I Heart Your Blog - Blog Swap on Swap-Bot

So I enjoy a good "swappin'" every now and then.  What's that you ask?  Well, there's this site called Swap Bot, where you swap basically anything you like with people all across the world!  I've swapped vintage photographs, thrift store finds and ATC cards among many website swaps!  So here's a blog about the 7 fantastic blogs I was assigned to "swap" with! (in no particular order)

1) Mother of 3, Kimberly Jones writes a fun blog righteously titled "Keeping Up with the Joneses," where you do just that!  From snippets about her home life to arts and crafts and awesomely, heads up on giveaways!!

2) Happy Birthday Hippo Fairy!  October is her birfday month, so go shorty!  The queen of swaps, check out her blog for all the awesome items she's received for FREE!

3) CF Live, Love, Laugh, and Be Happy has such a CUTE blog.  I want to run through the flowers and eat the clouds that look like cotton candy.  It's a slice of life from the other side of the world!

4) Craft Obsessor Hedgehog and Rabbit was a love of mine prior to this swap.  From the cute name to the cute handmade finds for sale, LOVE them!

ONLY $7!!!  

5) Imagine my excitement when I discovered another woman gutsy enough to use the word NAKED in her name, just like us!  Butt Naked Woman tells the tales of trails of a woman and her life, through pics and text.

6) We enjoy visiting Riechan's World, which includes an adorable online shop that sells the cutest rings!  Don't believe it?  Well here's the proof!

8 euro!

7) Major babbling about random thoughts and projects from a Bella in Italia, Rock N Roll Stop's The Traffic is Fun, fun, fun!!!

Vintage Event - Vintage Fashion Expo

In the mood for some serious vintage shopping this weekend?  Then you're in luck, because The Vintage Fashion Expo is in Santa Monica this weekend!  On sale, from over 75 dealers nationwide, are vintage clothing, textiles, jewelry and more!  

pic borrowed from The Vintage Fashion Expo

pic borrowed from The Vintage Fashion Expo

pic borrowed from The Vintage Fashion Expo

pic borrowed from The Vintage Fashion Expo

pic borrowed from The Vintage Fashion Expo

Print this ticket for $2 off your entry fee!

Jewelry Designer - Alex and Vina

Handmade Finds are the best...especially when they come from your neighborhood and are serious quality at affordable prices.  Meet Alex and Vina, my favorite local designer of the week!

Assymetrical Heart Pendant Necklace, $16

Alex and Vina's jewelry is handmade and vintage-inspired, with each season bringing a new collection inspired by a different era with a modern twist.

Grey Lace Agate and Crystal Feather Earrings, only $16

Natural Feathers make each design one-of-a-kind!

Vintage Key and Crystals Necklace, $18

Vintage Key as a pendant from the 1920s...timeless!

Raw Brass Tear Earrings, only $8!

Nickel-free!

Black agate stone ring, $20

Natural Stones!

Black Agate Stone Necklace, $28

Natural Stone and Crystals on antique gold colored chain.

Yellow and Peach Crystals Feather Earrings, $12

Machine-cut crystals and natural pebbles!

Wednesday Random Find Giveaway - I Love Lucy!

Each Wednesday, we have a Random Find Giveaway.  All fans of our blog, twitter, facebook and beyond are welcome to play! You can even win each week, if that's your fate!  

This week's Random Find Giveaway is a 'lil slice of "I Love Lucy."  These 2 vintage postcards were printed 27 years ago (1983) by The American Postcard Co. Inc., in the USA, for CBS Inc.  

this one is from episode #103, titled "Ricky's Movie Offer," and originally broadcast on November 8, 1954.  You can win this, along with the one below, if you're able to answer the following question:

Who is Lucy featured with in the below postcard?  HINT: It's from episode #124 and originally broadcast on May 9, 1955.

Leave your comment here on our blog and ALL correct answers will be placed into a hat for a random winner!  Contest ends 10/13/10 @ 4:00pm PST.  GOOD LUCK!

Vintage Retailer - Au Coton!

Any mall rat from the 1980s must remember the Canadian company Au Coton.  You know, those oversized cotton sweatshirts with the big Au Coton logo stamped crookedly to the side.  Sport those with a pair of scrunchy socks and a thick headband to manage your perm and ooh, you were rockin'!

Rumor has it there are still retail stores in Canada...Check out this group we found on Facebook, dedicated to the loving memories of Au Coton wearers and former employees.

Fall Fashions

Slowly but surely, we're getting all our goodies photographed and online.  We recently had a photo shoot with our favorite models Nicole and Melanie and they brought along the adorable Sakura!  Here are a few pics from our fun day of fall fashions:

L-R: models Sakura, Melanie and Nicole.

Melanie in a navy retro polka-dot dress,
snakeskin belt and vintage wool hat.

Sakura in a vintage dress, vintage cap and costume jewelry. 

Nicole in a 1970s black and white jumper with gold belt, gold vintage clutch
and gold necklace topped with a vintage purple wool hat.

Melanie, Nicole and Sakura.

Sakura in vintage leather pumps
by Donna Karan New York

Nicole in a 1970s white and black polka-dot
dress, navy blue and white vintage pumps,
retro blue suitcase and brown striped wool hat.

Melanie in a vintage camel-colored wool
blazer, retro blue sweater dress, vintage scarf,
brown straw hat, vintage pumps and
a vintage handbag.

1980s Plastic Charm Swap!

It's a Retro Swap!  

Just like old times, swap out your plastic charms for new ones!  

Check out the details here!

Oh Holly Hobbie, how we love you so!

With her mysterious face and pre-grunge fashion, who doesn’t love Holly Hobbie and friends? We sure do!

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1980s Plastic Charms - Part II

First you pick a chain:

Then you pick a charm...or more!

You can swap with friends!

or grow your own collection!

Or add to your existing pile!

Enjoy a slice of the '80s!

For sale @ www.betterthannakedonline.com!

Our 1st Professional Photo Shoot!

Last Minute Bride, a southern California pop-up bridal shop, hosted their 2nd event at The Wedding Pantry in Tustin and Better Than Naked was there donning vintage bridal duds!  2 of our favorite fashionistas came out and played with us, and Smita of Smita Photography was there to capture the fun.  Allowed to play at the historic event venue The McCharles House, check out the pictures Smita snapped and shared with us:

 

Smita is available for Engagement Pics, Wedding Photography, Pregnancy shots, Kids Portraits, and more!  Her enthusiastic energy behind the lens envelops the area around, producing images rich with color and emotion.  Can you tell we are on Cloud 9?!  Go to our Facebook Page to see the rest!

Fashion Show!

Models Nicole, Melanie and Ramona (from l-r)

We were invited to be a part of a fashion show at Hot Spot in Alhambra, and boy-oh-boy are we glad we participated!

Not only did we meet gorgeous fashionistas that modeled for us, but we got to enjoy watching the lovelies relish the vintage duds and mix and match decades of design into their own unique fashion.

Versace Red Lipstick!

So I'll hush up now and let you enjoy some pics from this fun event.  There's also a video, so be sure to check it out!

BTN Lovelies Sakura, Nicole, Melanie, Karen, Amy, Ramona (from L-R).  

Amy rockin' evening vintage

Karen in a mini dress and red heels!

Sakura in a Tee Dress and Cowboy Boots!