First sales on Etsy!!

I am happy today!

We made our two first sales on Etsy! Feels gooood!

Here are the two items we sold, one yesterday and one today:

We had to be patient, that's all I guess!

Wait until Mireille comes back from Paris with more clothes for our shop!

I am back, after two months. Altough I didn't write a word on the blog I read many of the blogs I follow, specially Tali's!I was busy and somehow I couldn't find the time to sit down and write some lines...May be the fact that our shop on Etsy is not selling at all took away a little bit of enthusiasm...Anyway, we had a big sale in our shop in Jerusalem two weeks ago and it was a success!

Here are some pictures!

Part of the collection of my sister Janine,
who has a beautiful shop on Etsy, known as Eninaj! She was there too!

This is the shop some moments before the sale!

A small patio at the entrance

A beautiful afternoon in Ein Kerem

This afternoon, while I was working at home, my husband called me from his office and invited me to take a walk in Ein Kerem. It was 5 pm. The day was very hot but I would never say no to a break in Ein Kerem. Never! I love the place. If I could, I would buy a small cottage up there. It's a wonderful spot in the hills of Jerusalem.

Of course we went for a walk, and eat a big delicious ice cream too! I took some pictures, here they are:

It's lovely! Don't you agree?

Etsian Age statistics!

Good morning! I found this today on the Storque!
Take a look at the link...

Guess where we are on this stat!!!!

Weaving life The story of the Ecuador's Panama hat - Part 1

I lived in Panama 30 years and didn't know this story...See the three videos, they are worth it!

Weaving life The story of the Ecuador's "Panama hat" - Part 2

Weaving life The story of the Ecuador's "Panama hat" - Part 3

Before you buy vintage clothing

See complete article here

Most vintage, though old, is of a better quality than our disposable clothes today. However, they most likely have had a lifetime of being warn, so it is important to make sure the items you buy are still wearable and don’t look old or worn.

Here is a check list of problems you should look for before you purchase a vintage item.
Be sure to inspect the item thoroughly and in good light:

• General wear and tear - Check elbows, knees, backsides, cuffs, collars, hems, and armpits for excessive wear as they are the parts of clothing that endure the most stress.

• Fading - You can check for fading by turning the item inside out and looking at the seams. The color on the seams will probably be a darker shade. If the fading is minimal or completely even on the outside of the garment, then the item should be ok to buy.

• Sagging, drooping, or over stretching – Since Lycra was not part of the fiber content in every garment produced like it seems to be today, well worn clothes ill have possible sagging or stretching from wear and tear. Try the item on to determine if such wear is noticeable while on. In some cases the wear may improve the fit, in others, it may make the item look overused.

• Stains - Some stains on vintage items are possible to get out, especially more recent ones. Stains that will not come out include mildew and some perspiration stains. Use your discretion depending on the size of the stain, its location, etc. More information on how to remove stains.

• Odor – Most of the clothing has not been washed for some time, especially those from thrift stores, so there will most certainly be some sort of persisting odor on the item. With a good wash, that odor should diminish or disappear. Just be sure to use the appropriate cleaning method for the garment’s age and fabric contact. A cleaning guide can be found here.

• Tearing (other than in seams) – Tearing in any other area except on the seams of the item are irreversible and not always easily masked. Use your discretion when buying an item with known tears.
• Deterioration - Fiber deterioration is common in old pieces made from natural fibers like cotton, silk, wool, etc. Look for signs of felting and [link url=/od/glossary/g/shattered.htm]shattering[/link, pilling and treadbareness.

• Moth holes – Moth holes are irreversible in almost all cases. Moths prefer dark colors, so be sure to double check items that are darker. Use your discretion depending on the extent of damage and location. If you chose to buy an item with moth damage, be sure to have it dry cleaned or wash in hot water immediately to prevent any moth larvae from infesting the rest of your wardrobe.

• Mildew - All signs of mildew are irreversible. Do not purchase a garment with any sign of mildew damage.

• Hardware – Be sure that zippers zip properly, buttons are all attached and move smoothly in and out of the button hole, and that snaps all have both pieces and fit together.

• Decorative details - Pay special attention to any garment with beading, sequins, applique, embroidery or lace. Make sure decorative finishings are attached securely and are not missing an undesirable amount of pieces. All find out if there are any matching ties, belts, etc., and if they are accompanying the item.

Take a short break and let yourself go with Charles Aznavour...

Celebrate a sunny night with a cheerful dress!

Just put this on and you'll be dressed to kill!

and... maybe you will need someone to help you unbutton it later...

Real vintage photo! Somewhere, years ago...

This is a picture I love so much!
Our parents somewhere in Montevideo during the 50's. They look happy! You can see it on their smiles! My mom and my aunt were good at sewing and made all their clothes. There was no extra money to go shopping...

Mireille parents are on the left and mine on the right. My aunt and my dad were brother and sister. The four were born in Cairo, Egypt and at the beginning of the 50's they went to live in Uruguay and that's where Mireille and I saw the world!
Usually little girls fall in love with their dads but I was in love with my uncle! He was so handsome! I use to say that when I grew up I would marry him!

At home we spoke French and with the people around us we spoke Spanish. Later in the 60's my family and I went to live in Switzerland for 5 years and later on to Panama. Mireille left Montevideo for good and started a new life in Jerusalem in the 70's. Finally I came to Israel too and joined the rest of the family in 1998.

What I do on week ends...

On week ends I love to take long walks, have a nice pic nic in the woods or go to the beach. This photos are from a beautiful spot in Jerusalem, one of my private gardens!

I am in love with this sweet little crochet top!

You can find it in our vintage shop on Etsy!

Etsy numbers

This blog is fantastic!

Etsy numbers

You should follow it if you are an etsian and even if you are not! :)

An interesting post from Etsy Bitch

I just found this post in Etsy Bitch . I think it's important to read it carefully and stay alert!

Classical music from the balconies

Yesterday night I took a break and went downtown, to listen to some beautiful classical music that was performed from the balconies of one of the old buildings of Ben Yehuda street. The night was perfect. The street was full of people that gathered to mingle and chat quietly. The music flowed in the air and from time to time the new people arriving to the spot looked up to see from where the musical sounds came...here are some pictures I took with my not so state of the art camera!

Have a wonderful day!

My sister

I have a sister and her name is Janine. She is an artist, a very special, creativehuman being and with her hands she makes wonderful jewels and fashion accessories. Everything she creates is made with love and passion. I am sure you will like her!

Here are some of the stunning jewels she sells in her Etsy shop:

Conversion Confusion

Some days ago I found this shop while browsing on Etsy and bought a cute magnet for my kitchen. It's already on my fridge and I want to share it with you! It would be nice if we show in our blogs things we buy from other etsyans, don’t you think? Susan is a wonderful seller and I want to thank her from here.

How to wear vintage clothing

I was searching for some interesting articles on the web and found this one written by Ashley Kane. Has some good tips!

_____


Don't know where to start when it comes to making vintage clothes your own? With just these few things in mind, anyone can wear vintage successfully.

Start small

If you've never worn vintage clothes before, it's not advisable to start off wearing a head to toe vintage outfit. It is best to ease yourself into this new world by wearing vintage accessories like scarves, hats, jewelry, handbags, or belts. But only chose one accessory at a time, as with all things, less is more. Your unique vintage accessory will stand out even more if it isn’t competing with a bunch of other baubles.

Vintage is not a costume

Don’t dress entirely in vintage from one trend or decade. If you don’t end up looking like you’re going to a Halloween party, you will look rather dated. The point of vintage is to take the best of what each decade has to offer and make it work today. Mixing one focal vintage item with core pieces of your wardrobe like jeans, a simple blazer, or with a tee shirt will make your look modern instead of looking like you stepped out of a time machine.

Be open minded and try new things

Vintage items may look strange on the hanger, and you may think "I could never wear that!" or "That’s not for me," but try it on anyways. Vintage clothes are often made a lot differently than our clothes today, but for a lot of people they fit better and are more flattering. Don’t forget that vintage is an adventure! You’re looking to add excitement to your wardrobe, and you’ll never get that effect if you play it safe or rule things out with one glance.

Stay true to your style

As is true with any trend or style, it is best to stay true to what you are most comfortable in and what looks best on you. Realistically, a kaleidoscope print silk Pucci jumpsuit is not going to look good on most people no matter how fantastic it would be to find. This is another example of how mixing vintage with your standby wardrobe is essential to a successful ensemble.

Read it here

Vintage clothes by Paul Mc Cartney

This is where I would like to drink my morning coffee!

But Jerusalem has no sea... We have spots like this one instead!

Have a nice weekend!

Good night!!

I love this blouse!

It's so feminine... Why don't you try it on?
It's waiting for you in the shop!

Clothing terminology

Another useful link to help us with clothing terminology!

Color Guide List

Color Guide List

While surfing on the web some days ago, I found this color list on Wikipedia. I think it can help a lot when we need to define the exact color for an item. Don't you agree?

Hello and welcome!

This blog will be a nice little spot where we'll be able to see, share and chat about creativity, handmade crafts , vintage world in general, about our vintage shop and stuff we like and do! It will also be a place to promote other etsians, their stories and their work.

A week ago we opened a new vintage shop in Etsy and since last thursday we are very excited and enthusiastic! We want to thank first of all the big and friendly Etsy community! We really feel at home there!

We are a two cousins/friends team. Mireille and Viviane. Mireille takes care of the clothes and accessories, she travels and buys all the items and I am the one who sits on the computer reading, researching and writing.

Okay... did I say in the profile that I speak English? Well, I do but it's not my mother language, so please please take this into consideration when you read me here...

We were both born in Uruguay, French and Spanish are the first languages we learned since we were babies. Later came English and Hebrew.

I love to surf on the web, I spend hours here. I am learning a lot about all the tools we need to make this project grow but sometimes all this techno knowledge drives me crazy!
I hope that in a couple of days the blog will be all set and ready as it has to be. Right now I am fighting with all the gatgets! I am not a techno girl!


Well, enough bla, bla for now! I want to show you some pictures !


The first one shows a beautiful lace top and a pleated skirt. The second picture features a sweet chiffon tunic and the last a black lace top and a tomato red pleated skirt!
You can find all the details and descriptions in the shop.

You are more than welcome to visit our shop. It's a pitty we cannot offer you a good cup of coffee while you try on our beautiful clothes but we offer free shipping worldwide instead!


I'll be back with more later!