AlleyKatsStore.com

Fresh Air of Fall…

~Kat~ — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:25:12 +0000

Is right around the corner…I can practically smell the Pumpkin Spice lattes already. In fact Starbucks just announced that they are available- you just have to ask for them. Good news for me– and you, since I will be staying up late the next few nights to get things ready. THE FALL LINE UP IS HERE!!! A few things have already trickled on to the store- so check them out for yourself. Keep a watchful eye out as there are lots of goodies to come too. Wondering what may be in store for the new season?We are betting on plaids in bright colors, classic tweeds, hardy wool fabrics, soft cashmeres, chunky rhinestones and edgy rock and roll pieces. What are your thought? Do you have go to Fall Fashion? Things you wait all year to pull out of your closet?

Birthday Blowout!!!

~Kat~ — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:59:35 +0000

Though it may not seem like it, AlleyKat’s has been on Etsy for a year!! Time has flown by. We have made lots of new friends, both buyers and vintage sellers. Being that we have had such a great year on Etsy, we are honoring the occasion with a Birthday Blowout special. ALL Shipping is FREE. Yep- I will say it one more time just in case you didn’t get past the Free word the first time. ALL shipping is FREEEEEEEE.

When ordering simply input the code below and shipping will be refunded to you via PayPal.

Code: AUGUST

The code must be present in the message to us when the order is placed to receive the discount. Cannot be combined with any other offer except an AlleyKat Gift Certificate. Discount valid until 8/31/2010.

Go Green!

Elfbrat — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:00:09 +0000

Hey there vintage lovers!

I happened upon this while watching TV the other night and found that I had to share.

The CW is promoting going green by encouraging their viewers to go vintage to help the environment.

Check out the article to find out how the producers of 90210 are using vintage to help the environment and make their cast look fabulous!

http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/gogreen

Much love -Elfbrat <^_^>

(Note, the Elfbrat does not happen to watch 90210, but loves and supports Vampire Diaries and Supernatural)

To a new Tune

~Kat~ — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:16:28 +0000

It has been quite a while since I have been able to update our posts. I apologize for all of the delays and continuous absences. When it rains it pours I suppose.

On a personal note we have been battling several illnesses in our house hold. Our four year old son, Wyatt, has had some mysterious issues and what we expected to be an easy do the right thing kind of mission turned into a nightmare. Since he has been ill and his dog that we adopted only 6 months ago had been re-homed with our veterinarian we set out to find him a new dog. One that like Jonas, could be his own and would easily tolerate all the wild concoctions and ideas Wyatt was certain to come up with.

After lots of research and debate we settled on a Golden Retriever that was sadly released to a shelter by his previous owner on Chistmas Eve. On the very day he was slated for a fate that no animal should endure we drove over an hour to meet and assess him. Throughout all the tests I threw at him his temprament remained stable and he passed with flying colors. Satisfied that he would easily fit into our family and lifestyle we made adoption arrangements. Only the shelter would not release him to us until he had been nuetered by one of the agency approved veterinarians. Annoyed that I was unable to use my own vet that I know and trust I reluctantly agreed and we left without dog in hand.

" Pweeease take me home"

After returning to pick him up three days later he immediately went to our personal vet (another 2 hour trip for us) to have a full work up. We then learned the bad news. This one year old Golden Retriever had endured quite a harsh few weeks at the shelter. He had bronchitis (kennel cough), gastritis, esophogealitis, a skin infection, an ear infection, and the canine flu. It has been a bumpy road and throughout the ride he has had to spend many a nights on hospital watch at the veterinary hospital. After several weeks and several thousands of dollars later we can now happily report that this new addition to our family is home, and illness free.

In many ways he and Wyatt have healed together. Along the way we had many people helping us. Whether it be financial support or round the clock care, our thanks go out specifically to Dr. John Roberts, Jenny Haralson and DogStuff.com. Without each of you this poor little guy would have certainly been reduced once again to a shelter environment.

So I am happy to introduce you all to Rooney, affectionately known as Rooney Tunes in our house.

Rooney Tunes and Wyatt, now healthy and happy.

Ambassador of Vintage

~Kat~ — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:51:37 +0000

The months seem to keep passing me by. I just barely look up from the last month to find out that we are already in a new one. Lots of great things come with the month of February. Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, School winter breaks, best friends birthdays and of course a new Ambassador of Vintage.

This month we have chosen what one may call a broad celebrity. Having filled roles in various categories and all the while captivating audiences. This vintage do gooder needs no formal introduction. Being that he is more of a laid back soul that has a flare for making the rules as he goes along. He? Did she say He? Yes…that I did.
We are pleased to introduce our first male Ambassador of Vintage, the actor extraordinaire, Mr. Johnny Depp.

Johnny Depp in a 1930's Horsehide Aviator Button Jacket

Seen here in a 1950's style "Ricky Jacket" and "Hollywood Slacks"

Being that this month focuses on love, we knew we had to have a heartbreaker Ambassador. We hope that you are all pleased.

Keep an eye out for upcoming Valentine’s day posts, specials and more info on the Hearts for Haiti campaign.

Makeup Mondays–Headturning Hedy

AmandaLee — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:52:47 +0000

Known as “The Most Beautiful Woman in Films,” Hedy Lamarr was a striking beauty with raven hair, clear green eyes, and a cool affect. Her classic beauty was combined with brains too—Hedy is credited with inventing frequency hopping, a technology that makes cellular phones, fax machines and other wireless operations possible today.

As always, begin with a smooth base by applying the foundation of your choice and setting with a colorless powder. Apply a crimson or coral blush, such as Ben Nye Red Hot or Flame Red, La Femme Red, or NARS Exhibit A, to the cheekbones. For Hedy’s face shape, the blush is applied just under the cheekbones and blended out to the temples.

For Hedy’s eyes, start by applying foundation, setting with a colorless powder, as a base. Apply a warm beige shade to the the lid and brow bone; try Ben Nye Shell, MAC Malt or Julie Hewett Muse. A deeper color, such as MAC Haux, Julie Hewett Terra, or Ben Nye Just Nude, is applied to the crease, blending well. A soft brown liner is applied to the upper lids and smudged upward to soften the line. Joe Blasco Ultamatte in Eddie Leonard or Medium Gray Brown would work very well; Ben Nye Cake Liner in Brown or MAC Fluidline in Dipdown are also good choices. For pencil, try Joe Blasco Brown or MAC Technakohl Liner in Earthline. Lightly smudge this liner into the lower lash line as well; a touch of white liner applied to the lower lash line will further widen and add luminescence to your eyes. A full strip of false lashes can be applied if you’d like; finish with two coats of a mascara of your choosing. The brows should be penciled into classic rounded 40s arches; be sure to blend the pencil strokes with a stiff angle brush. Try Ben Nye Brow Pencil in Black Brown, MAC Eye Brows in Stud, or Maybelline Expert Eyes in Dark Brown. Joe Blasco Ultamatte in Eddie Leonard or Dark Brown applied with an angle brush would also work for well for this look.

Hedy’s mouth is painted into a glossy coral-red pout; for this look, line and fill your lips with pencil (), then fill in with a creamy lipstick (Ben Nye Poppy, Revlon Fire and Ice , or MAC Lady Danger). The mouth should be overdrawn, elongating the outer corners and creating a rounded cupid’s bow. You may prefer to apply your lipstick the 40s way, using a lip brush (this application method is more precise and will apply a thinner layer); applying straight from the tube will work as well. Blot and reapply a second layer of lipstick, blotting once more to set.

And there you are—the face of Hedy Lamarr!

xoxo,

Amanda Lee

Hearts for Haiti

~Kat~ — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:29:16 +0000

In one way or another we have all contributed to the rescue efforts going on in Haiti. Recently we learned of a group of Etsians that had put together an Etsy shop named Hearts for Haiti. The shop is a collaboration of many different sellers. Items are donated by various sellers to go into the shop and then once purchased 100% of all proceeds go directly to Doctors without Borders. AlleyKat’s recently submitted several items to be listed in the shop. We are donating the entire cost and will be offering FREE worldwide shipping as well. We were told that it may take some time for the items to be listed as the shop administrators have been overwhelmed by generosity of donations. One of the best problems a charity can have don’t you think?

Peruse the shop and pick out some favorites. The current running theme right now is Hearts in preparation for the upcoming Valentine’s day holiday. Buy with confidence and know that many people will greatly appreciate your purchase.

Click on the picture above to view the shop. Should any buyers or sellers need information on purchasing items, or donating items for resale feel free to contact us, or Hearts for Haiti directly.

Makeup Mondays–Lana’s Look

AmandaLee — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:02:57 +0000

For today’s vintage beauty breakdown, we’ll take a look at the lovely Lana Turner. With her smoldering eyes and luscious tresses, it’s no wonder Lana made the perfect femme fatale! Here she is on the cover of a 1945 Movie Life, in full vintage glamour!

To recreate this look, apply a foundation of your choosing, stippling on a thin, even layer. Set with a colorless or translucent powder, such as Ben Nye Neutral Set or Coty Airspun. Then, apply a warm rosy pink blush to the cheekbones—La Femme Pink Velvet or MAC Pink Swoon are good choices. Contour the cheekbones with a shade of powder or foundation slightly darker than your skin tone.

For the eyes, apply a sheer wash of soft white or cream shadow to the lid and brow bone—a shimmer shade, such as MAC Vapour or Joe Blasco Pearl, would work well for this very clean look. A slightly darker pinkish beige shade—La Femme Beige Pink, MAC Malt, or Joe Blasco Isis–can then be applied to lightly contour the crease. Using a soft brown or charcoal shade of liner (pencil or cream formula will work—try Revlon Colorstay liner in Black Brown, L’Oreal HIP Cream Liner in Brown, MAC Fluidline in Dipdown, or Joe Blasco Ultamatte in Medium Gray Brown or Dark Gray), work the color into the base of the lashes to create a lush fringe. Apply false lashes if desired,and top with 1-2 coats of mascara. For the brows, use a neutral brown pencil, such as Shu Uemura Hard Formula in Seal Brown or Maybelline Expert Eyes in Light Brown, to fill in and define your brows into thin, rounded arches.

For the mouth, line and fill the lips with a true red shade, such as Rimmel Red Diva or MAC Russian Red. Then fill in your mouth with a creamy lipstick to match—good choices include Revlon Love That Red or Certainly Red, Julie Hewett Femme Noir, and MAC Red or Russian Red.

And there you have it—the face of Lana Turner!

Ambassador of Vintage

~Kat~ — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:15:26 +0000

Now that we are officially in a New Year I have taken a few minutes to step away from all the Christmas boxes in order to introduce our new Ambassador of Vintage. Being a Hollywood A lister and prominent humanitarian, she needs no immediate introduction from me.

Whether dressed up for a movie premiere or red carpet affair she continously brings a vintage element to Hollywood with every picture taken. Kudos to this months Ambassador of Vintage, Cate Blanchett, for helping to bring old Hollywood glamour back into madern day times.

Cate Blanchett in a pale yellow vintage Valentino gown, 2005

While I could easily peruse pictures of this particular starlet for hours, I must return to the boxing of all our Christmas decor. Sadly, it won’t take care of itself. And if I don’t do it now, it will just end up staying out until next year.

A Season of New

~Kat~ — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:49:43 +0000

We hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and are off to a great start to the New Year. We are excited to spread some new news of our own. In the upcoming weeks a brand new AlleyKat’s site will be launching. We have been compiling a large inventory of children’s vintage materials. Everything from clothing to games and books. We even have everyones favorite character linens! We are very excited to open AlleyKat’s Kids and will let you all know when everything is up and running.

AlleyKat’s Kids will be sold exclusively on Etsy and like our other items will be strictly authentic vintage items. A link will be provided when we introduce our Grand Opening.