Kitschy Vintage Style

I found this little gem at a Kiwanis yard sale in Sandwich, MA on the way back from visiting Mosees in Barnstable, the shop that carries my handmade jewelry.  It was selling for $2 and I couldn't resist its kitschy vintage style.

There is something about the word authentic followed by Bermuda limbo dancers in quotation marks that makes me laugh.  Obviously its authenticity made it much more valuable as a souvenir.

The hallmark on the back is from Weatherby Hanley, a British pottery that according to my online research was founded in 1891 and closed in 2000.  They did a big souvenir and commemorative business in their heyday, so there are lots of vintage Weatherby Hanley giftware items with Queen Elizabeth's face on them available on Ebay and Etsy.

I think I'm going to use my little "pin dish" as it was intended -- as a spot to plunk my jewelry when I take it off. Yes, I own a jewelry box (two in fact), but somehow a few pieces land on my dresser anyway, especially if I'm tired or talking on the phone when I take them off.  Admit it, you do the same thing.

I've discovered that organizational systems are all well and fine as long as they conform to how I will actually use them.  Sometimes a little creativity is required.  Since I finally faced facts and placed a dish near the door as a spot to drop my keys, I've never had to search for them again.  Not even once.

Impulse Purchase

When I saw this vintage cigarette case at Second Helpings in Bristol, RI, I said to the friend I was with, "Look how pretty that is!  Do you know anyone who still smokes?" 

I realize now that I know people who smoke, but even with my vivid imagination I can't see The Fisherman opening a case like this to pull out a Marlboro while standing on the deck of an offshore fishing boat.

I looked at the case with visions of old Hollywood glamour dancing in my head, and then it occurred to me: repurpose it.

Thus, a rather elegant (if I do say so myself) business card case was born. I'm ridiculously pleased with it.

Want

Books like Pantone: The 20th Century In Color make a vintage lover's heart beat just a little faster.  The description from BarnesandNoble.com reads:

Pantone, the worldwide color authority, invites you on a rich visual tour of 100 transformative years. From the Pale Gold (15-0927 TPX) and Almost Mauve (12-2103 TPX) of the 1900 Universal Exposition in Paris to the Rust (18-1248 TPX) and Midnight Navy (19-4110 TPX) of the countdown to the Millennium, the 20th century brimmed with color. Longtime Pantone collaborators and color gurus Leatrice Eiseman and Keith Recker identify more than 200 touchstone works of art, products, decor, and fashion, and carefully match them with 80 different official PANTONE color palettes to reveal the trends, radical shifts, and resurgences of various hues. This vibrant volume takes the social temperature of our recent history with the panache that is uniquely Pantone.     

The whole 20th century, by color.  Are you feeling a little faint with excitement, Gentle Readers?  I am.  The question now is, which format do you like?  There is something to be said for a nice big book where you can revel in the photos.  There is also something to be said for the portability of the Nook version that can be taken on shopping expeditions. 

I have Ye Olde Nook that is in black & white only, so it's going to have to be the book version for me.  I don't mind, though.  I love the smell of ink.