Fathers Day ~ A Red Rose or White?

My earliest memories of fathers day when I was young were not just the ties we bought dad, or the home made crafts we made for him; but from Church.. it was explained to me that if your father was deceased, you wore a red rose, if he was still alive, awhite rose. This left a strong impact on me back then.

Of course, like many things.. I just moved on and forgot about the custom, as it seems it no longer is a tradition. I became curious to this as we approach Father's Day this year. Surprisingly, Father's day is a relatively "new" celebration, not becoming national until 1966.

Research on the origination of Father's Day is varied, interesting and sentimental.. One such story, and the most popular, was a Ms. Sonora Louise Smart Dodd from Spokane, Washington was sitting in Church on Mother's Day.. and wondered if there was a day to honor fathers, as there was mothers.

Sonara's own mother had died in childbirth at the young age of 16, leaving her father to raise 6 other children and a newborn on his own. She became inspired by Anna Jarvis's accomplishment of a national day to honor mother's and began her own mission for a day to honor fathers, justified in feeling her father certainly deserved being honored.

She began locally, in her own church, then to the Spokane Ministerial Association and the local Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) who all supported her,

Mrs. Dodd celebrated the very first Father's Day on June 19, 1910. Though there was initial hesitation the idea gradually gained popularity through US and Fathers Day came to be celebrated in cities across the country .

It took almost six years for the idea to really spread. Finally, in 1916, the concept of honoring father's reached higher powers.. President Woodrow Wilson approved of the idea.

A full seven years later, President Calvin Coolidge too supported the idea of a national Father's Day in 1924 to, "establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations".

Finally, after a struggle of over four decades, President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father's Day in 1966. Then in 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June.

Of course, there are many conflicting stories, including the first Father's Day was celebrated in a West Virgina church in 1908 and a rumor the first was in Vancouver, WA.

Another report states Harry Meek was the president of the Lions' Club in Chicago, and it is said he celebrated the first Father's Day with his organization in 1915 to stress the need to honor all fathers. He selected the closest date to his birthday, the third Sunday in June for celebrating. In appreciation for Meek's work, the Lions Clubs of America presented him with a gold watch, with the inscription "Originator of Father's Day," on his birthday, June 20, 1920.

Then in 1957, Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote Congress: "Either we honor both our parents, mother and father, or let us desist from honoring either one. But to single out just one of our two parents and omit the other is the most grievous insult imaginable."

I am fortunate to be wearing a white rose to Church this year on Father's Day, and will be happy to explain the tradition to anyone that isn't aware of it. I'm truly grateful to have such a wonderful father. I was his first child when he was only 17, four more after me. In retrospect, we most likely grew up together, he was so young to have so much responsibility.

Dad took all of us under wing and taught us everything from changing oil in the lawn mower, how to fix a flat and even budgeting and investing. He taught us independence and respect. To this day, I go to him with any problems and respect his wisdom. For all this I am grateful to my wonderful father, and to Ms. Sonora Louise Smart Dodd for her perseverance to create a holiday to honor fathers..



My dad, 1934

Two BIG $ celebrity dress Auctions

There were two separate auctions in the UK last week.. one for hollywood props.. who handled Marilyn Monroe's pink dress from Gentleman Prefer Blondes.. they said it was the "most important Hollywood dress ever".. its the one she wore when she sang " Diamonds are a Girls best friend" in the movie.. the price?
$309K




And Kerry Taylor auctioned off Princess Di's black satin dress from her first official outing as Prince charles fiance'.. and it wasn't even the original.. she lost so much weight, the Emanuel's couldn't alter it, so made her a duplicate. the auction was for the original dress... the price? $276K



Dontcha wish you owned just one of them??

Very Special Vintage Robes

Woo hoo! only 19 days into the month and my "new year's resolution" and i have exceeded all my goals.. tons and tons of new listings on vintageoutlet.ecrater.com, facebook, twitter AND my beloved blog all have regular updates.

One of my projects was Robes.. a dear dear customer who became a pen pal, and now is a wonderful friend put in a request for a robe.. so i grabbed one tote (of several) and started on the robes. Scarey ~ i forgot just how many i have.. and they should be listed!! So i got to work on robes.

Last year, i drove to Austin (5 hours, told ya i love road trips! lol) and went to an estate sale there. It was amazing. A gentleman who worked in the oil industry was constantly on the road for his job. He had a wonderful wife of 40 years.. and with each trip, he would return with a gift for her, and it was almost always lingerie.

If he was in a small town, he would purchase from a local boutique.. if it was big city, he'd go to Neiman's or Saks.. nothing was too good for his beautiful wife.

And of course, she had more lingerie than she could ever wear! Each piece was amazing. The condition incredible.

Then in the 1980s she passed away. He never re-married, devoted forever to his wonderful wife. The trips continued, and he passed away last year. The daughters had to deal with the estate, and among it, all their mother's treasured lingerie. I bought every single piece. it became as sentimental to me as it was to the daughters, and i listed it slowly.

A wonderful lady in California bought the first piece. We became pen pals.. and she asked of the estate and i told her what i had learned.. so she bought more. In fact, she bought most of it, and i was thrilled it went to a good home. Sellers get personal about their things you know..

And today i came across two more pieces from this estate. A gorgeous late 1970s vintage Komar Robe in a stunning peacock blue velour.. it has a zip front perfect for lounging but it also has the most amazing neckline. its quilted.. but the quilting is actually done in roses and leaves. its just gorgeous. Of course, like new, with a dry cleaning tag attached.




She also had a pink brocade or jacquard robe. Its satin, but very light and fluid, the design a subtle tone on tone.. just lovely! it too has quilted trim. Stunning white satin with classic diamond quilting accents on the pockets, cuffs and the shawl collar. Very Mad Men.. it would be fabulous on the show with January Jones wearing it! Actually, if it meant getting close to Don Draper.. i'd wear it!!




Well, the robe tote is almost done.. and i do hope if my special friend in N. Carolina doesn't buy either of these, that they go to a home as special as they came from.

Fabulous Vintage Olga Nightgown in Rare Styles

Of course i love an Olga nightgown.. who doesn't? if you read my earlier post about the history of olga nightgowns, you have already learned there's a style to suit everyone!

well, i managed to get a few new ones listed this week.. one a common favorite, the other two really rare:



http://vintageoutlet.ecrater.com/p/8352955/vintage-olga-bodysilk-nightgown-butterfly

This one is the more common, but highly collectable "Butterfly" lace.. called so because of the lace inset across the bodice that trails a wee bit down the side to give almost an illusion of butterfly wings.. isnt it pretty? This is in the Bodysilk fabric, ultra silky and luxurious.

A more rare one is this cozy top secret hug. it has a fabulous brushed nylon bodice and silky nylon skirt. Wonderful long sleeves with lace cuffs.. how perfect for a cold winter night, with the flannel like top, and the silky bottom.. the best of both worlds!!





http://vintageoutlet.ecrater.com/p/8353628/vintage-olga-nightgown-secret-hug

and last we have another really rare style, the fabric ultra sheer and ultra soft, with a "whipped cream" texture.. just incredible. I like it for the style as well.. a little stand up collar, pintucks at the bodice, then yards and yards of fabric as it flows free busted to the floor.. with an amazing full sweep. demure, yet very sexy!



http://vintageoutlet.ecrater.com/p/6682135/vintage-olga-nightgown-sheer-yellow

All are available in my vintageoutlet.ecrater.com shop! stop by and look at all the lovely Olga nightgowns available.

$50/30

what a wonderful campaign. not a new concept, its been around for a while. the idea is to support small local business. you try to spend $50 locally, every 30 days. you know. mom & pop shops. local restaurants, local farmer stands.

and if we all did it.. we'd have all this money back into local economy. i love it! it just makes sense.
and of course, i would much rather spend money with the "little guy" struggling to make a living, especially in this economy.

Sometimes its hard. other times its easy. Mainly the hard part is the outrageous prices the little guy charges. I know. he has overhead. he has to buy the product for way more than the big box store charges, often he has to buy from the big box store to re sell, since his small orders don't even qualify for delivery.

So on the way home today, i passed Wal Mart.. knowing their milk is only $1.99.

And i stopped a new produce store that just opened last year. A 3rd generation farmer who put up a cute little building with wrap around porch. Grows his own corn and tomatoes, but also buys "excess" from local gardeners, which is another nice thing i like about him.

The porch itself attracts customer. It has a row of hand made Adrondiak chairs, hand made by a local retired carpenter. For sale of course. Jim, the produce stand owner doesn't take a cut.. you just make your check out to the carpenter. Jim's nice like that. For his kindness, his business should thrive.

He helped me pick out a watermelon, and sold me a quart box of tomatoes, half green for frying. His prices barely more than Wal Mart..but i know he didn't use nasty pesticides or anything bad in growing them.

Just down the road a bit after Jim's produce stand and right before my house is a "corner store"..little gas station with two pumps and a small convenience store. Its been there for ages, though its on about the third owner. I have to mention its in the middle of no where. 7 miles from "town."

You never see a car there. its sad. The convenience of having him open, despite high prices is worth supporting him. Hey, you can't run up to walmart in your pajamas at 9:30pm cause you forgot you don't have coffee for the morning or bread for the kids lunches. But you can there. And he doesn't even laugh, although i'm sure he wonders about some of his customers.

So I stopped in and grabbed a gallon of milk. $3.99. but that's ok. it was worth the extra $2 to not deal with a parking spot at walmart, the long lines at the checkout. And he greeted me by name, asked about the kids as he handed me my change. You don't get that at big box stores.

We haven't spent anywhere near $50 so far this month.. but we'll hit the little restaurant for breakfast Saturday morning, and keep trying to "keep it local".

its a nice feeling.

Texas Country Reporter

One of the best things about selling vintage is scouting it. Since i absolultey love a road trip, its a great justification for one! We get to see a new area, go to wonderful estate sales and enjoy local food. we especially enjoy small towns and back roads.

A lot of the inspiration for our road trips comes from one of my favorite local travel shows, "Texas Country Reporter"

Bob Phillips, the show's host features small towns, artists, festivals and just people of interest in the state of texas. We have enjoyed many of the locations suggested on the show, often perfect little weekend get aways.

Imagine my surprise, and excitement when today's show featured a re-sale clothing store! Yes! Bob went to Sweetwater, Tx, and visited Bennie Frazier, who owns Bennie's Attic.

Bennie was interviewed mainly for an estate she bought of original Route 66 art.. which is fabulous, but of course, i was focusing on the racks and racks of fabulous vintage designer clothing, hats, purses and shoes.

There were ladies shopping during the show, and trying on clothing. Racks of beautiful coats and dresses were glimpsed.. enough to tease!

Bennie also had cute collectibles and antiques.. the store looks absolutely charming, a place you could just spend hours in. Bennie herself seems like a fun, vivacious person that anyone would enjoy meeting.

Sadly, i found no website for her, a few local newspaper articles and of course video from today's Country REporter show.

but~ know the second we can get away, we're heading down to sweetwater to visit Bennie's store and see her vintage clothing!

If you happen to be in Texas, Bennie's Attic is at 113 Oak St., Sweetwater, TX 795556

http://www.texascountryreporter.com/show.htm

The Playhouse

Moving cross - country is pretty traumatic for anyone, but especially children; even when they say they want to.

In 1993, I took the plunge. Packed up the kids and left Michigan for Texas. The girls were excited. My family was beside themselves.. looking forward to two more grandchildren/ neices to spoil.

My parents, two sisters, and one brother; all their familys and lots of cousins were in TX. Mom even flew up to MI, so she could drive back with us. She helped make it a fun "girly trip" to Texas, stopping anywhere interesting along the way and taking our time.

Everyone tried to make the transition easy and fun for my girls. Especially my dad. The back yard to our new house had a large, odd cement slab. We had a large back porch, so the slab was a mystery, even the neighbors could not tell us what it was ever used for.

I thought it was the perfect foundation for a playhouse! nice and flat, on a hill, with a fabulous view of pastures.

The quest began. Dad wanted to build it himself for them. We looked at kits, ready made and even blueprints. we had to have the perfect playhouse. Then dad had yet another heart attack, and needed a stent. Sadly, his construction days were over; but he never forgot his promise to my daughters.

Months later Dad called. He wanted me to meet him at a local lake. No reason.. just come! So i jumped in the car to meet him. I found him in front of a sadly neglected, abandoned cottage. I thought perhaps he was interested in lake property?

No. Dad had other ideas. This would be a PERFECT playhouse for his grandaughters. I laughed. it was HUGE ~ 10 feet wide, and over 20 feet long! it was two story with a very narrow staircase and definately needed some TLC.

Dad had already talked to the owner, who wanted the land, but not the cottage. The price he wanted for the building was ridiculously low. The lumber and building supplies to build a new one were at least ten times more than he wanted, and this one was pretty much ready to go!

Dad also had a quote of only a few hundred dollars to move it from the lake to our back yard. He was quite convincing, and made so much sense. Dad always is logical.

So, the very next weekend, the former cottage was moved to our back yard. The girls and their playmates had a wonderful time painting the interior. If you can imagine 6 & 8 year old girls with paint rollers.. it was a fun time.

We put down vinyl tile downstairs, hung curtains and moved in an old sofa , a kitchen table, bookshelves and even a TV.

The upstairs was carpeted, so it just needed a good cleaning. We moved up mirrors, clothing racks and a dressing table, as well as bean bag chairs and sleeping bags.

My daughters always loved dressing up in vintage clothing, and making up plays. Real plays with several acts they wrote themselves, made tickets for and carried out. Partially as an excuse to dress up i'm sure, but they had wonderful imaginations!

Despite being the "new kids in town" our house rapidly became the place to hang out. There wasn't a single weekend i can remember that did not have at least one little girl spending it here, usually four or five. And typically from Friday to Sunday night. we all loved every minute of it.

The girls would spend hours and hours dressing up, experimenting with makeup. They would make sandwiches in the house, and take them out to the playhouse to eat. They would create new plays to perform. And most of all, I think they developed their own fashion style.

Even as they grew to their teen years, they would still enjoy the playhouse. Often they would incorporate something from the massive collection of vintage clothing up their into their every day wardrobe. They actually started fashion trends at school with their peers. It was natural that Allana, my youngest wore a beautiful vintage dress to her prom.




Years later, the girls grown and gone, sadly there are no more slumber parties in the playhouse. Since then it was a crafting room and a potting shed. It was too wonderful a space to not use.

These days the kitchen table and sofa are gone. The book shelves are still there, but instead of the rock collections and favorite children's books, rubber maid totes line them. Full of vintage clothing. Not the girl's dress up clothes, but my inventory. An entire wall of new shelves are marked nightgowns, robes, blouses, skirts ~ and on each of the shelves are the appropriate vintage clothing inventory.

I can't part with the playhouse. I have had offers to sell it it many times. Hopefully one day, a little grandaughter will come running in the house with a vintage dress, high heels and a huge fun hat from her dress up time in it.

And each time i go out there to add inventory or retrieve a sold item to ship, i can almost hear the laughter of the girls over 10 years ago!