Monday Musings - Pretty Parcels and the Southern Hemisphere

Hello darlings!

 

 vintage buttons and lace

Everyone loves getting a pretty package in the mail! That's almost half the charm of buying from Etsy after all.
I still have to a lot to learn in the art or packaging...

I don't know hoe many of you remember the amazing blog of Francesca Zmetra, The Snail and the Cyclops; it hasn't been very active in a while, but I remember when I started my first vintage fashion blog back in 2009 it was probably my favorite read.

Her Etsy shop was filled with treasures that always seemed out of my price range and,of course, were selling out VERY quickly.

Besides loving her style and the clothes, I think part of the reason why I REALLY wanted to buy something from her was...the packaging!

      old maps, vintage button and a handkerchief - the perfect combo!

 
When you see such lovely photos you just get excited thinking what antique trinket or pretty old piece of lace you might get!

        '30s  feed sack dresses sold in old sugar sacks - what could be more fun and pretty?

The sad is I had my eyes on this yellow dress and had been saving pennies for a while to buy myself the traditional new dress for Easter and...it got lost in the mail! I hate to admit this, but I was quite disappointed that she didn't offer any kind of compensation for this...at least a future in store discount! 

Now being an Etsy seller myself I can see why this could happen and running a very small operation I couldn't afford reimbursing people for lost mail (nothing got lost so far, knock on wood!) and I understand things a little more, but I was SO heartbroken! I think it's a debatable matter, as it's always a risk ordering from abroad (especially from across the ocean) for a broke buyer like myself and probably many other young ladies who can't afford tracking/insurance, but I feel like people who manage to more or less make a living selling vintage should maybe take a little more responsibility towards their customers. In the end losses are part of business expenses, right?

I think it's an important debate, but enough about that for now.

I've been lucky enough to have a few sales and I thought I might share my attempt at packaging...If nothing else, at least you can see how pretty they look before getting into their bubble envelopes and flying across the globe!

I try to recycle most of the mailers, but I love having those big plain white new envelopes as well as I can get creative and doodle on them! I remember being at Revoir around holiday season, getting a little less orders and having a lot of these envelopes. I got creative one afternoon and broke out the color marker stash and  started drawing wreaths and ribbons around the addresses. 

Now i feel so bad for not photographing those!(I need to buy more color pens)

I use plain wrapping paper, tie it all with a ribbon or piece of lace and add one of those metal vintage pins you see a lot in France.

The final touch is adding a branch of lavender; I don't assume everyone loves lavender as much as I do, but I also think it's almost like a French symbol - just think of all those iconic lavender fields in Provence!

This might not be from Provence, but it's still local and hand picked! No, I don't know any lavender field around here, but in September the student cafeteria by my school (Crous Mazet) had those AMAZING lavender bushes in the little garden (yes there are tables and you can eat outside if it's warm enough, that's why I love that place) that were growing big, wild and untrimmed.

The flowers were all dry and ready to be picked; as nobody seemed to be paying attention the them but me, I started picking little bouquets after lunch- it would have been such a shame to let them go to waste!

So that's where all the lavender comes from!

Again, all the orders were from the opposite side of the globe : Australia and for the first time New Zealand!

Speaking of New Zealand, I just discovered a lovely kiwi blogger that some of you probably know already. If you like cats, flower crowns and beautiful photography check out Jo from Lost in the Haze!

So a big thanks to everyone again, hope these will get to you safely!

Maybe I should try using Paris metro maps as wrapping paper for now on... What do you think?

bisoux,
Sandra 

Film&Fashion Fridays - Lucifer Rising

Hello darlings!

 I'm always using film references for my vintage listing, so I thought I should give you guys a little more context about those crazy titles.

And I want to start with the one of the most exciting and well-known experimental filmmakers- Kenneth Anger!

His films are basically well-staged rituals, filled up with obscure symbols and various mythological references.

Acid-trips in saturated colors with cool soundtracks.

Lucifer Rising is a demonic invocation featuring Marianna Faithful among celtic ruins and Egyptian pyramids.

“A film about the love generation – the birthday party of the Aquarian Age showing actual ceremonies to make Lucifer rise. Lucifer is the Light  god, not the devil – the Rebel Angel behind what’s happening in the world today. His message is that the key of joy is disobedience. Isis (Nature) wakes. Osiris (Death) answers. Lilith (Destroyer) climbs to the place of Sacrifice. The Magus activates the circle and Lucifer – Bringer of Light – breaks through.”

- Kenneth Anger 


I simply makes you wanna get a sequined kaftan, dye your hair black, wear your we never sleep  necklace and somehow time-travel back to late '60s New York...

The Daily Lounge ep.3 - Cabin Cozy

Hello darlings!

 

Cardigan: vintage

Tee: thrifted in Romania

Slippers:gift

Leggings: Chinese via Montreuil flea market

Yup, this is how an Etsy seller looks on a Wednesday morning, between rushing to the office, taking photos for the boutique and making tea.

Apart fom the tee which is definitely a sleeping shirt, the cardigan is one of my favorites and I wear it outside the house pretty often, only it's one of those things that is just too cosy not to throw on whenever you get the chance.

It's probably something I wouldn't sell as it's just ridiculously cute with the little mice and mushrooms! And 100% wool!

It still had the 20th century fox pin on it from the last time I wore it to work... I find it hilarious to wear a mainstream film company pin while working for an experimental film institution!

As for the leggings... they're my go-to bum outfit- the one you do landry in, go down to buy more coke or simply take to school w a chunky sweater when you simply wanna be comfy.

I'm really not a leggings fan in general, except for around the house/PJs, but sometimes they might work.

I bought them in Montreuil for 5 euros, just to find out that one leg is actually shorter than the other!

Oh, the magic of dirt cheap Chinese marchandise!

Do you ever shop at dollar stores? 

bisoux,
Sandra  

Disposable Diary

Hello darlings!

 Yesterday I finally got my negatives back from the lab! I love carrying a disposable around and more than often I get to have others take my picture with it...

In this one I was walking to school on my usual route through the famous Pont des arts (you know, where lovers put a lock on the fence w their names on and through the keys in the Seine so their love will last forever? I've heard that the Mairie has to constantly take them down as there are just too fucking many of 'em!)  when it started POURING rain right as I got out! 

It was just so ridiculous that I asked a passing asian tourist to snap my photo. Like ''Oh look at me! I'm in Paris and it's raining but I'm loving it!". Too good to turn down ;)

I was planning on working on the sound studio, but by the time I got there, about 5 minutes after, I was already soaking wet. Luckily I had a change off clothes as I previously left stuff for the shop to photograph in a suitcase there.

And, bien sur, in typical Parisian fashion, next time I went out half hour later it was almost nice and nice. Just almost. That means pretty much grey.  Below there's a couple more shots from my walk from Pont Neuf to Pont des arts; do notice the closed bouquinistes stands!

As for the weather... A British girl told me today that Paris is way nicer than London in this respect, but it's still like London in terms of grey, wind, rain only...milder; sooo... go Paris? 

  

 

 

  bisoux,
Sandra