Apothecary Inn

Moonshine & Ragtime Jazz Bar Party

2012-01-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we held a "Moonshine & Ragtime" Prohibition-era costume party. We completely rearranged our living and dining rooms into a jazz bar/lounge/bistro. I have to say, I was pretty pleased with how snazzy-looking it all turned out! We had a vintage-style record player, on which we played LP's of some of the giants of ragtime jazz.

We had a fully-stocked bar, a HOT bartender (I even got to go home with him afterwards! *laughing*), cigars, and some great bar food (sliders and sweet potato fries). We put a lot of time, effort, and money into the party, and the results definitely showed (that it was worth it)! We even had a "Bar Open" light-up sign in the front window, and soft (electric) candlelight throughout the house. When we had gone over to the liquor store to buy supplies (with the shopping cart loaded down, it felt as though we were buying OUT the store), we told the owner that we were hosting a costumed flapper party, and the owner gave me - for free! - a small flask for strapping to my thigh. He said I needed to be 100% authentic. How cool is that?! Then, the morning of the party, I had an appointment to get my hair cut (much needed!!), and the awesome stylist gave me a "flapper girl" set of curls for the party. So nice!

A couple of handsome bootleggers!

I have dubbed us three flapper gals the "Charleston Trio!"

Who says you can't wear a dress AND smoke a fat cigar?!

The only downside was that, out of an originally pretty respectable RSVP list, almost every single person made a last minute cancellation. Even under normal circumstances that is extremely irritating, unless it's an "I'm so sick I can't make it" cancellation. However, when the host has specifically contacted you in advance to verify that you are free, and you say that you are and fully agree to come, do NOT ditch the party at the last minute because something better comes along! One cancellation in particular was very upsetting because, in so many words, I was told, "Well, this other thing sounds more fun, so sorry!" THANKS. Anywho, the few folks who did show made up for everything, and were so awesome because they all got completely into the party spirit (costumes and all!)! We had great conversation, drinks, and a smoke-filled jazzy ambiance. It was everything I had pictured the party to be, on an enjoyably intimate scale. So thank you to the brave few who ventured out and attended! You made the evening a great success!!

Best Way To Spend A Rainy Afternoon...

2011-12-30T14:54:00.000-08:00

Enough said.

The Fake Fez

2011-12-27T14:26:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my husband surprised (spoiled?) me with this wonderfully unique vintage fez hat.

The fez style of hat (and other tall-crowned hat styles) enjoyed brief popularity around the end of the 1930s and early 1940s. I find this particular vintage "fez" hat fascinating because it's actually made using the hat block mold for a tilt crown of a fedora or other "non-fez" hat block.

The hat is decorated with a fake bird (missing its poor little beak) that has a gorgeous spray of iridescent (rooster) tail feathers.

Ruby Red & Over My Head

2011-12-20T06:41:00.000-08:00

Meet Ruby!

My James Mcreery & Co. hat arrived today, after being 3+ days late (and nearly presumed lost)!

This particular hat is circa 1940s-1950s. Earlier Mcreery hats can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Truly a unique and beautiful hat!

This belonged to the seller's mother, who recently passed away, leaving an enormous estate of high quality items collected from all over the world. The mother left specific instructions with this hat, which I just have to share because it makes me smile: "It was to be worn toward the front of the head, slightly to the right and slightly down on the forehead. The plume feathers extending back and standing proudly in the air!"

The hat is circular and covered in red feathers, with a red-feathered mock bird curled around the front, and the black iridescent spray of rooster tail feathers coming out the back.

Better pics coming soon!!!

Fabulously Flapper

2011-12-19T08:35:00.001-08:00

We had a great night out at our Prohibition costume party!

Thrift Store Gem

2011-12-15T15:11:00.001-08:00

This is probably the most expensive vintage item I have ever purchased at a thrift store (not counting any sort of annual Collectibles Sale) - it was $27 and I HAD to have it! A gorgeous example of the 1950s "New Look," with a strapless bodice covered by a sheer material, fitted bodice, and multi-layered poofy skirt. It has a metal side zipper and snaps.

GORGEOUS!

It needed some minor repairs, since due to age the sheer material had torn in a few spots. Thankfully, my ever-so-crafty grandmother came up with a great solution to fix those areas, so you really can't see any of the repairs unless you know where to look!

Moonshine

2011-12-15T07:50:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, I will be time traveling back into the latter half of Prohibition. There will be Moonshine and Flapper Girls, and I plan to be one of them!

To celebrate 5 Fab years in business, Elements (a local tapas bar) is hosting a "Prohibition Party," complete with "Prohibition-Era Cocktails" (which is a bit of an oxymoron). My lovely friend, Lady H, and I have come up with authentic 1920s costumes to wear, and of course my handsome husband will be escorting us. The party starts at 9 pm, which is normally my bedtime, but I told Ryan that I wanted to go to this since (1) There's no cover charge (unlike the last Flapper Costume Party we had to miss due to the hefty ticket price), and (2) We are young and should go out once in a while and have some damn fun!

So, here is what Lady H's ensemble will consist of:

Authentic Flapper-Era Dress (courtesy of the lovely Jeanna!)

Modern era (but flapper style) cloche hat

1930s fur coat (a bit too late to be "true flapper" in the normal style that we associate with that, but Prohibition wasn't repealed until 1933, so technically the coat works). Love the big bakelite buttons on this beauty!

~~~~~~~~~
My own outfit is a bit less "true," but still awesome!:

My dress has elements of the flapper look, but leans more towards the 1930s. This dress is a perfect example (to me, anyway) of how the two styles are morphing (and will later transform into the 1930s classic look)

My feathered cloche is actually from the 1950s, but a cloche is a cloche and I love wearing this one!

My fur coat is from the 1960s or so, but my authentic flapper era coat (the gorgeous blue one of previous blog posts) won't be quite warm enough for me to wear in this teen's-and-20-degree winter weather!

~~~~
Ryan will of course be wearing his handsome three-piece suit and fedora.

Guys have it so easy.

Back in Time...

2011-12-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

Every holiday season our fabulous (historic) little town of Jacksonville goes all out and hosts a "Victorian Christmas." People dress up in full Victorian costume, there are stands offering roasted chestnuts and hot coffee on the street, loads of lights and Christmas trees on display, and even horse-drawn carriage rides! Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, but living near Jacksonville during this time makes it even better! I had wanted to go to the Christmas parade last night in Jacksonville too, but it was far too cold to drag my pleurisy-prone husband (it was 35 degrees at 6 pm, and 27 degrees at 9 pm - oh yes, and 20 degrees for morning chores today!). I had to console myself with making humorously dementedly-shaped gingerbread cookies at home instead:

I DID drag my husband out this afternoon for a quick (and COLD!) walk around downtown Jacksonville.

I wore the gorgeous 1940s wool suit that Ryan had purchased for me earlier this week, which also happens to look fabulous with my "new" vintage hat ("Binky").

We were told we looked like we had stepped straight out of a movie.

We got our picture taken with the Victorian-costumed town crier and joked that the photo celebrated "100 years of fashion!" :)

A Thing of Beauty...

2011-12-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

Omnivore's Dilemma aside, this (to me) is the Perfect Meal! - coffee & vanilla bean-marinated prime rib roast (from our locally raised, grass-fed freezer cow (thank you, Yale Creek Ranch!)), lemon & thyme potato gratin, kale-potato-sausage soup, and a glass of dark & fruity port from a local vineyard.

FAB New Dresses Hitting Our Etsy Store!

2011-11-30T11:39:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited!! This week we've got some really FABULOUS "new" vintage dresses coming into our Etsy store!

Everything from Adolph Shuman for Lilli Ann

To 1950s Kay Windsor Original Novelty Print Dress

To a dress Joan of Mad Men would die for

To the holiday spirit (complete with sparkles!)

And everything else in between!

They are listed at GREAT prices, so happy shopping!

World's Sexiest Couple?

2011-11-30T11:36:00.001-08:00

I think soooooo...

(This would be why we don't have more pictures of ourselves together)

Binky

2011-11-29T06:35:00.000-08:00

Here's my latest birdie hat from the Ebay auction! I was the only person who even bid on it, so I won it for the starting price (yay!).

Peek-A-Boo!

Like a true goof, I have named the hat ("Binky" - just because.). It has what I call a parrot beak, so I am assuming it's a mock parrot.

I was very pleased to discover that the hat was not in as bad of shape as the pictures on Ebay led me to believe! The only thing I will have to do is put a few more stitches into the "tilt headband" to make it a bit stiffer and therefore able to more securely stay attached to my head!

Happy Day!

Winter Storm Watch

2011-11-17T15:42:00.000-08:00

Well, we're battening down the hatches here, as the saying goes, in preparation for what is supposed to be the first significant snow storm of the season. Lately, it's been fairly mild and occasionally rainy, but nothing too terrible as far as extremes. Late this morning, the wind began picking up with a chilly bite and the storm front started moving in. You could see it in the way the clouds came over the western mountain - sort of a long, thick band stretching out as far as the eye could see on either side...We had just run out of firewood, so I started up our hydraulic log splitter (one of the best investments we have ever made!) and began splitting madrone logs. The one silver lining in having to cut down all of those hazardous trees on our property over the years is that we have a pretty significant store of firewood, especially pine and madrone. The downside is that most of it is in the wood lot and needs to be cut down into moveable chunks and hauled up and over to the house. Thankfully, we already have a winter's worth of madrone logs (in assorted sizes - from colossal to tiny branches) behind the house, so I didn't have to walk too far. That being said, hauling large logs out of the firewood pile and over to the log splitter, then splitting and stacking, is still a great deal of physical labor for one little person! However, it's a million times easier than doing it by hand with an ax, which is how I USED to get our firewood every winter.

So now there is at least a 4-day supply of wood stacked next to the back door, the fire is crackling merrily in the hearth, the kittens are sleeping on the hearthstone, and I have a glass of wine waiting for me after evening farm chores.

Let it snow!

Snatch This Beauty Up ASAP!

2011-11-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

Just listed this in our Etsy store:

FABULOUS 1950s/1960s bright red cable knit sweater dress from Berlin!

Here Comes Another One

2011-11-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

I want to take you back 6 months ago to my birthday last May. That was the day that I wandered into a little antique store in Jacksonville and fell in love with two very different hats. One, an "Original by Ranel" chapeau with adorable pheasant birdie, ultimately came home with me that day. The other, an adorable tilt hat by "Erna," remained at the store to await a different fate...or so I thought.

Fast forward to last week: I happened to stop into the little antiques store again, and who should greet me at the counter but that precious little tilt hat. I decided then and there that I had to have it. Afterall, it had sat in that store for six months, patiently waiting. It was time for my little tilt to come home.

This tilt hat is a very interesting style - one that you don't often see. In true tilt style, there is a solid patch of fabric in back to hold the hat to the head (as well as the more traditional felt band) while it tilts forward.

The truly unique aspect of this hat is that the crown, which slouches forward in a very charming fashion, is actually slightly (and purposely) off-center of the brim!

Very interesting, and rakish! Finally, the hat is decorated with a curled ostrich feather on one side, and a veil in front.

20% Off Thanksgiving Sale in our Etsy Store!

2011-11-15T07:38:00.000-08:00

In honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday (and around our farm at least, it truly IS a holiday of thanks and bountiful giving from Mother Earth), we are offering 20% off of any item in our Etsy store (not including shipping charges). Enter the coupon code TURKEYDAY20 at checkout to take advantage of this special offer. The coupon code is good from now until November 28th, 2011!

Here are some of the fab items that will be on sale:

FAB 1960s White Lace & Red Velvet Holiday Dress

FUN 1960s Beaded/Sequined Camisole Top (Perfect for New Year's Eve Parties!)

BEAUTIFUL Vintage Green Rhinestone Clip-On Earrings

AMAZING 1970 Royal Purple Velvet EMMA DOMB Dress

A Deep Breath...

2011-11-14T07:36:00.000-08:00

Well, Turkey Bon Voyage Day has come and gone. Many, many thanks to our four fabulous helpers! We could NOT have done this without you (especially not all 13!) - and I hope that you enjoy the bounty of your hard work! The weights were a great deal under what I was hoping for, but still respectable. I am also happy that we were able to save quite a few lovely feathers for hat decorating!

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, and that I can finally breathe again. I dread this day every year, though I feel that it is absolutely necessary. In my mind, to be a carnivore, you MUST know what goes into raising, slaughtering, and processing what you eat. And if you must eat meat, either humanely raise it yourself, or buy locally from someone else who does.

And now I can look forward to Ryan's 9-day vacation next week, a happy and very blessed Thanksgiving, and what I hope will be one of the happiest Yules in many, many years.

Kale Soup Recipe

2011-11-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

This is a modified version of a similar recipe off of Bon Appetit's website. It's an excellent way to use up all of that spare fall kale going nuts in your garden!

INGREDIENTS:

One medium colander filled with freshly-picked kale leaves
1.5 lbs heirloom potatoes (chopped into 1 inch cubes - you do not need to peel them!)
2 sausages -in their casing - of your choice (chorizo, lamb, etc.)
3 Egyptian onions, chopped
1 clove Elephant Garlic, diced
1 clove heirloom garlic, crushed
2 dried Miscuchu (or other hot heirloom) peppers, crumbled
Water

DIRECTIONS:

Thoroughly wash kale leaves, then roughly cut into strips. Put these in a medium stock pot. Chop heirloom potatoes into 1" cubes (but don't peel - only peel if you are using store bought potatoes, which have a far tougher and less palatable skin), and add these to pot. Cut sausage into small sections and add to pot. Add chopped Elephant Garlic clove and crushed heirloom garlic clove to pot. Crumble 2 dried heirloom peppers into pot. Fill pot with enough water to generously cover all ingredients (you are going to reduce the amount of water by half before you're through!). Bring everything to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1-2 hours. When everything is thoroughly cooked, and the water has reduced by ~half, remove from heat. Ladle soup into bowls. Take day-old homemade sourdough bread and crumble a generous amount over each bowl. Serve hot and enjoy!

This is an excellent recipe to enjoy next to a roaring fire on a cool Fall evening!!

New Etsy Listing

2011-11-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

Been making some sales in my Etsy store lately (yay!), which means extra hat & holiday money. I need to make a trip to the post office soon to mail off the latest items, but I'm saving that errand til Wednesday (as I have to go to town for my dentist appointment - boo! - anyway).

I have started going through my personal collection of vintage accessories, and am slowly listing some of them in the Etsy store.

The latest set of listings includes this lovely pair of 1940s/1950s brown leather gloves lined with soft rabbit fur.

They are well-loved and well-worn, so please read the description carefully. However, they have many years of use left, and they will certainly keep you warm this winter!

It's That Time Again...

2011-11-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

My simultaneously most-hated and most-favorite time of the year. I dread the process, but the end result is always worth it.

*sigh*

Many thanks for the great helpers and familial support every year. We could not do it without you!!!

And now, I have three words for you:

Turkey Liver Pate.

Proof That Six People CAN Be Social!

2011-11-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

But only with a great deal of advanced planning...

To celebrate Halloween/Samhain, we had a small gathering of friends over at our place. There was lots of great food

and of course fabulous wine (served by a hot bartender)!

My sole attempt at carving a Jack-o-lantern. This is one of our own homegrown pumpkins!

Here I am in my Halloweeny vintage finery!

A Crafty Witch!

2011-10-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

During my "Save the Vintage!" Pre-Halloween thrift store crusade, I picked up an adorable ribboned 1950s petticoat slip (w/multiple layers of lace and crinoline) for ~$2. It buttoned up the side with metal snaps, and the frayed tag read "An Original by Cherie." It was perfect in every way, with the exception that it was about 4 inches too wide for my little waist! So, I purchased some elastic at the craft store yesterday, and I made myself an elastic waist on the slip (removing the snaps on the side)! Now it fits perfectly, and looks great under my Halloween costume - a vintage 1940s black velvet "ballerina" dress with A-line skirt and 3/4 sleeves.

To top my outfit off, I'm pairing all of this with my 1930s pointed-crown hat,

sequined ankle boots, along with my Juliana D&E necklace,

Weiss bracelet,

and some fab rhinestone earrings!

Happy Samhain, All!
A Thousand Blessings on You & Yours!

Friends From Afar

2011-10-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

It always amazes me how you can have such kind friends, even ones that live far away. Yesterday, I received the most enormous care package from one such friend, and it was like Christmas in October when I opened the box! Shiny jewelry, old bottles, vintage hats and gloves, and more! The two most amazing gifts were a beautiful brocade dressing gown with padded shoulders, and (drum roll, please) the most AMAZING embroidered kimono (with long, trailing sleeves) I have ever SEEN!

The poor kimono needs a great deal of work - most of the embroidery is accounted for but hanging loose,

there is a large vertical tear in the bottom,

the robe was covered with numerous gold star stickers that - when peeled off after soaking - took some of the fabric off with them, etc. So, the robe is totally salvageable, but will most definitely be a project! That being said, it's absolutely worth it in my mind to get it back into wearable condition. I think the photos below will show you why...

I took these before doing any cleaning to the robe. Currently, it's drying on towels near the wood stove fire after having been gently handwashed. I will press the wrinkles out later today, and start on the repair work this weekend.

Halloween Discount in our Etsy Store!

2011-10-26T07:38:00.001-07:00

To celebrate this spooky holiday, we are offering a coupon for 20% off of the price of your purchase (not including shipping). Just enter the code "HALLOWEEN20" at checkout!

We have a lot of wonderful vintage items in our Etsy store - go check it out!

Happy shopping!

Lilly Dache Article from LIFE Magazine (September 13th, 1937)

2011-10-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

My scanner is broken, so forgive the piecemeal fashion of the pictures. In my fabulous 1937 LIFE magazine, there is a 2-page article about Lilly Dache's African hat inspiration! Please click on the pictures below to enlarge and read the article...

Vintage Scores

2011-10-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was a very good weekend for cheap vintage finds (my favorite kind)! I purchased a bag of Solo Goody hair clips in assorted sizes for $4.25 (these are getting harder and harder to find, and very expensive when you do!), and a pair of gorgeous signed WEISS earrings for $10!

The earrings are missing one stone, and at some point the back came off and was re-soldered slightly lower than the original (making the clips slightly uneven), but this is hardly noticeable and, in any case, they are absolutely STUNNING! The earrings are roughly 4 inches long, have NO darkened stones, and the epitome of shiny BLING!

Goodbye Summer, Hello...WINTER?

2011-10-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

Looks like we're skipping Fall and going straight into winter this year! At least that's how it felt this morning when we woke up to a chilly house and a thermometer reading 27 degrees outside! I believe we are sidestepping our (late) first frost this year, and instead just getting a first FREEZE.

I could tell we were in for a batch of very cold weather soon. We had (up until this point) been experiencing what I believe is termed an "Indian Summer," where you basically don't get a Fall so much as a continuation of summer in more moderate temperatures. The oak trees had been holding onto their leaves, and only dropping a few acorns through most of September and the first half of October. However, the past 4-5 days or so, I noticed that the oak trees were suddenly dumping their leaves and (enormous) acorns in huge amounts! I knew at that point that the cold was coming...and I can't remember if large acorns mean a hard winter or a moderate one? I suppose we'll find out.

The good news is that the wood stoves have been cleaned, and there was a stack of kindling and fire wood waiting outside the back door. At least starting a fire and warming up the house was easy this morning. And thankfully, I had brought in my citrus trees and late-season peppers last night, and remembered to set up the portable heater in the greenhouse!

Morning chores at 27 degrees were not fun. I forgot what a drag farm chores are in the winter time, especially when it comes to icy water buckets and frozen hoses! I am a child of the sun and heat in SO many ways...

Sigh.

Stitch 'N' Bitch

2011-10-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I picked up the most adorable 1950s prom dress with built-in crinoline at the thrift store (in the costume section - go figure!) for $1.50. It is a red-and-white-striped halter dress, but had the unfortunate luck of being a 28" bust and a 24" waist...a bit too small even for me! So last Friday I stitched in two matching panels on either side of the zipper, thereby expanding it enough for me to wear! Not my best work, but good enough for a $1.50 dress! I accidentally made the bust a little larger than I wanted, but it's still wearable...just goes to show that you shouldn't sew or take measurements at the end of a long day (and with a pounding headache!). However, with only moderate levels of cursing, I now have another fabulous vintage dress to add to my closet collection!!

You're A DOLL!

2011-10-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

Stopped by the antiques show today at the Medford Armory, and purchased this lovely little late 1930s "doll" or "toy tilt" hat for $36 (talked the lady down from the ridiculous $45 she wanted - oh, she also had this mismarked as being from the 1920s)! Normally, this hat would be far too plain for my tastes, but I LOVE toy tilt hats - which are getting harder and harder to find! - especially the tiny ones like this! The hat is decorated with two bows, and the brim angles to a bit of a point in back.

The label reads "Frank R. Jelleff Inc." Lucky for me, Wikipedia has a great article about the company! You can read it HERE.

Now, I need to make lots of sales in my Etsy store so that I can pay Ryan back the $26 I stole from him to purchase this! *laughing*

Proof That We CAN Be Social

2011-10-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

(when forced, and only assuming there is alcohol involved!)

Visited the recently-opened Red Lily Vineyard for some of the most amazing Viognier I have ever tasted!

Oh, and here is what happens when the camera's autotimer goes off and Ryan isn't ready...*laughing*

Girl Power!

2011-10-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

The tray of Anasazi corn kernels was finally dry enough for grinding today, so I brought out our beloved handmill and started cranking away! I forgot how insanely ridiculous it is to grind cornmeal by hand, especially on the fine flour setting. I was by myself, and had to take frequent arm breaks (it's been a whole year since I last did this, after all!), so it took me roughly 2 hours to grind all of the Anasazi corn. However, the payoff for that effort (besides an insanely awesome arm muscle workout) was 6 cups of beautiful pink cornmeal! I can't wait to grind the Oaxacan corn, which makes a lovely green cornmeal, and then maybe layer the two cornmeals in jars for decorative holiday gifts!

For those who are curious about grinding your own flour, here is a video we made last year showing me using our mill.

To celebrate my hard labor and the first cornmeal of the season, I am baking some "Rye 'n' Injun Bread" from the Little House Cookbook!

LIVE!

2011-10-15T16:05:00.000-07:00

We finally did it! - Our Etsy store is now live!

YAY!!!!!!

Only have a couple of items currently listed, but the goal is to get about 50 listed in the next few days. With all of the picture-taking, measuring, recording, etc., required to list each item, I have new respect for the other lovely ladies out there who do this full time. Wow...

One of the goals of this Etsy store (besides helping to fund the hat/woodworking hand tool addiction) is to offer vintage clothing at affordable prices. One or two items might be expensive, but that is generally because we had to shell out a pretty penny to get it. For the most part, I think you'll find our items priced very reasonably.

Amongst other things currently listed are an AMAZING 1930s red velvet dressing gown and a 1960s red velvet dress that would be just perfect for a Christmas party! Buy it soon before I decide to keep it...

To celebrate our Etsy store's Grand Opening, we are offering 10% off of any item in the store (this does not include shipping charges). Enter the coupon code "WELCOME10" at checkout to obtain the discount!

Look for more items each day...I have some great (vintage) holiday party outfits coming into the store soon, as well as lots of hats, vintage/antique books and cookbooks, vintage signed jewelry, etc. Eventually, you will also be able to purchase our line of homemade herbal salves and soaps year round!!

Thanks for the continued patronage and happy shopping!

Oh, here are some sneaks of what I have yet to list...

Oh, And One More Thing!

2011-10-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

For the Etsy store, from my personal collection...

It was SO hard to convince myself to part with this dress, but I've owned it for over a year and haven't worn it out once. So, I am offering it to someone who will take it out on the town like it was meant to be worn!

This is a 1960s lemon yellow dress with sequined border and attached train! It has a high front and a dropped back. You'll feel like a Greek goddess wearing this!

Now, the store should be live by the end of this weekend, all things going well (if not, it's because I died of exhaustion from hauling two literal tons of hay this weekend). If I make a few sales (to justify this experiment to both myself and my husband), I'll start putting out the really nice 1920s and 1930s dresses I have hiding in my closet! *wink* Just as an inducement to you all...

My Young Viewpoint

2011-10-13T13:11:00.001-07:00

Another beautiful vintage score at the thrift store yesterday! This time a late 1940s/early 1950s "Young Viewpoint" black dress with bead/sequin detailing on the collar.

It is lovely, and has 3/4 length sleeves, padded shoulders, belted waist (though it's missing the belt, it does have the belt loops and was clearly meant to be worn with a belt), flared skirt, and metal side zipper. I LOVE IT! The problem is that I don't know if I can part with it for the Etsy store...*sigh* This is the problem of being both a vintage clothing seller and lover. I don't know how those other lovely ladies on Etsy do it! I suppose there comes a point in time where you run out of closet space...?

Anywho, the pictures are a tad washed out from the sunshine, but as I said, it's a lovely black dress. Material appears to be some sort of taffeta (just a guess - goodness knows I'm NO fabric expert! But it makes that rustling noise I always associate with taffeta).

Etsy Sneaks

2011-10-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Trying out my new dress form model...this is the best I can manage for now as far as lighting and location. That's the one major complaint I have about our camera - it always makes things appear too dark and/or washed out (and the flash always waaaaaaaaay washes everything out!). Anywho, here are some of the dress items that will be going into the store...

Cheongsam Dress w/matching Bolero Jacket

1950s red wool felt swing jacket with great bell sleeves!

1960s purple lace dress with beaded/tasseled shawl collar

1960s lace & velvet dress

1960s/1970s VIBRANT psychedelic flower dress!

1960s paisley dress with keyhole cutout at collar and matching belt

1970s Mother-of-the-Bride halter dress with detachable sheer cape

Meet Betty

2011-10-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

Betty is my new vintage "Sally Stitch" adjustable dress form! She's a size small, so that she can be used for sewing little clothes for little me. Betty comes with the original sticker, and a sturdy cast iron base. She's from the 1940s/1950s, and is still going strong! Betty is going to become the new model for our Etsy store!

Here she is displaying that fab vintage 1950s seal fur swing coat I purchased last week for $8.99. While the fur was in excellent condition, the coat had been badly abused and was ripped in many spots. My grandmother and I repaired it as best we could, and it's wearable as-is (though you have to be careful with it). Love the pretty lining!

Speaking of the ol' thrifty, I made two fantastic scores today! The first is a SIGNED Weiss rhinestone bracelet for $9.99! WOWSA! The bracelet is in great condition, except for a few imperfections in some of the larger rhinestones (only noticeable up close).

The other wonderful vintage item I found today was an older vintage cheongsam dress! Now, most of the ones you see are from the 1960s or later, and are made of brocade or something similar. However, this dress comes in red velvet with white detailing. Yet again, I was just about to walk out of the store when I saw the dress on the mannequin! I didn't even have to see the metal zipper - just glancing at the velvet told me this dress was OLD! I have a Christmas Santa decoration that belonged to my grandmother, and it is made of the exact same type of red velvet material. Because of that, I knew the dress was vintage, and also because of that, this will forever after be my "Christmas Dress."

The dress has a metal side zipper, and metal snaps along the right shoulder. It fits like a glove, and I love it!!! So sorry, ladies, this one is staying in the personal collection. But don't despair!: I have another cheongsam dress coming into my Etsy store that is made of iridescent peacock blue/green brocade with a matching jacket - you'll be sure to LOVE IT!

Not Much To Drink, But PLENTY To Eat!

2011-10-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

I finally finished reorganizing the pantry today and putting in the new shelving system that the wonderful Mr. Ryan made! Having everything displayed in plain sight really made me realize what an accomplishment our farm (and myself for that matter) is: I canned all of this in about two months!

The shelving is 2 quart jars deep, just to give you an idea...and there are stacks and stacks of more jars on the other side of the pantry (visible in the picture below). To give you an example: I canned 50 quart jars and 5 pint jars of pasta sauce. That will get Ryan and I through about 8 months. You would probably want at least another 25 quarts to make it through an entire year.
Though it looks like a lot, this will most likely not feed two people through an entire year (how scary is that). Still, it makes me feel happy to see so much of summer's goodness stocking the pantry!

P.S. - The wine cellar looks a little bare in comparison!

Sneak Peek...

2011-10-07T06:52:00.001-07:00

Bombshell Bettie and her pre-Halloween "Save The Vintage" Crusade has inspired me every year. It IS heartbreaking to see so many beautiful and WEARABLE vintage items being forlornly tossed into the costume section of the thrift stores, waiting for some pre-teen to cover it in fake blood and claim to be a Mad Men Zombie Vampire. The problem is that I see so many wonderful items that are either not my taste or not quite my size, and I have to leave them because I know that I will never wear them. I have been slightly hounded by friends to start my own Etsy store, since I seem to have a knack for finding great vintage and antique scores at ridiculously cheap prices. Well, I finally decided to combine the two!: an Etsy store to sell the vintage that I can't or won't wear, and therefore an excuse to rescue ALL the pre-Halloween vintage items I find! Hurrah! The husband is on board with the idea because an Etsy store means that he will have a place to list and sell the antique woodworking hand tools he collects and restores to working order.

Long story short: we hope to have the Apothecary Inn Etsy Store live by the end of this month. In the meantime, here is a sneak peak of items coming into the shop (and don't worry, I will be getting better pictures later):

1950s/1960s handmade cable knit sweater dress (HEAVY!) from Berlin. Metal zipper in back, slightly higher waist (not empire, but higher than the natural waistline), FAB bell sleeves! Very heavyweight and warm - perfect for Fall!

Adorable pink lace 1940s hat, supposedly from France (according to the woman who sold it to me). No tags, underside is unfinished and showing buckram frame of crown, but overall in great shape and that classic movie star brim line! Meant to be worn tilted at a slight angle.

Adorable 1960s "top hat!" Black velvet body, black netting, black ribbon with a bow in back. Overall, in great shape! Size 22.

1970s "Miss Bierner" NEON reddish-orange felt fedora with long pheasant plume.

1950s cocktail hat with some of the coolest flower/leaf motif bead work I've ever seen!

Pristine 1950s strapless prom dress - pastel purple fabric, baby blue tulle overlay (that is tiered and accordion-pleated on front left side), metal side zipper. There is some very light staining on the purple underskirt - however, I have not attempted to wash this garment, and it is not visible with the tulle overlay. Very unique glittery gold glue star designs over the entire tulle layer.

1950s/1960s handmade (with the most ADORABLE "made for" label) sheath dress in bubblegum pink! It's a bright pink, but appears a bit washed out in the picture. Metal zipper in back.

1950s Persian Lamb pillbox hat - needs a little reshaping, and has quite a bit of moth damage on underside. However, this is no way takes away from its wearability as is!

Quick Thrifting Trip

2011-10-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

Cabin Fever forced a kamikaze run to the thrifty today, in between storm fronts. Had to leave a wonderful vintage dress behind (not enough in the purse today), but I did come home with a lovely 1950s strapless prom dress! Except for some light staining on the underskirt, it's in pristine condition! Sadly, it's too big for me, BUT that's great news for the rest of the vintage lovers out there! That means that it will soon be going into my future Etsy store (which I hope to have live by the end of the month)! Here are a few quick pictures of it:

It's a bit darker in color than the pictures show, but basically it's a pastel purple fabric with baby blue tulle overlay. The tulle is in a single layer except for the left front side of skirt, where it is tiered and accordion-pleated! Pretty darn cool!

There is some very light staining on the purple underskirt. I haven't tried washing the dress, so the stains MIGHT come out with washing (but you can't even see them with the tulle overlay). The tulle itself is in AMAZING condition, without any tears. I love the cool gold glue star designs over the entirety of the tulle...

150 Years of Good Cooking...

2011-10-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

Thrifting fever must be genetic in my family, because my grandmother dragged me out again yesterday afternoon. We mostly came home with books (though I did find a very pretty red 1950s hand-made cable knit sweater dress from Berlin), two of which were very fascinating old cookbooks! I was doubly excited about my finds because the recent rainy fall weather has really put me in the mood to bake!

One is a 1946 edition of Searchlight Recipe Book. What's so interesting about this copy is that the previous owner had written into the page margins recipes from their own friends, family, and personal favorites.

They had also taped recipes out of magazines and newspapers!

The other book was a 1977 reprint of an 1861 "housewife" type of manual.

It has loads of recipes, but what I was excited for were the old woodcut illustrations and descriptions of various heirloom veggie and livestock varieties!

Too cool!

Not to mention all of those great tips on how to handle servants (doesn't everyone need to know that?).

Lost Heritage...

2011-10-03T10:00:00.001-07:00

Maybe it's because I feel that a part of my own heritage has been lost, but I feel the obsessive need to come home with old pictures and letters from thrift stores and estate sales. There is just something so sad to me about seeing them lost and unloved. Granted, most likely I will never find out who they were, but I still feel that someone should take them home and appreciate the piece of history each represents. I went to an estate sale earlier this year where, under a table in a back room, I found a box FULL of old family pictures, letters, etc. I am pretty sure it was a "trash box," as it definitely was not for sale. I wanted to bring it home, but got caught up in my FOGA dress score and forgot to ask about it. I have regretted not bringing that back with me every single day since. Chances are, the contents really did end up in a trash can, and that just breaks my heart. So I swore "Never again!"

Therefore, when I saw a bag of old photos at yesterday's "Collectibles Sale," I snatched them up without a second thought...

A turn-of-the-century image of a boy in front of a plant stand and desk.

"Flapper Girl" hand-tinted photo of pretty lady. Embossed on the bottom is "The Teasleys Medford Oregon"

"Flapper Woman" 1920s-ish matron with large diamond ring sitting in wicker chair.

Wedding participants consisting of older bride and groom (sitting), along with maid of honor and best man. I'd put this picture about late 1920s to early 1930s.

Same couple, but this one is just of the bride and groom.

Wedding party from 1915.

Close-up of signature on bottom right of picture along with "15" which I assume stands for the year 1915.

This one is of a pretty, young girl. 1930s, maybe?

Turn-of-the-century to early teens wedding portrait. Look how YOUNG the bride and groom are!! Seriously, the groom looks all of sixteen!

The next set of images belong to what I assume are two sisters. They were taken in Cleveland, Ohio. Very fun and unique images! I'd date them anywhere from 1920s-1930s.

There are a few more old photographs in the group that I purchased, but these are my favorites. I just wish I knew who they were...In the mean time, they are getting framed and displayed in my new Craft Room, sort of like having benevolent guardian spirits to help and protect my work.

Why I Need Supervision at Collectibles Sales

2011-10-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was the annual "Collectibles Sales" at one of the local thrift stores, the purpose of which was to raise money for school supplies for children in need (I can shop for that!!). Now, these weren't "thrift store prices" on their antique/vintage "collectible" items, but they were slightly below retail on certain things (as you shall see later...and I think you'll be glad you waited!). Basically, throughout the entire year, the volunteers at this thrift store sort through donations and separate out any antique or really nice vintage items and set these aside. Then, they bring them out for one day only on their annual sale. This was the first year that I went to said sale, and I think next year I will be bringing several hundred dollars with me next time! WOW! (It was so good, I actually ran through the store, gently but firmly shoving people out of my way on the path to the vintage hat racks. That's right: I'm a small but mighty girl! Don't come between me and my hats! GRRRR!!) There were tables upon tables, as far as the eye could see, of all sorts of antiques! I was in HOG HEAVEN! If I had brought more money I would have bought out the entire vintage section! As it was, I spent waaaaaaay more than I meant to, but came away with some absolutely amazing scores!

So, as I have been heckled to death about starting my own Etsy store with some of the great vintage finds I always manage to score, I purchased a few items with the intention of reselling them.

The first of the eventual resale items is a 1970s bright reddish-orange fedora with long pheasant feather decoration. SO fun and funky!

The next resale item is a truly unique 1950s cocktail hat - I have never seen anything like it as far as decorations! It's your basic brown cocktail hat in form, but it is decorated with leaf/flower designs made up of wicker(?) strands, beads, and rhinestones.

I've taken some close-ups of the beadwork. No label on the hat, but is very clearly well-made.

OK, that's a brief preview of the eventual resale items (there are more, but not from the Collectibles Sale).

Next, I found the most breathtakingly beautiful emerald green wool coat with (rabbit?) fur trimmings! I don't think it's very old, but it's SO pretty (and I am such a sucker for emerald green) that I had to come home with it. The lining below one arm has separated from the seam and needs restitching, and overall it could use a trip to the dry cleaner, but is in otherwise great condition!

With the coat, I am wearing one of the hats I bought at the sale: only the THIRD example of felt sparrows I have ever seen (I own two, and the third is worn by Rosalind Russell in "The Women"). The hat needs a gentle cleaning, but is otherwise is great shape and soooooooo adorable.

For $5, I purchased the most intricately beautiful crocheted gloves. The attention to detail is just beyond the compression of today's mass-produced society!!

I also found a 1940s box purse for $8. I had been eying a similar one on Etsy, with the much higher price tag of $80. Therefore, when I saw this little beauty at the sale, I snapped it right up!

A $5 funky vintage belt constructed of geometric designs made up of beads and shells. VERY unique and cool! The front has beaded dangles, and the belt closes with two metal hooks located on the underside of one end.

I found the MOST ADORABLE 1930s rattan hat with a pink flower decoration! It ties under the chin with a navy ribbon, and I think may be the cutest little thing I have ever seen (short of myself!).

A $9 hand-beaded/sequined 1950s cardigan with pearl buttons. Very pretty and shiny!

Goes well with the $24 yellow chiffon 1950s dress that Ryan bought me - the most expensive article of clothing I have ever purchased from a thrift store!

However, it was SO beautiful that I had to have it, and Ryan was sweet enough to buy it for me (what a guy!). The dress is decorated with yellow felt fall leaves and rhinestones.

When you consider that my entire outfit (worn below) is 100% thrifted and has a total head-to-toe value of $43, you can't help but be impressed, right?!? Sounds expensive, til you start calculating what I would have paid RETAIL for all of my vintage finery! The hat would probably run you ~$40 alone! Let's not even get started on the dress and the cardigan!

And now...(drum roll, please)...for the REAL score of the day!

I've been saving the BEST for last...

The find of a LIFETIME!...

...Are you ready?...

...Are you?...

A $7 1920s flapper girl dress in PRISTINE condition! No tears, holes, etc. (though there are a few worn spots that are hardly noticeable)! Sheer black silk fabric (I'm wearing a black slip underneath it in the pictures, FYI), metal snaps up the side, threaded ribbon belt with hand-embroidered medallion (and matching sleeves).

Probably the most amazing piece of vintage clothing I have ever owned, and one with a retail value in the HUNDREDS of dollars. Not that I will ever, ever, sell this (sorry, ladies!).

And now, feel free to bask in my glow (just kidding!).

Shuffling My Life Around...

2011-09-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

We have been doing some rearranging of rooms & furniture here at the B&B. I say "we," but really it was just me working like a mad woman yesterday. I managed everything pretty well, though moving the large antique writing desk was a true test of my arm power (and also how I managed to pull a muscle in BOTH arms!).

We are turning the upstairs library into a private craft room (aka "The Hat Box"), so therefore all of the library furniture had to find a new home elsewhere in the house. Still, it's surprising how adding MORE furniture in the right areas can actually make a room feel BIGGER!

We still have to rearrange/realign the paintings, but this gives you an idea...(please excuse the mess from moving)

APOTHECARY SUITE

DUCHESSE DE PORTLAND ROOM

I finally found somewhere to show off one of my antique treadle sewing machines! YAY!

Jugi approves of the new arrangement...as long as I pet him...

Welcome to the Duck Hut

2011-09-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

Every morning I nearly fall flat on my face in the slick crud floor of the Duck Hut, and every morning it's absolutely worth it. Today, there were nine eggs waiting for me: two randomly in the middle of the hut, and the rest in the "community nest" at the northwest corner. Good Job, Girls!!

Our ducks are phenomenal layers, so much so that it makes me want to trade in my flock of chickens for more ducks! Ducks are sweet, goofy, flightless (in the case of my Indian Runners, anyway), and not prone to the pecking/egg cannibalism qualities that chickens can be. Not to mention that duck eggs taste delicious, and are fabulous for baking!

One of the eggs I collected this morning was twice the size of the other eggs. I am convinced it's a double yolk...Omelet, anyone?

Birthday Luck - It Must Be Genetic

2011-09-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

Poor Grandpa has had the most horrid birthday luck this year! We had promised to take him on the trolley tour that goes around downtown Jacksonville this weekend, and then out to lunch at the local German restaurant. Well, we got all dressed up and headed out the door about 10 am this morning. We arrived in Jacksonville early, walked around a bit, and then wandered over to the trolley's pick-up location. Unfortunately, there was a sign there saying that the trolley wasn't running today. We called the information number to verify. Sigh. So then we wandered over to the German restaurant, which was apparently closed for the day, even though there was an Oktoberfest celebration going on next to it. ACK! We tried to do a few more things, but everything just seemed to be a bust. So, finally, we packed back into the car and headed home. Poor Gramps! We are going to try again next weekend, hopefully with better results!

The weather tomorrow is supposed to be cool and rainy (Hello, Fall!), so I have plans for turkey noodle soup and a good book! Hard to believe next Saturday is the first of October already!!!

Fuzzy Wuzzy Fur Coat - Update

2011-09-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

My grandmother and I finally finished repairing that $19 fur coat I found at the thrifty the other day. There were a great deal more seam tears than we originally thought. However, the coat is now back to being as good as new! I have searched in vain for a maker's label and have found nothing. The style of the coat had me a bit stumped too. However, after a great deal of research, here are my theories:

1) I believe the coat to be marmot fur, most likely woodchuck, yellow-bellied, or alpine marmot due to the white spots prevalent throughout. This is just a guess, mind you. I am no fur expert! But based on the description and images from the Vintage Fashion Guild's fur resource site, this seems a good bet. The pelts have darker, long-ish guard hairs, and a short, fine, light-brown down fur in between. Mink, squirrel, etc., is too fine and even in hair type/dispersal, and does not match what I am seeing on this coat.

2) I have searched in vain for a maker's label, or anything to tell me who made this coat and how old it is. I have not found anything. The coat has had a second lining hand-sewn onto it (I don't quite know why, as the original lining appears to be intact underneath...?), so if there IS a label on the original lining, it's very hard to see (I have looked though!). The style is unusual to me: extremely long length, cuffed sleeves, very wide collar. The closest guess I can make is that it's from the 1950s, which seem to favor that style of collar. You can see one example on Etsy HERE. The CLOSEST I have been able to come to another coat has been this very high-end 1950s SCHIAPARELLI coat on Etsy. Now, I'm not saying that my coat is a Schiaparelli, however, it IS well made and this other coat is quite similar. A girl can dream, eh?

So, there ya go. Any opinions about timelines, etc.?

In any event, it's a gorgeous coat, and I am so thrilled to give it a loving home! Bring on the cool weather!

Egg Money Madness

2011-09-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

So, bitch and you shall receive!

After my previous complaint that no one wanted to buy eggs, all of a sudden I had orders for 6 dozen assorted chicken and duck eggs today! YAY for fridge space again (at least for a day or two)!!! I had to drive into Medford to deliver the eggs, so of course I stopped off for a quick look at the thrifty. Gotta feed the addiction, right? Anywho, what lovely treasure should I find today but a BREATHTAKINGLY beautiful vintage fur coat! Talk about meant to be: I had made $19 in egg sales. What was the price of the fur coat? Why, $19 of course!!!

It's in amazing shape - the pelts are still soft and supple with no discernible shedding! The full-length coat is quite obviously high-end and very well-made, with a double lining and deep front pockets lined in soft suede. The only problems with it were four 6-8" long tears in the seams between the pelts on both arms (2 tears per arm - one is visible in the pictures). This is an ok defect because the actual FUR is not ripped. Therefore, my grandmother and I spent the afternoon carefully stitching up the tears. We draped the fur coat over a chair, and each of us pulled up a seat, took an arm, and began sewing. Voila! Good as new! The fur has me a bit stumped - it's too long for mink, and the white spots scattered throughout are startling and gorgeous. I plan to do some more research on it.

Anywho, forgive the poor pictures, but I was just SO excited to share my find! I'll get some better ones another day, but here is a glimpse. The large back collar can be worn either down or flipped up. Haven't figured out a time period on the coat yet. Doesn't seem to have the large Joan Crawford shoulders though...

Here Are Those Pictures I Promised!

2011-09-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

(Well, ok, just for the wedding dress. I really can't show you the slip and petticoat, this being a "family" blog and all! *laughing*)

I will say that the beige slip works very well under this dress!

P.S. - This is what a sleepily-confused Adso looks like (he's been caught in the act of NAPPING!!):

Busted.

Thrifting Backlog...

2011-09-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't been very good about posting/taking pictures of my thrift store scores lately, mainly because there have been so many of them (have I mentioned that I LOVE this time of year?!). Yesterday was another good day, though I still left some fun vintage pieces behind (like an authentic pink & sequined poodle skirt with metal zipper...*sigh*). I have been trying to be better about only buying the ones that I know I will wear and enjoy. Still, it's hard not to bring everything home with me! I just hate seeing it neglected at the thrifty, bound to be covered in fake blood or torn up for someone's Halloween costume. Anywho, where was I? Ah, yes: yesterday, I found the most adorable late 50s/early 60s wedding-y dress. What cracks me up is that also in the costume rack were 2 wedding dresses from the 1960s, and these were marked $29.99 and $35.99. My dress, however, being a beige-colored lace, was apparently not priced as a wedding dress (even though it came with a lace "shawl" that I suspect is actually a full-length veil). It was only $4.99. Teehee!

I also found a lovely beige full slip ($1.99) for wearing under some of my sheer vintage dresses, and a long muslin & crinoline multi-layered 1950's ribonned petticoat ($2.99). Pictures of these three items coming soon...

The other week, I found the most beautiful 1950s cocktail hat made my "Replica de Parisienne." It is a deep sapphire blue velvet with sequin decorations and a veil.

I also found a fabulous pair of off-white 1940's peep toe wedge heels for $1.

Eggs, Anyone?

2011-09-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

Despite it being so late in the season, my flock of chickens and ducks are laying eggs like crazy! I'm currently collecting 6-8 eggs a day from the chicken coop, and 4-6 eggs from the duck hut. You do the math - that's a lot of eggs per week! What's strange is that no one seems to want to buy any right now...? It's not as though I have raised my prices (in fact, we are cheaper than many surrounding sellers), but folks just don't seem interested? I don't get it! So anyhow, looks like I need to make egg salad soon...about 7 dozen eggs worth of egg salad! *laughing* And make a great deal of cakes, cookies, and egg noodle batches I suppose. The good news is that I really don't hear Ryan complaining about it. *grin*

Trading One Insanity For Another...

2011-09-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

Now that tourist season is (un)officially over, I have traded the insane work schedule of that for the insane work schedule of Fall Harvest! Ack! This past weekend, I harvested our 2nd potato bed, bringing in another 30+ pounds of potatoes (mainly Kennebec, with a little Beauty of Hebron thrown in for kicks!). Kennebec potatoes are my main crop - they are incredibly high-yielding, and they have above-average disease and pest resistance around here. Plus, they make a nice "all purpose" culinary potato. I have one final large potato bed to harvest, and then a small one. Overall, I expect to bring in nearly 100 lbs of heirloom potatoes this year! YAY for ME! I also harvested another ~40 lbs of heirloom tomatoes (currently waiting to be processed into sauce and canned) and the remainder of the flour corn (which I spread out in the Boutique for final drying before I grind it into cornmeal).

The winter squash aren't quite ready to bring in yet, and the bean patch is still producing like crazy!

There are still quite a few tomatoes out there needing to be picked, as well as Litchi "tomatoes" and raspberries...Oh, and I haven't finished harvesting the dry bean crop yet. So much to do!!

Not to mention all of the herb and veggie seed harvesting/cleaning/drying/processing/storing.

So, for those folks who think I'm just a stay-at-home house wife who likes to spend money on silly clothes and hats, I have news for you: I earn my keep (and my hats!). Do you know how many pounds of tomatoes alone it takes to feed two people through the winter? 140 lbs will be just enough to get us through til next year!!! That doesn't include the beans, apples, peaches, peppers, etc., or the turkeys we raise and slaughter/process ourselves every year...I guess what I am trying to say is that you don't have to work outside of the home to be valuable, and you don't have to be a tom boy just because you're a dirty farmer. :)

Flapper Girl Continued!

2011-09-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

I found the most AMAZING "flapper" dress scored at the thrift store for $4.99! Can you believe they had this marked "witch costume"?!?!?! (Insert your bad jokes about me HERE).

Everything is hand-stitched. There are accordion pleats in front (which is what tipped me off to take a better look at this dress as I was about to walk out of the store!!!), a slightly dropped waist, and there is a nude/beige-colored fabric backing the bodice lace in front. There is also an ornate half metal zipper in back, which was either a slightly later addition OR shows that the dress (which has a bit of the 20s and 30s styles mixed in) was of the later flapper period of the early 1930s.

Several portions of the bodice lace are in tatters. Is this repairable? Maybe (though probably not by me). Does it take away from the wearability of the piece? Not really, as far as I am concerned. I would probably stitch in a lace insert along the section of front shoulder area that is missing, but that's about it. The dress is still in amazing shape for it's age, which is impressive.

"Hair Fiasco!"

2011-09-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

Or,

"How I Spent All Day Yesterday Crying Like a Sissy Little Girl"

Good Grief, what a hair fiasco!! I'm back to being "cute" again, but I spent most of yesterday in tears! That's what I get for going with a new (more economical) stylist instead of my normal one, I suppose...

Anywho, the stylist yesterday acted as though she didn't even know how to cut hair! I brought in the picture of Claudette Colbert and explained exactly what I wanted. The first attempt, she just trimmed the ends of my hair and asked if that was what I wanted? Ummmm...no! ACK! When I explained everything again, she looked even more confused and trimmed my hair ends a little more. Then she went to talk to some of the other stylists, who tried to explain to her what a simple haircut it was and how to do it. I should have left right then and there, but I was in such a state of shock I wasn't thinking! On try #3, she MASSACRED my head with horrible layers! The top laid flat because it was too heavy, the middle (due to my abundant natural curl) flipped up and out, and the bottom POOFED out and down. At this point I had spent TWO HOURS in her chair! There had been two stylists working in the booth next to mine, and every now and then they had been casting barely concealed looks of horror my way...I numbly nodded "ok that looks good" in pure shock, paid, walked out to my truck and started crying like a sissy little girl! Ryan, whom I was supposed to meet for lunch an hour ago, was frantic with worry, and had left me several messages asking where I was and if I was ok? I called him to explain, but ended up just crying harder into the phone. When we finally met up near his work, he took one look at my head and said that we needed to have them fix it asap (no kidding, honey!). So he called the salon for me (I was still sobbing uncontrollably) using his best "debt collector" tone and scheduled an appointment with the manager (who is also my normal hair stylist) to fix it the next day (which was today). Painfully funny: the receptionist knew who he was referring to as far as the "very upset customer" without Ryan dropping a single name. I spent the rest of the day with a scarf wrapped around my head, sobbing in our darkened bedroom and gorging on self-pity chocolate cake. I'm not a girly-girly feminine freak, but I have NEVER had an awful experience like that before, and my hair looked so bad it was unbelievable! Amazing how an event like that will just turn you into a weeping mess. I couldn't look in the mirror without bawling! What a blow to your self esteem!

Anywho, today, the manager/stylist ended up repairing as much damage as she could without giving me a pixie cut, but the back still lays rather funky and won't look quite right til my hair grows out and I have it re-cut. *Sigh* She did show me how to do finger waves and pin curls before I left, which I am very excited to style my hair with (that was part of the reason I wanted a "flapper cut"). They didn't charge me for the repair work (thank goodness!). I'm partly mad at myself: I should have gone with my normal stylist in the first place, instead of trying to save a little money on my cut by using one of the other, newer stylists. I just figured it was an easy haircut (it's a short bob, for crying out loud!) and wouldn't be hard for any stylist to do! Boy, I have learned my lesson! Next time I'll fork over the $50 for my usual stylist and never think twice!

Lesson Learned.

Quick Note: My hair is very curly in the pictures - what's funny is that while the stylist DID curl it a bit for me, today was very humid, and my hair has grown "bigger" and more out of control as the day has dragged on...I'm a little worried as to what sort of curly poof I may be sporting come bedtime!

Today was also better in that I found a real score at the thrifty: $7.99 emerald green velvet 1950's strapless party dress! It definitely needs a steam pressing, as the bodice lays funky right now and makes me look like I have torpedo nipples or something when viewed from the side, but it's in great shape otherwise (no holes or tears!). It has a metal zipper in back, and the most fascinating "petticoat" design I have ever seen!!: instead of using a built-in petticoat or lining the skirt with a crinoline fabric, the seamstress used some sort of heavy-weight industrial "foam" is what it looks like to add the stiffness and volume so classic to the 1950s style. I have never seen anything like it, and it makes for a wonderful (and wearable!) study piece. Plus, I am a TOTAL sucker for emerald green, especially velvet, and it matches both of my wedding rings as well as the pair of drippy $5 earrings I scored at an antique store last week. The color doesn't come out well in the pictures because I'm standing in the shade, but it really is the most lovely green color...I also love the little bow in the front of the dress!

P.S. - the bracelet I'm wearing is a $4 thrift store score, and the necklace is a family "heirloom" that my grandmother got for free when she was working at Fedco in CA. On that note, a little side story: I want to scream because apparently she was offered an entire box of D&E Juliana jewelry (retailing now individually anywhere from $250-$2000!) for free, but she only took one necklace because she thought it was "too gaudy." I still have that necklace, but oh! To think she turned away an entire box of them! That could have paid for my college education via Ebay! :P

Ta-Ta For Now!

2011-09-12T16:08:00.000-07:00

Apothecary Inn will be closing early for the off-season beginning October 1st, 2011. We will reopen for B&B guests on February 1st, 2012.

It's been a phenomenal year for us, both in terms of business AND great guests, but your hardworking innkeepers now need to focus on bringing in/preserving the rest of the harvest, & getting the inn ready for winter.

Thanks again for a great year, and we'll see you all in Spring 2012!!!

That's a lot of beans...

2011-09-11T14:12:00.001-07:00

We have been pulling some long days here on the farm between the harvest season, extreme heat wave (which means that evening chores are begin started at about 7 pm), and B&B bookings. Lately, we have taken to harvesting the garden produce after evening chores, since that's when it's the coolest. Last night, we harvested 16+ lbs of heirloom bush beans from our late season bean patch!! This is a pretty typical week's haul off of the plot. I love the Dragon's Tongue variety because they are SUCH productive plants!

Now, yours truly gets to spend the rest of the week processing them! ;)

Feeling Inspired

2011-09-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

(The "Before" Picture)

I checked out a DVD copy of "It Happened One Night" (starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert) from the library last week, and I am now feeling inspired to chop off all of my hair and be a Flapper Girl! My hair has grown long enough to be annoying lately - it's at that terrible in between phase that you reach when you have shorter hair and you wait too long in between hair cuts! Basically, it's long enough to constantly get in my eyes and be irritating, but not long enough to properly put up in a ponytail or do anything creative with it. Plus, as much as I love my hair when it's long, the upkeep is a lot more intensive, and as a farmer and a food-based business owner, short hair would just be SO much more practical! I used to wear my hair very short in high school, but since then it's always been at least mid-length if not quite long. Well, time for a change!

Here is an inspirational photo that I hope to emulate come Monday!:

B. Siegel Co

2011-09-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

I love thrifting during the pre-Halloween season! Even though you find many sad & abused vintage items, you can also generally score some reasonably nice pieces for quite cheaply. Start looking early, as many stores raise their prices the closer it gets to Halloween.

This week, all of the stores are just beginning to put their costume sections out. Even with limited stock, I struck gold!

First, four pairs of terribly gaudy (and absolutely wonderful!) earrings! One pair I would put ~1960s, the rest are 1970s-1980s (not generally my style time, but I actually rather like these ones). The later earrings were all made for pierced ears, but were reconstructed as clip-ons (which is the state I found them in). One is clearly a homemade "destash" project from other vintage jewelry parts, but it's SO over-the-top and shiny that I just couldn't resist!

I also found a vintage mink stole/scarf/whatever for $3.99! Only some minor shedding, and in otherwise great shape! I've named it "Leonard." Here is Leonard with two of the vintage earring pairs.

My real score today was an early 1950's dress made by "B. Siegel Co" in Detroit. Now, normally I almost never find out any information about the makers or stores on vintage labels. However, today was an exception! Here is a blurb about the store from labellevintage.net's page:

"Benjamin Siegel, who was born and educated in Germany, came to the United States in 1876. In 1877 he began his career in a general merchandise store in Alabama, later relocating to Detroit, Michigan where he organized the B. Siegel Co. in 1881. Siegel had started out in Detroit at Heyn’s Bazaar on Woodward, where he was a department manager for women’s apparel. He later rose from department manager to store owner, and changed the name to Siegel’s.

Relocating in 1904 to 159-163 Woodward Avenue (at State Street) in Detroit’s downtown business district, the B. Siegel Co. specialized in fine ladies’, misses’ and children’s cloaks, suits and furs. The store had the reputation of being “the largest, finest and most complete cloak and suit store in the United States.”

Until the company filed for bankruptcy in 1981 that is. Ouch.

For more information about the store, you can also visit Wikipedia's site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegel-Cooper_Company

The B. Siegal Co dress that I bought today (for $3.99! HA!) is clearly well made. It has a calf-length skirt with built-in crinoline, front pockets, buttons down the back, a sash, and long zippered sleeves. The sash actually buttons onto the dress in back!

Front

Close-Up of Zippered Sleeve Ends

Back

Close-up of Back Sash/Button Closure

Backlogged...

2011-09-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

This is what I refer to as a bit of a harvest backlog...As you can see, when tourist season takes off, the canning/processing to-do list gets further and further behind. Right now I have close to 40 lbs of tomatoes that need to have their seeds removed (and saved!) and cooked down into sauce for canning (which I can't do until I finish cooking down the 20+ lbs of apples I have simmering on the stove for apple butter & apple leather!). You can also see from the picture below that I am behind in shelling my Scarlet Runner Bean pods, and there is flour corn that needs to be ground, and purslane (in the bucket) that needs to be dried and have its seeds collected. SO much to do, and not enough hours in the days between B&B bookings with which to do it! *sigh*

None of the above "projects" take into account the enormous pasture of bush beans I need to harvest, flash boil, and can. Nor the dozens of ripe tomatoes hanging on the vines and needing to be picked...or the 7 different garden areas that need to be watered! Good grief, I tire myself out just even thinking about it!

Speaking of tomatoes and seed-saving, here is a comparison between two different varieties of heirloom bi-colored tomatoes that I grow (and yes, they are different!):

Joya de Oaxaca

Applegate Valley Heirloom Tomato

And somewhere in there I still need to make another batch of soap...we had a group of guests stay with us in August, and they enjoyed the soap samples we gave them so much that they bought out our entire supply of homemade soap bars!

Anywho, for those who think that a farm wife/entrepreneur doesn't earn her keep around here, I beg to differ...

Making Apple Leather

2011-09-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

You can technically make "leather" out of just about any fruit - peaches, cherries, applies, plums, etc. However, since we have access to a great deal of apples (I've lost track of how many pounds I've processed this year from our trees, but it runs at well over 100!), I chose to make apple leather this year.

To make apple leather, you must actually first make apple butter. Apple Butter is basically a more heavily spiced, thicker, applesauce. There is a good recipe for Apple Butter on Martha Stewart's website HERE, or, you can concoct your own version. I usually work in 20 lb batches of apples, so if you follow my recipe you'll probably need to downsize the ingredient amounts a bit...There are several methods for the drying of fruit leather, but due to time and convenience, I use my oven. Feel free to experiment with a food dehydrator, or even place the cookie sheets outdoors on a hot day! As I said, everyone has their own method of making fruit leather, but here is mine:

Jillian's Apple Butter Recipe

INGREDIENTS
~20 lbs of small, roughly chopped apples, cores & stems removed
(we use the small & tart Lodi apples, which are similar to Granny Smith, but any apple will work)
4 cups apple juice (not from concentrate!)
2 cups water
4 cups cooking brandy (don't worry, the alcohol burns off!)
1/4 cup ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp ground ginger
2 Tbsp ground cloves
1 Tbsp ground cardamom

DIRECTIONS
Place all ingredients in a large stock pot, and bring everything to a boil. Then, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for several hours, stirring every 15-30 minutes to make sure nothing burns on the bottom. Once the apples have cooked down into a thick mush, remove the pot from heat and allow to cool. When the apple butter has cooled enough to work with, puree it (working in batches) in a food processor. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F (most ovens won't go lower than this), and grease several large cookie sheets. Pour the pureed apple butter onto the sheets, no more than a half inch or so thick. Place in the oven and bake until dry and leathery, roughly 4-5 hours for convection, and up to 8 hours for a regular oven. This isn't an exact science, so keep an eye on the apple leather as it cooks - you want it dry and leathery like a fruit roll-up, but not burned! When the apple leather has reached the desired dryness and texture, remove the cookie sheets from the oven and allow the leather to cool. Once it is cool, take a spatula and free an edge of leather on the cookie sheet, and then peel the leather off of the cookie sheet. Place the leather on a rack to dry more thoroughly (this will most likely take a day or two). Then, sprinkle both sides with cornstarch, and voila! Your own tasty homemade snack!

*For further instructions and reference, please read "Stocking Up: How to Preserve the Foods You Grow Naturally" by Carol Hupping Stoner*

TAYLOR'S Bird

2011-09-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

Well of course I am talking about a hat.

*grin*

This little vintage gem comes to us from TAYLOR'S on Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. Birth date unknown, though most likely 1930s-1940s. She's a pretty wee thing, part pheasant feathers (in the long, trailing tail, and iridescent band of reddish-brown feathers at the collar), and part...who knows what! Haven't decided on a name for her yet...

The hat is constructed like a cross between a fascinator and tilt style. Very interesting, though also very simple. The base is covered in short white feathers with a bit of netting, and then there is a fake bird resting on top.

LEFT SIDE

TOP FRONT
BACK
RIGHT SIDEAnd for further amusement:

The camera's auto timer has perfectly captured my priceless expression when I was in the middle of this photo shoot in front of the house, and my B&B guests pulled in a half hour early. A truly Kodak Moment captured and placed here for your amused viewing pleasure. (Don't worry, I can make anything work, even this outfit for a check-in! But talk about feeling as though you'd been caught with your pants down!!).

Frankie & Isabel

2011-09-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

I have decided that all of my vintage hats with complete "birds" need to be named. I don't know why it matters, but I figure that if people can name their cars, I should be able to name my hats!

Frankie, you've already met (shown above).

But now I'd like to introduce you to Isabel:

She's the crowning decoration (har de har har!) on this lovely little 1940's chapeau! I love her green bow.

My latest hat is made of a brown felted wool, with a brown plush velvet fabric trim and edging around the brim. It has an upturned front brim, low crown and a label reading, "Isabel Pickreel, Inc. Modelo Millinery 3104 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles" sewn inside. Inside circumference is 21.5 inches - a bit of a tight fit for me, but worth it. I wear it as a slightly tilt-style hat...

This would be the perfect accessory to a smartly-tailored 1940s brown wool suit!

September is "In" With a Near-Frost

2011-09-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

Where did summer go?

I woke up this morning to a cold house (left the windows open) and a thermometer reading 37 degrees outside! Since yesterday's morning low was 54, you can imagine my shock. Hello, September.

I am so not ready for this.

Our 2nd (late season) bush bean patch has finally begun producing like mad! Roughly 2 rows of bean plants will fill a 5 quart bucket (which is what I generally use to hold beans), and there are more rows than I care to count (the entire patch measures about 40'x40'). I have been picking buckets of beans every day and still am not harvesting them all!! Beans out of the early 1st patch I flash-froze, but I have been pressure canning these late season beans. We'll see if they keep better texture-wise with canning.

Also been processing still more apples (I swear my pantry is composed of 50% apple butter and 50% peach preserves at this point!)...cooked down another 20 lbs, and have 20 lbs more still waiting for me. This time, I seasoned the batch as though I was making apple butter, but I will be spreading it out on cookie sheets and drying it in the oven to make fruit leather! So I will have my own homemade fruit rollups to snack on! I need to get this first batch in the oven early today, since you cook it on very low heat anywhere from 5-8 hours...I also need to get started on the 20+ lbs of tomatoes staring at me from the work room...so much to do during harvest season, and never enough hours in the day! And it feels like the weather is trying to give us an early Fall! Yikes!

Ryan and I met up on his lunch break yesterday for a brief date at the antique mall by his work. I found the most lovely 1940s dress there, and (unintentionally, I might add!) gave him the puppy dog eyes (which he claims he can never resist), so we bought it. It fits like a dream, and is made of a toasty beige knit rayon material with a belt and beautiful sheer lace bodice! VERY delicate and lovely, and definitely something I am going to need to find an appropriate slip for! (Pictures of that later)

I have a hat arriving today! YAY! A pretty 1940's number with a little birdie on the brim. I think I am going to name the bird "Isabel" after the milliner. We are so busy with B&B bookings this month that I will be unable to attend my beloved city-wide Jacksonville yard sale the weekend of the 10th. Since I can't spend the money I was saving for that, I decided to blow it on hats! I figure it's a win-win situation! ;P

Late Summer Harvest

2011-08-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or was there a touch of Fall in the air this morning? Perhaps it's just my imagination, but I felt that this morning, with its cool breeze and brief cloud cover, felt more like fall weather than late August.

After an interesting summer, we are finally beginning to enjoy a late season tomato and bean harvest. My 2nd patch of heirloom Dragon's Tongue bush beans are finally ready, and picking a mere 2 rows filled a 5 quart plastic bucket! I have sectioned off the best plants for seed saving, but that still leaves quite a few "eating beans" plants. The bugs have not begun hitting this crop yet, so all of the beans were pristine and lovely. I munched on beans as I worked, making the chickens and turkeys (whose pastures adjoin the garden) very jealous.

The Orange Fleshed Purple Smudge Tomatoes are ripening, and though their color is visually fascinating (they are supposedly the only domesticated tomato with a true purple pigment), their flavor is far better suited to sauce making than fresh eating.

My Twisted Sense of Humor...

2011-08-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

I've always enjoyed collecting odd old tins and glass bottles - the stranger, the better. It runs in my family, as my mother used to collect old medical bottles and such, and passed the collection on to me.

One of my favorite possessions is an old glass bottle I purchased for $2 many years ago - on the side it reads, "Worm Expeller."

Recently, at an estate sale, I found another addition to my Collection of Medical Oddities:

Look, there's even one suppository left!

Sleeping or Smothering?

2011-08-29T14:40:00.001-07:00

I do believe Adso is trying to smother his brother!...Perhaps Jugi was snoring too loudly?

I'm Showing You the Bird!

2011-08-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

The Bird HAT, that is! ;)

My hat style definitely trends toward the post-Audubon regulations; meaning that I love hats decorated with "fake" birds composed of common feathers over styrofoam. You get the funky effect without the (once live) parakeet.

It's getting harder and harder to find even these "fake" birdie hats. Vintage hats have become very popular collector's items over the years, so prices are high and unique hats rare. That being said, I still persevere! I have been blessed lately to have come across several rare, affordable bird hats. I have recently added two more into my collection:

A simple but elegant hat made by Isabel Pickreel. You can view the lovely hat HERE.

I also won another bet with the Devil (or, more appropriately, Ebay), for another bird hat. You can view this 2nd hat HERE.

Vintage hats are flying through my mail box like Christmas fruit cakes! YAY!

Estate Sale Finds...

2011-08-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

Went to a pretty decent estate sale today! Not as good as some of the ones in the past, but I did manage a real score: a 1957 SIGNED Hollycraft hinged rhinestone bracelet for $20! Apparently, the hinged bracelets are very rare, and retail for $275-$475. Mine is missing a few rhinestones on the underside, but it's hardly noticeable, and I LOVE it! Soooooo shiiiiiiny...

I also got two magazines from 1948 (LIFE and POST) for $3 each. On the back of one of the magazines was an ad for Lucky Strike cigarettes! I couldn't help thinking of Mad Men when I saw it.

One has a fascinating (and scary) article about "fogging" with DDT! It has a picture of a woman eating, and another of children playing, in the "fog." Reminds me of a chapter in Bill Bryson's book, "The Thunderbolt Kid."
I'm the sure the bald eagles are thrilled.

Other items I picked up: a bag of vintage buttons for $2, some lovely old fabric with a garden theme print, several yards of pretty lace edging, a music box, a lovely candy dish, and a vintage white half slip (I have one in black, but have been looking for one in white for ages!!).

All in all, a pretty awesome sale!

Some Things In Life Are SO Not Fair!

2011-08-27T14:30:00.001-07:00

It should be illegal to be that comfortable...

(I want to be a spoiled house cat!)

Raccoons, Cougars, & Cousins - Oh My!

2011-08-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

What an absolutely ridiculous week! I am going to blame "Mercury in Retrograde," if for no other reason than I would prefer it to rest on something else other than my wild (and not always in a good way) luck.

For starters, I had two unfortunate brush-ins with the local raccoon population recently...

Now, anyone who thinks that raccoons are sweet and cuddly has clearly never lived in the country. They (at least the ones in our area) are vicious, aggressive, and one of the common carriers of rabies (besides bats and skunks). Not to mention that raccoons will decimate a poultry population if given the chance.

The other morning, I went to let the chickens out of the coop ~6 am (before the sun was shining, but definitely a well-lit predawn light!). After letting them out, I glanced up at the oak tree in their pasture and saw THREE raccoons staring down at me! So, I had to race around and chase 25 very uncooperative chickens back into the coop (which they did not appreciate, clearly not comprehending the threat to their feathered selves). After several hours, the raccoons left, and I was finally able to let the chickens out of the coop again. Oh, did I mention this was during a B&B booking? So, not only was I supposed to be cooking guest breakfasts, but was running late that morning before the raccoon incident! Thankfully, I managed to rush through my tasks and get breakfast ready on time (ironically, the guests ended up being 20 minutes late to breakfast...some days you just can't win! - What a MONDAY!!).

Then, three nights later at about 4 am, there was a terrible racket coming from the poultry pasture. It woke my grandfather up, who went outside to investigate (armed with a club). Punkin, the guard llama, was pressed as close to the gate by the barn as she could get (i.e. farthest away from the ruckus) and was clearly very upset. Gramps said he saw about 5 raccoons fighting amongst themselves in the chicken pasture, and the chickens were going NUTS in the coop. He chased the raccoons off (though it took some convincing, as they are aggressive and unafraid of people here), and the chickens quieted down, so he thought all was well. I went out two hours later to feed/let the chickens out of the coop. I noticed spotted feathers and a trail of blood leading from the poultry coop to the oak tree at our property line where I know that the raccoons love to roost (FYI - that tree is coming down this fall - for many reasons, but that is one of them!). When I let the chickens out, I saw that my beloved hen (a Mottled Houdan named "Jimmy Hendrix") was missing. I was SO upset! Apparently, the raccoons must have figured out how to lift up the little chicken door on the coop and go in. That evening, Ryan installed a sliding latch on the door to keep it bolted shut at night. I have been raising chickens for four years here and have NEVER had that happen! I didn't know raccoons were that wily!!?! I only hope they don't figure out this new latch...*fingers crossed*

And now, for the icing on the predatory cake:

Just yesterday (around noon), I was cleaning the Apothecary Suite after another guest check-out. Because it was a nice day, I had the window open. I can see the female llama pasture from said window, and about this time I noticed that my girl llamas were avidly watching something going on in back of our property (specifically the field behind my property line). It was then that I heard my neighbor say "I have to call Ryan and Jillian!" Of course, I was already heading downstairs to the phone at that point. Our neighbor told me that he had just seen a juvenile COUGAR loping along from our creek bed in the male llama pasture (located in the large wooded lot to the north of our house), along our back property line, and towards the back of vineyard next door!! Since the last time a cougar was spotted in our area was looooong before we ever even moved here, I was understandably shaken! As the livestock was my first priority, I grabbed a shovel (for lack of better weapon), and raced outside to do a head count. Everyone but my one white male llama, Judge, was accounted for. I started hiking into their pasture, and was talking to my husband on my cell phone about the cougar at the same time. Ryan, suddenly comprehending exactly where I was and what I was foolhardily doing, said, "Um, hun, PLEASE STOP and take a 360 degree turn around, checking the trees AND the ground level!!!" Oh yes, oblivious dolt that I am forgot that gee, cougars can climb trees AND stalk people on occasion! Thankfully, I was in the clear, and finally found Judge (who was perfectly all right, and - unlike George - does not know enough to come when called!). About 2 hours after this sighting, we received a notification that there had been a deer killed by a cougar the previous night just a mile away, and I would bet money it was the same cougar. I have to say that a cougar sighting right on/next to my property is very concerning - the donkeys are never locked inside at night, and though I don't worry about the llamas as much (weighing 500 lbs and all), they are also vulnerable to attack (the goats are at least locked in at night, and located in the middle of the property under the constant watch of humans and Punkin). Not to mention my small self, who goes out in the predawn dark to feed/let animals out every morning! I don't pay attention to if there is a cougar around! Are you kidding me?! It's before COFFEE! So I told Ryan I wanted to get some pepper spray to take with me from now on, as that would be easier to remember to carry around. I know that the folks living along the Highway 238 a few miles from us get cougars, but that is an area with lots of fields and forest and a low human population. Our property is in a heavily populated area that the cougars always seemed to stay away from (or so I thought!). I don't know if this was a freak occurrence or what, but I have to say that I am quite a bit unnerved. I have been stalked twice by a cougar, and am not game to try my luck with a third round!

So beyond that insanity, we have also been getting quite a few last minute bookings. I am very thankful for the cash flow, though I'm very much looking forward to the quiet at the end of tourist season! I have family visiting for the next three weeks or so, so we've been in an uproar of cleaning and cooking too. The weather here has been a bit wild: lots of thunderstorms, some rain, and a great deal of very muggy heat!

A Tasty Joy!

2011-08-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

The first real tomato harvest is in!: the large & beautifully bi-colored heirloom known as "Joya de Oaxaca!"

Pasta sauce is simmering as we speak! I'm thinking that some garlic bread (made with our own sourdough and heirloom garlic - recently harvested and now dried) would make for the perfect accompaniment to tonight's meal!

And of course freshly-baked peach turnovers (since I am still up to my eyeballs in peaches and peach preserves!) for dessert!

My tummy is grumbling...

Toyls & A Date

2011-08-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Ryan and I went out on a morning-long outing to several local antique stores. I had promised to buy him a new old toyl (in this case an antique vice), and we also wanted to see if we could find any old hat blocks on the cheap. You never know what you'll come across around here!

Success!

We found a canvas-covered hat block (technically a wig stand, but you can absolutely use it for basic millinery work too - like any wood hat block, you just make sure to carefully cover it with plastic before steaming the felt!!), which will totally work for felting cloches and other types of skull-hugging hats. It even has the jack hole in the base for mounting on a spinner. I am so excited!

The block is (very lightly) marked 21 1/2, so a little small for my 22 in head size. However, I can easily pad it a bit with a layer of felt before using it to make hats for myself. Voila! Ingenuity!

Also found this cutie: a very pretty little pheasant! Quite long in length, and will look smashing on a sculptured fedora someday soon...

Peaches...And More Peaches...

2011-08-22T09:07:00.001-07:00

This has been a good year for the local peach crop, and this week finds me (amongst other things) canning peaches (and still more apples!). Thus far I have managed to process about 40 lbs of peaches, which we love eating in the winter either straight out of the mason jar or else baked into pies and tarts. Helps brighten that wintertime "blah" diet.

The tomatoes are just barely beginning to ripen, so hopefully by September I will be able to start on the pasta sauce canning!

Frankie II

2011-08-19T14:39:00.000-07:00

My 2nd example of a 1930s/1940s "Frank Palma Original" tilt topper hat arrived today!! I LOVE it! The poor bird was in a bit worse shape than I had been led to believe, and needed some feathers re-glued (thank goodness I had already purchased the Fabri-Tac!). Otherwise, the hat is in great shape, as is the fun netting! Normally, I am not a netting/veil type of person, but this has a wide grid and just compliments the hat's character SO well. I will not be removing it.

This is the first tilt hat I've owned that does NOT stay on very well (odd), so I will be adding an elastic hat strap at some point (I also need to put one on the pheasant hat I recently bought). In the meantime, I am just very very careful not to move my head around too much when I wear this!

I LOVE this hat! It is another vintage hat that really epitomizes the funky & fun style that I like to call my own.

Viva la vintage hat! ;)

My First Real Day Off!

2011-08-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

I have been working basically non-stop for the past 24 days straight, pulling 16- to 18-hour days. Today was my first real day off! The hardest tasks on my to-do list are moving the garden sprinkler and dying my hair with henna. Oh, and of course using the internet to feed my vintage hat addiction.

Don't judge me - it's been a looooooong month!

P.S. - You KNOW you're a hardcore coffee drinker when the inside of your mug develops a lovely brown "patina" that doesn't even come off after a run through the dishwasher! Yum! :P

Mad Hatter: Part 1

2011-08-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

I have decided to try my hand at hat-making. I know, I know, I do NOT need another project! But I do so love hats, and I also love being creative, so why not combine the two and attempt a new chapter of millinery madness?! If nothing else, it will be a way to make vintage-inspired hats when I can't afford to buy them!

~~

Step 1: Buy how-to book.

My choice was the much-approved "From the Neck Up: An Illustrated Guide to Hatmaking" by Denise Dreher (available from Amazon). Basically, the millinery bible, and an excellent resource for a beginning mad hatter! The book breaks everything down into easy-to-follow lessons with thoughtful illustrations.

Step 2: Practice making paper mock-ups.

While I eventually want to turn almost exclusively to felt work, I feel that it is important to know how to do all aspects of hatmaking. So, for my first project, I will be making a buckram hat frame that will be covered in cloth and decorated with a fake bird.

Since I love the beautiful hats of the late 1930s and 1940s, I decided my first hat would be a tilt topper. I made the hat with a pointed front and a curved-up back, and it will rest at a jaunty tilt upon my pretty little head! I constructed a flat crown with which to place my mock "bird" (constructed of styrofoam and feathers).

In order not to waste valuable (and expensive) materials, you figure out the pattern for your hat using cheap-ish paper models. That way, if you make a mistake, it's not as expensive! You start with your first paper pattern, which you cut and shape and tape to figure out curvature of the brim (if you do in fact want curvature - which I did!). My initial pattern is shown below the "Step 2" title. Once you have your pattern figured out, you cut out the "real" paper pattern. Then, you use that final paper pattern to cut out the buckram, sew it together with some millinery wire for support, cover it with fabric, and decorate!

Step 3: Don't be Idle - Play with Glue!

While waiting to order the buckram, I decided to work on my mock bird. My inspiration came from this hat displayed in the November 1944 issue of McCall Magazine. My bird will look very similar, except that the tail feathers will be shorter, and will extend upward a bit more (as they will be resting/attached to the upturned back brim of the hat.

To make the bird body, I purchased a medium styrofoam "egg" and cut it in half.

Using the wonderfully brain-cell-killing glue known as Fabri-Tac (DEFINITELY only to be used in a well-ventilated area and while wearing gloves!!), I glued on a layer of colorful feathers, working from the back and making my way forward (so that they would lay and look more natural).

The bottom I left as plain styrofoam for the moment, but will eventually be covered with a light fabric and glued and/or tacked onto the finished hat to hold it in place.

For the bird head/neck, I purchased a styrofoam "ring" that I will cut a piece out of and carve one end to look like a head. I haven't figured out what to use for a beak yet...?

Anywho, I finished gluing feathers to the bird body today, and hopefully tomorrow will start constructing the head and neck.

Here is the bird body resting on the paper mock-up. Imagine the spray of tail feathers coming out the back too (like the McCall hat)...

More millinery adventures to follow!...

What's for Breakfast?

2011-08-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

Peach "Boats" with our own homegrown raspberries & blueberries, drizzled in blueberry-lavender-lemon verbena jam, and garnished with lemon balm, borage, and evening primrose flowers.

Wear That Funky Pheasant, White Girl!

2011-08-13T12:57:00.001-07:00

So I won my first (and most likely only) Ebay auction last week!

It was for the craziest vintage hat I'd ever seen: a sort of modified feathered pillbox with a fake feathered pheasant (complete with gold glue eyes and fun pompadour feathery poof) on top.

It even had trailing feathers in back (let's face it, I'm a total sucker for long, trailing feather accents), and the sides of the hat are covered in brown netting with random accent spots of gold glue.

Like I said, totally WILD vintage hat! According to the seller, it came out of a famous costume shop in Cincinnati, Ohio, that has been around since ~1840. This shop even supplies the annual bunny costumes to the White House each Easter! You can tell that the hat has seen better days - a few of the long tail feathers are broken off and missing, and there are bare spots on the sides of the hat where feathers are missing.

To me, it just adds character, and shows that the hat was well-used and hopefully well-loved. Given the crazy style and dark brown color, the hat was difficult to photograph, but we tried our best!

And in other hat-related news, my wonderfully crafty woodworking husband carved me out my first hat block this morning!

Let the millinery experimentation begin!!

Authentic Flapper Girl!

2011-08-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

I promised "better" pictures of that beautiful authentic 1920s flapper dress, and here they are! I am wearing a plain beige silk dress underneath, as the flapper dress is sheer lace. But I think that the lighter beige dress really brings out the beauty and detailing of the lace! I am also wearing my antique rosary-turned flapper necklace...just trying to set the mood...*grin*

I believe I will be trying my hand at mending some of the repair work needed on the lace dress. It's SO delicate in both construction and condition, but I think that a loving hand can, with careful work, restore it to its former glory. Not a dress I plan to be wearing out much (if ever), but so beautiful to look at. If nothing else, an amazing study and inspirational piece!

Many thanks again to the wonderful and generous Jeanna!

Another Project Down...

2011-08-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

I finally had a chance to mend the $5 "Milton Lippman Original" 1950s sheath dress that I purchased at the thrift store last week.

With so many B&B guests, it's a bit difficult to find a work space around here. So I had to wait for a brief calm spell in between bookings! The dress has definitely seen better days, and needed many, many patches. I did the best I could, as I believe this dress is absolutely worth saving and wearing! It has loads of personality!

It has two large front pockets, and buttons down to the waist in front, and then there is a matching button (with a major area of patchwork repair to the right - visible even in the picture!) in the back of the skirt where the "kick pleat" is.

There is also a side zipper.

The material is very thin and shear, which I believe is due to both age and the type of fabric. Definitely a dress you'd need to wear a slip with!

The Adso Bean

2011-08-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

Many heirloom beans have more than one name attached to them, and sometimes the older the bean, the more names it has! Sorting through them all, and figuring out which name goes with what bean, can be quite a challenge. For example, one of my favorite rare heirloom pole beans is a beautiful black and white speckled dry bean. It is known alternatively as Flagg, Chester, and Skunk (for obvious coloring reasons) in texts and seed-saving circles. Here on the farm, it has developed one more name:

The Adso Bean.

I leave it to you to discern the reasoning.

Figs, Potatoes, & Beans, Oh My!

2011-08-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

The first figs of the season are ripe and ready for devouring! We have three fig trees on the property (and hopefully soon many more - as in, an ORCHARD!) - two young ones in the Herb Garden, and one mature-ish tree next to the house. The mature tree is LOADED with fruit this year, and the first few pints-worth were ripe this week. There are basketfuls of unripe ones still on this tree, which I am sure will be ready in another month or two, meaning a delicious and sustained fig harvest this year (yay!). Our trees are the variety known as "Desert King," which is ironic because they are one of the best varieties for the higher, cooler elevations here in the Applegate Valley. B&B guests this week were treated to quartered and decorated figs as an accompaniment to their breakfasts!

Also ready for the first time this season: the heirloom potatoes! Yesterday, we harvested ~half of one of our potato beds - roughly 10 lbs of potatoes, mainly comprised of Blue Shetland, Kennebec, and a few of the rare & delicious Negresse (aka "Truffle" potato!) shown below.

I noticed an interesting mutation of my Blue Shetland potatoes (at least out of this bed): instead of the traditional ring of blue/purple spots, there is a solid band of color...weird...I rather like it!

And of course we are still harvesting many pounds each week of my favorite heirloom bush bean variety: Dragon's Tongue.

Further Bean News: the rare Lenape Cutshort/Indian Hannah pole beans have mature pods now, and should be ready for harvesting in a few weeks (when the pods dry on the plants). Also, the equally rare Flagg pole beans in the Herb Garden were dry and ready for harvesting yesterday, so I spent much of the afternoon working on that!

Harvest Season is in full swing now, so stay tuned!...

Follow-Up: My Eye Is On the Sparrow (Hat!)

2011-08-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to update with some better pictures of this wonderful hat (now sans veil), as well as a little bit of background on it. First of all, everyone take a deep breath: the veil was removed without any harm to it or the hat, and remains intact and lovingly stored in my armoire for some future vintage-related project.

Background: the hat was purchased at a Tacoma, Washington estate sale, and had been previously owned and worn by a talented 90+ year-old seamstress/fashionista. The woman lived in Tacoma nearly all of her life, so the hat was probably purchased locally as well. Wish I knew more, but that's it! I always try to find out whatever details I can about my vintage hats. I love knowing backgrounds and previous lives, which help endear them to me and make them even more unique: these aren't just old hats, they are hats with a history!

Breakfast: SUCCESS!

2011-08-03T09:45:00.001-07:00

Today's breakfast consisted of freshly-baked sourdough rolls (hot out of the oven!) with a choice of strawberry-tarragon or blackberry-basil jams! This was followed by Healthy Blueberry Breakfast "Cake" topped with apricot jam (the "cake" is made without milk, eggs, or sugar, and instead sweetened with orange juice & lemon verbena), & this was also accompanied by a side of freshly made heirloom applesauce. Course #2 was individual melon cups with our own chocolate mint, raspberries, blueberries, and boysenberries (and of course borage)!

A hard morning's work made for some VERY happy B&B guests...

An Original! (Just Like ME)

2011-08-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

A myriad of jam sales finally meant that I was able to afford the vintage hat I've been eying for some time now...it's an adorable late 1930s/1940s tilt hat w/veil by Frank Palma. What makes this hat truly unique are the fabulous (and detailed!) felt sparrows that cascade down from the top and follow along the back headband.

They look EXACTLY like the ones in the hat worn by Rosalind Russell on the cover of "The Women" DVD (1939). Which of course begs the question: what came first: the movie, or my hat?

In the pictures I have the veil tucked up and under the hat because veils tend to drive me crazy. However, it's a GORGEOUS, intact, and beautifully detailed & delicate veil. I think I am going to remove it and save it for use on some future hat project or restoration. Plus, that will make the felt sparrows far more visible!

Apple Harvest!

2011-08-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of our first apple harvest of the season! Our standard-sized Lodi tree is bearing very well this year, and everyone is scrambling to harvest as many apples as time, energy, and B&B guests allow!

The poultry are getting a bit sick of pecking at apples, though the donkeys and goats love them! The humans are getting more than a bit tired of gallons and gallons of apple butter themselves...sigh. Since we use it for several B&B breakfast items, we make an enormous amount of apple butter every year (we also offer it for sale to guests after it's been safely pressure-canned).

That being said, if I see one more apple...

I Love My Job...Some Days...

2011-07-31T07:19:00.000-07:00

I told Ryan the other day that I both simultaneously love and loathe my job as an innkeeper (yes, technically, we are both innkeepers, but he works 40 hours a week outside of the home, so when push comes to shove, I'm really a one woman superhuman force). I love sharing our dream with people who appreciate the concept and the hard work that went (and still continues to go) into it. I like adding those tiny little details to the rooms - and the overall inn - that make it a more unique & enjoyable stay than at any other B&B. I adore "playing with food" when constructing breakfast, and concocting eye-catching and delicious creations using ingredients fresh off of the farm. Most of all, I love meeting new people and making new friends. That all being said, there are of course down sides to the profession. You are inviting complete strangers into your own home (since we are only a two bedroom B&B, it IS just our house and not a commercial inn downtown), and sometimes they subtly (or not so subtly) insult the house/room/grounds, and even though you know you can't please everyone, it's still difficult not to be hurt and take what they say to heart. I have long said that the good guests make doing this worthwhile, but the bad guests are what usually stick out most in your mind. The good news is that we always have a far larger proportion of pleasant guests to unpleasant, and the "bad" ones make for great stories you can try and chuckle about (much) later. This year, we have been blessed with an even higher-than-normal number of pleasant folks staying with us. We've made more new friends, and I have felt very blessed indeed.

Recently, a very talented milliner and her husband came to stay with us. I was in hog heaven! Finally, a fellow hat lover to "talk shop" with! We had fun looking over my favorite hats, sharing ideas, and generally gabbing. We ended up trading some items, and I was gifted with the wonderfulness that was 2 beautiful vintage dresses and 1 gorgeous feathery vintage hat! Vintage is pretty much the quickest way to endear yourself to me permanently. One of the dresses is the most beautiful sheer lace flapper dress I have ever seen! So delicate I am almost afraid to wear it, but in amazing condition for something that is about 90 years old! Just a few tears in the lace, and the lining of the hem needs to be reattached in places. I'll need to figure out a slip to wear under it if I ever do wear it out somewhere, but for now I am content to just stare at it adoringly. The other dress was a gorgeous floral print silk(?) with a metal side zipper and a similar style to my late 1930s FOGA dress. Therefore, I would put the dress at between 1935-39 or so. Lovely! A little big on me, but with a belt you can't even tell! And the hat is a wonderful little 1950s black velvet creation with ostrich feathers all around - very fun and cute! A big thank you to Jeanna for her wonderful gifts!

I'll get some better pictures later (I was trying to hurry before our check-in arrived), but here are some in the meantime to give you an idea...

Speaking of guest check-in, August is looking pretty booked (for us, anyway). I am SO excited to finally see our B&B doing better, but I am a little concerned that I may be needing my own vacation at the end of the month! Farm sitters, anyone?...

First Heirloom Tomato of the Season!

2011-07-31T07:12:00.000-07:00

(and it's my favorite!)

The first tomato of the season was picked and eaten in orgasmic taste bud pleasure yesterday! It was one of my beloved Applegate Valley Heirloom Tomatoes. Small, and with a few marks of bug battle, but still delicious. I was a good and generous wife, and donated the entire tomato to Ryan (don't worry, I will blackmail him for a hat later). I've never heard him make those noises while eating something before...

Looks like we are a week or two away from some of the Orange Fleshed Purple Smudge tomatoes ripening. I think the Joya de Oaxaca and the other AVH tomatoes will be still further out in the ripening spectrum (but believe me, they are worth the wait!).

Tomato Harvest Time is nearly here...I'm so excited!!

My Favorite Vintage Hats (UPDATED!)

2011-07-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

I'm looking forward to chatting (& drooling) over a mutual love of vintage hats with a B&B guest later this week. The guest mentioned that they would love to see some of my hat collection, so I've been trying to think about which hats are my true favorites. It's a tough list...

Here are the ones that made the cut!:

1930s-early 1940s sequined tilt topper hat with cascading felt sparrows (Frank Palma Original) - VERY similar to the hat worn by Rosalind Russell in the 1939 movie, "The Women"

My 1930's "Fey-dora"

Late 1930s tilt topper hat with fake millinery bird (Frank Palma Original)

1940s GORGEOUS tilt hat with rainbow feathers!

1930s Velvet Tyrolean hat w/pheasant feathers

Late 1940s velvet "cocktail-esque" cap with a lovely spray of egret/Aigrette feathers

Late 1920s/early 1930s pink felt hat with feathers (worn by an extra in "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion!")

1940s "Architectural" hat with fuchsia calla lilies

BREATHTAKING 1940s tilt hat with a real set of double bird wings

"Bird and the Bee" 1940s-ish Jean Arlett hat

1950s spiral design bird wing hat

1930s felt and mink tilt hat with cascading calla lilies

My $4 1940s green felt tilt hat

"The Birthday Hat" - 1930s brown felt chapeau w/trailing pheasant feathers

An Original Me (By Maurer)

2011-07-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

Today I had my first good thrift store score in a looooooong time! For $15 (I talked them down from $20) I bought a 1960s wedding dress. The label reads "Maurer Original." It has a gorgeously beaded lace bodice with handmade cutouts on the sleeves, empire waist, short train, and back metal zipper with mock buttons.

You may think I'm crazy for constantly buying vintage wedding dresses, but it makes me sad that people wear them once and then store them forever after (or simply get rid of them!). Since when did white dresses mean "wedding ONLY"?!? I like being different, so I enjoy remaking vintage wedding dresses into slightly more wearable versions. For this particular dress, I will remove the train (which makes me sad, because it's SO pretty!) and take the entire hemline up a bit to fit my much shorter frame. I am going to keep the dress long so that it flows the way it was meant to though. The lines of the dress are so simple and elegant that I can't see any reason (once I make my alterations) for not wearing it out and about!

For $15 and a few hours of alteration work, I bought myself a wonderful, WEARABLE dress that would have cost me $250 if I were to purchase it on Etsy or Ebay! YAY for me!!!

Saving Seeds...

2011-07-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

COSTMARY

Today, I spent most of my morning time working in my makeshift "Harvest Room," as well as in the Herb Garden. (Note: the "Harvest Room" is actually an enclosed porch on the front side of the house, and is only temporary until my husband builds my permanent harvest room on another section of the property.) I worked a bit on Chives, Parsnips, and Yellow Dock, but mainly I focused on the dry Costmary flower heads. Certain types of herbs fascinate me as far as the way that they go to seed: Costmary, Calendula, and Chamomile are some of them.

The Costmary flower heads are tiny, as you can see.

I work with a seed screen, and, using my fingernail, gently work the seeds free from the flower head.

I let them fall onto the screen, and then gently tap/shake the screen over a plastic plate.

The seeds fall through, leaving the flower petals remaining on the screen.

This is what the "empty" flower heads look like...

Costmary is a wonderful herb if you are into experimental homebrews. It was used to add a spicy flavoring to beers, thus its other name "Alecost." Costmary has a wonderful scent that it retains after drying, and so was also used in strewing and in sachets. The leaves were sometimes eaten in salads, or used as a spice. Medicinally, the plant is considered useful in treating complaints of the stomach.

The First "True" Taste of Summer!

2011-07-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

We harvested the first of the Dragon's Tongue bush beans last night! Of course, none made it INTO the house as we stuffed our faces with one of the "true" tastes of summer. These purple-striped succulent heirloom beans are best eaten young & fresh from the garden!

Let's Talk About the Birds & the Bees...

2011-07-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

My newest vintage hat arrived this week!

Made by Jean Arlett:

I'm really in a quandary as to the exact time period of the hat: most of the Jean Arlett hats I have seen for sale date to the circa 1960's or so. However, the tag on THIS hat is much older in appearance - more like the type of tag you would expect to see on a 1940s or early 1950s hat. And the style could be either a 1940s OR 1960s hat!...So I have no idea...Anyone else have any clues?

It's a fun and colorful vintage hat with a long, trailing feather - in other words: JUST MY STYLE!! *grin*

There is a "bird" (with fake beak) on one side and an embroidered felt bee or butterfly on the other.

This hat makes me chuckle! I call it my "poorly punned" hat!

Berserker Ducks Attack!

2011-07-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

Proud Day in Duckdom:

Our recent B&B guests said that they saw our ducks chase (en masse) a ground squirrel away from their feed bowl. Apparently, even normally-skittish Runner Ducks can go berserk with rage when their grain is compromised.

I'm so happy.

American Consumerism in 1927

2011-07-19T14:44:00.001-07:00

So, as I have mentioned previously, I recently purchased a reprint of the 1927 Fall/Winter Sears Roebuck Catalog. It is an absolutely fascinating read! I have always said that if you want to understand a culture at some point in history, research what they were buying! 1927 was the height of the Sears industry. It was like Walmart on steroids and then some!

Two years before the Great Depression, America was at its height. The "flapper look" had now taken off, there was a determined trend toward the pursuit of leisure (with the help of the automobile!) and the accumulation of materialistic goods (also along this same line, the "buying on credit" trend - a contributing factor to the Great Depression (well, one of many) and something you will note being constantly offered as a payment option in the Sears catalog).

However, keep in mind that this was still a bit of a transitional period: in the Sears catalog, you can buy accessories for your automobile as well as your horse-drawn buggy! This was also the time period for the big push for household electricity. You will note in the catalog that hand-powered is still offered on many items (even your fake Christmas tree comes with candle holders instead of electric lights!), but there are constantly full-page ads throughout toting the benefits of electric appliances and devices. Keep in mind that many rural communities didn't receive electricity until the 1930s (when the Rural Electrification Administration - a New Deal agency - was created in 1935), so manually-powered devices were still a necessity for some Sears customers. Just to give you an idea: in 1934, less than 11% of farms had electricity (statistic obtained from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_Utilities_Service)

This was the time period when radios were beginning to gain in popularity, but were still a "new" device. In its radio section, the Sears catalog had to write in big block letters "No radio knowledge necessary" (for installation and enjoyment). To promote radio sales, Sears created its own radio station.

Now, a word about pricing:
$1.00 in 1927 had the same buying power as $12.38 in 2011.

It is interesting to note how the prices of certain items in 1927 compare (once adjusted for inflation) to the prices of those same items today.

For the feminine side, this was the transitional period between the thick corsets of the 1800's and the bra's of modern times. You can see that corsets have morphed into a thinner, more flexible article of underthings, and while brassieres are available for sale, they are relegated to a very small portion of the page.

"Sanitary" items had not reached their modern equivalents yet either. You had the options of a "chastity belt" type of set-up where you could essentially clip on your Kotex sanitary cotton pad, or slips with rubber "guards" in back.

As I said, all in all a fascinating look at America's past.

What's For Breakfast?

2011-07-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

Today's breakfast consisted of fresh sourdough rolls (hot from the oven!) with a choice of butter, strawberry-tarragon or blackberry-basil jam. The first course was a delicious "peach boat" made using local peach halves filled with boysenberries and blueberries from our garden, and then drizzled with blueberry-lavender-lemon verbena jam. The "boat" was then garnished with borage blossoms and sprigs of lemon balm! The second course consisted of our signature Cherry-Fennel Granola topped with whole milk yogurt, and garnished with blueberries, apricot slices, and a strawberry holding a fennel leaf! Eye-catchingly scrumptious!