On the Radar -- Rattle the Cage

So, this trend post was originally influenced by the Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter 2013 collection.  I know.  You're shocked.  Moi? Inspired by McQueen?  No!  I promise you, we're not really always that predictable.  Just when it comes to McQueen.

Anyway, we saw this and thought, hmm...cages...

And then we saw this, and we couldn't think for a while...

Sigh.  We just love McQueen.

But when I could get my brain going again, I noticed other people were on the cage train.  Like Dolce and Gabbana:

And Valentino:

And Sergio Rossi:

And Anndra Neen:

And Calvin Klein:

And this by Cecilia Valentine:

Bonus -- Happy Birthday Collector's Antique Mall!

This is window is very special -- it's the 20th birthday window for Collector's Antique Mall!

It's so amazing and awesome in this day and age for a business to not only stick around for 20 years, but to also grow and just get better!  The store has the best dealers and customers, and both of us Blackbirds spend a lot of our time and money there, you know-- adding to the collections...

So enjoy our present to Collector's Antique Mall -- this bright, ice cream parlor themed birthday window!

(You may notice the frames on the wall -- we framed newspaper clippings and such to be like a walk down memory lane!)

Junk Love: Oh, Happy Day(s)!

Today is about the cocktail collection again. Alas, since the collection is massive, I am once again going to break off a small, chewable bite and focus on just 4 little shot glasses.

The first pair is our favorite: Happy Days Are Here Again. These are from around 1933 and were issued as souvenirs related to Franklin D. Roosevelt's upcoming inauguration (hence, the donkey). This slogan happened to be the title of FDR's campaign song. Another reason for these shot glasses being issued is so obvious, it's subtle. Think about it--why would you issue souvenir shot glasses during Prohibition? Is that a trick question? Nope. It just means you've got two new things to celebrate: a Democrat in the White House, and the good old Twenty-First Amendment (which ended Prohibition). Anyway, we love them.

The other set is mismatched, but adorable: Just A Swallow. The one on the left is the same shape and heft of the FDR shots, so we think it might be from the 1930s. The slogan is cute, and we love that the birds are reminiscent of American traditional tattoo designs.

As you can see from our pair, there are variations on this theme. These are some that I found online (and of course, we'd love to have them all):

Similar to ours, but not the same! Available here

Sold on ebay