Viva la Valentines!

Love is always on my mind for the month of February. I have always had a love/hate relationship with Valentine's Day and I think that's apparent in this mix. Sometimes love isn't always sunshine and rainbows, but then again, sometimes it is.

I present to you, the first Sea Beat mix: VIVA LA VALENTINES!
Featuring...

THE GIRLFRIENDS - MY ONE AND ONLY JIMMY BOY  (source)
Here he comes...

ROSIE & THE ORIGINALS - ANGEL BABY
(source)
Simple and sweet

SAM COOKE - CUPID
(source)
I could listen to Sam Cooke sing all day long. What a beautiful voice.

THE MONKEES - LOOK OUT (HERE COMES TOMORROW)
(source)
Written by Neil Diamond, pop music gold

THE MURMAIDS - POPSICLES AND ICICLES
(source)
These are a few of the things he loves...

PETER AND GORDON - A WORLD WITHOUT LOVE
(source)

In my opinion, this is one of the very best Lennon-McCartney songs ever written

FREE DESIGN - I FOUND LOVE
(source)

and it didn't hurt at all..

MILLENNIUM - IT'S YOU
(source)
Love, sunshine, and rainbows forever

THE SHANGRI-LAS - GIVE HIM A GREAT BIG KISS
(source)
He's good bad, but not evil

RITCHIE VALENS - COME ON, LET'S GO
(source)
Swing me swing me all the way down there

CONNIE STEVENS - SIXTEEN REASONS
(source)
I just can't seem to get enough of your secret sighs and crazy clothes

RICK NELSON - FOR YOUR SWEET LOVE
(source)
I once watched a 3 hour long PBS fundraising program about Rick Nelson. Never got bored once... I mean how could you with those eyes.....

OTIS REDDING - LOVE MAN
(source)
6'1" 210lbs

THE COOKIES - STRANGER IN YOUR ARMS
(source)
What's a Valentine's mix without at least one heartbreak song

MAURICE WILLIAMS & THE ZODIACS - STAY
(source)
The shortest song to ever reach the top of the Billboard charts. Just proves that you can fit perfection into less than 2 minutes.

THE BEACH BOYS - DON'T WORRY BABY
(source)
Oh what she does to me when she makes love to me

MERCY - LOVE CAN MAKE YOU HAPPY
(source)

This song always reminds me of my first months in LA, when Retro 1260 was still a thing on the AM dial. 

Cracklin' Rosie

What a lovely weekend of candy shops, candy striped dresses, and birthday cake. I have added a couple of new items to the shop including this adorable pink and white striped shift dress with a bow in the back. It's very sweet, very mod, and very 1960s. I love it so much, I hope you do too!

 1960s Betty Barclay Pink and White Striped Dress

1960s Bobbie Brooks Tan A-Line Skirt

1970s/1980s Dusty Rose Blazer

Sing it, Neil!

Brrr It's Cold?

Ahh the joys of sunny Los Angeles, while the rest of the country facing polar vortex after polar vortex, we're enjoying 80 degree days in the middle of January! There are a thousand reasons why I left the midwest, this is definitely at the top of the list.

Because it was so beautiful today, I decided to head down to Venice beach and rent a bike. I cruised up to the Santa Monica pier and back. It was lovely! So lovely that I wanted bike rides to be a regular thing in the future. Mid ride, I hopped on Craigslist and found this cute little Schwinn beach cruiser. Within an hour it was mine. Sure it's a little rusty but it only cost me $40. I was longing for the old Schwinn bicycle I used to ride during the summers back in Ohio. Now to get a bike rack for my little hatchback. It was a comedy of errors trying to get this bike in my backseat.

I also added a couple of new dresses to the shop! One is positively warm and dreamy for the winter and the other is perfect for a Valentine's Day date! Check them out:

Vintage 60s/70s Royal Blue Long Sleeved Dress - XS/S

Vintage 70s/80s Red Long Sleeved Dress with Cute Neck Tie - L

Calendar Girl

My work soundtrack today was completely Neil Sedaka. The Scopitone video for Calendar Girl is cheese-tastic, as with many early Sedaka hits

A Sign Of The Times

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a wonderful celebration to welcome in 2014. My celebrations were very low-key. Coming back to LA from Orlando on a 5 1/2 hour flight really takes it out of you. I was happy just to spend time with my boyfriend drinking champagne, eating Chinese food, and watching the ball drop.

I have a few new dresses to add to the shop soon. One is absolutely perfect for Valentine's day and one is oh so warm! Perfect for winter.

I Love Shirt Dresses

The shirt shift dress is a staple in my closet. I have this one from the Gap that I thrifted two years ago that is constantly in my work wardrobe rotation. I pair them with a simple skinny belt and some modest heels and it is a timeless business casual outfit. On occasion I will even dress up the plain ol' dress with a scarf to give it a little vintage flair.

When I'm thrifting or going through vintage shops, a simple shirt dress will always catch my eye. So during my rummage yesterday, I was so excited to find two (well three, but I'm keeping one for myself. Like I said, I can't resist!) great shift/shirt style dresses. I've listed them in the shop this afternoon.

1970s Long Sleeve Shirt Dress with Scarf

This one is perfect for the vintage lover with an office job. It's navy blue with a cute little scarf. I would pair it with a yellow skinny belt to add even more punches of color.

1960s/1970s Pink Paisley Shirt Dress

This one is so vibrant that it just needs to be worn on a sunny day. It's technically a "dorm shirt" which may translate into a "sleep shirt" but I think it is too fabulous for bedtime. Although it is lightweight, I think that it can easily be worn out on a regular basis.


In addition to these groovy shirt dresses, I've also added a couple of items that I collected a while ago.

1980s Teal Floral Silk Peplum Blouse

1980s/1990s Beige and Black Vest

I'm gearing up this week to go on vacation to visit my family for the Christmas holiday. I'm so thankful that my journey is from California to Florida and that I can wear my sundresses year round. I definitely do not miss the white Christmases from growing up in Ohio. 

New in the Shop

I woke up this morning to notification of my first Sea Beat sale. Woo hoo! So exciting. 

I have listed all of the items I got from my vintage haul last weekend. There are some really great pieces and many with the original tags on them! Check it out:

60s/70s Blue Paisley Shirt Dress

60s/70s Casual Blue Skirt

60s Bobbie Brooks Yellow A-Line Skirt

60s/70s Brown Plaid "Pant Dress"

50s/60s Forman & Gumner Floral Sun Dress

70s H Bar C Ranchwear Body Suit

60s Brown Jumper Dress

60s Girls Orange Paisley Dress

60s Pink and Navy Blue Polka Dot Shift Dress

60s/70s Red Jacket/Blazer

Holy Vintage Haul, Batman!

I found some really fabulous dresses and skirts today and I cannot wait to put them in the shop. There's this really beautiful floral sundress that would look amazing on some lucky lady. That pink polka dot number is really lovely as well. Honestly, I think I could spend a few minutes gushing over most of these items (look at the collar in the orange paisley dress! Hello Brady Bunch!)

In other news, I saw this giant Mr. Bump plush-thing and it sent me reeling back to my childhood. I once showed my boyfriend the opening credits to the 90s Saturday morning stop animation show, Bump in the Night and he looked at me blankly and said, "that explains so much about you." Umm, yeah, I guess he was right.

Wedding Gown

I can't help but think of that one It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode...

New in the shop!

This weekend I took the plunge and listed some of my favorite vintage finds in my new Etsy shop, Sea Beat. LA has treated me so well when it comes to vintage clothing. In the 3 1/2 years I have been here, I've collected some really random tops and dresses. Although, I wear most of my finds, there are a few that just aren't right for me, but could be absolutely perfect for someone else. Here are a few items that are in the shop. I have a handful more items that will be added soon. 

I'm kind of bummed to have to part with the button-up boat shirt, it's nautical and nice.

Hawaiian Print Blouse from Sears Hawaiian Fashions

Multi-Colored Triangle Blouse

Button-Up Nautical Sail Boat Blouse

Lightweight Hunter Green Jacket - Very Daria Morgendorffer