Vintage Librarian

My recent weekend in Michigan with Paul and my folks was incredibly relaxing but also very productive. We explored local antique malls and I purchased some fantastic vintage items for my store.

I have a growing collection of vintage luggage and purses, a few are for sale at Lively Vintage, and a few are being used in my home as creative storage pieces for scarves and gloves. The picture below is of a fantastic suitcase I bought for only $16, it's cowhide and in amazing condition.

Over the past year I've stumbled upon some clever pots in the shape of animals. I've purchased them for a few dollars each and use them in my kitchen to grow herbs. I think they are charming and as I find more I will add them to my store. Below is a poodle planted with oregano, an owl my Dad bought me which is full of parsley and a giraffe full of basil. Definitely more interesting than round pots.

 I am having so much fun with my vintage store that I will be creating a new website for Lively Vintage. My friend Heather who I've known since high school is an amazingly talented graphic designer and she is working on a new logo for my Lively Librarian website and incorporating that into a new logo/brand for Lively Vintage. Once the logos are done I will be moving my Lively Librarian blog to it's new home at livelylibrarian.com and my store will have a new home at livelyvintage.com.

For those who love fashion and vintage, the September Fall Fashion issue of Vogue is full of ads from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and others and are definitely vintage inspired. Check it out at your local library.

Flash Back Friday #54-Pure Michigan

This beautiful video from the Pure Michigan series narrated by actor Tim Allen is from a few years ago. I am heading to Michigan today with Paul and my parents to stay in a cottage near Lake Michigan, eat the local delights, walk on the beach and go antiquing for my Lively Vintage Etsy store.
The leaves may not be changing yet, but Fall is in the air and I plan on enjoying every minute.
Have a great weekend readers. 

Now This is Advertising...

WOW. You may be interested in watching the latest movie/commercial/ad for lingerie company Agent Provocateur.
Now this is the way to sell lingerie...sexy, gritty and not what you expect.
And if you are wondering why the woman in the film looks so familiar, her name is Monica and she is the look-alike-sister of the beautiful Spanish actress Penelope Cruz.
Warning: May not be appropriate for viewing at work.

It's Football Season

I live in a suburb near Chicago where high school football is a big deal. The local high school is where I graduated in the 1980's and also where my son graduated from last year. The football team has won multiple state championships in their division and the marching band has won so many national championships it's too hard to count. I live about 6 blocks away from the school and on Friday nights if the wind is right, I can hear the announcer calling plays, the marching band and the roar of the crowd during games.

Last Friday night I took a break from packing for my trip to the mountains to walk the dog. As we were walking down the street 2 boys about 17 years old passed me on bicycles and I heard their conversation:

Boy 1: "That was weird."
Boy 2: "Ya...I didn't know they moved in such large groups."

I wondered what they were talking about...coyotes, dogs, rabbits? And then I saw it...about a block behind the boys on the bikes. A group of about 30 teenage girls, all dressed exactly alike, cut off jean shorts, flips flops and white t-shirts that they had written SENIORS on. They were walking down the middle of the street, laughing and singing and obviously on their way to the game.

Yup, it's football season in the suburbs.