Junk Love: Vintage Barkcloth

The Blackbird girls are suckers for barkcloth. It doesn't matter if it's a dress or a pillow or a teeny scrap of fabric, we love the prints and colors. We have Asian-themed barkcloth curtains in the bathroom:

And somewhere along the line, I bought a couple of yards of this fabric:

This is a set of curtains that I have stored under my bed because they're too short for any of the windows in my house. But if I ever move, they'll have their day in the sun!

And my pride and joy, this fabulous coverlet in my favorite colors:

We recently acquired some fabulous 1940s yardage for the Etsy shop, which inspired me to spend two hours looking at other people's barkcloth on the Internet. Unfortunately, our piece sold within a few hours, even as I was collecting pictures for this post, but you can still admire it:

So, in honor of barkcloth love, here a dream list of prints from around the Internet. Enjoy!

lulusvintage.com

Pinterest

Flickr

Pinterest

Sold on Etsy

Sold on Etsy

Flickr

I actually have a casserole carrier in this same print:

Laurel Leaf Farm

And I love the colors in these:

Flickriver

Pinterest

Flickriver

Pinterest

Junk Love: And a Ship to Sail Her By

As we creep closer to the 4th of July, I find myself yearning for saltwater taffy and sand between my toes. As an adult, I would never go to the beach at this time of year--too many people for my taste. But fireworks at the beach defines the summers of my childhood. We didn't go to fancy hotels or quiet beaches. Nope, it was the lights and kitsch of Myrtle Beach, back when the Pavilion still existed. The Fourth of July was all about the rickety Log Flume and walking the Boardwalk with wet shorts to get dipped ice cream cones and spend all our money in the Gay Dolphin. And then it was rushing back to the cheap hotel to crowd onto our balcony just in time for the bursts of light in the sky. I tend to get nostalgic this time of year, and if you follow our blog, you'll notice a lot of nautical, red, blue, and beachy-type things. Like today, where we are focusing on sailing-influenced fashion. This graphic sailboat dress is a dream come true:

On Etsy

This Malia dress still has sailboats, although they are a little more abstract:

On Etsy

And nothing is better than a big, bold Vera:

On Etsy

One of my favorite things in our shop is this 1960s drop-waist skort dress:

In our shop

And I love the applique on this 70s wrap skirt!

On Etsy

If you're not into red, white, and blue nautical, you could always go for something a little more intellectual, like this 1950s skirt with maps, globes, compasses, ships, and sea monsters in the print. Love it!

On Etsy

Or this one with sailboats and nautical info for Nantucket Sound:

On Etsy

Nautical flags and anchors are a great way to pay homage to the sea without dressing like a sailor:

On Etsy

In our shop

Or perhaps your own little sailboat! On your finger, of course....

On Etsy

Junk Love: Red, White, & Blue

On Etsy

It's no secret that one of our favorite color combinations is red, white, and blue. One of the Blackbird girls has a collection of scarves that fit this description, and if you look at the other Blackbird's assortment of Vera scarves, you'll find quite a few variations on the good old red, white, and blue. For us, it's a happy combination. Yes, it's typical of the Fourth of July, but it's also graphic and makes us feel good.

With this in mind, we've decided to throw an imaginary party, where we actually fit into vintage bathing suits and no one is too ashamed to wear a crop top and shorts. Indulge us, dear reader, as we dive into the fantasy....

I haven't worn a two-piece since I was four, but I'd be willing to give it a shot in this one:

On Etsy

Seriously, can it get cuter than this? No. No, it can't.

On Etsy

On Etsy

And just in case we're not feeling brave enough to show skin, we've got plenty of bold prints to choose from:

In our shop

On Etsy

On Etsy

With the grooviest accessories:

In our shop

On Etsy

Weiss brooch, On Etsy

On Etsy

On Etsy

And of course every party needs drinks. What better way to serve than with bold stripes?

On Etsy

On Etsy

Now, isn't this a party you'd want to come to?

On the Radar: Good as Gold Pt. 1

There are trend-setters in this world, and there are trend-followers, and it doesn't matter which category you belong to as long as you do the trend justice. And vintage is always a great way to fall in line with the herd while still maintaining your originality. I mean, how many other people in your circle are going to have the same dress, or necklace, or belt? So, as we see these trends pop up in magazines, malls, and boutiques, we also see the same conversation happening in the vintage world. For the past few months, this beautiful golden yellow has been popping up everywhere, and our savvy Etsy compatriots have made their own contribution. And while we normally incorporate modern iterations of trends in our On the Radar blogs, we've decided to highlight nothing but vintage this time around. Like this AMAZING dress:

From here

Or these daring darlings:

On Etsy

On Etsy

Sometimes, all you need is a little spot of color to stand out in a crowd, like this funky patterned scarf:

Echo scarf, On Etsy

 And jewelry is always a girl's best friend!

Golden tiger eye ring, On Etsy

On Etsy

There's nothing better than versatility, especially when it looks good. Check out this reversible bracelet:

On Etsy

This ring is awesome, and we love the enameled cufflinks:

Gold and yellow jade ring, On Etsy

Swank enamel Pisces cufflinks, On Etsy

May your world be filled with sunshine and great yellow vintage!