How dirty girls get clean...

I just spied these adorable handmade bars of soap over at Hello Crafty. With pleasant scents like chamomile, peach and citrus there is sure to be one to fit every taste. They even make a Dirty Boy bar of soap... I wonder if they make it in industrial size?!

The Thief of Bagdad

Until last night, The Thief of Bagdad had been on our list of classic movies to watch for well over a year. Since it was filmed before talkies I must admit, I kept putting off watching it. In the past I have wasted more than a few hours of my life on other must see classics that I was told we had to watch by film buffs. Don't get me wrong, I adore old movies. I probably geek out on them more than most people, but some classics are kind of a bore. That being said, this movie was definitely a pleasant surprise!

This swashbuckling Arabian Nights adventure was filmed in 1924 by Raoul Walsh and starred Douglas Fairbanks, Julanne Johnston and the stunning Anna May Wong. All of the sets and costumes were designed in dramatic art deco style. I may even watch it again just to take another look at some of the enormous stages! Considering that this was filmed nearly a hundred years ago is testament to how truly imaginative it was- even by today's standards. I am still amazed by the flying carpet, monsters, magical rope, an undersea world complete with mermaids, and many an acrobatic trick by Mr. Fairbanks himself.

In 2008, The Thief of Bagdad was ranked as the ninth best fantasy film of all time by the American Film Institute. If you are up for a silent film give this one a try for the inventive special effects, and Fairbanks' often comical hand gestures... especially when he wants to steal something!

Bring in the Forest

It's another Monday, and like most of the world I must work to keep a roof over my head and dinner in Mr. Kitty's bowl. I would much rather be outdoors enjoying the lovely summertime. Alas, I can not go outside to play today, so instead I will get my fill of the outdoors from these woodland inspired items. For a link to each item please click on the images above. Have a great week everyone!

And the winner is...

Congratulations to Mama Mel for winning our August Giveaway! Please send us your address and color choice for the Make do and Mend print to farouche@cruzio.com.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated! It was great finding out what all of you like to create. Such a nice surprise to see everything from homemade ice cream, to quilt making show up in the comments section... what a talented bunch you all are! If you didn't win this giveaway there is always next month's... so be sure to check back soon.

If loosing this little giveaway has got you down we do have another solution you could try... there is an instant collection of trophies available from the Doo Dah Factory shown above. So, if you feel like you never win anything, why not pick up the collection and make yourself the honorary winner of every contest ever you wanted to. I think I would make myself a trophy that declared me as, "California's Best Hot Chocolate Maker Ever."
We hope you wonderful week ahead!

August Giveaway!

Just one more reason to love the summer, it's time for our August giveaway from Farouche! We are proud to be giving away a "Make do and Mend" print to one lucky winner! You even get to pick which of the three colors you want for your wall. For your chance to win you must either be a follower of this blog -or- a fan of our Facebook page. To enter please leave us a comment about what you like to make. Contest ends Saturday, August 7th. The winner will be announced Sunday, August 8th so make sure and check back to see if you have won!

Flapper Chic

Image 1, 2, 3 , 4

From the beauty of Bakelite accessories and bobbed hair, to hip flasks and speakeasies, there is something so wild about the idea of a flapper girl. In old photographs and illustrations, flappers always appeared to be effortlessly at ease and elegant. Underneath that cool exterior was something truly racy indeed. These were the first woman to flaunt far more than just their ankles in public. They questioned the idea of what was to be expected of a lady... and had a hell of a time doing it too. If you are longing for a bit of art deco chic may we suggest some of the beauties above. Simply click on the images or a number for a link to the items. Have a great weekend everyone and don't forget to tip your bootlegger!

Start Your Engines

Gasp! If I was not sitting down when I first saw this collection of retro car emblems I may have fainted from shear joy. Why do they not make car emblems this cool anymore? I must have been born in the wrong decade. This sleek set is from TypArchive- my new favorite stop for a dose of eye candy. If you love retro type as much as me it is definitely worth a visit!

TILT - Lemonade

A swell assortment of lemonade greatness and we are proud to be a part of it as little ol' image number six. Thanks to Andrea McClain for putting this together on Flickr!

Curve and Sway

There is something special about vintage pottery. I am a sucker for it I must admit. The simple flow of one curve as it effortlessly turns into another is so charming. It is rather amazing to think how so many mass-produced pieces of pottery from last century still hold our attention. They can be found anywhere, from the smallest flea market, to those well curated antique shops where every price gets an extra $0 added to the end. These pieces were meant to be used and thankfully so many were produced that they are still loved today.

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For a link to the items above please click on the images.

Monday Love

When it comes to jewelry I either go for classic and simple or the surprisingly unusual. These would certainly fall into the second category. This weeks Monday Love picks are sure to get noticed while perched on your hand. For links to all of these wonderful rings please click on the images above.

Bowl-o-rama

row 1: 1, 2

row 2: 1, 2, 3, 4

There is something special about a sport where it is the norm to drink while wearing funny shoes and an embroidered shirt that declares you are part of the "Paladins" or "Kentucky Kingpins." With all of the delightful kitsch it is easy to have a soft spot for bowling. Who cares if you can't bowl a perfect game or let your toes slip over the line every once in a while? Grab another beer at the lounge and we can play another round!

For a link to all of these items please click on the images or a number above.

A little red, white and blue...

For a link to each image please click on a number below...
Row 1: image 1, 2, 3 .....Row 2 (upper right middle): image 1, 2

Row 3: image 1, 2, 3 ......Row 4 (bottom left corner): image 1, 2

Since this our last post before the fourth of July we have decided to celebrate the holiday with some classic enamel brooches from the 60's... all in red, white, and blue of coarse. I can't believe how many variations of these were made. The selection above doesn't even scratch the surface of what we found when searching for enamel brooches. For those of you in the United States, we hope you get to enjoy some fireworks and great BBQ... or whatever it is you do to celebrate. Just remember to keep a bucket of water handy and don't try to teach the dog to fetch bottle rockets.

Have a great weekend everyone!