The Fantasy of Grey Gardens

By now, anyone who knows me or has read my blog is familiar with my love of old, decrepit, tattered and torn things.

I found these photo's of set designs from the HBO movie "Grey Gardens" starring Drew Barrymore & Jessica Lange, which I have yet to see. My first impression is an overwhelming feeling of "Wow, that looks amazing!", especially the scratchy old paint and the way the painting is just kind of leaning....and the finish on the old piano...oh my!

Now you may think I have gone too far in my love of shabby things, but I want to let you know that I could NEVER actually LIVE in a place like this...it is just fun to look at the pictures, and imagine what the lives of these 2 women must have been like. Yes, I am romanticizing here, but sometimes reality is not as fun.

Just wanted to share these photo's with you. Call me crazy if you will, but I love 'em!

Jeans

OK, so if I were a few (ah-hem!)...I said a FEW years younger, I would be wearing the hole-y, ripped up boyfriend jeans so much, I'd wanna sleep in them.

Alas, I will have to leave it for the younger crowd but I have to say one thing...they go SO well with a lot of the tops, jackets and sweaters we have coming for Fall at Tattered Rose!!!

On second thought, maybe I WILL pull out a pair of my ripped-at-the-knee jeans I was wearing about 8 years ago....when I was younger....and slimmer...we'll see! I'm not even sure they fit anymore, but that can be remedied.

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE ripped jeans....they go so well with the name of my store...maybe that's why?

Angels

Angels live among us...."look" with your heart and you will see them.

SID DICKENS TILES

I have decided to once again sell the Sid Dickens tiles (memory blocks, as they are also called) that I have in my shop. Some of these tiles are very retired, meaning that they are no longer being produced and therefore are highly collectible, rare and valuable.


The newer tiles start at $80 and they go up from there, depending on the rarity. I am in no hurry to sell them, since they do become more valuable as time goes by.

The close-up shot of the fleur-de-lis Alchemy tile was produced in the late 90's and retired not long after. They are gorgeous and valuable. I will be parting with one each of the bronze and nickel versions of this particular tile.

I have Sid Dickens tiles in my own home, as well as the store and I just love them! They really do make a wonderful alternative to a picture hanging on the wall.

Tattered Rose in the News!!

Check out the article on Tattered Rose in the Edmonton Journal, July 7, 2009:
(click on the space below if the link does not show up)

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Urban+romantic/1766501/story.html

Miss Kitty loves her cats!

This is one of the many reasons that I love cats!

Where's the Groom?

Here comes the bride......

where's the groom? Maybe he's in the church thanking the minister for the ceremony......well, anyway, no worries about being the "belle of the ball" wearing this gorgeous skirt/jacket combo.

Wedding outfit available at Tattered Rose.

For the Love of Bears

When I was a kid, I often had nightmares about bears...the big black bears that would be coming to get me, walking on their hind legs, front paws reached out as if to pick me up and bite my head off or something. I would wake up shaking in my boots....ok, I wasn't wearing boots but you get the picture.

The hand-made bears that my friend, Kristina makes and sells are nothing like those enormous, scary creatures that stalked me in my dreams. Hers are cute and cuddly and gorgeous. Here's a picture of one wearing what I would call a vintage-looking bed jacket. Adorable!!

Check out her blog at http://www.kristinabears.blogspot.com/

and maybe add a few of her adorable bears to your collection, or start a collection for your children.

Designer Kitty

Whenever I lay out black fabric on my cutting table, my darling little Luna always has to lay on it. It must remind her of her birth mother, or maybe she just really likes the colour black. Of course, when I am doing new designs for Tattered Rose, I don't allow any of my feline friends in the room with me...just in case any of my customers are allergic to cats.

Something old...

Something new....

Something borrowed.....

Something blue....

My Feline companions!!!!

Romantic Dressing

No, I'm not talking about what you put on your salad! I'm talking about a way of wearing romantic styles of clothing inspired by the past. I am not a minimalist so show me some ruffles, raw edges, crochet, lace, florals and my heart begins to flutter. Throw in some roses and ribbons and I just can't stand it!!! Well, maybe I can find a way!

I'm mad about ornate details and embellishments, particularly of the Victorian (1837-1900) and Edwardian (1901-1919) periods where the beadwork and seaming and lace and use of fine fabrics were works of art; however, I am also a big fan of the slinky bias dresses and clothing of the 20's and 30's.

So how do you wear this stuff today, when we have to drive vehicles, buy coffee at Starbucks and not look like we're wearing a costume? You wear pieces that evoke the romantic eras of the past, like a ruffled jacket or blouse that you can wear with jeans. Mix it up, be brave and do not ever worry about being the only person to wear something out of the ordinary. I don't know about you, but I have never liked to conform to what everyone else was wearing. I always was different and sometimes talked about (like in high school) but then what do you know? Some time after that, what I was wearing became the "new thing" and I would know it was time to move on to something new.

This is the philosophy I try to bring to my store, Tattered Rose (located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) When I buy clothing or jewellery for my store, it has to appeal to my eye and be something that I would wear. It has to be romantic, of subtle colour and beauty. Many of the things in the store are wearable with your favourite pair of jeans but you can also dress them up with a fab long skirt for an evening out.

So I guess my main purpose in writing this blog is to let everyone who reads it know that it is ok to wear romantic clothing. Mix it up....throw on that ruffled lace jacket with your jeans and motorcycle boots (or heels if that's your style) and just enjoy being a woman. If you get a chance, please visit Tattered Rose (phone: 780-488-1200)...you might just find that special piece that will get you started on the road to "Romantic Dressing".

So many ruffles, so little time!

Romancing the world one rose at a time!

Well here we are...another day but the first day of my new blog. How exciting to be joining the blog world. In days to come, I will be talking (no doubt) about my shop, my cats, and so much more. In my world, there cannot be too many roses...on clothing & textiles, in art and in home decor.

Tattered Couture will be one of our specialties and as you get to know (and love) the clothing and jewellery that has a faded glory of the past, you too will be a Romantic Gypsy, mixing a few Tattered Couture items into your current wardrobe♥