Hump-day, as they Call it

Alright, kiddos! Time to anounce the winner of the ever-so-loverly bloggiversary contest... (drumroll please)
The Clothes Horse!

This contest was all official and vetted by my bf ("Honey, pick a number between 1 and 6 please?"), so if you have a problem, talk to him. Congrats, Clothes Horse!

Now, to all the rest of you kind folks who expressed interest, I would be happy to send a little treat in the mail if you are feeling particularly sorrowful about not winning. (I love sending packages and I've got some lovely jewelry goodies just waiting for the right owner.) Just drop me an email at urbanvintagenyc@gmail.com.
In other jewelry news, I am digging this today:

White Flower Bracelet by Metamorph, $40

also this one:




The Square Prince Ring by Senayakin, $250 (oxidized silver and aquamarine)


And in non-jewelry news: oh, people. Work is rough, but at least I get to wear dresses, right? I'll be setting up a proper update around these parts on Friday, and I'll finally get to read my beloved blogs. (Can you tell that etsy is one of the few sites I have access to?)

'Til then...

Winner...

...to be announced Wednesday nigh. Don't ask about work--it was rough. One comment: almost all of the internet I enjoy is blocked. Including my blog.

In Which You can Win a Prize!

Hi folks! I'm finally back after a (thankfully) abbreviated family vacation plus one horrific day of work wherein I had to respond to 90 e-mails.

This'll be short and sweet today as I got word that I'll be heading into an office on Monday. They're picking up my computer today, along with all other my other work junk, and I've got knots the size of Texas in my stomach. New people! Having to work with the old people again! No more laying out in the park! No more talking to the kitties! (Well, technically I can still do the last, but it doesn't seem quite so crazy when it's just you and the kittens.)

Vacation was as fun as it could be. My mom and I usually make the best of things which means we hit a lot of gift shops and ogle things far too expensive. She had to forcibly talk me into at least one of my purchases this year as I didn't want to spend the sum--a sum so relatively small I'm ashamed to admit it as I'll seem stingy. But hey. I'm on a budget.

What else? I tried to stay away from my newly growth spurted 13-year-old cousin. Prior to arriving, word was he'd sprouted five inches and had a voice change. I told the BF and he said, "I know how 13 year old boys think! I don't care if he's your cousin, don't touch him!" Wise words.

Anyhow, here's what I picked up at my new favorite store, Mark August, in Chatham, MA...



Resin Bangle (made to look like sea glass)



Burmese Ruby ring on 14K gold Wire


Last but not least, the contest! Because, as I mentioned in the previous post, today is my Blog-birthday! One year ago today, I was just a bored little girl sitting in an office who loved jewelry. Not much has changed, except I've got a whole bunch of writing on the Internet that proves just how much I love jewelry. So here's the deal:
If you'd like to win the necklace, just leave me a comment saying so. My mom will pick one at random and I'll let you. Someone better want this necklace, people! I agonized over my bloggiversary giveaway!




This lovely little basket necklace from Yankee Ingenuity in Chatham, MA. My old college chum Mr. Bungle revealed to me that the baskets are actually jewelry versions of the Nantucket Lighthouse Baskets, an old timey craft that began in the early 19th century on Nantucket Island, and was adapted from baskets local Indian tribes used.

This one doesn't have a penny like the traditional ones: it's sweet and delicate and sits just right. As with the other giveaway, I'm so sorry international bloggers, but I wouldn't be able to ship it to you! Canadians I'll take, though.

I know I was only gone a couple of days, but man, I missed this (do you see the kitty ears?):

Gone Fishing

You may have noticed that this week I've been blogging up a storm? (If you are going by my usual schedule, anyhow.) Perhaps it's a touch of guilt as next week I will be on vacation. No blogging until next Friday, at which point we will celebrate my one year bloggiversary (July 25th) with a giveaway!!!
My very first post came only days after my return last year from the Cape, a place I go every year with my ever dwindling group of family members who deign to come. We get a cottage, I have to sleep in the same room as my mom, some of the time it is torture. That's all you need to know, I think. You probably should read it--I doubt anyone has except the BF and our very own Wendy Brandes, who was my very first commenter!

This is actually called Cape Cod style jewelry. It's everywhere up there. Sterling bracelet, $65


I never understood these basket necklaces, but they are seemingly mandatory in every gift shop and as of two years ago, I think they are pretty cute.
Nantucket Basket Necklace with miniature penny inside, $30


Obviously the nautical theme is pretty popular. Scallop and starfish bracelet, $225:


Rope bracelets included in the nautical-ness... Friendship Rope Bracelet, $4.95 :


Also, the BF and I got up at 7:30 AM (on a SATURDAY) to make the 9:45 AM Batman. We were definitely not the only ones and I highly recommend it. Very good movie.

Fangirl

pic from Wikipedia

My not-s0-inner comic book nerd is quite ecstatic this week. First, Batman comes out, which we will hopefully be seeing tomorrow morning. Second, I just saw the ridiculously amazing trailer for the upcoming Watchmen film (oh, only the most classic contemporary comic book outside of the Sandman series):

Watchmen Trailer

I recommend it even if you aren't a dork like me... the effects look beautiful.

Boutique-ness

According to über-fashionable site Jargol, Brooklyn boutique Bird is having a lovely moving sale, with 25 to 50% off a lot of stock. If you live in the area, I recommend checking out the store as it is adorable (and on the website, it says that all stock is 50%, which seems to be in-store only). They also have an online shop. Here are some of my favorite sale items from their site:



3.1 Phillip Lim Two tone dress, $349

Bast Stackable Heart Ring, $99


Jeribacao Trovata Dress, $139


Mayle Pointelle Apaca Cardigan, $199

Losing Out to the Heat

Big work stuff going day today and my head is still spinning. The only cure seems to be some "Cheap Chic" from perennial favorite Twist. After all, there is a recession on...





Nikki Butler Blue Quartz Necklace, $62





Jane Diaz Silver Sculpted Earrings, $52




Ronni Kappos Multi-Charm Bracelet, $122




Tai Brass and Silver Bead Necklace, $78


A couple more from ebay.... these'll stop as soon as I've exhausted my summer cleaning haul, which should be soon. Oh, the horror of taking these pictures!

Sheer Vintage Dress
Colorful Vintage Rope Back Dress

Lastly (if you made it this far), I really can't recommend Deerhunter's Microcastles enough! Such great lazy afternoon music.

Also, the lovely Stitches and Threads bestowed upon me a beloved tag, which I will get to this week. Yay!

Friday Favorites: Down with Ennui

I've been neglecting Friday Favorites for several weeks now, but I think it's time to bring it back. Of course, I had also forgotten how freakin' hard it sometimes is. Today I liked everything and none of it flowed. Hopefully this little grouping appeals to the eye...


Leather Dreamcatcher Necklace by Annie Costello Brown, $220




Black Ice Earrings by Old World Romance, $22




Robot Pendant with Citrine by Karen Walker, $243





Five Piece Band Set, $380 (mixed metals)



And another round of Shameless Self-promotion! New stuff in our ebay store: UrbanVintageNYC...

Green Gingham Vintage Sun dress
Betsey Johnson NWT Wiggle sailor Dress

Chevron Multi-colored Sun Dress
50's Silhouette H&M dress

As always, if you read the blog and win an auction, leave me a comment! I'll include some free jewelry treats in your package!

Red and White

I find this ring to be very appealing... (and obvs very out of the budget)



Ruby Abstract Ring byRoberto Marroni, £3580.00

Shameless Self-Promotion

Updated: Just put some new items in the store!

Putting up some dresses in our neglected ebay store...
UrbanVintageNYC



Vintage Purple Dress



Black Shirt Dress




Olive Green Soundgirl dress




Navy Skirt



If you read the blog and win something from the store, let me know... I'll throw in some free jewelry!

Winding Down or: Scenes from a Long Weekend

A sleepy Sunday night at the end of a weekend full of food, weird warfare fireworks, closet cleaning, listening to the new Beck record and five extra pounds. Astoria looked especially pretty tonight. [Sky photos taken with BF's Blackberry]


So, on Thursday, this little kid ran into me while he was riding his bike. I gave him a stern look and a "PLEASE watch where you are going!" but listen, he was like, six. What was I supposed to do? Here's the damage (This is primarily for my mom because she was on the phone with me when it happened):


Then I went home and flipped channels until I came to Les Demoiselles de Rochefort on IFC, which was beautiful and French and full of crazy costumes. And songs. Crazy rhyming songs. I didn't get to watch the whole thing, but here's picture from one scene to give you an idea:


We got around to cleaning the bedroom this weekend because it had reached red level:

And then we went grocery shopping and out to dinner...

looking at the lovely sky the whole time:

Smash! Bam! Pow!

By some stroke of corporate luck, I have today and tomorrow off. I'm not gloating though; I promise I paid my dues working holidays in retail. Seeing as how a Friday holiday suddenly overwhelms the Queens library system and they feel the need to close July 4th through July 6th, I just returned from a book stock up. It is a sad reflection on our society, at least our local one, that the graphic novel section occupies the same amount of space as Fiction A through D. Not a single Margaret Atwood in sight. Luckily, as I've mentioned in the past, I'm a bit of a comic nut. I know a couple of you out there also enjoy a good graphic novel, so here are some recent ones I've enjoyed:

Image from Wikipedia
*The Fables Series by Bill Willingham, now up to book 11, explores the trials of old fashioned fairy tale characters living in present day Manhattan after being forced out of their homelands by an evil "adversary". Prince Charming is Mayor, Beauty and the Beast are his second and third in command, Rose Red runs the "farm" in upstate NY where all the fairy tale animals live (Three little pigs, et al.) and everyone else pops up to make an appearance (Snow White, Big Bad Wolf, Little Blue Blue; you get the picture). It's a fascinating idea and beautifully executed, especially in the latter books.


Image from Fantagraphics
*Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw is an epic (ie over 700 pages) comic about a family. Without giving too much away, I can tell you that it follows three siblings, now adult, and their reaction to their parents late-in-life divorce. It's simply but beautifully drawn and it's got a great press story, written about in this New York Magazine article. It's published through Fantagraphics; I'd buy anything they put out, that's how much I trust them.


Image from Wikipedia
*Lastly, for now (because I am aware this is primarily a jewelry blog), let's have a moment for the final book in the Y: The Last Man Series by Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra. I cried at the end, but sometimes I'm a big baby, so don't think it's necessarily sad. The series, which spanned a perfect ten books, follows the adventures of Yorick (and his monkey, Ampersand), the very last man on earth after a disease wipes out all the other peeps with Y chromosomes. As with all books, this series had it's ups and downs, but the ups far outweighed the downs.

And how could I showcase anything else with a post like this?




Necklace made from Recycled Comics, $22




Comic Love Ring by Nakedtile, $6





Wonder Woman Cuff Bracelet, $24.95




Sunday Newspaper Comic Dangling Earrings by Holly Anne Mitchell, $99




Green Lantern Silver Ring, $20




KaPOW! Comic Book Necklace by I Make Cute Stuff, $20