OMG. Let’s Chat Bad TV!!

Things We Like

Ahhhh! I had a whole other thing I was going to post about…..and I still will in a sec. But I happened to turn on The Voice last night and dammit if that stupid show didn’t SUCK ME RIGHT IN!!!!! I swear it was so entertaining. Did you watch?? I know there are a million of these vocal talent shows on these days (I admit to being an American Idol fan in the past….loved the Adam Lambert season and Wolfie and I watched the one that was two seasons later—with James Durbin and Scotty McCreary!). Lately I’ve been kind of rolling my eyes at them all….which is why I was stunned to find myself chucklin’ and grinning like a fool on the couch watching the chair turnin’ antics of The Voice. I’m not sure I’ll last through to see the winner, but I gotta I was totally enjoying the Blind Auditions. I mean,  the judges are reeeeeally charming. The banter between Adam Levine and Blake Shelton is especially fun. And there were some great contestants with very great back stories. Maybe not the BEST BEST voices necessarily (although some pretty great ones) but you couldn’t help but be happy for these people.  I’m serious. It was so fun.

There was so much to be amused by. Adam Levine was actually really sweet  to everyone. Blake Shelton’s drawl sounded like Hank Hill’s hip younger brother…..Christina’s boobies were bustin’ out of her bustier (and she had a little fan she kept waving around like Karl Lagerfeld)….AND of course, there was this:

OH YES. Aw heck, while we’re talkin’ TV I have one more show to dish about. Gallery Girls. Anyone? OMG……such trashy good TV. The premise is these 7 crazy New York girlies all trying to make it in the art world. Except “art” is soooooo bottom priority on the show compared to all the DRAMA. The three brunettes are all Brooklyn girls who have opened up their own boutique/gallery shop. They are all totally pretty/styish but totally pretentious and insanely self absorbed. They use up their annual eye-roll quota in the first 30 minutes. The other four are equally obnoxious….two super rich trust fund girls, one a wise-but-bitchy rehabber, the other a lonely drunk. They’re all kind of crazy. But it’s still SO GOOD!!!!! I swear as much as you hate them…..you love them.

My favorite is Chantal. She is so full of herself and as obnoxious and bitchy as she is….I looooooove her. I mean honestly, look at her —need I say more? HAH!

And guess what? They’re both on the SAME NIGHT! I love bad, trashy TV. (Yes I watch DANCE MOMS! And Real Housewives New York City….). They are a total guilty pleasure. Are you watching anything crazy?? C’mon…’fess up! What are your favorite shows, good or “legit”. (Hey, I was watching Downton Abbey and the BBCs Sherlock….do I get some fancy points for that?? Woot!) Can’t wait to hear what you guys are loving too! Any shows I should be checking out?

Vintage Kiddo Retro Round Up

Kiddo Style: Vintage

Well, I’m back in SLC for another week of in house consulting fun (and it actually is fun–I love this company so freaking much…) But before I left I spent an amazing bachelorette weekend away with my wonderful friend in Napa where we spent most of the time laughing to the point of peeing in our pants. I hope you caught a glimpse of the beautiful place we stayed on Instagram! But I can’t lie–a bit of time in between glasses of wine, I did lounge with my computer and find some vintage kiddo goodness to share with you! Enjoy!

I think I wore the exact same little outfit when I was a little baby! So perfect for a winter baby! From Etsy seller, Potato Cake Vintage.

But for all of the parents out there who aren’t into pink for their little girlies, I present this wonderful vintage primary color top WITH a yellow circus elephant to boot.  Now, that is some serious awesomeness! From Etsy sellers, Little Blue House.

These cloth books from the fifties are so sweet. I remember loving mine so much as a child! From Etsy seller, Noodle and Lou Vintage.

I had no idea that Towncraft made shirts for boys? And this one is kinda spectacular to boot! From Etsy seller, Wee Little Ones Vintage.

Um, this is the sweetest little doe a deer dressie!  And in the perfect blue velvet to top it off! From Etsy seller, Farmhouse Vogue Vintage.

For your little prepster–behold the perfect izod romper.  From Etsy seller, Sweet Thunder Kids.

These little tin toy dishes has such a great mid century pattern that my heart can’t help but go pitter patter! From Etsy seller, Oliver’s Forest.

Why yes, you DO need that vintage red sweater with a family of penguins wearing snow shoes. DUH! From Etsy seller, Fuzzymama.

Vintage chalkboards are super popular right now and these vintage chalkboards are only $8 each, which is quite a deal! From Etsy seller, Lovey Dovey Decor.

You need to choo choo choose this sweet train matching outfit. From Etsy Pella James Vintage.

Happy Monday!

 

Easy Peasy Dyeing Vintage Slips Tutorial

Crafts + DIY, ,

I have been collecting vintage slips from estate sales, thrift shops and other misc. places for over a year with the goal of dyeing them pretty Easter egg colors that would add a dashing little bit of color to my normally all black winter wardrobe.  Dyeing them has been on my craft project list for SO LONG. The magical lure of an extra day added to the weekend gave me the perfect excuse and additional time to finally DYE THOSE SLIPS.

Here is what you’ll need to start your dyeing adventure!

  • A non-porous large pot–stainless steel/Teflon/enamel will do
  • Rubber gloves
  • Dye of choice. I prefer liquid Rit dye and feel it is better than the powder and read reviews saying it dyes fabric more evenly than powder
  • Vinegar–this is essential for dyeing synthetic fabrics such as the nylon of vintage slips. If you are dealing with a natural fiber like cotton or silk, you will use SALT instead to help set the dye.

But before you rip open that dye, you must dress the part–like my fashion forward all black look of an old t-shirt and a pair of black sweat pants my mom left me. I’m even wearing good old rubber Crocs in black. Basically you want to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting splashed with color and pretty much ruined.

1.) Fill pot with water–1 gallon and add 1 cup of vinegar.

2.)Add half of the bottle of dye and stir and set water to just simmering.

3.) While waiting for water to simmer, prep your slip by getting it very wet with water.

4.) Let the magic begin and DIP THAT SLIP!

5.) Keep slip in water and stir very often.  Keep heat at a simmer making sure it doesn’t boil over for 30-60 minutes.

6.) After 30-60 minutes take slip out and rinse it under hot water turning down to cold water. This helps set the color. Some color might come out, but that is normal.

7.) After you have rinsed the slip for a good five minutes, squeeze out as much water as you can and hang to dry. As you can see, I got carried away and went on a dyeing tear!

And voila! You have a lovely slip in an equally lovely color! I think they are so jaunty just on their own, but you could add a few rows of contrasting colored lace to fancy it up even more if you wanted.

Remember–all of this glamour does come with a price. Dyed items like these slips are not to be added to your regular laundry or  you could end up with a bit of a mess.   Hand washing only for these sassy slips. But that is how you should treat vintage clothing anyway.

Enjoy and I hope you give it a try. This was surprisingly less fusssy than I thought it would be and took time than I thought it would which was a nice surprise. Plus it was a whole lot of fun too!!!

Have you ever tried dyeing slips? Or anything for that matter?  What was your experience like?

The Cutest Lil Ugly Critter // Meet the Nauga!

Best of Alix, Best of Modern Kiddo, Vintage Toys + Fun Stuff

Do you know this goofy fella? Many years ago Greg and I were thrifting and he walked up to me holding this lil guy. He had a quizzical look on his face, “Why do I know this? WHAT is it?”  I got wide eyed. “What is it??” I shrieked. “It’s a NAUGA!!!” Oh yes, friends. The ever lovin’ Nauga.

Back in 1936, the UniRoyal company produced a sturdy synthetic leather they called  Naugahyde. It was used on chairs and couches and touted as more affordable and longer lasting option than leather. Fast forward to the 1960s and, in an effort to stand out  amongst the competition, UniRoyal partnered wtih legendary ad man, George Lois to launch a genius marketing campaign worthy of Don Draper.

Lois and designer Kurt Weihs came up with the brilliant idea of inventing an imaginary creature they would call the Nauga. The idea was that Naugas were a rare and exotic creature who lived in Sumatra and shed their hide each year—resulting in Naugahyde. (Rest assured, it was all tongue-in-cheek and no Naugas are harmed for Naugahyde! But there many people actually believed the elaborate backstory about the Nauga being an actual animal—to this day questions are still raised!) The Nauga became so popular, he even made an appearance on Johnny Carson in 1966!

They took things to the next level when they offered a free Nauga doll with every Naugahyde reupholtering. These little Nauga dolls are totally collectible now, so if you see one…scoop it up! There are actually a few on eBay right now.

So remember that thrifting day when Greg came up to me clutching the Nauga? Well, I jokingly said to him, “Were there any more??” And he grinned and ran off….and came back with it’s identical twin. We thought it was hysterical (and hey, at 99 cents a piece how could we say no??).

I’m a big fan of the quirky spokesperson/ animals, so this guy makes me laugh! He’s a little bit ugly, a little bit kooky, a little bit spooky and a whole lotta playful! What do you think? Do you love this fella or does he freak you out?? haha. I guess the one thing he isn’t is cuddly!

Bringing camping fun inside

Real Life : Dottie

Well, Labor Day in the Bay Area was blessed with amazing weather–perfect sunny days with a light breeze.  However, I could have used this wonderful weather earlier this summer when we decided to take the Peach on her first camping trip.  I cannot deny or confirm that my whole reason to go camping was for the s’mores.

We took great pains to find a terrific close campsite to take the Peach for a single night of camping fun.  We planned out meals, a quick trip to the nearest beach. Every last bit. Sadly we woke up on our chosen camping day with a forecast of heavy rain, so we thought it best to postpone the full camping bonanza.

However, there was no reason we couldn’t bring the Peach a bit of camping fun without even leaving our own cozy nook! We set up our tent in our dining room and planned to do all of the camping fun inside.

We added a few posher bits like two ottomans from the living room and our picnic blanket.

She enjoyed getting familiar with every nook and cranny of that tent and was fascinated by the see through part of it and the sleeping bags.

She enjoyed her burger in the tent and was treated to her first and certainly not last s’mores too.

The Peach and Eric slept well in the tent and loved every minute of it.  It made us excited to actually go camping.  We have friends who have a kiddo around the Peach’s age and we were hoping to with them some time in October. Crossing fingers that we’ll actually take the Peach camping this year. But indoor camping is a nice way to extend the fun of summer inside in a different way.

Did you go camping this summer? Have you ever tried indoor camping?