Happy Holidays

We've assembled the aluminum tree (sadly the color wheel does not work), put on the vintage ornaments (there was some red wine involved, so we did lost a few), and propped up Scary Santa in the Bertoia chair.

The Stig showed his appreciation by trying to eat the tree.

 

He was really into it for a minute, but thankfully, tinsel is not to his liking.

 

So instead he struck a pose and gave me my electronic Christmas card.

Happy Holidays.  Life is good.

Over here!

I've been ignoring this blog because I've been working on my new blog/website (as soon as I figure out a couple of CSS tweaks I will be DONE!).  Still, I've been posting on Facebook and on Twitter, and have been listing party dresses on eBay, clothing on Etsy, drinking bloody marys, eating ring-ding-a-ling cake, watching Dexter, and playing with Captain Puffy Pants.

Big Cats

I love big cats.  Specifically, this big cat (The Stig a/k/a Captain Puffy Pants)

I love the big cats on this Serbin dress too:

They're angry!

You can read more about Serbin here.  You can check out the dress auction here.

What Can Brown Do For You?

In 1985, after reading the Spin Magazine essay, "Why Young People Wear Black" I made the choice to do just that.  (I am trying to find the essay online but can't, though while searching, I have discovered  that early 1980's Spin Magazines are going for over $100.  I swear I KNEW when I was cutting out pics of Bono and Sting to hang in my locker that I would live to regret it).

Almost 25 years later, 90% of my wardrobe is black.  But events over the past few weeks have changed my sartorial obsession outlook.  First, the Frye Boots.  Second, I came across a pocketbook, that I could not resist, even though it is made of brown leather.

It folds out to a wallet.  Even the hipster girl who sold me coffee today was impressed!

Holy Grail Part 2

I've bought and sold a lot of Frye Campus boots, but never thought  they were quite my style (in other words, they are not black).  But these were my size, and nice and tall, and I tried them on and in that moment I realized I had named and simultaneously found, my next Holy Grail.

Now I'm a little less upset by the pending cold weather.

Here they are.  I call this, "Still Life With Boots and The Stig" (The Stig is the owner of the fluffy white feet sticking out from the patch of sun).

The living is easy

So in honor of The Stig's laziness, and mine, I'm having a 25% off sale on all my store items.

Real Life

It's not often that I find a real life application for the knowledge I've accumulated about vintage clothing. But yesterday, I had my chance.

Dad and I were at a local furniture consignment store, Cherished Possessions, aka amongst my friends (or at least amongst one very funny friend), CherPo. My father found an old chopper and hand mixer. He buys (and sells) certain types of things - Ogee mirrors, nail cabinets, old kitchen tools, Shaker pieces - and I have the exact same obsessive compulsive behavior, or, er, shopping sensibility. But that is a whole other blog post.

I found a teak dining room set, but I didn't recognize the name on the bottom, and it was in such great shape that it seemed new. However, there was an extra tag on the bottom, for B. Altman's - the same tag used for B. Altman's clothing from the 60's through the 80's, before going out of business in 1989 (thank you VFG!)


So I bought it.

And here is is, with a rug purchased this past weekend at a NH estate auction, on another outing with my father.

The Stig and Luna approve!

The table is designed, or inspired by Borge Mogensen with very clever extending Dutch leaves that extend its length to about 6 feet. It's the perfect excuse for a big dinner party.

The latest addition to the NSV Cast of Characters

The Stig*

Tex

and Luna

are not impressed.

The Stig* sheds a lot, and though he has no contact with the vintage, an occasional ginger coon cat hair may find itself onto a piece, most likely via me, the cat hair magnet.

*Yes, we here at NSV Corporate Headquarters are fans of Top Gear, and the cat's namesake is that "The Stig."