Kitschmas Countdown

Hello there! Well, the countdown to Christmas is REALLY on now, and my brain is going Kitschmas crazy. It's been so fun going to antique shows and shops with my mom lately. The antique show we went to today was primarily vintage Christmas. I snagged a bottle brush tree from a dealer that my mom and I both love, and my mom has bought a lot from her over the years. I picked out an ornament and an adorable vintage card with a snowman on it (that I'll display) for my mom to give me at Christmas. 
The antique mall I went to after the show had a decent amount of Christmas out, much more than they do the rest of the year. I got a super cute Christmas tin and a very small blow mold snowman. I also stopped at a small antique shop I had never been to, but I didn't get anything there. 
Bob and I went to my aunt and uncle's for Thanksgiving, and my parents and all of my grandparents came. The food was great; my mom brought her sweet potatoes and stuffing; my favorite sides. Bob worked on Friday, and my mom and I did our version of Black Friday: antique shopping. We went a couple of hours away to antique in Pennsylvania, and had a fun day. We got stuck in Black Friday shopper traffic on our way home, which I don't understand why there was no traffic in the morning...don't most people go out first thing?! But, what made getting stuck worse was we were running on empty for gas, and drove half an hour with the gas light on...but, we made it to a station, thankfully.
In the pictures below I'm wearing my new to me Pinup Girl Jenny ornament dress. It came up last year, but I missed out on it when it was available, and I recently snagged it secondhand, at a great price. I knew it'd probably be a tight fit on my chest, but luckily it does fit. I just adore the Shiny Brite ornmanet print on it! I also have a skirt from PUG with a Shiny Brite print on it, but the print is a lot bigger in scale. I'll be wearing the heck out of both of them this season! I wore the dress while antiquing with my mom today and yesterday, ha. 

Love this tin I bought!

I snagged this tree today at the show

 
Dress: Facebook group (Pinup Girl Clothing) 
Necklace: Erstwilder
Brooch, earrings: Etsy (Luxulite)
Bangles: Etsy (BrighterBakelite)
Heels: BAIT Footwear 

~Bye bye for now!

Celebration

Hello there! It's a gorgeous, sunny day out today, which is much needed. It's been doom and gloom here the whole past week, besides a few minutes of sun yesterday. This summer has been so disgustingly humid out that many buildings in the area have rampant mold now, including the school my mom works at. They had to have major mold cleanup, and delayed the opening of school by a week because of it.
Bob and I are just staying home today. Yesterday I took my new, used car to inspection, and wonder of all wonders, there as NO line at inspection! I have never been the first car there, or even one of the first. My car passed inspection, which I had been assuming it would. I ran an errand, and did cleaning and laundry, and took a walk, and in the early evening we headed to a restaurant half an hour away to go out to eat for my Nana's 77th birthday. My parents, aunt and uncle, and cousin and cousin's finance came, too. I had never been to the restaurant before; it was nice inside and the food was pretty good. They also brew their own beer there, and Bob had a couple of their beers. 
In the pictures below I'm wearing the outfit I wore to go out to eat for my Nana's birthday. I just love this celebration border print! It's obviously a perfect New Year's dress, but I want to wear it more than that. I think it fits well for most celebrations, including birthdays! The dress does have more black in than I would like, but that print makes up for it. 

Dress: Bernie Dexter
Bangles: Splendette
Earrings: Etsy (Luxulite)
Brooch: Erstwilder
Heels: BAIT Footwear 

~Bye bye for now!

Gone To The Dogs

Hello there! Well, spring is TOMORROW, as per the calendar....but, not so much feeling like it here in NJ. We are supposed to be getting hit with a big snowstorm on Wednesday, and if so, I won't be having work that day. I just can not wait until it actually looks and feels like spring here! It's been a crazy long, painful winter. I have cold fatigue and snow fatigue, big time. I'd love to start seeing flowers blooming, too! 
Tomorrow I have an out of office meeting I'm going to, which my mom is also going to, so we're carpooling. So, depending on the weather, I may not be back in the office until Thursday.
I had quite a full weekend. Friday night Bob and I went went to my grandmother's for pizza, and my dad met us there. Later on that night I went to my friend's apartment to visit. Saturday night Bob's friend and his wife and their son came over for dinner. The baby is six months old, and the cutest thing!! We hadn't seen him since he was a month and a half. Sunday I met my friend for lunch at Cheesecake Factory. My chicken salad sandwich was quite good, and it had big pieces of tomato, mmm! The friend I was with is the one whose going to Charleston with me in three and a half weeks. She's driving us down there, and I'm very lucky/grateful she offered to do that. I don't like driving in places I'm not familiar with, so I wouldn't drive there myself, and the plane ticket was crazy expensive. 
Tomorrow afternoon I'm meeting a friend at Panera, and Wednesday I was planning on going to the board meeting, but won't be going if we have a snow day that day. Saturday is my sister's bridal shower, so I'll be getting ready for that Friday evening and all day Saturday.
In the pictures below I'm wearing one of my Retrospec'd poodle print dresses (I have two). 
While poodles are definitely not one of my favorite dog breeds, the print is super cute! The shoes I'm wearing are BAIT (of course), and I just got them from Modcloth. I hadn't ordered from Modcloth in forever, but I got a coupon code for the site, and they ended up being cheaper to get them from Modcloth than BAITs own site.

Dress: A Classic Paradise (Retrospec'd)
Necklace: Etsy (Luxulite)
Brooch: Erstwilder
Heels: Modcloth (BAIT Footwear)

~Bye bye for now!

Tiki Tiles

Hello there! Thank God tomorrow is Friday! I can't wait to spend the day with Bob on Saturday, out of the apartment. I spent too much time here over the long weekend last weekend, and I'm looking forward to getting out. We're going to an antique show in the morning, and then going out for lunch and drinks at a nearby pub that's one of our favorite local spots. I wish it'd be as warm out Saturday as it was yesterday so we could sit outside; it was 75 degrees! It's going to be 50 Saturday, which while it's not great, it could be worse in February!
In the pictures below I'm wearing my new to me Pinup Girl Clothing tiki tiles Jenny dress I got from the PUG swap & sell group on Facebook. I got it NWT for a good price, and it is pretty big in the waist (it's a size up from my other 3 Jennys), but the nice thing is it's not super tight in the chest, like my other Jennys are. I love the color combination of this dress; it's different than most of the color combos in my closet. This dress is obviously a wonderful choice for me to pack in my suitcase when I go to Tiki Oasis! I can't wait to wear it there, as well as wear it here when it gets a bit warmer.

Dress: Facebook swap & sell group (Pinup Girl Clothing)
Brooch: Erstwilder 
Earrings: Etsy (Luxulite)
Bangles: Splendette & Etsy (BrighterBakelite)
Heels: BAIT Footwear

~Bye bye for now!

#700

Hello there! This is actually my 700th blog post! Hard to believe. I've been blogging for so long now, that it's just become so ingrained in my weekly routine. Even though I don't have many readers or commenters, I really am not bothered my that. In fact, I get so less comments now than I did a year or two ago, but that's fine with me. I write my blog for me, mainly. I need to have a creative outlet in my life, and this one works for me. I have an English degree, and love to read and write, but my job is all about numbers. So, I don't get a creative outlet at work, except on the occassion that I am asked to read and edit letters, emails, etc. 
Last night Bob and I went out for drinks, and met up with my friend and his brother. We don't go out much for drinks (although Bob and I did go to a pub last weekend, by ourselves). Tonight we'll be going to my parents' house for dinner, along with my grandparents and aunt & uncle. I actually haven't seen my mom in a month, which is a long time for us. There's just less going on in the winter. 
In a month or so I'll be seeing her a lot more; we're going to PA to go shopping March 3, March 17 we are going to an antique show, March 24 is my sister's bridal shower, April 1 is Easter, and then April 7 or 8 we are going antiquing in Adamstown. I have lots of plans in March & April! I'm also going to my sister's bachelorette party in Charleston, SC, and will be there from April 12-15. 
In the pictures below I'm wearing my much worn Bernie Dexter Kelly dress in a U.S. states print. I got this about a year and a half ago, and I should've gotten a size down, but I just belt it tightly. I absolutely adore this print! For a traveler like me, it's perfect. I like to wear it on planes, too, and it's gotten noticed by the airline staff. These BAIT Footwear Heather shoes are new, and I love pairing a new pair of shoes with a much worn dress; I like have options to switch up my jewelry and shoes with a dress. 
Bernie Dexter hasn't been releasing many new Kellys at all lately, which is great for my wallet! I definitely have more Kellys in my closet than any other of her styles. I can't recommend them enough; they're super comfortable and easy to wear.

 

Dress: Bernie Dexter
Brooch: Erstwilder
Bangles: Etsy (BrighterBakelite)
Earrings: Etsy (Luxulite)
Heels: BAIT Footwear

~Bye bye for now!
 

Shiny Brites

Hello there! Today after work I ran to the same antique mall I went to last Friday, which is about 15 minutes from my job. I went there because I had time to kill before the board meeting tonight, which starts at 5:30. I also knew I had seen a enamel flower brooch in a display case last time that caught my eye, so I wanted to take a look at it outside of the case. The price was right (only $10), so I got it, and of course, while walking around, I spotted more items I wanted. I am seriously very impressed with this antique mall! It has a great selection, and great prices. I picked up a vintage cold cream jar (to display on my vintage vanity I'll be getting for our bedroom in our house), a vintage dessert tin to display, and a small vintage Christmas tablecloth.
I don't have much else going on the rest of the week yet, but Sunday I'll be going to church in the evening, and then going to my aunt and uncle's for dinner. I'm not sure yet if I'll be sleeping over my parents' that night, or staying at the apartment. I've been waiting on Bob to give me an answer on what he wants to do that night, himself.
In the pictures beow I'm wearing my new Pinup Girl Clothing ornament skirt, that I love oh so much! It arrived a week ago, and I've worn it four(!) times already! I wore it to work twice, to my work party last Saturday, and to a family dinner. I CAN'T STOP!! Previously my Oblong Box Shop reindeer skirt was my favorite Christmasy item of clothing, but this definitely rivals it for my #1 spot. I have gotten endless compliments on this beauty. I love how colorful the skirt is, and also that the ornaments are mid century ones! I do love Shiny Brites very much. I only have a few so far, and a couple of tree toppers, but can't wait to get more for when we get our vintage aluminum Christmas tree for next Christmas.

Top & skirt: Pinup Girl Clothing
Petticoat: Antique mall
Bangles: Etsy (BrighterBakelite) & antique shop
Brooch: Erstwilder
Earrings: Etsy (IncredInedible)
Heels: BAIT Footwear 

~Bye bye for now!

Tree Skirt

Hello there! Well, our weekend plans got a wrench thrown in them, becaue of the snow. It started snowing here a couple of hours ago, so Bob has to salt/plow this weekend. He really hates when the snow comes during the weekend, instead of during the week. 
Last night we went to my parent's house for cake for my dad's birthday, but we couldn't stay long, because we had to get back so Bob could go to bed at a decent time, since he had to wake up early to get ready to salt/plow. My grandparents were there last night, too. My mom made her triple layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing that she makes for family birthdays, and it's the BEST chocolate cake ever. It's so rich, and makes me thirsty, ha!
Tonight we were going to go over Bob's dad's house for dinner, but that had to get cancelled due to the snow. Tomorrow Bob was going to go with me to a small antique show, but now he won't be going. I'm still going to go, though. 
Today I'll just be staying in, cleaning, doing laundry, working out, and then just relaxing.
In the pictures below I'm wearing my Oblong Box Shop ceramic tree print skirt that I got a year ago. Oblong Box Shop has such super cute Christmas print skirt. My reindeer one is also from OBS. I get endless compliments on both skirts. I have a smaller collection of antique ceramic trees: 3 so far, so I really appreciate this skirt! Plus the skirt is super colorful, so what's not to love about it? I get such a small window of time to rock my Christmas outfits, so I try to make the most of it, and wear them a lot during that window. I've been wearing my Erstwilder Christmas lights brooch a lot since getting it last month. 

Top: Pinup Girl Clothing
Skirt: Oblong Box Shop
Brooch: Erstwilder
Earrings: Etsy (Luxulite)
Bangles: Splendette
Heels: BAIT Footwear

~Bye bye for now!

Christmas Cocktails

Hello there! I had a great four day weekend, and hope you all did, too. It was the perfect mixture of doing fun things, seeing family, and getting to do plenty of relaxing at home, too. It certainly went by very fast, and now Christmas is four weeks from today! 
I went to an antique show on Saturday with my mom. She asked me the night before, and I wasn't sure at first, since I've been doing a lot of antiquing lately and obviously spending money doing that, and the Oldwick show is this coming Saturday, too. But, I ended up going, and I'm glad I did! I had never been to this show before, and my mom hadn't been in many years. It was about forty minutes from where I live, and I met my mom halfway, and then we carpooled from there. 
It was a decent size show, with a few good antique holiday vendors. I saw some vendors I have seen at other shows, and also some I've never seen before. I bought three things myself: a $10 fruit print tablecloth in great condition, a snowman blowmold for $15, and a plastic Santa on a reindeer, in the original box, and it still lights up! I really wanted this amazing, gorgeous, huge pastel tree topper, but didn't want to spend the money, and I also had seen two multi colored ornaments I really liked it. I showed them to my mom, and luckily she bought them for me for Christmas! I'm so glad she did, because if we left without that tree topper, I really would've been kicking myself.
In the pictures below I'm wearing the outfit I wore on Saturday. I love breaking out my Christmas outfits! I wait all year to do this, ha. I really love this Heart of Haute cheery cocktail skirt that I got a year ago. Isn't this Erstwilder Christmas lights print too cute?! 
I obviously love how bright it is! I got TONS of compliments on my outfit at the show, which is nice, but I'm trying concentrate on all the goodies I'm looking at, ha! I don't mind people telling me they love my outfit and what not, but I don't want to have to chat too long, and have them ask too many questions about my style! 

Top: Pinup Girl Clothing
Skirt: Heart of Haute
Brooch: Erstwilder
Bangles: Splendette
Heels: BAIT Footwear

~Bye bye for now!

Gingham & Pie

Hello there! I'm so happy that the weekend is here. Yesterday really felt like a Friday to me, so this week felt extra long. Tonight I'll be watching "Stranger Things"! Season two became available on Netflix today, and I'm so excited to see it. I hope it doesn't disappoint, after such a great first season. Tomorrow I'll be going to lunch with my friend at Panera, and I also went to Panera yesterday, ha. Last night I went with Bob, my mom, and grandmother.
I'm really looking forward to next Saturday, when Bob and I are going to the Allentown Toy Show (it's for antique toys, and they also sell antique holiday items). My parents and mom's cousin and her husband will be going, as well. Bob and I went last year, too, but before that I hadn't been since my parents dragged me there when I was little. Last year when we went I hadn't yet gotten my first bottle brush tree or ceramic tree, which I now collect, so this year I will be on the hunt for them, especially bottle brush trees. This is the beginning of the antique show season around here. Two weeks later we'll be going to Lancaster, PA for a vintage holiday fair; which is about two hours away from us.
In the pictures below I'm wearing my Bernie Dexter gingham Nicole dress that I got about a year ago. Red gingham is one of my favorite prints. I love my Erstwilder cherry pie brooch, and wear it often. Gingham & cherry pie just go perfectly together, I think! The weather is cooling down a bit, so I am going to start wearing my 3/4 sleeve and long sleeve dresses again, and I only have a few of them.

Dress: Bernie Dexter
Brooch: Erstwilder
Bangles: Splendette
Heels: BAIT Footwear

~Bye bye for now!