Bakelite, Baby!

About a year ago, when I told my sister how much I adore Bakelite, she said: "Wait? Isn't that just plastic?" Well, yes, it is an early plastic but it is also so much, much more. Bakelite has such a delicious heaviness to it and is always smooth and cool to the touch. It is made of formaldehyde and, when rubbed or warmed up, it let's off that tell-tale pungent smell, something which gives it just a touch of the creepy which I love. I made a treasury of Bakelite items on etsy which you can view here. Below are some lovely items that are still fabulous but didn't make the cut.

Vintage 1950s West German Rührfix handmixer with ox blood Bakelite top. This piece is actually for sale in my vintage German housewares, toys and home decor shop, Schaufenster, though I've been tempted for a while now to just quietly put it on the shelf in my kitchen...

This handmade ring is made of vintage 1940s tortoise shell Bakelite and a vintage button. It was made by little old me (told you I love Bakelite!) and is for sale in Curious Knopf.

At nearly 300 dollars, this vintage art deco Bakelite horse brooch is pricey, but look at how gorgeous he is. Such details, such a cute little eye. Wowza! Available at Aging Gracefully.

I have to admit I'm not the biggest fan of vintage earrings. Clips on really are murderous. Ouch! But these sweet vintage orange carved Bakelite earrings are screwbacks which is much more comfortable. And they are such a lovely color, aren't they? Available at Vested Bee Vintage.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if, instead of saying "Could you pass the salt, dear?" you could say "Dear, could you pass the vintage depression ear delphite blue glass salt shaker with black Bakelite top?" You can soon if you take a little jaunt over to Art Sincerely.

Oh my God, this is a vintage Bakelite wiener dog in marblelized green. Folks, it just doesn't get cooler than this. Available at The Vintage Junkie.


I've bought several things already from Heather at Petit Oiseau and I loved all of them (the ring featured in the first photograph is from her shop.) All of her jewelry is handmade from vintage Bakelite, though she does also carry some strictly vintage pieces. Really you should rush over to her shop and go on a Bakelite binge, pronto, ASAP. I featured a green and red ensemble here to get you in the vintage lover's holiday spirit. ;)

And the Two Shall Be One....

Although I say this with somewhat of a heavy heart, I have decided to consolidate my shop Schaufenster Art & Vintage with Curious Knopf. I actually have several reasons why I've chosen to do this, but the main one is that I simply don't have enough attention span to run two shops at the same time. In the feature, you can find vintage housewares and home decor at Curious Knopf such as:

This fabulous Arzberg cake plate with matching tea cup, hand-painted in Bavaria in 1952, with Japanese cherry trees and a Geisha girl nonetheless. And this vintage 1950s shy German girl wall mask from Cortendorf.Although I plan to keep the shop largely vintage-only, I will still offer some small works of art made from vintage materials like my handmade jewelry, so do stay tuned. ;)

Nobody Loves Me

I've been running my vintage clothing shop Curious Knopf for five months now and Schaufenster Art & Vintage for around two years, but even after all this time I'm still surprised sometimes about what sells and what does not. Sometimes I've posted something that I thought was nice but not all that super amazing only to have it sell right away. Other times I've posted something that I find wonderful, something I feel sure will be snatched up right away only to have it sit around for months. This vintage 1950s dress is just one of these items.
When I first found it I was really excited (but also sad that it's not my size....) The dress is made of the softest cotton and has the greatest print: orange and white stripes with colorful Aztec tiki-like gods along the orange stripes and little black Aztec-like stars on the white stripes. I was sure it would have a new owner pretty quickly. But it's been in my shop now for several months and not only has it not been sold, it also has had over 300 views and not a single heart.
The dress does have a few minor flaws. The handle to the zipper is broken (though the zipper itself is in perfect working order.) One of the buttons was replaced and is of a slightly different style. But still, it's white and the same size and no one would probably even notice the difference unless they were specifically looking for it....What can I say? Nobody seems to love this dress. Except for me. Maybe it's a sign that I should work harder at finally being a size 10 again so the lovely little old dress can hang proudly in my closet!

A Few Of My (Mostly) Vintage Favorite Things

Because who can resist a tiny vintage picture case with a faux abalone shell cover? Available at Little Dog Vintage.
Because I've always been a sucker for things that look like food but aren't food. You could put a big scoop of vanilla ice cream with a cherry on top in this bowl and then put the lid on it with a fake big scoop of vanilla ice cream with a fake cherry on top. How cool is that? Available at Autumn Always.
Because my poor West Highland Terrier Benjamen always bombed the 4-H dog shows when I was in the 4th grade, mostly just bringing home the white participation ribbon. Poor Benjamen. He never could resist that hamburger they placed in the obstacle course. In his honor, I would love to own these vintage dog show prizes. Available in Finland at Funky Homo Sapiens. (p.s. Westminster Dog Show 4-ever! ;) )
Because who can resist kitschy stuff with flamingos on it, especially since flamingos make such a bizarre noise (I spend A LOT of time at the zoo these days...) Available at Jape.
The ribbons-across-the-bust thing has never really worked for me which is truly unfortunate because I adore this dress and would love more than anything to have it hanging in my closet right now. Available at Small Earth Vintage.
These shoes are just too cute. They are a half a size too big for me, but what the heck? I could always stuff some cotton in the toe....Beat me too it at Liza Zain.
I've bought several pieces of jewelry from Petit Oiseau and I love them all. This Chocolate Mint Bakelite Necklace is no exception. I also love the Bakelite Green Jello Ring. Decisions, decisions.....

So this last one isn't vintage, but it is stitched art which is tres Schaufenster. Plus Bodega Bay (where the artist lives) is probably one of the most beautiful places on the planet...Plus my sister really has a thing for pillows....Hmm. Maybe sister, dear sister, is due for a present. If so I will buy it at Tastes Orangey.

What I Kept

Having two babies pretty much in a row in my mid-thirties definitely has not been easy on my figure. I went from being between a size 10 and a size 12 to being between a size 14 and a size 16. Some women loose a lot of weight by breastfeeding but, sadly, I am not one of them. Although I have come to terms with my current size, it is sometimes a bit of a shock when I see my reflection in a shop window or mirror when I am not expecting it. In my mind, I think I still envision myself about 40 to 50 pounds lighter.


Still, I would like to loose some weight this summer. So far my plan is to limit ice cream to two times a week, do yoga regularly and ride my bike all over town which I finally got fixed. We'll see how it goes. In the meantime, the best I can do is try and find flattering ways to cover it up. I think I found one with this vintage 1970s dark navy polka dot skirt.


The skirt sat in my shop all of one day until I tried it on today and realized how much I like it. You can see the ties dragging a bit in the photographs, but that's just because I didn't tie it quite high enough. The skirt is also completely adjustable, so you can really vary the look. The last thing I need right now is more clothes (just got rid of four big bags full and my closet is still brimming...) but what the hay? Happy un-birthday to me.


* Skirt, vintage 1970s, nicked from Curious Knopf; Shirt, Vero Moda; Watch, vintage 1970s Seiko that once belonged to my aunt; Bakelite ring, from Petit Oiseau; Earrings, burgundy Bakelite and vintage buttons, something I made and also decided to keep; Necklace, Art Deco Dreams Necklace, made by me and still for sale at Curious Knopf (better hurry because I just may also decide to keep it for myself! ;) ); Shoes, thrifted at the Fillmore Goodwill across from the Japantown Mall in San Francisco.

Who the heck are you?

So I've been writing this blog for a few months now but I just realized anyone who reads it probably doesn't have much of a sense for who I am. To be honest, I never intended this blog to even become personal. I already write a more personal blog so I thought this one could be used more for shop updates or vintage living in Berlin tips, that sort of thing. But I can't help it; I always get personal. The personal is just what most interests me....To anyone else out there who also likes to know what goes on behind the curtain, I give you this little post with these six little questions. Here goes:

Who are you, anyway?
Geez. Start with the general, philosphical question why don't you? Hmm...Who am I? I am the second daughter of four children (one older sister, two younger brothers.) I am an American who has lived in Berlin for over ten years and plans to stay. I am a person who believes in change and that everything always stays in motion und das ist gut so. I am an Aquarius with Capricorn moon and Virgo rising (oh, give me a break...I'm from California. ;), I am the mother of two young red-headed daughters though no one knows where the red hair came from.


Where are you from?
Like I said, I grew up mainly in California, in the San Francisco Bay Area (East Bay hardcore!) I was born in Sacramento where I lived in an urban Jesus freak hippie commune until I was 2 (go 1970s!!) when we moved to Tucson, Arizona. I lived in Tucson until I was ten and will always have a soft spot in my heart for the Sonoran desert. I lived in the Bay Area for fifteen years, where I also studied music at Mills College. When I was 25 I left for Berlin, supposedly supposedly for only one year. I lived all over the neighborhood of Neukölln, an area that has a pretty bad reputation because it's pretty gritty (though nothing compared to American standards) but I always liked it because it is diverse and has great, cheap apartments and is very close to cooler neighborhoods. Once I had kids I moved to Kreuzberg 61, a neighborhood that is similar to Noe Valley in San Francisco and Park Slope in Brooklyn in that it is still urban but also child friendly and slightly more affluent (though Kreuzberg 61 is no where near as expensive as those neighborhoods because Berlin is still an incredibly affordable city.) My husband and I plan to stay here because we are city people and, slowly, so are our kids. And yes, in case you're wondering, he is German.


How long have you worn vintage?
Since high school, though then I wouldn't have called it "vintage" I would have just said I liked shopping at thrift stores. Still, two of my favorite dresses were what I now know to be a light blue vintage 1950s shirtwaist dress and an amazing vintage 1940s black velvet dress with a white collar and cuffs. I wish I still had both of them but then again I was a size 8 in high school and now; well, let's just say I am no longer a size 8....Although I will occasionally buy a skirt or blouse at H&M, for the most part all of what I have worn for the past ten years has come from a flea market or thrift stores. When I go back "home" to California, one of the first things I always do is go on a shopping spree at the flagship Goodwill store of Mission and South Van Ness in San Francisco, no doubt one of the best thrift stores in the world. I also go to several others around the City (as people in the Bay Area call San Francisco) until my two suitcases are monster full. As my sister says, "People come from all over the world to see the gorgeous sites of San Francisco and when you are here all you want to do is go to scummy, scummy thrift stores."


Why have you decided to sell vintage?
I've always loved (and been good at) finding things. When I was a child, it was arrow heads and pottery shards in the desert and now it's vintage clothing. I've found several amazing locations here in Berlin for vintage but, like any flea market or thrift store, you have to wade through the piles until you find that golden needle in the hay stack. But this is exactly what I find so wonderful about it. Going on the hunt....And when I do make that amazing find I get so excited. The good news is, now that I have a vintage clothing shop, it doesn't matter whether or not it is my size or style. If it isn't I've just made an amazing find for someone else and both of us go away happy.


Who has influenced your style?
Definitely my grandmother (father's mother.) She was quite the fashionista, with a Jackie Kennedy-esque style. I still have several of her beautiful ballgowns from the 40s, though she was under five feet and a size 4, so they come no where near to fitting me. But she definitely gave me a feel for style and the cut and quality of cloth, something I always have in mind when I go on the hunt. My sister is also an inspiration. Her style is more classic and designer minded than mine (I like it playful and colorful with a touch of sexy for the most part), but good clothes and good vintage is something we both care about. As far as "vintage" ladies whose style I admire, I guess the top of the list would be Kim Novak, Sophia Loren and Julie London.

Anything else?
I am a trained classical singer, but these days I'm more into singing jazz and Brazilian songs. I also write, mainly short stories though I do have some ideas for a novel I would like to start on now that my youngest daughter has started pre-school. I love animals and couldn't imagine not having any pets. I had practically every pet imaginable when I was growing up (let's just say I never had a tarantula, though I did want one...), but now my California family is pretty much just big into dogs. I like both dogs and cats (though which I like better tends to change by my mood) but I hate litter boxes and wouldn't want to have to take a dog for walk six times a day (at least) like you have to do in a city. Since I've been in Berlin I've had 5 rats (yes, rats. They make great pets), 3 parakeets and two Senegal parrots. Right now I only have the two parakeets, which require only a little more care than a goldfish. Unfortunately, my husband is not really an animal person, but I'm trying to talk my brother-in-law into getting a dog. ;)

Ok, that's it. What are your answers to the questions? I would love to hear them. :)