From Amber
Check us out on our most satisfying and inspiring new addiction- Tumblr. Here are some of our favorite images culled from the infinitely expanding cyberspace beauty conglomeration:
Dude, Tumblr's the best! If you are on too, please leave your link in the comments...
One thing after another got in the way of another trip to Reno, which is about an hour and 45 minutes from Grass Valley-- not far, but it's over a 10,000 foot mountain pass. We drove it once in a snowstorm, and vowed never to make that mistake again. Winter stretched on, then spring and summer were crazy busy... long story short, last weekend we finally made it to Junkee! And come to find it, it actual WAS the vintage mecca I'd made it out to be in my mind. It was even better than I expected! How often does that happen?!?!?
Here are a few snaps from the inside... the decor was love at first sight for my kitsch-lovin' soul.
What you are seeing only part of here is literally thousands of square feet of clothing heaven. They carry used vintage and new clothes, with plenty for everyone, and at the moment the best Halloween costumes EVER. (You'll see what I got for Halloween later!) Not to mention the most incredibly friendly and helpful staff! And then, attached to the incredible clothing universe, is a GIANT antique mall. That's where I found my Dream Lamp:
Um, yes, that is a lamp. Which Chris says I can't have! Will someone talk some sense into him, please? I mean, look at the HAT!:
This is exactly the kind of decoration that you want in your house for the next 50 years! Come on!
Actually, I blew my wad on clothes-- I filled my ENTIRE TRUNK. And I am ready to do it again, as soon as I can... please pray it doesn't snow too much this winter!
Junkee is located at 960 South Virginia Street in Reno, Nevada. They are open 7 days a week.
We have been shopping up a storm this weekend, even crossing into neighboring Western states (Nevada! Whoo whoo!) to find the loveliest vintage clothes for you.... and I have to say, we have got some especially lovely things coming to the shop this week! Here's a little sneaky peek:
This one is a true large, even extra large! At last something for you full grown ladies...
(And yes, that is a 100% cotton Gunne Sax!)
Remember how I was asking, post-Gunne Parade, for someone to please start a Gunne Sax database? Well, guess who jumped on it? None other than our friend Nicole from Atelier/Flaming Hag Folkwear!
Nicole felt like a regular "database" would be just too darn boring, so she put the Dream into blog form. You can peep her first few entries (including a history of the founder of Gunne Sax, Jessica McClintock!) at Gunnes on Parade.
Best of all, you can send her your pics of your Gunne Sax duds, for inclusion in the blog, at this address: gunnelove@live.com. Let's fill up the blog with pics of all the Gunnes of the world!
These pictures are some of our fave Gunnes that we have already sold, but don't despair- Violet Folklore is your Gunne Sax source! We have lots of gorgeous Gunnes in the store even as we speak... even one that is almost a copy of this cute purple one!
(A huge thanks to Nicole for being so kind, so cool, and so ON IT.)
xoxoxox
Our good friend Toni has been getting Super Crafty lately, knitting new cozies for her Etsy shop, Semina Filligree! We thought you would all appreciate these lovelies, perfect for the cold months, and knit from super soft wool. Her inspiration for this collection includes vintage Chanel cloche hats, as well as Tatum O'Neal's cool headgear in the 70s movie Paper Moon. Love the wrist warmers, scarfs, and capes, too. And-- do I even need to say it?-- isn't her styling an inspiration?
Toni's Etsy shop is here-- go and get these cutie-pie pieces before someone else snaps them up!
Fall is Violet Folklore's official season, I think! The light is so dreamy, and there is just something so- well, boho, about the changing leaves. Lots of sweaters coming to the shop for you this week, and even a cape, along with some truly gorgeous dresses. Ready for a romp in the hills, or even a Moondance!
Queen of Hearts Cape, one size fits all
Another fabulous Gunne Sax Dolly Dress, size Extra Small- check out the wickedly flirty peekaboo skirt!
Gorgeous plaid wool A-Line skirt, Size Medium
Marie Antoinette at Midnight-- Sheer black lace dress/lingerie, Size Small
The Chelsea Girl belted 1960s mini-dress, Size Extra Small
90s Floral Babydoll, Size Medium/Large
Roses For My Sweetheart Winter Sweater, Size Medium
1960s knit cardigan, Size Medium
Anne Bonny, Pirate Lass-- Red and Black Striped Silk Dress, Size Small
Princess of the Nile-- Egyptian cotton shirt with elaborate embroidery, Size Medium/Large
Hot Cocoa in the Alps-- cozy winter sweater, Size Medium
Garden Party Floral Revival Dress, Size Small/Medium
The Rainbow Connection Open Weave 1970s Sweater, Size Medium
All coming to the shop ASAP- give us a holler if you want a Reserve!
Seen at a record store in Sacramento:
From Sasha
I am reading a fabulous book at the moment: Temptress: From The Original Bad Girls to Women on Top (my hunny works at an art book company, so I get to indulge in some great stuff). I just finished the chapter on Lola Montez, and I can't get her out of my mind!
Born Eliza Gilbert in Limerick, Ireland, Lola had a quick mind and a fiery temper, and the dramatic looks to match. The life of a dutiful wife in Victorian Ireland suited her not one whit, so she left her marriage and set off for Spain to study Flamenco dancing. There she picked up Spanish, and reinvented herself as "Lola Montez", the daughter of a matador. She correctly intuited that exotic dancing was her ticket to fame and freedom, and she took her act all over Europe, picking up lovers and shocking upstanding moral people along the way. It was quite a sensation in the 1800s to publicly demonstrate "sensuous" dance movements, not to mention the flashing of ankles and possibly even knees!
Lola had affairs with Franz Liszt, Alexandre Dumas, and many other rich and powerful men, but her most scandalous liason was with the King of Bavaria, King Ludwig I. Ludwig was so bowled over by her charms that he lost all control of his heart and the purse strings of the country's treasury, even building Lola her own palace-- featuring a fountain that sprayed perfumed water! Lola ended up essentially ruling Bavaria in the stead of the aging and besotted king, and her liberal rule infuriated those who would flex their political muscle. Eventually her detractors did get the upper hand, stirring up a violent movement against Lola, and in the end Ludwig abdicated his very crown rather than severe his alliance with his controversial mistress.
Lola pictured with the whip she supposedly carried on her person, as a perfect accessory to her temper. Note the crown that "cupid" is handing her!
Lola found her greatest career success in her mid-30s, when she left the shores of Europe for America. The West was wild with gold fever and a little town called Grass Valley was booming. She opened a saloon there featuring "Louis XVI cabinets, ormolu mirrors, Ludwig's jewels, Kanaka houseboys, a pet bear, a swan bed, gold leaf everywhere, one extra large deep-red-top billiard table with dragons carved on its legs, and every Governor, Senator or millionaire she could find and haul into the place." Rowdy miners loved the dance moves that had so infuriated the proper ladies of European society. Lola was a hit!
Letters discovered after Lola's death hint that this saloon with its notorious and powerful guests was all part of a grand plan to gain influence and assistance in order to "capture" California from the rest of the USA, cause it to declare independence, and then be rechristened "Lola-land," with herself as Queen. (How this never went off, we'll never know, but it sure was a great idea...)
If you google "Lola Montez" you will find that modern dancers and showgirls still cite her as an influence-- she is one of those iconic women whose name and look has survived for generations. I love the idea that our sleepy little foothill town once harbored such a tigress. Maybe there is still a little Lola left around here! Rrrrrrrow!
You all remember our Gunne Parade in Sacramento this past weekend, of course?
Here is the wonderful Atelier, one of the most charming clothing stores in all of Northern California. The ladies who run it have made an intimate, inspiring space filled with incredible vintage and one-of-a-kind clothing designs. It's true love right from the rosebush by the front door:
Hey, that's us on the sign! And recognize the clothes on that rack? It's our Trunk show! We just love how all the pretty dresses look hung up together...
(Every inch of Atelier is thoughtfully decorated, even the windows!)
Here is one of the Atelier "advertisements" for the Gunne Parade... none other than an exquisite Gunne, of course! And some more of the dreamy inside of the store:
The adorable children's section:
We were talking about how someone should do some kind of Gunne database... I mean, all of us agreed that we just keep seeing new Gunne designs all the time! How many dresses did this one company make? Here's a late 60s one that takes the cake:
Love those birds!
The Gunne Database might solve some of the Gunne Mysteries... like why these two very similar dresses (one is ours, one belongs to Atelier) have different labels. One is in the Bridal Collection, one is not. Huh??? (By the way that's Amber with Kara, one of the owners of Atelier. Kara also runs the fabulous Etsy shop Porkchop Rules! Check it out! Kara is wearing a Gunne skirt/vest set.)
Our fearless parade leader, Nicole, with her daughter Kama! Kama did the hand drawn flyer that's in our first picture. Being 9 years old, she actually fits in those teeny tiny Gunnes, lucky girl... and check out Nicole's awesome Gunne, again one in a style we'd never seen! Those stripes!
(Nicole co-runs Atelier and has two awesome stores on Etsy-- Dig Vintage, which features clothes very similar in "boho" style to Violet Folklore, and Flaming Hag Folkwear, where she showcases her beautiful handmade jewelry.)
We were a small parade, but we made up for our size with our enthusiasm... and our noise! We brought lots of toy instruments and we played them with the wild abandon of Hari Krishnas, throughout the busy streets of the Second Saturday artwalk!
As twilight descended, all the ravens flew home... it was a never-ending river of ravens in the sky! It probably happens all year long, but it felt so totally OCTOBER!
Crossing the street is so much more fun when you are musical, and dressed up all purty.
Amber and Sasha: bright lights, big city; but we're doing our part to keep it old-fashioned!
We are just going to go ahead and call this the "First Annual" (can you call it Annual if it's the first one ever? We dunno) so let this be an inspiration for all of you to join us next year! Meanwhile, keep rockin your Gunnes, and someone please make a Gunne database... Nicole and Kara have both seen Gunnes with UNICORN prints, and we're dying to know what they look like! Sounds like a Trophy Gunne, if ever there was one. Hmmm.....
Atelier is at 1617 16th Street in wonderful Midtown Sacramento. They are open every day except Mondays.
Girls, girls, girls: we have got some gorgeous pieces for you this week! Check out these beauties, which we'll be putting in the shop starting Tuesday night:
um, a closer look at that one again:
(smiling, frowning, AND neutral???)
(Yes, actual 70s rhinestones!!!)
