Listening to Frank Sinatra while browsing vintage coats on Etsy is bad, baaad news for Paypal accounts. Luckily, only after placing three snazzy 50s coats in my cart- but before checking out, I came to my senses. Wait… stop! What are you doing? Slapping my face, I came to and stopped imagining myself sauntering down a snowy sidewalk in my “new” fur trimmed plaid swing coat, peering into frosty window displays of shops such as Higbee’s or Polsky’s… I mean, those charming old department stores have long been closed, and nobody plays Frank Sinatra music to set the mood as you wander around downtown. Unless, of course I’m listening to my iPod, and that would certainly break the charm. Similarly to the penny that Christopher Reeve left in his pocket in Somewhere in Time. And I don’t even have an iPod. So, yeah. Cart emptied.

Ah, but not to waste all of that time browsing Etsy for winter coats, I thought I would share with you some of my favorites. So here they are. Happy shopping! (And to be sure, winter coats will soon be making their appearance to Fine & Dandy Vintage as well!)

1, 2, 3, 4 

 image: stock preacher

Today I’m guest blogging for Miss James at the Bleubird Vintage blog! Come on over and check out the cute shoe round up and inspiration. (As if we need another reason to want to go shoe shopping… heh.)

Since my toddler years, I have had a fascination with the vanity. Not with vanity, as in the preoccupation with one's appearance, but with the table that holds all of the pretty powder puffs, glass jars, and glistening tubes of bright red lipstick. I remember back in the Minnie Mouse Book Club days when Minnie and friends went shopping at the drug store and perused the aisles of pretty facetted jars and bottles. I remember when I swiped my mother's turquoise blue eyeshadow onto my own eyelids and tried to convince her that I hadn't been snooping in her makeup drawer. (I know what you're thinking… turquoise?! Don't judge. It was the 80s.) Ah, and how could I forget Tinkerbell! I had a pretty pastel tube of lipstick that my mother let me use when I was playing at home.

Any then, in fifth grade, my mini obsession with the vanity turned into a major obsession with collecting vintage perfume bottles. I have quite the collection sitting in my hope chest (Yes, I have a hope chest. And yes, I'm married. And yes it's filled with my American Girl doll collection and pretty things I hope to share with a daughter someday.) waiting until I have a proper vanity on which to display them. But for now, I can't resist the occasional splurge at an antique shop, and, of course… Etsy. Here's a round up of the prettiest Etsy has to offer, just in case you have a similar weakness for the little darlings.

(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

(top photo source: Classic Film Heroines)