My favorite vintage inspired Christmas decorations

Every year when stores put out their Christmas decorations I immediately start hunting for things that could be mistaken for '50s/'60s vintage. It's usually cheaper than actually buying vintage ornaments or decorations on Etsy or Ebay, and you can buy multiples of something that you really love instead of only finding one.

I thought I'd do a little round-up of my favorite vintage-inspired decorations that I have on display this year! First up is this little bird ornament that I found at Target! It's available online here.



This matching deer doesn't appear to be for sale online, but I found her in the same section as the bird at my local Target. I actually got a few of these exact same deer last year, too, so hopefully this is something they'll be bringing back every year now!



This little ski lift ornament is also from Target this year (but not available online.) I love hanging ornaments around the house off of the tree to add little bits of Christmas everywhere :)



I picked up several of these cute little felt deer! They look so vintagey and cute! These are also from Target and they're available online here.



This picture doesn't do these ornaments justice. They're mini ornaments inspired by the vintage glass ornaments that I love so much from the '50s and '60s! They're from Anthropologie and they might be my absolute favorite looks-vintage-but-isn't-vintage decoration that I have. Last year I made Arrietty a mini tree to match mine and filled it with these ornaments. They're available again this year online right here.



I LOVE these lighted trees and I'm so excited that I found one in a petite size this year. I got mine at Target (not available online - come on, Target! argh!) but it is available on amazon right here.



This little Santa is one of my favorite Disney souvenirs! I bought it in the Germany pavilion at Epcot several years ago and whenever I break out my Christmas decorations this always takes me back to Disney :)



I found these vintage inspired putz houses at Home Goods a couple years back! They came in a big set with half a dozen houses, and I also got a large house to match. They're not online but here is a similar one.



This started out as a light-up Santa face that I found at Cracker Barrel, but after a few years the lighting part detached from the back and so I just turned it into a non-light-up Santa face. I painted the inside white so that it wouldn't be transparent anymore. I've always loved vintage blow mold decorations so I was so excited when I found this one! I can't seem to find it online but maybe Cracker Barrel is still selling it in store.



Last but not least, I got these ADORABLE Mr. and Mrs. Claus pull-string ornaments from Target this year. Aren't they the cutest!? Again, they're not online, but I only purchased them last week so hopefully Target still has them in store :)

what's old is new again

Last week I found a really pretty suitcase at a vintage shop in New Hope, but one side of the bag was completely faded. It was only $20 though (and these tend to be so much more online, especially with shipping!) so I snatched it up anyway.

I got some fabric markers in the same colors of the suitcase, and just touched up all of the colors! It was like paint-by-number.. a little bit time consuming but really easy! I think re-doing the black outline is what made the most difference but even the vibrancy of the green and blue is incredibly noticeable.



This was such an easy project and it gave the bag a major facelift! :) I've been using the suitcase on my trip and so far the colors are holding up great. It even came into contact with some rain and the colors didn't run! I'm definitely going to keep this in mind from now on when I see really faded items, now that I know it's such an easy fix!

the vintage bedding sequel

Earlier this year I made a vintage bedding inspired digital paper pack and I've been itching to do a follow-up ever since! This one is a lot bolder than the last, but I love all the colors! I'm currently using the pink and yellow pattern in the top row as my desktop background, and I think once I'm caught up on some other projects I'll put together a pack of computer background files as well! The kit is available here The patterns are also available as Project Life cards too, here!



While I was at it, I also uploaded all of the patterns to society6 so they're available as iphone covers, laptop skins, pillows, note cards, what have you. I'm not sure why but I absolutely love uploading things there and then looking at the preview images. They just look so cool to me!! If any of the society6 stuff strikes your fancy, you can get free shipping through 6/16 via this link!

polkadots and moonbeams

When I first got this dress a couple years ago, I didn't like the way the skirt was more fitted than I'm used to... but I loved the print and color so I left it in my closet anyway. I took pictures of it for my last shop my closet update, but then I had a change of heart and decided to try it on again one last time. And I fell in love with it. I love when that happens!

Today there is still snow on the ground from the blizzard, but darn if it doesn't seem like spring. I have the windows open, there's a cool breeze blowing in and the sun is out in full force. I usually suffer through spring (thanks, allergies!) so I really enjoy the few days we get in the winter that are spring-like without the sneezing

dress- vintage | shirt - modcloth | shoes - from my grandmom

what's old is new again

For the last year or two I've been obsessively collecting vintage bedding on etsy. Usually pillowcases and fat quarters (seriously, search for "vintage fat quarter sheet" on etsy and prepare to get lost in the awesomeness) so I treasure those little snippets of mid-century design like you wouldn't believe. I'm so hesitant to use them since they're soon going to be in short supply. I hate the idea of these gorgeous colors and patterns disappearing over time, which they're bound to do as they're used up for craft projects and quilts and (in my case) pillows. And that's where I got this idea -- digital patterns inspired by vintage bedding.

I poured over my collection of swatches and picked some of my absolute favorites to base my first batch of patterns on. About 200 hours later (or at least it seems that way) Presto! A collection of 10 digital designs for my first vintage bedding paper pack! Hooray! The kit is available in my shop here! It includes all of the designs as 12" x 12" papers at 300dpi.

I also uploaded the designs to my society6 store, so they're available as laptop covers, pillows, iphone cases, etc. I especially love how they look on the iphone cases!! These three are my personal favorites!

exciting news!

Rachael from The Paraders has launched a vintage-inspired clothing line that will bring tears to the eyes and cause goosebumps on any girl with a soft spot for retro flair. I'm not kidding when I say that my jaw literally dropped when I saw the samples she posted on her blog earlier this week. They are STUNNING.

Basically it's like stumbling upon the most amazing vintage items on etsy, only they're brand new and available in your size. Not only is the design true to period style, but even the attention to detail is something that's usually only found on a very special vintage piece. Things like covered buttons, flattering darts and pretty pockets *swoon* .. Seriously, look at these:





Absolutely amazing, right?! And that's just two of the items.. there are 5 more!!

So far the patterns & samples are finished and all of the fabric & notions have been purchased. All that's left is to assemble everything into a line of completed pieces. And that's where we come in! Rachael has started a kickstarter campaign to raise the funds to complete the production.

Each pledge amount comes with a different reward -- and (more exciting news!!) the first 10 people to pledge $35 or more will get a paper doll designed by me!! :D A paper doll also comes with every pledge of $50 or more, too!!



I already pledged, and I really hope you will too! I think this is the most beautiful independent line I've ever seen, and I hope so badly that it'll be able to be put into production. Even if you can't pledge, please help spread the word and support a fellow vintage-loving gal! :)

wishlist wednesday

These have been on the "coming soon" page at modcloth for the longest time and today they were finally made available for sale! :D I'm embarrassed to admit I gasped and did a little happy dance in my chair when I saw they were available. They're just so perfect! I love vintage dresses so much, but vintage-looking dresses that are brand spanking new are pretty high up on my list, too.

ps. If anyone was smitten with that cupcake tea party dress I posted last week, asos has a 20% off coupon that expires today! It's 20RMN, and it only works on full priced things (like that dress.) It was a teensy bit pricey even with the discount, but I justified it by counting it as an "I'll wear this on my trip to Disney World in November" dress ;p

Freebie // 50 sixties hair scans

My new closet has a 60's beauty parlor theme, so I thought it would be really cool if I used vintage hairdo portraits for the artwork! I bought a 1965 mini purse book on etsy called "50 Styles for Problem Hair" and scanned the photos at 800 dpi so that I could have enlargements printed. So far I already had one printed at Staples as a black and white architectural blueprint (24" x 24" and it only cost me $3!) and it came out terrific! I mounted it with spray adhesive on foam board and it's already hanging up in my closet.

Anyway, I thought these pictures were so fantastic I just had to share them! You can do whatever you'd like with them. Combined the file size was way too big to upload as a zip file on my server, so instead I put them on flickr and you can download whichever ones you'd like individually. Here is the link to the set on flickr! :)

$50 Paraders Vintage Giveaway!! [Closed]

Super exciting giveaway today!! Rachael from The Paraders is offering one SUPER lucky girl a $50 gift certificate!! Just in time for the holidays! If you will you can either pick something out for a friend or (this is what I would do) pick out an amazing vintage frock to wear on Christmas Day or New Years!

To enter simply leave a comment letting me know that you're entering, and some way to contact you (email, twitter, blog, whatever floats your boat!) You must follow my blog and The Paraders blog! This is mandatory! (And, please, none of this follow-and-leave as soon as the giveaway is over jazz.. that's super rude!)

For additional entries: (leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Tweet this "Just entered to win a $50 @paraders giveaway on @kategabrielle's blog! http://www.scathingly-brilliant.blogspot.com" (Only counts if you use that tweet.)
2. Follow The Paraders on Twitter

3. Like The Paraders on Facebook

4. Join The Paraders newsletter

Giveaway ends on December 12th at 12:01EST Giveaway is closed!

In the meantime you can get 20% off in The Paraders shop with code BRILLIANT! :D

posh frock thursday

dress - vintage

shoes - modcloth

hair bow - hive & honey

Is this dress ah-mazing or what?! I found it on ebay for only $20! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it... it's the most gorgeous shade of mint, with really pretty intricate crocheted lace around the neck and sleeves *and* it's my exact measurements. This thing fits so good it's like it was made for me. The sleeves originally had a little balloon-elastic attachment thingy that was really easy to remove (I sort of wonder if they're the reason it was only $20... they weren't especially pretty lol) Luckily I had a seam ripper and 10 minutes to kill ;)

Well... this is it for me until I get back from Disney World!! Tomorrow I'll be on the train headed for Florida :D I've scheduled oodles and heaps of posts for while I'm gone, though! Lots of great guest DIY posts, as well as some projects I did myself! I also scheduled a special Disney-themed slumber party sunday post!

FYI - I am totally disconnecting for my trip... no email, twitter, instagram, etsy, nothing, nada. So if you drop me a line, I won't be able to respond until I get back! However, my mom will be handling my etsy shop for me while I'm away so if you have any etsy-related questions she'll be there to help! :)

See you soon!! :D

lemonade on the veranda at five

dress - c/o Jojo's Vintage

shoes - blowfish

belt - forever 21

Discovery: as long as I wear tall platforms, maxi dresses can work on a 5' tall girl! :D And it's a good thing, too, because I'm pretty much head over heels in love with this dress. It's from my sponsor, Jojo's Vintage, and you'd really never guess it was over 30 years old because it's in like-new condition. I love anything vintage, but when something has lasted so long in such a pristine state, you really feel like it was meant for you. And the cotton is so light and airy, all I want to do is lounge in my backyard sipping lemonade and watching squirrels scurry up the giant trees that block out the passing traffic next to my house.

treasure hunt

dress - forever 21

belt - forever 21

shoes - modcloth

I got this cellphone handset last week and decided it would be super neat to get an old vintage rotary phone to store it on! So this weekend we headed out to the flea market to look for one. I haven't been vintage shopping in ages, and I had so much fun! I found my phone, and some other vintage goodies too! I got two 70's pots, a classic movie picture book, a super funky bright necklace, and a set of frog salt and pepper shakers. I also *finally* got the funnel cake I've been craving for the last two months. Along with a jumbo cup of fresh lemonade! yum!

I'm going to paint a pink stripe on the cream phone so that it matches my pink handset, and hang it on the wall in my new apartment!! I'm not going to have a landline, so I'll be using my iphone for all of my calls, and I love that this handset reduces 99% of the radiation emitted from the phone. I'll feel a lot better about using it so often now!

ps. If my hair looks slightly different it's because I dyed it ... again... when I went to fix the bottom, I ended up re-dying the top, too, so it's much lighter than it was last week. It's a wee bit too blonde for my taste (more obvious in person than in these photos), but I really love it! It's definitely a work in progress, but I'm really happy with it :-) Also I *love* the way it looks with bright pink lipstick!!

Do you want to comment, but have no idea what to say? Trust me, I've been there! So to make things a little easier, here is a question you can answer if you can't think of anything else to say! :)

What is your favorite flea market find?

eh-hem

dress - vintage

boots - alloy

This was originally a REALLY long maxi dress. When I put it on to measure how short I wanted it, it was trailing on the floor even when I stood on my tip-toes! I ended up taking about 24" off, then re-attached the bottom hem since it was really thick and made for a nice little detail at the bottom. You can see the before/after on flickr, here.

Oh, and I made a facebook page for my blog. I have no idea why, I just thought it would be nice to be able to share some stuff in between blog posts sometimes. Occasionally I come up with something I want to post mid-day after I already have a post up, but I don't want to overload everyone's reader. Just funny little things I find online or thoughts, etc. If you'd like to 'like' it, here's the link. :)

undeniable determination

dress - vintage/altered

shoes - aldo :-p

coat - target

This outfit is a testament to how determined I can be when I find something online that I really like but can't have. I saw this dress on Modcloth last year and coveted it for a while before finally buying it for my birthday in November. It was much, much too small for me (those darn hips again) so I had to send it back. But ever since then, I've been scouring the etsy vintage listings every week for a plain teal sheath dress to alter. I finally found it about 2 weeks ago! The dress was about 5" too long for me, so I hemmed it, and used the excess fabric to make a peter pan collar using this tutorial. Then I used some plain white fabric to make a giant bow, and ordered gold buttons from amazon. By the time they arrived I ended up deciding that I really liked the dress better without them, though. It's much easier to dress up or down, and match it to different sweaters without the gold.

Now, the shoes. When I saw these on Modcloth, I fell deeply in love. But I have these really stupid ethics about wearing real leather (sometimes I get on my own nerves) and wouldn't buy them. Enter a day-long internet search to find a man-made alternative. After trying every single store in my shopping bookmark list, I finally remembered to try shopsearch.com, where I stumbled upon a pair on Aldo that were 50% off. The color is a little different from the Jeffrey Campbell pair on Modcloth (which I prefer) but they're definitely sufficient. They have the exact same shape, wood stacked platform heel and cute penny loafer style.

I'm absolutely thrilled with the shoes now, but I do have to say that Aldo's customer service is the worst I've encountered (well, except for a tent company I dealt with a few years ago, but that's another story for another day) I'm not going to go into the whole thing, but suffice it to say, I'll never buy from them again after this experience. I guess on the bright side, at least I didn't have to purchase real leather :-p