Check out my Christmas present - J.R. Bauman Collaps-a-Form


My Dad surprised me today with my Christmas present, a vintage J.R. Bauman 'Collaps-A-Form' dress form.

We had spotted a similar dress form in a local antique shop last week. It was newish and they were trying to pass it off as being old, plus they wanted too much for it. But today he stopped in at a local antique dealer's house, and ended up buying me this fab old dress form from the guy.

It has the heavy cast iron base on little wooden wheels, a step pedal raises and lowers the gal. You can push in her shoulders - for getting dresses on and off easily - and you pop the shoulder back out by pushing down the wooden knob on the top. I won't be doing that very much though because I'm afraid of damaging the fabric.
Stamped 'Model 1952', I don't know if that's the year that it was made or truly just a model number. The patent number is from 1942.

She's aged but in great condition with only 2 small tears in the fabric. The name 'Shapiro' is written in pencil on the front of the form.
I'm not sure if I'll put her to work at Dandelion Vintage, I don't want her to get messed up. Maybe I'll just use her on special items.






 
 




 


Dandelion Vintage 16th Anniversary Sale! 33% off everything December 12,13 &14th

 
 



Celebrate the 16th Anniversary of the Dandelion Vintage Website by taking advantage of the -

33% Off Sale!

All stock - including clearance items - is 33% off, now through midnight Saturday December 14th.

The discount will be subtracted in the shopping cart.
Regular shipping charges apply.
Discount cannot be used with another promo code or gift certificates.

 
 
 
 
 





'The Time Traveling Fashionista and Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile'


"What if a beautiful dress could take you back in time?"

I was asked to read and review 'The Time Traveling Fashionista and Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile'. Written by Bianca Turetsky, it's the 3rd book in The Time Traveling Fashionista series and it was just published this month (12/13).

It's a fun series, aimed at young readers, but anyone can enjoy it. It's the story of 12 year old Louise, a Connecticut schoolgirl who loves vintage clothing and old movies.

For the 3rd time, Louise has received an invitation to a secret vintage clothing sale, run by two odd and mysterious old ladies -  Marla and  Glenda. She ended up on wild time traveling adventures the previous times that she went to their secret sales, and she is looking forward to another adventure this time too, plus needs a dress to wear to a special dinner party.

At the secret vintage sale she finds a lavender Grecian style gown. When she tries on the gown, it transports her back in time to 1961, to the set of the film Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor. Here, Louise finds that she is the assistant to movie costumer Irene Sharaff and ends up in a wardrobe tent full of costumes for the movie, including a whole rack of beautiful gowns for Elizabeth Taylor.

Irene is prepping for a fitting with Elizabeth, who is off canoodling somewhere with Richard Burton. Irene has Louise looking for a gold belt that goes with Elizabeth's dress, but Louise finds an old trunk marked 'Private - Keep Out' and of course she looks inside. In the trunk she finds a very old looking pearl necklace. When she puts on the necklace, it transports her even further back in time, to ancient Egypt, to the palace of the real Queen Cleopatra.

Now Louise finds herself as one of 17 year old Cleopatra's handmaidens. The clever young Queen confides in Louise that she thinks her husband King Ptolemy (who happens to be her 10 year old brother) is plotting to kill her so that he can rule Egypt alone. Her baby sister Arsinoe doesn't like her much either. On top of the scheming and plotting in the Palace, the people of Alexandria are planning on rioting. Louise just wants to get out of here and back to her own time, but Cleopatra took the pearl necklace from her, and that's her only way to get back. Yikes.


Fun, easy read, enjoyable story. I liked the references to fabrics, vintage styles, old movies and designers. Being a vintage clothing lover myself, you wonder about the lives of the people who owned the clothing and jewelry in the past. This gives you a magical little way to see the lives of the people who owned the items that Louise tries on.

I've also read the 1st book in the series The Time Traveling Fashionista   a few years back and enjoyed it. I missed the 2nd book (The Time Traveling Fashionista at the Palace of Marie Antoinette) but now I feel the need to go back and read that one too.



Check out more of the Time Traveling Fashionista and Bianca Turetsky -

***Website - http://timetravelingfashionista.com/
***Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Time-Traveling-Fashionista-by-Bianca-Turetsky/156738897708892
**Twitter - https://twitter.com/BiancaTuretsky



I wasn't paid for this review, because I have vintage websites and blogs,  I was offered a copy of the book and asked to give an honest review. I'm going to give the book to my local library.


Christmas in The Woods, 2013


Christmas in our house, 2013




My Mom's antique Canoe Baby stroller and antique doll with a possessed Shirley Temple doll along for the ride (she has yellow eyes)
 


And her other antique canoe stroller.




This Christmas tree is always so hard to photograph. It never looks as good in photos as it does in person. That's a bear standing behind the tree. And yes, a John Wayne clock on the wall above it.





My Nan passed away this year and these are some of her Snow Babies that she had given to me, I worked them into our Christmas display at the base of the tree.


 





 
 
 

Some yard sale purchases




There aren't many yard sales in our area, at least not ones that have older stuff, most are loaded up with newer kids clothes and  big plastic toys. So I'm always excited to pick up even a few small vintage goodies.
This morning I scored a crepe teddy in pale green, a 1940s purse and 2 pairs of gloves also from the 1940s, plus 2 purses and a wallet from the 1960s.
I might keep that wallet for myself, it's a fabric print vinyl, never used. Otherwise you'll eventually see these items on the website.





Showing off my pretty hydrangeas


One good thing about all of the Spring rain that we've had, is that my hydrangea bushes are full of big flowers. I love it! I put a vase of them in every room, even the bathroom, I've spared you a photo of them on the back of my toilet though.















Recent estate sale purchases







A few weeks ago I picked up this old wicker lamp. The  sale was at the home of former antique dealers who obviously specialized in antique lamps - they had a basement full of antique lamps and lamp parts and fixtures.
First I found the wicker stem (green, yeah!)  then I sorted through boxes of sockets, plugs and shade holders to put the lamp together which was kinda fun. I got it all for $11.00.
My Dad can get it all together and  get the new plug working for me.
Then my mission became finding a shade for it.










This week we went to another big sale - yard, garage and a 4 story house loaded with all kinds of interesting antiques. No vintage clothing (none at the previous sale either) but lots to look at.

I've been wanting an antique desk chair for a few years now and I finally found one! Heavy maple wood, spins, height adjusts, upper back moves with your back. It was only $18. Bargain. It had no wheels when I bought it, but my Dad had a set for me. I sanded a few little paint spots, cleaned it, rubbed it with linseed oil and put a little stain in spots. Excellent. I'm sitting in it right now.


 
 
 
 
And, I also bought two newish mauve lampshades with fringe - lampshade goal achieved! 
This one will go nicely on my wicker lamp, I just want to find a way to age the shade a little, it looks a little too bright and new for the older chippy wicker base.
 

 
 
 

Dandelion Vintage included in the list of 'The 100 Best Vintage Shops Online'


The 100 Best Vintage Shops Online




I'm very glad to have Dandelion Vintage included in the list of  'The 100 Best Vintage Shops Online'. It's a brand new e-book by Sammy Davis which gives a brief decsription of 100 online vintage shops with a sampling of items and also links to their shops, Facebook, Twitter and blogs.

The list is broken down into 20 etsy shops, 10 ebay shops, 10 stand alone shops, and then 5 each of shops that they feel offer the best  - Jewelry - Bags - Footwear - Eyewear - Hats - Wedding - Designer - Style Steals - Large Selection - Contemporary - Mid-century - Pre-’30s.

Dandelion Vintage is listed as a favorite in the Hats category (thanks to my big 120+ selection of hats at affordable prices)


You can purchase and download a copy of the e-book for $3.99 here -
http://www.lulu.com/shop/sammy-davis/the-100-best-vintage-shops-online/ebook/product-20730884.html

 

Vintage outfits the week of 2/10/13

 
 
2/12/13 Outfit - One of my favorite vintage dresses, which I bought on ebay a few years back (I wore that dress when we went to get Harlow) with a new brown sweater over top of it and a belt from a vintage dress. I'm posed kind of schlumpy here.
Sock Dreams thigh-highs, shoes from etsy and the 1940s brown wool purse with Lucite pull came from a vintage stock purchase.

 
 
 
 

2/12/13 Outfit - 1940s Plaid Jacket, 1960s black skirt, and 1960s purse and 1960s black loafers. New sweater and tights. The belt was a better match in person, it's looking kinda pinkish in this photo.


Blue Vintage just added to the website - Hats, Lingerie,a dress and jackets

 
  
 
Just added to the website - www.dandelionvintage.com - click on the links below -



** Vintage Lingerie - Blue & peach brocade and blue cotton housecoats and a pair of blue Daniel Green Slippers sz6

** Vintage Blouses and a skirt - a lingerie top, cute Key West animal print skirt, Sugar and Spice blouse, linen blouses and a sheer blue blouse with inset lace appliques.

** 1920s Pale Blue embroidered cotton bedjacket

** A Pale Blue Floral Cotton Dress - with lavender appliques

** 2 Tailored Jackets - 1940s and 1950s






Cleaning and rearranging my bedroom



I had the urge Friday to clean and do some rearranging in my bedroom, so I might as well photograph my accomplishemnt and show it off!



Below is a little display of stacked vintage suitcases and hatboxes, along with some of my boudoir dolls.  1940s Plaid jacket ( My very favorite piece of vintage clothing) is hanging nearby.




1930s silk kimono hangs over my bed and I've tried to pretty-up the tv, but no use, it's still a big black box.




This china cabinet came out of a house in Strathmere that was going to be torn down. I use it to display all my old Strathmere items - advertisements, photos, postcards etc.
The board on the floor that says 'prepaid Gus Wittkamp' was found under the floorboards in the attic of our house in Strathmere. It's from an old delivery crate from before the 1930s.
Yes, we named our doggie Gus after Gus Wittkamp, he built our house in 1902.


 
 
 
 
Some more of my boudoir dolls and a few Kewpies. I made the dresses for the boudoir dolls with vintage fabrics. The one on the left was a 1950s blue lace dress that was stained and torn.
The large oval photo is Addie Harrison. She is the mother of Florence, who is the girl with the head scarf in my website logo.







This lamp I bought on ebay about 10 years ago. It's a Victorian vase that was converted into a lamp, probably in the 1940s. I bought a new lampshade and covered it with rayon tulle fabric from a damaged piece of 1930s lingerie and some antique crochet lace.




This is just a cheap little shelf that I picked up at a house clean out. I brushed a little paint on it to try to make it look a little older. It houses some of my smalls - mermaids, half dolls, paper items, compacts, etc.

 
 

My very favorite piece vintage clothing item

 
 
 
My very favorite vintage piece is this plaid jacket that I bought in a large vintage stock purchase about 13-14 years ago. It's a late 1930s-early 1940s woven wool plaid, nicely tailored, with very cool silver buttons down the front.

What do I love about it? Everything! I love the blue-grey and brown plaid, great color combo that went with so much. The fit was perfect, I don't like big shoulders and these shoulders are just right, and it's also nicely fitted through the bust and waist. And the buttons are so cool. I got a lot of use out of this jacket, I wore this piece out, it was my grab-it-and-wear-it jacket for everyday.


Now for the sentimental reason why it is so treasured to me. I wore this jacket when we went to get our sweet doggie Boris up in PA back in March of 2001. I wore it when we first saw him and then when we picked him up 2 weeks later. He sat on my lap on the way home and he kept trying to chew those cool silver buttons! That was a special day.
I no longer wear this jacket because it has holes and fraying in several areas, but whenever I see it, I admire it's coolness and I think of Boris and the day that we brought him home. Weep. He would have been 12 years old next week.

The good thing about wearing and selling vintage is that you can sell an item when you get tired of wearing it. Usually I sell items from my own wardrobe if they start to get damaged, as cheap as-is items. But this is one item that will never be sold.



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Some fraying on the ends of the sleeve and a wear hole on the body of the jacket.  Yes, I could probably get the holes and fraying rewoven, but I won't. I don't want anyone touching my beloved jacket.
 
 
 Baby Boris, the very first time that we saw him in March 2001.
 
 
 
 
 

Some recent vintage outifts and cool socks



1/20/13 - I had a lot of fun wearing these striped socks from Sock Dreams. 1940s shoes, 1960s skirt. I was too cool!
Shoes were an etsy purchase, skirt came from a vintage stock purchase. (A 'vintage stock purchase' is when I buy a big lot of vintage all at once from an estate or dealer)






1/27/13 - 1960s striped skirt, 1940s herringbone/plaid jacket, vintage purse and pin, newish shoes and another pair of fun over-the-knees from Sock Dreams.
I may have pushed it throwing the tapestry purse into the pattern mix, but what the hell.
Jacket came from a church yard sale, skirt and purse were from vintage stock purchases, shoes from etsy.





 
 
2/3/13 - 1940s Dark Blue sweater and skirt set (love!) 1940s suede shoes, 1960s carpet bag purse and another pair of socks from Sock Dreams (no, they aren't paying me to showcase their socks, I'm just obsessed) These are knee highs and I wore over black tights, that keeps them up pretty well. The photo was taken after I got home, so hair is courtesy of Gus and Harlow greeting me when I got home.
Sweater set was an ebay purchase, purse and shoes were from vintage stock purchases.



Bye for now, Carol
www.dandelionvintage.com




Cool Find - Florida Handbags business card, in a Florida Handbags purse of course





While prepping this 'Florida Handbags of Miami' tapestry purse for the website,  I found a business card from Florida Handbags  in one of the inner pockets.  Cool. Check out the lucite purse on the card.
The address today looks like it belongs to a place called 'Vertical Textiles'.


 
 
 

Recent vintage stock purchase!


Last week I made a nice size vintage stock purchase! The call came out of the blue from someone that I had bought from a year or so ago, and then didn't hear from again until today. She stopped by just as a storm started this afternoon, with boxes of goodies for me to go through.

I ended up with 55 hats from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
10 purses, (5 of which I am trying to resist keeping for myself)
32 dresses, mostly from the mid to late 1960s and a few later.
Also a few coats, some lingerie and blouses. Cool. I really needed a nice stock purchase to give me some things to keep busy with over the Winter.

My dad was in the hospital recently and is recovering very well now. But we have doctor appointments, a visiting nurse and physical therapy, so it's been hard for me to get time to work on the vintage the past 2 weeks.
I'm hoping to dive into working on some of this fresh stock Friday, so watch for updates in a few days. I'd love to dive into the hats first, because they are so easy to list, but the website is in desperate need of dresses, so I should try to get to those first.
 
 

 
 
 
Gus is checking out the new vintage hats too.