raining cats and dogs

I realized while combing through the shop today that we've got a good little collection of kitschy cat & dog items building up.  We've apparently become the crazy ladies who like to collect figurines and strange animal related stuff.  And when we can't find vintage things, we MAKE handmade things to fill the void.  We might have a problem.  We're both kind of okay with that though.

This is the one that I (Jess) have become the most attached to.  I mean, the dog is playing friggin' accordian.  SO CUTE.

And leave it to us to have not one, but TWO, cat salt/pepper shakers.  And by that I mean we have one of each... not a set.  Because we also can't resist things that are cute and have been orphaned. 

Caiti has been cranking out all sorts of amazing bows lately.  I love these two so much! I actually have my own version of the puppy & kitty polka dotted one.  

And there's those crazy-pants pendants I've been making for a while.  They're from vintage children's book illustrations, and I think they make for the perfect touch of kitsch for any outfit.  Because doesn't every outfit need a little kitsch?  We (obviously) think so.

All these items, and more fabulous kitschy and fancy things, can be found in our Etsy shop

A fancy new year to you,

Jess & Caiti

shop tour: The Rusty Bucket

Here at Lucille's we love junk.  Rusty, old, creaky, beaten up stuff is some of our favorite stuff in the world.  We love chairs with peeling, worn paint, skeleton keys covered in patina, and all sorts of odd little things that probably should have been thrown out years ago... like that box of dental molds we saw at a flea market once (true story. totally should have bought them).  But we also love fancy things, like old art, glassware, and things of that nature.  That's why we were so psyched to stumble upon The Rusty Bucket in Saco, Maine. 

The Rusty Bucket is housed in a little Victorian house just off Route 1 in Saco on Ross Road.  When you first pull into the parking lot, you're greeted with the lovely sight that you see in the photo above - JUNK!  Heaps of old shutters, wire baskets, buoys, and lots of things you didn't know you needed until the moment you saw them.  

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Just past the heaps of things, there's a small brightly painted shed that houses even more treasures.  It was in there that we found our favorite pieces of the day - an old weather vane and an antique time card holder.  We didn't last out there for very long because it was FREEZING that day! So we headed inside...

When you enter the shop you're greeted by warmth, which is most important on a cold day, the lovely smell of potpourri, and lots and lots of goodies to gaze at.  Most days, you'll also find Mike, one of the owners, behind the counter - he's excellent to chat with! 

We spent quite a bit of time wandering around looking at all the treasures in the shop...  I really loved some of the pieces on the wall above.

And don't forget to go downstairs! There are even more things tucked away down there! 

Like these salty old sailors.  And that beaaaautiful old scale! 

And I mean, have you EVER seen a pair of handles so beautiful in your life? When we saw these I actually said out loud "they just don't make 'em like they used to!", which sounds incredibly silly coming from a 26 year old, but still remains true.

We've gone to the Rusty Bucket twice within a span of a week or two, and it's totally worth the multiple trips.  We're actually super lucky to have found out about the place when we did.. because they're currently closed up for the winter and will re-open in the spring.  It seems almost unfair for us to blog about it... but.. we figure it'll just give you something to look forward to in the springtime!  In the meantime, Mike sells some things on eBay... and he updates his facebook regularly, so you should like him on there! 

Stay tuned for our next shop tour...

 and if you have anywhere you think we should feature, please let us know! We're always looking for an excuse for a roadtrip :)

-Jess & Caiti

DIY Glitter Nail Polish

Inspired by one of Laura's posts on Mainetoday about a DIY holiday manicure, I felt inspired to get my glitter on!  I decided to do some DIY of my own...

I'm usually really into colors that other people aren't into, so I have a hard time finding nail polish that I dig.. especially when it comes to polish of the glitter variety.  But every now and then, even a girl with weird taste needs to be shiny.  I had some lovely copper glitter I had fallen in love with ages ago, and some clear nail polish, and it occurred to me... EUREKA! I can make my own glitter polish! It seemed so simple! 

And... it totally was.

It's an incredibly easy-peasy DIY.  All you need is some clear polish, some glitter, and a means of funneling the glitter in.

Step 1.  Realize that the funnel you have is too big to fit into the nail polish.  Use a piece of paper formed into a makeshift funnel instead.  Or, if you're more prepared than me you can just use a small funnel.

Step 2.  Pour some glitter into the bottle.  Realize that it's a good idea you did this project while your husband was sleeping because he hates glitter.

Step 3.  Let it settle for a second... my glitter was really big pieces, so it took a minute for it to settle down into the bottle so I could add more.  

Step 4.  Shake it like a Polaroid picture! Or, just... shake it.. because you're really not supposed to shake Polaroids, you know.  Again, depending on how heavy your glitter is, it might take a minute to blend in.

And TA-DA! You've got your very own glittery concoction.  Feel free to go crazy with mixing colors of glitter... and mixing it up with different base coats underneath it.

I had a holiday party to go to, so I did a bit of a quick & dirty manicure with some iridescent white polish as a base coat.  I was going to do the ombre manicure that Laura did in her article, but I got too excited about the glitter and just kept adding more :)

Oh, and... my husband still managed to find glitter (ahem, everywhere) and complain about it, so you may want to be a bit more dainty than I was if you have a similar grumbly person in your life.  

Still totally worth it though.  And maybe perfect for some New Year's Eve nails?

Happy shiny holiday wishes,

Jess

DIY Vintage Photo Magnets

I've mentioned in previous posts that I have a weakness for old photos.  I tend to pick them up (I may or may not refer to it as 'adopting them') at flea markets, garage sales, and wherever old family photos are discarded.  I also have quite the collection of my own family's photos... I've sort of become the keeper of the family photographic memories, which I love.  But sometimes, I don't know how to display all of these beauties.  I don't always want to frame them, but I definitely don't want them to just collect dust in a drawer...  I decided the other day to take advantage of the little bit of fridge space I have, and make a couple old photos into magnets! 

All you need for this project is Magnetic Adhesive Sheet (I got mine at Michael's), some scissors, and whatever photos you'd like to magnetize (side bar: am I the only one who thinks of Mos Def in Be Kind Rewind, every time someone says "magnetized"? "you're maaaagnetized!" yeah? just me? okay, anywho)

I chose a couple photos of strangers I had acquired over the years but didn't have  place for. I laid the photos on the sheet to make sure I had enough space to cut them out.  I cut them freehand, but if you want to do it the "right", "thorough", or "correct" way, I would suggest flipping it over and tracing the picture on the back of the sheet and then cutting that out.  I tend to cut corners, but I get the job done. 

As you can see, the back of these sheets are magnetic on the front, and have a sheet on the back you can peel off.. I cut out my magnetic sheet to the corresponding photo sizes, and peeled off the sheet and exposed the adhesive...

...then stuck it onto the back of the photo.  Et voila! 

Now these lovely photos, of the lady in the boat and the happy father & son, are appreciated every single day instead of languishing in my craft supply drawer.  I even kept the sort of bedraggled shape of the photo of the father & son... it looks like someone cut it from a larger photo, and I somehow think that gives it a bit of character of its own.  I always wonder what the rest of the photo looked like...

I'm pretty sure they like it on the fridge with my other weird magnets and my awkward cruise honeymoon photo.  Keep in mind though, the magnet isn't super heavy duty, so it doesn't hold up more than a piece of paper... I wouldn't suggest it as a magnet for other photos on the fridge as they'd probably fall right out.  I personally like them just as art for the fridge, what do you think?  

Do you have any photos you're going to transform?  I think these would make lovely last minute gifts for family if you used old family photos! 

Have fun!

-Jess

keep it cozy

We have a bit of a thing for coats.  I personally have at least 5 in regular rotation.  And I might just have an alpaca cape that I'm waiting to wear too, but who's keeping track? Besides my husband, who wonders why the hell I need so many coats.  But, I digress.  There's something so nice about bundling up on a cold day and going for a walk to see friends... and maybe stopping to get a cup of hot cocoa on the way.  So needless to say, we've got our fair share of coats and other winter goodies in the shop at the moment.

this one is not only fur but LEATHA! it's more amazing than you can even imagine

this one works best if you're a tiny child.  or know someone who's a tiny child.

and what else goes with winter better than...

KICKASS BOOTS!?

So, even though we're not always huge fans of frigid temperatures, or being stuck inside our house for days because we're plowed in, we definitely like the fashion. Are ya with us on this one?

All items can be found in the shop, of course :)

Boardwalk Empire state of mind

Both Caiti and I are totally addicted to Boardwalk Empire.  It seems that almost every time we're together our conversation eventually turns toward the wacky hijinks of those good ole Atlantic City rascals. By "hijinks" I mean "murders", and by "rascals" I mean "sort of bloodthirsty gangsters and generally unstable people".  

We also talk about their clothes.  I mean... COME ON:

But since we're both kind of dorks, we're also very into how the show is based off of some true life events.  I think it's really fascinating! Did you know that Nucky Johnson, the carnation sporting scoundrel, is inspired by a real person? 

The man who inspired the ringleader of the show is politician Enoch Johnson, also known as Nucky... because, really, who's going to go by Enoch all their life?  Like the character on the show, he was known for pinning a carnation on his suits (which I find to be quite dapper, personally. would it be wrong if I started doing that?).  He was also known as quite the boss in Atlantic City in the 1920s and '30s.  He had his hands all up in some Prohibition shenanigans, including but not limited to bootlegging & prostitution... although, Mr. Johnson wasn't known to engage in any sort of turf wars or other nonsense with organized crime.... and according to all known evidence, Enoch Johnson never killed anyone, nor ordered anyone to be killed.  Surely, the show wouldn't be nearly as exciting if they hadn't given him the extra flair he has now.  Oh Nucky, you and your old murdery tricks.  

And while I'm not sure that he was inspired by one particular man, there were lots of men who suffered a similar facial fate as Richard (who I am QUITE partial to): 

Is it strange that a socially withdrawn ex-sniper with clear issues is the most endearing character to me? Because he is.  I think he's a beautiful creature.

Due to the heavy artillery that was introduced during the First World War, soldiers were far more advanced than medical procedures were at the time.  They adapted to new situations as well as they could in order to make the soldiers' transition home as easy as possible.  For facial injuries like Richard's, they created prosthetic masks, usually made of a very thin layer of copper or sculpted from plaster.  It was generally secured on to the face via a pair of glasses, which Richard's character sports quite handsomely, if I do say so  myself. 

It's interesting to watch the show while comparing it to historical events.  And even if you aren't nerds like Caiti & I, you can at least enjoy the beautiful clothing, am I right?!

Are you watching Boardwalk? What do you think of it? 

Bee's Knees & lots of Malarky,

(we love 1920s slang, but that's a whole 'nother blog post)

Jess & Caiti