Such Pretty Things

Portobello Road Roses

Braving the crowds at the famous Portobello Road Antique Market in London can be somewhat daunting.

Come Saturday morning, the street is jam-packed with shoppers hunting for that very special item or simply taking in the sights and sounds. It's a lot of fun, but also a little bit crazy at times - as my husband and I often find ourselves literally grasping onto the girls for fear of losing them in that sea of people!

Finding a clear path and making your way into an actual shop can require some pretty fancy footwork, but it's all totally worth it just as long as you find these waiting for you inside...

Aren't they gorgeous! The most perfect, delicately frayed, vintage millinery roses. Who could resist those linen and velvet petals? And that pink!

They are from France circa the 1940's and are truly exquisite. Now, this slightly smooshed, faded pastel bouquet dates to a bit earlier (probably the 1930's) and it is the true definition of shabby chic...

So very beautiful with it's pale pink and blue velvet blossoms and trailing crumpled ribbons. The craftsmanship in those days was just incredible - I mean, just look at the tiny floral buds and those silk-wrapped stems...

Yes, definitely worth getting your feet stepped on a few times. :-)

XOXO

Jessica

Pretty London: VV Rouleaux

Sooooo, I apologize for the little blogging break, but I just got back from a week in London. The girls had a few extra days off surrounding the holiday weekend, so we figured we would get out of town for a bit. I am still fighting some serious jet-lag, but I wanted to show you some highlights from our trip. I've previously written about VV Rouleaux, but I never miss an opportunity to visit this gloriously beautiful haberdashery. The brainchild of Annabel Lewis, a former florist, VV Rouleaux is a ribbon and millinery lovers dream come true. The storefront window entices the eye like a candy shop.

Once inside, roll upon roll of pretty ribbon greets you...

There are antique crates filled with delicate millinery blossoms...

And even more crates...

Stunning hat-making supplies and feathers...

The shop comprises two levels...

The lower level is filled with tons of fancy trims, birds, butterflies, even more millinery flowers, etc...

Definitely a can't miss shop if you find yourself in London!

Back soon...

XOXO

Jessica

 

 

Meltdown at The Rose Bowl Flea

The Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, CA, is one of my favorite flea markets. It is only held on the second Sunday of each month, so I try to plan my CA vacations around it whenever possible. What makes it so fabulous?  Well, for one, it's HUGE! Typically over 2500 vendors! And regardless of what I am searching for, I can usually find it.  So, this trip, we (yes, I always drag the family along with me) set out super early in order to get the best stuff - armed with our floppy hats, sunscreen, and bottles of cold water.  We had good traffic from L.A. and managed to get there right when the gates opened.

I was so excited to hit those stalls. I was on the hunt for vintage millinery hats and flowers.  I can just never get enough of them - plus, they are small enough to fit in my suitcase. :-)

Well, the party was over pretty much before it even started - within five minutes we we absolutely melting!  MELTING!!! It was soooo hot! We are talking well over 100 degrees with the sun beating directly down on us.

We had barely made it down one row, when I realized that the girls had to get out of that sun ASAP. Luckily, the husband volunteered to take them back to the air-conditioned car while I forged on. I am such a trooper.  :-)

I was completely miserable - I have never experienced heat like that before. I think my face must have been the color of a ripe tomato and my tank top was sopping wet. A normal person would have probably left immediately, but I had come so far and I was determined to find those flowers! So I tried to walk quickly (if you can even walk quickly in that kind of heat) down row after row, my eyes scanning for anything remotely millinery-esque.

Nothing.

Lots of really cool stuff, but not a single hat. Not one petal to be found.

I was just about to give up (i.e., faint) when I finally spotted them. There they were - piled up all prettily on a table - my millinery flowers! I nearly cried.

I scooped them up and made a bee-line for that air-conditioned car. I love you, Rose Bowl, but next time I'll be checking the weather report first!

XOXO

Jessica

Pretty Resources: California Millinery Supply

If you live in the Los Angeles area or find yourself there for a visit, you must make the time to explore California Millinery Supply.

Located in downtown L.A., California Millinery is a jewel of a shop. It is one of those rare places that seems to be fixed in another time - a time when millinery flowers were hand-made petal by petal, where hats were decorated with exotic, colorful plumes of feathers, and vintage silk ribbons from France were a must for any garment.

This past visit, I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to meet with the owner, Irene Arroyo. Irene is such a lovely, lovely person and she's an expert when it comes to her stock. Whether you are in need of some delicate veiling, a very specific color of vintage grosgrain ribbon, or a buckram hat frame, Irene is there with friendly help and advice.

The shop itself is incredible.  Just the sheer amount of inventory (much of it vintage) is not to be believed...

Digging through the treasure trove of boxes and bins will be rewarded with a bounty of beautiful velvet bows, tiny millinery fruits, and silk flowers.

There are fabrics and feathers and trims everywhere you look.

And you don't need to be a professional milliner to appreciate this shop. Anyone who loves vintage trims, fashion, costume design, or crafts will find something wonderful here. If you do get a chance to stop by California Millinery Supply, give yourself plenty of time to explore...after all, that's the best part. :-)

XO

Jessica

Thank You!!!

Thank you all so much for all your give-a-way entries!  I so appreciate you "liking me" and "following me" and for leaving all your sweet comments - I already feel so much more a part of the 21st century! :-)  I will be announcing the give-a-way winners here tomorrow, so stay tuned...

I also just returned from a lovely vacation out in California and have some wonderful things (flea markets, pretty macarons, vintage millinery, etc...) to share with you! Be back soon...

XOXO

Jessica

Pretty Organized: Candy Box Storage

It's no secret that I've been known to buy something just for it's pretty packaging. These candy boxes are an excellent example...

While the truffles inside were truly delicious, it was the pastel boxes that really persuaded me to purchase them. I've collected many of them over the years - in lots of beautiful, soft colors.

But they don't just sit around collecting dust. Oh no, the candies may be long gone, but these lovely boxes now hold all sorts of little trinkets and craft supplies.

Providing pretty (and practical) storage for lots of pretty little things.

Happy Monday!

:-)

Jessica

Pretty Collecting: Paper Flowers

One of my best finds while shopping the Paris flea markets were these pretty vintage paper roses.

They are very, very old and it's amazing to me that something so delicate could have survived all these years.

I love the faded, crinkled petals on the roses.

And the pale pink buds. Someone clearly took their time to carefully hand-wrap each wired stem.

How beautiful would it be for a bride to carry a bouquet of these down the aisle?

Happy Tuesday!

:-)

Jessica

Sweets for your Sweet

I guess we just can't get enough sugar around here! These are some very simple and quick party favors that you can make inexpensively for almost any occasion. We made ours "pretty in pink" for Valentine's day...

To make some, you'll need some rock candy crystallized sugar sticks (I found mine at Party City, but most candy stores carry them in a rainbow of colors).

You'll also need "pretzel stick" bags (mine are from Wilton), coordinating ribbon (I used seam binding), and pretty millinery or favor flowers (shockingly, I used Forget-me-nots!).

Remove the unattractive printed-plastic bags that the sugar sticks are originally packaged in and slip them into the pretzel bags. Wind a small bunch of posies around the stick and secure with a ribbon bow. You will probably need to trim the bag to size. And there you go...

Super easy and so pretty!

XOXO

Jessica

 

Valentine Pop-up Shop!

Hello All!  Just wanted to let you know that I added a bunch of items to my Valentine's Day Pop-up Shop. You'll find lots of pretty things for Valentine's Day crafts, such as vintage millinery flowers,

velvet and satin leaves,

and new forget-me-nots...

I have some beautiful, high-quality heart-shaped boxes in both metallic gold and velvet that are just waiting for you to embellish with pretty trims...

There are also lots of paper doilies, vintage sequins, rhinestones, beads and ribbons!

You'll find those fun heart-shaped sprinkles and pretty paper scrap, too.

For you collectors out there, you'll find some beautiful vintage candy boxes (so hard to part with!)...

...and vintage millinery covered hats!

And if your looking for a gift, I have some lovely new cameo necklaces...

and pretty pink glass vases for all your romantic arrangements!

So head on over and take a looky...

XOXO

Jessica

Millinery Flower Ornaments

These millinery flower ornaments are really fun and easy to make. All you need are some mercury glass ball ornaments (such as Shiny Brite), some millinery flower heads, and some rhinestones.  I used all vintage supplies for mine, but you can easily replicate these using new materials from the craft store.

Simply affix your millinery flower heads to the balls with a little bit of hot glue and hold in place until dry.  Then, add a small flat-back rhinestone (or pearl, bead, sequin, etc...) to the center of each flower. I also added some extra rhinestones in between the flowers for a little extra bling.

These are obviously perfect for adorning your tree, but they also make a lovely gift for someone special!

Happy Holidays! :-)

XOXO

Jessica