I don't know - just feeling a little dorky today.
But I'm also feeling kind of cool, because one of my Etsy items was featured in this Treasury.
But most of all, I'm feeling inspired. So here's my own treasury, starting, and ending, with a two of the items I have up for sale right now. Okay, so it's a small treasury! (Click on the pics to see the auction).
Thanks to Three Column Blogger I've adjusted my template so I can pack everything into 3 columns.
Apparently this type of setup, aka The Grid System is considered the best way to present lots of information, with a minimum of visual overload. In other words, the stylistic (and aesthetic) opposite of this site.
My web guy is using a similar setup (the three columns, not that other nightmare!) for my website. I can't wait to see how it looks!
It's the time of the year where vintage clothing takes a back seat to my vintage motorcycle.
Ann Margret rocks.
Click on the image to get to the sale.
I have about 50 ties going up for auction right now - culled from the de-acquisition of a Maine museum. Here are a few examples:
and yes, I have been told I have the map of Ireland on my face. And I have red hair (with some help from my fabulous hairdresser, Justin), and I like the occasional beer, and I've been to Dublin and Cork, though I did NOT kiss the Blarney Stone.
But I enjoy March for other reasons
Not NorthStar Vintage Corporate Headquarters necessarily, rather, my eBay folder, with my sales from the past 8 months.
It may sound self-congratulatory, but I find (and manage to sell) some cool stuff. One thing I'd like to find more of are vintage t-shirts. But it would be tough to get rid of them. I love them for myself even more than I love the money they can bring in.
Here are a few from the NSV archives:
1950's white embroidered lace gown.
1950's black ribbed satin New Look dress/coat.
1980's blue velvet Norma Kamali dress.
1940's cream satin wedding gown.I'm heading up north next week on a huge buying trip and I need to clear out some of my old merchandise. Plus, I LOVE my buyers! So here's an early holiday gift from Northstar Vintage - all store items are 30% off
Click on the logo to get to my eBay store.
I bought a Paul McCobb chair. It looks great on the shiny new floors!
And today I am finally listing some of the great pieces I've acquired over the past few weeks!
I'm going on a big cross state motorcycle trip tomorrow. I am excited. I would be SUPER excited if I weren't missing some cool local stuff.
Day of Destruction. Smash-em-up at the local speedway. Possibly the most irony-free spot in the country.
Picnic Music and Arts Festival. I want to buy, I want to sell, I want to schmooze. I want to see good live music. Might have to come back early for this one.
Meathouse Wine Tasting. Booze and meat!
Space Homecoming Dance. Not to brag, but I have the best prom dresses in town.
Still - this is the kind of trip I will remember forever. As long as the old girl (my BMW) (and me) can make the trip.
I freaked when I saw it was a vintage athletic jacket.
I freaked when I saw it was a vintage athletic BOWLING jacket, with pin and bowling ball shaped patchs.
I freaked when I saw that the patches were embroidered with the years the team won (making it easy to date) and that the winning team was Checker Cab (a bunch of cabbies winning bowling tournament in the late 50's is an incredibly evocative situation).
And then while driving it home, my associate pointed out that it was completely reversible, with a black satin, and matching bowling theme patches. These types of things should not be pointed out to me when I'm driving, because I damn near crashed the car.
This is especially timely because I have been obsessed with Rin Tanaka's work - books on vintage motorcycle culture, vintage skateboard and surf fashion, rockabilly fashion, and vintage athletic fashion.
Click HERE to see the auction.
Through my college years and early 20's, Ruth was not only my roommate, but my best friend, and partner in crime. We saw a lot of music, kissed a couple of cute (and not so cute) boys, drank a fraternity's worth of Rolling Rock, and shopped. There was a lot of shopping. Actually, there was a lot of everything in my early 20's.
20 years later we're still having (non-illegal, non-immoral, non-life-threatening) fun together. Today we went to an outdoors, Maine country auction.
It started out poorly - dark clouds, rain, wind. As the auction site was on the side of a mountain, it was damn uncomfortable, even with a tent. My feet were cold and my hair completely exploded.
Saving myself for some dress lots, I managed to resist two charming 40's portraits. And I was rewarded by winning two lots of pretty party gowns.
By mid-morning the sky began to clear (no - that is not an ad for Prius - it's the auction parking lot).
Why do auctions make me so hungry? To keep up our energy for more buying, we had hot dogs with grilled buttered buns, and a big plate of french fries (I've never seen french fries at an auction, and I think it's worthy addition to the auction menu).
The clouds broke and the sun was hot and it felt like summer again. I bid on a sock monkey and sock elephant combo (the elephant was phallic and therefore completely hysterical to me). I bid on a 40's Deco maple bureau. I bid on a black lace 30's dress. I bid on (and won) a mystery shawl - I think it's 20's, and I kind of want to keep it.
And then I bid on this lot. And won! 
A guy came over to "congratulate" me on winning such ugly things. I don't care. I love them. You love them too. I want to keep them. The green lady statue is embedded with rhinestones and that black "blob" in the center is actually a ballet pair.
So many decisions!
So yea....I've been really busy um....developing my business. Yea.
And by "developing my business," I mean doing all the summer things that I have not yet accomplished: eating lobster, waterskiing, drinking on decks, grilling meat, reading trashy romance novels on my front lawn, riding my motorcycle, going to yard sales, taking big walks on the beach....
And there's still so much do accomplish in the next few weeks.
In between all of these important tasks, I have managed to do some buying. I acquired some wonderful pieces from a 90 year old woman who had graduated from Rhode Island School of Design and was a pioneer of screenprinting. Another lot came from a woman who was moving out to a house on a lake and wanted the clothing of her youth to have another life. From her I got loads of beautiful hippie items - lots of embroidered gauze and Indian prints.
The clothing was great, but even better, I got to hang out with two amazing women and hear some very cool stories. Meeting people and hearing their lives is one of my favorite parts of this line of work.
I also got to pick up my new business cards and see my new logo in action. I love it. I love it so much.
These were done by Patrick Corrigan. I adore the Art Nouveau vibe. And how his illustrations are beautiful, but tinged with a hint of sadness. He gets it. He rocks.
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