Category: Vintage

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Better Than Before: Upcycled Bracelets

My favorite DIY projects are ones that involve taking something you have and making it better—more functional or simply more fun and stylish—using materials I already have. Before I added some embellishments to these two bracelets, they didn’t come out of my jewelry box very often. The one with the subway tokens now has the addition of glass beads from a broken chandelier I found years ago at a yard sale, along with some freshwater pearls from a broken bracelet. The silver Tiffany ID bracelet now has tulle ties from a leftover roll of tulle I got when I made a hair accessory for a family wedding.

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Adventures in Thrifting: Strange Animals

Encountered on a thrift shopping mission for my Etsy shop: animal tops that puzzled me. First I spotted a sweater that looks like maybe a cobra is jumping over a tiger (or are they both jumping over a rope?)… or maybe they’re getting it on? Then, the T-shirt with a giraffe and dinosaur sharing a red and white striped scarf. Hmmmmm.

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Sipping in Style: Vintage Glasses

I like to drink wine (or juice or water) in vintage glasses. I share this fondness for vintage glassware with friends—Annie owns the blue and gold ones, Kristine the etched, dotted ones. The daisy one is mine (I’m crazy for daisies).

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Irish Pride: Upcycled Accessories

Showing my pride on St. Patrick’s Day today with these accessories, modeled on Buttons, my childhood teddy bear. The headband is a stip of fabric from a men’s necktie with shamrocks; the Claddagh charm is hanging on a strip of fabric from a recycled T-shirt. 

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Fantasyland Memories

Here’s the ID bracelet mentioned previously in a post on things I wear that make me feel young. I made this bracelet when I was a teen, using the glass turquoise beads from a broken set of rosary beads and lettered beads I got from a shop on Long Island called Fantasyland. My mother shopped at Fantasyland for all her crafting needs—and it was one of my favorite places for tagging along. Mom went to the section with dried flowers and other materials for her wreath-making and flower-arranging; I went to the bead section and marveled at all the colors and varieties. On a counter in the jewelry section was a large fishbowl filled with hundreds of lettered beads and I remember digging for the letters in my name. The first bracelet I made was by stringing those lettered beads with colored plastic ones on elastic thread. Later I taught myself to cut and twist wire to make chains of beads (using rosary beads as my model), but the elastic bracelet was a hit with junior high friends who paid me to make them similar bracelets and necklaces. I was happy for my own reason to visit Fantasyland and to collect some cash for doing something that was so much fun. Making stuff, including jewelry, still ranks as one of my favorite activities. When I recently consolidated all my beads and jewelry-making materials in plastic bins, I found the pictured Fantasyland postcard and other beads acquired way back when—including the remaining beads from the rosary used to make the ID bracelet, which I put to use by making the dangly earrings seen to the right of the bracelet.

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Grown Girls Dream of Unicorns, Too

Wise people say you should do what you love; for those in business, that translates to selling what you love. When I shipped this vintage unicorn locket/pendant to a buyer, I packed it up slowly, thinking a bit woefully about how I liked it enough to want to keep it. When I shop for my Etsy shop—for everything from vintage clothing, jewelry, and accessories to T-shirts I then remake into upcycled styles—I choose what I love. In the beginning, I wanted to keep it all. Now, I will sometimes get to the point of photographing an item when I reconsider—just for a moment or two. I paused with the unicorn pendant. A unicorn pendant! Of course, I’m happy to make a sale and excited that someone out there will wear it and treasure it. But I’m going to be on the lookout for another unicorn pendant to call my own.

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Wearing Heart(s) Around My Neck

This gold “knock at my heart” charm was a gift from my father to my mother—he gave it to her when they were teenagers. All these years later, they’re happily married. Because two hearts are better than one, I’m wearing it today, on Valentine’s Day, layered with a costume heart brooch necklace with faux pearls and rhinestones. The brooch was found on one of my treasure-hunting missions for my Etsy shop. I tied the heart pin to a black jersey necklace (recycled material from an old T-shirt) and photographed it to sell it in the shop, but then I changed my mind and decided to keep it for myself. Love rules.

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Style Inspiration: Henry Rollins

I went to see a Henry Rollins spoken word performance at Largo in LA. First up: Henry rocks! The occasion for this tour is his recent 50th birthday, and he delivered his monologue in the signature, rapid-fire style we’ve come to love, pontificating on a variety of topics that included how he knocked out a fan’s teeth at a Black Flag gig, read George Bush’s book aloud during a Costco visit, shared Stooges music with a kid during a trip across the globe, and hates shopping for clothes. Gulp. One woman’s passion is another man’s punishment, I guess. He pointed out his attire—a no-nonsense black T-shirt and black work pants (my guess: Dickie’s)—as evidence. But here’s the thing: he rocks the look. It’s his.

I have many years before I reach Henry’s milestone, but I’ve found one of the good things about growing older is the sense of comfort you gain with who you are and what you like. My own style uniform is not quite as basic as Henry’s, but it’s still pretty simple: I’m a jeans and T-shirt girl. It’s been that way since I was a teen (see photo of me in my “Feed the World” T-shirt—boy, do I wish I still had that shirt…) and I see no reason for growing out of this look. I am a treasure-hunter and a collector, always on the lookout for new jeans to add to my collection and for new tees to fill my heart with glee. (Actually, most of the tees I get now are from thrift shops and vintage sources, so newly acquired is just like new for me.) And now that I have figured out how best to use a pair of scissors, needle, and thread to upcycle any ordinary T-shirt, I see promise in every one that catches my eye….

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NY, I Love You: Token Necklace

I pulled out a roll of black tulle from my craft box and began to play around with adding tulle details to some upcycled fabric necklaces I’ve been making for my Etsy shop. A little tulle goes a long way and two small pieces tied together make a pretty little poof, as seen here on a jersey necklace (made from a recycled T-shirt) with a New York City subway token. It’s the only token I have from this era (1995-2003, a period of time when I lived in NYC and rode the subway daily; see and read about the history of the tokens on the New York City Subway site), so I’m keeping it—wearing it today, in fact—but I will be on the lookout for other tokens and coins to incorporate into designs like this.  

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New MissStefanie Necklaces: Vintage, Upcycled, Valentines

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, I’ve added upcycled and vintage necklaces to my MissStefanie Etsy shop.

Some are vintage, featuring brooches, clip-on earrings, pendants, or charms hanging from the necklace. Others are upcycled, with single or multiple pieces from thrift store jewelry on the necklace. Sometimes the necklace has a chain from a thrift store necklace, and other I make the necklace using recycled material from black T-shirts (softer than a leather necklace; other colors available upon request). The necklaces made with the T-shirt material are 22-24 inches in length, but can be adjusted to be shorter or longer. You can wear one or layer two or more. I photographed the necklaces with a white button-down shirt, to show how they look styled with a shirt; I usually wear mine with my usual uniform of a tank or T-shirt under a cardigan or jacket.

So, Valentine’s Day. A few necklaces have hearts, flowers, or bows. One has a heart and skull and another is a locket with flowers and a unicorn (a unicorn!). And here’s the thing about Valentine’s Day: it’s a Hallmark holiday, sure. But I’ve always loved little trinkets and started a tradition years ago of treating myself to something for Valentine’s Day. You can have someone special in your life or you can fly solo–but treating yourself is always a fine idea. Chocolate, check. A one-of-a-kind necklace in the $20 range? Check ’em out.

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Love Tennis: Style for a Fan






I didn’t pay much attention to tennis until becoming mesmerized while watching Roger Federer win a match a few years ago–just when he was taking root as the best in the game–and now I am a full-blown fan of the sport. Federer was defeated yesterday in a stunning loss to a new guy on the scene, Juan Martin del Potro from Argentina. Following the match, I heard an NPR commentator note Del Potro’s fierce forehand and make mention of his black muscle shirt. I was amused by the comment about the shirt but, among sports, tennis is arguably the most stylish.

The game’s male ambassador for fashion is Federer, who always looks dashing and had a part in designing a line of clothing for Nike. I went to the Nike site and found that the sleeveless shirt Del Potro wore was actually from the Federer collection (ha). Also spotted while on the site: some good Federer tees. Maybe I needed something tennis-y in my closet? Because I like to sometimes wear my heart on my sleeve, the “Love Roger” tee for women could work, but I’m more inclined to favor the mens’ “Advantage Federer” one. I had to also look into the shoes worn by rising teen star Melanie Oudin, whose pink and yellow Adidas sneakers were customized with the word “Believe,” but I cannot settle on what my own shoe should say (and I’m not so sure of the colors). Finally, I went to Etsy, where I found a cute vintage visor to help me proudly proclaim my love of the game.

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Cinco de Mayo BBQ



We celebrated Cinco de Mayo early with a “Tres de Mayo” BBQ on Sunday. On the grill, we had a whole chicken and rib eye steak for tacos (with all the fixins), and we also had a taco salad (pictured) with greens, spicy ground beef, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, and a tangy lime vinaigrette. To start: chips, guacamole and salsa verde, plus hibiscus iced tea and hibiscus margaritas served in mod vintage green and gold glasses I picked up at a yard sale. To end: Mexican brownies using my lovely and amazing friend Tina’s brownie recipe (from “The Ski House Cookbook”—get it if you know what’s good for you!). Cinnamon and cayenne pepper added to the recipe give the brownies a little extra flavor and heat. Only crumbs were left when I remembered to take a photo.

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Easter Fashion Find: Floral Jacket


Getting a new outfit for Easter was always a thrill for me when I was a kid. My mom would take me shopping and I always chose something feminine and bright. I recall a floral skirt with pleats and a pink top. Then there was a pair of bubble gum pink pants with a ruffled white cotton top. If I were born during a different time, there would have been bonnets and gloves. I loved (still love) the candy (jelly beans, chocolate, marshmallow Peeps—yum), but the new outfit was the real prize. Easter signified the beginning of spring for me and with it came high hopes for warm and sunny days, and summer vacation right around the bend. Even now I mark it as the time to make lighter and brighter wardrobe choices. This year, I gave up shopping for Lent (it was a test of will), but I traded in some unwanted clothes at my local vintage/consignment shop last week and spotted this vintage jacket on the rack. I didn’t have to think twice; it was so bright and Monet-like (and a perfect fit).

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Hand-Me-Down Serving Pieces


I love a good nod to tradition. My friend Rebecca had a brunch for the girls recently and she explained in the invite that she was excited for the opportunity to pull out the china and silver gifted to her by her grandmother. It’s true that they don’t make things like they used to and hand-me-downs have more than sentimental value. I’ve started collections based on odd pieces I’ve received from my parents and grandparents, such as McCoy vases and Corning Ware serving pieces, and I always love to put them to use; the Corning Ware roasting pan pictured with baked ziti served our friends on Super Bowl Sunday.

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Chocolate is Love




Chocolate for dessert on Valentine’s Day was an obvious choice but we went for double the pleasure with chocolates and fondue. The chocolates came from Jin Patisserie in Venice. Beautiful, yes, but also creamy and rich and delicious; our assortment included vanilla, yuzu, black sesame, caramel clove, and lavender flavors. The chocolate fondue was made simply with a bittersweet chocolate bar and heavy cream melted together and served in a vintage fondue set with wood and copper accents I picked up recently at one of my favorite local thrift stores. We dipped raspberries, coconut macaroons, and chocolate wafer cookies. Happily, the chocolate dripped on my silk top and the new French-country tablecloth came out in the wash.

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I Heart Vintage Jackets

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I’ve recently added a couple of vintage jackets to my closet and both have sweet flower petal appliqués. These are details I love. But I didn’t hesitate when it came to removing the shoulder pads from these. I photographed one set next to my Blackberry to show their size. Turns out the jackets fit just fine without them.

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Charmed, I’m Sure


I go through fashion phases and one involves wearing a plain black T-shirt or tank with a cardigan or jacket—complimented by a bold necklace. Perfect for this: some fun charms given to me by my mom, which I wear on roped chains or leather cords. Here’s a typewriter charm from mom I recently found at the bottom of my jewelry box. A friend told me that her son saw a typewriter in a shop window and asked about what it was. Before computers, kiddo. I’m sure he’s asked her about record players, too. To add to my collection, I’m searching on eBay for an old record player charm and found some adorable boom box ones. I see a boom box and I think of sitting on the front stoop at my friend Lisa’s house, blasting “I Love Rock and Roll” by Joan Jett until Lisa’s mother shouted from inside the house that we needed to turn down the volume. Oh, the good old days. I’m bidding on boom box and jukebox charms now…

 

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Knock at My Heart: Charmed

Looking at the contents of my mother’s jewelry box has always been a treat. Oooh, pretty jewelry. She’s got a minimalist style—her constants are her wedding ring and my grandmother’s diamond pendant necklace—so the other pieces only come out for occasions. I have always viewed the jewelry box as a treasure chest and especially love the charms, which she began collecting as a teen and wore on a chunky gold charm bracelet. She wears the bracelet occasionally now without the charms and recently asked me if I wanted any of them. (“You’ll get them eventually,” she said. “If you want them, you might as well take them now!”) It’s hard to pick favorites, but I might have to say it’s the gold charm affixed to a rectangular plate; it’s a heart with a banner that reads, “Knock at my heart.” My father gave this to my mother when they were still dating and the charm originally had a knocker on it that was removed by the jeweler when it was attached to the plate. This peaked my curiosity and a quick search on eBay brought me to a version of the original charm in silver. The knocker moves (it really knocks!). So now I’ve got both versions.

Oh, and one more thing: Both my parents asked about the “when they were still dating” mention. Well, they’re married now so they’re past the dating stage. But it’s definitely worth noting that they’re still married. Happily, too.