Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Dehibernation

Charged by an incredible battle with the wind on the lakeshore path early this morning, I cannot keep from you, Merryweather patrons & fans how excited and ready I am for spring! I know I smelled it in the air. This winter has felt especially long, and now the snow from the 2011 blizzard is melting. No doubt there will probably be another heavy dump of snow the last week of March, I mean c'mon this is Chicago afterall.

Yesterday as I set up camp on my window-adjacent radiator dedicating the afternoon to admin work that I do get some crazy sick pleasure from doing, the warm (41 degrees!) air lofting through a partially-opened window laid a feeling into me that this season is going to be a rewarding one for Merryweather. But Crystal and I and out Etsy site can't do it alone. That is why I've ventured to create some postcards to distribute, and have finally created our eBay account for our true collectibles.

The luxury of having an entire afternoon to devote to Merryweather work, getting her poised for success this spring and summer, reminded me why I joined Crystal on the adventure. Sometimes (more often that I like) it's easy to forget that we are nurturing our passion, encouraging it to grow into something more mature (a store), more wholesome (a part of the vintage community). It's a goal that we get giddy over, and while it may have been a bit of a pipe dream initially, I think the knowledge and confidence we continue to acquire will make it a reality in the future.

I suppose the purpose of this post is to thank those of you who have supported us so far, whether with gifts to the collection, with purchases, with kind words of encouragement or with sage advice and counsel.

Exciting things are in the works. Stay tuned, friends!
...check out the weather report... spring for a few days in February at least.

k

Monday, January 10, 2011

Something Old, Something New.

Its the new year. Happy New Year! Its been awhile since my last post. Granted I always have an excuse for why I haven't been posting, but I think I can blame the tail end of the holidays on this one.

I went back to Ohio for Christmas and I will admit I was extremely apprehensive before I left. It sounds bad when I write it or say it out loud but I hadn't been home in years (since my brother got remarried two years ago in November!) Now that I'm back in Chicago and still reflecting on my trip, I realized I forgot how different it is to talk to someone every day or every other day on the phone yet not be able to see them. That is, until you actually do. Seeing your someone you care about face to face is so much better! I almost forgot. There were so many moments during my stay when I would catch myself staring at my brother or my mom for no reason other than the simple fact that I never have the opportunity to stare at them. I had to absorb all the little details of their faces again to take home with me.

Apart from the realizations and staring contests, I had an amazing time with my family. I also had a lot of vintage fun while I was home! A few days out of my stay, my mom agreed to go shopping with me for Belmont and Merryweather. She was such a huge help! There was a notable moment when we were shopping on Christmas Eve. I came across a scarf that was classic 60s and I started freaking out. My mom just started laughing and said, "I wish I could be with you every time this happens. I have never seen someone get so excited over an old scarf." Clearly she hasn't been around me enough in the last year to become accustomed to my vintage freak outs. Needless to say we had a lot of fun together. I kind of wish she could be here in Chicago to help me shop every now and then. It was nice having a different opinion for a few days. It was refreshing and bittersweet all at the same time.

While I was home I was also able to bring back so much of my fun old stuff! I also brought back tons and tons of my grandma's jewelry from the 50s-70s. I am most likely keeping half of it for myself, but the other half is going straight to Merryweather. I'm excited about all of the new additions.

Here are some glimpses of my found treasures in Ohio. Something I didn't take a picture of but feel compelled to mention is my moms Jane Fonda workout tape. Her and I used to do the workout together all the time when I was little. It was comforting to pop it in and find that I still know all the moves by heart. I hardly have to look at the screen while I'm exercising. How I feel though is a different story. I haven't worked out in a solid year so this exercising almost every day? I constantly feel like I've just been beaten with a baseball bat. I'm not worried though. Jane knows what she's doing.

On that note.....




I realized when I went home that I don't have any pictures of my family. I love this one the most. My beautiful mother on her wedding day. Every time I look at this photo I smile. She's so happy!




My grandmother's jewels. This isn't even half of it.




There are some amazing pieces from the 60s and 70s. I even found some pennies in one jewelry box dated back to 1965.




I made this pillow in the 6th grade. Its the one thing I've ever made that actually looks semi-normal. I also found my bunny. I've been sleeping with her since I was a baby. It feels good to have her back.




No explanation necessary.




My Mickey and Minnie from Disney World! And Pee Wee! Too bad when I pull his string now he sounds like a robot. Actually now that I think about it, thats probably a good thing. If he still did "talk" I would be worried he'd come to life while I was sleeping and kill me. Dolls that talk and living alone? Two things that don't go well together.





This was my favorite dress when I was little. Clearly I'm still the same girl.




Lastly, my Christmas presents from Steve and Junko. This sweater is my new favorite. The hot pink flowers make me happy. And the bag? They are too sweet to me.



Stay tuned! Once we get this last batch of photos done, many more items will be added to our Etsy.

Again, Happy New Year!

xx, Crystal