I Had That Dream Again...

...The one where Iris Apfel takes a look at my hundreds of necklaces hanging on the bedroom wall, overflowing boxes of brooches, earrings, and piles of scarves before asking, "Is that all you've got?"

 As recurring dreams go, it only borders on nightmare. Sometimes I wake in a sweat, worried she might be right.  What if I don't have enough accessories?

 The only sensible thing to do is stock-up.

The way the world is looking of late, we could all be facing nuclear Armageddon, and I'll want to be the most stylish person in the fallout shelter.

I'm taking great joy in my collection these days, and am making an effort to wear items that don't regularly see use. Granted, there aren't that many occasions that call for two-tone blue patent-leather slingback shoes...but when the opportunity arises...I'm all over that shit. 

This is a particularly good time to be a collector of accessories. Vintage bags can be found inexpensively where clothes from the same era now command absurd prices. Bakelite and lucite bangles can still be found at garage sales and thrift stores if you train yourself to look for them. Brooches, clip earrings, strands of beads can all still be cheaply found so long as you avoid the online-traps like Etsy. I've even had great luck buying vintage purses at antique malls as they are often not the specialty of a particular dealer, and they'll let it go for much less than a vintage clothing dealer would. Patience is important-I waited fifteen years until I found a Dorset-Rex bag at a price I was willing to pay, but in the end, sooner or later, you'll find what you want. Ignore the dealer listings screaming, "RARE!" It probably isn't. The hallmark of 20th century manufacturing was mass-production. Unless you're after museum-quality pieces, or couture, odds are the item isn't nearly as "Unique" as the listing would have you believe. As a matter of principle, I refuse to buy anything listed as, "Very Unique" and I'm not even a grammar pedant (obviously).

Outfit Particulars:
Kasper ASL dress-Goodwill
Pink belt-yard sale
Vintage pink handbag-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage necklace-Hand-me-Ups
Vintage screw-back shell and plastic earrings-Estate sale
Naturalizer shoes-Goodwill
Bangles-all over
Shell bracelet-Hand-Me-Ups
Vintage Sarah Coventry brooch-Hand-Me-Ups
Fragrance-Vintage formulation Courreges in Blue

Are you familiar with Stylecraft of Miami purses? They're rather sought after these days, but weren't anything extraordinary in their day. They're nice bags, but worth the prices they fetch on eBay? Certainly not. This one was ten dollars, which is slightly more than I like to spend on a bag, but not anything that would have me questioning my sanity.

 Outfit Particulars:
Ann Taylor skirt-Goodwill
Blouse-K Mart
Vintage hand-tooled belt-Hand-Me-Ups
Flower pin-Tiff and Tam
Shoes-K Mart
Vintage Stylecraft handbag-Antique mall
Vintage clip earrings-Hand-Me-Ups
1970's clamper bracelet-gift from my sister circa 1978
Carved bakelite ring-Hand-Me-Ups
Fragrance-Vintage formulation Nahema

 What's on this weekend? Glad you asked! The city of Wayne, Nebraska will be celebrating their annual Chicken Show (or as the locals call it, "Chiggen Shew").  Oh, I know what you're thinking, but you just haven't lived until you've seen the World's Largest Chicken Dance. There's a "Cluck Off" contest where you must be heard across the barnyard and keep clucking for at least fifteen seconds, as well as contests for the smallest egg, and fastest chicken. It starts Friday, and runs through Sunday though most of the activities are on Friday and Saturday. Wayne, Nebraska is about 100 miles north of Omaha. If you can get yourself there this weekend, it is sure to be loads of fun. If not, there's some video and photos on the website.

I'll be rehearsing my clucks if anyone needs me.