Financial Fridays - Open for Business!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have found myself without work in a time where such a problem is not easily remedied. Therefore, I must find a way (any way) to provide sustenance for myself and to help pay off my student loans... So, long story short, I'm going into business for myself! I'm starting towards turning Nostalgically Yours into the lifestyle company I had always intended it to be. Starting this week you'll notice a new tab entitled services with more information about the things I'll be going over in this post.

Party Planning

Are you planning a birthday bash or a high-class dinner party? Do you want to add some vintage flair to your special event? Look no further than Nostalgically Yours! We specialize in events hosted at home, providing music, food, and decoration suggestions, along with staging and some other event-related labor. We also provide custom invitations, place-cards, and other items to match the theme of your party. If you're interested in having your soiree designed by Nostalgically Yours, please check out the new "Services" Section for more information.

Personal Styling

Tired of Tedious Trends? Want to add some classic flare to your wardrobe? Maybe you have a party to attend and you simply don't know what to wear. Let Nostalgically Yours be your guide! We offer everything from at-home consultations to personal shopping! Please see our "Services" page for more information.

Graphic Design

Do you have a t-shirt design you want turned into a vector drawing? Do you want a custom banner or set of buttons for your website? Tell us what you need and we can help you out!

Costume and Fashion Design

We offer a variety of services in this field ranging from costume and wardrobe design for film, theatre or television, to personal fashion design, to custom dress-making, pattern drafting, and tailoring. Ask us about your next Halloween costume or a beautiful retro gown for prom!

Etsy Shop and Clothing/T-shirt Line

Our Etsy store will be opening in August and we have a t-shirt and clothing line in the kilns. You'll hear more about these as they progress!

I can't wait to get started - all I need is the first phone call. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Have a great weekend, readers!

Marketplace Mondays - Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!

Now, if you're like me, you abhor feet but are inexplicably obsessed with shoes. If you do, you'll be very excited by today's topic: where to buy the perfect shoes for your retro/vintage outfits!

First, I'll start off with the shoes that sparked the idea for this article: American Duchess' "Pompadour"

American Duchess makes shoes in the style of periods ranging from the 17th to the early 20th centuries. Being simple yet beautifully crafted and simply styled, they are perfect for the avid costumer as they can be worn with a variety of period costumes. Visit their website here.

Next we have ModCloth. They are well-known for their fabulous retro styles, but they also have a wide and varied collection of delightful footwear perfect for any vintage/retro wardrobe. Here are some of my favorites:

Finally, a great little boutique called Trashy Diva. They actually have two brick-and-mortar stores here in New Orleans, but most of their stock is also available online. Aside from a lovely line of vintage-inspired dresses for women and (just recently) children, Trashy Diva also carries an extensive line of quite spectacular shoes; shoes like these:

I hope these have got your toes tingling! Let me know in the comments if you get any of these shoes. I'd love to hear reviews!

Fabulous Find Friday / N'awlins - Thrifting in the Big Easy

If you're a huge history nerd, as I am, you probably really like thrifting, which is basically what young people call antiquing to avoid sounding like their parents, because heaven forbid we should be anything like the former generation. Anyway, there is one store in particular here in New Orleans (well, technically in Metairie, if one is being picky) that I've gone to several times and have always found the most amazing things: Renaissance Interiors. I was going to put up some of the stuff I found last time I went but it just got swept under the "I'm supposed to be looking for a job" rug... Here is the stuff I saw on both trips:

First off, we have a pair of lobster traps. Feels like something you would see in an Abercrombie & Fitch.

This is an early-mid 20th century washer/dryer.

This is a type of fainting couch called a Duchesse Brisée, which means "Broken Duchess" in French (apparently the name origin is unknown). These were the original sectional sofa, and I suppose it came about when it became too difficult to lift ladies into the actual couches. Instead they would just sit her in the chair, lift her legs and push the rest of the couch under her...

Just a cute old-timey phone.

Here's something for you Puritans out there - a bible box from 1673. Yeah, you're reading that date correctly:

This was amazing - it's an index typewriter, an alternative to the typewriter that never really caught on like its cousin the typewriter. Can you imagine what computers would look like if these had become the business standard? Here's one in action.

I bought this for my dad (shhhh). It's an old-fashioned film editing device from when they actually used film in Hollywood (gasp!).

Guh. I flipped when I saw this - and the mid-century ashtrays? Yes, please. This is why I need a mansion.

This globe just exudes a sober, scholarly atmosphere, doesn't it? Oh, wait. It's a bar.

Here's a portable gramophone from around WWI.

Just a normal, regular lamp, right? Nope - that's a turn-of-the-20th-century fire extinguisher.

This was neat - though it took me a second to realize it was a mirror...!

Here we have something incredible. Many of you probably know what a hope chest is (if you don't, it's essentially where a bride-to-be put all of the clothes, linens, etc., she anticipates using in married life). Well, here is an example from 1750.

The decoration was beautiful, and I believe the "Marie" emblazoned on both sides wasn't her name but was added when she got married or "mariée" in French.

Now, not everything in the place was an amazing treasure... In fact, there were a few less-than-memorable items. Others were good fodder for nightmares:

For the low, low price of your soul you can have your very own Gladys!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, readers!