The New First Lady In Vintage

And in vintage inspired! Its going to be a whole new world watching the brand new first lady dazzle the world in designer vintage inspired and actual vintage pieces! Michelle Obama has fantastic taste and the stylists to make sure she looks her best every second in front of the camera...and the world of vintage is thrilled to see her not only wearing vintage inspired pieces but the real deal as well! The blog shares with the world the secret of Michelle's sparkling accent worn at the neckline of her decidedly 60s inspired suit dress worn yesterday at President Barack Obama's swearing in. Michelle likes to mix it up like the rest of us vintage fashionistas! 60s chic with Victorian glamour....in this case, the dress featured an actual Victorian sash pin at the neckline.

On my website, a similar Victorian paste sash pin set in rolled gold, a bit smaller but with all the gorgeous stones intact....

And her gown! I'm reading here and there that the critics are panning it but I loved it. Immediately brings to mind a romantic 50s prom dress but with a grown up, modern edge...

I recently sold a 50s prom dress that well could have been the inspiration for the silhouette of the bodice...

I've added the feed from the blog about Mrs. Obama's wardrobe to the blog there to the right, because I am a geek over the Obama's and also am in love with the fact that she's rocking the vintage!! Viva and go on with your bad self and rock ON Michelle!!! (ps, thank you First Lady Obama, for showing the world how to work the vintage and modern wear and look FABULOUS!!!)

~Ang

One Day.

Get out there, change the world...make your kids proud!!!

~Ang

Me & Obama....Today.

When he announced he'd be in Des Moines today to make up for a missed date last week when he went to see his ailing Grandma, Toot (who I am praying for to make it to see her son become President!), I emailed a friend of mine w/ the campaign asking about potential seating for someone w/ a small child. I took my daughter in May to see him and it was tough being in a huge crowd with her, so small, not able to see....etc etc. She did me one better and hooked me, my ex husband and my daughter up w/ VIP tickets!

The rally was 5 blocks from the shop so we closed up and walked over this morning. The line was a couple blocks long but moved quickly, we got through the metal detectors w/ TSA checking our stuff and went right up front. I got a cool pic of a sharp-shooter beneath a HUGE American flag that would have blocked him from where we were but a breeze blew it up....notice the girl in her apartment window below the sniper......

With 25,000 people in attendance, our Governor, Chet Culver, spoke...as did Senator Tom Harkin, congressman Leonard Boswell and a dem. running for Congress, Becky Greenwald. A highlight was when Iowa native and world reknowned opera singer, Simon Estes, sang the Star Spangled Banner....people were literally weeping it was so beautiful.....

And then Barack came out!!

There was a runway down the center of the crowd he walked and then came back up front to speak.....

Shot of the crowd, I didn't take this.....

At the end he actually walked down to the front of the barrier so people could speak to him...I was about 5 rows back and made it my mission to get the sign my daughter made for him up there into his hands. I left my daughter w/ my ex and pushed through to get to him...handed him the sign, he looked at it and smiled (it was total chaos up there), and handed it to an assistant who tucked it into a folder!!! My daughter was so proud and excited!

The speech was incredible, it was an overwhelming experience to be that close to someone so brilliant....someone who (crossing fingers!) will be the next President of the United States!!! The speech can be seen here, if anyone wants to see it....

http://tinyurl.com/6lo9na

Also, another girl that came into the shop during the caucus was Hope Hall, who is a film maker. She is extremely talented and as it turned out, she made the film they played at the DNC before Obama's acceptance speech, you can see it here...

http://tinyurl.com/68qzjg

Its pretty fantastic to live in Iowa during a presidential campaign, even more so during this epic moment!!!

Ang

Hope or Hate?

The beginning of this video is a little tough to watch, but after all the news stories and footage of racist & bigoted behavior as of late in this country, I think its important. If for no other reason than to make one think about what we want America to be.

~Ang

Life

In a Northern Town, one of my favorite songs ever....re-interpreted by Sugarland for Obama. Excuse the politics, but this election really matters.

~Ang

Shop Progress

I'm posting sporadically (and often too politically, oops!) but it is in part due to the work I've been having done at my shop to remodel the place, top to bottom. The new logo inspired a new look.....

The old look, just before opening....

Now....

The new logo on the window!

The new lingerie loft.....

I also added the logo to some stylish stuff at CAFE PRESS

PS....I also made some Obama stuff for the fashionistas, HERE

~Ang

real-vintage links to real-facts

On Obama's tax plan v. McCain's. Click HERE, enter your filing status and annual income (gross adjusted) and the site (which is non-partisan) tells you what the difference would be between what you would save in taxes based on Obama's tax plans and McCain's tax plans.

Its that simple. And I promise, today I am going to blog all my site updates as well as add pictures of the new look at my shop, post (nearly) remodel!

~Ang

Reality V. Palin

Facts.

820 is the number of laws Obama sponsored in the Illinois State Senate.

427 is the current count of the number of bills Obama has co-sponsored in the U.S. Senate.

And the final number, 152, is the most recent tally of the number of bills that Senator Obama has authored.

Yet according the the speakers at the Republican National Convention, Obama has literally done nothing, at all....ever.

Palin at the RNC....

"But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or even a reform, not even in the state senate"

The same types of outright lies were repeated over and over by McCain and other speakers throughout the convention. Apparently the press can't be bothered to use the resources available online to check facts (i.e., factcheck.org, etc) and point out the lies being spread as gospel by the Republicans. Barack Obama gets hammered by the press for "lying by ommission", but the Republicans can lie outright and its accepted as gospel? Strange. And wrong.

You'll note I've never blogged about politics before....I'm not a fan of discussing my politics where my business is concerned. But I am disgusted, saddened and disappointed in what is happening....lies, being accepted and going unchallenged by the press and the public. I have a small child and the very idea of someone with as little experience making (or even discussing, even THINKING about) decisions in regard to national healthcare, national economy, women's reproductive rights, gun control, the role of religion in politics....and quite importantly, the war on terrorism (where Obama has been involved in many hours of study, discussion & votes)....the war, Iraq & Afghanistan, frightens me for my child's future. A VP should be ready to step in and command the government of this country and all of its branches from day one. Palin is quoted as saying "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq". She has since announced our work in Iraq is a "task from God".

Hasn't focused on the war, and its a "task from God". We can only surmise she would be looking for cues from God in how to handle the war she hasn't "thought much about" should something happen to McCain and she is left running the enourmous military machine we have in place in the Middle East (a place she's never even been). I'm quite honestly not at all comforted by the thought of that scenario.

AS for slagging community organizers....Palin wouldn't even be where she IS without community organizers. No, they don't have the responsibility of running a political office. And as an aside, Obama didn't go from being a community organizer to running for president...he's spent just a bit of time going to law school, being a lawyer and consequently an actual politician with *responsibilities* since then. But its worth noting that Susan B. Anthony was a community organizer. So was Jesus. So were our founding fathers. Its not a dirty word and can often have more impact on lives than a mayor or governor can.

I could go on and on. I'm mad....no, disappointed and disgusted. Disappointed in the humanity of the Republicans who insult the average American, parading Cindy McCain around in outfits worth more than most of our homes (as reported by VANITY FAIR,
"Oscar de la Renta dress: $3,000

Chanel J12 White Ceramic Watch: $4,500

Three-carat diamond earrings: $280,000

Four-strand pearl necklace: $11,000–$25,000

Shoes, designer unknown: $600

Total: Between $299,100 and $313,100". Republicans who expect me as a woman to forget that I owe a debt of gratitude TO community organizers for allowing me to live in a free America, vote, work, voice my opinion, make my own decisions regarding my own body....etc. Republicans who expect me to accept lies as truth as they desperately try to distance themselves from the party that catapulted them to the limelight, who expect me to turn a blind eye to how passionately they have embraced the extremist views of their base.

I owe it to myself as a woman and to my daughter to speak up.

By the way (thanks, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS!), for a man who's never authored a single law or reform, at this very moment Barack Obama is listed as sponsoring (which means, was involved in AUTHORING) 129 bills. Currently. Right now. And McCain? 38.

~Ang