My best vintage 2011

As always, I am rounding up my favorite vintage listed in the past year, and here they are. A small group of these are still for sale, but even if your favorites are sold, please remember that there is more to come...as a matter of fact I believe the best is yet to come! 

{click on the images for a larger view}

I was very pleased to find Lilli Ann labels in vintage clothing, 40s-60s

I love vintage party dresses in black

...and in color

When Elizabeth Taylor died in March, I focused on clothing to compliment her beautiful violet eyes

In April I had the great pleasure of meeting Alfred Shaheen's daughter, Camille Shaheen-Tunberg and her husband the artist and sculptor Bill Tunberg, the occasion being a Shaheen exhibit at Washington State University

I'm always ecstatic to find a Shaheen (below left), and there is a wonderful world of vintage Hawaiiana beyond

In April the Royal Wedding made me excited about vintage wedding possibilities

I'm always giddy about vintage polka dots from all eras

I'm also crazy about vintage hats with great character

Then there are the bags of character

In June and July I explored late 30s clothing in my blog, and I was fortunate to find a number of 30s items to sell

I am a perpetual fan of great suits, whether with fine labels (Don Loper, Irene, Kimberly)

...or unlabeled but with distinctive style

If you know me, you know that I appreciate a conversation-starting print

I continue to love the photos from my buyers of themselves in their purchases (let me know if you have one, and I will add your photo to my gallery on Facebook!)

I've always got something chic and black for your vintage cocktail hour

And outerwear? I've got you covered!

In March this 40s cherry tree-print dress helped raise money for Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund - a GlobalGiving Project, the Art Deco bracelet for Save the Manatee Club in June

In August, this beaded Don Loper jacket helped raise funds for World Food Program USA for famine relief in the horn of Africa; the hand-embroidered Mexican skirt is part of my effort to help Conservation Northwest this month. 

All in all, I've been able to donate over $1500 this year. Without a doubt, if it weren't for my faithful buyers, I wouldn't be able to do what I do.

Thank you and blessings to you all. I look forward to seeing you in 2012!

P.S. Ten of these items are still for sale...please check my stores at denisebrain.com

Wait, where are you going?

Gary Pollock photo

There are a few days left in December...a few days more for your purchases from denisebrain.com to benefit Conservation Northwest. So stick around, the finish is going to be great!

Don't give up now!

Carol Bock photo

This is no time to rest!

I'm very excited to report that I may be able to surpass my 2010 donation to Conservation Northwest! Don't forget that any purchase from my online shops helps this great organization.

One possibility is this newly-listed 1950s Mexican circle skirt, hand embroidered with animals:

...another is this Vested Gentress-label 1960s corduroy dress with leopard print:

I am so grateful to all of you who have purchased from me so far this month, and especially those who purchased because you know 25% of your purchase is going to Conservation Northwest. Without you, I couldn't do this.

See you at denisebrain.com!

Have you had a look yet?

Northern spotted owls, photo by Jim Thraikill/USFWS

This month 25% of my earnings go to Conservation Northwest, so it's a fine time to:

1. Help a great cause

2. Find some great vintage clothing and accessories

3. Be part of the recycling loop by purchasing something used instead of new

May I tempt you?

How about this woodland wildlife print 70s shirt?

...or a pewter-y owl necklace?

...or this African hand screen printed tunic?

If owl prints and jewelry are not your thing, many other items are to be found in my Etsy shop, web store, eBay and Material Girl Bags on Etsy. 

Many thanks to Barbara Christensen of Conservation Northwest for highlighting my promotion in the CNW blog (Vintage gal helps grizzly). Barbara is so cool about promoting members' efforts for the cause! 

Although it’s been said many times, many ways

Click the image to see my December theme and little Christmas card to all.

Bear with me

photo by Joe Sebille

Last October, Joe Sebille was hiking in the North Cascades, and shot some cell phone photos of a bear. The next May he opened his cell phone to ask a park ranger what he thought of the pictures, and from there the news spread that this photograph is of a grizzly bear, the first confirmed photo in that region in 50 years.

The North Cascades grizzly population has been perilously endangered for decades, so the sighting of this bear gives hope to those of us who care about this animal and the environment it needs to survive.

Why does the grizzly matter so much? According to the CNW website, “grizzly bears are a strong surrogate for the conservation of the dozens of other plants and animals that make our region biologically and culturally diverse and vibrant. Protecting the habitats that allow the bear the freedom to roam and thrive will benefit mule deer, wolverines, elk and mountain goats, and many more wildlife. Protecting the roadless watersheds that nurture the grizzly bear also helps ensure clean water, solitude, and recreational opportunities for everyone.”

And it gets personal for me. From my earliest memory I have loved bears and all they stand for. Inevitably I was given and loved teddy bears as a child, but an older relative recalled that when asked as a little girl whether I cared more for teddy bears or real bears, I said real bears of course.

Little me and my brother; I had a bear with me as always

I still care most about real bears

Which brings me to this: For the past several years I have devoted a portion of my December earnings to Conservation Northwest, which has advocated not only for the grizzly, but for all wildlife and ecosystems in the region. All year I follow the work of this organization with awe.

Conservation Northwest gives me hope for the grizzly, and so much more. Once again this December I'm devoting 25% of the proceeds from all the shops at denisebrain.com to this great group.

Conservation Northwest

Bear experts confirm North Cascades bear was grizzly, Spokesman-Review, 7/1/11

The 1956 "Miracle Brim" Hoodcharmer

A 1950s Hoodcharmer, currently available on Etsy

I love the people who keep their vintage items with all original information. This hat would have been a bit hard to figure out without the accompanying pictures and instructions. Once I figured it out, I had too much fun with this neat invention, which dates from some time after 1956, as I found by looking up its patent numbers.

The illustration from US patent number 178,833

Made by Jane Richard (the patent belongs to Irene Greene) and called the "Magic Brim" Hoodcharmer, the simplest way to wear the soft knit tube of wool/Orlon acrylic is as a hood. To get fancy, you slip the white wire through one end, then twist and shape to make a hat.

Very DIY...are you there Etsy crafters?