"Take that take that take that":Ebay Revenge and Extreme Makeovers

I'm feeling a little bit like Puff Daddy circa the mid 90's. Just to be clear, I feel like I'm all up in the video, lookin at haters and waggin my finger in the air and sayin "Take that take that take that".

The purpose for this extra swagger? (I know, I hate the word too but it just fits there) I got some leads on some new contract jobs and...I got revenge on Ebay. Last week I was bidding on this fabulous Diane Von Furstenberg dress on eBay.





I am so happy to see so much new-found interest in DVF as I consider her the Doyenne of the dress. Yes, I gave her a title, but its one she has earned. Wrap dress anyone? I have been extremely lucky to find a couple of vintage DVF pieces. One is a silk sheath dress, and I cried when I found it. Actual tears all up in Value Village. It was a mystical moment.

Nevertheless I am obsessed with artistry of the DVF dress. So when I saw one on eBay about to go for a steal I swooped in like a vintage hawk. And then, and then, my eBay track record catches up with me. I NEVER win anything on eBay. Reasons: I forget to watch it, people push the prices above my budget, and I forget to watch it. I decided to combat the first and last reasons by signing up for text alerts. (Who knew you could bid from your phone?) I end up being foiled again due to not checking my phone. *sigh*

I was sad (I got beat by a penny)but I decided to let it go. Which brings me to part deux of this saga. I did an extreme makeover on my bedroom. Lately I have been feeling sad about my room which normally means its time for change. So after two trips to Ikea I arrived at a room of my own. Still in need of a desk though I popped into one of my favorite thrift stores, The Atlanta Step Up Society. I love the furniture in this place. Of course I see nothing that works in my house but I did see these little beauties hiding in the shoe section:


I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the label Egon Von Furstenberg inside. Take that eBay! Egon was DVF's first husband and a real-life prince. EVF was called the "prince" of fashion and his lines (much like DVF's) were known for their elegance. He was designing before DVF and actually encouraged her to get into the business. Once again, take that eBay! (and take that take that take that)Below are more pics of the shoes and my extreme makeover. Happy Monday! (and make sure to make haters into motivators!)











P.S. Think you like those EVF's? Well they will be for sale soon in my soon-to-be Etsy store. :)

Then The Sky Breaks...

My friends have let me know that I have a problem. Benign though it may be, (in my opinion) I might be addicted to clothes. Ok, we all knew that but my friends on FB probably know it first hand so of course they all laughed at my sad posts about not winning this yummy Vintage Gucci tote on eBay:





I could just see myself at the airport with this bag as my carry-on, wearing all black down to the sunglasses. This is why I normally stay away from eBay. You meet a bag, fall in love with it and it cheats on you and goes home with someone else. So unfaithful.

But never discouraged, I did comb the web for more vintage Gucci. I love the sexy glam clothes from the Tom Ford era, but the bags oh the bags will always be my weakness. The best part of my adventure? I came across some great fashion blogs in the process. Enjoy!


www.debutanteclothing.com


www.lovarevolutionary.blogspot.com


DIY Heaven!
www.revolutionmalibu.blogspot.com



Remind you of anything? :)
www.snazzyfashion.blogspot.com

Suite for the Single Girl - Jerry Butler (Motown, 1977)

Vintage Dressing Gown, My room (littered with apparel)

Scene:

My bedroom. A month's worth of clothes is littered around the room. The details of several nights past (opened makeup, empty glasses, and shoes) have become a part of the tapestry of the room, my life even.

Strangely, I am at my best in the middle of this kind of mess. It gives me something to figure out, overcome, not care about. It is at times like these that I hold myself together and say: "Its just me".

The inspiration for the photo that comprises the banner of this blog is from an album that truly captures this place of self-acceptance and self-neglect, Jerry Butler's "Suite for the Single Girl".

I completely stumbled on this album while roaming around in DC one summer. I was in search of whatever cute clothes and shoes I could get downtown while I waited for my mom (Triple OD, more about her later) to join me on the hunt for cheap stuff. Of course I was also going through some kind of drama. Probably some kind of romantic tug of war, the endless musings of a 25 year old woman who is still figuring it out. I ducked into Kemp Mill Music and started digging through the used CD bin. I love going to old school music stores when I am home in DC. It always makes me think of being 15 or 16 and the joy I got out of taking metro, hooking up with my friends, and pretending I knew something about some Incognito or Maxwell. (*sigh*) Anyway, I picked up this CD that day and just gave a quick once over to the title but was totally mesmerized by the cover art.



Here in this image was my life. A girl with a greasy lunch bag and a designer clutch. Simultaneously hood, and yet still refined. It also helped that I'm obsessed with 1970's era Gucci and my dream is to own a collection of vintage clutches like the one in the picture. So, of course I bought it, if only for the art work.

At the time, I was just beginning my job as a full time educator, making a little more money but still nursing a mean love hangover and a lingering cloud of doubt. What if nobody else ever saw me the way I see myself? I threw the album on one day while cleaning and had to stop. When I heard Jerry sing: " This is dedicated to all the single girls, just to speak about some of the problems they have in this world. Brown paper bags and telephone pages, books on life as seen by sages, yet she can't understand, wish she could make a bigger salary or find a Mr. Right to marry, Oh lord if she can..."



The whole album sounds like a wise older man speaking directly to his neice, daughter, or even to a former young paramour (don't get it twisted). Somehow Butler, known as the "Ice Man", melds the blues, disco, and smooth northern soul into an offering that you will definitely not get unless you been there.

Favorite tracks on the album:

"Suite for the Single Girl"


"I Wanna Do It To You" - Classic 1970's quiet storm style soul. Butler's voice just has that "old man flava" though, so be careful when he gets to the bridge. Gets me every time.


"Ms. Fine" - Because the lyrics are so great, perfect for gals who like to blend beauty and brains. "She likes to dabble in, music and art, but secretly she would like to be, a model in Paris, a dancer in Spain, a fashion designer with her own private plane, a corporate lawyer who's a girl on the go..." Yeah, he described you like that. :)



"Chalk It Up" - This one is precisely for when you need a pep talk to get out of the bed and back into the world after a break-up. "Chalk it up, to experience baby, call it education..." My favorite part is the classic soul interlude at the end when Jerry talks to the single girls of the world, listen and get schooled. Oh and the beat is a perfect disco thump, replete with a funky bassline.


"You Gotta Believe Me" - What if, just what if, a man sang a love song to a woman on the verge? "You gotta believe in you, baby..." Love song meets inspirational hymn.

Fin.