Inspiration from Tasha Tudor’s Illustrations and Creative Work

I have always found Tasha Tudor and her work to be a great inspiration. She was an extremely talented illustrator, a writer, and loved working with her hands. She enjoyed gardening, growing flax, spinning, weaving, basket making, sewing; she had numerous creative outlets that she excelled at. Tasha Tudor was born in 1915 in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the daughter or a naval architect and a portrait painter. She took to gardening at a very young age and enjoyed the simpler things in life like milking her cow. She didn’t show much interest in becoming “a debutante and coming out into Boston society.” “I was teased in school because I was so connected with the past, wore old-fashioned dresses, and wouldn’t cut my hair. ” (1)

In 1938 Tudor married and started a family. She published and illustrated her first book, Pumpkin Moonshine in 1938 also. She and her husband, along with two children lived in Webster, New Hampshire, where the couple had bought an old farm. In 1942 Tudor began designing greeting cards for Herbert Duller, Inc. By 1943 a watercolor she had done was on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1944 she illustrated and released a book called Mother Goose. The success of this book allowed her and her husband to buy a farm that had an old homestead upon its grounds, from 1789. Tasha had two more children after moving there, in total two boys and two girls.

Tudor’s illustrations often were filled with pictures from her life; her own children, flowers and plants that she lovingly grew and her pets. She really enjoyed Christmas and Valentine’s Day and passed this enthusiasm on to her children. She also loved to put on marionette shows while her children were young.  This brought in extra spending money and was fun for the entire family.

Her son, Thomas, went abroad for school and when he returned he brought home a corgi dog which became very attached to Tasha. She went on to adopt up to twelve corgis dogs and even created a story called “Corgiville Fair”, which was published and a huge success in 1971.  By 1972 she was eager to move to Vermont and purchase a smaller home than the larger home she had raised her children in. Her marriage had ended in 1961 and a second brief marriage was also behind her. She bought some land in southeastern Vermont that had secluded acreage and some forested areas. Her son Seth built her a home based on another home she liked, owned by friends, that was a Cape Cod style farmhouse from 1750. He also built her a barn for her many animals and a staging area for marionette shows. She cut back on her illustration work the year she moved, but later on, she continued to work until her early eighties. Tasha illustrated nearly a hundred books in her lifetime.

Tasha continued her love for gardening in her Vermont home. The pictures of her home show a landscape filled with daffodils, lettuce poppies, dame’s rockets, roses, and many other flowers.  Her home was filled with antiques and precious pieces passed down through her family for many years. In Vermont, she raised goats instead of cows and enjoyed having her grandchildren come to visit and dress up in her vintage clothing. She died in 2008 in Marlboro, Vermont. Her daughters, Bethany Tudor, and Efner Holmes, also became successful illustrators and writers.

The last twenty years of her life she became well known worldwide and her books were translated into many languages. There are numerous books written about her life and work. If you would like to find out more I recommend viewing the Tudor family website. I have the books Tasha Tudor’s Heirloom Crafts and The Private World of Tasha Tudor. I really enjoy sitting and reading these books, as well as the inspiration I derive from seeing all the beautiful pictures. There is a museum in Brattleboro, Vermont that is dedicated to her life’s work and they have various events and show the PBS documentaries about Tasha’s life.

tasha tudor

Tasha Tudor inspiration

Tasha Tudor Christmas

“My antique clothing collection is a great folly of mine. The majority are from the 1830’s, but I have examples from every style and decade from 1770 to 1870. It is very common for a friend who tries on one of my old dresses to feel transported to another time. It gives a different perspective on life.” (2)

tasha tudor

(1)  pg. 20 The Private World of Tasha Tudor

(2) pg.66 The Private World of Tasha Tudor

All photos from Flickr, except the last three which were taken from my book. The photographer is Richard brown for those photos. All written material by Marilyn Lavender. © Marilyn Lavender, 2016.  “All rights reserved.”

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Some of my Favorite Vintage Fall Accessories

These accessories are a few of the vintage fall items that I have added to my wardrobe the last year. I have always loved scarves since I was a young gal when we lived in Europe for five years. I saw women wearing them year round. My mother wore a lot of scarves as well. The fall leaf scarf I found in my trips to Philadelphia I believe I bought it at Retrospect, a vintage shop at 508 South Street. The paisley one I found a vintage street sale in the West Village. My screw on earrings in the lovely golden amber color I like to wear with my vintage paisley fall skirt that has an array of golden colors.

The brooch with the lady with the flowing hair and flowers I found in at St. Luke’s Thrift Shop in the West Village. I really like the feminine with nature theme that is captured on the brooch. I had a brooch that was similar in the 80’s but I lost it through the years. So I was happy when I found this one.

When I started collecting more vintage brooches to sell in my Etsy shop I ran across a few brooches that can be used as a pendant as well. Apparently, this was a fashion trend in the 1940’s and earlier as well. The one I saved for myself is the one with the blue flowers and rhinestones in gold-tone metal. I have attached it to a gold chain I have. It is a very pretty piece. I am hoping to wear it at some point when I dress up during the holidays, although I think it would look great even with jeans and a black top since it would dress up any outfit.

I have attached a link to an Edwardian Era brooch made in Russia between 1908-1917.  I have attached another link of an ancient Victorian Era Fleming heart pendant, circa 1897. I have attached the pictures through my Pinterest boards. If you would like to follow me on Pinterest I am adding in photos of some of my brooches from my vintage collection that is in my Etsy shop, as well as other brooches I like.

These types of pendant brooches are a unique vintage look. I think they make a lovely statement piece to wear currently, even with modern clothing since they are so different from the current trend of large cluster necklaces. The silver-tone pendant brooch with silver flowers and clear and blue rhinestones is in my Etsy shop currently. I prefer lighter necklaces myself, or clusters that are not such a heavy look. I am petite and generally, I like accessories that don’t overwhelm my smaller frame.

I have a couple of these brooch/pendants in my own vintage Etsy Shop HabershamVintage. They are temporarily on sale as well. Actually, all the items in my vintage Etsy shop that are over $14.99- $19.99 are on sale for 20% off, currently marked the sale price. All items over $19.99 are 25% off and marked the sale price as well.

I have been busy adding more of the jewelry I designed myself to my other Etsy shop, CosmicRenegade, the one with handmade items. That shop is also having a sale of 15% off items over $14.99. There is a coupon code to get the discount: HOLIDAYS. If you decide to shop please use your coupon code prior to checkout. I have added a lot of earrings, in particular, the last few weeks.

I will be planning on taking some pictures of the holiday windows in New York City again, as I have done the last couple of years.  I hope you are enjoying the beginning of the holiday season and the rest of fall.

fall vtg scarf

Fall paisley scarf vintage

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screw on vtg earrings

vtg-brooch-pendant

Vtg Brooch from 40's with pendant

HabershamVintage

vtg brooch pendant

vtg brooch circa 1897

All photos and written material by Marilyn Lavender. © Marilyn Lavender, 2016.  “All rights reserved.”

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Vintage 90’s Blouse and a Thrifted Black Coat

This is one of my favorite fall outfits thus far this year. I bought this 90’s blouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in some little vintage shop that was mostly loaded up with stacks of books. In the rear of his shop, he had a couple of racks of clothes and I am a sucker for anything floral so I ended up with this lovely blouse.  The detail on the collar also caught my attention. I found this last spring but it was getting warm by then so only recently have I been wearing it quite a bit. It is old enough that it was made in the U.S.A. before so many clothing companies started having their products made overseas. It is a My Michelle brand piece with the slimming darts in the back. I have been wearing this blouse with blue jeans, black jeans, the black Japanese culottes in this post and various skirts.

My pink sweater was a gift. It is cashmere and from Uniqlo. The Japanese pants are also from Uniqlo. My shoes don’t look so great since the ones I have on in the full outfit photo are my post-surgical shoes. They are from Dansko yet they still have that post-surgical look. They certainly protect my toe joint which was the reason to buy them! I just bought a pair of Dr. Martens this week. I have wanted a pair for years but they never fit due to my bunions. Now they fit so I bought these Mary Jane shoes. I am thrilled about their British Rocker look, yet at the same time, they are black and professional looking for office attire. I love to walk so I need solid shoes. I bought them at Trash and Vaudeville.

My brooches are all vintage and the little umbrella brooch I have had since I was about seven years old! The tiny leaf one is gold plated and from a company called Krementz. I looked them up online and they made lots of beautiful leaf brooches back in the midcentury. The Infinity brooch I saved for myself since I have been buying some for my Etsy shop.

The black wool coat I found on the Lower East Side of the Village at a stoop sale. The lady was smaller than me. It must have been huge on her but of course, I was absolutely thrilled to buy it at a $5 a bag price. It has served me very well when the weather is around 40 degrees. Everything else the lady had for sale was also great but this was the only thing I could fit into and needed. That large green brooch I found in a vintage shop and have worn with this coat since. I really enjoy finding great deals and doing a bit to help save the environment but purchasing items further down the chain of production.

My daughter, Emily was here for six days. We had so much fun walking around and going places. We didn’t get as many photos taken as we planned. She did take these of me inside the Eastern Parkway subway stop. It was a cold, dreary day so the location seems better than outdoors. I took the one of me in my jeans and the same blouse and coat. When Emily arrived I was still hobbling around with my cane but after I saw my doctor again I was able to let that go. I still have physical therapy ahead of me but I am getting there and it is very exciting to be outside again more often!

I am still struggling with my eyes. I can’t wear eye makeup for awhile, if ever again due to an oil production difficulty. I am telling you if it isn’t one thing its another! I suppose now I will focus more on lipstick and blush. My nose is a bit red in this post due to heating up my eyelids. One just has to have a sense of humor about these things!

Today is Halloween so I intend to dress up as a Harajuku Décor Gal and go to the West Village to see people walking around in their colorful and lively costumes.  I will try to take some pictures for the blog!! Also, I will aim to get a picture or two of me dressed up. I bought the rainbow knee highs that I have seen some Harajuku Gals wearing in photos. Aside from that, I am using my own clothing. I did buy some of the tiny bright plastic barrettes as well to add color to my outfit. I hope you enjoy Halloween!

blk thrifted 90's blouse MY Michelle

cluster-of-brooches

thrfited blouse 90's

blk thrifted coat

Blk thrifted coat from the Lower East side

All photos by Emily Owens except one of me in jeans. All written material by Marilyn Lavender. © Marilyn Lavender, 2016 and © Emily Owens.  “All rights reserved.”

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My Mod and Skull Earring Designs In My Etsy Shop

I wanted to share some of my earrings I have been making with you in this post. I am aware that I am overdue for a fashion post but that is coming very soon. Taking pictures for that is next on my agenda! I have been healing up from my foot surgery, albeit slowly, so I figured I may as well send out some pictures of the jewelry design progress I have been making.

With Halloween coming very soon skull earrings would be fun to wear! I like them year round for a playful, quirky, colorful look. Also mod earrings are great for creating a unique accessory look. I have been using some of my bead stock that I had left over from the 80’s, plus a few black glass cats from the early 90’s. I hope to be making more mod and skull jewelry designs soon. I have these Day of the Dead type designs in my thoughts. I also get inspiration from Japan’s Harajuku girls. The colors are so inspiring and cheerful!  The green mod earrings in this post were inspired by Harajuku culture and also by the green in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I find it doesn’t really matter where we get inspiration as long as we get it.

I have a skull layered pendant necklace. I also just ordered some more vintage lucite beads for making colorful necklaces. A few of those necklaces will have a mod style. I have been struggling with not having the best set-up for making jewelry in this apartment. I have a large studio which is great but I don’t have the wonderful shelves I had in my built in desk that I had many moons ago when I was wholesaling costume jewelry. In time I will be able to create a better work routine with this endeavor. I get such joy from creating and designing jewelry. It is a rewarding process.

red-lucite-earrings handmade earrings

red-lucite-with-chain

The red cone earrings in this post come in two styles. The cones themselves are red vintage Italian lucite. I like how unique they are. I also really like using the chain links from some vintage 80’s chain link that I have. I have created several designs with those chain links. I haven’t seen that many chain links like the ones we had in the 80’s. My first item I sold in my Etsy jewelry shop was a necklace made from pink and silver chain link. That pink chain link was so unique and pretty!

The skull earrings and pendant are all made from dyed turquoise beads. I think they are quirky and charming in an off-beat way. I like all the little squiggly cracked looking brownish or black lines that run through the colorful skulls. Whether you want to wear them with a steampunk look, vintage punk or a classic look they would be a conversation piece.

Well I hope you enjoyed this post and I will get busy with the fashion post early this week. I am enjoying being able to get out and walk again some and I hope that you are enjoying the changing of the seasons! Plus my daughter Emily is visiting later this week which often means some really good pictures are being taken soon. She is studying photography as well as literature in school. I will continue to add new jewelry items to my Etsy jewelry shop with more skull items and mod jewelry coming up soon too!

mod earrings green plastic and lucite

Mod blk plastic earrings

skull-earrings-from-cr

small-skull-earrings

Steampunk skull earrings

blk-cat-earrings

All photos and written material by Marilyn Lavender. © Marilyn Lavender, 2016.  “All rights reserved.”

My Daughter's Apartment is so Vintage Punk

My Daughter’s Apartment is so Vintage Punk

 

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