New at Sally Jane Vintage

Here's a look at some of the pieces that will be going up in the store today. I'm busy right now trying to get the auctions ready to post. Be sure to stop by and check them all out. Thank so much!

(If you see something you like, click on the photo to see it a bit bigger)

What I'm Wearing

sweater: vintage (and for sale right now in my store)
jeans: Superfine
boots: vintage Etienne Aigner
hat: Urban Outfitters

One of my favorite things about living in Lancaster is walking to Central Market. Central Market is the oldest operating farmer's market in the nation. There you can stroll the aisles and shop for local grown fresh fruits and veggies, fresh apple cider pressed by the Amish, and Pennsylvania specialties such as shoo fly pie and lots of fresh pretzels. You just have to make sure you avoid other Pennsylvania specialties such as scrapple and headcheese. If you don't know what that is, don't even ask. Going there always makes me feel like I'm living in a bustling little city in another time.

New York Shopping

Thanks again for all of the recommendations on vintage stores to check out while we were in NY. I think it would takes days or weeks to discover each and every little store. It seems they're on every street and around every corner. So here is a short synopsis of most of the vintage stores we visited on our trip. We visited more than this but a few of them have melded in my mind and I can't remember which was which. These were my favorites.

• Daha: Ahh, boot heaven. Boots lined up against every wall, stacked on shelves, piled in corners. I’m a sucker for a great pair of boots and I’m currently on the lookout for a pair of chocolatey brown ones. I think no matter what you’re looking for you could probably find them here. In fact, I found a perfect pair, rich and brown with cute little pleats on the sides that looked and fit like a dream. However, I wasn’t prepared (or willing) to shell out well over a hundred bucks for a pair. Oh, and they have lots of cute dresses too!
• The Dressing Room: I think the ladies that run this place are geniuses. Evil, evil geniuses. How else can you explain this store where you can vintage shop and have a cocktail at the same time. That’s right! It’s a clothing store/bar. The upstairs is stocked with independent local designers while the downstairs is filled with vintage treasures at very reasonable prices. I bought the brown dress with the lace cuffs and collar that you see in the NY photos for only $28. It needs a few minor repairs but I’m sure you’ll be seeing it pop up on my blog again soon.
• Cobblestones: Luckily I’d been warned before going into this little shop that the owner likes to sing. A lot. So when she suddenly broke out into a chorus of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” I didn’t jump out of my skin. The place is tiny (as is the norm in NYC) and is piled floor to ceiling with treasures dating from the 20’s to the 70’s. It’s a bit like being in your crazy aunt’s attic so be prepared to dig through the piles to find what you’re looking for.
• Stella Dallas: Unfortunately by the time we discovered this cute little shop it was getting late and we were tired from walking. That and I’d already spent my shopping budget on two dresses. Oh well. If it weren’t for those two things I’m sure I could have spent quite a bit of time and quite a bit of money in there. The prices were moderate. I found a mint green double breasted 60’s cape that's still haunting me a bit for $130. I also tried on a couple of vintage hats that could have easily come home with me for about $40. I walked out empty handed but it’s definitely one of the first places I’ll go on my next trip.
• Screaming Mimi’s: If you’re shopping with your boyfriend this is definitely the shop to hit up. The entire front of the store is filled with guy's button downs, sweaters, vests and jackets. It’s also perfect if you’re looking for a slouchy cardigan or vest of your own. There is a section of women’s clothes in the back with racks of dresses and tops.
• “Thrift Shops”: It was recommended to me that I visit several thrift stores. Among them were Salvation Army, Housing Works and Angel Thrift Shop. As soon as I walked into the first one I could tell the definition of “thrift store” is significantly different in NY than any other place I’ve been. I suppose if you’re local and can go on a regular basis there is a chance that you’ll find something good. I found them picked over and over priced. The most interesting thing I saw in any of them was Fred Schneider from The B-52’s shopping for furniture.

New York City

Thanks again for all of your well wishes and suggestions for things to do while we were in NYC. We had a fantastic trip. On Friday we got into the city around lunch time, quickly grabbed a bite to eat at a cute little Mexican restaurant then got busy walking around the streets of the LES and Soho. We had no real destination but just wandered around and went in any little store that caught our eye (more on those stores later). By nightfall we had worn ourselves out so we stopped for dinner at Vegetarian Paradise 2. We planned on going to the bar at the Chelsea Hotel for a drink but when we got there we discovered it didn't open until 11:00. Come on people! I'm too old for that. ;) Instead we went to East of Eighth, ordered a big glass of Hoegaarden, sat on the patio and people watched.

Saturday morning was filled with Chelsea art galleries. We discovered a couple of amazing exhibits - one photography and one sculpture. Then I had the most amazing Challah french toast for brunch at a diner in the meatpacking district. Afterwards we headed to the ginormous four story Barnes & Noble for an afternoon break. I looked for fashion magazines and photography books while Tom perused the design section. I found a fantastic book on photographer Francesca Woodman (thanks Shreve!). Somewhere in there we also stopped for a vegan cupcake at BabyCakes. Pumpkin cupcakes, yum! It felt like we'd already had a full trip and we hadn't even gone to the show that was our entire reason for going to NY. So, that night we walked to dinner at Rice then over to catch the Nick Cave show. Amazing!

Whew! It was a full weekend and we had so much fun. Now it's back to work. Speaking of work, I'm working on a post detailing which vintage stores we made it to and what I bought. Later! :)

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted...

I'll be back on Monday with lots of photos from our trip to New York. Have a great weekend!

DIY Belt

A while back I mentioned that I wanted to try to recreate the belt on this girl's outfit from HelLooks. Whenever I go shopping at thrift stores or flea markets I keep an eye out for dresses or shirts that have lots of fabric that I can use to cut up for projects. It's a great way to get a lot of fabric for not much money. At any given time I've got a sack full of oversized dresses that I bought simply because I liked the fabric. Ever since I saw that little striped belt on HelLooks I've been looking for the perfect fabric to use in my recreation. Last week I finally found a dress in the right color, with the right size stripe in a fabric that I liked. I went to work and made my own version of the belt. As is usual with most DIY projects, I'm not 100% happy with my first attempt but I thought I'd show it to you anyway. I learned from my mistakes and I plan on making it again. I'm really terrible at how-to's but this was a pretty easy project if you want to try it yourself. All it takes is a couple of long strips of fabric and some iron-on interfacing. If anyone is interested I'll try to make up some more detailed instructions when I go for my second attempt.

This Week at Sally Jane Vintage

Once again ladies, it's that time! This week lots of goodies will be going up in the store: woolly jumpers, sweaters for layering, cute mod dresses and lots of boots and shoes. Be sure to check in tomorrow when everything goes live. Remember, when they're gone, they're gone so don't miss out! Thanks! :)

(Remember, if you see something you like, click to view it a bit bigger)