaker.

Don't forget to enter my FAN-tastic Fans Giveaway, winner to be chosen Friday!

Little Ladies or Mad Women?

Someone sent me these funny vintage ads the other day and I want to share them with you. If you offend easily, please remember that this was a very different time and Women's liberation has come a long way, baby. This is by no means a third- wave feminist rant. My Liberty of London floral and lace patchwork boy short panties aren't in a bunch, so yours shouldn't be either. Happy Friday. Go make yourself a cocktail and enjoy!

She is way too elegant to ever go postal!

A little coffee related bondage- light, for your edification.

My current Facebook profile picture. Golly, I sure hope she doesn't break a nail!

Sassy secretary to the extreme! That hair, that dress, those shoes...

"And I'm all tuckered out by closing time" really sums this up nicely, don't you think?

What about cleaning? Maintaining a social schedule? And where is her shoulder hiding?

You're my Miss Washington, D.C.

I'm a D.C. gal, born and bred. I've always lived in or around the nation's capital and have a soft spot for many things D.C.- related.

Making fun of former mayor Berry? Oh, yes. "Bitch set me up!" See how fun that was? 

Loving the early, glory days of D.C. United? Coolest kits ever!

Shows at Fort Reno, the old Black Cat (Black Cat) and the oddly sticky, cave- like 9:30 Club? 

Living on the South East side of Capitol Hill and watching people cringe when you said "South East", not "Capitol Hill"? Yes, snarky me really enjoyed that.

My fabulous Sadie dog was found on the side of the road in DC when I was driving to a nearby thrift store. She was starving, frightened of older men with canes or umbrellas and older women in long skirts (who isn't?). She was also fight trained and showed signs of horrible abuse.

Look at my monkey now!

This isn't a post about my dog- but about the city I love.

So when a former D.C. Area resident and friend of mine linked this...

...I was sold. It is from The Heads of State  travel poster series. Multi- color screen print serigraphs, well priced, hand numbered and on very high quality paper. I've purchased an appropriate frame (though will need to buy and cut the properly sized mat) and will share the finished result with you someday soon.

I like many of the other available city designs. The bold graphics have a vintage feel and the iconic landmarks are depicted beautifully. These would make wonderful gifts.

Since I attended grade school in the greater D.C. Area and Back to School is in full swing, here is today's Treasury Tuesday.

Head of the Class by retrotrend

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Purses as works of art?

Yup, it is Friday the 13th! I did venture to the post office today for a very important reason. Mostly I spent the day at home, photographing lots of new vintage goodies that will be listing soon.

Looking around every single room in my house, I find vintage and retro items that inspire me. I've shown you some artwork and furniture already. Today, let's focus on display pieces that really change the feel of a room.

This antique trunk doubles as blanket storage and as a coffee table in the guest room. Lucky guests are allowed to play Simon.

Turn of the century "A Lunatic" metal trunk holds an original Simon game, copyright my birth year.

I spend quite a bit of time in my office. And I have a severe vintage bag addiction. My office needed something on the walls and screamed for pegboard displays. 1960s framed student fashion drawings hang off to the left, bags ranging from a 1940s wool clutch with mink front to a 1960s Morris Moskowitz crocheted straw bag with gold chain strap.

The black bag display.

The colored bag wall- featuring bakelite handles, a kelly green satin and lucite evening bag, a floral tapestry bag with bamboo handle... And so much more.

The colored bag display.

And the reason for today's trip to the post office? My Facebook page's contest winner was Lisa of Weezi fame. She picked a crazy pink silk and velvet floral petal hat with pearl detailing, circa early 1960s.

Here I am, modelling the winning hat.

Here is the hat on my display head.

Here's to a wonderful weekend, with or without crazy retro hats!

Items we love! Contest

Two quick updates:

I am holding a contest on my Facebook fan page!

If you comment on the FB fan page post (from Monday, August 9th), telling me which item (or items) you'd purchase if you had $50.00 to spend at RetroTrend and/ or RetroHommeVintage, you'll be entered into a drawing to win a one- time use $50.00 credit. The contest ends on Friday, August 13th at 12 noon EST. The winner will be announced Friday afternoon.

Happy Treasury Tuesday! Maybe I'm not so hard to shop for is a list of items I wouldn't mind receiving. It includes some stellar vintage, upcycled and new items, from 16 fantastic Etsy sellers.

Have a great afternoon!

Framed!

A few days ago, I stumbled across an optician's office chock- full of vintage and retro dead stock glasses frames and sunglasses. Total score!

He had close to 1,000 frames from the early 1950s to the early 1990s, many in perfect condition. Once my heart stopped pounding, I dug through and made some purchases which are currently previewing on my Facebook page. Next, I contacted my pal CollectableSpectacle, a fellow Vintage Market Team member. She was very excited so we agreed to rendezvous the following morning.

Here are some of the results:

Polaroid sunglasses, 1980s.

"Victory" cat-eye frames, with original paperwork!

Are my cheekbones too high or are these frames too big?

We had some fun as well:

Um, not quite right.

Hello, new glasses!

Late 1970s Ted Lapidus sunglasses with gold inner frames- very Tom Ford- esque, no? Did I mention my birthday is only a month away?

Another view, just because. Very subtle, I know.

Dead stock early 1950s 12 K gold plated Christian Dior sunglasses with enamel. Sadly, not for sale, just for drooling. Enamel is shockingly absorbent.

Same era, but with AB stones AND enamel. Yowza!

Don't worry, these wood effect cat-eyes are coming to CollectableSpectacle very soon!

Let's agree to disagree with the witty and wise Dorothy Parker just this once- Guys will make passes at girls in these glasses.

Enjoy your weekend!

Cookies!

I can cook. Rather well. Without recipes. A little of this, a little of that, some spices, some butter, some wine. Veg and sauces, breakfast and soups, one hell of a garlic brisket. Mashed potatoes? Lumpy and garlicy with skins left on and dairy quantites you only dream about. My palate veers towards unami. And spice. And stinky cheeses.

Cookbooks are read for enjoyment or to check a cooking time.

Baking is a different story. There is little room for creativity in the kitchen when baking. Which is why I normally don't bake. And since it has been hotter than the hinges in the DC Metro area (really not liking the new DMV name being used), I have shelved my desire for cookies until just the other night.

"Why not buy cookies?" Because I have found and slightly modified an easy recipe that makes the best cookies. Ever. Friends and family agree. And have suggested the recipe get entered in a cookie baking contest.

You'll need:

1/4 lb butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

3/4 tsp vanilla

1- 1/8 cups of flour

3/4 tsp of amazing salt (I'm partial to Frech gray sea salt but others do work well)

1/2 tsp of baking soda

6 oz (approx. 1 cup) bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks or bars- if you chop by hand, you get a wonderful texture

The grunt work:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease cookie sheets. (Or cheat and use silicone mats on air-bake sheets. This is highly recommended.) Using the whisk attachment on a stand (or hand) mixer, cream the butter and slowly add the two sugars, blend until light and smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla, mix well. Mix remaining dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda) together and add to batter. Add chocolate. Spoon teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheets at least 1 inch apart. Bake 9 minutes.

You are so close to chocolatey, gooey, crsipy, chewy, salty amazingness! Let them cool for 5 minutes or so, then transfer to a cooling rack or wax paper spread out on stone counters.

Place on a 1920s creamware oval platter with lots of crazing and chipped edges.

Select a few choice victims. Cold milk optional.

I'll leave you alone for a few minutes.

Because it is Treasury Tuesday and I actually baked, today's curation showcases kitsch in the kitchen. Not a cookie but still worth a peek.

Putting the Kitsch in Kitchen by retrotrend