Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Chic Chicago - Vintage Fashion Exhibit



I have no idea why I put of visiting the Chicago History Museum to see the Chic Chicago exhibit. Yesterday I decided that I was long overdue. I packed the kid up, hopped on the bus and headed for Lincoln Park. The plan was to let the kid run wild at the zoo and then I would run to the History Museum to enjoy the exhibit at my leisure. Someone must have been watching over me because everything went smoothly. William ran around "Africa" until he started acting a bit tipsy. I loaded him into the stroller and headed for the nearest restroom to change his diaper, but he couldn't even stay awake long enough to get there. He was PASSED OUT! HOORAY!

I didn't waste a moment getting to the museum. I poked my head into the gift shop to see if I could afford the book before I got my heart set on it. On the bright side I could afford it, on the down side it was only available in paper back. I resisted the urge to peek and hopped on the elevator to the second floor.

From the moment I walked in I was in heaven! A 1948 Dior New Look Dress! THREE 1920's Chanel dresses! An incredible 1937 Schiaparelli Evening Ensemble beaded with a Jean Cocteau design! A Charles James "Butterfly" ball gown from 1954! A 1924 Lanvin Wedding gown! Just to name a few.

What really took my breath away was the 1913 Paul Poiret "Sorbet" evening gown. One of only 3 known to exist this one is the only one that follows the original sketch!

Is it odd to get teary eyed while looking at dresses?

To make the exhibit even more interesting than it already was the stories of the women who wore the gowns were included in the display. It was a great lesson in fashion and Chicago history.

William slept through my very slow perusal of the gowns and I even had time to go take a peek at a couple of the permanent exhibits.

When he finally did wake up I rewarded him with playtime on the el car and the train engine.

If you have the ability come to Chicago and see this exhibit! It was absolutely breathtaking!

Friday, March 27, 2009

AUCTIONS!



I haven't run very many auctions lately but with Viva Las Vegas rapidly approaching I thought I'd put some out there. Please see my ebay auctions at BombshellShocked for some cute 1950's mens items and fabulous dresses!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

My Name is Nicole, I am addicted to sweaters



My name is Nicole and I am addicted to sweaters. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I write that I probably have 60 in my dressers and closet right now. My two favorites are also the two newest. The first was purchased on ebay a couple of weeks ago. It was made by Dalton out of pink cashmere and has the fox fur collar dyed to match. PINK FOX FUR! Just thinking about it gets me slightly woozy. I have been searching for one for years and I still can't quite believe it is mine.

The second I picked up at a shop last week. It is navy blue with fruit beaded on it in white, red and lime green. I haven't quite decided what the fruit is. My first thought was grapes, but someone else guessed strawberries and now I'm almost thinking raspberries. Any way you slice it is more vibrant than any other beaded sweater that I have ever seen.

I love vintage swears. They look great over a fancy dress or a t-shirt and jeans. I'm always telling myself that I'll get rid of some, but it never really happens. Whenever I pick out a couple to sell, I end up realizing how much I like them and they go right back into the closet.

Hello Sailors!!

I could hardly believe my eyes when I came across this darling 1940's sailor outfit! It has everything you need in a summer outfit, high waisted shortie shorts, puffed sleeves and nautical style. Available now on ebay under my user ID BombshellShocked.

Dress Your Man!



I usually stay away from buying mens clothing because I just don't know enough about it. But it doesn't take a genius to see how amazing these pieces are! The first is a sport jacket that has a tiger novelty print, the second is a velvet jacket and the third is a atomic fleck shirt. All are on auction right now under my user name BombshellShocked.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Missing: One Armful of Bakelite....

For the life of me I can't find my butterscotch/green bakelite stash. I'm sure I stuck it somewhere but I can't for the life of me unearth it. I'm guessing that I came home with a couple of cocktails in me, took them off and put them in a place where I would be sure not to loose them.

Hmmmmm.....maybe I need to recreate the crime scene.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

New Listings - lots of 50's




Here are just three of the items I listed yesterday on Ebay under my ID BombshellShocked. The first is a pair of 50s 60s metallic gold capri pants. The second is a darling striped 1950's full skirt day dress with a 25 inch waist. The third is a blue linen full skirt dress with matching wrap and a 25-26 waist.

I have so much more to list, I'll most likely be listing tomorrow too!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

LORETTA LYNN - Pee My Pants Excited!!




OH MY GOODNESS OH MY GOODNESS!!

I just dropped one big chunk of change but I don't care! I'm going to see LORETTA LYNN. She's playing a benefit for The Old Town School of Folk Music and I just bought tickets!! I can't believe how small the venue is. According to the website no seat is more than 45 feet from the stage! One month from tomorrow I'll be applying my waterproof I makeup so I won't completely embarrass myself at the show. WHOOPEE!!!!

More Hockey Fashion




On Sunday we made a family trip down to the United Center to watch the Blackhawks get murdered by the worst team in hockey.

On the bright side, my best friend, Kati, was there with her DH and her darling daughter, Teagan. Since it was such a nice day, William "drove his car" (pictured here at Halloween dressed up as Burt Reynolds from Smokey and the Bandit) and because we walked to the stadium I was able to have a beer.....ok, a beer and a bit of whiskey...we were celebrating our Irish heritage and it tasted lovely. I really miss being able to have a drink whenever I want.

I wore a new (to me) 1950's black and white sundress with a full skirt, fitted bodice and shoulder ties (one of which had fallen into my cleavage). In my head I looked much cuter and in my defense I was holding 40 pounds of baby. The pic isn't so hot, but it just felt wonderful to be outside in a dress!

C'mon spring!!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Dresses! Dresses! Dresses!







I listed quite a few dresses on ebay this week and here are three of my favorites. The first has been dubbed "Heroin Chic" due to its abstract poppy pattern and has a 30 inch waist. The second is a 2 piece skirt and top made from super shiny polished cotton and accented with metallic silver piping and has a 26 inch waist. The third has the most darling novelty print of a gypsy caravan with dancers and a 35 inch waist.

I look forward to the day, hopefully very soon, when I can wear similar dresses not accessorized with thick tights, wool sweaters and a heavy wool coat.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

How many airplanes do you think I could build today?


A couple of weekends ago I went to my first estate sale in years and SCORED on some vintage 1940's pants and 2 pairs of coveralls. I was practically shaking when I tried them on the next day, they fit perfectly!! Seriously, I felt like I re-bought my wardrobe from a previous life! Who knew there was another short, chunky girl out there with a waist!

Last Friday the weather was absolutely beautiful so I decided to dress up a bit for my errands. I threw on my denim coveralls, red white and blue heels & bakelite, wrapped a bandanna around my head and hopped on my 1942 Elgin bike. I felt great. I guess I'm not the only only one who thought I looked ok, I was practically chased down by a very handsome man in a pricy car who offered to take me out. Of course, I declined but it felt good to be noticed again.

I need to remind myself how much better I feel when I take a few extra minutes to get my self dresssed up. It is so hard in the winter when I really do NEED to wear my flannel lined jeans, but thankfully spring is on the way!

I have so much to do today, I went on a massive shopping spree last weekend and have some amazing items to list, lots of SUN DRESSES!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Why am I just learning about this now!?!

Ebay seller Fabgabsvintage just alerted me to the existence of Freddie's of Pinewood a UK company that makes fabulous reproduction jeans! The only problem seems to be that I can't decide which style/color I want! Even with our weak dollar, they're still cheaper than most mall jeans and a billion times cuter. I can't wait to buy them!