Mitzi's Miscellany

More of My Old Timey Movie Favorites

Did I ever tell you about my years in "Show Business"?  Well, from the time I was 16 until I was about 23, I worked at two wonderful old-fashioned downtown movie theaters, the kind with huge lighted marquees, balconies, and loads of Art Deco embellishments inside and out.

The Ward Theater, pictured below, is a little past its prime in this picture.  It was built in 1937 in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, in the "Streamline Moderne" style.  Renovations relocated the old ticket booth, and the once bright and shiny orange enamel tiles are a bit faded.  But consider the audacity of the designer.....orange and blue as a color scheme?  What a statement!

 

Over a year ago, I posted about my favorite movies with Old Timey goodness, back when my blog was fairly new.  I'm going to re-post my list, mainly because I don't think very many people were reading my new-ish blog back then. 

My Favorite Movies with Old Timey Goodness

"Sweet and Lowdown": Woody Allen’s faux-documentary about a guitar player/con man during the 1920's played by Sean Penn. Lots of great flapper fashion and swell interiors.

"O Brother, Where Art Thou": The Coen brothers depression-era masterpiece. All the costumes have a dusty sepia-tone look without one bright color anywhere. I love all the cloche hats the women wear.

Pete, Delmar, and Everett, the main characters in "O Brother, Where Art Thou".

"Chicago": Once I got over the fact that Richard Gere could sing, I noticed and appreciated the great set design including Roxie Hart’s boudoir, a great example of my favorite style....sort of a warm, cottage-style with painted furniture circa 1920's and cool old lamps. Lighting is soooo important, isn't it?

"Coal Miner's Daughter": I love the decor in the little motel room where Loretta and Doo spent their wedding night. Do you remember it? Bark cloth curtains, sea foam green walls, an iron bed and dark chenille bedspread. I'll betcha there was a tiny bar of Cameo soap on the bathroom sink....

Here's a list of seven more Old Timey favorites:

Paper Moon:  Peter Bogdonovich's black and white cinematic treasure set in the 1930's dust-bowl states of Kansas and Nebraska.  How can you forget the Cremo cigar box that Maddie carries her valuables in, or the cloche hat she wears, or the depression-era furnishings of the Exchange Hotel where the characters stay?

Room With A View:  Oh, the lovely Victorian parlors, gallery style wall art, and detail upon detail.  You'll have to rent it to see what I mean, as I was unable to grab a picture of the set design, just these characters (was Helena Bonham-Carter born to play in Victorian period dramas, or what?)

Grease:  Fluffy prom dresses!  Need I say more?

The Shining:  I love The Gold Room at the Overlook Hotel, a classic 1920's ballroom that survived some unfortunate 1970's updates, but still had those great chandeliers and a magical amber ambience.  Who can forget Jack Nicholson ordering a drink from Lloyd, the bartender on duty in the Gold Room?

On Golden Pond:  Great vintage Adirondack style!.  Black and white snapshots tacked right on the walls, mismatched pillows on slipcovered couches.  Wouldn't you love to spend the weekend in that cottage?  I would even play checkers with Norman Thayer just to be able to soak up the cozy surroundings. 

The Great Gatsby:  Upper-crust flapper girl fashions circa 1927.

The Last Picture Show.  A second Peter Bogdonovich treasure, depicting a Texas town's dysfunctional folk in 1951.  Just in case you want to rent this again, notice the vintage boudoir doll on Jacey's bed, the cool TV set in her house, and enjoy the Hank Williams-dominated sound track, a perfect accompaniment to the bleak dusty town of Anarene...

Cloris Leachman as Ruth Popper

Photo Credit:  Mary Ellen Mark

Do you remember when Peter Bogdonovich was The Man back in the 1970's?  With two major hits, Paper Moon and The Last Picture Show under his belt, he was on top of the world.  Then, everything crumbled when he made a series of movie bloopers, such as Daisy Miller, Texasville, and At Long Last, Love.  His personal life was also troubled, as he became obsessed with young actresses, beginning with Cybill Shepherd, then the tragic Dorothy Stratten and her younger sister, Louise Stratten.  Real life is often more bizarre than a movie script, as Mr. Bogdonovich can attest.

Do you have any great movies with Old Timey goodness to add to my list? 

I'm all ears.

Mitzi

Six Things I Learned This Summer

1.  Butterfly bushes really work.  I suppose I learned this a couple summers ago, but I wanted to work this topic into this post, just so I could show you a picture of my friend, a yellow swallowtail that appears to have been through a close encounter with a predator that took a chunk out of his wing:

 

This poor fella hung around my butterfly bush for an entire day, then disappeared.  I hate to think where he went.  He was a little unstable flying.  That Circle of Life can be cruel.....

 

2.  Fabric stiffener is my friend!  I can vouch for the product called "Stiffy" (don't laugh).  I have been using it to stiffen feedsack fabric leaves and small pieces of crochet work.  All you do is soak the piece of fabric using a foam brush, then leave it to dry in the shape you want.  I used a roll of wrapping paper to make a nice curve in the leaves.  Once dry, they feel like potato chips, but they won't break or lose their shape.

3.  Hats sell well on Etsy:  I learned this when I listed a smattering of vintage hats and fascinators earlier this summer.  Because I've had problems with shipping internationally in the past, I only ship in the U.S. now.  But that didn't stop several Australian and British shoppers from inquiring about bending my rules a bit, and I did.  This crimson velvet headband was sent to England: 

4.  Bottles can be used as "frames" for vintage graphics.  This is hard to describe, but a few pictures explain it all:

 

This may be a decorating fad, but it's sort of fun and different.....

 

I found these great looking cow pictures in a vintage Harper's magazine from the late 1800's.  I added a little "Antique Linen" Tim Holtz Ink around the edges to age them a bit more, then rolled them up gently and slid them into the bottles.  A shish-ki-bob skewer can be used to position them to your liking.

5.  The only stores making good money this summer are cupcake shops.  Or so it seems.

6.  I don't have to join Twitter.  I do Facebook and my blog.  That's enough for me at this time.  About one year ago, it seemed like Twitter came up in every conversation, making me feel like a loser for not joining in.  This summer, I think the buzz has died down.  I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything......if I am, will someone please let me know?

Those are six things I learned this summer.  What have you learned?  Leave a comment if you wish....

Mitzi

Living Room Makeover In Progress: Going Green

My husband, Joe, and I have lived in our current house for 12 years.  We've done our fair share of painting, home improvement, and decorating, especially the year after we moved in to the house.  I have some great memories of my friends volunteering to help paint our living room and dining room.  We listened to a great box set of 1970's Greatest Hits as the four of us painted our golden living room and cardinal red dining room.

Twelve years is just about long enough for one paint color, at least in my mind.  Although I loved the colors we chose, it's just time for a change.  Last summer I painted over the red dining room in a taupe to transform it into my now beloved craft room.  The summer before that, I painted Joe's home office the deep blue that Ralph Lauren uses on his Polo cologne boxes.  At Home Depot, Ralph Lauren has an entire display of paint chips, and we were able to find one that matched the signature color.

Over the past weekend, Joe and I painted our golden living room Behr's "Retro Avocado".  It's a very rich color, and I'm pleased with the results.  There were a few tense moments when we first put the color on the wall when we weren't sure it was going to look good.  In fact, the color reminded me of the substance Linda Blair upchucked in The Exorcist.  But once the whole room was finished, it looked great.

Is it unlucky for dogs to stand under a ladder?

I've learned to never judge a new paint color against the old wall color:

Go bold or go home!

I was all set to purchase new drapes but our crewel embroidered drapes looked fine next to the new color.  Instead of dry cleaning, this year I thought I'd save money by throwing them in the washer.  They seemed to handle the washing fine, but after the tumble dry I noticed they had shrunk a lot in length.  Oops.  I forgot the embroidery was done in wool.  I'm going to try to find some long fringe or trim that I can sew to the bottom edge so they touch the floor again:

I like to keep my paint supplies organized, as you can see here:

I'm not stopping with just paint in our living room.  I have big plans to add beadboard and a chair rail all around, and perhaps built-in shelves at one end of the room.  A recent estimate for this work by a highly skilled carpenter was higher that our budget would allow, but eventually it will happen.

Now I have a question for you:  Should Behr re-name their color "Linda Blair Green"?

Mitzi

Vintage Wallpaper Meets Old Doors and Windows

Here I go again with vintage wallpaper, something I just can't get enough of!  This time I'm using it to transform several estate sale finds that were so forlorn that they were kept outside, leaning against a barn, and were so cheap that I think I paid about $2.00 to $5.00 for each piece.  The door below on the left has a sticker that says $10, but I purchased it on the second day of the sale for half off:

The old cupboard doors below had exquisite crackled paint, the kind of crackling that occurred naturally over time:

 

I had these things in my garage for over a year, waiting for the right project to come along.

 

I'm calling these "wall art", just a way to get some color and vintage charm up on a blank wall:

 

The door has vintage wallpaper under the glass.  It's a really fun project to try......

I'll admit, I did a terrible job measuring and cutting the paper.  I had to add slivers of additional paper here and there to fill in gaps, but the patch jobs weren't really noticeable once the piece was finished.

To hang some of the pieces, I purchased white chain at Home Depot, and painted some screw eyes with white spray paint to match.  I thought the white chain looked nice (it's sort of hard to see in my photos).

Now I'm trying to figure out if I need to add anything to the smaller pieces.  I have a whole box full of vintage hooks, knobs, and drawer hardware.  I could add some hooks to make the pieces more functional, like a key organizer or jewelry organizer.  But the larger pieces are just "art", for lack of a better term.

 

I think the three pieces below turned out best:

One more closer shot showing the natural cracks in the door.  I love the little hinges on these doors:

I think the door could be leaned against a wall, then moved around if you feel the need to change things up:

 

If you are inspired to try this project yourself, I'll bet you can find a window or door panel at a garage sale this weekend.  Then, gather some great looking paper like vintage wallpaper, wrapping paper, or scrapbook paper.

To make the window project, cut the paper to fit your glass panels, then apply Mod Podge directly to the top of the paper with a foam brush.  Press the paper onto the underside of the glass and roll with a brayer.  Make sure there are no air bubbles.  I waited for the paper to dry before I applied a second coat of Mod Podge to the back of the paper to seal it. (If your paper is very translucent, like wrapping paper, you might want to apply opaque paper such as card stock behind the wrapping paper).  That's it!

If you are applying the paper to the door panels, it's even easier.  Just use basic decoupage technique using Mod Podge, a foam brush, and a brayer.

Project Variations:  Consider making a window like the 8-pane example in the picture above with Christmas wrapping paper.  You could hang it temporarily above your mantel each Christmas.  I can also envision using a window with diamond-shaped panes.  In fact, I'm going to look for one of those this weekend.

So, that's it for another vintage wallpaper/decoupage project.  I'm going to sell these pieces in the antique malls because they are just too big to ship.  Some things can't be listed on Etsy because of their size or weight.  Shipping prices for oversize items can be exorbitant!

Have a crafty weekend,

Mitzi

Creating Rosette Corsages for My Etsy Shop

When I started blogging a year and a half ago, my first goal was to write about vintage goods and crafts that I was planning on selling in my Etsy shop, which I started around the same time.  Well, the blog has morphed into something totally different, as I discovered enjoyment in the writing process, making connections with like-minded people, and sharing my knowledge about antiques and collectibles. 

Today I'm trying to get myself in gear, to get some sort of flow going!  I want to be able to create something from beginning to end, photograph it, edit the photos, and list the item on Etsy (tedious!).  Maybe not all in the same day, but maybe during the same weekend.

I have loads of great fabrics, lace, beads and buttons here at my headquarters.  I've learned how to make various flower rosettes around the web and by taking a class at Jo-Ann Fabrics.  This weekend I've been on a rosette-making binge, and it's been really fun.  Now I want to be able to sell my creations on Etsy.  I think they will be popular once I get them out there.

To make my rosette corsages, I started by gathering lengths of lace and hand-sewing them to make ruffled rosettes.  I like the idea of combining the lace with silk flowers that have been disassembled, coffee dyed, or stamped upon with ink stamps for different effects.  I made streamers from stamped or dyed muslin and other fabric.  The center of each rosette received something vintage, either an old costume jewelry earring, buttons, or a cluster of beads.

 

II stayed with a soft pastelle palette for the examples pictured here, but I'm working on some additional designs that have deeper colors. 

Each rosette is one of a kind, and totally assembled by me with loving care.  Eventually, these examples will be listed on Etsy.....

The rosette corsage below has a vintage earring for a center, pale blue organza, and stamped silk petals:

The dusty-pink corsage below has lingerie lace, crinkled organza, pearls from a vintage necklace, and coffee dyed muslin streamers:

The next example has petals that are printed with vintage-looking script, tulle, crinkled organza and muslin with a pearly aqua vintage button in the center:

Now that I've gotten this far, I've got to finish the final step, which is listing on Etsy.  Have I mentioned before how tedious it is to list stuff?  I don't know why, but it is.  But today I'm determined, so I'm going to grab a cup of coffee and start listing......

Have a productive week,

Mitzi
 

Good Enough To Eat

Recently I did a little shopping for vintage goodies, and I found a little basket full of millinery stamens that simply had to come home with me.  I arranged them on a plate, and took a few pictures that really captured their beautiful colors.  Don't they look good enough to eat?

Here I've added some recently found vintage florist's ribbon, blue bottles, and some bark cloth that complement the rich colors:

 

Did you know that "bark cloth" that we find at antique shops isn't really made from bark?  It's actually just a term used for printed nubbly cotton fabric used in home decor back in the 1940's-1960's.

 

 Lately there's been a renewed appreciation for blue and green glass bottles, so here's my contribution:

Heather at Pretty Petals has used colored bottles in her gorgeous living room, so please go take a look and see what a great decor element simple bottles can be!

Next I'd like to share a picture of some little peat pot birds that I made after seeing Karla's similar peat pot fairies. back in April.  They are sitting in front of a great old Victorian era photo album cover that is heavily embossed and resembles a crazy quilt:

The first page of the Victorian "Scrap Album" was beautiful, but the rest of it was just newspaper clippings.  What a disappointment.  You can't always judge a book by its cover......

 

These little birds were easy and fun to make.  I used yoyos, buttons and ric-rac to embellish my version, just so I wasn't totally copying Karla (she used wallpaper around the peat pots, which looked fabulous).  Wouldn't these be cute little party favors or placecard markers? 

 

Tweet tweet,

Mitzi