Vintage Matchbook Art

We have our first official guest room ever! Matt and I have lived together for about ten years. We've had spare space and a blow-up mattress, but now we have a whole special room with a real bed for our guests.

I'm pulling this room together.

I've had this pile of vintage matchbooks for a few years now. I never knew what to do with them.
Today I figured it out.


I took two sheets of kraft paper - the size of my frames, and masking taped them to the table and marked off 2" border all around with pencil dots.


Then I used double-stick tape to tape down matchbook covers on the 4 corners...


Then I eyeballed it the rest of the way.


I laid them out and did re-arrangements until I was pleased with the colors and composition, then I just used double-stick tape to commit to the layout.

Getting there.


I love how this one is flipped open to show the matches.




Bonnie is never impressed.


Notes: I used my exacto knife to cut some of them because they were cute on both sides and I wanted to use both sides but maintain the look of the matchbooks.

Here's a Flickr set with more photos and details. This project was pretty fast and easy and I know there are tons of bags of vintage matchbooks at thrift/antique/flea markets.

Most of the matchbooks in the frames have the actual matches removed.

Floral Shirt Up-Cycle

GITANO vintage-ish blouse with denim collar found for $3 - Yes, three whole dollars at Goodwill. I'm hot for these 90's looking Laura Ashley-type florals but the sleeves were just too much. It's still hot here too! I chopped her up using this DIY tutorial.

The thrill of the old GITANO tag

I'm easing back into sewing. I finally have a decent space again! I haven't had a good sewing situation since we lived in North Carolina five years ago and I had to turn my house into a necklace factory.

Probably the best $32 I ever spent

When I walked into the thrift store it was like "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?"

Then I scored all this awesome stuff for $32. Not $32 each piece, but for the whole freaking lot of items. -Just wait for the grand finale!

Made in USA too.

Vintage black Umbros. I know you're jealous.


Gloria Venderbilt jean skirt for conservative times.





Both pairs of these printed shorts are vintage brands and made in USA.


Brand spankin' new Sevens in a light wash - Made in USA!


This looks like a karate kid workout top, and maybe it is, but it fits cute and would be great for some iron-on letters or a patch.


The Big Kahuna snag of the day was this gorgeous black coat with fur trim. Sorry, I usually don't mess with fur but-


Tag details. And yes, the fact that she was five dollars had me jumping up and down at the register like a maniac. (Jumping up and down in my crazy head.)

This coat is so rich black, classy and divine I almost wish for a split second we still lived in NYC because this coat would strike people down on the streets it looks so good.

The new photo background is an assembly of FLOR carpet tiles. We don't yet have our furniture so we're basically camping in our new apartment and that's for a different post.

Ape Hangers

Malaika and I went to the bike show today, and all I wanna do is talk about how freaking awesome and rad ape hangers are.


These awesome dudes with the rad little bikes weren't even inside they show, they were just hanging on the sidewalk out front at a moment when we popped out.


THANK GOODNESS WE POPPED OUT AT THIS EXACT TIME SO WE GOT TO SEE THEM AND SIT ON THEIR RAD LITTLE SHINY, MAGICAL BIKES!




So those little magical bikes aren't super accessible and who can polish all that crap anyway, so thank gosh for Play Date Bike Club! I want this bike so bad.

That's the bike I'm sitting on with my mouth agog with love in the first photo. That is a full-grown lady banana seat and giant tall handlebars.

Their website link takes a while to load but here you go.

Me and Malaika had such a big day, I should write a totally different post to address the bigness.

Valentine's Day Pussy Bow

I looked like a little old lady of the 1960's today in my heart-printed pussy bow and glasses.  Advanced Style is rubbing off on me.


I love this blue blouse - Those are hearts, not polka dots. I of course found it at a thrift store in Arkansas. It has those wonderful Made in U.S.A. tags you don't see much anymore.

I got the new TOMS ballet flats in pink suede and they are really sturdy and fantastic bicycle riding shoes. They have a really serious sole for ballet flats. Non-skid supreme. 

Yes, I had to ride my girlfriend, Kate the Bicycle, for Valentine's Day. The pink tires had to be out for the holiday!

Tonight we ate a heart shaped pizza and Matt passed out super-early. We stayed out late last night at out weekly The Bachelor watch party. Yes! We totally hate Courtney and we're disenchanted with Ben, but we can't stop watching. Can. Not. Stop!

Insides & outsides

Getting dressed in the winter is hard because you have two different outfits. You've got your outside look and your inside look and they have to sort-of make sense. 

Green coat is vintage, Jeans are from that spot in the mall where everything is stretchy and under $20, booties are from Forever21, Leopard fingerless gloves are from K-Mart. Bern Helmet. Forever21 polka dot blouse. 

I love that little toto dog running through. When I ride through the park to go to work, the unofficial "off leash" time for dogs is still going on. 

Black coat is vintage, jeans are J Brand, flats are H&M, black tee & belt probably also H&M. 

Sunday Silent Films and Unicorns

Sunday I wore this 8 year old girl outfit...


To go see the really adorable and incredibly clever film The Artist at The Paris Theatre.


And because I can't help myself, I need to disclose that The Paris Theatre is from the episode of Sex and the City where Carrie takes herself on a date with the city. She sees "Joy for 2" for 1 and gets her skirt blown up by the wind outside the Guggenheim. 


This movie was so good! I love both their faces. It was wonderful. This is not something to take your straight husband to. Let him stay home and play PS3. Call a girlfriend. 

That's what I did!


Here's more of my sweater. It's vintage and it's an XL little girls. I put a t-shirt underneath to "patch" my mid-riff. 

Surprise Time Capsule

There is a magical element to my life. I've had a pen-pal for twenty-six years, I somehow managed to get myself on the Martha Stewart Show, I get to live in New York City and I married the boy of my now-deceased mother's wildest dreams. I'm doing something right.

Usually I get emotional rewards for nurturing relationships, but this week I got a surprise box in the mail. A wonderful time capsule of someone wonderful's clothes from around 1983. Handmade things and store-bought.

I was way too excited and tearing into a fit of dress-up that I didn't take pictures of everything but this piece is so special that I am submitting it to the FIT Museum (Fashion Institute of Technology) to see if they want it for their collection. It's a new with tags Betsey Johnson swimsuit. 

It's so sad and tragic that it's foreign to my eyes to see that "Made in U.S.A." on the tag.

If FIT doesn't want to take it on, it's going to this yellow-obsessed friend of mine who is proudly showing her page from the NY Times Style Section. 

From February 2010.

First day of Red Converse Sneakers

My play-brother got me this vintage sheep fur/skin cape. I'm so glad I've got him! xxxx



My basket is ripped and ripping!

My Basil brand pannier/basket has been ripping for a while. It was only $20. I really like it though. I might try to darn it like a sock with floral wire or something else from the hardware store.

Blazer & High Tops

Puff sleeve vintage blazer (the skirt got tossed) and metallic adidas high tops - must be Hump-Day!

These sneakers get tons of love every time and everywhere I wear them. They were only $39.99 at 6pm.com And they're comfy and I never actually tie or un-tie them.