The Royal Flowers - Kate Middleton's Bouquet

Like millions of others, I was up at 4am to watch the Royal Wedding. As a vintage dress fan, of course I absolutely adored Kate Middleton's dress. I thought it simple and elegant, tasteful, and perfect for her. The second I saw the lace bodice and sleeves, and the fullness of the dress, I immediately thought of Princess Grace, one of my all time favorite bridal gowns and was thrilled. It was definately "vintage inspired" with a fresh update.. I loved it!

But.. it would be too predictable for me to blog about the dress. So I thought I'd blog about another beautiful thing about the wedding, and another passion of mine ~ gardening and flowers.

The greenery in the Cathedral gave the entire atmosphere even more of a fairy tale effect, perfect for a real life fairy tale. It gave a "Spring" feeling, almost like an English Country garden. I loved that it was "ecological" and they used living trees, native to the area. Even nicer, the maple and hornbeam trees will be planted at Prince Charles estate after the wedding.

Kate's bouquet was fabulous. Simple, understated and elegant. It suited her perfectly and complimented her dress. Again, local native flowers were used, and seasonal ones. It too, looked like it was hand picked from an English Country garden. Each flower in Kate's all white bouquet was chosen for their meaning.

One of my personal favorite flowers is Lily of the Valley, so it was thrilling to see the fragrant flower in her bouquet. Lily of the valley signifies trustworthy, sweetness and renewed happiness, as well as the April flower. Very appropriate!

White Hyacinth, which also is incredibly fragrant stands for consistency. Sweet William was included, which was a charming touch honoring her groom.

The most sentimental and nostalgic though was the sprig of Myrtle. Myrtle signifies traditional innocence of a bride.

According to the Royal Wedding website carrying myrtle has been the ongoing tradition since Queen Victoria was given an arrangement of flowers with myrtle by Prince Albert's grandmother during a visit to Germany.
The myrtle was first carried by Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, when she married in 1858. Each Royal Bride since then has had a sprig of Myrtle from the Osborn House which continues to grow from Queen Victoria's original plantings in 1845.

The Royal bouquet is never tossed. Instead, like Princess Diana, Kate Middleton will lay her bouquet at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, a historic grave embedded into the church floor in 1920 to commemorate anonymous soldiers killed at war.

Vintage Lingerie Makes a Perfect Bridal Shower Gift

What does a vintage selling Mom give her daughter for a bridal shower? Ok. that's pretty obvious! I must admit I did "look" at Allana's registry, but my heart was just not into buying them a place setting of Fiesta,a crock pot or sheets. I wanted something more memorable.

So a vintage chiffon Vanity Fair peignoir set in a pretty ivory color it was. Long to the floor, full, beautiful, lacy and feminine. A wedding night set. Most of the twenty-something girls in attendance had never seen anything like it, and it was a hit with everyone there, most of all the bride; my daughter.

If you are going to a bridal shower ~ think out side the box. Give her something she and the groom will love, and in five years, they will remember it was from you, unlike most other gifts.

Here are just a few suggestions from
Vintage Outlet




Vintage Victoria's Secret Satin Nightgown Chiffon with Pearls M



Vintage Chiffon Peignoir White Blue Lace Full Sweep L




Victoria's Secret Vintage Satin Chiffon Robe M L



Vintage White Chiffon Eyelet Nightgown Peignoir Robe XS S


all these and more available at
Vintage Outlet

Easter Fashions for Children 1959

(cousin Clory, my sister Sabrina, Clory's twin Jean, my sister Laura, me.)


Another of Dad's many "hobbies" was photography. He loved taking pictures, and although we probably dreaded having constant pictures taken back then, we're grateful for it now. We have reminders of wonderful memories.

Easter was one of them. Every year, Mom would take us each shopping for the "perfect dress" in a pretty pastel, little white gloves (sometimes just passed down) a new spring coat, and always a new (mandatory!) Easter bonnet hat and purse. We picked them out ourselves and they were our treasures.

Of course we left the gloves on in Church and all day.. we were proper ladies!




a few more cousins, including Chuck with his "dapper grown up hat" and Maria looking like a little doll on the car, shortly before she tumbled off.

Addicted to Peeps - My Legacy

I confess. I absolutely love Peeps.. only the ones at Easter. They have to be yellow, and they have to be chickens. No bunny peeps, no bright neon colored chickens in blue or pink. absolutely NO gross orange pumpkin peeps at Halloween no green Christmas Trees or red hearts. Just yellow chickens, thank you. Yes, the others are darling, but I guess I'm a peep purist.






A huge chocoholic, I was thrilled to find chocolate covered peeps.. and grossed when I bit into one to see the bright yellow inside with the chocolate outside. Nope. Give me the originals and hold the chocolate please..






Recently I re-connected with an old friend on facebook, a vintage friend (had to get vintage in here somewhere, lol!) that I've known for 30+ years, but haven't seen in at least 20. The first thing Shelly posted on my wall? "Do you still love your peeps stale?" A funny thing to remember about me after all these years, I laughed. She knows me well. Please don't let peeps be my legacy.

Shelly's memory is correct. I like to open the package, let the little peeps "air dry" for a day and eat them a little crunchy. Not quite stale but crunchy. Then I eat the eyes, which are really only wax, despite thinking for years they were chocolate. Then the little tails, and next the heads. OK.. now you'll think I'm really crazy. Its just nice to have a chunk of marshmallow, the body left for savoring little bites.

A bit of peep trivia ~

•Sam Born began selling Peeps in the early 1920's. He sold them in a small grocery store he owned in New York, under a sign that read "Just Born".

•Today it only takes 6 minutes to make a peep.

•Yellow chicks are the favorite color (ha! i'm not alone!)! After yellow, the favorite color are- pink, lavender, blue, and white. Just food dye, they all taste the same.

•The average adult eats 5 peeps in one sitting.

•The shelf life of Peeps, if stored properly, is years.

•A single Peep has how only 32 calories

You can do more than just eat them plain ~

Help, Help, Mr. Bill!!


Floating in chocolate




I also love the cult following of peep art:

Peep Marshmallow Roast


For the Wedding Peeps


My Favorite bucket of chicken



Smoking makes your peep wings fall off


A Peep-za (for my DD Allana, the Pizza Hut Account Exec :)


Give Peeps a Chance

Peep Kabob


Biker Peeps



Almost every city, every newspaper has an Annual Peeps Diorama contest ~ the creativity is just amazing! Here are a few winners:

Gentlemen prefer Peeps!



Chilean Peep Miners



Split Peep Soup



Peep 3 D show

To all my peeps ~ Happy Easter!

Its Time For Spring Pastel Nightgowns

The Calendar says Spring! That means its time for lighter weight, sleeveless or short sleeve nightgowns in pretty pastel colors. Its time to pack up the dark, jewel tone or primary color lingerie and switch to spring colors. If by chance its still snowing where you are, nothing like a pretty nightgown to get you over the winter blah's and ready for spring ~

Here are just a few of pretty spring colors available at

Vintagepretties






Vintage 50s Nightgown Pink Chiffon Bodice Long Lorraine Lg Tall




Vintage Miss Elaine Lilac Blue Nightgown Long Nightgown Med Lg






Vintage Miss Elaine Peach Nightgown Tall M L





Vintage Lilac Chiffon Nightgown Pretty Pintucks Long Feminine S M

Another Birthday Means More Nostalgia

It's odd as you age, each occasion spurs memories. I think the older you get, the more you reminisce. A recent birthday brought back a flood of old memories.

When I was just a few years old, my parents moved us to the suburbs from Detroit. It was a huge thing in those days to live just a few blocks north of eight mile (yes.. the very same Eminem 8 Mile) and it was considered "out in the country."

Warren had a small town feel then. Most stores were independently owned, and Dad wouldn't dream of not shopping local. We all knew the grocer, the hardware store man and all the shop owners by first name.

This of course included the "electronic store" owned by Joe Sunday. He was the nicest man, and dad was often in his "Sunday's Appliance" store. We also got anything that plugged in from him, from radios to washing machines.

I was born loving music. It was only natural that the spring I turned 13, I wanted my very own record player. A portable one. With a handle. That I could take to my girlfriend's house, or could play my beloved 45's in my bedroom ~ The Beatles, Herman's Hermits, The Rolling Stones and lots of our "native" Motown.

That's all I asked for that year. The only thing I wanted. Of course, Dad went to Sunday's Appliance. Joe and Dad found the "perfect" record player for me. Joe assured Dad I would love this special one. What young girl wouldn't? Joe of course had only sons. That should have been a clue for Dad.

To make matters worse, my parents decided to have a surprise birthday party for me. Thirteen was a big deal back then. An occasion to be celebrated. You are officially a teen ager, no more little girl. I don't remember specifically how many of my school friends and neighbors they invited, but I do remember walking into the kitchen to be surprised by lots of them. I hate surprises. Then and to this day. No surprises please.

It was a great party, and we had a wonderful time. Food, cake, ice cream, games and presents. As I got through the pile of gifts, there was one box remaining. It had to be four feet tall. I couldn't imagine what it was, especially since a record player is much smaller.

I opened the box. It was a DOLL. omg! Total humiliation! A doll for a 13 year old? and worse, given in front of all her classmates? I would never live that down! I was an official teen ager now!

In retrospect, the doll was amazing, and she came with a record player. Thus Dad & Joe's conviction that I would love it. What girl doesn't like dolls AND record players? A completely unheard of SINGING doll? Well, maybe a 13 year old.

Very progressive for its time, the doll had a speaker concealed in her. When you played a record on the special record player, the song would come out of the speaker in the doll. Saranade was her name, and the record included was one she would sing, about her name and what she can do.

Needless to say I acted a spoiled brat that day. Having a fit that my parents would insult me with a doll for my birthday. I immediately gave the doll to my sisters, and kept the record player. My sisters would use the player to make Saranade sing, at the same time taunting me with verses of "Saranade, saranade that's my name! I can talk, I can sign a song or two ~ with you, I'm you're Saranade!"

The taunting was endless. They really enjoyed rubbing it in that I got a doll for my birthday.


Ten years ago, searching for something unrelated on line I suddenly discovered I was looking at a Serenade doll! The memories of that birthday flooded back, and I laughed as I remember Laura and Sabrina singing the Saranade song, and the doll now long gone.

I don't know how or why it appeared on my screen, but obsessed with nostalgia, I absolutely had to have this piece of my childhood. So I bought it, paying way more than planned.






The doll arrived and was exactly as I remembered in the original huge box. It's missing the record player, and every once in a while I search "Westinghouse children's record player" in hopes of finding one.

I've long since apologized to my parents and specifically to my dad for my child like behavior as a young teen. We laugh, and my sisters still know the entire Saranade song.

The doll is in my bedroom, she's too big to really display anywhere else. She's never even been removed, still mint in her original box. Once a month I dust her off.

Hopefully one day I will have a granddaughter. I'll give her my doll and my memories for her 7th or maybe 8th birthday. I wouldn't dream of embarrassing her with it at 13.

Knot Bow or Bolo the History of Men's Neckties

Possibly not the most "comfortable" thing in the world to wear, but I don't know a woman who doesn't admire a man in a tie! Men always look so incredibly handsome wearing them. Personally, I even love the casual "Texas tuxedo" ~ a sport coat, jeans and a neck tie.


Who could imagine neck ties date back to 210 BC, when clothing itself was predominately animal skins or tunics of wool?

In 1974, neckties were actually discovered in the mausoleum of China's first emperor Shih Huang Ti. His tomb contained replica's of officers and soldiers with different armor, uniforms and details, yet all were wearing a necktie. The ties were a mystery, as they were not common to the wardrobe during those times according to historians.

The mystery of the origination of ties continues with marble columns, carved in 113AD in what is now Romania, depicting men wearing various neckties.

By 1660, ties were already fashionable in France, called Cravats and made mainly of muslin; they then became popular in England by royalty and were made of everything from cotton and ribbon to imported Italian laces. Both men and women wore fabrics around their necks, twisted the ends and tucked them into their shirts

Neckties then became a symbol of professionalism. From the 18th to the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution brought a need for ties to remain tied all day, and the bow tie, ascot and long tie evolved.


A book published in 1818, entitled "Neckclothitania" illustrated 14 different ways to tie a cravat, and today many of those knots are still popular, including the Windsor, Half Windsor and "four in the hand."


In the 20s the tie as we know it was patented by Jesse Landsdon, including the innovation of the tie fabric being cut at a 45 degree angle so it laid flat.


By the 40s, ties were wide and nick-named "belly warmers." They became a fashion statement and were available in fun patterns and colors





Ties were drastically narrower in 50s and became "skinny ties" to match the trend of skinny lapels, and were longer at 51". We'd be remiss in not mentioning the popularity of bow ties, made famous in movies with Humphrey Bogart and still worn today by Pee Wee Herman.





The 60s brought ties were that were again skinny and solid colors became popular, even longer at 54". By the late 60's, Ralph Lauren began designing ties as a fashion statement and brought back wider ties.

Not all neckties are fabric or knotted. The Bolo, a leather or string tie fastens with slide. The slide is usually decorative and most common in silver or turquoise, possibly from their origination in the west. The Bolo was named the official state tie of Arizona in 1971, and was made trendy among a younger crowd by Bruce Springsteen.






The 1977 movie "Annie Hall" featured Diane Keaton in the staring role ~ wearing a tie, vest and hat. Neckties immediately became fashionable for women, the movie actually starting a huge trend.






Soon everyone was designing ties. In the late 80s, Ralph Marlin designed conversational ties as well as his famous "fish ties" and other celebrities joined in. From talk show host Johnny Carson, actor Christopher Reeves, Regis Philbin and even rocker Jerry Garcia were designing their own unique line of ties.








The work place became more casual by the 1990's, with necktie requirements being virtually phased out in most offices. Today it is rare to see a man in a tie in most offices.

Not being required attire, There's just something special when you see a man in a necktie against a crisp shirt. It's even more fun when the tie reflects the personality. From his favorite sport to a movie star he admires to that favorite designer or color, there's a tie for all personalities.

Of course, women can enjoy them too.. as a tie under a trendy vest, as a belt with your jeans or worn as a cute head scarf!

The Kindness of Friends - An Artfire Collection

I am truly blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. Friends in real life, many of them since kindergarten. And I also am fortunate to have wonderful Internet friends... people I have never met in real life. Not only other sellers, but amazing customers as well.

In the early days of ebay, sellers bonded. We weren't competition, but peers. One in particular,
Raia emailed one day as she sold lingerie too, and asked if by chance I had a robe to go with an Olga Nightgown to make a set.
Raia and I became instant friends and now all these years later, we email daily, chat on the phone and she is like a sister to me. and we both left ebay for more "honest" pastures

Another I met a few years ago is
Marge. We met as members of the VFG (Vintage Fashion Guild, and she was at Specialist Auctions at the time, and we exchanged a few emails regarding the site.
Marge moved on and we lost touch until last year when she started a group blog and she invited me to join. From that blog, came
The Best In Vintage. Marge is another wonderful friend, Kind and generous with a good heart.

Marge also understands I'm on AOL and dial up, and don't forget I'm using an antique computer. She knows I've had a rough few months. I started a little shop on Artfire.com just after Christmas, then pretty much abandoned it, despite loving the venue. I needed incentive to get back to work.

Well, Marge decided to surprise me! She spent hours creating a collection on artfire featuring some of my items! You can see it here:


Luxurious Lingerie comes in many shapes, textures, colors and sizes!

Or I'll save you a click and just copy it here ~ Thank you Marge!

Luxurious Lingerie comes in many shapes,...

Curated By: BornTooLateVi...

ArtFire.com

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