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Halloween, 2010: already I’ve had to thwart a potential zombie attack. This morning while doing my laundry near my old job, I noticed that my dryer had been opened while I left for 5 minutes to get coffee, because there were socks on the laundromat floor. There is a pod of homeless men that live [...]

Here are two large-scale embroideries that I’ve been working on lately. They are a mixture of 1910/1920s original embroidery patterns (that I got from Angeliska for my 27th birthday) and 1930s film stars. Helen Kane is used as the base to make the Sob Sister’s face. Sob Sister 10 inches x 10 inches hand embroidery [...]

Pearl and green glass earrings – made by my sister Vintage lace collar 1930s Velvet Dress – Buffalo Exchange (I added the buttons) Striped stockings – www.sockdreams.com Shiny mary janes My flapper afro is slowly coming back… This is how I fluff it up… by running my hands in small circles until it puffs up. [...]

Maroon silk scarf as headband – Arles, France while I was an exchange student at 18 Falling apart 1920s dress (crepe?) – present for my last birthday Black lace slip 1940s gold locket (I finally put pictures inside!) Black geometric tights Maroon flocked platforms – Melissa Store, B.H., Brazil If I wait too long in [...]

Une Petite Histoire: The Black Bottom is a dance that originated in New Orleans in the 1900s. The rhythm is based on the iconic Charleston dance, although it’s more sexual in nature. You bump your bottoms together, people! (See above diagram) I read several places that The Black Bottom was more popular than the Charleston, [...]

If you don’t already know her, I’m very pleased to acquaint you with one of my favorite singers! Annette Hanshaw (1901- 1985) needs little more than a piano accompaniment, ukulele strum and cymbal punctuation to offset her dreamy, buttery voice. Her songs are filled with breathy pauses and hums as she pleads “Love me Tonight” [...]
The lovely Betty Amann – notice her very waxy eyelashes and downward sloping eyebrows! When I was younger and not quite living as a full blown Vintage Vivant (that is, dressing in vintage styles every day) I used holidays such as my Birthday, New Year’s Eve and Halloween to dress in full vintage and emulate [...]

Here are some shots of Angel and me at Party Like it’s 1929. This is a fantastic period party thrown by the wonderful Datri Bean. We danced through the night and sipped apricot liquor. I made my necklace out of a chandilier from work! It made such music as I moved. It is double-sided so [...]