Sunday Treasures - October 24

I moved back to the United States a few weeks ago, and have been spending my free time reintroducing myself to the wonders of American vintage. These pieces are all for sale on my Etsy site and will be joined by other treasures every week. Stop by and say hi!
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Elizabeth Arden alligator bag with pink satin lining circa 1955 - $75


Nancy Drew Mystery Game from 1959 - $50


Coming soon -

New Smiling Magpie site!!!

http://smilingmagpie.tumblr.com/

I am moving away from only featuring cool things for sale and writing more about the influence of fashion on style, style on fashion and the clothes that people actually wear. This is all in preparation for my move to New York where I will ditch advertising and concentrate on studying and selling my well-loved vintage collection. I hope you enjoy!

Polaroid printed scarves by Philippe Roucou

When artists take the integral characteristics of one media and apply it to another, some amazing things can happen. Case in point, these beautiful, limited edition digitally printed silk scarves by handbag designer and French genius Philippe Roucou, in collaboration with M. Cherie.


Featuring the unique imperfections of Polaroids, these scarves take the fuzzy edges and quirky lighting of instant photos and makes almost painterly designs that are both beautiful and brazenly cool.

Available online at Reborn

Humidifiers by can be fabulous!

Winter wears a scarf of irony. Really. You look outside and it is dark and wet, with almost daily snow showers and persistent icy sidewalks. "Brrrr!" you think, as you inch up the thermostat to keep warm inside. But the minute you do that, your skin becomes just a little bit dryer, because the radiator that keeps you warm also sucks all the moisture out of the room.

The natural way to combat this reversal of moisture is to put some water on top of, or close to, the radiator to evaporate into air and bring some humidity into the room. Unfortunately, humidifiers tend to be all function and no form. But no more!!!

Above: Fabbrica del vapore (The Steam Factory) by Giulio Iacchetti. In this horizontally placed humidifier, the factory, which emits steam, gives the idea of an environmentally friendly production, offering a sense of well-being. (from the dee zeen blog)

Italian company Il Coccio Design have produced a collection of nine white ceramic humidifiers which sit on, hang from or can be wedged behind radiators. With designs ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, these humidifiers are designed to be more pieces of furniture -- pieces that inspire comment and bring personality into the room. Renowned designers include Alberto Meda, Marco Ferreri, Denis Santachiara, Monica Förster, Fernando Brizio, Giulio Iacchetti, Achille Castiglioni, and Alfredo Häberli, Read more about these on the dee zen site.

Bookbook - super cool laptop case

The coolest thing I have seen in a very long time - now you can tuck your ultra sleek MacBook into an ultra classic case that screams DISCERNING HIPSTER from forty paces away. Really.

Made by Twelve South, a South Carolina company devoted to designing ultra-cool accessories for the Mac, the BookBook is really the perfect thing for mustached ironicals and steampunk afficionados alike.

From the site:
BookBook is a one-of-a-kind, hardback leather case designed exclusively for MacBook and MacBook Pro. Available in Classic Black or Vibrant Red, BookBook brings three levels of security to your prized Mac. First, the hardback cover and spine provide solid protection from the rigors of the road. Second, the vintage book design disguises MacBook for superior security. And third, the stylish case protects you from being like everyone else because BookBook is totally original, just like you.

Th BookBooks are compatible with 13-inch MacBook, 13-inch MacBook Pro and 15-inch MacBook Pro. No word yet on accessories for the iPad, but I am sure they are coming.

Visit the site and see the other cool Mac accessories. Yea!

Studio Mela

Long time no write. Sorry.

I took a moment this morning to browse some favorite sites - a futile attempt to catch up on many month's worth of fabulousness. But it was fruitful, because I found Studio Mela.

Posters like this make me happy to live in the world. To just be on the same planet as people like Shelli who are clever and funny and quirky and share all that with the rest of us is a reward for days of digital drudging.

Posters, buttons, notecards, recipe cards and pure goodness and joy. Her shipping costs are super reasonable and her etsy shop is worth a browse. It will make you smile!

I heart toast!

It has been a while, but I am back, armed and dangerous with new links to new fabulous products available from generous online retailers who ship to Europe. 

Especially Europeans who love toast (and really, who doesn't?).

This necklace is the brainchild of Sam Gannaway-Jones, who designs mad jewelry under the name Hoolala. And did I mention it is a locket? And toast??

From her on-line biography:

Sam's work is heavily influenced by the mad, bad Victorians, her grandmother's vintage family album of photographs and her mother's vintage charm bracelet.

"I am fascinated by the idea of the charm; in some cultures they are used to attract luck to the wearer whilst in others they are worn to ward off evil. My work centers around the idea of compulsion and repulsion, the morbid curiousity of the Victorians and my boxes of unusual treasures I have collected since childhood."

Obviously this necklace is a step away from the morbid or repulsive, unless you have a particularly fierce wheat allergy, so I recommend a visit to the Hoolala online shop for a tour of her other fabulous creations. Don't miss the "I heart Jesus" cufflinks. Perhaps I should send a pair to Sarah Palin?