Monday, January 30, 2012

Soiree at the Edgewater Antique Mall

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Last Saturday I had the good fortune to be my friend Katherine's date to a holiday soiree at the Edgewater Antique Mall. Yes, Katherine has expanded her vintage empire to include an antique mall booth; she already has a successful etsy shop and website, sells at local flea markets like Randolph Street Antique Market and Vintage Heaven, and of course she's also the co-creator of the wildly popular Vintage Bazaar.

Unless I'm traveling, I tend to avoid antique malls. Why? Well they are just too tempting! The merchandising is impeccable at the Edgewater Antique Mall and it's obvious each booth owner has carefully curated their merchandise to reflect their point of view. While I personally enjoy the "treasure hunt" aspect of scouring thrift stores, estate sales and flea markets for my vintage goods, it's relaxing and inspiring to occasionally stroll through a space like EAM where everything is clean and in good condition.

Besides molesting high quality Midcentury goods, Katherine and I feasted on delicious treats like homemade strawberry cheesecake, kugel (my first time trying it) and even miniature sandwiches stuffed with oven roasted turkey and cranberry sauce. YUM. Vintage & food, my two favorite things!

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The best cheesecake I've eaten in nearly 2 years, so creamy and the strawberries were perfectly sweet. Someone also has some mad frosting piping skills!

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Of course I had to take a few photos in Katherine's booth, I fell in love with the Seth Thomas clock above. If I'd gone to high school in the 1970s I imagine a clock like this would have been hanging in my classroom.

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Sunshine yellow ice buckets! Geometric print end table! Massive sculptural glass art piece!

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Across from Katherine's booth were a pair of 1960s patent leather shoes with POM POMS on the toes. Yes, I never knew I would ever want a pair of shoes like this either but when I tried them on it was like Cinderella trying on her glass slipper. It was also a miracle that they fit as vintage shoes NEVER fit my huge feet. The shoes also conveniently matched the rad rug in Katherine's booth.

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I like the low square heels and cut outs. They need to come home with me soon.

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Blenko glass fish. I'm not sure of its intended use but it would look great next to some silver rimmed Dorothy Thorpe lowball glasses on a bar.

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I like the idea of displaying an instrument on a coffee table as an objet d'art. Katherine thought the table needed pottery. Thoughts?

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Midcentury. Butterflies. Glitter. Yes, who knew this existed?

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So many tempting lighting options. I wish all the rooms of my apartment didn't have ugly ceiling fans.

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Embroidered cardigans hanging out near the bathroom.

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The abstract cityscape painting caught my eye, it reminds me of the River West area of Chicago where all our skyscrapers are massed near the shimmering Chicago River. I have no idea what the green cube was originally meant for but it would make quite the statement in a living room.

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Expressive Art Deco vernacular photos, the hand tinting on the woman was well done and I liked her pose and wistful gaze.

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"Mantiques": Stuffed fish trophy, industrial fans and a Coca-Cola sign.

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It's so hard to resist vintage kitty items.

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Somehow I made it out of the Edgewater Antique Mall empty handed; I plan to go back my next pay day though to scoop up a few items!

Can't get enough of Katherine and her wares? Check out the post I did on the studio she shares with Cushion Chicago.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Wearing a 1950s Velvet Cloak In The Snow

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Yes, I'm posting more snow pictures, this set was taken last weekend during the second major snowfall of January-- 8 inches fell over the course of a day. I wore this outfit to the wedding themed Vintage Bazaar at the Empty Bottle last weekend, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to wear my 1950s black velvet hooded cloak, aqua gloves and 1950s aqua, black and white floral pattern dress. Perhaps I've been watching too much Once Upon a Time lately, but I felt like a character from a fairy tale in my hooded cloak. The cloak is super warm and surprisingly wearable since it has actual sleeves rather than just arm slits (like a traditional cloak).

Despite the snow it wasn't that cold out (it was in the 20s) so I took the opportunity to walk around my neighborhood and take photos. Scroll down to see more pictures of my outfit and to see glimpses of a snowy Ukrainian Village. The snow has since melted since it's been in the 40s the past two days but it's supposed to snow again here in Chicago tonight and tomorrow.

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Of course I love the full skirt of the 1950s dress and the unusual color combination of black, white and my favorite color, aqua!

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OUTFIT DETAILS
1950s velvet hooded cloak: The Village Family Outlet thrift store, Chicago
1950s dress: Knee Deep Vintage, Chicago
Vintage Lined Galoshes: Thifted in Chicago
1950s aqua gloves

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Freeze & Thaw Cycle

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Within the span of a week Chicago experienced both a small blizzard (8 inches of snow fell) and a thunderstorm-- it's definitely been an atypical winter this year. Up until two weeks ago the temperatures were still hitting the 50s; every other January I've lived here it's been 10 degrees or below!

Since moving to Chicago from Los Angeles in 2007, I have had to come up with ways to beat the lethargy of winter, it's definitely easy to go into "hibernation mode" when everything is slushy outside and it gets dark at 4PM. Instead of nesting into my apartment I challenge myself to re-explore one neighborhood each week to take photos, shop and discover areas that may have previously gone overlooked. Two weekends ago my roommate Adeline and I decided to poke around Lincoln Square, the historically German neighborhood that now houses tasty restaurants, a $5 movie theater (The Davis) and locally owned shops. We brunched at Julius Meinl, an Austrian cafe, then wandered around the snowy streets.

If you're curious about the first photo in the post, we came across this industrial pipe near a furniture store in the Ravenswood neighborhood area. Thankfully Adeline is indulgent with my blog photo whims and didn't question why I'd want to take a photo inside a huge pipe. I was tempted to pose as Da Vinci's "Vetruvian Man" but thought that might be a bit much.

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There are rows of late 19th century brick buildings and little 2-story bungalows from the 1920s and '30s lining the side streets of Lincoln Square.

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Julius Meinl is known for its coffee and its delectable baked treats. Somehow I resisted the "Chocolate Decadence" above in favor of walking to Cafe Selmarie for some Swedish cookies.

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Perfectly frosted cupcakes at Julius Meinl.

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There is no shortage of tempting confections in Lincoln Square, my favorite bakery is Cafe Selmarie, a Swedish bakery and restaurant with amazing chocolate croissants and rich buttery cookies. I always purchase the traditional Linzer cookies filled with raspberry jam-- they look as good as they taste!

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While it can be difficult to stay stylish and warm during Midwest winters, I still manage to wear my vintage and thrifted dresses and skirts (no pants for me!) by wearing HUE brand wool tights or Cuddledud thermal leggings paired with knee high wool socks. When it's snowy I wear my vintage lined galoshes and bundle up in a 1970s wool coat with roomy hood.

Yes, I was able to wear a short skirt in 20 degree weather and not feel cold. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I have been wearing more separates lately and have thus tried to stock up on sweaters and skirts. The 1970s fairisle sweater was a happy discovery at the thrift, I also bought its twin in cream the same day. It's the first time I have worn a pullover style sweater in years, I'd stuck to cardigans since abandoning the chunky Felicity-style sweaters of the '90s. Thankfully this vintage sweater is cropped and isn't too bulky, cheers for warmth AND style!

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OUTFIT DETAILS
1970s wool toggle coat with faux fur leopard trim: Crossroads Trading Company
1970s fair isle sweater: Thrifted in Chicago
Black Skirt: Buffalo Exchange, Chicago
1970s galoshes: Thrifted in Chicago
Red wool beret: Gift from my mom
HUE brand wool tights

What are your winter dressing tips? Also be sure to check out Refinery 29's Chicago Winter Fashion Streetstyle Snaps slideshow for more seasonal style inspiration.