Holiday Sales!

I'm sure you're getting a jump on the holiday shopping just like I've started to do. To helps spread a little holiday cheer this year we're launching a big sale on both Candy Violet and Cute Salad!

New items added to the clearance sale including 2 one of a kind wool coats and kimono hoodies!
Free Priority mail on domestic orders!
10% off regular Items with coupon code: XMAS10
20% off for the first 5 customers with coupon code: EARLYBIRD10
(10 and 20% off offers exclude, atelier, gift certificates, custom and clearance items)

We're sure you'll find something great for the people on your list, or for yourself, you deserve a little treat too!

Table Top Living

This Thanksgiving, just as every day I was thankful that I married a fella that not only loves to cook, but is also mind blowingly good at it! In an effort to create a table worthy of the food, and bring a bit of extra retro charm to our "so close to finished" new kitchen/dining area I took to the thing I do best, sewing!

Long time blog followers know we've been working on a 1950's inspired red and turquoise kitchen for a while, and during Thanksgiving prep this year I managed to pull together a new red cotton table runner (reversible with a super cute Route 66 print on the other side) and a set of 6 gingham oil cloth place mats.

A super simple project the table runner is padded with thermal batting to keep the table top safe from hot serving dishes, and the oil cloth mats wipe clean fast for easy day to day living!

All little touches, but it's the bright little details that make a meal feel special and table seem inviting.

Vintage Vanity

1940's ad currently on ebay

I love vintage style, and love a bit of vintage lifestyle too! A while back I fell in love with the idea of owning a vintage dresser set. There's something so glamorous and appealing about the idea of a lady picking up pretty matching beauty tools at a beautiful vanity table getting ready on a morning or, for an evening out (even if the reality has always been a million miles away from a Jean Harlow boudoir scene)

These days of course it's all high tech curling irons, throw away plastic combs, and hair brushes that look like they were developed by NASA. I love how the new stuff works, but miss how the old stuff must have felt. I was lucky enough a bit back though, to find a practically unused (maybe even unused) set, with  all it's pieces, even in it's original box from the 1940's!

Some items have been ready to go from the start, things like trays, pots and mirrors which just needed a bit of a clean, other things like the manicure set and brush need a little TLC before they are going to be usable again. The plan is to fix them up so that they can get a new lease of life all over again!

My vanity set!

 I hope I can bring things like the nail file back up to working condition, but in the mean time I'm pretty happy checking the back of my hair styles with the pearly pink mirror, and pulling bobby pins and cosmetics from the various pots, boxes and trays!

(have a spare $4,400? you could pick up a set that belonged to Ms Harlow over on Ruby Lane )

Mocktail Dressing

Our house is inching closer and closer to being truly civilized! tiling has half happened and painting is happening right this second. It'll be time for that Mocktail party in no time! the good news is not only is the house just about mocktail party ready, but as of today so am I! We launched a collection of 4 items perfect of party season over at Candy Violet today.


2 lush brocade cocktail dresses (I'm told the straight one is very Jackie O) and the first 2 items in the faux furrier collection. I love the way those vintage ladies looked in all their opulent furs, but I don't feel comfortable with modern fur, and still a little unsure how I feel about the vintage fur I inherited (Which still needs some care from a professional fur cleaner).
I love a good faux fur because you can get the glamor without the drama or ambiguity that surrounds the real thing. A lot of faux fur I've come across over the years isn't all the soft on the eye or to the touch (or is murder on the bank balance!) this little lot was a pleasant surprise when I first got to feel it. It's super soft and silky, and has a nice sheen to it. Really luxurious! Total glam and no one has to get hurt!

The hope is very much that the faux furrier collection really takes off, it would be so wonderful to give it it's own section, and to be able to bring to life even more of the ideas that have been floating round my head for so long now. I hope you'll be cocktail hour perfect this year in some of these new dresses, and that we can get you to snuggle up like a silver screen queen in some of our faux fur too!