Designer to Know: Cleo Ferin Mercury

You can't be surprised that if something involves both big collars and cute animals that we are going to post about it here. Cleo Ferin Mercury makes the cutest accessories, including these genius little silk furry friends to wrap around your neck:

Hibernate With Me collars.

(via The Dainty Squid)

Shop Preview: Vintage Nighties

While I'm on the theme of bridal showers, I should put a plug in for all the cute vintage nighties and slips that we've got coming to the shop this week. The perfect thing for your sassy vintage loving brides-to-be (or yourself):

And, don't forget to follow us on twitter to know as soon as we post new items.

Vintage Gift: Bridal Shower

In keeping with our recent bridal theme, I had to share the gift that I found for MLE's bridal shower: a book written in the 30's called Secret's of Love and Marriage by James Parker Hendry.

It deals with such tough subjects as the love problems of wives, dangers of petting, secrets of sex appeal and how to cure frigidity in a wife.. but one of the best things is the warning on the first page of the book, which reads:

"A study of marriage, prepared for the instruction of married men and women, and sold only to members of the medical and legal professions and to married persons, or to persons recommended by members of the recognized professions. This book will not be sold to minors and purchasers must agree to accept responsibility for safeguarding the book against coming into the hands of minors."

The author was probably worried that his advice would fall into the wrong hands, because it is full of lots of great "medical" advice like:

"It is particularly dangerous for a girl to start petting with a man the first few times she goes out with him. She should make sure that he is clean, honest and worthwhile. She makes herself cheap by offering easily won kisses. And no man wants a bargain counter wife who has been soiled and manhandled."

In other words, the perfect gift for anyone about to wed.

Vintage Themed Bridal Shower: Handkerchiefs

My blog cohort and dear friend MLE is getting married next month, and I was lucky enough to get to help throw her bridal shower.

She's marrying a man with the last name Pahnke (that's pronounced "panky") which means I HAD to throw her a "hanky pahnke" themed bridal shower. Obviously. But, I made sure to keep it cute with lots of vintage hankies to balance out the panky.

We started off with the invites - I used my handy gocco to screen the invitations onto a stack of vintage hankies, and mailed them out in velum envelopes so that you could get a peek at what was inside. Each invitation was colorful and unique:

At the party itself, we incorporated vintage hankies into all the decor. I hung a vintage handkerchief bunting, and single handkerchiefs folded over the backs of the chairs:

And, we used even more hankies as accents under all the serving dishes. We used lots of white vintage milk glass to serve the food on, which means the hankies really added a nice touch of color to everything:

I love the subtle vintage feel that all those hankies gave the party.

Estate Sale Finds - Rice

I was prepping a vintage wedding dress for a shoot and was amused to find a single grain of rice in between the mesh lace and the bodice of the dress - probably stuck there since the 50s when someone first threw rice at a happy couple running down some church steps.

Animal Head Art - Casebolt Design

I loved these screenprinted wedding invites showing an illustrated wooded dance party with bride and groom as a wild pair:

Design: Casebolt Design + Illustration

(Spotted on Oh So Beautiful Paper)

Vintage Inspired - Oscar de la Renta Fall 2012

I was perusing some of the Oscar de la Renta Fall 2012 photos and was surprised that they didn't even try to pretend that they weren't all about the 60's. Beaded shift dresses, wide cowl necks, and that hair! It is straight off of Brigitte Bardot's head.

Style Bistro | Beaded Blue Boatneck Shift | Vintage Shift Pattern | Vintage Pants Pattern | Brown and Black Belted Suit | Vintage Blue Boucle Suit