Etsy Tuesday: Traveling in Style

For our wedding, we treated the men in our wedding parties to vintage Trav-L-Bars. I spent months searching for and sourcing them. (I'm far enough from - a year in a couple of weeks - my meltdown involving these that I can laugh about it.) As the men in our wedding and I have all been asked where I found these treasures, I'll reveal my process today.

I had a few requirements: all components must be present, the bar itself could not exceed $50, and the case color needed to match (or complement) our wedding palette. The stocking of each Trav-L-Bar was handled by my bridesman, "The Massive Bri," with a budget of approximately $100 per bar.

Our usher and official Tweeter's Trav-L-Bar midway through the reception. His bottle of Scotch had already been shared in celebratory toasts with fellow guests. Photographed by Vanessa Naylon.

Over the course of four months, I successfully located four Trav-L-Bars from the 1960s, ranging in price from $15 to $35 each, for an average price of $25.50. In the 1970s, Ever-Wear began making the bars with hard plastic molded cases and replaced the elegant utensils with bakelite handles with simple ones and the metal cups with plastic ones.

If you're looking now for a vintage portable bar, there are a few manufacturers to search for Trav-L-Bar by Ever-Wear, Platt, and The Portable Pub by Londonaire.

The Finds: Londonaire, $25, Pirate Cat's Treasures; Platt, $20 with all components and key, price reduced for damaged corner, Toadsies; Unknown, $25, FaithandHope10.

The Finds: Unknown, $28, Collectique; Ever-Wear, $35, Knockouts Vintage; Londonaire, $24.95, Baby Kiki Yaya.

Keyword combinations I use on Etsy to ferret out travel bars are as follows: Ever-Wear, Londonaire, Platt, Trav-L-Bar, travel bar, traveling bar, portable bar, and portable pub. You can also find travel bars on eBay though unless they're buy now, the prices tend to get inflated with bidding.

For our six-month wedding anniversary, I surprised cubes with his very own Trav-L-Bar, which just so happens to match my bridesman's Trav-L-Bar (this similarity was discovered at Priceless when both were present). NOTE: The Padded Top Grain Cowhide Strapping bars in brown with metal trim tend to be the hardest to find.

cubes' Trav-L-Bar fully outfitted. Note that my Irish Mist Whiskey (safely ensconced in the bar in our living room) has since been replaced with a bottle of Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix Whisky. The coffee liqueur will also be replaced at some point with Bourbon or Scotch. Photographed by Eden Hensley Silverstein.

Now, you can buy Portable Bars new, if you're not excited by the idea of hunting for the perfect vintage bar. Kegworks and Picnic Time both make bars.

The Finds: Travel Bar by Kegworks, $69.95, Amazon.com; Deluxe Portable Travel Set, $119.95, Kegworks; Portable Travel Bar by Picnic Time, $129.95, Bed, Bath, & Beyond.

Happy searching!

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: All collages created by Eden Hensley Silverstein for A Timeless Affair. Except where noted, all product images taken by Amazon.com, Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Kegworks, or their respective Etsy sellers: Baby Kiki Yaya, Collectique, FaithandHope10, Knockouts Vintage, Pirate Cat's Treasures, and Toadsies.

Thursday Purseday: Vintage Military Gear

One of my favorite places to explore is an Army Surplus Store, especially Berkeley Surplus. Why? Because I love unique, durable ways to store stuff and they've got lots of neat belts and bags. For those who don't have a surplus store nearby there's always Etsy. Be aware that some sellers mark up their goods. If you're looking for a good deal - a surplus store is your best bet.

This past Fourth of July weekend we headed out to Belden, CA for Priceless. Just like last year, I brought with me my favorite go to bag - a vintage military satchel bag (similar to the two pictured below but in better condition).

The Finds: Dynamite Case, $32, The Krickett's Jewel; Gas Mask Bag, $30, Yuti Riti; Satchel Bag, $45 with one of two straps from Raggedy Threads or $24 without straps from The Milliner's Daughter; Ammunition Belt, $28, Moment of Nostalgia.

With its dual straps, I can wear it as a purse or a backpack (a friend uses his to carry camera gear). I also brought pockets designed for construction that let me carry gear and keep my hands free. They're a little less useful than my satchel bag as the pockets are open and contents can fall out. I'm still on the lookout for the right ammunition belt.

My favorite bag right now? The chemical-biological gas mask bag from Yuti Riti, so many ways to easily grab camera gear from your pack with a separate pocket for your phone.

Do you have any repurposed military gear that you use as a purse or camera bag?

Want more accessory eye candy? View my previous Thursday Purseday picks.

Or, check out these other blogs:

Brancorpa, Pearls for Paper,

Postcards and Pretties, A Realistic Wedding,

Sparkle & Hay, and The Unreal Bride.

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: Collage created by Eden Hensley Silverstein for A Timeless Affair. All product photos taken by their respective Etsy sellers: The Krickett's Jewel, Yuti Riti, Raggedy Threads, Moment of Nostalgia.

Thursday Purseday: The 1950s/1960s Do The 1920s

For our 1920s party, I've decided to go with a 1920s outfit as envisioned in the 1950s or 1960s. Earlier this week I was leaning towards a pair of Mary Janes for my shoes. With my choice of dress - a 1920s style dress from the 1960s, Mary Janes or T-Straps would best complete my outfit. I've yet to find the right pair  in my size yet, but I've got a couple of weeks.

There are a couple of directions I can go with one dress. The first is a classic pairing with black accessories; matches a black Charter Club cloche I found at Mission Community Thrift over a year ago for $3.

Outfit 1: Black Beaded Evening Bag, $28, Rococo Vintage; Pink Dress, Accent West of California, $28, Bamboo Bettie; Black Kitten Heels with Bow, Panita, $26, Zoe's Vintage.

Or, if the party was during the day (or does that matter?), I could go with a brighter outfit by choosing cream accessories.

Outfit 2: Cream Beaded Satin Purse, Lumared, $32, Ingrid Iceland Vintage; Pink Dress, Accent West of California, $28, Bamboo Bettie; White Felt Cloche Hat, Anita Pineault, $28, Jackie D's Retro Boutique; T-Strap Mary Janes, Penjalo, $36, Fun Vintage Living.

Which do you like best?

Want more accessory eye candy? View my previous Thursday Purseday picks.

Or, check out these other blogs:

Brancorpa, Pearls for Paper,

Postcards and Pretties, A Realistic Wedding,

Sparkle & Hay, and The Unreal Bride.

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: All collages created by Eden Hensley Silverstein for A Timeless Affair. All product images taken by their respective Etsy sellers.

Thursday Purseday: Pink and Orange

To combat all this rain, I'm finding myself drawn to brilliant pinks and vibrant oranges. I think my obsession with the combination of pink and orange started with the Kate Spade NY advertisement featuring Bryce Dallas Howard. Back in April I couldn't see myself wearing the look.

Now? Well now's a different story. Now I have a hot pink vintage Anne Fogarty sheath dress. (Right now, I'm also slightly obsessed with Anne Fogarty's designs from the 1950s and 1960s. They fit me like a glove without any tailoring!)

I could pair my dress with a lighter pink sweater and purse for a monochromatic look. Or I could tame it with a blue and black scarf that has a touch of pink and aqua and add a black purse and black mid-calf boots (like I did yesterday).

But for an outdoor, mid-afternoon, late Spring wedding I'm thinking bold, bright, pink and orange. My dress paired with a wide brim straw hat with pink and orange scarf wrapped around the brim atop my head, my butterscotch sandals on my feet, and a Kate Spade satchel in my hand.

Thursday Purseday Pick: Cabana Stripe Medium Raelin Tote by Kate Spade, $325

Weigh in: Love Pink & Orange or Hate Pink & Orange

Want more accessory eye candy? View my previous Thursday Purseday picks.
Or, check out these other blogs:
Brancorpa, Pearls for Paper,
Postcards and Pretties, A Realistic Wedding,
Sparkle & Hay, and The Unreal Bride.

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: All collages created by Eden Hensley Silverstein for A Timeless Affair. All product images taken by their respective sellers, tote from Kate Spade, dress from Vindemial Vintage; scarf from Find It Keep It Vintage; straw hat from Ageless Things; lucite bracelets from Ann Primrose.

Fashion Friday: A Matched Set

There's a plus and a minus to vintage. The plus? You're probably going to be the only one in the room wearing your look. The minus? Once you find your look it might not be in your size.

Luckily designers tend to favor the lines of the 1950s and 1960s. So if that's your aesthetic (it's mine), with some searching you'll find something to wear. I like the look of matched sets - not the 100% color/material match, but the cut and style match. I love the cut on these mod dress and coat sets, unfortunately they're not in my size. My favorite is the set by Lillie Rubin.

The Inspiration: Mod Dress and Coat, Lillie Rubin, $62 for both pieces, available at Mella Vintage; Mod Dress and Coat, Murray Nieman for Hannah Troy, $125 for both pieces, available at Laudy MsGlaudy Vintage; Mod Dress and Coat, Pat Sandler, $115 for both pieces, available at Little Things Vintage.

After flipping through the pages of Lucky, I found a modern take on the matched set from tibi New York. I'd pair the coral dress with the light cedar coat and add the turquoise clutch by Hester van Eeghen (have you entered her giveaway yet?).

The Goods: Basketweave Coat, Fire, Light Cedar, 0-12, $572, tibi New York; Basketweave Sleeveless Dress, Fire, Light Cedar, 0-12, $354; tibi New York.

What's your take on sets? Too much or just right?

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: Product images taken by their respective sellers, Mella Vintage, Laudy MsGlaudy Vintage, Little Things Vintage, and tibi New York.

Tuesday Shoesday: Spectator Pumps

Are you a fan of Gossip Girl? If so you might recognize today's pick, the Claudine Pump from Coach (spotted on The Purse Blog). Blair sported them. (Yes I'm a little obsessed with Coach at the moment - last Thursday Purseday I featured two classic Coach station bags.)

I couldn't believe it when I stumbled across these shoes from Fall 2008 - still available new - on sale for under $100. If only I could walk in a 3+ heel; these are 4" platforms.

The Find: Claudine Pump, Coach, available at Shoe Metro, $74.99 (various sizes only) and Amazon, $76.79 to $131.99 (various sizes).

Two-tone spectator oxford pumps were hot in the late 1950s, early 1960s (as well as the 1980s).

Etsy Finds: Size 8, Bandolino, Italy, $38, Vintage at Wimberley; Approximately size 8, c.1980s, Germany, $20, Sticky Stuff; Approximately size 5, $28, So Passe; Size 7.5N, Nordstrom, Italy, $34, The Loved One.

I know today's pick isn't very Spring, but it rained yesterday and it's gray and foggy out so I'm not feeling Spring at the moment.

Want more shoe candy? View my previous Tuesday Shoesday picks.

Or, check out these other blogs:

Blush Printables, Brancorpa,

Demoiselle, La Petite Coquin, Landlocked Bride, 

Life in the Super Burbs, Magnolia Rouge, Marry You Me, 

Peach Bride, Postcards & Pretties, 

Santa Barbara Chic, Simply & Forever, and Swatchbook Weddings.

Ciao Bella!

Eden

Credits: Product images by Shoe Metro or taken by their respective Etsy sellers: Vintage at Wimberley; Sticky Stuff; So Passe; The Loved One. 

Thursday Purseday: A-Tisket, A-Tasket

I lost my yellow basket. - Ella Fitzgerald

I just had to pop in for a brief second. Have you seen Kate Spade New York's new website? I love the fresh colors of the Spring/Summer 2011 collection. But I just can't bring myself to add the colors to my wardrobe. (I also know that Honeysuckle is Pantone's color of the year for 2011.)

I am, however, loving the shape and style of the Cherry Valley purses.

The Inspiration: Cherry Valley Adeline, 10.5" wide x 7" tall x 3.3" deep, Kate Spade New York, $325, Gulabi, Vivacious Green, Gold; Cherry Valley Krya, 10.9" wide x 4.9" tall x 1.5" deep,  Kate Spade New York, $245, Gold.

Now if they were in primary colors, say Yellow or Red, or neutrals like these vintage finds.

The Finds: Yellow Basket, 9" wide x 6" tall x 5" deep, Marchioness, c.1950s-1960s, $45, Miss Farfalla; Basket Purse, 9" wide x 6" tall x 4" deep, Amanda Smith, $39, Lilies of the Valley Vintage; Woven Straw Purse, 9.25" wide x 5.25" tall x 5.5" deep, Rodo, c.1960s, $48, Marie's Vintage; Half Moon Straw Purse, 7" wide x 7" tall, c.1940s-1950s, $45, Material Memories Vintage. 

Want more accessory eye candy? View my previous Thursday Purseday picks.
Or, check out these other blogs:

Brancorpa, Demoiselle, 

Peach Bride, Pearls for Paper, A Realistic Wedding, 

Sparkle & Hay, and The Unreal Bride.

Ciao Bella!

Eden

Credits: Product images by Kate Spade NY or taken by their respective Etsy sellers: Miss Farfalla; Lilies of the Valley Vintage; Marie's Vintage; Material Memories Vintage. 

Etsy Tuesday: Fairytale and Princess Dresses

Flower girls can easily steal the show at weddings, capturing everyone's gaze as they twirl around the dance floor or flit through the reception hall.

Flower girl at wedding in Belmont, CA
Eden Hensley Photography

And, if your flower girls don dresses from Vintage Precious Boutiques, be assured that all eyes will be on them!

Shabby Roses Girl's Dress, $160

Pink Princess Satin, $210

How cute are these dresses?

Athena makes all of her designs from scratch, from sketch to drafting patterns to the finished product. She works with serged seams and includes Vintage Precious Boutique & care labels on all garments as well as hang tags.

Custom Rose Dress, $160
Available in infant size 18 months, toddler sizes 2t, 3t & 4t, & child sizes 5, 6, 6x, 7 & 8.

With over 25 years of experience sewing, Athena will be sure your flower girls are looking their best.

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: First image taken by Eden Hensley Photography; all other images taken by Vintage Precious. All images used with permission.