Illuminating Crafts: A Little Lamp

Another micro renovation in today's post.  In between the big-big projects, there are lots of little details to make and bring together to create a cohesive design to each room.   I wanted a cute little lamp for my loft and I found this interesting antique in the chuck bin while settling a family member's estate last year.  It needed work, and no one else really looked at it twice, but since I'd become interested in making lampshades, I thought I could do something with this little piece, so I added it to my TLC treasure trove and brought it home.

The cord was crumbling and needed to be replaced and the base needed a good scrub down, but it was soon shiny and nice.  I bought a replacement wiring kit and got that installed with a little help from Mr. Bleu since somewhere in the process I lost the internal bar and we had to rig up a new system, but he made it work

I selected a small crescent shade frame and got it wrapped, then had to decide a bout all the trim and fixings.  I have a ceramic lady finial from the 1960s that I hoped I could make work for this project because I would love to see her restored to her original purpose, but alas, could not make it work.

Since the loft is so busy with colors I decided to keep this lamp all white, but add Swiss dot tulle and lace, plus beaded and tassel fringe.  This shape was difficult to work with and it's definitely not perfect, but I'm the only one who will see it on a daily basis and I'm happy with how it turned out...or at least not unhappy enough with it that I'll take it apart and re-do it.  Truly its own little composition, it reminds me of a wedding cake. I love how it looks lit up just as much as when it is not illuminated.  I never really thought I would like making lampshades but this has become a favorite busy-hands hobby of mine.

Roman Holiday Recreation

Travel was a very important part of my twenties and thirties.  At first I traveled for myself.  Then I traveled with my family.  Travel is an education, it's an experience that connects us with new places and makes home seem all the sweeter.  This phase in my life is more serious, less carefree.  My children's education, or at least my role in it, is complete, and travel, particularly international travel, has fallen lower on my list of priorities.  

It's been more than a couple decades at least since I was in Rome, but it was an experience I'll never forget for a multitude of reasons.  And, while I doubt I'll ever have the opportunity to visit that lovely place again, I can always see the sights and feel nostalgia while watching one of my favorite classic movies, Roman Holiday.  I cannot think of a single Audrey Hepburn movie that doesn't have stunning costumes and this film is no exception.  Princess Ann's casual travel outfit is absolutely darling and thanks to black and white film, we can imagine it was any color combo we want.

Personally, it seems more fitting with the story that a Princess wanting to keep a low profile would prefer neutrals in order to blend in, such as a white top, beige skirt, brown shoes and belt, and a navy scarf as shown in these iterations below:

I'm not exactly sure why, but I decided to try to create my own, inexpensive version of this outfit and I think I made out pretty well.  I forgot to roll up my sleeve--oof!--but it was the last of about two dozen outfits that I did on that particular evening and I was rapidly losing the last rays of sunlight, so I goofed.  I always make my priority finding clothes made of natural fibers, but it's just not always possible.  So, the top is cotton, the skirt is linen, and the scarf claims to be silk but feels more like polyester, but I love the final result and the entire outfit cost me less than $75.

Outfit Info:  Top-Hotouch on Amazon, Skirt-Grae Cove Linen skirt is thrifted, similar style is Belle Poque on Amazon shown in photo below, Scarf-NaSo Perfect silk scarf on Amazon, Woven Shoes from SheIn

Hot Off The Frill

Summer is here and it's time for all those lovely traditional pastimes that I enjoy so much.  I hesitate to label them as American because so many places in the world do these same things in warmer weather such as cooking outdoors.  One of my favorite summer recipes is something I picked up while we were living in Japan.  Fire up the grill and toss on some sukiyaki (thin sliced marbled ribeye), let it cook just a minute or two on each side until crisp and then serve with raw cabbage leaves cut into pieces and drizzled with a soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, crushed red pepper, and sesame oil sauce.  That's it.  So simple, so light and delicious, and perfect for summer.  

In honor of grilling season, I thought today's outfit should be this Bernie Dexter On the Grill dress that I thrifted last year.  I didn't see too many dresses come out in this style during Bernie's heyday, but I wish I had because it's so flattering!

Outfit info: Bernie Dexter Dress and petticoat are Thrifted, Heels by BAIT

When Bernie Met Jess

Not to be that girl, pun intended, but I was Twee before it was a term.  Before Bernie Dexter had a brand, and looong before Jessica Day set my heart aflutter with her dress/cardi combos on New Girl.  Before it was called "Twee" it was just loving vintage and wearing 1950s/60s dresses with cardis and flats or full skirts with a cute button down and some canvas tennis shoes.  My muses were Marlow Thomas and Audrey Hepburn to name a few, and I adored that style era so much, I sought out vintage pieces (none of which ever fit my modern frame) and even tried to track down vintage sewing patterns so I could make my own (also very unsuccessfully at first). However, thanks to fellow vintage lovers like Bernie and Jess, these styles became far more mainstream and easier for me to find rather than having to try to create my own from old sewing patterns, or risk destroying my true vintage pieces with overuse.   And for that I am forever grateful.  

It's always fun when two icons I love intersect and a Bernie/Jess combo has to be the ultimate in vintage/twee fashion.  While I don't personally own the exact dress in question, I do own a version that released at the same time and with the extra bows and flourish, I think it's even better.

For some reason, this particular Bernie/Jess dress hasn't really lost any of it's value over time.   Whereas I paid about $50 for mine, this other style still routinely list for $150-$200.  It's lovely, to be sure, but I suspect most of the value is in who wore it and when. Can't say I blame them for that.

Outfit Info:  Bernie Dexter Dress and petticoat are thrifted, Cardi is YeMak, BAIT heels, Amazon canvas sneakers

 

The Other Bennet Sister

It is a question universally asked by all Jane Austen lovers and the very first words out of my mouth at the end of the mini-series; What About Mary?  Well, wonder no more fellow Pride & Predj fans, the answer to whatever happened to The Other Bennet Sister is here and it is most satisfying.

While living in England during my university years, I was fortunate enough to befriend two darling English girls who insisted that we have a weekly get together to drink a glass of wine, catch up on the week's goings on and watch an episode of the BBC's 1995 iteration of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.  Having never read any Jane Austen and at that point only having seen Clueless and the Gwyneth Paltrow's Emma (widely panned by all my British friends as being "too American"), I agreed to go to this weekly meet up out of a desire for friendship more than a love for the subject matter, but that would soon change.  At the end of the series I was a fan for life and have now read practically everything Ms. Austen wrote and seen most of the television and film versions, but I always felt that Mary Bennet's story was...unfinished.

I can't say that I necessarily related to Mary Bennet, but after watching this continuing story starring Ella Bruccoleri as Mary, I found her experience to be not only relatable but entirely endearing.  Living her life in the shadow of her sparkling, vivacious sisters, Mary needs to be set apart, to find her own way in the world and her own way to shine.

Beyond telling her story with fairness this story humanizes even the most loathsome of villains (I'm looking at you Mr. Collins and Caroline Bingley).  Ok, so she can't be the pretty one, and she's not interested in being one of the flirts, Mary decides she'll be the smart one.  Reminds me of this post about my own youth.  And the best part of all, for Mary Bennet, is that unlike so many of the stories about girls coming of age, there is no glow-up.  Mary doesn't go from duckling to swan.  She goes from being herself, to being more herself, being confident in herself, and finding someone who values her just as she is.

Whether you are an Austen fan who has long wondered if Mary ever found love and happiness, or just someone who enjoys a charming story well told, The Other Bennet Sister is delightful and well worth a watch.

Wisdom From My Fairy Gothmother

I had to go bra shopping the other day. It's probably been 5 years or more since I've tried on bras in a store, and oh boy, was it an unpleasant experience. Don't get me wrong, the staff at Victoria's Secret were incredibly nice and very helpful; it was what I saw in the mirror that really bothered me. 

I can't remember how old I was the first time I heard it, probably 40-ish, but it resonated. "You still look good...for a woman your age. Dot. Dot. Dot. For A Woman Your Age. Every word after the ellipses smashing not only the half hearted compliment, but my fragile esteem with it.  Those words rang in my ears.  Standing in that dressing room, staring at reality.  A Woman My Age.  Looking at myself, I was suddenly reeling with disappointment and sadness. I almost walked out empty handed and emotionally distraught because what I saw in the mirror was... a woman my age.  Deep breath.

Wait, was this reality?  Or were insecurities affecting my perception?  I needed balance.

First of all the lighting was terrible, I looked much better in the natural lighting at my home instead of the overhead fluorescents at VS.  But secondly, my body is older. It just is. 

I regained composure by reminding myself that even when I was "young"-- in my teens, twenties, thirties-- I had insecurities about my body.  Looking back it seems crazy, but it felt real at the time.  And in 10 years, 20 years, I'll look back and think this is silly too and wish I could have this current body back because it's pretty darn healthy and serving me well. 

 If I may quote The GothMother, I don't want to be in a lifelong hostage situation with my own reflection in the mirror.

One of my old favorite indie bands, Tahiti 80, said in a song, "You'll never be younger than today." Enjoy the moment; enjoy the season, and remember that confidence has nothing to do with age or appearance or other people's thoughtless comments and everything to do with peace and acceptance and all the grace and wisdom earned by A Woman My Age.

Outfit info:  Eva Franco dress is thrifted, shoes are from B.A.I.T., cardi is from YeMak, necklace is vintage,  and yes, the bra is from Victoria's Secret.