Dreaming of some red for Christmas?

Some of the cheerful vintage reds in my shops:

1. Red dotted swiss dress with dramatic ruffle 2. Red cashmere turtleneck by Dalton sorry, just sold 3. Red taffeta party dress with a slip meant to show 4. Red checked cotton tweed swing coat 5. Red taffeta and tulle formal 6. Red and white striped gown by Emma Domb 7. Emma Domb red, gold and gown 8. Candy apple red patent stilettos 9. Red cashmere clutch coat

Need a different size? a different price? a different item? I have picked out a bevy of vintage holiday reds (coats, shoes, hats, jewelry, dresses, skirts...) from other sellers on Etsy in a collection called holiday reds. Let me know if you have a specific vintage wish that you can’t find and I’ll help you find it from me or some other seller. (Sound like Macy’s sending people to Gimbel’s a la Miracle on 34th Street? All in the holiday spirit!)

Mama’s ring

I’ve mentioned my mother’s blue glass ring before, but it is probably my very favorite and most meaningful vintage item, so out it comes again today.

My mother, as I’ve mentioned before in my blog, grew up in Iowa during The Great Depression. Her father was a banker who worked with farmers to keep their farms from being foreclosed upon. My grandfather also worked with prisoners at a local penitentiary to find skills for them to take back into the real world. He worked with an expert forger to create the Sheaffer Signature Pen.

One man learned to craft jewelry. As a thank you to my grandfather, this man made a ring “to match his daughter’s eyes.” It is sapphire blue glass in a gold setting, very simple and elegant. Mama’s eyes were exactly this color. My eyes are green, but I still love wearing this beautiful ring.

Mama showing off her new ring and me—70 years later—striking a similar pose with the ring

My Harold Balazs bracelet

I’m wearing something meaningful to me each day this month, and today I come to a bracelet I bought at an estate sale about a dozen years ago. I was just starting out with my vintage business and watching every cent coming in and out of the coffers. This bracelet absolutely caught my eye, and I purchased it to sell.
Really enamored with the bracelet, I then saw the signature on the back and could not consider selling it. Harold Balazs is an artist whose work has constantly inspired and uplifted me. His work is all over Washington State, and Spokane especially. At that time I hadn’t realized he made jewelry. My bracelet probably dates from the early 1960s.

Here I am in 1985, across the Spokane River from the Spokane Opera House (now called the INB Performing Arts Center). I had just won the position of Principal Horn in the Spokane Symphony and I felt like I owned the place! The grandly-scaled lantern behind me is by Harold Balazs, and several other sculptures by him are in close proximity.

I consider the abstract totemic images on the bracelet to be my good luck symbols!

Harold Balazs is still creating (see Washington State Magazine’s recent article Finding the artist: An absurd and incredible journey.) He seems unstoppable, or at least I hope he is.

Papa’s tie

The meaningful item I pulled out to wear today is a tie I gave to my father when I was little. My father wore a suit and tie every day and was always sartorially splendid. His suits were custom made by a Savile Row tailor, his shirts were made of Sea Island cotton. His ties were by Dior, Cardin—wonderfully stylish and high quality. So when I gave my father a tie which I had chosen and he loved it and wore it often, that made me so happy! The tie is pink and green, my favorite colors, not my father’s, but he said they reminded him of me.

My father died in 1974, not so long after I gave him this present. I still have the tie and it is really dear to me, like the memory of my father.

My fruit umbrella

It rained cats and dogs this weekend and so it was not hard to think which meaningful item to pull out. This is my fruit umbrella, given to me in 1992 by my future husband. We had just gotten together again (after having been friends years before) and this was his first gift to me.

You know how it is easier to forgive some things more than other things in a partner? I could live with a multitude of sins, but not lack of humor or lack of style. This beautiful umbrella just makes me—and everyone else who sees it—smile. It melted even further my already melting heart.

I hope you have something that protects you from the storm and keeps your heart and soul warm!

Meaningful Finnish modern necklace

I’m wearing something meaningful to me every day this month, and it isn’t hard for me to come up with things, although sometimes they are more meaningful than remarkable.

This is actually a rather distinguished necklace by the Finnish modernist artist Seppo Tamminen. It was given to my mother by her Icelandic friends in the 1960s. I have worn this for photos here and there to enhance a modern 1960s or 70s item, and have never had so many inquiries about purchasing something that I had used just as a prop in the picture. It’s such a large and distinctive piece that I no longer show it in my photos, temptation to others that it is!

I loved hearing about my mother’s friends Skúli and Kippi (not sure how to spell their names) who gave her this necklace. My favorite story was about when Skúli started school at the University of Washington. He was asked to give his religion so that they could put him in touch with a club or church. He didn’t wish to say, so he gave them the answer Druid. They didn’t know what to do with that so they had Buddhists get in touch with him!

Meaningful make-up

My meaningful item to wear today is a sparkle eye powder that I have actually worn here and there since I bought it in 1979. It is essentially pink-shaded mica, and it was such an extravagance for me at the time. I used to use it not only on my eyes but as a highlighter, and it caught the bright night lights of its era perfectly. I have looked up the ingredients and none of them are banned. I don’t have any negative reaction to the use of this, and I certainly can’t use it up in my lifetime, it’s that intense. 

Once when I had a coaching with a former model, an expert on make-up application, she offered to help me out by tossing this ancient eye powder. I practically screamed NOoooo! It is a meaningful piece of history to me.

I don’t even know who made this anymore because that name has worn off the side of the container. 

I was so glad to see the great Lisa Eldridge has a video about her collection of vintage cosmetics (

Vintage Make-Up...I Love It!

). It makes me feel a little less strange hanging onto a cosmetic item even though it’s much more about the memory than the use of it. As a matter of fact Lisa strongly warns that you 

should not use

 vintage cosmetics, and that preserving them, their beautiful containers and their era-evoking colors, is precisely the point. So I’m not obeying her wisdom and caveats for today—I just had to remember my own life in 1979.  

Oh, and if you have a love of vintage makeup looks and a few minutes, you really must see Lisa Eldridge recapturing a Biba face with Barbara Hulanicki’s most original colors: 

Autumn warmers

Things are starting to cool down now here in Spokane, how about where you are? This makes me very happy in one way: I LOVE coats! Especially VINTAGE coats! My theme for November is a small tribute:

Just some of the vintage coats currently available in my Etsy shop and with more arriving all the time—

Stay warm and stylish! ♡

Wear something meaningful

Care to join me in my November vintage resolution?

November: Wear something meaningful every day. I have plenty of interesting family items, souvenirs from long-ago vacations, gifts from my favorite people and other items with great karma. I resolve to wear at least one of these each day in November. 

I know many of us have on a wedding ring, locket or some other meaningful item every day, but I’m thinking of the sorts of things that are not usually used every day. I want to seek those items out, think about their history and appreciate them.

I have always been a hoarder of the tiny things that don’t slow down a move—from jewelry to hair clips, socks to scarves—so many smaller items are with me from quite awhile ago.

Today I’ve pulled out a barrette from the 1970s that says VOTE.

My mother caucused for her candidates and went door-to-door for causes she believed in. She took my brother and I with her to watch her vote and never EVER missed voting. This barrette reminds me of her...and reminds me to vote!

My green hat collection

A few years back I was all prepared to sell this green hat at the same time I was selling the green suit. I took photos of it then got a huge lump in my throat...I loved the hat so much that I decided I couldn’t let it go. Because I know I have a vintage business to run, I don’t allow that to happen much, but in the case of this hat...


Then another green hat came along and the same thing happened. Maybe its my reddish hair and green eyes. Maybe I just like green. Now I have a small collection of green hats.

I can’t imagine anything more flattering than the right hat, whether it is for the shape with your face shape or the color with your coloring. We keep toying with the notion again, wearing decorated headbands and fascinators—which are great—but what about all those vintage hats? There are decades of hats out there and I believe it just takes finding a few that work for you and you will be hooked.

My green hat eye candy collection on Pinterest: How green was my hat

September resolution: Wear hats

My September vintage resolution, as I wrote in January:

I have some beautiful vintage hats and I tend to wear them for special occasions if at all. Everyone tells me they love hats, but just can’t bring themselves to wear them. Maybe they need someone to lead the parade?

So here I am.

Transform yourself

You know those celebrity look-alike sites where you can find out which famous person you resemble? I honestly have gotten two deceased Asian (male) dictators as my matches.

I know I can do better than that!

One of my favorite things about vintage clothing is the opportunity it offers to transform oneself. I don’t personally want or try to exactly match a famous person, but I love trying to capture something of them for my vintage clothing photos. 

See if you can tell who was the inspiration for each of these photos. (Answers tomorrow)

Laaaa-zzzzy

This is the time of year when most of us in the Northern Hemisphere are warm (or hot) and could use a break.

First, if you don’t keep track of denisebrain on Facebook, I invite you there now for a cool break on vintage clothing.

Second, check out my August theme, which is fashionably late this month...appropriate to the theme:

We did it!

I am OVERJOYED to say that the manatee fundraiser put on by Rosie and me reached our goal, on the button.

Of course there is no way we could have reached this goal without very generous support from many people: Customers who purchased from my denisebrain vintage shops, those who contributed directly on my YouCaring page, and all those who spread the word and offered encouragement.

My greatest thanks goes to the Save the Manatee Club for being the manatee’s constant advocate. I have just sent them the proceeds of our fundraiser, $1000.

Yes Rosie, we did it!! (photo of Rosie the manatee by William Garvin)

Go Rosie! Another manatee fundraiser update

Rosie and I are truly astonished to say that the goal we set three days ago ($700) was met, the goal we set two days ago ($800) was met, the goal we set yesterday ($900) was met...and now we are trying for $1000 by July 17!

Photo of Rosie by William Garvin

For Rosie and all the manatees, this is so great!

Rosie and I are back with another Save the Manatee update

Rosie, denisebrain official manatee adoptee, is feeling pretty hopeful about our fundraiser! I have heard from people all over the world who appreciate the cause (who doesn’t love Rosie?) and are glad to give back with their purchase.

In case you haven’t heard, Rosie and I are hoping to raise at least $600 by July 17 for a donation to Save the Manatee Club. We have a YouCaring.com page where I am recording 25% of my sales at denisebrain, and I can also accept direct donations on this page.

A lot needs to be done to save the manatee, so Rosie and I would really appreciate if my donation could be even greater than $600. Are you in?

The denisebrain Etsy shop
The denisebrain web store 

Summer breeze

This is the time of year when I hand wash clothing that I’ve saved up for fair weather. I have two laundry lines and hang the clothes out to dry. Nothing quite like the smell of clean laundry-line clothes!

My July theme is a tribute to my clothesline and the summer breeze that dries everything so quickly and well. It’s a vintage technique that I can thoroughly endorse.

Another manatee fundraiser update

When I speak of the beleaguered manatee, please know that partisan political forces are representing the species as not so endangered. Right now, steps are being taken to delist the endangered manatee for the benefit of few. Notice (from this Tampa Bay Times article) that manatees have never been more endangered in recorded history. A gentle, intelligent herbivore that has been on our planet practically infinitely longer than we humans (30-60 million years vs. our 170,000 years) deserves a chance to survive. 
I am glad to say that our manatee fundraiser is on the right track to help out. I would so much love to increase the donation to beyond $600. 

Right now, and through July 17, 25% of your purchase price from my vintage fashion venues online will go to Save the Manatee Club. You may also donate directly (as a number of caring individuals have done) on my YouCaring.com page. 

Please:

Update on manatee fundraiser

And here I thought only my manatee understands me...I am bowled over by the understanding and support Rosie and I are receiving for Save the Manatee Club. Many thanks to those who have spread the word, donated money, or purchased from my vintage collections online. 

For more on the fundraiser, please see this post. I feel hopeful enough to have raised the goal to $600!

Wear scarves: Sophia Loren edition

Bad hair day? I am having a bad hair life, so there’s nothing more handy to me than being able to compensate with a beautiful scarf. This look, glamorized by Sophia Loren, looks vaguely peasant-y while adding vintage je ne sais quoi. 

I couldn’t resist adding the door knocker earrings...anyone need her fortune told?