Back when it was still rather cold out and being crafty was a sure way to keep my cold hands warm, I made these Goddess of the Forest necklaces. They are made from the points of  white tail deer antlers and have different types of quartz on them. I have made a hand full of them and have them listed in my shop. I hope to make more soon, but it’s only when I find antlers, and that’s not often, so get them before they are gone. 

                             The Rose and The Houndstooth Dress/ Med/ $65

                               The Silken Flower Dress/ Small.Medium/ $60

                                         Daises in Neverland Dress/ Small/ $45

                                         Betty Blue Dress/ Small.medium/ $38

                                      1940’s Lemmon Drop Dress/ Medium/ $75

                               1940’s Spring Princess Gown/Small.Medium/ $65

I hope you all are enjoying your weekends, and for those of use in the states the LONG weekend at that.  Summer seems to have stretched her arms all around us here in the north east, the sun is hot and beaming until late hours of the evening. The air is thick and heady with the smell of wild roses. Thunderstorms are rolling in and I even caught my first glimpses of fire flies last night. 

  I have been busy as of late working on updates to the etsy shop, working on some photo projects, and hunting down a part time job so I can have some extra $$$ for the summer. That has meant allot of time inside, away from the sun. Aside from a few ventures out to work in the garden and check on the fruit trees I have managed to stay a glowing shade of white. Most of my freckles are still hibernating.  That being said it was the perfect weather for a light weight long wrap skirt, I am pretty self conscious about my legs to begin with so the idea of them bare to the world with out a hint of color.. no thank you. I found this one in an old antique mart, they had been selling it as fabric, and right when I picked it up I new better. I got it on the cheap, and it’s one of my new warm weather favorites. It looks great with just a simple tee, and as I found out today one of my many crop tops. This combination felt so 1940’s to me that I had to grad a big a floppy hat and brush out my curls. 

Well it’s off for some BBQ on this lovely evening, talk soon, Courtney

Hat: Yankee Flea

Top: Brimfield Flea( like 5 years ago)

Necklace: Donnaland Vintage

Skirt: Antique Market

Glasses: Ebay

Shoes: Forever 21

A while back now I had the great pleasure of working with Keri and Luis from Mercitron on some photos for their newest project “Gone Galactic” which you can hear here.  Keri and I talked out what her visions were for the shoot and our ideas just blended into something magical. Keri and Luis made these great cloaks by hand, enlisted some help of their friends Bethuny and Rosa to do their amazing hair and makeup. It all just came together so perfectly. It’s so nice to get to work with artists that I totally respect and who’s music I am really into. Mercitron is the perfect blend of electronic synthy sounds, beats and  not to mention Keri’s voice is like that of a sieren song. I keep listening over and over again to their song “Black Wing”, in fact one of my dream shows right now would be seeing them with Twin Sister. Let me know what you think, I don’t think you will be let down. 

Emily is wearing a hand made floral crown, a victorian Cotton top, 20’s silk bed jacket and antique french silk bloomers from my collection of old white things. Thanks again Emily for suffering the cold wet grass for art.  

    Few things in life are more exhilarating than the feeling of the wind in your hair, the open road and the smells of country side hitting your face. About four years ago one of my best friends was looking for a long term home for his Vespa. My home was a fit and over the last four years I have been zipping around the pioneer valley on this little pearl Vespa ET4.  I have been retro fitting her to have a little bit more of a me style, just last summer I had the seat re-done with blue glitter fabric, I have been patching up the paint chips, and I just ordered some new chrome mirrors. 

 Now I don’t normally wear wedges while ridding and in fact I usually wear black harness boots, a blue leather jacket, and a big helmet with a full face shield, a girl’s gotta stay safe and keep the bugs off her face. Even with all that gear on, I love nothing more than being out on the road. The smell of nature bombarding me and feeling the cold spots on the road where the sun has yet to warm the earth, things you miss when you’re traveling up on four wheels.  What to wear on my Vespa is some times a bit of a challenge for me. I tend to wear mostly dresses and that’s just not the safest option when I am out on the pavement. This is where my black pants and stripe shirt come into play, it’s my riding default. Do any of you ladies ride, what do you wear? 

This summer I am sure to spend even more time on her than usual as just last week Chris bought him self a 1981 Suzuki GS550T. I can not wait to hit the open air with him, and take some grand adventures. To be honest I am worried I will feel a little silly on my vespa next to Chris on his tuff looking all black bike (think mods vs. rockers) But what the heck, we both have a top speed of 80mph and I like being just a bit more cute than him.  I will keep you all posted on how that goes. 

I feel like such a bad blogger having not kept you all up to date over the last week. It was for a good reasons though. It was the first Brimfield of the season and I was helping my friend Donna of Donnaland work her tent. It was such a blast and lots of hard work.  My favorite part is all the amazing ladies I get to spend time with while surrounded in vintage heaven.  I was thrilled to have Emily come up to work and stay the week with me. Not to mention that we got to have plenty of girl time. I spent so much quality time with the lovely Molly, Sam and Nikki.  One of the perks of brimfield is all the lovely ladies it brings up to my neck to the woods. 

    Although I had some fun photo time with Emily, Kater, and Alley, which I will be posting later these are from instagram, mine, Emily’s and Chris’s.  Sorry if this is a repeat for you. If you are looking for me on the instagram you can follow me @light_witch

        Emily, Sam and I working like crazy ladies yet again, slinging rags and asking why.

                                     Late night set up in the Donnaland Tent

                                       Photo fun with Kater, Emily and Alley

                               Drinks, drinks, drinks with Sam, Molly and Emily

                             A good apron is a brimfield working girl staple

                                                   Fellow weirdo.. whom I LOVE!

                         Blogger babes, Alley, Emily, Hannah and Emma

                                              Working hard for the money

                         Emily and I on our day off, photo adventures to Quabbin

                                    Nautical nonsense with Emily and Chris

                                    Part of my vintage haul from this past week

Hi Jessica, for my readers that may not know what your all about can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do? 

 Sure thing. I’m in my 30‘s and currently live in Boston (after a brief stint in Western Mass and many years in Chicago) where I spend a lot of time wandering with my dog in cemeteries and the woods, reading, listening to records and attempting to play the bass. I try to wear earplugs at loud events and a helmet when riding my bike. A pretty glamorous life, what can I say.

You have recently started Queen of Swords Records, can you tell us what inspired you to start up a punk/hardcore label for women?

It started last summer when I saw the band Honeysuck play here in Boston. On a basic level, it was just really exciting to see women that I admired and considered friends playing music together. And objectively speaking, I thought they’d written great songs and they were really fun to watch perform. The combination of those qualities gave me a sense excitement that I haven’t felt for a band from my area for a long time (maybe ever). Around the same time, I began to consider how long I’ve been involved with punk/hardcore music and how my participation has always been limited to the role of wallflower. Until more recently, I’d never felt stable enough in my life to be more involved, or felt as if I had a worthy contribution to make. It’s important for me to emphasize that last point. I think it’s especially difficult for women, queer-identifying people and people of color in punk/hardcore music to feel that we are entitled to our anger just as much as the white heterosexual males are, and that the things we really want to scream about are valid and worthy of being heard. No one is lured to this type of music because they are perfectly at peace with themselves and the world, and in my opinion, members of under represented or oppressed groups have much more to be angry about than the white middle class males whose voices currently dominate the microphones do. And I think that our subculture is unfortunately guilty of assuming the underlying fear of angry women that runs rampant in mainstream culture. But on the positive side, I believe there can be a snowball effect where one woman supporting another woman’s artistic efforts inspires other women to do the same, and before you know it, you’ve got an audience and people are listening to and seeing a new perspective. It’s just a matter of creating an atmosphere where a person who might not otherwise speak out can feel validated and safe enough to express themselves, and I want to help foster that growth in whatever way possible. So last fall when Honeysuck was looking for a label to help them release a record it felt like kismet. 

What was it about punk and hardcore that drew you to that style of music when a lot of times it can seem like a real “boys club”? 

In the very beginning I think I had an idealistic view of what involvement in the punk and hardcore community was going to be. I was looking for a replacement family, for some support and understanding that I felt was lacking in my life. I was an angry, hurt, confused teenager and regardless of gender, I wanted to be surrounded by other angry, hurt and confused teenagers. I also was a tomboy for most of my childhood and spent the majority of my time around males, so to some extent, it didn’t even register with me for years that I was in a boys club or that there was value in embracing my womanhood. On the surface I thought it just felt more comfortable to be “one of the boys” and play rough than it did to go to some dance night or party and try to be the picture of feminine perfection and do and say the right thing to attract the opposite sex. But in subsequent years, I’ve thought about it on a deeper level. If men have the power in our society, then who the hell would want to be a woman? Who would voluntarily choose to associate with the second class citizens by choice? I think I saw value in eschewing female gender roles for the sake of being a more powerful individual, but in the long run, it became somewhat insidious, in that I came to accept and internalize some misogynistic perspectives. For example, when you hear the lame excuse that someone “just doesn’t like women’s voices” enough, you start to buy it and can become blind to the fact that what that really means is “I’m uncomfortable with women having a voice”.

Do you find that there are specific challenges being a woman starting a record label that would be no big deal if you where a man?

I think the number one issue for women in any male dominated arena is having the courage to follow one’s own vision and conduct themselves in a way that feels authentic, which can feel like a lonely struggle at times. When you’re a male with a long history of involvement in a social group or organization historically dominated by males and you start a new project, there is a ready-made formula and system to help ensure your success. Even if your music or art sucks, there will be people who still support it for the sake of friendship. Whereas being a woman, there is this added element of questioning the validity of your creative output or writing off your accomplishments as uncool, especially if it falls out of the range of what is normally seen as something people are comfortable seeing women do. It’s easier to accept women playing sweet and pretty music because women are expected to be sweet and pretty, but it’s more difficult for people to accept women displaying ugliness or outward aggression because that’s seen as women behaving in a masculine way. Women are socialized to direct our aggression inward, towards ourselves and our bodies, or towards other women, instead of rejecting the denigrating messages we’re constantly barraged with and pointing the finger at the real enemy. People tend to think that it’s not ladylike to be angry outspoken, but to assign a gender to any emotion is ludicrous. One’s ability to express a full range of human emotions through art and music should transcend the gender binary. 

I have been thinking a lot about strong female role models recently, would you mind talking about some of yours? 

I’ve always been drawn to people who combine strength with compassion and of course, women who embody the warrior woman archetype. A bit of a contradiction maybe, but I see value in both and I don’t think they’re mutually exclusive. My earliest female role model was Jane Goodall, the primatologist. She’s the type of person who manages to be influential and stands for what she believes in while still being gentle and caring. As far as historical figures are concerned, Joan of Arc, Hildegard von Bingen and Boudicca come to mind. And in film and television, some characters I admire include any of the characters Pam Grier has played, Cleopatra Jones, Ellen Ripley from Alien and of course, Xena. As cornball as that show was, I think it had a significant positive impact on a generation of girls to have weekly televised access to a powerful and complex female character.

You post a fair amount of videos from bands from the 90’s on your Goddess Syndrome page, who are some of your favorite bands from that time?

Honestly, I was so entrenched in the male dominated hardcore world for most of the 90’s that I entirely missed the Riot Grrl movement and the bands that were associated with it. Because of my age, a lot of people assume I was involved somehow, but I wasn’t. So in the past few years I’ve made a concerted effort to seek out music made by females. Two bands that I was really blown away by from that era were Babes in Toyland and Slant 6. And when I started listening to PJ Harvey I kicked myself pretty hard for missing out on her for so long, she’s incredible. Beyond that, there were a lot of all female or female fronted mainstream and punk bands from this time like L7, Hole, Luscious Jackson, Voodoo Queens, Elastica, Shonen Knife, Discount, Bratmobile, Lush, Lunachicks, Slowdive, Tilt, Spitboy, Dog Faced Hermans, Coleman, Skinned Teen, Hue & Cry, etc. 

I have heard you are into fantasy novels, can you recommend a few good ones to us? 

My introduction into the realm of fantasy novels for feminist minded individuals was The Mists of Avalon, a retelling of the Arthurian legend that a focus on the female characters. The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Song of Fire and Ice series are a given.   More generally speaking I’m a big fan of Neil Gaiman and Guy Gavriel Kay’s work, and just finished reading The Once and Future King, which I loved. And if I might be so bold as to include sci fi, anything by Ursula Le Guin comes highly recommended and Octavia Butler’s Lilith’s Brood trilogy is fantastic, as well.

Do you think that your love for fantasy novels is connected to your feminist outlook on life in any way?

I think it absolutely is, but never would have made the connection myself. The point of fantasy and science fiction is to rewrite the past as we wish it could have been and to create a future of our own design. So you’re much more likely to encounter a woman wielding a sword or magic or a powerful queen in fantasy literature than you are if you read Medieval texts and history. We all know what it was like for women in that era, and I think it’s sometimes inspiring to read something instead about how it could have been. Likewise, in science fiction literature, one is capable of envisioning a more egalitarian future for humanity. 

If you could hand pick a group, regardless if they are alive or dead, who would make up your dream band?

If I could Frankenstein a three piece superstar punk band it would be Kat Bjelland (Babes in Toyland) on guitar and vocals, Kira Roessler (Blag Flag) on bass and Patty Schemel (Hole) on drums. 

Before we go can you tell us what’s in the near future for Queen of Swords Records?

Right now I’m focused on completing the Honeysuck 7” and hopefully helping them plan a small tour when it’s released. After that, I’ll be looking for another project, so people should get in touch at queenofswordsrecords@gmail.com 

So I feel pretty bad having not spent ample time with you my blog friends over the last weeks, but I have been pretty busy. I have been working plotting and planning a video shoot for my little vintage store. I was inspired by my adventure to the rock house to do a little shoot there. Alec, who I shot the Ex Reverie video has suggested working on a video for my shop and this seemed like a great opportunity and this witchy, picnic at hanging rock story just started snow balling through my mind. I can not wait to share the video with you all when it’s done and some more photos as I get film back for now though here are some instagram shots from yesterday. ALSO another big thanks to everyone that worked on this, Alec, Chris, Gillian, Hannah, Jessica, Mollie, Nikki, and Sam! 

Photos by me, Jessica, Nikki, Chris and Gillian. 

Here are some of my 35mm shots from my trip out Vegas and the desert. 

                                           1940’s Floral Spring Dress(s/m), $150 

                                        White Lace Bell Sleeve Dress (s), $125

                                  Dead Stock Pink Floral Wrap Dress (s/m), $30

                                         70’s Golden Cream Dress (s/m) $42

                                 1950’s Black New Look Cocktail Dress (s) $175

Today was an amazing day here on the hillside, the sun was shining the breeze was cool and the birds sang. I spent the day by the open front door taking tons of photos of a bunch of new goodies that are going to be listed in my shop. 

I couldn’t help but take this weather as an opportunity to wear my new yellow polka dot dress. I don’t normally wear yellow, but there was something so classic about this little shift dress that I had too have it. The best part is that it was the perfect dress to wear with my new necklace I got at Viva last week. I couldn’t pass it up. I remember being a kid and collecting these stupid plastic charms with bells to put on a similar necklace. This one seemed perfect though with soda, a hotdog, a hamburg and some puppies. The hot dog charm actually inspired my shoe choice, I went for a ketchup and mustard theme and rocked my new red sneakers, I was just working around the house and all. So here is a long overdue outfit post, albeit totally goofy and inspired by a hotdog.                                          

Dress- Thrifted

Shoes- Thrifted

Tights- American Apparel

Necklace- Viva Las Vegas 

I was thinking today about my earliest fashion icons. I was a little bit of a late bloomer fashion-wise as I wore a uniform to school every day until I was 12. I still dig on jumpers and peter pan collars as anyone who has seen me dress will note.  Once the rules of catholic school dressing where gone and I could ride bike to the local salvation army I started dressing like my first fashion icons, Lucille Ball (I love Lucy),Peg Bundy (Married with Children), Miss Piggy(The Muppets) and Clarissa Darling(Clarissa Explains it all). I am sure I looked a mess as I was shopping with out my parents permission at the local salvation army, and was living on a 13 year old’s allowance in 1993. My wardrobe left much to be desired. I find myself still inspired by these characters their fashion, wit and comic prowess are all things I strive to attain.  I am blaming them on my current desire for gold  capri’s for the summer.  

 Let me know who your questionable fashion icons are, I would love to get some new inspiration. 

I am back home safe and sound and after 12 hours of sleep I am starting to feel like a person again rather than a zombie.  I didn’t have a bunch of time to take photos while I was out at viva, I was working some 12 hour days, had drinks to drink and fun to have. But I did get some of my outfits with my phone and I am waiting to pick up the two rolls of film I shot. I had a ton of fun working and hanging out with Donna and all the Donnaland ladies, not to mention all the stunning vintage babes shopping our booth. It was so nice to see so many well dressed ladies all in one place. I was consonantly letting ladies know how much I loved their dress..and vice versa.. you could hear this sentiment all over the hallways. I got to check out some bands, some fine cars at the car show and fine bods at the pool party. On my last day in town Donna was nice enough to take some of us out into the desert to Bonnie Springs and then give us a personalized tour of the old neon in vegas.. it was a highlight for me. I am already looking forward to next year. 

So tommorow afternoon I am jumping on to a plane and headed to Las Vegas.  I have been lucky enough to be invited by Donna of Donnaland Vintage to go with her and work her vintage booth at Viva Las Vegas. I would not call my self rockabilly but I sure do love vintage and I have never seen vegas before so this should be a fun adventure. I am going to be pretty busy and I don’t think I will have to much time to update you all on the blog but I know I will be posting a bunch on my Instagram if you are interested in following my adventures there. I can’t wait to update you all when I get back.

vintagegal:

Maureen O’Hara c. 1940’s

That looks like RIta Hayworth to me.

maudelynn:

Yep. There you have it.

maudelynn:

Waiting on the Mechanic

1920s risque postcard

vintagegal:

 Jan Thomason, Wilma Morton and Beth Patton lead three baby tigers down a Miami street, 1946

always.

modcloth:

Vintage photo of pretty pleated skirts from Flickr user Sethapart.

Segment of Dance, Girl, Dance #1 (by ClassicHolleywood)

hoodoothatvoodoo:

Baba Beaton 1932

By Madame Yevonde

holdthisphoto:

Nude in Wood, 1925

• by Arthur F. Kales

nosex:

DUNE (DAVID LYNCH, 1984)

allnightradio:

Louis Icart - Cigarette

kittenmeats:

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1935) - William Dieterle, Max Reinhardt

blackandwtf:

1929

“The Centipede” performed by dancers in Brussels.

(via vintagegal)