Wednesday, June 29, 2011

sneak peeks • luncheonettevintage

assembling the tags that go into luncheonette packages: shop coupon and vintage recipe

I'll let you in on a secret. The kitchen here at luncheonettevintage, land of the curatorial orthodoxy involving old clothes and thingamabobs, used to be a crying shame.

snacking

When I moved in, it was a mish-mash of wood paneling, painted spoiled milk color, and all laid itsy-katsy and joined together with scraps of wood painted the sad browns of bad digestion. As it got worse (we had to open the wall, etc), we just left it. Not denial, just priorities.

note fiestaware plate sulking in the rack

But priorities are meant to shift. In my world,  kitchen is office and the kitchen table is workstation. And it's a shopwide policy that no task is completed without well-brewed coffee. When I write "from the kitchen" in my convo signoffs, I'm serious.  I do everything, nearly, in this kitchen. Don't we all?

double yoke egg next to single yoke egg on milk glass plate on 50s table

Soon as we could, we embarked on the Great Renovation. Theme: farmhouse kitchen with modern, um, coffee maker. Slightly industrial (there would be an exposed vent pipe) to remind me of the good old days in my Dumbo loft (I once lived atop an old coffee packing factory in Brooklyn). We were trepidatious, but the fortunes of old building quality lurking beneath crap soon smiled upon us.

Within the cracked and besmirched old wall panels, we found old, stalwart beams. Note coffee maker, always within reach.
rough hewn beams in the walls

Under 5 layers of linoleum, we found real wood plank floors. Total surprise there.

hand sanding, then came 9 coats of polyurethane

We finished the floors, applied real wainscoting (hammered and fit together one piece at a time) reused what we could. We refinished the rusty 1950s metal sink cabinet (fun job. right), and the kitchen cabinet. We had to replace the tiny 1970s range (coated with oil, prone to heat surges). But another rule was no fuss. When Supercool Relative Guy Who Wields Them Big Tools came in with giant shelving brackets and bolts, I did not object. It was a combination of get-er-done and do-it-right.

brother in law trying not to stand on new stove

with range hood

Note milk glass 1940s cake plate nestled next to industrial fan exhaust pipe. Noone here loves that but me, but since I am the head cook, it stays. And the reno continues, since my buddy the amazing carpenter guy had to interrupt his for-the-love-of-family, heavily discounted labor to go work on a real (as in real paying) renovation project. So someday, our kitchen will all be finished. Curtains will be hung on real rods, not string.

draped over string

The table cloth below? Just laid out to take a picture for the shop. But that's the point: things can now be laid out and photographed for the shop.

egg colored chairs

So it's not finished. But I kind of love it the way it is. Thanks for stopping in.



Tuesday, June 28, 2011

cook eat drink • lemony black bean soup



Laura from Cubits here. Cubits is all about rare, heirloom & organic urban vegetable garden seeds. So naturally we're into our veggies. This recipe is from a soup swap that some friends and I participated in for National Soup Swapping day last year (read more about it here). Basically you make and divide a big batch of soup, your friends do the same, and then you get together and trade soup.s You want to make sure it's a reasonable amount, like 8-12 jars per soup, well labelled for people with allergies and intolerances, and ready to freeze. It's great fun!

Enjoy!



Catherine's lemony, not-like-chili Black Bean Soup (adapted from Laurel's Kitchen)

1 1/2 cups black turtle beans
1 1/2 quarts/litres vegetable stock
2 T oil
1 carrot
1 onion
1 potato
2 stalks celery
1 bay leaf
1 t oregano
1/4 t savory
2 t salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

Wash the turtle beans and put them in a saucepan along with the stock and 1 T oil.

Cover tightly, bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours or so, until beans are quite tender.

Chop the onion and saute in the remaining oil until soft.

Chop the celery, including the leaves.

Grate potato and carrot on a large grater.

Add celery, potato, and carrot to onion and cook over medium heat for several minutes, stirring all the while.

Add the vegetables to the beans, along with the seasonings, in the last hour of their cooking.

Bring the soup to a boil and lower the heat to simmer until the beans and vegetables are done.

Add the lemon juice

Add lemon slices when the soup has finished cooking.

Makes about 9 cups.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Giveaway: Maddenphotography


Dream Team Member Giveaway: 
5x7 Pastel Pink Floral Photo by Maddenphotography!

It’s Maddenphotography’s One Year Etsy Annivesray and she's celebrating with a shop sale and this fabulous giveaway!

Here is your chance to win this gorgeous pastel print by Maddenphotography!  Don’t miss out on this fabulous giveaway!



TO PURCHASE:

This print is available for immediate purchase HERE!

TO WIN:

Mandatory Entry:

Please leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry.
Make sure to include your email address or a way to contact you if you win! 

1 Entry Visit Maddenphotography’s shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Maddenphotography?ref=seller_info and browse around and leave a comment here with your favorite item!

1 Entry Follow the Dream Team Blog, leave a comment here that you completed this.

1 Entry Like Maddenphotography on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/MaddenPhotography/211267462222672 and leave a comment here that you are “liked” her facebook page.

Extra Entries:

Make sure to include your email address or a way to contact you if you win!
Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

1 Entry - Follow Maddenphotography on Twitter: twitter.com/photographerBM, leave a comment you have completed this here.

1 Entry – Follow Maddenphotography on her blog here maddenphoto.blogspot.com/ and leave a comment that you are following her blog.

1 Entry – Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment here that you did! You can tweet once per day and each tweet will count as another entry, just make sure you leave a separate comment for each tweet. Feel free to use this tweet or something similar: 


Win #art Pastel Nature Flowers 5x7 Print #blog #giveaway Ends 7/8! RT @dreamteametsy @photographerBM http://ow.ly/5pH3X

1 EntryHeart Maddenphotography’s Etsy shop and leave a comment here with your Etsy username.

1 Entry Grab the Dream Team blog button and put it on your blog! Leave a comment here that you completed that with a link to your blog so we can find you!

1 EntryBlog about this giveaway on your blog, and leave a link here.

1 EntryEnter another one of our contests HERE and post which one you entered.

GUIDELINES/RULES:
  •  Please make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry.
  • This giveaway will end at midnight EST on Friday, July 1st.
  •  The winner will be chosen by Random.org. I will have the winner announced by July 3rd and he/she will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address. If a winner cannot be contacted, another winner will be randomly chosen.
  •  This giveaway is open worldwide.

Guest Curator by Traci

Dinner for Two: Meet the 1950s Housewife

This is Traci from BucktoothedBunny. Toni, the Bunny herself, is my sister. I’ve been helping her with her shop, so she talked me into being a guest curator.

The 1950s are typically remembered with a great deal of nostalgia. America became very prosperous in the post-WWII years and the nation took the center stage in world politics. Americans were very proud of their country, and were determined to live happily in peace. Conformity was the rule of the day and everyone had to play their part. Young people were moving en masse to the suburbs, with everyone having their own homes, cars, and all the latest gadgets available. This was a time when the men worked and the women stayed home to tend the homes and families. These women were expected to keep their homes immaculate and look great at all times.

In the summer, this would be the perfect dress for the typical 1950s housewife to wear in order to look great AND get all of the housework done. It would be unheard of for anyone to show up at her house and find her looking anything but her best. She must not forget to wear her pearls!!




If anyone should drop in, it was important to play the perfect hostess. Fresh flowers should be on hand to give the house a fresh, happy look. Refreshments for the housewife's guests are a must, even if it is just water with ice from your new Frigidaire!




While vacuuming, dusting, making beds, and cleaning all of her new kitchen gadgets, our housewife needed to look her best in one of her many pairs of pumps. Only the best for the lucky suburbanite! And really, who doesn’t clean in a pair of stiletto pumps?



 If our housewife completed her chores in a timely manner, perhaps she could slip into a lovely swimsuit in order to soak up the rays. This way she could have a healthy glow when her husband arrived home from work.





With the house in perfect order, our housewife can begin work on dinner. Betty Crocker is a necessity for every housewife!!


 Our housewife would have the table set and ready for her husband’s arrival. She just couldn’t keep him waiting after a long day!



 With the table set, dinner ready, and a cocktail prepared for her man, our housewife waited at the door as he pulled into the driveway. 




Ah, yes those were the days!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Get The Look


Marge Sherwood of The Talented Mr. Ripley 

Rhett here, from RhettDidntGiveADamn, with another great look that's easy to get: the laid back, 1950s summer style of Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow) in  The Talented Mr. Ripley. Privileged, wealthy and carefree, Marge lives in seaside Italy, all wrapped up in the affections of fellow rich kid Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law).

The two have exiled themselves to their own lazy, perfect paradise, until — Cue the lonesome and mysterious stranger, Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), who changes everything.

Do yourself a favor and see this movie if you haven't. The plot will have you biting your nails all the way through. And Marge's style — with her light, preppy top, vintage swimsuit, full skirt and espadrilles — will have you coveting her closet. So here's how to get it.

I love the cotton candy colors of this button up blouse from ShopReinvintage. The blouse is light and fun and with great lines and absolutely Marge! And don't forget to tie up the front shirttails.


Layer an authentic vintage bathing suit under your preppy top to really nail down this look. Try this bright yellow two piece by maefairvintage.


You'll need a great full skirt to laze about in. How about this one from CapriciousTraveler:


No look is complete without a nice pair of kicks. Take these sailor blue flats from willowknows for a walk. 


Now that you've got some ideas, take this look and make it your own. Etsy has terrific vintage options for cotton blouses, bathing suits, full skirts and espadrilles. Find your perfect combo and channel your inner Marge Sherwood.

PS - Don't miss the next installment where we'll show you how to get the 50's summer look "For HIM". 

           xo,

                Rhett







Tuesday, June 21, 2011

pets & gardens

Katie from BlackStar here. You've met my cat. Now meet my morning glories. Well, not just morning glories. The theme of this garden post? Grow up.

If you're short on garden space and think you can’t grow cucumbers or morning glories, think again. It’s so easy to grow plants vertically (and what a great way to block a bad view). So here are some tips.

Morning glory and cardinal climber with hummingbird growing on twine between two cedar poles.
Be supportive. There are so many different supports out there. And after all, we are a DIY community, so get creative.  
• Stake vines to a privacy fence with string. 
• Try making a trellis with wooden lattice and 4x4 posts. (Metal fence posts work great too, and so do those pre-bought metal garden trellises and arches.) 
• If you’re lucky enough to know someone who grows bamboo, pay them a visit and cut some poles. They work great and look fab! You can even try this method in containers.

Pole bean trellis growing on metal fence posts with wire fencing

Go veggie with those blooms. I plant vegetables and flowers on the same trellis or two varieties of flowers, growing side by side. There are so many gorgeous vining flowers on the market now. Another advantage to growing veggies on a trellis is they stay clean. And if you grow red flowers, such as Cardinal Climber or Cypress Vine, you have the added joy of watching the hummingbirds come to feed. Hummingbirds are very attracted to red flowers.


Give it a try — and let me know how it turned out.




Cucumber trellis growing on store bought metal trellis

Friday, June 17, 2011

Dream Team Member Giveaway: Vintage Marbles


Dream Team Member Giveaway: Vintage Marbles in Old Blue Ball Jar by RhettDidntGiveADamn!

Here is your chance to win these fabulous vintage marbles by RhettDidntGiveADamn!  So unique and fun! Don’t miss out on this fabulous giveaway!




TO PURCHASE:

These marbles are available for immediate purchase HERE!

TO WIN:

Mandatory Entry:

Please leave a SEPARATE comment for each entry.
Make sure to include your email address or a way to contact you if you win! 

1 Entry Visit RhettDidntGiveADamn’s shop at http://www.etsy.com/people/RhettDidntGiveADamn and browse around and leave a comment here with your favorite item!

1 Entry Follow the Dream Team Blog, leave a comment here that you completed this.

1 Entry Like RhettDidntGiveADamn on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/RhettDidntGiveADamn and leave a comment here that you are “liked” her facebook page.

Extra Entries:
Make sure to include your email address or a way to contact you if you win!
Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

1 Entry - Follow RhettDidntGiveADamn on Twitter: twitter.com/#!/RhettDidnt, leave a comment you have completed this here.

1 Entry – Follow Rhett on her blog here inspringbecomestherose.blogspot.com/, leave a comment that you are following her blog.

1 Entry – Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment here that you did! You can tweet once per day and each tweet will count as another entry, just make sure you leave a separate comment for each tweet. Feel free to use this tweet or something similar: 

Win #vintage Marbles Blue Ball Jar #blog #giveaway Ends 7/1! RT @dreamteametsy @rhettdidnt http://ow.ly/5kwJW

1 EntryHeart RhettDidntGiveADamn’s Etsy shop and leave a comment here with your Etsy username.

1 Entry Grab the Dream Team blog button and put it on your blog! Leave a comment here that you completed that with a link to your blog so we can find you!

1 EntryBlog about this giveaway on your blog, and leave a link here.

GUIDELINES/RULES:
  •  Please make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry.
  • This giveaway will end at midnight EST on Friday, July 1st.
  •  The winner will be chosen by Random.org. I will have the winner announced by July 3rd and he/she will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address. If a winner cannot be contacted, another winner will be randomly chosen.
  •  This giveaway is open worldwide.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Get the Look




Amy from glasspanic here. I just love the industrial look. To me, there’s something so beautiful about items that weren’t necessarily created for their beauty, but rather for their function. You don’t have to live in a downtown loft to adopt this style in your home. And there’s nothing to be intimidated about – you don’t have to be an interior decorator to put together a great industrial room! So let's get started with tables and seating.

You can create an industrial chic look in your home by introducing strong furniture pieces made of metal and/or wood. Old factory tables or carts on casters make excellent coffee tables, sofa tables, kitchen islands, bars, or vanities. A mid-century tanker desk is a great way to industrialize your office or studio area while an old typewriter table can serve as a side table or nightstand. 

Modern reclaimed wood bench, UrbanWoodGoods
Vintage industrial media console, VintageIndustrial
1960s tanker desk, glassdeer
Handmade scrap metal side table, jreal
Theater chairs, plastic shell chairs, factory stools, and colorful metal step stools and folding chairs are perfect for extra seating. And when not used as seating, stools can double as plant stands or even small side tables.

wood folding theater chairs, CoMod
vintage shop stool, HoldTheWire
industrial tandem shell chair bench, backgarage
vintage pink midcentury vanity stool, athomeinnapa
vintage cosco stool, Niftic

vintage white and red child's metal folding chairs, cornucopia
 Next time, we'll look at industrial chic storage, lighting and accessories. The possibilities are — industrial!

Guest Curator

Blue Birthday Presents for my Sister

Jana here, from luncheonettevintage. I curated a little list for my sister. Because, well, she rules. We've been super close since Day One and she is the main object of my gift giving obsession, partially because she inherited our mother's amazing ability to shop (the retail gene, we call it), but doesn't shop for herself nearly enough.

My sister, who is younger but more mature, is also part sensible and part silly, part girlish, part powerhouse. And she recently got a great big promotion. As it's her birthday soon, I picked out some work-related items in her favorite color (also genetic, from the maternal side), blue. Each item's a multitasker, same as she. 

LOVE languages tote bag, BucktoothedBunny
Tote bag / Message to Self. Girl carries huge folders and files and papers everywhere, because she rarely stops working. Here's a sweetly optimistic and appropriately global-centric and heartfelt tote that, when in the elevator with the Mayor on the way to your office in the morning, you can flip to render plain workaday navy, and then flip it back for a smile at the sight of all that lovely love.

14 oz blue coffee mug, JDWolfepottery
Coffee Cup / Sign of Professional Self-Respect. Since high level types shouldn't be wielding paper cups with logos and plastic lids from their desk, here's a cup for pouring the rest of her take-out latte into.

Button bracelet, nicolecarey
Jewelry / Figgedagibbit. Otherwise known in the female workforce as a bracelet to fidget with while reviewing massive budgets and spreadsheets. Also doubles as sign of being not without a sense of humor when dealing with possibly resentful colleagues who might otherwise label a newly promoted person as suddenly inaccessible.

Open Sea photo, Maddenphotography
Art / Covert Escapist Moment. When the four walls and million items on the to-do list are beginning to multiply on their own, a photograph of the sea, positioned somewhere very easily stared at, will help.

Underwood typewriter, Sarahanntiques
Bangable Object / Childhood Reminder. When we were little and Mom took us to work with her (she worked in a museum), we got to play in the meeting room with the office supplies. My sister liked to play librarian — stamping on "library cards" with a loud, resolute thump, or write irate, overblown letters on the old manual typewriter, which often resulted in tangled diatribes and tirades in which one letter was superimposed over the other until the paper shredded against the roller. Always good to remember one's roots. 

Swing arm lamp, AMRadio
Lightgiver / Possible weapon. Long ago we sisters decided that swing-arm lamps made great swords and staged a mock swordfight using our desk lamps, which we unplugged and pulled out of their clamp stands with great force. Our house was modern; our mother was furious; but we had a blast. Now that she's a grown-up, she can just swing the lamp a bit too abruptly in some fool's direction. Should have a good effect.

Giant hat, Floradorahats
Beach hat the size of an umbrella / Relaxation strategy. The heck with work, honey. Go to the beach. Having a birthday in July has its advantages. Enjoy them!