Feeling Festive

I could not agree more with my fellow blogger.We were in need of something new for Christmas.On the other hand i could never dream Christmas without Nat,Dean & Frank!!!

How do give "life" to your "crushed" vintage silk flowers!

To give life to your "crushed" silk flowers all you have do is to hold them on top of a boiling pot & let the steam do all the work!

I learned this useful tip from old lady that owns a vintage shop here in Athens!
I try it and i couldn't believe my eyes!!!In just  about 30 seconds you'll  see your silk flowers to "bloom" again in front of your eyes!
Try it and you 'll be amazed!!!

Sincerely,
Swell Dame

Weekly Inspiration

In the words of a Duke...

When i die,i want Ann-Margret to dance on my grave. If that doesn't wake me, nothing will."

John Wayne

Wild berries

A good wash before you start.

Half a glass of orange juice for aroma but also for the natural pectins which is good to thicken the marmalade!

4 parts berries,3 parts sugar

It's recomended to boil and sterilize the vases before you put the marmalade in.

Ready in about half an hour!!!!

I just recently returned from my summer vacations at Pilio!(photos soon!)
We had the most marvelous time there but the highlight was when me and my boyfriend went for a walk in the forest!Besides the running waters and small waterfalls,the gigantic trees filled with ivys, I notised that the whole place was filled with wild berry bushes!!!
Despite the thornes and the bugs we desided to pick a few and we turned to return with allmost a kilo and half of wild juicy berries!
Me and my mother desided to make a marmalade allthough i was more into a liquer.I must admit it turned out delicious,so no regrets!
It's so easy to make!We didn't follow any certain receipt, we just only did what our marmalade experience has tought us!
Looking forward to pick some more!!!

Sincerely,
Swell Dame

Boardwalk Empire...Monthly Inspiration!!!!

From Vanity Fair

From Vanity Fair

From Vanity Fair

From Vanity Fair

Gretchen Mol

I'm so looking forward to the second season of Boardwalk Empire which will premiere on HBO on September 25, 2011.

I have watched the first whole season in less than week!!!14 long episodes, thank you very much!!!!

During and by the time first season finished,i had the following thoughts running through my fully inspired mind :

I fell in love with Michael Pitt allthough he never was my couple of tea ,i placed Steve Buscemi in my  top 3 "cool" actors of all time and loved his acting range as well the sense of humor that he has ,i totally came to appreciated the talent and "stature" of Michael Shannon (well it has that captivating face you can never forget..)."

As for the ladies i always loved Gretchen Mol,after all she was a terrific Bettie Page in "The Notorious Bettie Page"and finally as for Kelly McDonald i'm now convised that she is one the best british actress of her generation!!!

I also think that Boardwalk Empire is a fashion cyclopedia for the 20s.Its the first time i see costumes that accurate to their period and especially the men's costumes are a sight for sore eyes.

There many interesting stylish series (or i dare to say films) out there,like Mad Men for example, but the men outfits are lucking of imagination and boldness and tend to be boring.

A small piece from the Guardian i read few days ago says it all:

"Nucky Thompson, in his stiff white collars and bright check three-piece suits and co-ordinating cashmere coats, accessorised with a red carnation and a blue Rolls-Royce, is a vision. Thompson is shown getting a wet shave and a shoe shine, character-establishing moments in the way that a rom-com cutie might be introduced on screen getting a manicure or shoe-shopping. Image matters. But dressing like this takes guts (this is one of the points Thompson is making) and if your name isn't Kanye or Andre, you might feel a red carnation is pushing the envelope a little too far. Women are fashion's trailblazers. Mad Men would never have got such a grip on menswear without Betty and Joan."

So in nutshell Boardwalk Empire it maybe is my favourite show on tv (i say maybe cause i never can disregard Carnivale,that like a cheated wife "hits" my mind and heart with 'guilt hammer",everytime i have to make THE choise!).
It has all the ingredients for a succefull tv show and i didn't find myself bored even for a minute!!!

So if you into gangster moovies,flapper girls or a "glamourised" piece of late american history strongly recomend to check it out,if you haven't allready!

                                     

"Nucky Thompson: Rest assured that dry though the country may be, I am in the midst of concluding arrangements that will keep Atlantic City wet as a mermaid's twat.

Mayor Harry Bacharach: Jeez, Nucky, you're fucking mermaids now?

Nucky Thompson: Every vote counts, Mr. Mayor."

The real Nucky Tompson and the Steve Buscemi

Also read: 
Rise and fall of Jazz Age titan behind HBO's 'Boardwalk http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/steve_buscemi_as_nucky_thompson_35Eo58rVrOqfO77Jp9787O#ixzz1Y0JMuAQg


Sincerely,
Swell Dame

Smart Hat, Woman Smarter!

I cant get over this hat from the day i saw it on the royal wedding!!!!In my opinion Miriam Gonzalez Durantez was by far the most well dressed among the guests,and certainly wore the swellest hat !!!
I' m thinking to make something similar one of this days!It seems quite simple in the making but yet so glamorous!
My only problem is were to find these fine degrade feathers???They look like flamingo feathers but i m not sure...maybe a bit to orangey for flamingo!Hmmmmm...

Right For Each Other

via:  Beauty is a thing of the past: Right For Each Other

What glamour is....

“Glamour is what makes a man ask for your telephone number. But it also is what makes a woman ask for the name of your dressmaker.”
-Lilly Dache

How Do I Know If It Is Bakelite?

 

 

I've been collecting bakelite items for a year or two now.Im the happy owner of some very beautiful pieces.

I want it to learn more about my addiction so i search through the net  and here is what i found:

                                 ( I hope they are as helpufull for you as they were for me!)

• Bakelite is a synthetic resin chemically formulated and named after its Belgian inventor, Chemist L.H.Baekeland c.1909. It is pronounced "Bay Ka Lite". Originally it was used for molding items that were previously done of celluloid or hard rubber. One of the original uses was for pool balls. It is collectible in all its forms including jewelry, buttons, radio cases, lamps, dresser sets and many more items. It was used commercially for parts especially in electrical wiring. After bakelite and the introduction of so many other plastics and composition materials it was easy to confuse them all. People began to lump all plastics into one generic term "Bakelite". However, experienced collectors developed ways of testing for bakelite some of which follow. None, however, can take the place of your own experience and careful inspection. Check out books in your local library (see the end of this article) and talk to other collectors.
• Rub your fingers over the piece. (I grasp the piece with my hand and use my thumb to rub) until it is warm, then smell. It is unforgettable - formaldehyde or a carbolic acid. Familiarize yourself with this odor. Not all pieces will have the same odor intensity, but it will be there.
• Immerse the piece in hot water (not with rhinestones, please).The smell should be the same.
• Bakelite has a clunky sound. Hit two plastic pieces together, then two bakelite - check the difference. Feel the difference.
• Hot needle - be careful though. Heat a needle until it is red hot and then pick an inconspicuous place on the piece to stick the needle in. Wait just a second - not too long! There's that smell again! Also, non thermoplastics will melt and celluloid is extremely flammable so again BE CAREFUL!

 Some Bakelite collectors recommend the 409 Test. Here's how to do it:

1. Dip a cotton swab in 409 household cleaner and touch a small area of the piece, such as a back that won't be visible when worn.
2. If the piece is vintage Bakelite, the accumulated patina will show up as a yellow stain on the cotton swab.
3. Rinse the cleaner off the tested spot right away.

• There is also a  product on the market called "Scrubbing Bubbles" bathroom cleaner. When put on a q-tip and touched to bakelite, the q-tip will turn yellow. I have only tested this product and have had successful results. No harm has come to the bakelite.
• Colors - some giveaways are colors and shapes. Look at some of the bakelite books on the market and note the colors. Look at pieces reputable dealers have on display. Bakelite colors do change with age.
• There are bakelite pieces by Lea Stein .These pieces are collectible and vintage. They are not reproduction and are usually signed - however, I have heard that even this French designer's pieces are being reproduced and signed. Information just received notes that Stein's factory closed in 1980 however 2nd edition pieces were produced in 1991. The newer ones are signed "Agatha" or "Lea Stein Paris" The new edition pin backs are riveted with the 'Lea Stein' signature. Some older editions 'were' heat or glue mounted.
• There is reproduction bakelite being made. Some say the old is being melted down to make new. One way to tell is by the pin attachment. Prongs embedded into the piece to hold the pin attachment or tiny screws usually indicate an older piece. Glue or pins with 3 or more holes in the pin back 'usually' mean new. Bakelite made by Schultz is newly designed and usually signed by them. These may become collectible in their own right.
 

 Sincerely,

Swell Dame