Thrifting treasures

1937 McCall's magazines. They have the most amazing fashion plates I'm dying to share!

A little leather pouch that loops onto a belt. For when I go.....hiking...(?)

A pretty 1930s style pillow.

"Snubbers". You know how those 30s and 40s catalogues have peep toe shoes with absurdly perfect mannequin toes peeking out? These are little rubber inserts you put in the peep toe, to look ideal, and keep rain and dirt off your toes and stockings!

1937 knitting book, I want everything in it, including the hats and shoes...

A cute little pencil holder.

Blue ice trays to match my kitchen.

Carved wooden birdie pin.

A darling dress pattern that looks quite a bit like the sixth photo in this magazine.

Lodekka

Saturday Sam, fellow blogger friend Dana and I went to Portland for a little bacon tasting at New Seasons. It wasn't quite the bacon tasting we had hoped for, but on our way home we stopped by Lodekka, the cute little double decker vintage bus. It's something you must visit if you're ever in Portland, if not for the shopping, at least for the novelty of it! We both found something, I took home this amazing 40s red straw hat with cherries cascading down the side, I swear Dita has one very similar. The sun came out for a couple minutes when we were taking pictures, wasn't that nice of it?

Sunglasses-Estate sale

Belt-Lodekka

The rest-Urban Eccentric Vintage

After Christmas shopping

Photos by Ruth

Today my cousin and I went downtown to do some shopping with some christmas money and gift cards we received. We went to Macy's, Forever 21, and the new H&M. All were super busy, especially H&M, Portland has been wanting one for years, and they had some pretty cute stuff! I got some socks :)

A few weeks ago I finished this beret to match my yellow cardigan. When I made the cardigan I knew I wanted a matching hat, but after watching The Secret Garden I just had to make a huge floppy beret like Marys. I would post the pattern I used, but I just had it as a guideline, I couldn't find one that was close enough to hers, so it turned out nothing like the original pattern :)

And isn't this little kitty necklace cute? I saw it and just fell in love with it, it has green eyes just like Hobbes!

The third photo is of a spot in Pioneer Square where you can stand and anything you say echos in a weird, eery way. It's always fun to do, before I knew about it, I would just see people standing there, saying "Hello!" to no one. It's right by the corner Starbucks, in the middle of the circular steps. Go there and echo!

Skirt and boots-Urban Eccentric Vintage

Cardigan-Made by me using this pattern

Beret-Made by me.

Burberry coat-Brown Bag Vintage

Necklace-Magic Beans and Vintage Things

Vintage shop hopping

Today Julie and I did a bit of vintage shop hopping around Portland, there have been a number of new vintage shops around town that we had yet to explore, even found one we didn't know about before! And of course since vintage shopping takes sooooo much energy, we stopped and perked up with a chocolate peppermint milkshake from Burgerville ;)



On our way to one shop, we drove by Lady Bird's General Store and the fringy, glittery window display begged to be explored further. The shop was great, they had pretty decor, a good selection, and the shop girls were really friendly. Not to mention the prices were great! They had mostly clothing (men's and women's) and accessories, but some decor and locally made items. And if you find yourself dragging your boyfriend/girlfriend shopping with you, they have a cute little couch and some vintage pin up magazines :)





Lodekka is a darling little vintage shop housed in a vintage double decker bus! How Pushing Daisies is that?
Defiantly the most unique vintage shopping experience of the day :)
The setting of course was superb, and they had lots of pretties on both floors. I left with some stockings, a great belt, and some darling barrettes. I just love that I bought pretty things from a double decker bus. Best bus ever.





Next we went to see the darling Lulu of Lulu's Vintage and Shop Vintage Portland (which I highly recommend if you want to navigate Portland vintage shops). Her fresh shop was filled with pretty things for men and women, with a fantastic Enid Collins collection displayed neatly on a shelf, oh how I would love my purses to look that neat and tidy.




Last stop of the day was Living Threads Vintage, a fantastic new shop downtown filled with treasures. We met the owner, Christine, who reads Vixen Vintage! She was super sweet, it was wonderful to meet her!
Her shop had great clothing for men and women, and an excellent selection of accessories. Shoes, purses, hats, glasses, ties, they've got it!

All of these shops were great, you should visit them all if you can! Tell them I sent you!

And a big thank you to all the owners and employees for being so friendly and letting me take pictures, we'll be back again!

Dress-Buffalo Exchange

Cardigan-Tea With Gladys vintage

Hat-Thrifted

Bowtie-Urban Eccentric Vintage

Xtabay Vintage

Today I visited Xtabay Vintage, a fabulous vintage store in Portland. The decor alone is work going to see, but of course, they have a wonderful selection of clothing and accessories. I tried on some really pretty 40s dresses, one had little books on it! Will a cute librarian please go buy that?
In the end I fell in love with this huge white Christian Dior hat. I'm wearing it right now actually, seeing as I can't wear it outside right now in the rain.
Liz, the owner of the shop was very helpful and fun to chat with, I had actually planned on going to her store for my wedding dress before I found mine, as they specialize in formals and weddings. I didn't really let myself look at the wall of fluffy tulles and silks, I just new I would fall in love with something and have nowhere to wear it. More of my friends need to get married so I can wear pretty dresses...

Silly them, not getting married.

They also have beautiful suits, coats, perfumes, hats, purses, shoes, lingerie, and jewelry of course! So if you are in town make sure and stop by, say hello to all the pretty dresses for me!

Vintage shopping

Rays Ragtime



Magpie



Decades



Avalon

Bombshell


Today Julie, her friend Alyssa, and I went to Portland for some vintage shopping. We went to Rays Ragtime, Magpie, Decades, Avalon, Xtabay, and Bombshell.

Phew!

Rays Ragtime had some great suits I just loved, I'm excited for suit weather, and it was just cool enough today that I could wear one. There were so many pretty hats there I didn't even get a good look at all of them.
Magpie had lots of cute things, including a 30s dress I've been in love with for awhile. But it's much too delicate for me :) Julie however did find a stunning emerald green princess cut gabardine coat, thats seems to have been made for her.
Decades had THE CUTEST shoe box ever. It was a box for a pair of little black shoes with kittens printed inside, but the box is what really got me. I mean, "Paradise Kittens, Kitten-ettes"?

There is no shoe with a cuter name or box.

Next stop was Avalon, which had lots of lovelies to look at, especially the cloches, though now my hair is much too long for them. Plus they are always teeny.
At Xtabay I tried on the greatest navy knit 30s dress with a matching belt and beret! It was truly glorious. I wanted it so bad but I need to save my money for this weekend! The interior of Xtabay is beautiful, like a perfect boudoir, and I wanted to take outfit photos in there, but unfortunately the salesgirl wouldn't let me :(
Last but not least was Bombshell, and by the time we got there is was pouring down rain! So my hair is a bit de-fluffed in the last photo, I think it may be time for another little trim. Anyway, I did get a cute little pink cardigan there, it always seems I'm wishing for a pink cardigan, and it'll make a great transition piece into fall.

Suit-A gift from My aunt

Purse-Antique Warehouse, Solana beach

Hat-A gift from Twila Jean

Stuff I got

Today before work I popped into a local charity shop and found a couple cool things. First is a vintage waver/crimper, probably from around the 1920s.

Cool right?

I wasn't 100% sure that's what it was until the darling old lady working at the shop told me she remembered her mother using the same thing. Her mother would heat it up the fireplace (actually she said "chimney, which I thought was cute), or kerosene lamp, and clamp her hair.

I want to use it soooooooo bad. But I don't have a fireplace or kerosene lamp :(

Second is a large 70s suitcase, in a style I've been wanting. I have bunches of hard case vintage suitcases, but I don't dare check them onto airplanes, I'm even cautious about taking them out of the house. But this one is perfect. Canvas with "leather" trim (love that combination), so no worries about it cracking or getting wrecked. And it's nice and big!

Now if only I could find a matching weekender, train case, and hat box, all would be complete ;)