In The Vintage Kitchen

Discussing Rustic Home Decor, Beer & Movies with Designer Frick and Frack Scraps!

Published on April 6, 2012October 10, 2012 by In The Vintage Kitchen5 Comments

If you have read her blog bio, you will know one of the things that Ms. Jeannie loves most in life is havin’ a laugh.

She loves stumbling upon things that are unexpectedly funny, which is exactly what occurred, when she set out to interview one of her favorite fellow Etsy shop owners, Frick and Frack Scraps.

Frick and Frack Scraps builds some of the most wonderfully whimsical yet fully functional home decor items. They are rustic, provincial, aged, weathered, repurposed, re-salvaged and entirely original in all aspects. Here is a sampling of items from their shop…

ffcollage — Sampling of Items from Frick & Frack Scraps

Naturally she was thrilled to discover the funny designer behind the fun shop…

Ms Jeannie: I love the rustically provincial/whimsically repurposed theme of your shop! Please explain a little about your design inspirations.

Frick & Frack Scraps: Well, thank you, firstly, for the compliment and the interview. Your blog is so unique. I get inspiration for my projects from leftover scrap laying around. My father was an architect and an armchair engineer. He used things differently and saw potential in lots of things that most people would not see. I think I got a little of that from him. And also from beer.

MJ: Do you think a lot of people are inspired by beer?

FFS: Two words, Ms. Jeannie. Benjamin Franklin. Enough said.

MJ: You have sold a lot of one of a kind items in your shop. Currently there are 11 items for sale. Are you concepting new ideas now?

FFS: Well, don’t you do your homework?! I have been busy, in the non-Etsy world, with other work, so right now I am on sort of a break, but I always look for things to use for when I am back in the saddle on my saw horse.

MJ: What designers inspire your work?

FFS: Well, I think of things in very straight terms. Not a big fan of curves, so I think that makes Mission and Prairie designers my gut inspiration. O.K. I will admit it. I have posters of Stickley and Wright on my bedroom walls.

missionstylefurn — An example of Mission style furniture. Photo courtesy of 4interior-design.com

usonian — An example of Usonian style furniture. Photo courtesy of inhabitat.com

prairie — Prairie Style Table Centerpiece from Frick & Frack Scraps

MJ: What is your most favorite type of material to work with?

FFS: Wood and steel and beer cans.

MJ: Do you ever worry about running out of scraps to work with?

FFS: Not while I live in the United States. It is funny how some people see things as useless and others see a winerack. There is more than enough.

MJ: Explain a little about your design process. How do you get started on each piece?

FFS: Since it is all scraps to start with there is a bit of a limitation at the beginning. I can not go into something thinking “table” when I only have enough scrap for a box. Once I have stuff in front of me, it is a very simple, no holds barred process. The real upshot is if I make a “mistake” it just goes into a bin until it can be used on something else.

MJ: While you are working on each creation, do you ever think about where they might end up? What style of house it will go to? Or what sort of person would buy it?

FFS: Absolutley! There is a lady on Etsy, Jacksonofalltrades, that wanted some Frick & Frack for a birthday party at a dude ranch. I never thought of my pieces that way but I think it will look good. So I have that going for me, which is nice.

MJ: At what point in life did you realize you were destined to build things?

FFS: I have always built things as far back as I can remember. “Destined” is such a big word. I think it should only be used when referring to superheros.

MJ: Speaking of superheros…who is yours?

FFS: My pal, Thom Zelenka. If he were a real superhero he would be Always OK Man. He never seems to get rattled, always has a nice or kind word and has always been the same guy – from the day I met him to decades later. Pretty damn cool.

MJ: What is it that lures people towards your items?

FFS: I am not sure. I made the four pack out of parts that were left over, after a six pack I had made that sold pretty quickly. I am sooo glad I am able to find similar materials for the four pack ’cause WOW have I had to make alot of them. But I digress, I think people like the price, the FUNctional part, and also I make alot of things that hold or incorporate alcoholic beverages so it could be that these buyers are all fun drunks.

packs — The Four Pack & The Six Pack from Frick & Frack Scraps

MJ: What is your most favorite item in your shop right now and why?

FFS: By far, the Fire Box Humidor. My pal, Tommy and I, made that and I am so proud of the re-use of that fire box. It is so outside the box. See what I did there?

MJ: Is there one item that you are constantly striving towards building for your own personal collection?

FFS: I use my wife’s style as a guide to things I build for our house, so that there is no conflict. I once bought a table at an auction for like 200 bucks and she called it the “UGLIEST TABLE IN THE WORLD” two years later I sold the original Gustav Stickley drum top table for 1500 bucks. I still smile about that. But I still do not get to pick out what I like. Ah love!

MJ: If you could build props for any tv or movie set, past or present, which would you choose?

FFS: Gangs of New York, There Will be Blood and A Good Year in the movie department for sure. I think there would be no challenge for me to get it right the first time.

gangs-of-new-york-2002-23-g — Gangs of New York set

MJ: Two of the three movies you mentioned, star Daniel Day Lewis. Do you think he would be a fan of Frick & Frack?

FFS: I think so. He is very unique himself and he lives in a castle pretty much so he’s certainly got the money to “drink my milkshake”.

Side note: If this reference confuses you, check out the “milkshake” scene from There Will Be Blood

MJ: Also, two of the three movies you mentioned are period dramas and the third is a contemporary drama set in provincial France. It is easy to picture Frick & Frack in both these worlds. What inspires you about the look of these films?

FFS: There is a utilitarian feel to everything old to me. Not much design just use in mind when they were made in the old days. That has beauty to me. I like that.

MJ: What one type of item is a consistent seller in your shop? What seems to be the slowest to sell?

FFS: The Four Pack is a runaway success. The Fire Box Humidor and the Coat racks are the slugs but I looked at other Etsy shops that have coat racks and mine should be sold as firewood compared to others! There is such cool stuff on Etsy.

cotacollage — Large Coat Rack & Small Coat Rack from Frick & Frack Scraps

MJ: What type of environment (besides the fireplace!) would your coat racks look best?

FFS: I dont know. The ones with the wooden “sleigh” shaped hooks would be great in a rustic cabin in Montana. Like a River Runs Through It house that Ikea just re-decorated.

MJ: What are some of the challenges of being a handmade seller?

FFS: I think people’s expectations. I make things rustic. I am not a finish carpenter. I send items out that might give you splinters. Really. I have not had any problems but that is the part that makes it hard.You just never know how someone will react when they get an item in hand having based their purchase on three or four pictures and a description.

MJ: Do you think if you heard more feedback from buyers that you would build different items?

FFS: I am not sure. I listen to my head when I build. There is not much more room in there for other people.

MJ: What’s your shop’s greatest success story?

FFS: Well, all of the coverage I have gotten for sure! I think when Urban Outfitters emailed me to be a vendor for their outdoor center in PA, that was pretty cool. Nothing ever came of it, in the end, but just think about how that one email could have really changed things. And the ONLY reason is due to Etsy and all of their hard work.

MJ: If you could spend one day, building Frick & Frack alongside anybody famous, living or dead, who would you choose?

FFS: Frankie Wright. (that’s what his friends call him)

frank-lloyd-wright — Architect and designer, Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), father of organic architecture and leader of the Prairie School Movement.

MJ: What does your studio space look like? What would your ideal space look like?

FFS: I build most everything thus far at my pal, Tommy’s, old mill building. It is old, dusty, and full of great equipment. My ideal space would be a 1/2 indoor 1/2 outdoor space, maybe an old barn.

MJ: What’s next on the Frick & Frack horizon?

FFS: I have no clue. Some days I think if I could just do this full time, life would be alot more simple and rewarding. I think I will try to get some wholesale clients that want lots of four packs. Maybe a cool brewery like Dog Fish Head or Victory Brewing Company could find my work and fall madly in love with it. And then I will be the hero that made their beer sales skyrocket and there would be a movie made about my life and how I changed the corporate culture of beer packaging. I would become a household name and then retire in Ireland to golf until I die. Who knows? It is amazing what a minute can do.

MJ: What would the title be to that movie be?

FFS: I think it would be: Luck. I have had alot of it in my life.

POST UPDATE (10/10/2012): Frick and Frack Scraps has just entered the blogging world! If you are in need of a laugh (or 20!) stop by and visit their aptly named blog, Out of Hand.

Passion Flower: Discovering the 20th Century’s Most Popular Female Writer

Published on April 5, 2012October 4, 2012 by In The Vintage Kitchen4 Comments

As you know from Ms. Jeannie’s previous posts – she’s got gardening on her mind. So she thought this would be an appropriate time to do a little further sleuthing on one of the flower themed items in her Etsy shop…

The 1930’s era women’s fiction book, Passion Flower.

Written by Kathleen Thompson Norris, one of the highest paid literary writers of her time, her books mostly told stories of the women of upper-class society. Passion Flower in keeping with that theme, details the story of an elite women who falls in love with her chauffeur.

Kathleen_Norris_(novelist) — Kathleen Norris in 1925

Kathleen was born July 16th, 1880 in San Francisco, married fellow writer Charles Norris (1881-1945) and published over 80 novels in her lifetime. She also wrote four collections of short stories, one play and 10 non-fiction books. Goodness gracious, she was one busy lady!

Author Ann Douglas, in her book Terrible Honesty: Mongrel Manhatten in the 1920’s described Kathleen’s work …

“Kathleen Norris was the most interesting novelist of feminine and matriarchal sentimentalist essentialism in the 1910s and 1920s; vastly popular, with a curious literary style that seems to owe a good deal to Henry James, she developed the themes that would dominate the soaps of early radio, aroused the ire (and perhaps envy) of Dorothy Parker, was adored by Alexander Wollcott (always a fan of the matriarch), and took acre of Elinor Wylie’s stepchildren (they were related by marriage; forgotten today, she is well worth in-depth study. “

In addition to being a writer, she was also a strong feminist, promoter of women’s rights, joined Charles Lindbergh in the 1930’s to oppose US ships carrying supplies to the British, called for capital punishment and campaigned for the outlaw of nuclear rights.

kathleen2 — Kathleen Thomson Norris – photo courtesy of Garver Graver

Kathleen spoke sensibly about following dreams and achieving goals. Clearly this philosphy was working for her!

“Before you begin a thing, remind yourself that difficulties and delays quite impossible to foresee are ahead. If you could see them clearly, naturally you could do a great deal to get rid of them but you can’t. You can only see one thing clearly and that is your goal. Form a mental vision of that and cling to it through thick and thin.” – Kathleen Norris

Charles Gilman Norris – photo courtesy of Garver Graver

Kathleen’s husband, Charles Norris was a prolific writer as well. Possibly best known for his book, Salt, in which F. Scott Fitzgerald claimed:

“I know Gatsby better than I know my own child. My first instinct after your letter was to let him go & have Tom Buchanan dominate the book (I suppose he’s the best character I’ve ever done–I think he and the brother in “Salt” & Hurstwood in “Sister Carrie” are the three best characters in American fiction in the last twenty years, perhaps and perhaps not) but Gatsby sticks in my heart.”

Side Note: Ms. Jeannie’s absolute most favorite book in the world is The Great Gatsby, so she is always on the look out for any F. Scott Fitzgerald references!

Kathleen and Charles owned a 200 acre ranch in Santa Clara County, California where, as Kathleen’s novels rose in popularity, they entertained many a celebrity and Hollywood A-lister. This is a photo of their home, located in Palo Alto.

norris home — Kathleen & Charles’ Spanish Colonial style home. Palo Alto, CA.

The house is still there today and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can read more about the property here, as well as see more photos and design plans.

In 1930, Passion Flower was made into a movie starring the beautiful Kay Francis, one of the most popular actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Era. Interestingly enough, she had something in common with Kathleen. Kay was one of the highest paid actresses of the 1930’s. Her estimated annual salary was $115,000. As a comparison, Bette Davis’ annual salary at the same time, was $8,000.

Here’s a photo from the movie featuring Kay and her leading man costar Charles Bickford…

By the end of Kathleen’s career, her books had sold over 10 million copies. She died in San Francisco in 1966. Her collection of works and papers are stored at the Special Collections Departments of the University of California, Los Angeles, and Stanford University.

She was quoted as saying:

“Life is easier than you’d think; all that is necessary is to accept the impossible, do without the indispensable, and bear the intolerable.”

Interested in who the highest paid author is in our 21st century, Ms Jeannie was surprised (sort of) to learn that it was Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series, who in 2010 alone earned $40 million. Her series, comprised of four books, has sold over 100 million copies to date.

In one of those, if you could have lunch with anybody, living or dead scenarios, Ms. Jeannie thinks it would be interesting to sit down with Kathleen Norris and Stephenie Meyer.

Both women, highly successful in their writing careers, both having the luxury of seeing their own success, and both having the ability to connect with their readers on passionate emotional levels, would provide for some thought provoking conversation.

Kathleen prided herself on diligently focusing on goals to achieve success while Stephenie attributes her success to having the confidence to explore her dream state, which was how the plot for Twilight started. Ms. Jeannie loves that both women achieved successful writing careers using two totally different motivations.

It is always great to have little reminders of our motivations in life. Ms. Jeannie found these two Kathleen/Stephenie approved ones on Etsy…

motive1 — The Future Belongs To Our Dreams Art Poster by misterio

goal — Goal Without A Plan Plaque from Crestfield

Ms. Jeannie thought it would be fun to imagine the writing spaces of these two very different women with the almost 100 year gap between them. Using Etsy, as her design shopping center, Ms. Jeannie put together these two worlds… based on the information she just learned about them…

Kathleen Norris’ 1930’s inspired writing niche…

typewriter — 1937 Royal KHM Typewriter from MidMd

desk — Antique 1920’s Secretary Desk from SecondRevival

pennibs — 1930’s Vintage Box of Gladiator Pen Nibs from kelleystreetvintage

stationary — 1930’s French Writing Paper from the vintagearcade

lamp — Art Deco Brass Lamp from VintageLancaster

blotting — Vintage 1920s Blotting Papers from LuncheonetteVintage

chair2 — Antique Oak Captain’s Chair from dajaxsurbanattic

dictionary — 1930s Dictionary Word Bundles from VintageScraps

postcard — The New Woman – 1897 Stereoview Photo from NiepceGallery

Stephenie Meyer’s contemporary Twilight inspired office…

laptop — Vinyl Decal Kit for Laptops from SkinKits

desk3 — Ebony Writing Desk by JiriKalina

twigpencils — Twig Pencils by braggingbags

woodgrain — Woodgrain Writing Set by AshleyPahl

forestlamp — Forest Table Lamp from tansyandco

journal — Journal with Eleanor Roosevelt Quote by watermarkbindery

wrist — Computer Keyboard Wrist Cushions by HomeGrownPillows

chair3 — Mod Shimmer Chair by AryCollection

walldecal — Wall Decal Twilight Quote by InspirationsbyAmelia

wolf — Wolf Dog Photograph by EmeraldTownRaven

Garden Update: We have sprouts!

Published on April 3, 2012October 4, 2012 by In The Vintage Kitchen1 Comment

It’s only been four days since planting the garden sunflower seeds and they have already sprouted!

Ms. Jeannie checked the Botanical Interests seed package… they estimated sprouts between 10 and 15 days, so we are WAY ahead of schedule! How exciting!

Ms. Jeannie added a garden countdown calendar on her blog . She set the date for her birthday, June 16th, in hopes that she will surprise herself with a lovely birthday bouquet.

At the rate they are going – they might be here by Memorial Day!

The Start of the Sunflowers

Published on March 31, 2012October 4, 2012 by In The Vintage Kitchen5 Comments

Today Ms. Jeannie started planting her summer garden.

It’s been a very mild winter this year in the South, so she could have started much earlier, but every once in a while, a folklorish sounding thing called blackberry winter hits our region, which sort of fools you into thinking that spring has sprung. But then a wicked Mr. Frost comes calling, and knocks out all the early garden preparations. Usually this happens around Eastertime, if it occurs at all, but this year Ms. Jeannie is throwing caution to the wind and planting early. Hopefully it will all work out.

Ms. Jeannie likes to order seeds from her favorite company, Botantical Interests. They have a lot of heirloom varieties, organic mixtures and seeds that always sprout. Plus they have marvelous looking seed packets that contain all sorts of fun growing information. They contain drawings of what the seedlings should look like too, which is helpful if you have a weed prone garden or aren’t quite sure what is what!

This year Ms. Jeannie is keeping things simple by just planting sunflowers and herbs. She will leave her vegetable growing to the local farmers and just shop for them at market each week.

Ms. Jeannie always likes to be a little out of the ordinary, so she has ordered 4 different varieties of red sunflowers, two fuzzy yellow sunflowers and one white sunflower. Ms. Jeannie finds red sunflowers to be most elegant in a bouquet and since many people aren’t familiar with them, she enjoys a bit of the surprise element!

bouquet2 — Martha Stewart put together this beautiful bouquet.

Urn style planters serve as great vases for sunflowers. Their tall yet curvaceous lines balance the bold roundness of the sunflower face. Urns are usually heavier too, which is good, because some mammoth varieties can reach heights up to 9′ feet tall!

The botanical name for sunflower is Helianthus, which comes from the Greek word “helios” which means “sun” and “anthos” which means “flower.” Although native to North America, sunflowers were first discovered by European explorers in South America, but Native American tribes had been growing, cultivating and defining them from the beginning. Native American tribes used the flower petals for dye, the seeds for food, the oil for ceremonial body painting and the stalks for fiber.

Explorers brought seeds back to their native countries, so that by the late 1500’s sunflowers were a common site throughout Europe.

bordeux — Sunflower Field – Bordeaux, France. Photo by robsound

By the 18th century though that Europeans began cooking with sunflower oil. If you have never cooked with sunflower oil, it is supposed to contain the highest levels of Vitamin E, of all the cooking oils. It is light in taste and color. and is low in saturated fat. Learn more here.

Sunflowers can even be used as birdfeeders! Thanks again crafty Martha for supplying us with this pretty feeder idea:

To make your own birdfeeder like this one click here.

Because of their warm, cheerful coloring and their dramatic size and shape, sunflowers have been a subject for artistic study for centuries. Probably, the most recognized paintings of sunflowers would be those of Vincent Van Gogh:

While Ms. Jeannie does love all these paintings, she does wish that Van Gogh had painted more red sunflowers! As a gift recently, she did receive the new Vincent Van Gogh biography by Steven Naifeh and Gregory Smith…

…perhaps she will learn more about the inspiration behind all those sunflower portraits! Maybe he’ll even address the red ones! If anyone has already read this book, please let Ms. Jeannie know what you thought of it. She always enjoys a good book review.

On Etsy, there is a glorious amount of sunflower-related items, but red sunflower items are a little more niche. Ms. Jeannie was happy to come across these items:

Duralee Red Sunflower Pillow by PopOColor

notecard — Red Sunflower Card from Teroldegoandtomatoes

clipboard — Large Decorative Clipboard from ConfettiStyleDesigns

necklace — Glowing Golden Sunflower Pendant from Bella Grethel

sunflower bowl — Sunflower Bowl from betsybpottery

Ms. Jeannie couldn’t resist these yellow sunflower items either:

sunking — Sun King – 11×17 Fine Art Photography from sintwister

tote — Sunflower Tote Bag from jjmillistration

dress — Vintage 1960s Sunflower Tunic Dress from digVintageClothing

apron — Reverse Me Dotty Apron in Sunflowers & Paisley from bdoodles

Ok, garden. Ms. Jeannie can’t wait to see your pretty faces. So start GROWING!

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows follow behind you.”
~ Maori Proverb

On the Set of Get Low: A Moment in the Movies

Published on March 30, 2012February 26, 2022 by In The Vintage KitchenLeave a comment

get-low-movie — Get Low movie posterTwo years ago, there was an open casting call for extras for the film, Get Low, which starred Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray and Lucas Black.

Two years ago, there was an open casting call for extras for the film, Get Low, which starred Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray and Lucas Black. Ms. Jeannie had never been an extra, so she signed up with excitement for her moment in the movies. She thought it might be a fun way to spend an afternoon, but it actually turned out to be a two full days of activity!

Day 1 involved a trip to “wardrobe” which was actually one of the film sets, Gaither Plantation, located near Atlanta.

gaither1_sissy — Gaither Plantation’s main house served as the exterior of Sissy Spacek’s house in the movie.

It was a gorgeous location!

Ms. Jeannie was on set for only ten minutes before she saw Sissy Spacek, coming out of her trailer, just feet away! While on set, the extras were asked not to bring any camera or video equipment and also asked NOT to get autographs from any of the actors.

Wardrobe was set up in one of the outbuildings on the plantation.

gaither_log — The log cabin (on the far left) was the site of wardrobe.

There, Ms. Jeannie met no-nonesense costume designer Julie Weiss, who has worked on a ton of movies including The Time Traveler’s Wife, Secretariat, Frida (see past post about this movie here), American Beauty, Steal Magnolias, Honeymoon in Vegas…so many movies that Ms. Jeannie loves!

Get Low was set in 1930’s Tennessee, so all the extras had to be authentically dressed in period clothing, makeup and hair. Julie was no exchanger of pleasantries, she was on a serious mission to get everyone in and out and dressed appropriately.

For Ms. Jeannie, Julie choose a red and navy pattern print dress, a red, navy and white plaid coat and a funny looking navy and white hat. Ms. Jeannie managed to sneak a few photos of her outfit up close. Shhh..don’t tell Julie!

getlow_wardobe1 — Lots of pattern mixing going on!

Ms. Jeannie also wore gloves and nylons. And because she wore a pair of vintage looking black loafer type shoes to her wardrobe appointment, Julie gave the thumbs up that they could worn for the movie. You can kind of see them in this picture…

getlow_wardobe2 — The 1930’s woman always wore gloves. Even in rural Tennessee!

After Ms. Jeannie’s outfit satisfied Julie, it was off to be photographed by costume department staff for the continuity files. Clothes were then hung up on hangers with names attached for next day’s shoot.

Day 2:

All the extras had to be on set at 4:30am in Crawfordville, GA which meant a super early morning drive for Ms. Jeannie.

Crawfordville is located about 2 hours east of Atlanta, and is as tiny a town as towns can get. Surprisingly, many movies have been filmed there including Sweet Home Alabama starring Reese Witherspoon.

Apparently movie companies like to film there because it’s historic main street is easily adaptable. The town is so small (population under 800) that film crews can pretty much do whatever they like, set-wise, without displacing a lot of locals.

Here are pictures of Crawfordville’s main street as it looks today…

And here is how it was transformed for the movie. Again Ms. Jeannie was a little sneaky on set with her camera!

getlow_set3 — Dirt was brought in to cover the roads.

getlow_set6 — Fake building facades were installed on one side of the street, but all the other buildings are real store fronts.

That’s Lucas Black sitting on the bench below. The Farmers & Merchant Bank is the actual real bank in Crawfordville.

getlow_set1 — Old cars really helped give it that 1930’s feel.

Many of the cars were loaned for the movie were from an antique car collector that lived nearby. Also, in the photo above, you can see a Panavision movie camera peeking out underneath the awning. Very Hollywood!

Ms. Jeannie’s role in the movie was to walk across the street carrying paper wrapped packages. Here, the crew is preparing for the busy street scene, where Ms. Jeannie will appear.

That’s Robert Duvall standing next to the cart. It’s hard to see, so here’s a close-up. He’s the one with the full beard.

In this scene, Ms. Jeannie crosses the road in front of Robert Duvall, whose hermit character has come to town for the first time in 20 years. The cart is driven by Hollywood’s famous trick mule Grace, who indeed was quite professional! Read more about her many talents here.

Ms. Jeannie had a walking partner too – a fellow extra who has made a professional career out of being an extra for the past 15 years. You can see her in the grey and green below. And that’s Robert Duvall! Up close!

It was nice to have a walking partner for company, because this one scene took about 7 hours to film. Ms. Jeannie and her partner criscrossed the street from every possible angle. It was also super windy that day, so that made some elements tricky for the crew. Julie was on set to keep everyone’s hats secured.

Pictured above is the director, Aaron Schneider talking to Robert Duval. There’s costume designer Julie, in the back left wearing the checkered sweater.

Finally, the scene was shot, and we were all off to the catering hall for dinner.

Bill Murray was the only major actor that ate with the extras. He sat, by himself, but close enough to Ms. Jeannie to make her sort of nervous. She wanted to talk to him, but she suddenly felt speechless. So, much to her disappointment, she lost all her nerve to chat. That was when it struck Ms. Jeannie…it was as awkward for Bill Murray to eat with a room full of strangers as it was for a room full of strangers to eat with Bill Murray. Ms. Jeannie could understand how it could be lonely, on the road, for an actor.

Hours later, in-between scenes, Ms. Jeannie got to personally meet Bill Murray, along with a bunch of other extras. He shook her hand and commented on what an unusual hat she was wearing. He was wearing a super tight suit. Ms. Jeannie wanted to joke about that – but she refrained!

BillMurray_GetLow — This is the outfit Bill Murray was wearing when Ms. Jeannie met him.

Now that they had established a repoire, Ms. Jeannie was hoping that she might get up her nerve to talk with him again, but unfortunately, he had left for the airport to hop a flight to California, so he could play in a golf tournament at Pebble Beach.

So Ms. Jeannie’s days spent with celebrities came to an end. After a long but magical day on set, she headed home, with the new found appreciation for actors and all those millions of unnamed extras. Weeks later, she received a $100.00 check in the mail – her day rate as an official movie extra!

Many months after that, the trailer was released…

And then the movie. And Ms. Jeannie saw that her scene actually made it in!

getlow_screencapture — Robert Duvall, Ms. Jeannie and professional extra.

To Ms. Jeannie’s surprise, costume designer Julie recreated outfits with a lot of pattern. For some reason, Ms. Jeannie thought in the 1930’s that women wore mostly solid colors. Not so! Ms. Jeannie discovered on Etsy that women in the 1930’s like this one wore a lot of pattern together. Check out her coat and dress…

vintagephoto — Vintage Photo from phunctum.

Thanks to the fabulous vintage shops on Etsy, anyone could recreate Ms. Jeannie’s movie costume with the following items…

plaidcoat2 — Vintage Black & White Plaid Coat from MarcellasExcess

shoes — 1930s Oxford Style Shoes from honeytalkvintage

gloves — 30’s Leather Riding Gloves from Freestyle Collection

The hat that Ms. Jeannie wore in the movie was really unusual. It was shaped like this one below, but it had a big white bow that ran across the front and was floppy in back like a beret. No wonder Bill Murray commented on it!

hat — 1940’s High Hat from poppycockvintage

Get Bill Murray’s funeral director look:

suit jacket — Vintage Pinstripe Suit Jacket from TrueValueVintage

scarf — Men’s 1930’s/1940’s Fringed Scarf from fifisfinds

coat — 1939-1949 Men’s Brown Wool Coat from Lins Vintage Boutique

menshat — Vintage Stetson Hat Felted Derby Wool Bowler from KTsAttic

Julie would definitely approve!!!!

Throw A Mad Men Party – Season 5 Starts Tonight!

Published on March 25, 2012October 4, 2012 by In The Vintage Kitchen1 Comment

It’s been a long wait for all of us Mad Men fans! Ms. Jeannie can’t wait to see what’s in store for Don Draper.

We left off in Season 4 with Don proposing to his secretarial pool girlfriend/nanny Megan..if you need a refresher of the final episode, watch here…

If you missed the Mad Men season trailer 5, watch this one. Although it’s not really a trailer, but a show recap of the past 4 seasons. But it’s still got a few of those “oh yeah, I forgot about that” moments…

Want to throw a Mad Men party in honor of the tonight’s big 2 hour premiere? Here’s an authentic mid-century menu:

Cocktails & Hors d’ouevres

Martinis (of course!)

Spicy Smoked Peanuts

Carmelized Onion Dip with Cilantro Garlic Pita Chips

Main Course

Beef Wellington

Creamed Spinach

Golden Potato Gratin

Dessert:

Baked Alaska

All the recipes for this menu are available on epicurious.com by clicking here

Mexican Folk Art: How Circumstances Affect Creativity

Published on March 23, 2012October 4, 2012 by In The Vintage Kitchen3 Comments

Oaxaca, Mexico has been in the news a lot this week because of the earthquake that struck the region on Tuesday. It measured 7.4 magnitude on the Richter scale and has damaged close to 1,000 homes in the area.

Ms. Jeannie was saddened to hear this news, because ever since discovering that the black clay pottery listed in her Etsy shop (pictured below) came from that area, she has been learning quite a lot about Oaxaca.

This type of earthenware vessel, also called barro negro which means black clay, is handmade using ancient traditions indigenous to the Mexican culture in this area.

Primarily formed into utilitarian objects like jars and pots, Mexican artisans have been working with the black clay for centuries. And surprisingly, you can feel that somehow when you touch it.

In this close-up of the vessel you can see how smooth the texture is…

The only place in the world to find this black clay is in the rugged mountainous terrain of Oaxaca, which is located in the Central Valley area of Southwestern Mexico.

Since there are are no navigable rivers in the region, Oaxaca is an isolated community, which, while limiting at times, it is also the reason why the Mexican-Mayan culture, languages and traditions have been able to survive.

In this fascinating and soothingly hypnotic video below, watch Oaxacan women demonstrate how they make tamales using traditional methods. Ms. Jeannie loves watching these kinds of videos because you not only get to see how regional food is prepared but you also see how local people dress, interact and communicate with another. It’s like an 8 minute mini anthropology vacation to Mexico!

Ms. Jeannie really likes the cotton dresses and skirts these ladies are wearing too! They remind her of these, that she recently saw on Etsy.

skirt3 — Cotton Aline Skirt from ellainaboutique

dress2 — Buttercream Triangle Sun Dress from SparrowCollective

There are also beautiful more traditional Mexican embroidery style clothing on Etsy too. Like these two examples. It’s folk art that you can wear!

folkart8 — Embroidered Party Maxi Dress by AidaCoronado

folkart3 — La Bandida Mexican Folk Art Top from mybonny

The movie Frida starring Selma Hayak and Alfred Molina also offers a beautifully cinematic look into the life of Mexico and it’s artisians, particularly folk artist Frida Kahlo. The movie came out in 2002, but if you missed it, here’s the trailer:

In 2008, a traveling exhibit of Frida’s work went on tour…

Ms. Jeannie went to the exhibit with her sister at the Philadelphia Art Museum. It featured about a quarter of Frida’s painting collection and her never seen before personal photograph collection, which was a really intimate glimpse into her life. Of course all her photos were in black in white but after viewing her paintings, Ms. Jeannie could imagine all the colors of mid-century Mexico.

This is Ms. Jeannie’s favorite Frida Kahlo painting. She likes it for many reasons, but primarily because every time she looks at it she gets something different from it. Also, Ms. Jeannie has a black cat that looks just like this one!

Frida’s inspiration was really born out of a life of crippling health problems. Artistic achievement seemed to be one of the few ways she could emotionally and physically deal with her broken body. In expressing herself in that way, she had a positive effect on millions of other artists and collectors of her work.

To Ms. Jeannie, Frida Kahlo is a genuine example of making the best of your situation and focusing on your strengths instead of your weaknesses.

In that way she is similar to the clay artisians of Oaxaca. They may be limited because of their location and their lifestyle but those very limits are actually their gifts. And that is what sets them apart from everyone else.

Mexican folk art is a personal favorite of Ms. Jeannie’s. She likes the bright color combinations and the symbolism behind the art. She also likes how it acts as an emotional bridge between artist and audience in a demanding way that says “pay attention to me now.”

Ms. Jeannie especially likes the following:

angel — Angel Retablo Tropical Alta from CristinaAcosta

Christina provided some history behind retablos that was so fascinating. She thought it was rather lengthy in description, but Ms. Jeannie enjoyed it so much she included it all…

“Retablos (or altarpiece in Spanish) are a traditional sacred art form with roots that pre-date Christianity, with roots in the Mediterranean areas that include part of what is now Italy. The art form of the retablo first came to North America with the Spanish settlers and artisans that followed the Conquistadors to the North American continent to settle what is now Mexico and the United States.

There are two types of Retablos, the Santos and the Ex-Voto. The Santos style of retablo is either a Saint (from the Roman Catholic Christian tradition) or a member of the Holy Family. Similar in concept to the art form of the Byzantine and/or European Orthodox Catholic icon, the Santos is painted in accordance with strict liturgical rules that define how the central figure of Saint or Holy Family member is represented. The counterpoint to the Santos is the Ex-voto, a no-rules, personal vision that is created to commemorate a blessing received or when a prayer has been answered.

The Ex-voto retablo is the art form I focus on. I love it! This retablo art form gives me a way to connect with the religion of my childhood, without having to get into any personal struggles with a dogma that doesn’t always jibe with who I am now.

When I was a child, my abuelita (paternal grandmother), Catalina Maria Ortiz Acosta would tell me about the ancestors we shared. They were goldsmiths, soldiers and settlers who had first come to North America in the 1500’s, eventually settling in what are now the towns of Santa Fe, Taos and Abiquiu in New Mexico and Ortiz, Colorado. Though she was born in Los Angeles, she held her New Mexican roots close to her heart, importing New Mexican chilis to her home by the beach in Playa del Rey. (I updated her recipe for Red Chili Sauce, if you’d like to try it.)

I paint my retablos to express and explore my gratitude for the blessings of my life. My favorite subject is the Divine Feminine which I interpret as Madonna / Female Creator images. Because my Spanish/Mexican ancestors migrated to North America in the 1500’s, I also include American Indian symbols, as that heritage is sure to be part of my mix.

Along with the visual symbols of my work, the materials I use have personal meaning. My Ortiz ancestors where famous goldsmiths. Thin sheets of 22kt. gold leaf, copper and sterling silver glisten under and over layers of oil paint and evoke the presence of those ancestors. The antique ceramic tile mosaic is glazed with 24kt. Gold and is from a now shuttered ceramic factory in the same area of Southern California where I grew up. The wood panels are built by an artisan wood worker and mostly include re-worked lumber siding from razed timber mill buildings in Bend.

I finish each Retablo with a blessing, usually on the back of the image. In the old tradition of territorial New Mexico, the Retablo often became the spiritual focus in the home when travel was dangerous and people could not attend church. Centuries of isolation in New Mexico led to the unique form of the Ex-Voto often painted on tin, leather or wood panels.

Artists were commissioned to paint retablos that often became symbols of a family’s spiritual life. In that tradition I offer myself to paint commissions of a Retablo for you that commemorates your blessings.” – Cristina Acosta

Side Note: To see more of Cristina’s work or to get your house color coordinated by her (very cool!) visit her website

folkart — Love Shrine Mexican Folk Art by calaverasycorazones

birdegg — Mexican Folk Art Easter Egg from Latrouvaille

folkart4 — Frida Kahlo Art Print Poster by HeatherGallerArt

folkart2 — Tropical Accent Pillow from arribachica

Kimberly of arribachica was inspired by Mexican culture as a child living in Los Angeles and San Diego. Frequent trips across the border, family cultural activities and her artistic folk artist grandmother fueled a passion to study art in the colonial city of San Miguel de Allende.

Side note: A portion of the proceeds from Kimberly’s exquisite pillows benefit two Mexican organizations that empower and support young children. Visit her blog for more information http://www.kimberlymaier.blogspot.com/

tin — Vintage Tin Mexican Folk Art from Bittersweets13

bird2 — Vintage Mexican Folk Art Bird from TimelessFindsVintage

folkart7 — Purple/Blue Folk Art Box from mimexart

Miriam of mimiexart had this to say about the inspiration behind her Mexican Folk Art Boxes.

“I’m a Mexican artist and since I leave my Mexico first to go to the Caribbean now in England. It has been difficult to be far away from home, family, friends, my city and all my culture but for some great reason now I understand why Mexico is so rich country so to cure my nostalgia I started to take back my memories of colour, images, people, places and paint- as an artist- is my first tool to communicate to the world.. so this is how I started to make this little boxes and become no just a therapy for my heart is also helping people to have a piece of Mexican love-art in their home and sometimes just inspire people to create similar things.This boxes are made to keep love-secrets, treasuries, jewelry, letters……… anything that you want to be safe and away from wrong hands.”

Side note: In addition to hand-painted boxes, Miriam also makes earrings and adorned mesh market bags. Stop by her website to learn more about this wonderfully talented artist, world traveler and teacher.

folkart9 — Vintage Wooden Virgin Mary Shadow Box from theVirginRose

And most importantly, Ms. Jeannie likes that folk art tells stories. Stories of it’s creators, stories of it’s history and stories of universal bonds that tie us all together.

“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it’s true I’m here, and I’m just as strange as you.” – Frida Kahlo

Baby’s First: A Cattle Round-Up Story

Published on March 19, 2012October 4, 2012 by In The Vintage Kitchen1 Comment

This weekend, Ms. Jeannie was invited to a semi-annual cattle round-up at her friend’s organic farm. She had never been to a cattle-round up before. It all sounded very exciting!

On this farm, the round up occurs twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. The purpose is to take inventory of the herd, worm all the cows and castrate the baby boy bulls that have been born between roundups.

Being somewhat of a city slicker herself, Ms. Jeannie was excited to put on her rubber boots and spend a day romping around the farm. She brought along her camera to document the experience.

Starting at day break (which is farmers speak for bright and early 6:30am) it took about fours hours from start to finish to move 100 cows through a head gate shoot, where they would be quickly examined,wormed and castrated. The cows on this farm are 100% free range over many acres, so first, they had to be herded together.

Once corraled into one paddock they keep moving into smaller and smaller fenced areas.

For most cows, this is a routine procedure, sort of like a doctor’s check-up for us. They don’t love it – but they endure it just fine. Waiting at the holding gate is like waiting in a doctor’s office. Everyone is antsy to get their examination over with.

While the cows were cueing up Ms. Jeannie spotted the smallest cow in the herd…

…a baby born just 3 weeks ago! You can see see him in this picture with the little white spot on his side.

To keep the cows organized right before they line up for the shoot, they are broken into groups according to size.Which meant Mama and Baby had to be seperated. Baby went to the holding pen with all the other calves to wait
his turn while Mama lined up with the heifers in the shoot.

They both called for each other when they were separated, which pulled at Ms. Jeannie’s heart.

The older cows traveled through the shoot relatively easily. Here is one getting wormed. Which looks like a giant tube of toothpaste that gets spread onto their back.

Almost done…

Some look even downright content like this one…

but the babies are a little more rambunctious since it is their first time in such a confined area. This one below kept trying to figure out how to get her head unstuck.

Mama went through the shoot, was vaccinated and wormed. Her whole procedure took about four minutes.

Ms. Jeannie was surprised to see that when each cow is released from the shoot – they sort of spring out of the gate, sort of half jumping like a bunny rabbit. Free at last! When Mama was released she stood off to the side, just feet away to wait for her baby who was about 60 cows in…way in the back of the calf group. Mama is looking for Baby here in this photo…

Alas! Mama spots him through the fence!

When he got close enough in line, Mama reassured him that everything was going to be fine and gave him a kiss for good luck!

Finally it was his turn in the shoot. His head was collared in place for his exam.

This may look like it hurts, but it doesn’t. Holding them in like this protects the cows from getting over excited and from breaking a leg or hitting their head against the metal rails.

Mama waited next to him the whole time. She touched noses for extra support…

Baby wanted to put his own spin on this whole head lock thing, by throwing a leg out. He was such a little guy – there was a bit of extra space in the holding collar. Why not air out a leg while you have the chance. It’s one step closer to freedom afterall!

Mama advised that this was probably not a good idea.

Moments later, the collar let him go and he was out! Mom and baby headed off together to mull over the whole experience.

Ms. Jeannie was struck by what a wonderful and encouraging mama this cow was. And how Baby really depended on her for moral support. Seeing the two of them interact together was the highlight of Ms. Jeannie’s day!

Etsy is full of whimsical items that celebrate the wonderful relationship between animal moms and their babies. If you need some inspiration this Mother’s Day, take a look…

baby1 — Plush Animal Mom and Baby Snuffalo from cuteandcreepy

baby2 — BlackBears Mom and Baby from wishdaisy

baby3 — Nursery Wall Decal Mom and Baby Giraffe from LeoLittleLion

baby4 — Vintage Mama and Baby Ducks Pull Toy from OopseeDaisies

Hummingbird Babies Metallic Photograph from LD Photography

elephant — Mama & Baby Elephant Vintage Ring from bigGreengiraffe

dustbunny — Le Mama & Baby Dust Bunny Totems from leanimale

How to Wear A Vintage Sweater

Published on March 14, 2012October 4, 2012 by In The Vintage KitchenLeave a comment

The fun thing about adding vintage pieces to your wardrobe is the variety in how you can wear them. But sometimes this seemingly fun game of match and go can also be challenging. Don’t fret my dears, Ms. Jeannie is here to help advise.

Let’s take a look at this mid-century sweater that Ms. Jeannie has listed in her shop.

red2 — Vintage 1960’s Red Belted Cardigan

It’s bright color, cableknit accents and short sleeves make it a versatile piece to wear in multiple seasons and situations. The belt and buttons lend to its classcly tailored lines, which means that it would look great with the following…

Modern denimn trousers from AnnTaylor

jeans — Modern Denim Trousers from Ann Taylor

Brighten it up even more with an elegant silk blouse…

If you have great legs, pair it with a twill skirt from H & M

For an office look, wear it with Jones Wide Leg trousers from Anthropologie

pants — Jones Wide Leg Pants from Anthropologie

Or on cool summer nights…

shorts — Season Staple Shorts from Anthropologie

For office-in-to-evening outfits, this Jersey Tea Dress from Boden in taupe would be effortless…

Sometimes all it takes is a great accessory like this Italian leather handmade tote to make a vintage sweater look even greater!

A fun romp through one woman’s experiences with (now vintage!) clothing is the book called Love, Loss and What I Wore by Ilene Beckerman.

love-loss-1 — Love, Loss and What I Wore by Ilene Beckerman

This funny, poignant story details the critical clothing choices Ilene made during pivotal moments in her life. Each story is accompanied by delightful illustrations such as this one…

Ilene had no intention of publishing her experiences. She wrote down and illustrated her memories as a momento for her grandchildren and assembled them in a binder.

In 1995, her book was published, much to Ilene’s surprise. In 2010, the book was adapted by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron as an Off-Broadway play.

love loss playbill cover — Playbill Cover

It’s on it’s second year run at the Westside Theater, but will be closing at the end of March 2012 after over 1,000 perfomances. Here’s a picture of the final cast…

lovelos-cast — Final Cast Members of Love, Loss and What I Wore, The Play

Over 30 different casts have participated in the play. Each cast performed for 4 weeks. Members included: Jane Lynch, Alexis Bleidel, Rita Wilson, Janeane Garofalo, Rosie O’Donnell, Kristen Chenowith and Samantha Manthis just to name a few.

Imagine the 1960’s vintage red belted sweater making it all the way to Broadway! Or at least it imagine it sparking some great memories in your life that could be passed down to other generations.

You never know… life is surprising!

Journey of a Norwegian American Family: An Adventure in Research

Published on March 9, 2012October 4, 2012 by In The Vintage Kitchen2 Comments

For a time, when Ms.Jeannie was small, she thought she was Asian.

She recalls a story, her mother was telling at the dining room table one night about her great grandparents, the Wongs. Certainly Ms. Jeannie didn’t look Asian, with her dark blond hair and green eyes, nor did any of her family members look Asian. But Ms. Jeannie had a wonderful imagination as a child and of course, she was a subscriber to National Geographic.

She could picture the Far East with it’s geishas, it’s red paper dragons, it’s rice fields….the silk brocades, the fishing villages, the serene gardens. She could here the gonging of the metal.

As the dinner conversation continued, Ms. Jeannie learned from her mother that in fact the Wong ancestors were not really Asian at all. They were Norwegian actually. Their named just happened to both look and sound Asian.

Well, from that moment Ms. Jeannie was hooked. She peppered her mother with questions about her Asian sounding now Norwegian ancestors. But Ms. Jeannie’s mother knew very little, so the questions went unanswered, and the spark laid dorment for a time.

Years later, taking matters into her own hands, Ms. Jeannie emabarked on a mision to find out just who these Nordic people were. She started with this information from her mother…which turned out to be the only things that her family knew about the Wongs at that time.

So she knew that Martin & Clara had eight children and she knew there birthdates & the parents death dates. It was a mystery where they were born, where they lived, the last name of mother Clara and what happened to all the kids.

So the research began! Through careful study, the process of eliminaton and millions of census records, the mystery of the Wongs started to unravel.

Ms. Jeannie learned the Wong name was really spelled Wang (and pronounced Vang) so out the door the Asian culture theories flew! Now that Ms. Jeannie had the correct spelling, her search got much simpler.

She narrowed it down to households containing the name Martin & Clara and all the children. There were only two families with similiar names, one in North Dakota and on in Wisconsin. Ms. Jeannie’s grandmother was born in Wisconsin, so she started researching that family. Luckily she was on the right track! Through ancestry.com she found a few records for Martin Wang and a picture of he and Clara…

martinandclarawang — Martin & Clara Wang

Exciting! Through the information provided in the census, Ms. Jeannie learned that Martin & Clara were from Ostre Toten Norway and Hurdal, Norway respectively. And Clara’s last name was Erickskillet. Martin applied for American citizenship in 1876 as determined by this document:

martinwang_citizenshipcard — Martin Wang’s citizenship card

Martin & Clara actually had nine children. J. William Wang died when he was 12 years old. Ms. Jeannie uncovered this picture of the Wang family taken at J. William’s funeral. Everybody looks sad, especially little Edwin (the one holding the frame)…

Ms. Jeannie was on a role now – gathering various bits and pieces of information. Martin had a glass eye. He was a cabinet maker. They lived on a farm.

Martin built a church in Wisconsin:

martinwang_churchhebuilt_moenchurch — The church that Martin built

martinwang_churchhebuilt_moenchurch2 — Interior view of the church.

martinwang_cemeterypic — Contemporary picture of the church.. It’s still there!

Ms. Jeannie’s mother found a box with some old unmarked family photos and now they could add names to faces…

martinwangandfamily — Wang Family Portrait

Originally everybody thought this was Nora Wang – Juna’s sister. But extra research put the right name with the right face.

Meeting other Wang family relatives on ancestry.com led to the sharing of this picture of Clara Wang in her senior years. She sure looks like a hard worker.

Seeing this picture, Ms. Jeannie’s mother realized she had this picture of Clara that was taken with Clara’s granddaughter.:

Ms. Jeannie’s mother now recalled stories of Clara not being able to speak any English. The census lists the family as speaking Norwegian in their household. Possibly Martin spoke English and Norwegian, in order to conduct business in America.

Ms. Jeannie has now learned quite a bit about of information about the Wang Family. She has all their birth & death dates and places, information about all the children, who they married, where they lived and died, etc.

It’s exciting to see that Ms. Jeannie started here:

And wound up here:

chart_martinwang — Custom Ancestry Chart by msjeannieology

If you’d like help tracing your family stories and photographs, send Ms.Jeannie a message! She would love to spark your interest in genealogy!

Want to learn more stories? Watch celebrities trace their roots on Who Do You Think You Are on NBC every Friday at 8:00pm. They are already in their third season!

Here’s a clip from one of Ms. Jeannie’s favorite episodes from season 1 featuring Lisa Kudrow:

Who Do You Think You Are

Search for amazing Norwegian antiques on etsy.com. You never know…you might find something that once belonged to your relatives!