One of my favorite things about thrifting is that you never know what you are going to find.
Today's discoveries included:
This painting of a wide-eyed "danseuse" (female ballet dancer). I'm pretty sure this little cutie is holding a gun behind her back.
In the 1960s, American painter Margaret Keane developed the unmistakable "Big Eyes" style. Her paintings depicted kitschy, colorful, "teary waifs with equally sad pets" (source). An interesting factoid about Keane is that her ex-husband used to claim all the credit for her paintings. When she and her husband divorced, Keane gained ownership of her paintings by engaging in an in-court paint-off versus her former husband and won by default (he declined to paint due to a sore shoulder - wank, wank).
By the end of the decade, prints of Keane's big-eyed paintings were being mass distributed, along with knockoffs by other artists including Gig, Eden Lee, and Eve's "mod-kids" (seen below).
The wide-eyed fad also inspired Hasbro's Little Miss No Name, Fun World's Suzy Sad Eyes, and the infamous Blythe doll.
How's that for research? We're just getting started... Moving on!
I was particularly proud of the find on the left. It is an old nurse's uniform (I'd say from the 60s) by Barco of California. I actually found another one of these beauties right next to it, but the cashier wouldn't sell it to me because it was missing a tag. Just for the record, thrift stores will NOT sell anything to you that is missing a tag no matter how much you beg, plead, and/or bribe them. I know this from repeated first-hand experience.
Here's a close-up of the print:
My mom used to have a skirt exactly like this one. I wouldn't be surprised if this one was actually hers. I know she just cleaned out her closet. Why would my conservative mother own a full circle-skirt covered in a cowboy boot print? You see, my parents, now retired, used to own a store called Country Furniture Faire. If I can recall correctly, this is the skirt she wore to the grand opening party (with matching cowboy boot earrings).
Perhaps an evening in Hillcrest for some gay-bar line-dancing is in order in the near future...
Here's a close-up of the print:
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!
This miniature globe. I just love miniature versions of things. In fact, remember that toy piano I blogged about last Wednesday (the one that got away)? It was still there today. It was in my cart. It was out of my cart. It was in my cart again. Then I took it out right before I got up to the register. It was a really emotional process. It was just way too busted.
Anyway, this has got to be at least 20 years old because Russia is still labeled Soviet Union:
After thrifting, I did a pop-in at DSW and couldn't believe my eyes (or my luck) when I came across a pair of Kork-Ease for 60% off... you just can't pass up a bargain like that.
Since this has turned out to be the most extensive, thorough, well-researched hump-day revival post to date, I guess I'll go off on another little tangent now.
Kork-Ease were the original wedge sandal in the 70s. Kork-Ease shoes are constructed from supple, biodegradable, vachetta leather that develops a rich patina over time. According to the Kork-Ease website, "The original Kork-Ease Wedge has been immortalized in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Landmark Shoe Collection -- an honor bestowed to only 25 styles of footwear all-time".
