DESIGN INSPIRATION: PIERRE CARDIN

the picture above is of both Yves St Laurent and Pierra Cardin..my first intention for the post was to do all things Mod and about the Youth Quake movement of the 1960's..but as i was gathering the inspiration i was reminded of my love of Mr. Cardin and the genius creation which stood out on their own..

i love doing post like these for they are snap shots of history which happened to be my favorite subject in design school after sewing. the history of all things are fascinating to me and the history of design is no less interesting because of it's reflection on the culture and happenings of the day..

Mr. Cardin was ahead of his time like so many of the designers of my Great-grandmother, grandmother and my mom's era..space age inspired designs, over-sized glasses, bright colors, sleek lines and shapes amazing it all took place in the 1960's way before so much of the technology we have today..wow

to think he began his career at the age of 17 of course apprenticing under a tailor..worked for the house of Dior in the 1940's..eventually starting his ready to wear line in the 1950's and now he is 87 and will go down in history as one of the most innovative designers of his time..i think Mod / space age and he is a HUGE chuck of it..

i am happy to have found some of his vintage pieces which i don't think i can part with..my mom owned some 70's and 80's Cardin to bad they did not land in my hands..

Pierre Cardin is in my top 10 favorite designers..i hope to come across more of his classics.....fingers crossed

































i WILL own a pair of vintage Pierre Cardin glasses.......i hope.





night night

~bella



source: google images, minimadmod60s

UMM HURRY UP MOM.....

i loved this picture of Zo..she's such a trooper always helping me set up for photo-shoots and the endless buying trips..i CAN'T wait till the day she will be modeling for me..i think in about a year she will when she's 14..she's already taller then me at a whopping 5 ft 3...she's 12 years old..she will be helping model my vintage scarfs though, but that's not to big of a deal for her since it's only the use of her neck..i think she'll do good..can't wait!

i'm starting this week hitting the floor running, just truly trying my hardest to get ahead..i finally worked out all the quirks to my eBay listings and have a few pieces up right now with much more coming this week..go check it out HERE for some great deals since i'm just re-launching eBay right now and you gals are yet to find me...

ok back to work for me hope you all have a great night!

~bella

"CHICK NIGHT"

i always look forward to chick night with my Zoe-miester on Friday nights..it's the night where it's all about me and her..no cell phones..no work..no distractions..now that i have an almost teenager on my hands (she turns 13 in October) i pray-fully hope these moments together are engraved in her mind and that the bond between us pulls us together instead of apart in these crazy developmental years..we do have so much fun together which is key and do lots of things together as well..

oh and on a side note i need to share with you gals the green tea clay mask we do..it smells like green tea because it is pure green tea clay and if you are familiar with what green tea does, which is flushes out toxins the mask does the same for the face..and it does it naturally which i LOVE..i dislike some of the chemical products out there although i use some periodically..but for a young girls face i hate slapping on all that stuff which can sometimes lead to more breaking out or dryness of the face..so i will have to share some natural ways which i myself have just discovered because i too suffer from not having the best skin..

now lets get to these week's movie which is Kramer vs Kramer



this is such a heartbreaking and warming film about divorce..it tells the story of a mom (Meryl Streep) whom walks out of the family because she feels she can't do it anymore and a dad (Dustin Hoffman) who for the first time is forced to be a good dad.

Justin Henry plays the kid who gives such a great performance..you'll recognize that he is the teenager brother in 16 Candles..John Hughes saw him in Kramer vs Kramer and that's how he chose him for the part..

the movie is well acted and both Meryl and Dustin won academy awards for it..the movie itself won best picture too..














Meryl Streep is so gorgeous! and i loved the simplicity of her look in this film..the movie was filmed in 1979 and she is wearing great mens-wear inspired pieces that i would want in my closet..she makes it look effortless with her minimal makeup low pony tail, the white dress shirts, khakis, boots and trench coat you can see the transition of the late 70's to the 80's which were the years of the strong mens-wear influence..i was curious on which designers they used..i feel maybe Ralph Lauren..if you know send me a note..










Zoe enjoyed this film lots..but it does have one seen for the eyes to be covered (brief nudity)..fyi..

i'm off to enjoy a weekend of blog surfing (catching up and discovering new ones) lots of re-vamping vintage which is always fun..sketching,updating the store and some shopping for Zo-licious..


hoping your having a great weekend

~bella

PRETTY FLORALS

haven't done a outfit post in forever..i forget have fun they could be..it's nice to chronicle yourself and see how you evolve in your looks and to see the changes first hand..i think about this now since i've hit my 30's..i'm actually feeling different but not because i'm older but just the way i think and what i'm focused on..although i believe we all tend to gripe about our age, i really do not think about it twice in the terms of looks just more in what i want to accomplish and that's when the growing older can overwhelm me..i also see it in the terms of my daughter only being 6 years away till she's off to college..woah that just hit me seeing it on paper..

my style has not changed much in 17 years in the sense of wearing vintage, the only change is in the way i wear it..the age limits in what culturally "you should be wearing in your 30's" is something i also have been thinking about allot lately but i hate how these things are shoved in our face and in the way it's done..i can't even wrap my head around that one but all i know is know your body and what fits best on you..the rest is up to you "style wise" this i believe..yeah i know you also can be looking like you belong in teen voque but then again it's the style you develop and is it something you can pull off..that's the question...i'm sure i'll be pondering this at a later post..



this dress is dreamy, fits beautifully and the details are dainty and pretty. love the ruffle flowy neck line, the fabric which is rayon and the floral print. oh and of course throw in the covered buttons and the flouncy hem and this is a girl girls love.


dress 90's vintage, tights UO & booties target



hoping your having a lovely night

~bella

RANDOM THOUGHTS...

the monday blues hit me today. i was having a very good weekend, enjoyed Zoe and I's chick night on friday, i was also really thrilled to be advancing on finally getting our eBay auctions up by sunday..i had just a bit more html to tweak posted all pics and item descriptions and celebrated with a thai food break with me boyfriend sunday afternoon..then when i had two more items to go, my computer slowed, i shut down, restarted and then POUF all gone!

i literally screamed nooooooo, cried, pulled my self together, then said a little prayer and started all over again. so here i go again, auctions will be going up friday if all goes as planned..

so on this Monday blues...the following randomness made the day...

always love me some Ramones to bop my little head too



The Descendents to sing along too and relieve some pent up fustration



some Etsy love my list keeps growing..also enjoy discovering new stores...

these are definitely a spring / summer staple i want in my closet

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i can only dream of getting the Miu Miu clogs this season so i'm on the hunt for vintage ones

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i saw these riding boots..too bad they are not my size, great color and great heel

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who doesn't love vintage wooden box's with horses on them

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vintage lucite jewelry is one of my favorite, some lucite jewelry and box's are worth lots of money depending who they were made by... love over-sized rings, this ones great

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i will be getting this headband, i saw in n.e.e.t. magazine which came out today, love that magazine..hooray for independent crafters, artist & designers..

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i really want to start a collection of plushies..

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the Miu Miu editorial is amazing like always, mile long legs with awesome shoes, inspiring..oh and the clothes..jeez





xoxo~bella

"CHICK NIGHT"

as in a previous post called "movie night" we have a tradition in our little home which we have done religiously for the last 6 years Zo and I spend time on Friday nights having a nice meal, gabbing girl talk and enjoying a good movie and/or board game, sometimes also taking ventures outside..

we seriously enjoy this time together and as she gets older her interest in film has gone beyond kid targeted flicks...she pretty much has seen all the films i grew up watching like all John Hughes films such as Pretty in Pink and classics such as Singing in the Rain...she did like some then but is getting into some even more now..

where as before she watched Breakfast Club and thought "eh, don't get it" she really loves it now because she does..so we are once again seeing these John Hughes classics with new eyes and this weeks pick was 16 Candles..

not only was it his first Molly Ringwald teen collaboration film but it's the unforgettable plot of the teen girl going through it all..and thrown in the mix her family forgetting her BIG 16th birthday...the movie many teenagers can identify with, those weird years called the "teen years" with it's transformation of growing both physically and mentally and the culture that goes attached with it...

and in true John Hughes fashion and what he did best in these films..good cast, great plot, great clothes and of course the best music!

this movie poster is great..so 80's


the famous picture, making girls wish they were kissing Jake Ryan over their cake


Zoe was so rooting for these guys, she always loves the under dogs..





"what's happin-ing hot stuff"


i was a kid in the 80's under 11 years old, but when i saw this film this was the clothes i wanted my mom to buy me..i wanted the bangles and the hat sooo bad..got the bangles not the hat..








love this picture of them..


i want these boots please!




the unforgettable puffy dress's of the day..


love everything about this outfit right down to the pumps



i miss watching John Hughes films he was so great, too bad he left Hollywood in the early 90's because he was fed up and with good reason...we never saw anything after I believe Home Alone..although it was rumored he did some ghost writing...in his remembrance..



and two of our favorite tunes from the film..




i love EVERYTHING about the 80's..except for some hair..

~bella

oh and a little word of caution, although the film then was rated PG some parts are not suitable for kids even teens, just in case you want to watch it with your kids..total eye coverage in those scenes..


source: google images, fanpop

THE BEST GIFTS!

it's so great to have a lovely daughter and friends know the things you love and give you those things as gifts...i have received some of my favorite items for my home these last couple of months and i am smitten seeing them displayed..

my daughter amazed me with this super cute framed embroidered deer art by artist YetiKat from Hand Made Store On a Bike..go check her site out...she has the cutest frames with owls and other woodland creatures as well other hand made items, which she sells on her bike!..

i actually have had my eye out on the framed art and to my surprise my wonderful daughter got me one with her own allowance..the wording on the art say something else then "don't mess with me" which Zoe got custom made..and the frame is spray painted to finish the look...i so love it!



then my wonderful friends Rox and Noe know how much i love owls and gave me the cutest handmade wooden one as well as this super cute 70's yarn knit art which i'm on the prowl for the perfect frame for it...thank you guys!





i love receiving gifts like this and am loving how much more my house keeps getting filled with the neatest handmade vintage / vintage inspired items!

i'm looking forward to this weekend although raining i have lots of crafty things plus store update to finally complete i love rainy day's for this...



adios ~ bella