Item of the week: A study in inflation from a NOS dress

As a vintage dealer, finding a NOS (New Old Stock) item is usually rare. I bought this pretty dress several years ago and never got around to selling it, then came a move and the inevitable packing away of stock. I recently pulled it out of its cozy rest in a storage box (I know..I know..) but was pleased (after rolling my eyes at myself for the delay) to find it with its store tags in place. I remember the auction I found it at; the sale of a "depression baby", a lady who grew up in the depression and, when she had means, stocked up on items just in case it happened again. There were hundreds of items with the tags still on them, something I'm sure I won't see again.


Click the image to see the listing

This pretty little number reminds me of the dresses seen around the office of Sterling Cooper on AMC's Mad Men. But how much would the average gal really have paid for it? The original store tags from Natelson's of Omaha says she would have paid $19.98. Not bad at all, eh?
I wondered what that would equate to today, though, so I found a price comparison gadget on the US Dept of Labor site: http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl. It turns out that the gal about town today would have pay $139.58 for the same item. Anyone who has gone to the mall lately would see prices pretty close to that in most "name brand" stores.
Hatfeathers Vintage will happily let you buy this pretty for just under half of that. If the boys in the office pat you on the tush for wearing it, though, you're on your own!

Item of the week

Bob's Mom's Pheasant Hat

Our featured item is a lovely hat that has been consigned with Hatfeathers by a family friend. The original owner has recently had to reduce her estate, so we are selling this hat, one of the few pieces of vintage she kept through the years. This gives us a rare opportunity to pass on some of the background history of it. I love knowing the background of things; where they've been, who loved it, when they wore it, and all that fun stuff.

The wonderful cloche style hat is covered entirely with pheasant feathers. The feathers are from the prize bird of a hunting trip taken by the owner’s husband the year before he died. He took the feathers from this handsome bird to one of the best milliners in town, and had this hat created for his wife from them.

Ahhh, love...some gals get flowers, I'd prefer the hat, too! I'll grow my own flowers.

Will Adrien Brody impress us twice?

I've liked Adrien Brody in a few movies, he was good in King Kong, and of course in the Pianist, but really, he's not done a whole lot. I was surprised to see, though, that he has two movies coming out soon that look really interesting. Both look like they cater to the vintage lover, of course with the film Cadillac Records, set in the 50s, about the beginning of Rock and Roll, but also with The Brothers Bloom, which looks like it trends towards the unique wardrobes, with men in great fedoras. I'm looking forward to a few good movie dates with Adrien (oh, and my hubby) this December!

Banana Bread...warming hearts and kitchens!

The Happy Housewife knows time is tight and so are budgets. Here is a fun and tasty treat to throw together quickly from the most common of ingredients. This is really fun to have the little ones help with; what kid doesn't like to smash stuff!? Plus, on those sorta-cold days, the hour-long bake time really makes the kitchen a cozy spot.

Banana Bread

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
1C Sugar
1/2 C softened real butter (1 stick)
2 eggs
2Tbs milk
1tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt
2C flour
3 over-ripe bananas, mashed/squashed/smooshed to a goopy mess

Cream the sugar and butter together, then mix in the eggs and milk. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet, mixing just until mostly combined. Add the squished bananas and mix it all together. If you would like to add 1/2C of chopped nuts, do it now.

Put in a loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 1hour or until slightly cracked on the top and firm.
Top with butter, cream cheese, or go au natural!

Incorporating Vintage into everyday wardrobes

For some wearing vintage is a personal choice, others may enjoy it as a collection of treasures to be showcased at home. Vintage clothing and accessories can be enjoyed every day, whether as an all out vintage outfit from head to toe, or just a few key pieces as an accompaniment to modern clothing. The classic styling will keep your look fashionable and trendy.

Professionals who have to wear business attire can choose from the sharp lined suits of the 40s or the 50s slim skirted dress and crop jacket suits. Men can utilize the classically tailored lines of the suits from the 50s and 60s.

For women’s casual attire, a novelty print skirt or vintage pin up sweater are sure to make heads turn. A men’s guayabera, knit shirt, or vintage Hawaiian shirt will put any modern mall-bought shirt to shame.
But what if you don’t want to wear your collection from head to toe?
Vintage beaded cardigans look great over a baby doll T with jeans or a pencil skirt, old or new. A vintage print or eyelet blouse can be worn with shorts for cool look in warm weather.
Guys can spice up their modern suits with a vintage tie or colorful dress shirt, or even a fedora. A vintage concert T looks great with jeans, vintage or new.
Vintage jewelry and accessories can spice up a modern wardrobe with an eccentric touch. A vintage 60s enamel brooch can add a splash of color to your coat lapels while costume jewelry can make even the simplest outfit fun and fancy!
Vintage purses and handbags are a great way to add anything from chic style to colorful whimsy to your daily wardrobe, plus they make a great conversation piece!
A colorfully patterned scarf can be worn as a neck tie or headband or scarf or a waist sash. Vintage platform shoes can add the spice of disco diva or kitten spikes can add sexy sophistication.
Whether head to toe or just as a finishing touch, vintage clothing and accessories can make your look complete.

The last bouquet of the season....

It was a tough year to garden here in Missouri. We had more rain than I've ever seen over a summer season, which led to a lot of plant issues. Some didn't do well because of mildew, some just choked on the water logged soil, some just gave up with less than adequate sun.

I did manage to get out and scatter some seeds this spring, though, and have been rewarded with a better-late-than-never patch of cosmos and zinnias.

With the weather turning colder and colder, even those will be giving up within the next few nights, as frost is upon us. I've collected what will surely be the last bouquet of the season. I'll leave what is left for any stray butterflies, bees, and moths as they make their way to warmer weather or winter sleep. Time to put away the tools, drain the gas out of the mower, cover the breakable pots, bring in the ferns, and trade the lemonade cup for a mug of cocoa.

So, here it is...the last bouquet of the season

Hey Hatfeathers...where have you been?

Wow, how time does fly these days!
I have been after myself to do a blog entry, and here I am, one month to the day of my last one and shocked that its gone so quickly.


So, where have I been? Well, sanding dry wall and painting for one! Hubby and a buddy got a flip house, a nice yet abused little ranch home to renovate and sell. My parents always seemed to be fixing up places when I was growing up, so I know how to patch a wall, so I've been helping out there. Hey, Mom, I'm using that BFA emphasis in painting afterall!


What else have I done? A little bit of gardening, of course!
I have a bit of OCD when it comes to the plant arts, and am happily in my second year of volunteering my Master Gardener hours towards the Magic City Line mini-train at our local park, Rothwell Park. I've been raiding the end-of-season bins for scraggly perrenials, who will gladly join our lovely park and reward my optomism heavily come spring.


I was fortunate enough, also, to be helped by real superheroes this fall, as well. The Superheros bike ride came through town, and were directed to our little all-volunteer community area. They helped me out by digging canna rhyzomes for the year and refreshing my mulch paths on the new maze bed I formed last year. Their spirit really fit in with the ideas I had behind creating the maze bed; volunteerism, community, and sharing have helped me build from a clay and weed nub to a glorious garden. Their volunteer hours were well appreciated after a long, tough summer for the gardens. Many hands made light work, especially for a job that would have taken little old me a full day to complete alone. Thank you, Superheroes, wherever you are!!
Here we are hard at work:
And a little goofing off after the work was done:

So, what else have I done? Why, add a whole slew of new goodies to the stock room, of course!
I have been hitting the streets hard lately, finding loads of new/old goodies to add to the website over the next few months....as soon as I regain the feeling in my arms, that is!