Pretty Pyrex

I added more to my budding vintage Pyrex collection this summer.  Two mixing bowls from the early Spring Blossom Green collection from the 70's.

Pyrex in action: pasta salad version

I love the vintage Pyrex.  All the mixing bowls I got for my wedding were either white stoneware or clear new Pyrex.  My vintage decorated Pyrex dishes make me smile when I pull them out of the cupboard.  They add something to the ambiance of the meal when they are on the table.  Happiness!

There's tons of vintage Pyrex for sale on Ebay, but I love finding it on my own thrift store adventures.  Finding matching pieces is especially fun. 

This is the smaller bowl of the matching set.  It's 1 1/2 quarts and I find it's a super-useful size.

They've been lovingly added to my "collection" including my two 1950's Amish Butterprint refrigerator dishes from my Grandma's kitchen.

And my two 1980's Shenandoah pattern "Cinderella Bowls" (with a pour spout and handle) that I also found at a thrift store.

$15 and a Thrift Store

With the season of "legitimate" public costuming quickly approaching I have been itching to get to work on my steampunk clothing.

Yes- literally itching.

It's that feeling on your hands after sorting through racks of junk of countless concourses of other human beings at the thrift store. And you have to use three baby wipes when you get back in the car to wash up before you start to feel even a little bit normal.

I have found some real winners though, and I now have a great stash of materials to work with.

Not convincing? Check out that plastic-y fake leather jacket towards the front--Winner!  Ton's of potential for working on my outfit.  

Here's some of my inspiration pieces (with elements I like) that I gleaned from the Internets. 

 That is a Steampunk Princess Leia.

Yeah she's pretty cool. I like that her corset is a halter top--it kind of looks like a gun sling or whatever you call those things.  I also like her packs slung over opposite hips.

 I really like this skirt.  I don't know that I will go this direction on my current costume, but I do appreciate the layering of different fabrics and materials.

 This is great.  I like the industrial zipper and the buckles.  And I would wear this dress to church--it's not over the top costume-y.

Here's a picture of an actual period dress in the style I'll be gravitating towards.  I think I'll be doing an overskirt similar to the one in the picture.

I did some reading on Victorian-era clothing, and it's amazing--overnight I've become a huge critic.  I see people's outfits that combine pieces from conflicting periods and want to yell, "No!  That's wrong!"

But steampunk is a fantasy genre, so I should probably lighten up and let people do whatever they want.

Because I certainly plan to.