Thursday, March 19, 2009

GOING GREEN!




Hi All;

The new cool is "going green". Recycle, reuse, redecorate! While there seems to be a renewed awareness of these terms and their meaning, I've been going green for over 20 years! I've been recycling plastic, aluminum, paper for years. I support a sustainable earth & environment, use organic produce & clothing when available.

Then 5 years ago, I decided to go green with decorating. It started when I read an article about an interior designer who was making a great living re-designing her home, as well as those of others by reincorporating materials and memories of people's childhood. By redecorating her client's homes with original picture frames, quilts, pillows, sofa throws, rugs, pottery,etc from their childhood, people were able to obtain a renewed "warm & fuzzy" feeling. Her client's obtained much of their decorations from their past. Either by opening up stored boxes, or by visiting their parent's or grandparent's house for heirlooms, client's quickly expressed a renewed sense of peace and joy.

After reading her article, and digging through some stuff in my closet, I decided not to replace an old dark green wooden frame around my parent's portrait. Instead, I proudly displayed the picture on the wall. To my surprise, I quickly grew fond of the frame, scratches and all. Further, I couldn't help but smile everytime I looked at the picture, as it served to remind me of the easier, warm days of my youth in the 80's. Needless to say, the collection of old frames & pictures in their original condition quickly adorned my walls. Soon, I opened more boxes and found new uses for old rugs, curtains, kitchen ware, quilts, pillows, and the lists goes on and on...................In a few months, my house recaptured a "fuzzy & familiar feeling" unknown to me for years. As the designer noted, "new furniture and accessories felt stale, lacked personality and added no appeal to the heart".

For a collection of books on redecorating your home, stop by my booth #77. I also have a wide assortment of books, magazines from the 1970's on fashion design, jewelry making, embroidery, knitting, crotchets, American Home Crafts, candle making, the list is endless.

It's interesting to note, that hand made crafts were especially Cool in the 70's. The Hippy Era was known for creativity & union with the earth and it's resources.

Please write to me with any ideas you have about redecorating......

Regards,

Zee

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

20th Century Fashion Exhibit at Las Vegas Mall



FUNKY 70'S FASHIONS










Fashion Exhibit in Las Vegas.
Hello All;
Here are some pictures of merchandise available for sale at my booth, dealer #77 and through-out the Fashion Exhibit at the Charleston Antique Mall, located at 307 W. Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, Nv.
The Exhibit will feature 20th century fashions, beginning iwth the turn-of-the-century & each decade following, will be on display at the Mall Mar. 22 - Apr. 18, 2009. The exhibit is free & open to the public.
Antique & vintage outer wear, day, evening, leisure & lingerie will be part of the exhibit. It will also feature accessories, hats, jewelry, and coats. Vintage and Retro clothing, mid-century fashion designs & iconic styles of the 50's and 60's made popular by Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, and others will also be available.
The Charleston Antique mall is located in the downtown Las Vegas Art district, and is housed in the historic 1950's 7-Up bottling plant. The mall is open 7 days a week, Monday thru Saturday, 10 A.M. to 6 P.M., Sunday 11 A.M. to 5 P.M.
I have several pieces featured throughout the exhibit. Just look for the funkiest, Retro attire made famous in the 70's. Also, don't forget to visit my booth #77 for more accessories to complement your new Retro look. At my booth you'll find Aviator sun glasses, belts, jewelry, hats, harley davidson, and even Playboy souvenirs from the 1970's.
As usual, my goal is to maintain the integrity of the 1970's through fashion, art & design. Stop by and say Hello!! See you there............................

Thursday, March 12, 2009

1970's UNION MADE - MADE IN USA

Made in USA and Union Made represented extreme pride in the 1960's and 1970's. Those words were placed on clothing labels common in the 1960's and 1970's. Those words were the standard of quality for the industrial times of the 1970's. Customers paid well for those labels. Suppliers insisted on those labels.
"Union Made", was considered the guarantee of quality for everyone, and represented pride for all those involved whether buying, selling, or manufacturing. Only those pieces of clothing inspected and approved by it's members were labeled and sold to stores throughout the U.S. The best, most exclusive clothes went to Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor in Manhattan.
The Union Made factories of the 1970's were predominantly located throughout the east coast, in areas such as New Jersey, Brooklyn, New York, and Philadelphia. The factories were major employers of newly arrived immigrants from Europe, including Germany, Italy, France and Spain. The factories also employed thousands of the newly arrived Cubans in the 1960's.
English was seldom heard at these factories. Instead, it was an eclectic mix of foreign workers that combined both European and Caribbean tastes.
Next time you find a piece of clothing with this label, consider yourself lucky. Notice the flair, cut and design. Notice the precision of the hems and lining. Notice that you own a Masterpiece!!

Regards,

Aprons - A Visit to the Past

Hi Everyone;

Has anyone ever wondered why use aprons? What were they for? I did. I recently found out some interesting facts about Aprons.
First, I asked an antique dealer, who has been in business for over 10 years, her opinion about an apron I recently found at a thrift shop in Las Vegas. She told me that aprons were popular in the 1950's - 1960's, pre-washer & dryer days. Suddenly, the light went off in my head! They became popular because they protected women's clothes while cooking, thus helped them avoid doing more "hand-washing" of their clothes.

For anyone born in the 60's or later, days without washers/dryers are unfathomable! Despite being told by my mother the difficulties of washing by hand, it was still hard to imagine days without these modern machines. I guess we can all find the same circumstances today when our children do not recall times without remote control, cable or a cell-phone.

Aprons come in all styles, color, materials, fancy or plain. Most of all, Aprons clearly represent times past, when life was not so fast for all of us. Have you noticed Lucy in the "I Love Lucy show", wear an apron? She did not have a washer/dryer area. She was a stay-at-home mom!

One of the most rewarding things about Vintage finds is the opportunity to re-live the past, our childhood, our neighborhood, our relationships with people we love and miss. So next time you see an Apron, buy it, wear it, make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy days gone by!!