contents of "the case" - small floral box

so yesterday i was quite disappointed with what i pulled out of the case...it was this wooden box that you can buy at Michael's Craft Store with an unattractive floral design that was pathetically glued on to the box. unamused, i opened the box anyways.

exhibit #2:
VINTAGE COSTUME JEWELRY!
1) fun and bright round blue bead necklace with gold. brightens up any outfit!
2) black oval beads with gold diamond shaped beads separating every 2 black beads.
3) white beads that are largest in the middle and become smaller as it goes up to the closure. gold small beads separate every white bead.
4) handmade shades of pink necklace with complicated knot-like design throughout.
5) 2 silver "LOVE" pendants...could be used on a necklace or big-a** earrings.

i'm thinking i might want to make necklaces or earrings with the LOVE pendants; they're pretty rad-o! i'm thinking the necklaces will all be sold together in a lot. and the box? i dunno...trash it?

contents of "the case" - Swedish Leatherette Box

yesterday i went to my secret shop to see what i could find...you ever get those feelings like today is a good day to treasure hunt? well, that's the feeling i had, so i went with it. after a semi-successful purse find, i checked out and made my way to my car. i spotted the luggage center right near the exit that is usually pretty empty and decided to stop since it was packed full! i fell in love with a vintage bright yellow samsonite suitcase with a super clean (but musty smelling) yellow interior with white polka-dots. sold! but then, this smaller, blue suitcase was sitting there - nothing special, i thought...but then something silver inside of it glimmered and caught my attention. one of the locks was sealed shut, so i could barely see inside, but i noticed a handful of objects inside. reluctantly, i ditched the sunny yellow samsonite and grabbed the blue case and headed to the check-out stand.
on the ride home, we hit a bump and the other lock sealed shut. no problem, i think. these locks always open so easily with a small key...HA. well, about an hour later i am still fidgeting with those dang locks! finally...crack! one lock opens. ah, the suspense!!! i work madly to open the second one, not wanting to damage the locks; i had hoped to adopt this case into my luggage. but, curiosity got the best of me and one flathead screwdriver later, the case was opened!

exhibit #1: Swedish Brown Leatherette Mens Jewelry Box

i love these leatherette jewelry boxes. i made the mistake of selling all the ones i had come across in the past, so i was quite happy to find this baby (although it too will be available for sale).
this men's jewelry box is brown leather with a gold crest border and a large Royalty Crest in the middle. it opens to reveal a soft brown velvet interior with 3 rows of ring/cuff link holders, 3 dividers, and a watch/tie pin holder on top.
the bottom reads in gold: "SWANK. Skandinaviska Etuifabriken - Malmo. By appointment to the Swedish Royal Court. Box made in Sweden. Design Philippe."

Stay tuned for more contents from "the case"...there's another beauty in there you'll want to know about, especially if you love silver!

artfire.com - new handmade & vintage site

i found this great website last night during one of my late night searches called artfire.com. yeah, maybe i'm a little behind and others have already discovered it; however, i was surprised and thrilled to see something that excited me again as much as etsy had done years ago when i first stumbled upon it.
taking advantage of their free 10 posts, i decided against the $7/month fee for unlimited posting since i'm not sure of the benefits i stand to gain from using this site. so, i created an online studio (that's what they call it) and posted a few of the items that i had already posted on etsy.
the main page is artfire.com and there are some cool finds floating around that site! please be sure to stop by better than naked's studio during your stay!

family costume jewelry

this weekend i had the lucky pleasure of looking at, holding, photographing, and trying on my brother-in-laws mother's vintage costume jewelry. my sis-in-law, a full supporter of my vintage obsession and creator of many awesome things, had this beautiful gold jewelry box sitting out on their kitchen table. she invited me to take a peek at what it had to offer inside...and wow! what a sight! just the jewelry box alone was such a beautiful vintage piece, with a delicate design and gold hardware with pull-out drawers all lined with black velvet and featured a gorgeous black and gold design at the top interior. so after i finished admiring that for a while, i finally started examining its contents, piece by piece.

there were necklaces of all sizes and colors and from different eras! faux pearl strands, a matching crystal necklace and bracelet with a beautiful chain clasp, faux floral diamond brooch with matching earrings, bright retro purple necklaces and earrings, a large amber ring, a faux yellow diamond, and many more pairs of earrings, brooches, bracelets and necklaces!

my sweet niece will be inheriting these beauties one day in the very far future, and today i saw her in a gorgeous matching earring and bracelet ensemble from that box that was a delicate, heavier white metal (seemed from probably 30s/40s) with a feminine pink and blue floral design. it was so awesome to see someone young appreciate and know the value of that jewelry and to wear it with such pride!
the photos i took of some of the jewelry was taken from my camera phone, so unfortunately a lot of them did not come out and those that did don't give any justice to the true beauty of these pieces. but i'm sure all the vintage divas can appreciate it!

teens in need

this morning while the hubby and dogs and I were lounging on the couch watching tv and drinking coffee, the doorbell rang and on the other side of the door a young man stood on the other side. i opened the door and stood out on the porch since my dogs were going insane and he greeted me with a big smile and introduced himself as Christian, a young man who recently was released from juvenile hall, where he had spent 6 months for crimes he had committed. he explained to me that he was from east los angeles (we live in the suburbs) where he had joined a gang around the age of 12. now at 17 and with time behind him and a baby on the way, he is trying to make a future for himself and his future child and that he had joined this organization called Homeboy Industries. He was happily surprised when I mentioned I knew of this organization and was excited to hear that it was progressing. he was selling newspaper subscriptions, and my dude and i just ended one, so i gave the kid a $30 check as a donation.
we talked about how my uncle had been a criminal most of his life and once he finally had cleaned up his life, his adult child felt hatred towards him and the years of drugs and abuse on his body landed him with emphesema, lung cancer and hepatitis c . just as soon as my uncle had rejoined his family (i met when i was 18) and was enjoying the better life, his illnesses took him.
i saw so much life and hope and excitement in Chrittian's eyes and I really hope and pray that he will follow his goals and become anything and everything good he has ever wanted to be.

I added the wrong link?!

i just realized that my profile page had the wrong website...it was missing an "n"! arrrgh! maybe its time to place the phone in the other room when its work time. oh well, it's been fixed.

Lovin' Leather!

i'm lovin' these beautiful vintage brown bags, in all their leather retro glory. not only are they super soft all over, they are great everyday bags! In house at better than naked this week are vintage bags from PHILLIPE, KENNETH COLE & COORDINATES by ColorMate. i stumbled upon the PHILLIPE the same time i stumbled upon a new place for finds. buried amongst other treasure was this slim, women's tote/handbag/briefcase with soft gold hardware. i ran my fingers over it a few times to confirm i loved it, and it was confirmed. the front features a slim, fully functioning zipper pocket and the logo on the bottom right corner. the interior is of a wipeable material and has the logo printed throughout the 3-sectional compartments, which are all enclosed with a zipper closure! gotta love those 3 compartments - they hold so much in such a deceiving way! maybe it will go to a professional with flair, or a student with movement! whomever it is, this baby is FOR SALE!

more photos at www.betterthannaked.etsy.com

the next leather beauty is one that has actually been sitting in our boutique, complimented and admired from shoppers near and far; but yet, no takers! can't go wrong with a vintage leather brown messenger/tote/handbag, by KENNETH COLE. Trying to find a flaw? Well it will be hard when you have a thick, adjustable leather strap with silver buckle and button snap closure. i'm surprised a student hasnb't snatched up this 3-compartment purse with a zipper closure! interior features a delicate design on fabric with the kenneth cole logo in leather and smaller compartments. FOR SALE! check out more photos at ww.betterthannaked.etsy.com
please tell me i'm wrong, but i find this retro bag to be quite unique. this smaller light brown leather retro purse has a darker brown leather accent in the corner and a removable slim strap, allowing it to be worn as a clutch! "Super Magnet" button closure is exactly that, a darn good magnet that snaps shut! Delicate gold hardware and 2 slim leather pockets inside; one with zipper. I've looked this retro bag up, but haven't been able to find out much about it or its brand "COORDINATES by Color Mate" (made in hong kong). Not sure what I love more about this retro find - the 2-tone leather or the sassy clutch ability! FOR SALE!
check out more photos at www.betterthannaked.etsy.com

better than naked - vintage finds at vintage prices!
visit our online boutique at www.betterthannaked.etsy.com

Retro Finds thru Our Time!

better than naked just finished posting all our current and sold items on flickr! please add us at http://www.flickr.com/photos/betterthannaked/

Retro Purses in Bloom!

tuesday was a great day for retro purses. while i love the 1950s and 1960s styles very much and find myself collecting only the real old classic ones, i absolutely fell in love with these great retro bags! many modern purse designers are making their styles to look more and more like the older designs, but there's nothing like a true original from the era.

the purple clutch - what a beaut! so this clutch is a fun, electric purple in a PVC/faux leather material with a gold button snap and clean black lining. not only a gorgeous color, but a fun style! what i love most about this one is that you can really dress it up or down, depending on your mood! and it's season-proof! this purple can spruce up an outfit in the dead of winter or compliment that flirty summer dress!

the red retro - classic red - doesn't get more red than this! lovin' the fun design on the front that really makes this one a cutie! 2 favorite things about this red retro: 1 - the strap is removable, so you can have a purse or a clutch - or both in one wearing! 2 - the interior is so adorable! open the red zipper top and you have an adorable and clean red dot design with a zipper compartment. outfit lacking color? well this retro piece is sure to solve that problem!

the black beauty - retro design at its best! simple black purse with removable strap has a simple knot design on the front top that is oh-so-cute! and like the retro red, this black beauty also has a removable strap, allowing for a sexy clutch or daytime bag!

for full photos and price information, please visit www.betterthannaked.etsy.com or email at betterthanaked@yahoo.com. your place for vintage finds at vintage prices!