Local Olympian: Eleanor Holm

Until yesterday, I had no clue who Eleanor Holm was. But thanks to a great post by my local library here in Brooklyn, and a little additional research, I have become a true fan.

Eleanor was apart of the U.S. Olympic swim team back in 1932. She won a gold and achieved numerous world records. But this bathing beauty also had a more adventurous side that got her kicked off the Olympic team in 1936.

After her stint in the Olympics, she became apart of Billy Rose's Aquacade and starred in numerous holllywood films, including Tarzan's Revenge.  Her life was riddled with marriages to numerous men involved in showbiz and she even claimed to have met Hitler at the 1936 Olympic games.

To say the least, she was a talented beauty, with a forward thinking mind and attitude. Cheers to Eleanor Holm and all the other amazing women who have made great strides for our country in the Olympic games!

Love: Floral Designs by Aubrey

 If you enjoyed the strawberry bouquet from Martha Stewart that I shared yesterday, you'll love these bouquet designs by the amazing Aubrey in California. They are absolutely dreamy and so unique! I'm always won over by arrangements that have a sort of unexpected element to them, like a bold striped ribbon, dogwood berries, or succulents. All this prettiness makes me want to try my own hand at floral arrangements and take a class at The Little Flower School!

 

*All images via DesignbyAubrey

Made: Martha Stewart Berry Wedding Napkins

Cute liberty of London fabric from Pins & Needles!

Last July I spent two weeks stitching up these cute berry inspired napkins. The fabric store, Pins & Needles, was recruited at the last minute to create some hand stitched berry themed napkins for a Martha Stewart berry themed wedding shoot and the deadline was tight! I was so thrilled to help design the pattern and teach my fellow stitching companions at P&N a few new embroidery tricks. Between the three of us, we finished 12 sets of napkins. All hand embroidered. To say the least, my fingers were covered in blisters by the time I was done stitching. But it was worth it! Although the napkins didn't get featured in the magazine spread, they got a nice mention Online. You can view a slideshow of the complete Berry inspired wedding by clicking the image below.

I LOVE this bouquet!

Vintage: Amelia Earhart

Love the scarf and the pants!

Amelia Earhart, one of America's most prolific women, celebrates her 115th birthday today. Google pays tribute with a wonderful airplane on their homepage to the queen of flight but did you know that she was once a fashion designer? I had no clue until I came across Vavoom Vintage's great article about Ms. Earhart's short lived fashion designing career. Brittany from Vavoom also tells us that Ms. Earhart was named one of the top ten best dressed back in 1935. Who would have thought? My favorite thing about her clothing has to be her clothing logo tag and the luggage sets she designed. If you want to find out more, I highly recommend reading Vavoom's post HERE. It's so great!

Love this cover! image via Vavoom Vintage

image via Vavoom Vintage

Brooklyn Places: Dry Goods

Dry Goods is an eclectic store located on Atlantic Avenue in the Boreum Hill area. It is packed with a well curated selection of vintage goods and other objects that have an air of nostalgia to them. The store itself is a little on the small side and packed with goodies everywhere, so it can be a little overwhelming at first. But if you take your time to look around, you are sure to find something unique to take home with you. It's definitely a place to check out, especially if you are looking for a one of a kind gift. They are sure to have it. The owners also have a love for dogs so they have thrown in some great pet accessory products into the mix too. I grabbed some super cute washi tape and amazing pine scented soap while I was there.

 

 

Breakfast

Stitch: Renegade Brooklyn

Miniature Rhino cross stitched bookmarks

 This year there were quite a few vendors at the Brooklyn Renegade Craft Fair showing off their amazing hand crafted merchandise, but what I was most (happily) surprised to see was the number of hand embroidered merch for sale. From cross stitched home decor items to embroidered jewelry, companies like Miniature Rhino, Bossa Nova Baby, and Chez sucre Chez were showing that this historic technique is no longer stuck in the past. These ladies truly represent the new wave of the hand stitched movement and are bringing a fresh new outlook to a craft that is easily labeled as old fashioned. Keep up the great work ladies!

Bossa Nova Baby Embroidered Cuff

Chez sucre Chez tea towels

Miniature Rhino DIY cross stitch brooches

Chez sucre Chez wall art

Love: Peeko

I first fell in love with Peeko Apparel when I featured a pair of her leggings in a post about Ikat prints. I love the tribal street style of her clothing and her leggings are unique, fun, and sexy! My faves include the simple KEEKO draped dress, the multi wrap tank, NEN, and the faux thigh high leggings. I am sucker for any piece of clothing that is functional and diverse.

If you are looking to accomplish a simple look that still exudes extreme finesse and coolness, then add Peeko to your wardrobe. It is a sure fire way to make any urban street urchin jealous.

Make: The Process

I don't consider myself having any sort of talent when it comes to drawing but this is how most ideas begin now. A few rough sketches, a lot of sewing, then testing, then revisions, and eventually, if I'm lucky, a finished product that I hope people will love. 

Vintage: Catwoman circa 1960

Lee Meriwether

I can't think of a better time to pay tribute to the ladies who first brought the infamous, sexy Catwoman to the televised screen than this week!  First played by Julie Newmar, then Eartha Kitt, and lastly, Lee Meriwether in the first Batman film. These ladies all put some serious curves and va-va-voom into this character. And the 60's costume is hands down my favorite cat costume to ever take shape. I mean just look at the hair, and the bling bling! Anne Hathaway has some big shoes to fill but I still can't wait to see what she does with the legendary Selina Kyle later this week in The Dark Knight Rises.

Lee Meriwether

Julie Newmar

Eartha Kitt

Julie Newmar

Brooklyn Places: Brooklyn Flea Market in the 'Burg

This Sunday I spent 9 hours in the sweltering summer heat at Brooklyn Flea Market in Williamsburg. Despite the rather sticky conditions, I had a great time. I sold a few goods, met some new people, and enjoyed the amazing view from the East River State Park. It reminded just how much I enjoy doing public shows. I love meeting my customers in person and having a chat with them.

I also debuted my first purse design from my upcoming line of bags and purses. These floral satchels are the perfect weekend bag. They can carry all the essentials for a weekend trip out with your friends. and they will be available in the shop later this week!

Love: Peggy Moffitt

If I were going to a style icon costume party I would dress up like Peggy Moffitt(in the three tiered dress below) in a heartbeat. Nobody did super, sexy, fun, flirty sixties style better than her. On a side note, I want all of those needlepoint pillows in the photo above.