My sons are both teachers, the youngest, Gideon, just entering the profession as of last Tuesday. He sent us a photo via the camera on his phone of his first day on the job, standing outside his classroom wearing a big smile and a new outfit. New-ness is a first-day tradition, for students and teachers alike.
There’s such hopefulness in new school supplies, a new lunch box, and a new pair of shoes. Perhaps the anticipation of a new beginning accounts for the family affair school shopping has become.
If a new beginning were just around the corner, my new outfit would combine two of my favorite vintage finds: this apron and coordinating purse.
I’ve had the apron for years, purchased because of the embroidered figures and their thread hair dos appliqued against a blue the color of a cloudless sky. The purse was a much later find. Discovered in an antique shop, I was captivated by the dimensional paper cutouts and their frizzy thread beards.
But putting the two together was an olympic moment, an inspiration that hadn’t occurred to me until the opening Olympic ceremony. I so loved visiting China three years ago, and now I have a new outfit to remind me of the specialness of that trip. Something old is now something new.
So cute! I love that you have an Olympic inspired outfit ready and waiting.
EllynAnne,
I have no doubt your Olympic apron and purse set look great.
Thank you so much for your nice comments on my site about my little cookbooks. I have all of your apron books and I must say your graphics and presentation are very retro and so well done.Also you web sites are so colorful and fun to look at.
We are all so glad over at the MARY JANE site that you check in on us. Lots of the girls there are pretty clever apron makers. I have tried making a few and they came out OK, but I wouldn’t win a blue ribbon, in fact I don’t think any color ribbon. HA. So I buy them or find them at Garage sales.
Nancy Jo
EllynAnne,
Your apron & handbag are so cute! I love this style of handbag, it reminds me of the lucite style purses that were so very popular,,,I dare not say when as that will give away our ages! lol!
We use to call them ‘picnic purses’ as they reminded us of little miniture picnic baskets.
hugz,
>^..^<
This one was such an original, with its Asian embellishments and picnic-y wicker, I don’t recall considering whether or not I really needed another purse…same frame of mind when buying yet another lipstick. Familiar to us all. Anyway, the thought did flicker that the design would lend itself as a lunch carrier. How cute – thanks, Grace, for noticing. Now I’ll have to try it! Now, what to pack….
xxea
WOW…I’m so thrilled to have discovered your blog!! I bought a copy of your ‘The Apron Book’ earlier this year and blogged about it ten days ago, do you believe it?? I LOVE that book and it’s got me started collecting vintage aprons…such FUN!!! I even joined a vintage apron swap recently and now I’ve got two more delightful vintage aprons…OH JOY!!! I can’t wait to blog about YOUR blog so that other vintage apron collectors can visit you as well… I’ve already added you to my fav blog list 🙂 xx