Oh How I Adore Vintage Earrings.

New vintage earring stock in the Ginger and Tonic Etsy Boutique.  Maybe a little vintage holiday BLING will help make your season a bit more bright and sparkly!
Its not to late to ask Santa.  XOXO

Vignettes Open House

We are bringing in lots of new Ginger and Tonic Feather Fascinator Hair Clips with vintage jewelry detailing, tons of vintage button rings, jeweled hair accessories, cuff bracelets and all of  our holiday bling for this special event.

Thursday, December 8th

3 - 8 pm

VIGNETTES is located in Ocean Beach, CA

4828 Newport Ave., San Diego, CA 92107.

 Stop by this darling little treasure of a shop in OB.  It has local artists, antiques, refurbished vintage pieces, and more.  If you love CoCo, Paris Apartment, Feathers and Rhinestones, Vintage Jewelry, Vintage Treasures, and just plain exquisite hand crafts you will love Vignettes!  The Open House events are always filled with fun, bubbles, pastries, and fabulousness.

Visit Vignettes on Facebook. 
Visit their website at: www.vignettesantiques.com

wine + O = the complete gift . its wineocard™ time!

As the holidays approach and we all get out and socialize, don't forget to spread the seasonal love with a bottle of vino and a fun and easy way to take credit for bringing it.  These wine cards have style for miles and are made by an amazingly talented friend of mine. :)  I love the wineocards™!

50 Ways to Get Yourself Tied...Oh I mean....50 Ways to Tie a Scarf.

Back in the late 80's I worked the accessory counter at what at the time was the "dream of all dreams" retail department store.  We were required to wear a scarf EVERYDAY.  They didnt seem to care how we wore it or where we wore it...just that we had one on and that the drop of a hat, we could demonstrate for the "scarf and accessory challenged" at least 50 Ways to Tie a Scarf.  We had a book we sold to them for $1.00 in case they needed guidance or ideas in the future.

So...as a result, I developed a passion for scarves.  

Scarves are glamorous.

These days, scarves can be found for a steal at yard sales, thrift shops, flea markets.  Some people bring trucks of them to sell.  Real treasures.  I just have them dry cleaned or hand wash and hang dry then lightly iron and you are good to go!

In case you need to be inspired or in place of the book I could have sold you in 1988, here are ideas from some of the beautiful starlets who have "style for miles" and know how to make a woman in a scarf look mysterious, sexy, darling, and daring.

 

Look for scarves to hit the shop at Ginger and Tonic Vintage very soon. 

Ive got loads of beauties for you! XOXO

                                                         

I want my life to be like an 80's movie.

XOXO

I want to spend a weekend in Havana

I actually really want to spend more than a weekend AND they were advertising that you could "Sail Away to Romance".     
No brainer...Im on board. XOXO

Speedracer: Trixie's demon on wheels.

Check out Speed Racer - Episodes 1-11

Keeping the theme I have going with cars and dreamy vintage superheros, we have the perfect combination of speed, class, and DANGER in Speedracer.  Although at times, he was a little bossy...I have to say...shouting his demands at the reliable and "always there for him" Trixie PLUS making her run all the time!

BUT, regardless...I always had a crush on Speedracer. It seemed quite suiting that during my Manic Panicked "WildFire"  dyed to the max red bob hair days I was nicknamed Trixie.

I think there is a little Trixie in all of us.  

Brave, Loyal, and really hot looking in a helmet.

I will always love the music, animation, outfits, cars and gadgets in Speedracer.  If you havent watched some of the vintage Speedracer out there.    XOXO

My First Car: 1971 Mercury Cougar

Right about the time people were driving cute little Datsun 280Z and VW Rabbit Cabriolets I turned 16. I also had my first and honestly the LAST surprise party thrown for me in my life, my 16th birthday party! It was at that party I received the second biggest surprise, my first car.   

A 1971 Mercury Cougar. 

 We affectionately referred to her as the "Banana Boat" which is accurate as she was a vessel not just a car.  

Here is a picture of it with some very lovely models. :)

The night of the party, they covered my eyes and walked me out into the driveway for the "reveal" surrounded my about 5 of my friends.  I was stunned.  They pulled off the whole surprise event really well!

Side note:  If I havent ever properly thanked you Mom & Dad, friends and fam....Thank you!  

I loved the party and I loved my car.

 
In front of me was a 1971 Mercury Cougar, Automatic, BRIGHT Yellow with black vinyl on the roof, all black leather interior, AM Radio, Electric Windows (that were the first thing to break).

Yellow UNTIL I had it painted this sweet shade of metallic blue.

Another set of lovely models. :)

Really great condition, until it started falling apart piece by piece.  But even when it was falling apart, my friends and I loved it.  Had some dang good times in it! 

I wish it were still around, although I couldnt AFFORD the gas!  Bing! I could park it in front of my house and rent it out to friends who want a place to crash 8 blocks from the beach.  It was very roomy inside and the trunk was HUGE. :)   
Anyway....may she RIP.   Muscle Cars rock too!  XOXO
 

Marvel and Me: I really like comicbook heroes and villians.

I am so happy that there is at least one thing that my 4 year old son and I can sit and watch that I can actually sit back and enjoy its vintage awesome-ness.
Vintage Comic Book Superheros.  

There are so many great memories with these movies and animations that I love getting into it with him. He knows all of their names and powers, alter-egos, who they have the hots for. He likes all of that. :)

We recently watched Batman - The Movie.  It was made in 1966.  My son watched it about 4 times on a rainy weekend. I didnt mind it at all.


The costumes are amazing and funny, Lee Meriwether is Catwoman - Purrrr, the language is hysterical, the effects are super funny, and everything in the Bat Cave is labeled with signs and called "bat-whatever",  as in "Super Hydralizing BAT Renewing Wing Solvent" (which I made up but...you get the picture). 
Anyway, I loved it. I watched it 3 times in a row with him!




For those of you with little ones getting into Marvel and all of the characters, the vintage versions of all of the television, movies, and comics are fun for the whole family! 

XOXO

Cry Baby Rules!

Johnny Depp - Patty Hearst -Tracy Lords - Iggy Pop

 ....ummmm...need I say more???  XOXO

Hats off to Vintage Pin Up Cowgirls

Yee-Haw and Taaarnation!
I reckon these beauties could even lasso in the Marlboro Man!

Vintage western wear can still be found at thrift stores and flea markets without having to take a part time job sheering sheep to get the look of the pin up cowgirl. In fact, I was just recently able to score an awesome vintage cowgirl shirt with red trim piping for $2 at $2 Dollar Thrill in OB! I also got 2 great pairs of vintage Justin cowboy boots on EBay each less than $20!

Cowboy boots are making a HUGE comeback into the fashion mainstream with all of the embroidered pocket jeans and the country musicians and rockers bustin out the ol "shit kickers".

If you want that vintage look but cant seem to find a pair that fits your bombshell style, check out Old Gringo. The Old Gringo boots have an authentic vintage feel and style for the country mile.

I fancy these from Old Gringo and available online at Burnt Sugar & Frankie (a darling boutique and shoe store in Seattle, WA).

Its Friday night Lassies!  Get your pin up cowgirl ON for tonights hootenanny! XOXO




P.S.  I also got inspired by these darlin coasters of the Vandor Cowgirls.  I think I need them in the covered wagon!

Grease - "Dont go changin to try and please me" : The moral of the story.

Ok so Im not ashamed to also admit that Ive seen the movie Grease about 87 times and know every line.  I also know every dance and every lyric of every song.

Shoo bop sha wadda wadda yippy da yip da yip.....

When I was in 6th grade, I wanted my elementary school class to do a stage production of it (minus some of the more risque 50s innuendos).  I held auditions behind the auditorium trying to cast my masterpiece.  I had the script all written out on lined notebook paper ready for my classmates to bring the phenom to Mt Vernon Elementary.

Yeah....that lasted about a week.  There was no focus, no commitment, no chemistry. So....my dreams of playing Sandy and producing musical theater at the ripe old age of 12 faded into oblivion.  I do however to this day, love Grease.  I also still wish I was Sandy (and sometimes Rizzo which at this point is probably more suitable being as I got knocked up and all).  I still want Danny to be my T-Bird.  One word....dreamy.

Anyway, this is another treasure with tricked out vintage cars, catchy tunes, pin up clothes to die for, and the warm and fuzzy story of young love. It took me 20 years to figure out that when it all comes down to it, the moral of the love story is, if you love someone and you want them to love you back....there is no need to go changin who you are.  XOXO

Vintage Clocks: The time is now....

This is the wall clock above my mantel.  Until recently, I looked at it about a million times a day.  Since writing this blog though,the days fly by so fast I hardly look at it at all.
I love this clock.  It was a flea market / swap meet find.  $25 and in great condition...except that you had to wind it up with a key to keep it running.  A small price to pay for something so delightful.

It was meant to be.  I was thrilled with it even though my beau at the time thought I was "out of my gourd".  The beau wasnt meant to be.

Anyway, as it turned out...I ended up wanting to hang it pretty high on the wall in my apartment and didnt want to get on a ladder to wind it so... I took it to a clock place in Carlsbad, CA.  It took way longer than I thought to fix it  (6 weeks) and cost $75 to fix but man do I love this clock!  See how it all works out?

I will keep hunting for these clocks in good working order.  They are true gems.  Expect them to turn up in the Ginger and Tonic Vintage Shop.  XOXO

P.S.  I also really like clocks like this one on Amazon.  Great vintage inspired room or workspace clock.

Phillips 66 Vintage Backlit Clock

Things I love: Gidget and Moodoggie

I first read Gidget when I was 12.  I found it in a thrift store I could walk to from my house and bought it for 10 cents.  I know that makes me sound like Im 80 but honestly it was 10 cents.  

I was so into it, I read it in one day and kept on reading it over and over until I foolishly let the girl across the street borrow it...and I never saw it again.

BUT... I was forever seduced by the vintage surf bunny pin up when I saw the movie. 

Moondoggie was to DIE for,it has a super HOT bad boy, the music is rockin, the vintage cars in it are awesome. I need to quote the Gidge on this one.."its just out of this world!".

My New Obsession : Old Hollywood 50s Bathing Suits

I cant stop hunting for 50s pin up and retro surf bunny bathing suits and one piece rompers! The quest is to find GIDGETS Secret Stash.  Or Ginger's from Gilligan's Island.  Maybe her suitcase will show up in my backyard.  I want a leopard one....rrrrroooaaaaaaarhhh!

Skulls:They arent just for Halloween anymore.

So...my 4 yr old son loves skulls.  He calls them "pirates" though,  NOT skulls.  Here is his photo tribute to hellbillys and rockers (by his own hand - if you cant tell).  This is just one of many pairs of socks amongst all the other "pirate" t-shirts, sweaters, jackets, and surf trunks. Ay Matey - Shiver me timbers.

 All kidding aside though....


There is a KILLER SKULL MOTIF item I have on my wish list (before Halloween comes), and that is the incredible re-purposed  Crystal Head Vodka bottle Candy Dish from my friends at San Diego's own Bottlehood.

Shes a beauty.....

Im a sucker for: Hot Rods and Harleys

Ok so in my second post EVER, Im dishing that that Im a sucker for rockabilly boys and their vintage toys.  I also want to share the steller motorcycle images from my friend at Van Cleave Photography so you can at least relate to the "toy" part.

Rev Rev Rev goes my heart - Ginger

Motorcycles - Images | Van Cleave Photography

Places I love - Ocean Beach, CA

A tribute to the home I love and the pin ups around the world I adore. The appreciation of all things vintage and the hep kats out there keeping it alive. My very first post on my new blog.  Heres to you Ocean Beach, CA ... No bad days. :)