AlleyKatsStore.com » House of Hearts

Red with Passion

House of Hearts — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:00:15 +0000

If your new to my posts WELCOME. I try to make it as easy to get to the goods as possible so if you want to check out the item list in more detail, just click on the picture and it will bring you to more pictures and details!

This week has not been the best one for me. A lot of personal things came up that got me down but what got me through this week was Love and Passion for what I do, for the people around me and for my family. When things are going rough it always put things in perspective for me that my life really isn’t as bad as it seems at the moment. I have an awesome life, an amazing boyfriend, a family that loves and supports me in all the things that I do, great friends even though most of them don’t even live in the same province as me but I feel their love, I have food in my tummy and roof over my head. I really could not ask for anything more!

So this post is about Passion and Love and what better color describes this then RED!

I wanted to start off this post with an item that I just love from my sister’s shop. My sister is such an amazing person and the bonus with her is that she is my sister and my best friend all in one! She has just started her shop up with jewelery she makes as well as some great vintage jewelery she has found along the way! This red heart necklace is one of my favorites in her shop (along with the beautiful Vintage Green Necklace). She is having a HUGE sale on right now with everything in her store 30% off! Her shop can be found at Beady Body on Etsy.

For those of you that know me know that I am in love with cameras (mainly old ones!) If I didn’t already have a Polaroid at home to capture the moments I would buy this beautiful red camera. It has been tested and works and YOU can pick it up at 8 Bits on Etsy.

Now I love hats and vintage hats just always have so much more personality! I just wish I looked good in hats because this fire engine red hat would be mine for sure! This beauty can be picked up from Fancy Lucky Vintage on Etsy.

To me this top is so elegant in bright scarlet red with lace, satin ribbon and button down V neck. This would be perfect for any occasion and looks so soft! This great find can be found at Tialey Vintage on Etsy. Make sure to check out her great SALE section as well for up to 50% off items.

Now for those of you who have not checked out Santoki Vintage I strongly suggest that you do! She specializes in 80′s dresses and foot ware and let me tell you she has some of the best around! I have had my eye on this beautiful 70′s Hippie Dress for some time now. I just think the color is amazing and metallic gold threads woven throughout the dress it is to die for.

Red is by far my favorite color and when I stumbled across this 70′s Lipstick Red bag it was like love at first sight! It’s large enough to hold all your goodies and sassy to boot! This wonderful bag can be found at another great Canadian Shop Sassy Vintage.

I was shopping for a pair of red boots for myself but man it is hard to find boots I like in a size 6 let alone amazing red boots like these Italian Booties! If they were my size I would snag them up so fast because for $29 you can not go wrong! If you are a size 7.5 these are the boots for you. These great boots along with other amazing items from bO mode on Etsy are part of her sale 20% off everything in the store!

Last but not least with the holidays coming up this great Blossom Ornament from Lost and Fawned would look beautiful hanging from anyone’s tree this year. She also makes great vintage inspired jewelery as well! She has a great Holiday SALES on now! Check her out on Etsy at Lost and Fawned.

To all my American readers I hope you have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Thanks for checking out my picks of the week. I hope you all have an amazing weekend

Don’t forget to check out my shop EVERYTHING in the store is 20% OFF from NOW until Mid-night Monday November 30!

Congratulations are in Order

~Kat~ — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:38:06 +0000

We would like to extend our Congratulations to all of our Guest Authors! We were recently asked by Queens of Vintage if some of our featured articles could be posted on their site. Of course we were thrilled!! We are looking forward to many more wonderfully informative posts from all of our Guest Authors. Keep an eye out on Queens of Vintage for them, and pass on your Congrats as well.

Queens of Vintage

Vintage Black Friday

~Kat~ — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:52:18 +0000

We are officially one week away from the biggest shopping day of the year. Many of us have already begun accumulating goodies here and there. I personally buy year round. But there is something to be said about the Black Friday specials that gets a lot of us up early in the morning.
A fellow Etsian and vintage loving site Gypsy Brocante recently started a Vintage Black Friday theme post thread. Every Friday since late October several store owners and blog posters have brought their versions of Vintage Black Friday to the table. The rules are simple. Post items that are black.

So below I have included a few of my Vintage Black Friday picks. Now before you get all bent out of shape, I did follow the rule mostly…I figure it is more of a guideline right? Oh give me a break..they all have black on them.

First up is this Spanish filigree styled hair comb from the 1900′s. Available in the VintageVue shop for only $48.00 this comb would make a great Christmas gift. Have a Gift of Magi Christmas and grab up this comb fast!

Next up is this military inspired trench coat. Made from wool and russian rayon it is certain to provide a warm and cozy Christmas. This coat dates to the 1970′s and is available with one of our favorite vintage sellers, GreatestFriend on Etsy. This coat is listed below cost at only $75.00. Add it to your wish list and if it comes down to it, downright beg. It’s worth it.

Now I realize that this one may be bending the rules a bit..but I had to include it. It couldn’t be helped. Besides The Stones are classic…just hum “Paint it Black” while reading and we will all still be within the rules.

Who doesn’t love 80′s glam rocker shirts? It is a vintage must have. Not every day can be an Audrey or Marilyn day…we have to eventually clean the house. Even though I love vintage I refuse to master the mopping in stilettos look. Therefore, rocker T’s come in handy.

This authentic 1989 Rolling Stones concert T-shirt is available with RamblinVintage for $89.00. Surprise the vintage loving rocker in your life!

Those of you that are avid AlleyKat readers know that we don’t do vintage posts without shoes. We aren’t capable. It is something deeply engrained in us. Shoooooooes..can make or break an outfit. Shoes like this speak for themselves. Just promise me you won’t mop the floor in them. Dating to the 1950′s or 60′s, these lovelies are made of leather and feature a metal stud design across the toe. Available with PreserveBoutique that is new to Etsy. We love the shoes and will certainly be keeping an eye out for more great finds to come.

For the Hollywood Glamour lover in your life we have a steal for you. This exquisite Betty Rose suit dates to the 1960′s. Made of wool, the skirt is a curve hugging pencil and the jacket has collar outlined in authentic mink. This suit is in excellent condition and is available at AlleyKat’s for $299.99. Certain to be a wardrobe favorite revisited time and time again. A vintage suit like this is a one of a kind find, only suitable for that one of a kind special person in your life.

The last offering we have for this Vintage Black Friday post is a beautiful copper colored wigggle dress. It features a lace overlay in tiers…not that it needed it. But it is the icing on the cake..only problem? It is itty bitty..and doesn’t fit me. But I am betting that you know someone it would be perfect for. Sorry..I don’t have a song for you to sing on this one either. I am flat out breaking the rules I guess…but I couldn’t pass it up. It does have black lace..

Available in the Rbahjat shop on Etsy for $135.00. The seller believes the dress was handmade and is custom couture. For more information on sizing please contact the seller directly.

Make sure and check out all the great Vintage Black Friday finds on the other sellers blogs too! Even our Guest Author House of Hearts has jumped in on the fun, and she always comes upu with gret one of a kind finds.

Be sure to check AlleyKat’s soon, we have something special in store for all of you for Black Friday! Our sale information will be released on Thanksgiving Day.

Vintage Road Trips

House of Hearts — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:31:49 +0000

Road Trips well what can I say other then my boyfriend and I are the kind of obsessed with them. In the last year we have driven to the Finger Lakes in New Year State where we drank some great local wine, made our way to Providence, R.I. for a nice weekend get away by the sea, spent the new year in Boston and went to New York in the fall to see the leaves change color in Central Park.

And this weekend my boyfriend and I are going to pick up our new car! As we have just rented cars up until this point. So needless to say with a car comes many, many more road trips. In my option the first thing you need for an awesome road trip is good music.

Top 5 songs to listen to while driving:

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero

2. The Sounds – Tony The Beat

3. Shiny Toy Guns – Le Disko

4. Bad Religion – Sorrow

5. The Kooks – Seaside

What is your favorite Road Trip Song?

The next thing for a seamless road trip is a good cup of coffee for those long hours on the road. This classic plaid thermos will not only keep your coffee hot it will keep you stylish on the road as you go. This classic vintage thermos can be found at Rick Rack Vintage.

For those longer then a day trip road trip you will need a great piece of luggage to keep all your goodies in. This American Tourister suit case may look clean and white but it sure does have a surprise for you inside! Click on the image to find out what beautiful color awaits you inside. This great travel companion can be found at Cry Babe.

Now that you have everything ready to you want to make sure you are in the most comfortable outfit around! This amazing Boho Gauze Dress with hand crochet top in mocha latte won’t just look great while you are traveling but will allow you the movement you want while you are in the car. This great number can be found at Treasures In An Attic.

And what’s a dress without a great pair of boots to go with it? This great Burgundy Brown Riding Boots accompany the mocha latte dress like biscotti and coffee! This wonderful boots can be found at Fearless Vintage.

A little extra treat that I found on Etsy! This book looks so funny. Now it is not vintage (look at the car) but either way it would be a great addition to any road trip big or small, cause you never know what might happen! This great book can be found at Art Zodiac.

Thanks for checking out my favorite road trip picks this week. Be sure to check out all the shops above for some more amazing finds! Hope everyone has an amazing weekend!

Vintage Sewing

House of Hearts — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:15:25 +0000

This past weekend apart from being Halloween where my boyfriend and I sat and watched scary movies and ate to much candy! I also took a sewing class from a local upcycle artist in Montreal. Which needless to say was amazing! We made throw pillows, now I know it is not the most complex thing to make but I was very happy to start of with something small. I made my pillow out of a men’s vintage linen shirt that had lots of buttons on it. For the pocket on the front I used four white buttons with a navy blue anchor on each button! I must say I even impressed myself. Have a look at my creation below!

This beautiful mint condition Singer Featherweight 221K sewing machine circa 1961 is nothing more then amazing! It comes complete with the original 52-page instruction manual, pedal and bobbins, and a hard black case lined with an eloquent rose-embossed satin. This amazing machine comes from Future Leader 78. This machine is appraised at $600 but is being sold for $400 as it is a fundraiser item which will providing enough money to complete a bath-house for an impoverished school. Check out Future Leader 78 for more information and support their cause.

Now what is having a sewing machine without some amazing patterns to sew. The patterns I picked are very much inspired by Jackie Kennedy’s fashion. Although Jackie had Oleg Cassini design her wardrobe while she was the first lady we can all attain her fashion by doing it ourselves! This great 1960′s patterns can be found at Historically Patterns along with hundreds of other great vintage patterns.

I am not going to lie I have never looked on etsy for fabric but there is an amazing selection of vintage and new vintage inspired fabrics to choose from. This first piece of rare vintage silk with hand printed butterflies and flowers would be great for a dress, skirt, scarves or if you are more crafty I think it would make a beautiful clutch. Stop by Emily Me’s Shop to pick up this rare find.

I love the color combination of this piece of vintage Japanese kimono silk hand painted with peony iris and eggs. I would love to use this piece of silk for a nice flowy dress. What would you use it for? This great silk can be found at Suzu SilksnStuff.

I don’t know what it is about this fabric that makes me dream. I think it is the color combination of browns, grays and fuchsias. This rayon polyester blend would be great for any crafts, bags or even a cute skirt! Check it out at Jac’s Shop.

And last but not least if you want to keep the Jackie theme in your outfit alive it can not be finished without a Pillbox Hat! This great hat is found at Hat Vantage. Sadly Hat Vintage is leaving Etsy but good news for hat lovers there are some AMAZING hats in the shop at half price!

I want to you leave you with my favorite vintage sewing blog to date Sew Retro. This great blog is made up of about 130 retro sewing contributors. You can find anything from tips, patterns, and pictures of the retro item they have sewn. It is for sure a blog to add to your blog list! Hope everyone has an amazing weekend!

The House Of Hearts Vintage Fashion

House of Hearts — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:00:25 +0000

Well I do not feel the need to introduce myself since Alley Kat did such a great job! But here is a bit about me, my name is Crystal and I am the women behind The House Of Hearts. I started selling vintage clothing after some encouragement from my boyfriend Paul and not feeling full satisfied working full time P.R. for a web development company. So The House of Hearts was created!

I do a weekly blog called Vintage Fashion Friday’s where I pick a theme that has inspired me through out the week and find great vintage pieces from many different Etsy Shops. You can check out my blog here.

So without any further ado I present the Funky Fabrics Edition of what is usual Vintage Fashion Friday’s (but who doesn’t like Friday treats a little early right?)

My fashion is very influenced by the 80′s maybe because I grew up in the 80′s and I still have this connection with the fashion. This amazing piece can be found at Alley Kats Store. This item is what inspired this theme. I love the color pallet of the 80′s and the patch work of this fabric is amazing!

I have been itching to go somewhere warm as it is starting to become cooler and cooler here in Montreal. This great 60′s Blue Vintage dress made in Hawaii makes me think of sitting on the beach drinking Mai Tai’s… Mmmm. This great piece can be found at Plumm.

This abstract floral and paisleys patterned 60′s Maxi Dress with Palazzo Pants reminds me of a style my mother wore as I was growing up (but she was a very classy lady and usually only wore simple patterns and solid colors). This great find along with others can be found at Flannery Crane.

This simple but funky 60′s bright yellow mini with orange lily pattern makes me want to put a put on a pair of brown knee high boots and go go-go dancing! This sassy little number can be found at Thrush.

This is such a 70′s Pave de Paris Orange Mosaic Cut Out Long Gown is so unique one picture does not do it justice (please click on the image to see the sides as they are cut out!) From it’s orange and yellow tones, square mosaic patter print to criss-cross pattern cut outs at the mid drift. This unique is fit for royalty and can be found at Regal Vintage.

I love this blouse for it’s shape and color pallet of teal, mauve, lavender and brown with moths and butterflies pattern. If it’s the office or a day out shopping this blouse is beautiful anyway you look at it! Found at Jess James Jake.

This skirt is my favorite with it’s great pattern of paisley, floral and feather patch work in navy, red, fuchsia and golds. I feel as though this pattern is a very good representation of me as a person. All over the board but when put all together it works well together. This great skirt can be found at my shop The House Of Hearts.

Thank you for looking at my funky fabric finds this week and a special thank you to Kat of Alley Kat’s for asking me to be a contributor. Check out all the great shops listed above for more amazing vintage finds!

Vintage Fashion Friday’s happen weekly at The House of Hearts blog. Check us out!