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:

On the Radar -- A Red Handbag

Things have been pretty hectic around the Blackbird World Headquarters lately.  As you learned in the Junk Love post for this week, the other Blackbird deserted me to travel across the ocean and have all kinds of adventures in Ireland.  It was a really boring, long, sad two weeks while she was gone, but I was productive!  Well, I was for the first week.  The second week -- not so much.  All I can say is that I am thankful for my Netflix subscription, and I now have a new appreciation for Gossip Girl. 

(In my defense, I had to watch something.  I tried Antiques Roadshow, but believe me, that just made it worse.)

But since she got back home, we have been junk shopping like mad.  (Boy, have we been finding some really good stuff!)  I've been listing our new finds left and right in the Etsy shop.  We're both getting ready to start teaching again -- she's really the teacher, I just have one class.  And the blog has been suffering.  You know, for example, a Radar post on Friday...

Anyway, in the middle of all this, we sold this bag on Etsy:

It's a super sweet frame handbag by Dover, and it has a lovely new home in Texas.  However, while I was bringing this bag from our storage studio to the house, I got several offers from people wanting to purchase it.  When I told them it was sold, they asked, "Do you have any more?"

Oooooookaaaaayyyyy....What's that about?  And then I checked the stats on Etsy.  This bag's views spiked last Saturday.  A major spike.

And then I remembered what one lady who wanted to buy this bag said -- she said, "I'm all about a red bag right now."  So I looked it up, and lo and behold!  EVERYBODY'S about a red bag this fall!

I feel like I am so behind the curve!  But maybe it's because I'm ALWAYS about a red bag.  Red is my favorite color, and if given the choice, I will always pick it.

So here's my roundup of designer bags to drool over.  Look at these, and then just go to Etsy or your local antique store and buy a vintage one.  I mean, ours was only $18.  That's a steal!

Roberto Cavalli, Fall 2013

Marchesa clutches, Fall 2013

Dolce and Gabbana, Fall 2013

All Valentino, Fall 2013

Alexander McQueen, Fall 2013

Junk Love: Enid Collins!

We Blackbirds have a lot of things in common. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, I was looking through my old photo albums in search of a picture of my brother. I never did find the one I was after, but I did find a picture of myself in kindergarten, wearing my favorite dress and a purely angelic smile. I showed it to the other Blackbird, who stared at it for a few seconds and then got up and went into the next room. She dug through her own box of pics, and triumphantly pulled out her own kindergarten snapshot.

We didn't meet until much, much later, but I think it's pretty clear that our friendship was preordained. (In the interest of full disclosure, I confess that I hated her when we met. It was our love of junk that bridged that gap, after I discovered how many collections we had in common. Or, it was her winning personality. Yeah, that was it.) Anyway, despite our similarities, we also have a lot of differences. I am a perpetual t-shirt and jeans kind of girl. She is, too, except for her tendency to wear dresses a lot. She also has a collection of vintage purses. This means that whenever we are going anywhere out of the ordinary, it involves choosing the perfect thing to wear and the perfect purse. I know, this is not a novel idea. It just gives me an excuse to roll my eyes on a fairly regular basis.

But, I have a dark secret. I used to be girly. In the era of that kindergarten picture, I was a dress girl most of the time. I especially loved stripes and rainbow colors. And, I had a pretty large purse collection of my own. And my purse always had to coordinate with my outfit. How else was I supposed to transport my fruity chapstick, handful of pennies, and pink plastic compact mirror? I hit a definite turning point a few years later (oh, the trauma of the Great Pageant Incident!), when I abandoned my beauty regime and fancy things in favor of comfort clothes with pockets. I still carry chapstick, and sometimes pennies, but always in a pocket.

However, I still love vintage purses. I don't buy them for myself, because I would never use them, but I appreciate their fabulousness. If I need to live vicariously, I buy one as a present for the other Blackbird. And, at the top of my wish list (for her, of course) is a vintage Enid Collins. Anything with classic 1960s metallic accents and brightly colored jewel critters appeals to my inner rainbow child. So, allow me to proceed with the wish list. (What makes it even better is that if I asked the other Blackbird to select pictures of Enid Collins purses without any guidance from myself, she would probably end up with this same collection of photos. Like I said, our friendship was preordained.) I want to put a chapstick in every single one!

Skunk purse; Etsy

Glitter Bugs purse; Etsy

Cable car purse; Etsy

Enid Collins zipper clutch; Etsy

Sagittarius purse, sold on Etsy

yes!, stylehive.com

www.pursepage.com

Taurus purse

magasining.blogspot.com

Elephant purse, sold on Etsy

On the Radar -- Crystal Clear

Stella McCartney, Spring 2013

Fact: the Blackbird girls love Lucite.  Any kind of Lucite.  Fortunately, it's pretty clear to us that Lucite has inspired lots of people lately.  (Sorry, I have to say that pun was intended.)  Stella McCartney, Valentino, Givenchy...just to name a few.

It's not just Lucite that everyone's crushing on, though.  Plastic, vinyl, glass -- it could be anything.  It just needs to be clear, shiny, and sparkly -- and POOF! Instant glamour!  Instant pizazz! 

(Just make sure what's inside that clear purse is just as pretty as the outside.  And no unmentionable items, please.  That could get embarrassing.)

Valentino jacket, Spring 2013

Givenchy, Spring 2013

And it's not just fashion that's in love.  Home decor's jumping on the bandwagon, too.

Jonathan Adler, Bel Air Test Tube Vase

And as I always say, go vintage, young one.  It's always the cooler choice.  (And usually cheaper!)

Vintage Sunglasses from Green Flamingo Vintage on Etsy

1970s Lucite Ice Bucket from AtomicDog67 on Etsy

On the Radar -- Bamboo

Vintage Bamboo Purse from Ravenous Creatures

We Blackbird girls have always loved Asian influenced design.  Its simplicity, functionality, and respect for natural materials, when added to a culture rich in storytelling and symbolism, makes for an endless supply of inspiration.  Of the many things from Asian design that could be reinterpreted and reinvented, bamboo is probably one of the most common -- and most exciting.

We've been noticing bamboo for awhile now, and we think we're about to see even more.  Bamboo is a highly renewable resource in a planet that is running low on resources.  It grows quickly, and can be used in widely varying applications.  Bamboo textiles are all over the marketplace, from towels to t-shirts.  It can also be used for flooring, decking, and fencing.

From style-files.com by Lotte van Laatum

What's most exciting to us, though, is the different ways people are mixing bamboo items into their decor or fashion.  Whether you go ultra contemporary, with some of the clean lined furniture pieces that are being made today, or 1930s-40s glam with vintage pieces, bamboo will add a touch of unexpectedness.  Just like when we talked about navy and bright colors, adding a touch of bamboo will be the piece de resistance to any room or outfit.

Indochine Headboards by Red Egg, from en.paperblog.com

Think about painting your bamboo to make it more dramatic.  In Ohio, we found a great vintage tray made from natural bamboo. It was large, sturdy and had a great shape, but we wanted color!  We needed it as a display for some clear glass decanters, on a table with a barkcloth tablecloth.We decided on a vivid lime green (an accent color from the cloth), and spray painted it.*  What a difference!  The tray looked better than new, and the bamboo-ness still came through.  And the decanters...well, they looked fab on it!

Check out the shop to see our vintage blue umbrella with a faux bamboo handle! 

Sky Blue Umbrella from our shop!

*We spray paint ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.