Long Beach Flea Market Outfit

One of the best parts of living in Southern California is that not a weekend goes by without a flea market to visit!  Sometimes I go for serious shopping and I show up early in jeans, layered sweaters and no make-up, other times, like the one below at the Long Beach Flea, I go to stroll and browse, so I have time to wear something worth showing in photos.  Though, I was thinking it might be fun to do a post on what to wear for hard core flea market shopping with a breakdown of each item and a list of things to have in your bag.

 

dress: vintage

cardigan: thrifted

tights: target

boots: vintage

bag: vintage via the vintage emporium

sunglasses: target

necklace: my grandmother's

{photos by Emily Goswick}

Dear Creatures Spring 2013

You know those lines that you wish you were the designer for?  Well, Dear Creatures is that line for me season after season.  Their Spring line doesn't disappoint.  So sweet!

Vintage Street Style: The Long Beach Flea Market

Last Sunday we went to the Long Beach Antique Flea Market because we're working on some vintage shopping how to posts and we saw it as a great opportunity to snap some street style shots.  There were a lot of layers and grunge looks out there, which makes sense...people got up early, threw on a sweatshirt, hat, and glasses and headed out.  We did catch a few colorfully dressed gals too.  Here are some of the stylish ladies we encountered.

I love the variety of glasses we saw and I can't wait to give this scarf and glasses look a try!  Are you planning any vintage shopping this weekend?  Where are you going?
(photos by Emily Goswick)

Meet Our Newest Team Member

  After working for myself and alone for five years, I love that my business has taken a turn to include more people.  When I hired Amy last year, it was stressful figuring out payroll and training her to do many of the things that I had done without a system that whole time.  I'm not organized (at all) and that really holds me back sometimes.  I'm trying, but I have a long way to go.  The thing that I didn't understand at the time, was that if I had other people doing all the shipping, product listings, etc., I would not only have more time to be creative and visionary about the future of Salvage Life, but I would have the mental space to actually dream, plan and execute my ideas. 

Here I am again with a new team member and I could be more excited!  Meet Kristina, she's a Fashion Merchandising major at Cal State University Long Beach (my alma mater!), loves travel (especially Italy), has an extensive scarf collection from what I hear and is just all around sweet and beautiful! She has already jumped right in with two feet and is doing a great job.  I look forward to working with her more and seeing where this semester takes us! 

(photos by emily goswick)

Vintage Wall Maps

Do you have a wall in your room or living area that is in desperate need of color or a large piece of art?  How about hanging a vintage map?  I'm always changing things around in my house based on what I've found lately.  Currently, I have this map I picked up at an estate sale on the wall above my buffet.  It makes for such a great conversation piece because it's pretty old, but there is no date on it, so when people come over they are always checking country names and trying to determine what year it is from. (In case you are wondering, we think we've narrowed it down to the mid-thirties).

I did a little hunting and found the maps below on Etsy,  however, you can search flea markets, estate sales or even Craigslist to find one of these.

Photo credits: 1 (salvage life), 2 , 3, 4, 5, 6 

If these are too pricey for you, there is a great tutorial here to make your own DIY version.  

If you're interested in more inspiration on how to use a vintage map in your space, we created a pinboard here.

The Vintage Version: Transparent Clutches

Spring is coming soon and I've been looking at the collections again, there are so many pretty things! As usual, there are lots of styles derived from vintage inspiration.  When I saw these transparent clutches from Valentino, I instantly thought of the 1950's Lucite versions. If you don't mind everyone seeing what's inside your bag, these are a fun accessory to carry!

You can find vintage versions of these in antique shops and online for a hundred or so dollars as opposed to a thousands of dollars for the runway version.  Here are a few I found: 1, 2, 3.

This one is a completely different shape, but I love it, and we have this similar one in our shop.

Want to learn a little more about the history of lucite bags? See this article from Collector's Weekly.

A Housewarming Brunch with Friends

Have you ever met someone online and later become good friends in real life?  Isn't it the best?!!  I met Rodellee of Adored Vintage awhile back and it feels like we've always been friends.  She is such a genuinely sweet person.  Over the weekend, we celebrated with a housewarming brunch at her new place in Long Beach.  I'm so excited to have her in the same city!

 The lovely and inspiring Rodellee Baas.

 A little table by the front door where you make yourself a name tag.

Ruby was really intent on wearing her vintage best to the party.

 Fiona was very happy that day, she had just learned to sit up on her own.

 Sisters.  These girls love each other.

 Pancakes taste better when they are shaped like a heart!

 Simple decor.  I should have taken more photos of her studio.

 

Wall collections never fail.

 Succulents in a can, I think this was a house warming gift from one of the guests.  So cute!

 Vintage girls unite! Hilarious, I was ducking down because Rodellee and Rebecca are so petite.

Jeff, me, Rodelle & Robby.  Congrats on your new place, friend!

Antique Lockets & Charms

I can't remember the last time I bought something from a catalog, let alone a six hundred page one, but in 1895 this may be a lady's only way to remain fashionable, if she lived in a rural area.  I have been having fun going through a reprint of the Montgomery Ward & Co. Catalogue and Buyer's Guide from Spring & Summer 1895.  It's amazing to see some of the items that are for sale and the prices!  Even in black and white sketches, these pages of lockets and charms have me weak in the knees.  Oh, the detail!  I think I have seen a few of these at flea markets or estate sales over the years.

New Winter Vintage Items!

I just love this little group of new arrivals!  Click any of the items to take you to the listing.

Have a lovely day!