All posts by Alix

Oh Arthur // Do the Retro Cha Cha

Vintage Pop Culture

OK, I admit it. I watched the Dancing with the Stars opener the other night. I haven’t watched it in ages (I’m more a So You Think You Can Dance gal) but I have to admit it was pretty fun! Which reminded me of these photos I stumbled upon a while back. Looooong before tans, bedazzled bodysuits and feathered head pieces were a glimmer in Bruno and Carrie Ann Inanba’s eyes, there was Arthur Murray. Arthur Murray’s famous chain of dance studios were all the rage back in the 1950s. The country was really embracing “exotic cultures” and Latin influenced music extremely popular. Everyone was dying to learn how to cha cha or mambo and that, of course, meant DANCE CLASSES baby!

Check out these amazing photos from the Arthur Murray Dance Studio from 1958-1962. “A beguiling mixture of awkwardness and grace.” Oh yes!


Images: Square America

Vintage Bookshelf // A Child’s Garden of Verses 1951

Vintage Books

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Oh the things you can find if you just keep your eyes peeled! The inside of this old library book was stamped DISCARD! Which was probably how it found its way into the book bin at our local thrift store. The cover was well worn, but often these are the books that contain the greatest treasures.

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One peek inside the well-worn cover reveals a treasure trove of beautiful illustrations by the infamous Alice & Martin Provensen. (You can read a little more about them here!) Let’s take a look!

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Hmmm….don’t those leaves look familiar???

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Here, lets take a better look at those beautiful drawings:

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Aw, that little curley-haired boy reminds me of Wolfie….

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Yay for well loved library books!

A Child’s Garden of Verses – by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Alice & Martin Provensen (1951).

Vintage Shoppin’ in Michigan

Uncategorized

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This summer we spent a really fun week in my home state of Michigan. Greg is always a patient companion and takes me thrifting and to the local vintage shops!

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We stumbled upon a little antique mall and there were soooo many cute things. I managed to restrain myself and not buy yet ANOTHER vintage purse. (of course i kind of regret not getting that one on the left!!!)

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Ahhhh that harlequin music box was SO cute. And as big as a small ice chest!!!

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At the thrift store I found a couple of really cool paint by numbers (much more unusual to find lately!). There were two of them with an asian theme—oddly one was painted much better than the other. I couldn’t tell if the artist just got tired by the time he/she got to the second painting OR if it was a duo and one just didn’t have the skillz. We shall never know!

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I loved this box. Cool graphics!

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One of my favorite Vintage Shops in Ann Arbor is The Get Up. It’s the cutest (and very reasonably priced!). I scored this awesome Pat Boone charm bracelet and that little black and white purse!

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Loooooove those silver shoes, but alas they were just a tad too small….isn’t that always the way with vintage shoes?? And then oddly, these deadstock sandals below were tooooo big.

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Those Ice Nude ice cube molds just cracked me up. “When good people get together, make ICE NUDES to chill their drinks!” You can be sure if you ever come over, I’ll be making you a beverage with some ice nudes, you GOOD PEOPLE, you!

 

Friday Link Hootenanny // Cool Links to Browse

Link Hootenanny

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Well, it’s been a while since I’ve done a Link Hootenanny and I have to say I’ve found some gems for you today. HAPPY FRIDAY!

1. SUPER FUN CAR.

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I have long had a crush on the Mini Cooper—such a cute, cute car. And it just got even more fun with rollercoaster-style seating. See more here.

2. SUPER SMART VINTAGE
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Want to know why your grandma dressed better than you? See more here.

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3. SUPER SOCIAL HOTEL
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Hmmm. It makes sense and yet also seems totally wrong. The 1888 Hotel in Sydney, Australia is the world’s first “instagram hotel”. The name is an homage to 1888, the year Kodak launched their first camera, but the hotel is decidedly modern with special “selfie” areas and free rooms to people with 10,000 followers or more. Hmmm.  See more here.

4. SUPER FUNKY BILLBOARD

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To celebrate their new woven knit shoe technioogy, Nike knit a Giant Shoe onto a billboard. Clever! See it here.

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5. SUPER BEAUTIFUL ABANDONED BUILDINGS

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These photos are stunning. 33 different locations around the world that have been abandoned. See them all here.

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6. SUPER SLOW MO WEDDING
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Move over mustache-on-a-stick! The Slo Mo Photo Booth is the cutest thing I’ve seen in foreverrrr. See it here.

7. SUPER WHIMSICAL MOMMY/TODDLER ART
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Mica Angela Hendricks is a wonderful illustrator. She has a very curious and creative 4-year old daughter with whom she started the most amazing collaboration. Mica begins a drawing and her daughter finishes it. The results are amazing. Read all about it here.

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8. SUPER CREEPY UNDERGROUND HOME
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WHOA. Soooooo this is insane. Back in the 1970s an eccentric millionaire decided to build an underground bunker “just in case” of nuclear attack. Except his bunker was the perfect recreation of a 1970s suburban home, complete with faux yard and lights that can be set to “sunrise” “day,” “dusk” and “night”. Of course the night setting comes complete with twinkling stars. Is it cool or totally creepy? Check it out and decide for yourself.
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The 1970s Cold War Era Home Built 26 Feet Underground

9. SUPER SUPER FUNNY OLD GAME SHOW ANSWERS.

This is really funny….